Aranya Kanda · Sarga 10 of 76 · 22 verses
Rama Answers Sita
Hearing these words spoken by Vaidehi, devoted to her husband, Rama, standing in dharma, answers Janaki: “You have spoken good words, queen, loving and fitting, worthy of your family, knower of dharma, daughter of Janaka. What can I say, queen? You yourself have said it: kshatriyas carry the bow so that there should be no cry of the afflicted. And those sages of the Dandaka forest, of strict vows, are afflicted, Sita; they came to me of their own accord and took refuge with me as their refuge. Living in the forest at the right times, eating roots and fruit, they find no peace, timid one, because of rakshasas of cruel deeds. They are eaten by terrible rakshasas who live on human flesh. Being eaten, the sages of Dandaka, the best of brahmanas, said to me: ‘Come to us.’ Hearing those words fall from their mouths, I listened respectfully and said: ‘Be gracious to me; this is a matchless shame to me, that brahmanas such as you, whom I ought to approach, have come to me. What shall I do?’ I said this in the presence of the twice-born. All of them together spoke: ‘We are badly harassed by many rakshasas in the Dandaka forest, who take any form they wish, Rama; protect us there. When the time for the fire-offering comes, and at the festivals, sinless one, the flesh-eating rakshasas, very hard to resist, attack us. For us ascetics, attacked by rakshasas and seeking a refuge, you are the highest refuge. We could kill the night-rangers by the power of our austerity, but we do not want to break austerity earned over a long time. Austerity always has many obstacles and is hard to practise, Raghava; so we do not pronounce curses, even while we are being eaten by the rakshasas. So protect us, harassed by the rakshasas living in the Dandaka forest, with your brother; you are our protector in the forest.’
“Hearing these words, daughter of Janaka, I promised to protect the seers in the Dandaka forest completely. Having promised, I could not, while I live, make my promise to the sages untrue, for truth is always dear to me. I might give up my life, Sita, or you, or Lakshmana, but not a promise once made, especially to brahmanas. So I must protect the seers. Even unasked I should have done it, Vaidehi; how much more after promising? You have said this out of love and friendship for me. I am pleased, Sita; no one advises someone they do not care for. Your words are fitting and worthy of your family, lovely one. You are my companion in dharma, dearer to me than life.” Having said this to Sita, his beloved, daughter of the king of Mithila, great-souled Rama, bow in hand, goes with Lakshmana to the lovely penance-forests.
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वाक्यमेतत् तु वैदेह्या व्याहृतं भर्तृभक्तया । श्रुत्वा धर्मे स्थितो रामः प्रत्युवाचाथ जानकीम् ॥ १ ॥
Hearing these words spoken by Vaidehi, devoted to her husband, Rama, standing firm in dharma, then answered Janaki:
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हितमुक्तं त्वया देवि स्निग्धया सदृशं वचः । कुलं व्यपदिशन्त्या च धर्मज्ञे जनकात्मजे ॥ २ ॥
“Beneficial words have been spoken by you, queen, loving and fitting, pointing to your family, knower of dharma, daughter of Janaka.
किं नु वक्ष्याम्यहं देवि त्वयैवोक्तमिदं वचः । क्षत्रियैर्धार्यते चापो नार्तशब्दो भवेदिति ॥ ३ ॥
“What can I say, queen? These words were spoken by you yourself: ‘The bow is carried by kshatriyas so that there may be no cry of distress.’
ते चार्ता दण्डकारण्ये मुनयः संशितव्रताः । मां सीते स्वयमागम्य शरण्यं शरणं गताः ॥ ४ ॥
“And those sages of strict vows in the Dandaka forest are distressed, Sita; coming to me themselves, they took refuge in me as their refuge.
वसन्तः कालकालेषु वने मूलफलाशनाः । न लभन्ते सुखं भीरु राक्षसैः क्रूरकर्मभिः ॥ ५ ॥
“Living in the forest at the proper times, eating roots and fruit, they find no happiness, timid one, because of rakshasas of cruel deeds.
भक्ष्यन्ते राक्षसैर्भीमैर्नरमांसोपजीविभिः । ते भक्ष्यमाणा मुनयो दण्डकारण्यवासिनः ॥ ६ ॥
“They are eaten by terrible rakshasas who live on human flesh; being eaten, those sages living in the Dandaka forest,
अस्मानभ्यवपद्येति मामूचुर्द्विजसत्तमाः । मया तु वचनं श्रुत्वा तेषामेवं मुखाच्च्युतम् ॥ ७ ॥
“the best of brahmanas, said to me, ‘Come to us.’ And hearing these words fall so from their mouths,
कृत्वा वचनशुश्रूषां वाक्यमेतदुदाहृतम् । प्रसीदन्तु भवन्तो मे ह्रीरेषा तु ममातुला ॥ ८ ॥
“having listened respectfully to their words, I spoke these words: ‘Be gracious to me; this is an incomparable shame to me,
यदीदृशैरहं विप्रैरुपस्थेयैरुपस्थितः । किं करोमीति च मया व्याहृतं द्विजसंनिधौ ॥ ९ ॥
“’that I, who ought to wait upon brahmanas such as you, have been waited upon by you. What shall I do?’ This was said by me in the presence of the twice-born.
सर्वैरेव समागम्य वागियं समुदाहृता । राक्षसैर्दण्डकारण्ये बहुभिः कामरूपिभिः ॥ १० ॥
अर्दिताः स्म भृशं राम भवान् नस्तत्र रक्षतु । होमकाले तु सम्प्राप्ते पर्वकालेषु चानघ ॥ ११ ॥
“All of them together spoke these words: ‘We are greatly harassed in the Dandaka forest by many rakshasas who take any form at will, Rama; protect us there. When the time for the offering has come, and at the festival times, sinless one,
धर्षयन्ति सुदुर्धर्षा राक्षसाः पिशिताशनाः । राक्षसैर्धर्षितानां च तापसानां तपस्विनाम् ॥ १२ ॥
“’the flesh-eating rakshasas, very hard to resist, attack us. For us ascetics, attacked by rakshasas,
गतिं मृगयमाणानां भवान् नः परमा गतिः । कामं तपःप्रभावेण शक्ता हन्तुं निशाचरान् ॥ १३ ॥
“’seeking a refuge, you are our highest refuge. Certainly we could kill the night-rangers by the power of austerity,
चिरार्जितं न चेच्छामस्तपः खण्डयितुं वयम् । बहुविघ्नं तपो नित्यं दुश्चरं चैव राघव ॥ १४ ॥
“’but we do not wish to break austerity earned over a long time. Austerity always has many obstacles and is hard to practise, Raghava.
तेन शापं न मुञ्चामो भक्ष्यमाणाश्च राक्षसैः । तदर्द्यमानान् रक्षोभिर्दण्डकारण्यवासिभिः ॥ १५ ॥
“’Therefore we do not release a curse, even while being eaten by the rakshasas. So, harassed by the rakshasas living in the Dandaka forest,
रक्ष नस्त्वं सह भ्रात्रा त्वन्नाथा हि वयं वने । मया चैतद्वचः श्रुत्वा कात्स्न्र्येन परिपालनम् ॥ १६ ॥
“’protect us, together with your brother; for in the forest we have you as our protector.’ And having heard these words, the complete protection
ऋषीणां दण्डकारण्ये संश्रुतं जनकात्मजे । संश्रुत्य च न शक्ष्यामि जीवमानः प्रतिश्रवम् ॥ १७ ॥
“of the seers in the Dandaka forest was promised by me, daughter of Janaka. And having promised, I shall not be able, while I live, to make my promise
मुनीनामन्यथा कर्तुं सत्यमिष्टं हि मे सदा । अप्यहं जीवितं जह्यां त्वां वा सीते सलक्ष्मणाम् ॥ १८ ॥
“to the sages otherwise; for truth is always dear to me. I might give up my life, or you, Sita, with Lakshmana,
न तु प्रतिज्ञा संश्रुत्य ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विशेषतः । तदवश्यं मया कार्यमृषीणां परिपालनम् ॥ १९ ॥
“but not a promise once made, especially to brahmanas. Therefore the protection of the seers must necessarily be done by me.
अनुक्तेनापि वैदेहि प्रतिज्ञाय कथं पुनः । मम स्नेहाच्च सौहार्दादिदमुक्तं त्वया वचः ॥ २० ॥
“Even unasked, Vaidehi; how much more after promising? And these words were spoken by you out of love and friendship for me.
परितुष्टोऽस्म्यहं सीते न ह्यनिष्टोऽनुशास्यते । सदृशं चानुरूपं च कुलस्य तव शोभने । सधर्मचारिणी मे त्वं प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसी ॥ २१ ॥
“I am pleased, Sita; for one does not advise someone one does not care for. Your words are fitting and worthy of your family, lovely one. You are my companion in dharma, weightier to me than my life-breaths.”
इत्येवमुक्त्वा वचनं महात्मा सीतां प्रियां मैथिलराजपुत्रीम् । रामो धनुष्मान् सह लक्ष्मणेन जगाम रम्याणि तपोवनानि ॥ २२ ॥
Having spoken these words to Sita, his beloved, the daughter of the king of Mithila, great-souled Rama, bow in hand, went with Lakshmana to the lovely penance-forests.