Rāmāyana | Ayodhyā Kaṇḍa | Chapter 60

60. Sumantra Consoles Kauśalya

[Sumantra tells that Sītā is enjoying her life in the company and under protection of Rāma. He also told her not to worry about Rāma.]

Then she who was trembling like one in the grip of evil spirits, again and again rolled on the ground and then spoke to the charioteer. 60.1

"Take me to the palace where Rāma and Sītā as well as Lakṣmaṇa are there. I do not have desire to live without them even for a second." 60.2

"Turn back your chariot speedily and take me now to the Daṇḍaka forest, for if I am not going there, I will go to the land of Yama." 60.3

That charioteer with faltering words prevented by speedily falling tears, consoled Kauśalya and told to her. 60.4

"Please throw away the sorrow, the desire, the nervousness all arising out of deep grief. Rāma is definitely going to live in the forest without bothering about the difficulties." 60.5

"Lakṣmaṇa who is serving the feet of Rāma and worshipping them, is a man of Dharma and controlling his senses would go to the other world." 60.6

"Even in the desolate forest Sītā would live like she lives at home, concentrating her mind fully on Rāma and getting great confidence." 60.7

"I could not observe even a slightest dejection in Sītā, as she has already got accustomed to live there away from her home." 60.8

"When she was in the city, she used to visit gardens and enjoy and similarly she is enjoying her stay in the desolate forest." 60.9

"That wife of Rāma with her face resembling the full moon, with her mind concentrated on Rāma is staying in the forest and enjoying her stay like a young girl." 60.10

"Her heart is united with Rāma and her life is in his custody and so life without Rāma Ayodhyā would be like wilderness to her." 60.11

"That Sītā on seeing villages, towns, roads, rivers and different type of trees enquired either with Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa and understood about them and was behaving as if she was within two miles of Ayodhyā and was in a recreational park." 60.12-60.13

"I remember her hastily muttering something about Kaikeyi but as of now I am not able to recollect them." 60.14

Thus after wilfully avoiding telling Kauśalya inadvertently her words about Kaikeyi, the charioteer told her those words which pleased her. 60.15

"The lustre of Sītā which resembled the lustre of moon light, did not diminish due to the tiredness due to the journey or blowing fast wind or due to nervousness." 60.16

The look of that lady who was greatly generous which resembled a lotus flower with hundred petals and also the splendour of the full moon never wilted." 60.17

"Though her feet was not decorated by the liquid lac it shined like it was applied there and it was shining like the red lotus buds." 60.18

"Though Sītā had cast off all her ornaments, even now it appeared as if her anklets was making tinkling sounds due to her love towards Rāma." 60.19

"She who is in the forest even after seeing an elephant or a lion or tiger, does not get afraid due to her depending on strong arms of Rāma." 60.20

"There is no need for you to become sad either for them or for you or for the king, for this history would be firmly engraved in the mind of the world." 60.21

"Leaving out sorrow and with a very happy frame of mind, firmly installed in the path of the great sages, they are living in the forest by supporting themselves with product of forests and they are upholding the promise given by their father." 60.22

Though being consoled by the very logical charioteer, that lady who was suffering the parting sorrow of her son did not stop chanting "Oh Darling, Oh Son, Oh Rāma". 60.23

This is the end of Sixtieth Sarga of Ayodhyā Kanda which occurs in Holy Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki as the First Epic.