एहि बिधि करत पन्थ पछितावा । तमसा-तीर तुरत रथ आवा ॥
बिदा किये करि बिनय निषादा । फिरे पायँ परि बिकल-बिषादा ॥
ehi bidhi karata pantha pachitāvā | tamasā-tīra turata ratha āvā ||
bidā kiye kari binaya niṣādā | phire pāyam̐ pari bikala-biṣādā ||
Ayodhya Kanda
Chapter 147: The empty chariot enters Avadh by night
5 verses · 147 of 326
What happens in this chapter
The empty chariot enters Avadh by night
Lamenting so, Sumantra reaches the Tamasa. He dismisses the Nishadas, who fall at his feet and turn back in grief. Ashamed to enter the city, as if he had killed a guru, a brahmana or a cow, he sits the day out under a tree and slips into Avadh after dark, leaving the chariot at the palace door. Those who hear come to see it; recognising the chariot and the horses' state, they melt like hailstones in the sun. The townsfolk are as distressed as fish in drying water. In the doha the queens' palace is thrown into anguish at the news, and the house seems to Sumantra as fearful as a haunt of ghosts.
पैठत नगर सचिव सकुचाई । जनु मारेसि गुरु-बाँभन-गाई ॥
बैठि बिटप तर दिवस गवाँवा । साँझ समय तब अवसर पावा ॥
paiṭhata nagara saciva sakucāī | janu māresi guru-bām̐bhana-gāī ||
baiṭhi biṭapa tara divasa gavām̐vā | sām̐jha samaya taba avasara pāvā ||
अवध प्रबेस कीन्ह अँधिआरें । पैठ भवन रथ राखि दुआरें ॥
जिन्ह जिन्ह समाचार सुनि पाये । भूप द्वार रथ देखन आये ॥
avadha prabesa kīnha am̐dhiāreṃ | paiṭha bhavana ratha rākhi duāreṃ ||
jinha jinha samācāra suni pāye | bhūpa dvāra ratha dekhana āye ||
रथ पहिचानि बिकल लखि घोरे । गरहिं गात जिमि आतप ओरे ॥
नगर नारि-नर ब्याकुल, कैसे । निघटत नीर मीन-गन जैसे ॥
ratha pahicāni bikala lakhi ghore | garahiṃ gāta jimi ātapa ore ||
nagara nāri-nara byākula, kaise | nighaṭata nīra mīna-gana jaise ||
सचिव आगमन सुनत सबु, बिकल भयउ रनिवास ।
भवन भयङ्कर लाग तेहि, मानहुँ प्रेत-निवास ॥
saciva āgamana sunata sabu, bikala bhayau ranivāsa |
bhavana bhayaṅkara lāga tehi, mānahum̐ preta-nivāsa ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0