Hari Om.
Let us begin the forty first sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
As the chariot being driven by sumantra and carrying rAma, sItA and lakshmaNa went out of sight and possibly reached the outskirts of ayOdhyA, the king stood rooted to the spot gazing listlessly in that direction. And finally, willy nilly the king made his way back to the palace coaxed by his ministers. He disowned kaikEyI, now that he had nothing more to lose! Engrossed in deep sorrow he remembered that it is only at the residence of kausalyA and in her company that he can find some solace. So he asked the attendants to take him to kausalyA’s residence and they helped him reach there. Stung by the separation from his darling son, he could not sleep and tossed on the bed brooding over it. He tried to strike a conversation with sulking kausalyA. Onwards…
The king asked kausalyA to touch his hand as overcome with tears of grief in his eyes, he couldn’t see her. She looked at him lying on the couch completely exhausted and said – “having stung rAghava (rAma) like a poisonous snake, the venomous kaikEyI will now move about crookedly like a snake that has cast off its skin. Having realised her ambition by banishing rAma to the forest she will now torment me like a snake. I should probably have offered my son rAma as a slave, at least he would have been around asking for alms in ayOdhyA or doing odd jobs in the palace. But you have cast him off at the behest of kaikEyI to the forest like offering the gods’ share of sacrifice to the demons. My mighty son rAma, with the gait of an elephant must be entering into the forest now along with sItA and lakshmaNa. Oh, I shudder to think how would they be putting up with the difficulties of forest life having tasted nothing but comfort all along. Those youngsters, in the prime of their life, meant for an enjoyable life would be roaming in the forest subsisting on roots and fruits.
Ah, when will that time come when this miserable sorrow of mine will come to an end and I will behold the glorious rAma again with sItA and lakshmaNa? Ah, When will ayOdhyA be glorious again, celebrating with frenzy and festivities the return of the trio? When will this city herald rAma and swell with joy like the ocean on full moon day? When will rAma enter this city of ayOdhyA carrying his consort sItA in the chariot and people perch on either sides of the highway to catch a glimpse of him and shower puffed rice as benediction? When will I behold the handsome princes rAma and lakshmaNa studded with glorious ear rings and wielding their mighty bows resembling mountain peaks! When will they delightfully move about in the city receiving the offerings of sweet fruits from the young maidens? Ah, when will that mature in age and wisdom rAma, flock to me like a three year old to be caressed.
Surely, O king, I must have separated a calf from its mother while she was suckling. That is why I have been separated from my son by kaikEyI like the lion snatches the calf from the cow. I have no jest to continue living without seeing my only son, endowed with superlative wisdom of the scriptures and virtues, who is mighty beyond description. I am gutted by this grief gushing out of me due to separation from my son just like the Sun scorches the earth during the summer with its unbearable heat.
Here we conclude the forty first sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Click on the book for word by word meaning from IITK website
Click on the bow to listen to the audio by SrIrAma ghanApATi
Next: 2.44. Bravo, sumitrA!
Previous: 2.42. Lord of the land laments
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
