Aranya Kanda, Sarga 58

स दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मणं दीनं शून्ये दशरथात्मजः। पर्यपृच्छत धर्मात्मा वैदेहीमागतं विना।।3.58.1।।

sa dṛṣṭvā lakṣmaṇaṃ dīnaṃ śūnye daśarathātmajaḥ| paryapṛcchata dharmātmā vaidehīmāgataṃ vinā

Rama, son of Dasaratha, the righteous self, saw Lakshmana downcast and dejected. Seeing him without Sita, Rama enquired:

प्रस्थितं दण्डकारण्यं या मामनुजगाम ह। क्व सा लक्ष्मण वैदेही यां हित्वा त्वमिहागतः।।3.58.2।।

prasthitaṃ daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ yā māmanujagāma ha| kva sā lakṣmaṇa vaidehī yāṃ hitvā tvamihāgataḥ

Where is that princess from Videha who accompanied me when I entered Dandaka forest ? Why have you come here leaving her behind ?

राज्यभ्रष्टस्य दीनस्य दण्डकान्परिधावतः। क्व सा दुःखसहाया मे वैदेही तनुमध्यमा।।3.58.3।।

rājyabhraṣṭasya dīnasya daṇḍakānparidhāvataḥ| kva sā duḥkhasahāyā me vaidehī tanumadhyamā

Where is that princess from Videha, a sharer of my sorrows, Sita of slender waist who followed this hapless prince disloged from the kingdom into the Dandaka forest?

यां विना नोत्सहे वीर मुहूर्तमपि जीवितुम्। क्व सा प्राणसहाया मे सीता सुरसुतोपमा।।3.58.4।।

yāṃ vinā notsahe vīra muhūrtamapi jīvitum| kva sā prāṇasahāyā me sītā surasutopamā

O warrior Lakshmana where is that Sita without whom I have no interest to live for a moment, who was like the daughter of a god and a sustainer of my life?

पतित्वममराणां वा पृथिव्याश्चापि लक्ष्मण। तां विना तपनीयाभां नेच्छेयं जनकात्मजाम्।।3.58.5।।

patitvamamarāṇāṃ vā pṛthivyāścāpi lakṣmaṇa| tāṃ vinā tapanīyābhāṃ neccheyaṃ janakātmajām

O Lakshmana I desire no lordship of the gods or of the entire earth without that daughter of Janaka, that lady of golden complexion.

कच्चिज्जीवति वैदेहि प्राणैः प्रियतरा मम। कच्चित्प्रव्राजनं सौम्य न मे मिथ्या भविष्यति।।3.58.6।।

kaccijjīvati vaidehi prāṇaiḥ priyatarā mama| kaccitpravrājanaṃ saumya na me mithyā bhaviṣyati

O gentle Lakshmana I wonder if Vaidehi, who is dearer to me than my life is still alive I hope my banishment from the kingdom is not going to prove false.

सीतानिमित्तं सौमित्रे मृते मयि गते त्वयि। कच्चित्सकामा सुखिता कैकेयी सा भविष्यति।।3.58.7।।

sītānimittaṃ saumitre mṛte mayi gate tvayi| kaccitsakāmā sukhitā kaikeyī sā bhaviṣyati

O Saumitri when I am dead on account of Sita, and you are back, Kaikeyi with her desire fulfilled will be happy, indeed.

सपुत्रराज्यां सिद्धार्थां मृतपुत्रा तपस्विनी। उपस्थास्यतिकौसल्या कच्चित्सौम्य न केकयीम्।।3.58.8।।

saputrarājyāṃ siddhārthāṃ mṛtaputrā tapasvinī| upasthāsyatikausalyā kaccitsaumya na kekayīm

O handsome one I wonder if that lady of renunciation, Kausalya with her son dead, will have to serve Kaikeyi whose desire would be fulfilled, and who will enjoy the power of the throne in the company of her son

यदि जीवति वैदेही गमिष्याम्याश्रमं पुनः। सुवृत्ता यदि वृत्ता प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्यामि लक्ष्मण।।3.58.9।।

yadi jīvati vaidehī gamiṣyāmyāśramaṃ punaḥ| suvṛttā yadi vṛttā prāṇāṃstyakṣyāmi lakṣmaṇa

O Lakshmana, only if Vaidehi is alive will I enter the cottage again or else I will give up my life if that virtuous lady is no more.

यदि मामाश्रमगतं वैदेही नाभिभाषते। पुनः प्रहसिता सीता विनशिष्यामि लक्ष्मण।।3.58.10।।

yadi māmāśramagataṃ vaidehī nābhibhāṣate| punaḥ prahasitā sītā vinaśiṣyāmi lakṣmaṇa

I will die if Sita, princess from Videha, is not there to speak to me with her sweet smile when I return to the cottage, O Lakshmana

ब्रूहि लक्ष्मण वैदेही यदि जीवति वा न वा। त्वयि प्रमत्ते रक्षोभिर्भक्षिता वा तपस्विनी।।3.58.11।।

brūhi lakṣmaṇa vaidehī yadi jīvati vā na vā| tvayi pramatte rakṣobhirbhakṣitā vā tapasvinī

Tell me, O Lakshmana if Sita is alive or not, whether she was eaten up by demons when you were off your guard.

सुकुमारी च बाला च नित्यं चादुःखदर्शिनी। मद्वियोगेन वैदेही व्यक्तं शोचति दुर्मनाः।।3.58.12।।

sukumārī ca bālā ca nityaṃ cāduḥkhadarśinī| madviyogena vaidehī vyaktaṃ śocati durmanāḥ

Vaidehi is delicate, young and she has never faced any sorrow.She will be certainly disheartened due to separation from me.

सर्वदा रक्षसा तेन जिह्मेन सुदुरात्मना। वदता लक्ष्मणेत्युच्चैस्तवापि जनितं भयम्।।3.58.13।।

sarvadā rakṣasā tena jihmena sudurātmanā| vadatā lakṣmaṇetyuccaistavāpi janitaṃ bhayam

The evilminded, wicked demon calling out loudly 'O Lakshmana' must have by all means instilled fear in your mind.

श्रुतस्तु शङ्के वैदेह्या स स्वरस्सदृशो मम। त्रस्तया प्रेषितस्त्वं च द्रष्टुं मां शीघ्रमागतः।।3.58.14।।

śrutastu śaṅke vaidehyā sa svarassadṛśo mama| trastayā preṣitastvaṃ ca draṣṭuṃ māṃ śīghramāgataḥ

I am afraid, Vaidehi, frightened by hearing the voice which was like mine sent you to see me, and you came all at once.

सर्वथा तु कृतं कष्टं सीतामुत्सृजता वने। प्रतिकर्तुं नृशंसानां रक्षसां दत्तमन्तरं।।3.58.15।।

sarvathā tu kṛtaṃ kaṣṭaṃ sītāmutsṛjatā vane| pratikartuṃ nṛśaṃsānāṃ rakṣasāṃ dattamantaraṃ

You have definitely done a great mistake by leaving Sita alone in the forest. This has given a chance to the cruel demons to wreak revenge.

दुःखिताः खरघातेन राक्षसाः पिशिताशनाः। तैस्सीता निहता घोरैर्भविष्यति न संशयः।3.58.16।।

duḥkhitāḥ kharaghātena rākṣasāḥ piśitāśanāḥ| taissītā nihatā ghorairbhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ|3.58.16||

The dreadful, carnivorous demons aggrieved over my murder of Khara must have undoubtedly killed Sita.

अहोऽस्मिन् व्यसने मग्नस्सर्वथा शत्रुसूदन। किं न्विदानीं करिष्यामि शङ्के प्राप्तव्यमीदृशम्।।3.58.17।।

aho'smin vyasane magnassarvathā śatrusūdana| kiṃ nvidānīṃ kariṣyāmi śaṅke prāptavyamīdṛśam

O destroyer of enemies I am completely drowned in sorrow. What can I do at this moment. Alas, I am destined to suffer.

इति सीतां वरारोहां चिन्तयन्नेव राघवः। आजगाम जनस्थानं त्वरया सह लक्ष्मणः।।3.58.18।।

iti sītāṃ varārohāṃ cintayanneva rāghavaḥ| ājagāma janasthānaṃ tvarayā saha lakṣmaṇaḥ

While thus brooding over the beautiful Sita, the scion of the Raghus along with Lakshmana hurried towards Janasthana.

विगर्हमाणोऽनुजमार्तरूपं क्षुधा श्रमाच्चैव पिपासया च। विनिश्श्वसन् शुष्कमुखो विवर्णः प्रतिश्रयं प्राप्य समीक्ष्य शून्यम्।।3.58.19।। स्वमाश्रमं सम्प्रविगाह्य वीरो विहारदेशाननुसृत्य कांश्चित्। एतत्तदित्येव निवासभूमौ प्रहृष्टरोमा व्यथितो बभूव।।3.58.20।।

vigarhamāṇo'nujamārtarūpaṃ kṣudhā śramāccaiva pipāsayā ca| viniśśvasan śuṣkamukho vivarṇaḥ pratiśrayaṃ prāpya samīkṣya śūnyam svamāśramaṃ sampravigāhya vīro vihāradeśānanusṛtya kāṃścit| etattadityeva nivāsabhūmau prahṛṣṭaromā vyathito babhūva

Thus blaming his dejected brother, the valiant Rama entered the hermitage, sighing deeply, his face pale and his throat dried up with hunger, exhaustion and thirst. Reaching his dwellingplace, he found it empty. He thoroughly searched the hermitage and the places where she used to move about on the premises. And 'so it has happened', he sadly said to himself, his hair raised on end. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे अष्टपञ्चाशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the fiftyeighth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.