महावीरचरितम् (महाकवि भवभूति - वीररस-प्रधान रामकथा नाटक सम्पूर्ण ७ अङ्क सटीक)

29] Act I, Picture-gallery — Translation [—i. 50⁴ of woes. No help remains to me and no choice : what can be done ? Surely (athavā)— It is only to make me feel [the pangs of] sorrow that into [me,] Rāma, consciousness has been put; and my life is stubborn like a dart of adamant: it pierces the vitals [and will not be pulled out]! 47 O Arundhatī that hast been a mother to me; ye venerable Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra; O holy Fire and thou O all-sustaining Goddess [Earth]!— Alas, father ! Alas, Janaka ! Alas, ye my [dear] mothers !—Thou O loving friend, King Sugrīva ;¹ gentle Hanūmant ; Vibhīshaṇa,² ruler of Laṅkā [and] my great benefactor; [and not the least] thou O friendly Trijaṭā ³— ye do all stand robbed, stand insulted, by this wretch of a Rāma ! Or rather, what right have I now to call on them ? For, I think, that they of noble mind, when their names are taken on the lips of me of base and ungrateful mind, [that they] perhaps are polluted by my deed of wrong, 48 in that I— Am casting away her who in confidence on my bosom reposing has gone to sleep—my dearest consort, the glory of my house ;—her whose womb is heavy with its painfully throbbing and full-grown burden—[her] like a victim unto the Flesh-eaters ⁴ I am ruthlessly throwing away! 49 Placing his head on Sītā’s feet. Queen, Queen ! Here now—but [alas !] for the last time—Rāma’s head toucheth thy lotus-feet. Weeps. [Voice,] behind the curtain—An outrage against a Brahman, an outrage ! Rāma—Find out, some one, what it is. [Voice,] again behind the curtain— Of sages fierce in their austerities and dwellers on the banks of the Yamunā, a throng, harassed by [the demon] Lavaṇa, is approaching unto thee their defender. 50 Rāma—How,—even yet are the demons harassing ? Then I must forthwith send [my brother] Śatrughna to destroy this wicked son of Kumbhīnasī.⁵ Pacing a few steps and again coming back. Alas, my Queen, how— situated as thou art—[how] wilt thou fare ? O holy [Earth, thou] Giver of all blessings ! This thy virtuous daughter do thou look upon with kindness—this daughter of Janaka :

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¹ An ally of Rāma.      ⁴ Demons or beasts of prey. ² Brother of Rāvaṇa ; he assisted Rāma in his      ⁵ Mother of the demon Lavaṇa. He infested      fight with Rāvaṇa, and was by Rāma      the region around Mathurā (modern      installed king of Laṅkā.      Muttra in the N.W. Provinces). ³ She solaced Sītā in her captivity.