Sundara Kanda, Sarga 25

अथ तासां वदन्तीनां परुषं दारुणं बहु। राक्षसीनामासौम्यानां रुरोद जनकात्मजा।।5.25.1।।

atha tāsāṃ vadantīnāṃ paruṣaṃ dāruṇaṃ bahu| rākṣasīnāmāsaumyānāṃ ruroda janakātmajā

On hearing the many harsh words of dire threat by the ugly ogresses, the daughter of Janaka wept.

एवमुक्ता तु वैदेही राक्षसीभिर्मनस्विनी। उवाच परमत्रस्ता भाष्पग्द्गदया गिरा।।5.25.2।।

evamuktā tu vaidehī rākṣasībhirmanasvinī| uvāca paramatrastā bhāṣpagdgadayā girā

In reply to the ogresses who thus spoke, noble Vaidehi, terribly frightened, said in a voice choked with tears.

न मानुषी राक्षसस्य भार्या भवितुमर्हति। कामं खादत मां सर्वा न करिष्यामि वो वचः।।5.25.3।।

na mānuṣī rākṣasasya bhāryā bhavitumarhati| kāmaṃ khādata māṃ sarvā na kariṣyāmi vo vacaḥ

'A human ought not to become the wife of a demon. You can eat me up. I will not follow your advice.'

सा राक्षसीमध्यगता सीता सुरसुतोपमा। न शर्म लेभे दुःखार्ता रावणेन च तर्जिता।।5.25.4।।

sā rākṣasīmadhyagatā sītā surasutopamā| na śarma lebhe duḥkhārtā rāvaṇena ca tarjitā

Surrounded by the ogresses, distressed Sita, who was like the daughter of a divine, did not get any solace.

वेपते स्माधिकं सीता विशन्ती वाङ्गमात्मनः। वने यूथपरिभ्रष्टा मृगी कोकैरिवार्दिता।।5.25.5।।

vepate smādhikaṃ sītā viśantī vāṅgamātmanaḥ| vane yūthaparibhraṣṭā mṛgī kokairivārditā

'Like a doe that strayed from the herd in the forest and tormented by wolves around, Sita had withdrawn into herself all her limbs through fear, she was trembling excessively.

सा त्वशोकस्य विपुलां शाखामालम्ब्य पुष्पिताम्। चिन्तयामास शोकेन भर्तारं भग्नमानसा।।5.25.6।।

sā tvaśokasya vipulāṃ śākhāmālambya puṣpitām| cintayāmāsa śokena bhartāraṃ bhagnamānasā

Laying hold on a large blossoming branch of the Ashoka tree, Sita thought of her husband with a broken heart.

सा स्नापयन्ती विपुलौ स्तनौ नेत्रजलस्रवैः। चिन्तयन्ती न शोकस्य तदान्तमधिगच्छति।।5.25.7।।

sā snāpayantī vipulau stanau netrajalasravaiḥ| cintayantī na śokasya tadāntamadhigacchati

Her large breasts bathed with the flow of tears, she continued to brood over her plight and found no end to it.

सा वेपमाना पतिता प्रवाते कदली यथा। राक्षसीनां भयत्रस्ता विवर्णवदनाभवत्।।5.25.8।।

sā vepamānā patitā pravāte kadalī yathā| rākṣasīnāṃ bhayatrastā vivarṇavadanābhavat

Trembling like a banana tree uprooted by the stormy wind, Sita who was seized with fear of the ogresses looked pale and desperate.

तस्याः सा दीर्घविपुला वेपन्त्या सीतया तदा। ददृशे कम्पिनी वेणी व्यालीव परिसर्पती।।5.25.9।।

tasyāḥ sā dīrghavipulā vepantyā sītayā tadā| dadṛśe kampinī veṇī vyālīva parisarpatī

The long, luxuriant braid of hair of the trembling Sita waving (in the wind), appeared like a crawling female serpent.

सा निःश्वसन्ती दुःखार्ता शोकोपहतचेतना। आर्ता व्यसृजदश्रूणि मैथिली विललाप च।।5.25.10।।

sā niḥśvasantī duḥkhārtā śokopahatacetanā| ārtā vyasṛjadaśrūṇi maithilī vilalāpa ca

The distressed Mythili, her consciousness drowned in grief, sighing, shed streams of tears.

हा रामेति च दुःखार्ता हा पुनर्लक्ष्मणेति च। हा श्वश्रु मम कौसल्ये हा सुमित्रेति भामिनी।।5.25.11।।

hā rāmeti ca duḥkhārtā hā punarlakṣmaṇeti ca| hā śvaśru mama kausalye hā sumitreti bhāminī

'The bright, beautiful Sita began to wail, alas, "Rama alas, Lakshmana alas, my motherinlaw, Kausalya alas, Sumitra

लोकप्रवादः सत्योऽयं पण्डितैः समुदाहृतः। अकाले दुर्लभो मृत्युः स्त्रिया वा पुरुषस्य वा।।5.25.12।। यदहमेवं क्रूराभी राक्षसीभिरिहार्दिता। जीवामि हीना रामेण मुहूर्तमपि दुःखिता।।5.25.13।।

lokapravādaḥ satyo'yaṃ paṇḍitaiḥ samudāhṛtaḥ| akāle durlabho mṛtyuḥ striyā vā puruṣasya vā yadahamevaṃ krūrābhī rākṣasībhirihārditā| jīvāmi hīnā rāmeṇa muhūrtamapi duḥkhitā

'There is a famous popular saying among the learned that untimely death is not possible either for a woman or a man.It is true that I am living in this miserable condition, deprived of Rama's company and tormented by these cruel ogresses here. Living in such conditions even for a moment is impossible. But nobody dies an untimely death.

लोकप्रवादः सत्योऽयं पण्डितैः समुदाहृतः। अकाले दुर्लभो मृत्युः स्त्रिया वा पुरुषस्य वा।।5.25.12।। यदहमेवं क्रूराभी राक्षसीभिरिहार्दिता। जीवामि हीना रामेण मुहूर्तमपि दुःखिता।।5.25.13।।

lokapravādaḥ satyo'yaṃ paṇḍitaiḥ samudāhṛtaḥ| akāle durlabho mṛtyuḥ striyā vā puruṣasya vā yadahamevaṃ krūrābhī rākṣasībhirihārditā| jīvāmi hīnā rāmeṇa muhūrtamapi duḥkhitā

'There is a famous popular saying among the learned that untimely death is not possible either for a woman or a man.It is true that I am living in this miserable condition, deprived of Rama's company and tormented by these cruel ogresses here. Living in such conditions even for a moment is impossible. But nobody dies an untimely death.

एषाल्पपुण्या कृपणा विनशिष्याम्यनाथवत्। समुद्रमध्ये नौः पूर्णा वायुवेगैरिवाहता।।5.25.14।।

eṣālpapuṇyā kṛpaṇā vinaśiṣyāmyanāthavat| samudramadhye nauḥ pūrṇā vāyuvegairivāhatā

'I am a woman of low merit, a wretched woman, an orphan. I will be ruined like the loaded boat that gets hit in the midst of the ocean by the stormy wind.

भर्तारं तमपश्यन्ती राक्षसीवशमागता। सीदामि खलु शोकेन कूलं तोयहतं यथा।।5.25.15।।

bhartāraṃ tamapaśyantī rākṣasīvaśamāgatā| sīdāmi khalu śokena kūlaṃ toyahataṃ yathā

'Unable to find my husband and seized by these ogresses, I am collapsing on account of grief like a riverbank under the current of water.

तं पद्मदलपत्राक्षं सिंहविक्रान्तगामिनम्। धन्याः पश्यन्ति मे नाथं कृतज्ञं प्रियवादिनम्।।5.25.16।।

taṃ padmadalapatrākṣaṃ siṃhavikrāntagāminam| dhanyāḥ paśyanti me nāthaṃ kṛtajñaṃ priyavādinam

'Blessed are those who are in touch with my husband with eyes like lotus petals, whose walk is majestic like a lion's, who has a sense of gratitude and is pleasing in words.

सर्वथा तेन हीनाया रामेण विदितात्मना। तीक्ष्णं विषमिवास्वाद्य दुर्लभं मम जीवितम्।।5.25.17।।

sarvathā tena hīnāyā rāmeṇa viditātmanā| tīkṣṇaṃ viṣamivāsvādya durlabhaṃ mama jīvitam

'Separated from Rama endowed with selfknowledge, it is impossible for me to live like one who has drunk venom.

कीदृशं तु महापापं मया जन्मान्तरे कृतम्। यनेदं प्राप्यते दुःखं मया घोरं सुदारुणम्।।5.25.18।।

kīdṛśaṃ tu mahāpāpaṃ mayā janmāntare kṛtam| yanedaṃ prāpyate duḥkhaṃ mayā ghoraṃ sudāruṇam

'I do not know what great sin I have committed in my past life for which I experience this terrific, cruel affliction?

जीवितं त्यक्तुमिच्छामि शोकेन महता वृता। राक्षसीभिश्च रक्षन्त्या रामो नासाद्यते मया।।5.25.19।।

jīvitaṃ tyaktumicchāmi śokena mahatā vṛtā| rākṣasībhiśca rakṣantyā rāmo nāsādyate mayā

'I long to give up my life, afflicted with great grief, as I, wellguarded by these ogresses, have no hope to reach Rama.

धिगस्तु खलु मानुष्यं धिगस्तु परवश्यताम्। न शक्यं यत्परित्यक्तुमात्मच्छन्देन जीवितम्।।5.25.20।।

dhigastu khalu mānuṣyaṃ dhigastu paravaśyatām| na śakyaṃ yatparityaktumātmacchandena jīvitam

'Fie upon this human life. Fie upon this dependence. What a pitiable situation I am placed in. It is not possible for me, a human, to give up life at my free will.' इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये सुन्दरकाण्डे पञ्चविंशस्सर्गः। Thus ends the twentyfifth sarga of Sundarakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.