Aranya Kanda, Sarga 63

स राजपुत्रः प्रियया विहीनः शोकेन मोहेन च पीड्यमानः। विषादयन्भ्रातरमार्तरूपो भूयो विषादं प्रविवेश तीव्रम्।।3.63.1।।

sa rājaputraḥ priyayā vihīnaḥ śokena mohena ca pīḍyamānaḥ| viṣādayanbhrātaramārtarūpo bhūyo viṣādaṃ praviveśa tīvram

Prince Rama, separated from his beloved, lost his senses out of sorrow. Seeing his brother in a distressed state, he sank again into intense grief.

स लक्ष्मणं शोकवशाभिपन्नं शोके निमग्नो विपुले तु रामः। उवाच वाक्यं व्यसनानुरूपमुष्णं विनिश्श्वस्य रुदंत्सशोकम्।।3.63.2।।

sa lakṣmaṇaṃ śokavaśābhipannaṃ śoke nimagno vipule tu rāmaḥ| uvāca vākyaṃ vyasanānurūpamuṣṇaṃ viniśśvasya rudaṃtsaśokam

Plunged in deep grief, Rama heaved hot sighs and said these words to griefstricken Lakshmanaweeping:

न मद्विधो दुष्कृतकर्मकारी मन्ये द्वितीयोऽस्ति वसुन्धरायाम्। शोकेन शोको हि परम्पराया मा मेति भिन्दन्हृदयं मनश्च।।3.63.3।।

na madvidho duṣkṛtakarmakārī manye dvitīyo'sti vasundharāyām| śokena śoko hi paramparāyā mā meti bhindanhṛdayaṃ manaśca

I think there is none on earth like me who has performed such forbidden acts. One grief after the other is successively piercing my heart and my mind.

पूर्वं मया नूनमभीप्सितानि पापानि कर्माण्यसकृत्कृतानि। तत्रायमद्यापतितो विपाको दुःखेन दुःखं यदहं विशामि।।3.63.4।।

pūrvaṃ mayā nūnamabhīpsitāni pāpāni karmāṇyasakṛtkṛtāni| tatrāyamadyāpatito vipāko duḥkhena duḥkhaṃ yadahaṃ viśāmi

In the past I had certainly done some sinful deeds I often liked the consequences of which have descended on me now as I am experiencing one sorrow after another.

राज्यप्रणाशस्स्वजनैर्वियोगः पितुर्विनाशो जननीवियोगः। सर्वाणि मे लक्ष्मण शोकवेगमापूरयन्ति प्रविचिन्तितानि।।3.63.5।।

rājyapraṇāśassvajanairviyogaḥ piturvināśo jananīviyogaḥ| sarvāṇi me lakṣmaṇa śokavegamāpūrayanti pravicintitāni

O Lakshmana, loss of kingdom, separation from kith and kin, death of father, separation from mother--all these thoughts augment my sorrow faster and in greater measure.

सर्वं तु दुःखं मम लक्ष्मणेदं शान्तं शरीरे वनमेत्य शून्यम्। सीतावियोगात्पुनरप्युदीर्णं काष्ठैरिवाग्निस्सहसा प्रदीप्तः।।3.63.6।।

sarvaṃ tu duḥkhaṃ mama lakṣmaṇedaṃ śāntaṃ śarīre vanametya śūnyam| sītāviyogātpunarapyudīrṇaṃ kāṣṭhairivāgnissahasā pradīptaḥ

O Lakshmana, all this sorrow calmed down when I came to this solitary forest. But with Sita's separation, it was rekindled just as fire blazes forth again with logs of wood.

सा नूनमार्या मम राक्षसेन बलाद्दृता खं समुपेत्य भीरुः। अपस्वरं सस्वरविप्रलापा भयेन विक्रन्दितवत्यभीक्ष्णम्।।3.63.7।।

sā nūnamāryā mama rākṣasena balāddṛtā khaṃ samupetya bhīruḥ| apasvaraṃ sasvaravipralāpā bhayena vikranditavatyabhīkṣṇam

The timid princess of mine forcibly carried away into the sky by a demon must have again and again cried aloud out of fear in a broken voice.

तौ लोहितस्य प्रियदर्शनस्य सदोचितावुत्तमचन्दनस्य। वृत्तौ स्तनौ शोणितपङ्कदिग्धौ नूनं प्रियाया मम नाभिभातः।।3.63.8।।

tau lohitasya priyadarśanasya sadocitāvuttamacandanasya| vṛttau stanau śoṇitapaṅkadigdhau nūnaṃ priyāyā mama nābhibhātaḥ

Her captivating copper coloured skin, smeared with the best of red sandal paste would not be surely pleasing now, drenched in blood and mud.

तच्छलक्ष्णसुव्यक्तमृदुप्रलापं तस्या मुखं कुञ्चितकेशभारम्। रक्षोवशं नूनमुपागताया न भ्राजते राहुमुखे यथेन्दुः।।3.63.9।।

tacchalakṣṇasuvyaktamṛdupralāpaṃ tasyā mukhaṃ kuñcitakeśabhāram| rakṣovaśaṃ nūnamupāgatāyā na bhrājate rāhumukhe yathenduḥ

Her face with her clear, sweet and gentle words and her curly hair falling will no more look bright coming under the grip of demons like the moon eclipsed by Rahu.

तां हारपाशस्य सदोचिताया ग्रीवां प्रियाया मम सुव्रतायाः। रक्षांसि नूनं परिपीतवन्ति विभिद्य शून्ये रुधिराशनानि।।3.63.10।।

tāṃ hārapāśasya sadocitāyā grīvāṃ priyāyā mama suvratāyāḥ| rakṣāṃsi nūnaṃ paripītavanti vibhidya śūnye rudhirāśanāni

The bloodthirsty demons must have drunk the blood of my faithful beloved in a lonely place breaking her neck that used to wear beautiful necklaces.

मया विहीना विजने वने या रक्षोभिराहृत्य विकृष्यमाणा। नूनं निनादं कुररीव दीना सा मुक्तवत्यायतकान्तनेत्रा।।3.63.11।।

mayā vihīnā vijane vane yā rakṣobhirāhṛtya vikṛṣyamāṇā| nūnaṃ ninādaṃ kurarīva dīnā sā muktavatyāyatakāntanetrā

The lovely, largeeyed lady separated from me in the desolate forest, abducted and dragged by demons must have cried at that time desperately like a female osprey.

अस्मिन्मयासार्धमुदारशीला शिलातले पूर्वमुपोपविष्टा। कान्तस्मिता लक्ष्मण जातहासा त्वामाह सीता बहुवाक्यजातम्।।3.63.12।।

asminmayāsārdhamudāraśīlā śilātale pūrvamupopaviṣṭā| kāntasmitā lakṣmaṇa jātahāsā tvāmāha sītā bahuvākyajātam

On this rock, O Lakshmana, my goodnatured lady with her lovely smile sat with me in the past and chatted with you.

गोदावरीयं सरितां वरिष्ठा प्रिया प्रियाया मम नित्यकालम्। अप्यत्र गच्छेदिति चिन्तयामि नैकाकिनी याति हि सा कदाचित्।।3.63.13।।

godāvarīyaṃ saritāṃ variṣṭhā priyā priyāyā mama nityakālam| apyatra gacchediti cintayāmi naikākinī yāti hi sā kadācit

Would she have gone to Godavari, the foremost of the rivers so dear at all times to my beloved ? But I think she has not gone there alone at any time.

पद्मानना पद्मविशालनेत्रा पद्मानि वानेतुमभिप्रयाता। तदप्ययुक्तं न हि सा कदाचिन्मया विना गच्छति पङ्कजानि।।3.63.14।।

padmānanā padmaviśālanetrā padmāni vānetumabhiprayātā| tadapyayuktaṃ na hi sā kadācinmayā vinā gacchati paṅkajāni

The lady whose face was like the lotus, whose large eyes were like lotus petals could have gone to fetch lotuses (but) that also is not possible as she has never gone there without me.

कामं त्विदं पुष्पितवृक्षषण्डं नानाविधैः पक्षिगणैरुपेतम्। वनं प्रयाता नु तदप्ययुक्त मेकाकिनी सातिबिभेति भीरुः।।3.63.15।।

kāmaṃ tvidaṃ puṣpitavṛkṣaṣaṇḍaṃ nānāvidhaiḥ pakṣigaṇairupetam| vanaṃ prayātā nu tadapyayukta mekākinī sātibibheti bhīruḥ

Could she have gone to the forest where there are many kinds of trees in full bloom inhabited by a variety of birds? That is also not possible as she is timid and too scared to go there alone.

आदित्य भो लोककृताकृतज्ञ लोकस्य सत्यानृतकर्मसाक्षिन्। मम प्रिया सा क्व गता हृता वा शंसस्व मे शोकवशस्य नित्यम्।।3.63.16।।

āditya bho lokakṛtākṛtajña lokasya satyānṛtakarmasākṣin| mama priyā sā kva gatā hṛtā vā śaṃsasva me śokavaśasya nityam

O Sungod, you know all the happenings of the world. You are witness to all the deeds of the people, true and false. Tell me where my beloved Sita has gone or has been carried off. My grief never ceases.

लोकेषु सर्वेषु च नास्ति किञ्चिद्यत्ते न नित्यं विदितं भवेत्तत्। शंसस्व वायो कुलशालिनीं तां हृता मृता वा पथि वर्तते वा।।3.63.17।।

lokeṣu sarveṣu ca nāsti kiñcidyatte na nityaṃ viditaṃ bhavettat| śaṃsasva vāyo kulaśālinīṃ tāṃ hṛtā mṛtā vā pathi vartate vā

O Windgod, there is nothing that you know not in all the worlds. Do tell me if that lady of a noble race has been abducted or dead or is on the way.

इतीव तं शोकविधेयदेहं रामं विसंज्ञं विलपन्तमेवम्। उवाच सौमित्रिरदीनसत्त्वो न्याये स्थितः कालयुतं च वाक्यम्।।3.63.18।।

itīva taṃ śokavidheyadehaṃ rāmaṃ visaṃjñaṃ vilapantamevam| uvāca saumitriradīnasattvo nyāye sthitaḥ kālayutaṃ ca vākyam

While Rama was thus in tears, in a state of sorrow and swoon, Lakshmana who was rational and courageous spoke to him words appropriate to the time :

शोकं विमुञ्चार्य धृतिं भजस्व सोत्साहता चास्तु विमार्गणेऽस्याः। उत्साहवन्तो हि नरा न लोके सीदन्ति कर्मस्वतिदुष्करेषु।।3.63.19।।

śokaṃ vimuñcārya dhṛtiṃ bhajasva sotsāhatā cāstu vimārgaṇe'syāḥ| utsāhavanto hi narā na loke sīdanti karmasvatiduṣkareṣu

O noble prince, give up grief. Take courage. Show enthusiasm to search and find Sita. Enthusiastic people will not get despondent in carrying out the most difficult tasks.

इतीव सौमित्रिमुदग्रपौरुषं ब्रुवन्तमार्तो रघुवंशवर्धनः। न चिन्तयामास धृतिं विमुक्तवान्पुनश्च दुःखं महदभ्युपागमत्।।3.63.20।।

itīva saumitrimudagrapauruṣaṃ bruvantamārto raghuvaṃśavardhanaḥ| na cintayāmāsa dhṛtiṃ vimuktavānpunaśca duḥkhaṃ mahadabhyupāgamat

Rama who carries on the (glorious) progeny of the Raghu dynasty, did not (however) consider seriously the words of Lakshmana, a man of great prowess. Forsaking his courage he was once again overtaken by deep sorrow. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे त्रिषष्टितमस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the sixtythird sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.