उत्तररामचरितम् (महाकवि भवभूति - संस्कृत मूल एवं हिन्दी व्याख्या)

—IV. 22] UTTARARÂMACHARITA. 237
Lava—I have, the noble Kusa is his name
Kausalya—By the word 'noble thou meanest to say he
is the elder—
Lava—Even so, he is indeed my elder by order of birth.
Janaka—What, are you twins!
Lava—Quite so
Janaka.—Child, tell me to what point has the compo-
sition of the poem been brought down?
Lava—After the king distracted by the lying calumny
of the people had banished Sita the queen sprung from
sacrificial ground, Lakshmana, having left her alone in the
wood with the pains of child birth approaching, returned—
here the story stops.
Kausalya.—Oh! my dear child with beautiful moon like
face! I wonder what crowning termination of the cruel sport
of fate befell thy flower body when thou wast left alone in
the wood.
Janaka—Alas, my child! (Verse 23) Having ex-
perienced that insult and the dreadful forest, and that pain
produced by the hour of child birth, when the hosts of eaters
of raw flesh were encompassing thee about, thou must surely
have repeatedly thought of me as a protector in this fear.
Lava—(To Arund.) Noble lady! who are these?
Arund—This is Kausalya, this is Janaka. (Lava surveys
with great respect and sorrowful interest)
Janaka.—Oh! the wickedness of the citizens! Oh! the
precipitate action of king Rama! (Verse 24, first half)
While I brood unceasingly over this terrible thunderstroke
of calamity, it seems to me the time has come for my wrath
to blaze forth either with curse or bow
Kausalya.—(With dismay and trembling) Revered lady,
help! help! appease the incensed royal sage
Lava—(Verse 25) Such is mostly the state of mind of
the spirited that have received an insult
Arund—King! Rama is your son, and the poor subjects
are to be protected
Janaka—(Verse 24—the latter half) But in Rama's
case, peace to these both, for he is my treasure in the form of
a son, the citizens are chiefly composed of Brahmanas, children,
old and decrepit persons and women.