Chapter 59 - Rama reproaches Lakshmana

Issuing from the hermitage, Rama, the Delight of the House of Raghu, continued to address Lakshmana in a faint voice, saying:—

“Having confided Maithili to your care during mine absence in the forest, why didst you abandon her? Seeing you appear alone, having left Maithili unprotected, my spirit was troubled, apprehending grave danger. O Lakshmana, watching you approach from a distance unaccompanied by Sita, my left eye and arm twitched and my heart throbbed.”

At these words, the son of Sumitra, who bore the marks of royalty, was seized with distress and said to the stricken Rama:—

“Nay, it was not of myself that I came hither, nor of mine own inclination that I left Sita and set out to meet you, but I was urged thereto by her entreaties to come to thine aid.

“The cry, ‘O Lakshmana, save me!’ as if uttered by her lord, broke on Maithili’s ears and she, hearing this despairing call, from affection for you, weeping and filled with terror, said unto me: ‘Go! Go!’. While she thus continued to urge me, repeating ‘Go’, I spoke to her, seeking to reassure her, saying: ‘I know of no titan who can excite Rama’s fear; it is not he, but another who calls, O Sita. How should that illustrious warrior, the inspirer of awe in the Gods themselves, utter so base and shameful a word as ‘save me’? Who has imitated the voice of my brother and pronounced these cowardly words and for what motive? Assuredly it is a demon who, in his extremity, has uttered the cry, ‘Help!’. O Lovely One, it does not become you to tremble like a low-born woman! Take courage, calm thyself and banish thine anxiety. There is none born, nor yet to be born in the Three Worlds, who is able to triumph over Raghava in the field in open fight. He is incapable of being defeated in combat, even by the Gods with Indra at their head.’

“Thus addressed by me, Vaidehi, distracted and shedding tears, uttered these cruel words:—

“‘O Lakshmana, in thine extreme perversity you seeks to unite thyself with me on the death of your brother but you shalt never possess me! It is on Bharata’s instigation that you have accompanied Rama, since, despite his despairing cry, you dost not go to his aid. Concealing your true purpose, you have treacherously followed Rama for my sake and for this reason dost refuse to assist him.’

“Hearing Vaidehi’s words, I left the hermitage, my lips trembling, mine eyes inflamed with wrath.”

When Saumitri had spoken thus, Rama, who was distracted with anxiety, said to him: “O Friend, you have done a great wrong by coming hither without Sita. You knowest well that I am able to defend myself against the titans, yet on account of a hasty word you didst abandon Vaidehi.

“I am not pleased that you didst leave her nor that you have come here on account of the reproaches of an indignant woman. Submitting to Sita and giving way to the impulse of anger has caused you to contravene the spiritual law and disobey my command.

“That titan who assumed the form of a deer in order to lure me from the hermitage now lies stricken by mine arrows. Stretching my bow, I placed an arrow on it and loosed it, as it were in sport, laying him low.

“Discarding his deer’s form and assuming the shape of a titan adorned with bracelets, he emitted cries of agony; thereafter feigning my voice, in accents capable of being heard afar off, he called out, and on hearing that sinister cry you didst abandon Maithili and came hither.”