तब सुमन्त्र नृप-बचन सुनाये । करि बिनती रथ राम चढ़ाये ॥
चढ़ि रथ सीय सहित दोउ भाई । चले हृदयँ अवधहि सिरु नाई ॥
taba sumantra nṛpa-bacana sunāye | kari binatī ratha rāma car̤hāye ||
car̤hi ratha sīya sahita dou bhāī | cale hṛdayam̐ avadhahi siru nāī ||
Ayodhya Kanda
Chapter 83: The chariot leaves and Ayodhya turns desolate
5 verses · 83 of 326
What happens in this chapter
The chariot leaves and Ayodhya turns desolate
Sumantra delivers the king's message and, with humble entreaty, seats Shri Rama in the chariot. Shri Rama, Sita and Lakshmana set out, bowing to Ayodhya in their hearts. Seeing Rama go, the city feels orphaned, and the distraught people follow. Rama reasons with them in many ways; out of love they turn back, then come again. Tulsidas paints the city in that hour as dreadful as the night of doom. Its people look at one another like frightened creatures. Homes seem cremation grounds, kinsmen seem ghosts, sons and friends seem messengers of Yama. Gardens wither, rivers and lakes are too sad to look upon, and horses, elephants, pet deer, peacocks, parrots, swans and chakoras all grieve.
चलत राम लखि अवध अनाथा । बिकल लोग सब लागे साथा ॥
कृपासिन्धु बहुबिधि समुझावहिँ । फिरहिँ प्रेम-बस पुनि फिरि आवहिँ ॥
calata rāma lakhi avadha anāthā | bikala loga saba lāge sāthā ||
kṛpāsindhu bahubidhi samujhāvahim̐ | phirahim̐ prema-basa puni phiri āvahim̐ ||
लागति अवध भयावनि भारी । मानहुँ कालराति अँधिआरी ॥
घोर जन्तु सम पुर नर नारी । डरपहिं एकहि एक निहारी ॥
lāgati avadha bhayāvani bhārī | mānahum̐ kālarāti am̐dhiārī ||
ghora jantu sama pura nara nārī | ḍarapahiṃ ekahi eka nihārī ||
घर मसान परिजन जनु भूता । सुत हित मीत मनहुँ जमदूता ॥
बागन्ह बिटप बेलि कुम्हिलाहीं । सरित सरोवर देखि न जाहीँ ॥
ghara masāna parijana janu bhūtā | suta hita mīta manahum̐ jamadūtā ||
bāganha biṭapa beli kumhilāhīṃ | sarita sarovara dekhi na jāhīm̐ ||
हय गय कोटिन्ह केलिमृग पुरपसु चातक मोर ।
पिक रथांग सुक सारिका, सारस हंस चकोर ॥
haya gaya koṭinha kelimṛga purapasu cātaka mora |
pika rathāṃga suka sārikā, sārasa haṃsa cakora ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0