Aranya Kanda, Sarga 53

खमुत्पतन्तं तं दृष्ट्वा मैथिली जनकात्मजा। दुःखिता परमोद्विग्ना भये महति वर्तिनी।।3.53.1।।

khamutpatantaṃ taṃ dṛṣṭvā maithilī janakātmajā| duḥkhitā paramodvignā bhaye mahati vartinī

Sita, daughter of Janaka, princess of Mithila felt miserable, looking at Ravana taking off and got very much agitated out of fear.

रोषरोदनताम्राक्षी भीमाक्षं राक्षसाधिपम्। रुदन्ती करुणं सीता ह्रियमाणेदमब्रवीत्।।3.53.2।।

roṣarodanatāmrākṣī bhīmākṣaṃ rākṣasādhipam| rudantī karuṇaṃ sītā hriyamāṇedamabravīt

While being carried away, Sita wept piteously and her eyes went red with tears of anger and grief. Looking at the frightening eyes of the king of the demons, she said these words :

न व्यपत्रपसे नीच कर्मणानेन रावण। ज्ञात्वा विरहितां यन्मां चोरयित्वा पलायसे।।3.53.3।।

na vyapatrapase nīca karmaṇānena rāvaṇa| jñātvā virahitāṃ yanmāṃ corayitvā palāyase

O mean Ravana, are you not ashamed of kidnapping me when I was separated (from my husband)?

त्वयैव नूनं दुष्टात्मन् भीरुणा हर्तुमिच्छता। ममापवाहितो भर्ता मृगरूपेण मायया।।3.53.4।।

tvayaiva nūnaṃ duṣṭātman bhīruṇā hartumicchatā| mamāpavāhito bhartā mṛgarūpeṇa māyayā

O wicked fellow, with an intention to abduct me you enticed my husband to a distance deceitfully in the form of a deer.

यो हि मामुद्यतस्त्रातुं सोऽप्ययं विनिपातितः। गृध्रराजः पुराणोऽसौ श्वशुरस्य सखा मम।।3.53.5।।

yo hi māmudyatastrātuṃ so'pyayaṃ vinipātitaḥ| gṛdhrarājaḥ purāṇo'sau śvaśurasya sakhā mama

This Jatayu, an old friend of my fatherinlaw tried to protect me but he too has fallen a prey.

परमं खलु ते वीर्यं दृश्यते राक्षसाधम। विश्राव्य नामधेयं हि युद्धे नास्मि जिता त्वया।।3.53.6।।

paramaṃ khalu te vīryaṃ dṛśyate rākṣasādhama| viśrāvya nāmadheyaṃ hi yuddhe nāsmi jitā tvayā

O lowly demon, you have, indeed, shown your heroism (in killing this old vulture). You have not won me in a battle declared by you.

ईदृशं गर्हितं कर्म कथं कृत्वा न लज्जसे। स्त्रियाश्च हरणं नीच रहिते च परस्य च।।3.53.7।।

īdṛśaṃ garhitaṃ karma kathaṃ kṛtvā na lajjase| striyāśca haraṇaṃ nīca rahite ca parasya ca

O lowly fellow how is it that you are not ashamed of commiting such a despicable act abducting another's wife when she is alone ?

कथयिष्यन्ति लोकेषु पुरुषाः कर्म कुत्सितम्। सुनृशंसमधर्मिष्ठं तव शौण्डीर्यमानिनः।।3.53.8।।

kathayiṣyanti lokeṣu puruṣāḥ karma kutsitam| sunṛśaṃsamadharmiṣṭhaṃ tava śauṇḍīryamāninaḥ

You consider yourself to be brave after committing such a cruel, despicable and unrighteous act for which people of the world will condemn you.

धिक्ते शौर्यं च सत्त्वं च यत्त्वं कथितवांस्तदा। कुलाक्रोशकरं लोके धिक्ते चारित्रमीदृशम्।।3.53.9।।

dhikte śauryaṃ ca sattvaṃ ca yattvaṃ kathitavāṃstadā| kulākrośakaraṃ loke dhikte cāritramīdṛśam

Fie upon your heroism and strength about which you boasted. Fie upon your character that would bring calumny to the race and the world. I condemn such behaviour of yours.

किं कर्तुं शक्यमेवं हि यज्जवेनैव धावसि। मुहूर्तमपि तिष्ठस्व न जीवन्प्रतियास्यसि।।3.53.10।।

kiṃ kartuṃ śakyamevaṃ hi yajjavenaiva dhāvasi| muhūrtamapi tiṣṭhasva na jīvanpratiyāsyasi

Tarry a little, you will not go back with life. What can be done now since you are running away so swiftly?

न हि चक्षुष्पथं प्राप्य तयोः पार्थिवपुत्रयोः। ससैन्योऽपि समर्थस्त्वं मुहूर्तमपि जीवितुम्।।3.53.11।।

na hi cakṣuṣpathaṃ prāpya tayoḥ pārthivaputrayoḥ| sasainyo'pi samarthastvaṃ muhūrtamapi jīvitum

If you come within sight of these two princes, it will not be possible for you to live for a moment even if you are with your entire army.

न त्वं तयोश्शरस्पर्शं सोढुं शक्तः कथञ्चन। वने प्रज्वलितस्येव स्पर्शमग्नेर्विहंगमः।।3.53.12।।

na tvaṃ tayośśarasparśaṃ soḍhuṃ śaktaḥ kathañcana| vane prajvalitasyeva sparśamagnervihaṃgamaḥ

Just as a bird cannot bear the touch of forest fire, you will not be able to endure the mere touch of arrows of the two heroes indeed.

साधु कुर्वाऽऽत्मनः पथ्यं साधु मां मुञ्च रावण। मत्प्रधर्षणरुष्टो हि भ्रात्रा सह पतिर्मम।।3.53.13।। विधास्यति विनाशाय त्वं मां यदि न मुञ्चसि।

sādhu kurvā''tmanaḥ pathyaṃ sādhu māṃ muñca rāvaṇa| matpradharṣaṇaruṣṭo hi bhrātrā saha patirmama vidhāsyati vināśāya tvaṃ māṃ yadi na muñcasi|

O Ravana be good and do whatever is beneficial to you. It is proper for you to release me. If you do not, enraged over my assault, my husband along with his brother, will bring about your destruction.

येन त्वं व्यवसायेन बलान्मां हर्तुमिच्छसि।।3.53.14।। व्यवसायस्स ते नीच भविष्यति निरर्थकः।

yena tvaṃ vyavasāyena balānmāṃ hartumicchasi vyavasāyassa te nīca bhaviṣyati nirarthakaḥ|

O vile creature, the effort you are making to abduct me forcibly will be fruitless.

न ह्यहं तमपश्यन्ती भर्तारं विबुधोपमम्।।3.53.15।। उत्सहे शत्रुवशगा प्राणान्धारयितुं चिरम्।

na hyahaṃ tamapaśyantī bhartāraṃ vibudhopamam utsahe śatruvaśagā prāṇāndhārayituṃ ciram|

I will not be eager to hold on to my life for long to live at the mercy of the enemy without being able to see my godlike husband.

न नूनं चात्मनः पथ्यं श्रेयो वा समवेक्षसे।।3.53.16।। मृत्युकाले यथा मर्त्यो विपरीतानि सेवते।

na nūnaṃ cātmanaḥ pathyaṃ śreyo vā samavekṣase mṛtyukāle yathā martyo viparītāni sevate|

At the time of death, mortals behave very differently. They act contrary to their own welfare. Likewise you are not able to foresee what is beneficial and good for you.

मुमूर्षूणां हि सर्वेषां यत्पथ्यं तन्न रोचते।।3.53.17।। पश्याम्यद्य हि कण्ठेत्वां कालपाशावपाशितम्।

mumūrṣūṇāṃ hi sarveṣāṃ yatpathyaṃ tanna rocate paśyāmyadya hi kaṇṭhetvāṃ kālapāśāvapāśitam|

Those who wish to die, do not like anything salutary. I see the noose of death wound round your neck now.

यथा चास्मिन्भयस्थाने न बिभेषि दशानन।।3.53.18।। व्यक्तं हिरण्मयान् हि त्वं सम्पश्यसि महीरुहान्।

yathā cāsminbhayasthāne na bibheṣi daśānana vyaktaṃ hiraṇmayān hi tvaṃ sampaśyasi mahīruhān|

O tenheaded Ravana, since you do not fear the source of fear, evidently you see golden trees. (a symptom of death).

नदीं वैतरणीं घोरां रुधिरौघनिवाहिनीम्।।3.53.19।। असिपत्रवनं चैव भीमं पश्यसि रावण।

nadīṃ vaitaraṇīṃ ghorāṃ rudhiraughanivāhinīm asipatravanaṃ caiva bhīmaṃ paśyasi rāvaṇa|

O Ravana, you see the dreadful river Vaitarani with torrents of blood flowing and frightening forest of trees with swords as leaves.

तप्तकाञ्चनपुष्पां च वैडूर्यप्रवरच्छदाम्।।3.53.20।। द्रक्ष्यसे शाल्मलीं तीक्ष्णामायसैः कण्टकैश्चिताम्।

taptakāñcanapuṣpāṃ ca vaiḍūryapravaracchadām drakṣyase śālmalīṃ tīkṣṇāmāyasaiḥ kaṇṭakaiścitām|

You will see a log of salmali tree with bright golden flowers and excellent vaidurya stone with pointed iron thorns.

न हि त्वमीदृशं कृत्वा तस्यालीकं महात्मनः।।3.53.21।। धरितुं शक्ष्यसि चिरं विषं पीत्वेव निर्घृणः।

na hi tvamīdṛśaṃ kṛtvā tasyālīkaṃ mahātmanaḥ dharituṃ śakṣyasi ciraṃ viṣaṃ pītveva nirghṛṇaḥ|

You are pitiless. You will not be able to survive for long after deceiving such noble Rama just as man cannot survive after drinking poison.

बद्धस्त्वं कालपाशेन दुर्निवारेण रावण।।3.53.22।। क्वगतो लप्स्यसे शर्म भर्तुर्मम महात्मनः।

baddhastvaṃ kālapāśena durnivāreṇa rāvaṇa kvagato lapsyase śarma bharturmama mahātmanaḥ|

O Ravana you are bound by the inevitable noose of death. Where shall you get away from great Rama, my husband to obtain peace.

निमेषान्तरमात्रेण विना भ्रात्रा महावने।।3.53.23।। राक्षसा निहता येन सहस्राणि चतुर्दश। स कथं राघवो वीरस्सर्वास्त्रकुशलो बली।।3.53.24।। न त्वां हन्याच्छरैस्तीक्ष्णैरिष्टभार्यापहारिणम्।

nimeṣāntaramātreṇa vinā bhrātrā mahāvane rākṣasā nihatā yena sahasrāṇi caturdaśa| sa kathaṃ rāghavo vīrassarvāstrakuśalo balī na tvāṃ hanyāccharaistīkṣṇairiṣṭabhāryāpahāriṇam|

Rama has killed fourteen thousand demons alone without his brother within a moment. He is a strong warrior and wellversed in the use of all kinds of weapons. You have stolen his loving wife. How can he live without killing you.

निमेषान्तरमात्रेण विना भ्रात्रा महावने।।3.53.23।। राक्षसा निहता येन सहस्राणि चतुर्दश। स कथं राघवो वीरस्सर्वास्त्रकुशलो बली।।3.53.24।। न त्वां हन्याच्छरैस्तीक्ष्णैरिष्टभार्यापहारिणम्।

nimeṣāntaramātreṇa vinā bhrātrā mahāvane rākṣasā nihatā yena sahasrāṇi caturdaśa| sa kathaṃ rāghavo vīrassarvāstrakuśalo balī na tvāṃ hanyāccharaistīkṣṇairiṣṭabhāryāpahāriṇam|

Rama has killed fourteen thousand demons alone without his brother within a moment. He is a strong warrior and wellversed in the use of all kinds of weapons. You have stolen his loving wife. How can he live without killing you.

तच्चान्यच्च परुषं वैदेही रावणाङ्कगा।।3.53.25।। भयशोकसमाविष्टा करुणं विललाप ह।

taccānyacca paruṣaṃ vaidehī rāvaṇāṅkagā bhayaśokasamāviṣṭā karuṇaṃ vilalāpa ha|

Sita, daughter of Videha, full of sorrow and fear under Ravana's grip uttered these partly harsh and partly piteous wordsweeping.

तथा भृशार्तां बहुचैव भाषिणीं विलापपूर्वं करुणं च भामिनीम्। जहार पापः करुणं विचेष्टतीं नृपात्मजामागतगात्रवेपथुम्।।3.53.26।।

tathā bhṛśārtāṃ bahucaiva bhāṣiṇīṃ vilāpapūrvaṃ karuṇaṃ ca bhāminīm| jahāra pāpaḥ karuṇaṃ viceṣṭatīṃ nṛpātmajāmāgatagātravepathum

Sinful Ravana carried away the beautiful princess trembling with great fear, struggling helplessly, crying pathetically and pleading in many mournful ways. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे त्रिपञ्चाशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the fiftythird sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.