Aranya Kanda · Sarga 48 of 76 · 24 verses
Ravana’s Boast and Sita’s Answer
As Sita speaks so, Ravana, enraged, frowns and answers harshly: “I am the half-brother of Vaishravana, fair one; I am named Ravana, bless you, mighty Dashagriva, from whom gods with gandharvas, pishachas, birds and serpents always flee in fear, as creatures flee from death. My half-brother Vaishravana, met in a duel for a certain reason, I conquered in battle by force in my anger; afflicted by fear of me, he left his rich seat, and the one who rides on men now lives on Kailasa, best of mountains. His lovely flying chariot named Pushpaka, which goes where one wishes, was won by my valour, lady; in it I go through the sky. At the mere sight of my face when my anger is roused, Maithili, the gods led by Shakra flee in terror. Where I stand, the wind blows timidly; in the sky, the sun of sharp rays becomes cool from fear. Where I stand or walk, the trees’ leaves do not stir and the rivers’ water is still. Beyond the ocean is my lovely city named Lanka, full of terrible rakshasas, like Indra’s Amaravati, surrounded by a shining white wall, with golden courtyards and gateways of beryl, crowded with elephants, horses and chariots, echoing with music, adorned with gardens full of trees that bear every desired fruit. Live there with me, Sita, princess; you will not remember human women, proud one. Enjoying human and divine pleasures, fair one, you will not remember Rama, a human whose life is ending. King Dasharatha set his dear son on the throne, and then sent his weak eldest son to the forest. What will you do with that Rama, fallen from his kingdom, out of his mind, an ascetic, wretched, large-eyed one? Protect the lord of the rakshasas, love one who has come of his own accord. You should not refuse one pierced by the arrows of Manmatha. Having refused me, timid one, you will regret it later, as Urvashi did after striking Pururavas with her foot. Rama, a man, is not equal to my finger in battle. Take what has come to you by your good fortune, fair one.”
Told this, Vaidehi, angry, her eyes red, speaks harsh words to the lord of the rakshasas in that lonely place: “How can you, naming as your brother the god Vaishravana, honoured by all the gods, wish to do something so foul? Surely all the rakshasas will perish, Ravana, whose king you are, harsh, of bad judgement, your senses unconquered. One might carry off Indra’s wife Shachi and live; but having carried off me, Rama’s wife, no one could be safe. One might live long after violating Shachi of incomparable beauty, wife of the thunderbolt-wielder; but having violated one like me, rakshasa, there is no escape for you, even if you have drunk the nectar.”
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एवं ब्रुवत्यां सीतायां संरब्धः परुषं वचः । ललाटे भ्रुकुटिं कृत्वा रावणः प्रत्युवाच ह ॥ १ ॥
As Sita spoke so, Ravana, enraged, knitting his brows on his forehead, answered with harsh words:
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Ravana’s Boast and Sita’s Answer 1 min read.
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भ्राता वैश्रवणस्याहं सापत्नो वरवर्णिनि । रावणो नाम भद्रं ते दशग्रीवः प्रतापवान् ॥ २ ॥
“I am the half-brother of Vaishravana, fair one, named Ravana, bless you, mighty Dashagriva,
यस्य देवाः सगन्धर्वाः पिशाचपतगोरगाः । विद्रवन्ति सदा भीता मृत्योरिव सदा प्रजाः ॥ ३ ॥
“from whom the gods with gandharvas, pishachas, birds and serpents always flee in fear, as creatures always flee from death;
येन वैश्रवणो भ्राता वैमात्राः कारणान्तरे । द्वन्द्वमासादितः क्रोधाद् रणे विक्रम्य निर्जितः ॥ ४ ॥
“by whom Vaishravana, my half-brother, met in a duel for a certain reason, was conquered in battle by force, in anger.
मद्भयार्तः परित्यज्य स्वमधिष्ठानमृद्धिमत् । कैलासं पर्वतश्रेष्ठमध्यास्ते नरवाहनः ॥ ५ ॥
“Afflicted by fear of me, abandoning his own rich seat, the one who rides on men lives on Kailasa, best of mountains.
यस्य तत् पुष्पकं नाम विमानं कामगं शुभम् । वीर्यादावर्जितं भद्रे येन यामि विहायसम् ॥ ६ ॥
“His auspicious flying chariot named Pushpaka, which goes where one wishes, was won by my valour, lady; with it I go through the sky.
मम संजातरोषस्य मुखं दृष्ट्वैव मैथिलि । विद्रवन्ति परित्रस्ताः सुराः शक्रपुरोगमाः ॥ ७ ॥
“At the mere sight of my face, when my anger is roused, Maithili, the gods led by Shakra flee in terror.
यत्र तिष्ठाम्यहं तत्र मारुतो वाति शङ्कितः । तीव्रांशुः शिशिरांशुश्च भयात् सम्पद्यते दिवि ॥ ८ ॥
“Where I stand, there the wind blows timidly; the sharp-rayed one becomes cool-rayed in the sky out of fear.
निष्कम्पपत्रास्तरवो नद्यश्च स्तिमितोदकाः । भवन्ति यत्र तत्राहं तिष्ठामि च चरामि च ॥ ९ ॥
“Trees become motionless in their leaves, and rivers still in their water, where I stand and where I walk.
मम पारे समुद्रस्य लङ्का नाम पुरी शुभा । सम्पूर्णा राक्षसैर्घोरैर्यथेन्द्रस्यामरावती ॥ १० ॥
“Beyond the ocean is my lovely city named Lanka, full of terrible rakshasas, like Indra’s Amaravati,
प्राकारेण परिक्षिप्ता पाण्डुरेण विराजिता । हेमकक्ष्या पुरी रम्या वैदूर्यमयतोरणा ॥ ११ ॥
“surrounded by a wall, shining with white, a lovely city with golden courtyards and gateways made of beryl,
हस्त्यश्वरथसम्बाधा तूर्यनादविनादिता । सर्वकामफलैर्वृक्षैः संकुलोद्यानभूषिता ॥ १२ ॥
“crowded with elephants, horses and chariots, resounding with the sound of music, adorned with gardens crowded with trees bearing the fruit of every desire.
तत्र त्वं वस हे सीते राजपुत्रि मया सह । न स्मरिष्यसि नारीणां मानुषीणां मनस्विनि ॥ १३ ॥
“Live there with me, Sita, princess; you will not remember human women, proud one.
भुञ्जाना मानुषान् भोगान् दिव्यांश्च वरवर्णिनि । न स्मरिष्यसि रामस्य मानुषस्य गतायुषः ॥ १४ ॥
“Enjoying human and divine pleasures, fair one, you will not remember Rama, a human whose life is spent.
स्थापयित्वा प्रियं पुत्रं राज्ये दशरथो नृपः । मन्दवीर्यस्ततो ज्येष्ठः सुतः प्रस्थापितो वनम् ॥ १५ ॥
“Having set his dear son on the throne, King Dasharatha then sent his eldest son, of little valour, to the forest.
तेन किं भ्रष्टराज्येन रामेण गतचेतसा । करिष्यसि विशालाक्षि तापसेन तपस्विना ॥ १६ ॥
“What will you do with that Rama, fallen from his kingdom, his mind gone, an ascetic, wretched, large-eyed one?
रक्ष राक्षसभर्तारं कामय स्वयमागतम् । न मन्मथशराविष्टं प्रत्याख्यातुं त्वमर्हसि ॥ १७ ॥
“Protect the lord of the rakshasas; love one who has come of himself. You should not refuse one pierced by Manmatha’s arrows.
प्रत्याख्याय हि मां भीरु पश्चात्तापं गमिष्यसि । चरणेनाभिहत्येव पुरूरवसमुर्वशी ॥ १८ ॥
“Having refused me, timid one, you will come to regret, as Urvashi did, having struck Pururavas with her foot.
अङ्गुल्या न समो रामो मम युद्धे स मानुषः । तव भाग्येन सम्प्राप्तं भजस्व वरवर्णिनि ॥ १९ ॥
“Rama, a man, is not equal to my finger in battle. Take what has come by your good fortune, fair one.”
एवमुक्ता तु वैदेही क्रुद्धा संरक्तलोचना । अब्रवीत् परुषं वाक्यं रहिते राक्षसाधिपम् ॥ २० ॥
Spoken to so, Vaidehi, angry, her eyes reddened, spoke harsh words to the lord of the rakshasas in that lonely place:
कथं वैश्रवणं देवं सर्वदेवनमस्कृतम् । भ्रातरं व्यपदिश्य त्वमशुभं कर्तुमिच्छसि ॥ २१ ॥
“How, naming as your brother the god Vaishravana, saluted by all the gods, do you wish to do what is foul?
अवश्यं विनशिष्यन्ति सर्वे रावण राक्षसाः । येषां त्वं कर्कशो राजा दुर्बुद्धिरजितेन्द्रियः ॥ २२ ॥
“Surely all the rakshasas will perish, Ravana, whose king you are, harsh, of bad judgement, of unconquered senses.
अपहृत्य शचीं भार्यां शक्यमिन्द्रस्य जीवितुम् । नहि रामस्य भार्यां मामानीय स्वस्तिमान् भवेत् ॥ २३ ॥
“Having carried off Shachi, Indra’s wife, it may be possible to live; but having brought me, Rama’s wife, no one could be safe.
जीवेच्चिरं वज्रधरस्य पश्चा- च्छचीं प्रधृष्याप्रतिरूपरूपाम् । न मादृशीं राक्षस धर्षयित्वा पीतामृतस्यापि तवास्ति मोक्षः ॥ २४ ॥
“One might live long after violating Shachi, of incomparable beauty, wife of the thunderbolt-bearer; but having violated one like me, rakshasa, there is no release for you, even having drunk the nectar.”