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

i. 15ᵇ—] Bhavabhūti — Uttara-Rāma-Charita [20
broken [in twain] with a careless ease—the [waving] tufts of hair grace-
fully adorning [his face]—thus is my noble Lord painted here!
Lakshmaṇa—Look, noble Lady, look at this:
To these relatives headed by Vasishṭha here is thy father [Janaka]
offering worship—as also Śatānanda, the son of Gotama and priest
of the Janaka-family. 16
Rāma—This is a sight to see!
Of the family of Janaka with that of Raghu¹ to whom is the
union not pleasing?—wherein both the giver and the receiver is
the son-of-Kuśika [Viśvāmitra] in person. 17
Sītā—Here in sooth are all ye four brothers—your godāna² ceremony
just performed—ready (dīkshita) for the wedding. Ah! I feel as if in
that very same place, on that very same occasion I were [again] present.
Rāma—To me [also] it seems to be again that self-same hour when,
like unto a great festival incarnate, it thrilled me with joy, O fair-
faced one,—this thy hand offered [me] by the son of Gotama and
begirt with lovely [nuptial] bangles. 18
Lakshmaṇa—This [here] is my noble Lady; this again, the noble Māṇḍavī³:
This here, likewise, [our] daughter-in-law, dear (vadhū) Śrutakīrti.⁴
Sītā—And who, dear brother (vatsa), is this other one here?
Lakshmaṇa, with a bashful smile⁵, aside—I see, it is [my] Ūrmilā that the
noble Lady is asking for. Well, I'll change the subject. Aloud. Here,
my noble Lady, here is something worth seeing; for here is the exalted
son of Bhṛigu.⁶
Sītā—Oh, how I tremble!
Rāma—My homage to thee, O sage!
Lakshmaṇa—Behold, behold, noble Lady! Here is this [sage], by my noble
brother—
Rāma, impatiently interrupting him—Don't you see there is much more
to be seen: show us what follows.
Sītā, gazing [at Rāma] with affection and deep respect—How well dost
thou, my noble Lord, shine in this thy excess of modesty!
Lakshmaṇa—Here is our arrival at Ayodhyā.
Rāma, with tears—I remember, alas! I remember:

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¹ A famous ancestor of Rāma.
² Literally, ‘hair-clipping’ ceremony. For
its nature see Notes.
³ Wife of Lakshmaṇa’s elder brother, Bharata.
⁴ Wife of Lakshmaṇa’s younger brother,
Śatrughna. Notice the difference in the
mode of address. Since a younger brother
is in the status of a son, his wife is the
elder brother’s daughter-in-law.
⁵ For one may not utter his wife’s name,
especially before elders.
⁶ Paraśu-Rāma or Rāma with the axe, a
Brahman warrior and sage whom Rāma,
the hero of this play, vanquished.