राखि न सकइ न कहि सक जाहू । दुहूँ भाँति उर दारुन दाहू ॥
लिखत सुधाकर गा लिखि राहू । विधि-गति बाम सदा सब काहू ॥
rākhi na sakai na kahi saka jāhū | duhūm̐ bhām̐ti ura dāruna dāhū ||
likhata sudhākara gā likhi rāhū | vidhi-gati bāma sadā saba kāhū ||
Ayodhya Kanda
Chapter 55: Kausalya chooses dharma over love
5 verses · 55 of 326
What happens in this chapter
Kausalya chooses dharma over love
Kausalya can neither hold her son back nor tell him to go; either way her heart burns. Fate is always contrary: setting out to draw the moon, it has drawn Rahu. Dharma and love together hem in her mind, like the snake that has seized a muskrat and can neither swallow nor release it. To keep him would cost dharma and set brothers at odds; to send him is a great loss. Then, wise in a woman's dharma and holding Rama and Bharata equal as sons, she gathers courage. Son, she says, you have done well; a father's command is the crown of all dharma. The forest in place of a kingdom does not grieve me. But without you, Bharata, the king and the people will suffer terribly.
धरम सनेह उभयँ मति घेरी । भइ गति साँप छुछुंदरि केरी ॥
राखउँ सुतहि करउँ अनुरोधू । धरम जाइ अरु बन्धु-बिरोधू ॥
dharama saneha ubhayam̐ mati gherī | bhai gati sām̐pa chuchuṃdari kerī ||
rākhaum̐ sutahi karaum̐ anurodhū | dharama jāi aru bandhu-birodhū ||
कहउँ जान बन तो बड़ि हानी । सङ्कट-सोच बिबस भइ रानी ॥
बहुरि समुझि तिय-धरम सयानी । रामु भरतु दोउ सुत सम जानी ॥
kahaum̐ jāna bana to bar̤i hānī | saṅkaṭa-soca bibasa bhai rānī ||
bahuri samujhi tiya-dharama sayānī | rāmu bharatu dou suta sama jānī ||
सरल सुभाउ राम महँतारी । बोली बचन धीर धरि भारी ॥
तात जाउँ बलि कीन्हेहु नीका । पितु आयसु सब धरमक टीका ॥
sarala subhāu rāma maham̐tārī | bolī bacana dhīra dhari bhārī ||
tāta jāum̐ bali kīnhehu nīkā | pitu āyasu saba dharamaka ṭīkā ||
राजु देन कहि दीन्ह बन, मोहि न सो दुख लेस ।
तुम्ह बिनु भरतहि भूपतिहि, प्रजहि प्रचंड कलेस ॥
rāju dena kahi dīnha bana, mohi na so dukha lesa |
tumha binu bharatahi bhūpatihi, prajahi pracaṃḍa kalesa ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0