5 verses · 42 of 326
Shri Rama answers Kaikeyi gladly. Bharata, dear to him as life, will have the kingdom, so fate favours him in every way today. If he refused the forest for such a cause, he should be counted first among fools. Even men who leave the wish-granting tree to serve the castor plant, or beg poison instead of nectar, would not let such a chance slip. One sorrow alone troubles him: the king lies utterly distressed, and so small a matter should not weigh so on his father. Such a steady king must be silent because Rama has done some grave wrong; he asks her, on oath, to tell the truth. The crooked mind read his simple words as crooked, as a leech moves in curves through still water.
भरत प्रान-प्रियपावहिँ राजू । बिधि सब बिधि मोहि सनमुख आजु ॥
जौँ न जाउँ बन ऐसेहु काजा । प्रथम गनिय मोहि मूढ़ समाजा ॥
bharata prāna-priyapāvahim̐ rājū | bidhi saba bidhi mohi sanamukha āju ||
jaum̐ na jāum̐ bana aisehu kājā | prathama ganiya mohi mūr̤ha samājā ||
सेवहिँ अरँडु कलपतरु त्यागी । परिहरि अमृत लेहिँ विष मागी ॥
तेउ न पाइ अस समउ चुकाहीँ । देखु बिचारि मातु मन माहीं ॥
sevahim̐ aram̐ḍu kalapataru tyāgī | parihari amṛta lehim̐ viṣa māgī ||
teu na pāi asa samau cukāhīm̐ | dekhu bicāri mātu mana māhīṃ ||
अम्ब एक दुख मोहि बिसेखी । निपट बिकल नर-नायकु देखी ॥
थोरिहिं बात पितहि दुख भारी । होति प्रतीति न मोहि महँतारी ॥
amba eka dukha mohi bisekhī | nipaṭa bikala nara-nāyaku dekhī ||
thorihiṃ bāta pitahi dukha bhārī | hoti pratīti na mohi maham̐tārī ||
राउ धीर गुन-उदधि अगाधू । भा मोहि तेँ कछु बड़ अपराधू ॥
जा तेँ मोहि न कहत कछु राऊ । मोरि सपथ तोहि कहु सतिभाऊ ॥
rāu dhīra guna-udadhi agādhū | bhā mohi tem̐ kachu bar̤a aparādhū ||
jā tem̐ mohi na kahata kachu rāū | mori sapatha tohi kahu satibhāū ||
सहज सरल रघुबर बचन, कुमति कुटिल करि जान ।
चलइ जोँक जल बक्रगति, जद्यपि सलिलु समान ॥
sahaja sarala raghubara bacana, kumati kuṭila kari jāna |
calai jom̐ka jala bakragati, jadyapi salilu samāna ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0
