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The Eighty-First Chapter
Then Aparajita (Kausalya) narrated the entire incident to Narada. She said that the Acharya, the well-wisher of all beings, arrived with his Sangha. The king of the Maha-Vidyaadharas, Bhamandala, met him. King Dasharatha took the vows of renunciation along with many kings. Rama, along with Sita and Lakshmana, went to the forest. There, he was separated from Sita and met Sugriva and others. In the battle, the lord of Lanka, Ravana, struck Lakshmana with his weapon. The daughter of Drona-Megha, Vishalya, was taken there quickly. ||28-31||
Hearing this, Kausalya, who was overwhelmed with grief, started weeping again. ||32||
"Alas! Alas! My son, where have you gone? Where are you? It has been a long time. Come soon, give me your word, talk to me, and console me who is drowning in the ocean of sorrow." ||33||
"O virtuous son! I, who am devoid of merit, cannot see your face. I am consumed by the fire of intense sorrow and consider my life meaningless." ||34||
"The princess, Sita, who was raised with care and is as innocent as a forest deer, must be suffering in the enemy's prison." ||35||
"The cruel Dasha-Asya (Ravana) has wounded Lakshmana with his weapon. There is no news whether he is alive or not." ||36||
"Alas! My son, who is so rare! Alas! My virtuous daughter Sita! How have you come to experience this terrible sorrow in the middle of the ocean?" ||37||
Knowing this news, Narada threw his Veena on the ground and sat down with his hands on his head, filled with anxiety. ||38||
His body became motionless for a moment. After thinking deeply and looking at her many times, he said, "O Devi! This matter does not seem right to me." ||39||
"Ravana is the lord of three continents, extremely angry, and the master of all Vidyaadharas. Why has he angered Bhamandala and Sugriva?" ||40||
"However, O Kausalya! O auspicious one! Do not grieve excessively. I will go and bring you news soon. There is no doubt about it." ||41||
"O Devi! I have the ability to do this much. Your son is capable of doing the rest." ||42||
Making this promise, Narada, holding his Veena close to him like a dear friend, ascended into the sky. ||43||