Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 28 of 119 · 26 verses
“The Forest Is Hardship”
Thinking of the hardships of the forest, Rama does not want to take her. He comforts her, her eyes stained with tears, and tries to dissuade her: “Sita, you are of a great family and devoted to dharma; practise dharma here, so my mind may be at ease. Give up this idea of living in the forest. The wilderness is said to be full of dangers. I say this for your good; I know no happiness there, only hardship. The roar of lions in mountain caves is painful to hear. Wild beasts at play in lonely places charge at the sight of people. The rivers are full of crocodiles and mud, hard to cross, and frequented by rutting elephants. The paths are tangled with creepers and thorns, loud with wild cocks, without water. One sleeps on beds of leaves fallen on the ground, exhausted. Day and night one must be content with fruit fallen from trees. One must fast as far as life allows, wear matted hair and bark, worship gods and ancestors by rule, honour every guest, bathe three times a day, offer flowers one has gathered oneself on the altar, be content with whatever one finds. There are fierce winds, darkness, constant hunger and great fears; many snakes cross the path in their pride, snakes that live in rivers and wind like them block the way; insects, scorpions, gadflies and mosquitoes torment; thorny trees, kusha and kasha grass and tangled branches. There are many bodily pains and many fears. Anger and greed must be given up, the mind set on austerity, and one must not fear what is fearful. Enough of going to the forest; it is not safe for you. The more I think, the more dangers I see.” When Rama has made up his mind not to take her, Sita does not accept his words, and, deeply grieved, speaks again.
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स एवं ब्रुवतीं सीतां धर्मज्ञां धर्मवत्सलः । न नेतुं कुरुते बुद्धिं वने दुःखानि चिन्तयन् ॥ १ ॥
To Sita, who knew dharma, speaking so, he who loved dharma, thinking of the hardships of the forest, did not make up his mind to take her.
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सान्त्वयित्वा ततस्तां तु बाष्पदूषितलोचनाम् । निवर्तनार्थे धर्मात्मा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ॥ २ ॥
Comforting her then, her eyes stained with tears, the righteous one, to turn her back, spoke these words:
सीते महाकुलीनासि धर्मे च निरता सदा । इहाचरस्व धर्मं त्वं यथा मे मनसः सुखम् ॥ ३ ॥
“Sita, you come of a very noble family and are always devoted to dharma. Practise dharma here, so that my mind may be at ease.
सीते यथा त्वां वक्ष्यामि तथा कार्यं त्वयाबले । वने दोषा हि बहवो वसतस्तान् निबोध मे ॥ ४ ॥
“Sita, you must do as I tell you, gentle one. There are many dangers in the forest for one who lives there; learn them from me.
सीते विमुच्यतामेषा वनवासकृता मतिः । बहुदोषं हि कान्तारं वनमित्यभिधीयते ॥ ५ ॥
“Sita, let go of this idea of living in the forest. The wilderness, the forest, is said to be full of dangers.
हितबुद्ध्या खलु वचो मयैतदभिधीयते । सदा सुखं न जानामि दुःखमेव सदा वनम् ॥ ६ ॥
“I speak these words to you out of concern for your good. I know no happiness at all there; the forest is always sorrow.
गिरिनिर्झरसम्भूता गिरिनिर्दरिवासिनाम् । सिंहानां निनदा दुःखाः श्रोतुं दुःखमतो वनम् ॥ ७ ॥
“The roars of lions living in mountain caves, born of the mountain torrents, are painful to hear; therefore the forest is sorrow.
क्रीडमानाश्च विस्रब्धा मत्ताः शून्ये तथा मृगाः । दृष्ट्वा समभिवर्तन्ते सीते दुःखमतो वनम् ॥ ८ ॥
“Wild beasts playing fearlessly and in rut in lonely places charge when they see people, Sita; therefore the forest is sorrow.
सग्राहाः सरितश्चैव पङ्कवत्यस्तु दुस्तराः । मत्तैरपि गजैर्नित्यमतो दुःखतरं वनम् ॥ ९ ॥
“The rivers are full of crocodiles and mud, hard to cross, always frequented by rutting elephants; therefore the forest is greater sorrow.
लताकण्टकसंकीर्णाः कृकवाकूपनादिताः । निरपाश्च सुदुःखाश्च मार्गा दुःखमतो वनम् ॥ १० ॥
“The paths are tangled with creepers and thorns, echoing with wild cocks, without water and very hard; therefore the forest is sorrow.
सुप्यते पर्णशय्यासु स्वयंभग्नासु भूतले । रात्रिषु श्रमखिन्नेन तस्माद् दुःखमतो वनम् ॥ ११ ॥
“At night, worn out with toil, one sleeps on beds of leaves fallen of themselves on the ground; therefore the forest is sorrow.
अहोरात्रं च संतोषः कर्तव्यो नियतात्मना । फलैर्वृक्षावपतितैः सीते दुःखमतो वनम् ॥ १२ ॥
“Day and night, with mind controlled, one must be content with fruit fallen from trees, Sita; therefore the forest is sorrow.
उपवासश्च कर्तव्यो यथा प्राणेन मैथिलि । जटाभारश्च कर्तव्यो वल्कलाम्बरधारणम् ॥ १३ ॥
“One must fast as far as life allows, Maithili, and bear a load of matted hair, and wear bark garments.
देवतानां पितॄणां च कर्तव्यं विधिपूर्वकम् । प्राप्तानामतिथीनां च नित्यशः प्रतिपूजनम् ॥ १४ ॥
“The worship of the gods and ancestors must be done according to rule, and guests who come must always be honoured.
कार्यस्त्रिरभिषेकश्च काले काले च नित्यशः । चरतां नियमेनैव तस्माद् दुःखतरं वनम् ॥ १५ ॥
“The triple bath must be taken always, at every proper time, by those who live by discipline; therefore the forest is greater sorrow.
उपहारश्च कर्तव्यः कुसुमैः स्वयमाहृतैः । आर्षेण विधिना वेद्यां सीते दुःखमतो वनम् ॥ १६ ॥
“Offerings must be made on the altar, in the manner of the sages, with flowers one has gathered oneself, Sita; therefore the forest is sorrow.
यथालब्धेन कर्तव्यः संतोषस्तेन मैथिलि । यताहारैर्वनचरैः सीते दुःखमतो वनम् ॥ १७ ॥
“One must be content with whatever is found, Maithili, like the forest-dwellers who restrain their food; therefore the forest is sorrow.
अतीव वातस्तिमिरं बुभुक्षा चाति नित्यशः । भयानि च महान्त्यत्र ततो दुःखतरं वनम् ॥ १८ ॥
“There are fierce winds and darkness, hunger always, and great fears here; therefore the forest is greater sorrow.
सरीसृपाश्च बहवो बहुरूपाश्च भामिनि । चरन्ति पथि ते दर्पात् ततो दुःखतरं वनम् ॥ १९ ॥
“Many reptiles of many forms move proudly on the path, passionate one; therefore the forest is greater sorrow.
नदीनिलयनाः सर्पा नदीकुटिलगामिनः । तिष्ठन्त्यावृत्य पन्थानमतो दुःखतरं वनम् ॥ २० ॥
“Snakes that live in rivers and move crookedly like rivers lie coiled across the path; therefore the forest is greater sorrow.
पतङ्गा वृश्चिकाः कीटा दंशाश्च मशकैः सह । बाधन्ते नित्यमबले सर्वं दुःखमतो वनम् ॥ २१ ॥
“Moths, scorpions, insects and gadflies with mosquitoes always torment one, frail one; therefore the forest is all sorrow.
द्रुमाः कण्टकिनश्चैव कुशाः काशाश्च भामिनि । वने व्याकुलशाखाग्रास्तेन दुःखमतो वनम् ॥ २२ ॥
“Thorny trees, kusha and kasha grass, passionate one, and tangled branch-tips are in the forest; therefore the forest is sorrow.
कायक्लेशाश्च बहवो भयानि विविधानि च । अरण्यवासे वसतो दुःखमेव सदा वनम् ॥ २३ ॥
“Many bodily hardships and many kinds of fear await one who lives in the wilderness; the forest is always sorrow.
क्रोधलोभौ विमोक्तव्यौ कर्तव्या तपसे मतिः । न भेतव्यं च भेतव्ये दुःखं नित्यमतो वनम् ॥ २४ ॥
“Anger and greed must be given up, the mind set on austerity, and one must not fear what is fearful; therefore the forest is always sorrow.
तदलं ते वनं गत्वा क्षेमं नहि वनं तव । विमृशन्निव पश्यामि बहुदोषकरं वनम् ॥ २५ ॥
“So enough of your going to the forest; the forest is not safe for you. As I think about it, I see the forest as full of dangers.”
वनं तु नेतुं न कृता मतिर्यदा बभूव रामेण तदा महात्मना । न तस्य सीता वचनं चकार तं ततोऽब्रवीद् राममिदं सुदुःखिता ॥ २६ ॥
When great-souled Rama had not made up his mind to take her to the forest, Sita did not accept his word, and, deeply grieved, then said to Rama: