Aranya Kanda · Sarga 49 of 76 · 40 verses
The Abduction of Sita
Hearing Sita, mighty Dashagriva strikes hand on hand and makes his body huge. Skilled in speech, he says to Maithili again: “I think in your madness you have not heard of my valour and might. Standing in the sky I could lift the earth with my arms; I could drink up the ocean; standing in battle I could kill Death. I could pierce the sun with sharp arrows and split the earth. Look at me, mad one, who can take any form at will.” As Ravana speaks in anger, his eyes, bright as fire, red with dark borders, blaze. At once Kubera’s younger brother gives up his gentle form and takes his own sharp form, like the form of Time: red-eyed, glorious, adorned with refined gold, filled with great anger, like a dark-blue cloud, the night-ranger becomes ten-faced and twenty-armed. Giving up the disguise of a mendicant, huge-bodied, Ravana, king of the rakshasas, takes his own form and stands, wearing red, looking at Maithili, the jewel among women. To Maithili, with her black-edged hair, like the light of the sun, wearing clothes and ornaments, Ravana says: “If you want a husband famous in the three worlds, take refuge in me, lovely-hipped one; I am the husband fit for you. Love me for a long time; I am a husband to be praised, and I will never do anything displeasing to you, lady. Give up your human feeling and turn your feeling to me. With what virtues are you attached to Rama, fallen from his kingdom, his purpose unachieved, his life short, foolish woman who thinks herself wise, the dull-witted one who, at a woman’s word, left his kingdom and his friends and lives in this forest frequented by beasts of prey?” Having said this to Maithili, who deserves kindness and speaks kindly, the very wicked rakshasa, deluded by desire, goes up to her and seizes Sita, as Budha seizes Rohini in the sky. With his left hand he seizes lotus-eyed Sita by the hair, and with his right he takes her by the thighs. Seeing him like a mountain peak, with sharp fangs and mighty arms, like Death, the forest deities flee in terror. Then Ravana’s great chariot, made of illusion, divine, yoked with donkeys, with a harsh rumble, golden-bodied, appears. Threatening her with harsh words, roaring, he takes Vaidehi on his lap and puts her in the chariot.
Seized by Ravana, glorious Sita, stricken with grief, cries out “Rama!”, to Rama gone far into the forest. Ravana, sick with desire, takes her, unwilling, writhing like the wife of a king of serpents, and flies up. Being carried off through the sky by the king of the rakshasas, she cries out loudly, like a madwoman, her mind distracted, like one in pain: “Ha Lakshmana, mighty-armed, who pleases the mind of your elder, you do not know that I am being carried off by a rakshasa who takes any form at will! Raghava, you who give up life, happiness and wealth for the sake of dharma, you do not see me being carried off by adharma! You are the chastiser of the unruly, scorcher of foes; why do you not punish a wicked one like Ravana? The fruit of an unruly deed is not seen at once; Time takes part in it, as in the ripening of crops. You have done this deed, your mind struck by Time; from Rama you will meet a terrible calamity that will end your life. Ah, now Kaikeyi has her wish, with her kin: I, the lawful wife of the glorious one who loves dharma, am being carried off. I call on the flowering karnikara trees in Janasthana: tell Rama quickly that Ravana is carrying off Sita. I salute the river Godavari, echoing with swans and cranes: tell Rama quickly that Ravana is carrying off Sita. I bow to the deities in this forest of many trees: tell my husband that I have been carried off. Whatever creatures there are here, of many kinds, all the hosts of beasts and birds, I go to you all for refuge: tell my husband that his dear one, weightier to him than life, is being carried off; tell him, ‘Sita has been carried off helpless by Ravana.’ Knowing it, the mighty-armed, mighty one will bring me back by valour, even from the other world, even if Vaivasvata (Yama) had taken me.” Lamenting so piteously, deeply grieved, the large-eyed one sees the vulture sitting in a tree. Seeing him, lovely-hipped Sita, in Ravana’s power, cries out, full of fear, in a voice struck by sorrow: “Jatayu, noble one, see me being carried off like one without a protector, pitilessly, by this king of the rakshasas, doer of evil. You cannot stop this cruel night-ranger; he is strong, flushed with victory, armed and wicked. But tell Rama truly of my abduction, Jatayu, and tell Lakshmana everything, in full.”
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सीताया वचनं श्रुत्वा दशग्रीवः प्रतापवान् । हस्ते हस्तं समाहत्य चकार सुमहद् वपुः ॥ १ ॥
Hearing Sita’s words, mighty Dashagriva, striking hand on hand, made a very great body.
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The Abduction of Sita 1 min read.
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स मैथिलीं पुनर्वाक्यं बभाषे वाक्यकोविदः । नोन्मत्तया श्रुतौ मन्ये मम वीर्यपराक्रमौ ॥ २ ॥
Skilled in speech, he spoke words to Maithili again: “I think, being mad, you have not heard of my valour and might.
उद्वहेयं भुजाभ्यां तु मेदिनीमम्बरे स्थितः । आपिबेयं समुद्रं च मृत्युं हन्यां रणे स्थितः ॥ ३ ॥
“Standing in the sky I could carry the earth with my arms; I could drink up the ocean; standing in battle I could kill Death.
अर्कं तुद्यां शरैस्तीक्ष्णैर्विभिन्द्यां हि महीतलम् । कामरूपेण उन्मत्ते पश्य मां कामरूपिणम् ॥ ४ ॥
“I could pierce the sun with sharp arrows and split the surface of the earth. Look at me, mad one, who takes any form at will.”
एवमुक्तवतस्तस्य रावणस्य शिखिप्रभे । क्रुद्धस्य हरिपर्यन्ते रक्ते नेत्रे बभूवतुः ॥ ५ ॥
As that angry Ravana spoke so, his eyes, with the radiance of fire, red with dark edges, became so.
सद्यः सौम्यं परित्यज्य तीक्ष्णरूपं स रावणः । स्वं रूपं कालरूपाभं भेजे वैश्रवणानुजः ॥ ६ ॥
At once abandoning his gentle form, that Ravana, Kubera’s younger brother, took his own sharp form, like the form of Time:
संरक्तनयनः श्रीमांस्तप्तकाञ्चनभूषणः । क्रोधेन महताविष्टो नीलजीमूतसंनिभः ॥ ७ ॥
with reddened eyes, glorious, with ornaments of refined gold, filled with great anger, like a dark-blue cloud,
दशास्यो विंशतिभुजो बभूव क्षणदाचरः । स परिव्राजकच्छद्म महाकायो विहाय तत् ॥ ८ ॥
the night-ranger became ten-faced and twenty-armed. Abandoning that disguise of a mendicant, the huge-bodied one,
प्रतिपेदे स्वकं रूपं रावणो राक्षसाधिपः । रक्ताम्बरधरस्तस्थौ स्त्रीरत्नं प्रेक्ष्य मैथिलीम् ॥ ९ ॥
Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, took on his own form. Wearing red, he stood, looking at Maithili, the jewel among women.
स तामसितकेशान्तां भास्करस्य प्रभामिव । वसनाभरणोपेतां मैथिलीं रावणोऽब्रवीत् ॥ १० ॥
To that Maithili with black-edged hair, like the light of the sun, endowed with clothes and ornaments, Ravana said:
त्रिषु लोकेषु विख्यातं यदि भर्तारमिच्छसि । मामाश्रय वरारोहे तवाहं सदृशः पतिः ॥ ११ ॥
“If you want a husband famed in the three worlds, take refuge in me, lovely-hipped one; I am a husband fit for you.
मां भजस्व चिराय त्वमहं श्लाघ्यः पतिस्तव । नैव चाहं क्वचिद् भद्रे करिष्ये तव विप्रियम् ॥ १२ ॥
“Love me for a long time; I am a praiseworthy husband for you. And I will never do anything displeasing to you, lady.
त्यज्यतां मानुषो भावो मयि भावः प्रणीयताम् । राज्याच्च्युतमसिद्धार्थं रामं परिमितायुषम् ॥ १३ ॥
“Let human feeling be given up; let feeling be turned to me. Rama, fallen from his kingdom, his purpose unachieved, of limited life:
कैर्गुणैरनुरक्तासि मूढे पण्डितमानिनि । यः स्त्रियो वचनाद् राज्यं विहाय ससुहृज्जनम् ॥ १४ ॥
“with what virtues are you attached to him, foolish one who thinks herself wise? He who, at a woman’s word, leaving his kingdom with his friends,
अस्मिन् व्यालानुचरिते वने वसति दुर्मतिः । इत्युक्त्वा मैथिलीं वाक्यं प्रियार्हां प्रियवादिनीम् ॥ १५ ॥
“lives in this forest frequented by beasts of prey, the dull-witted one!” Having said these words to Maithili, who deserves kindness and speaks kindly,
अभिगम्य सुदुष्टात्मा राक्षसः काममोहितः । जग्राह रावणः सीतां बुधः खे रोहिणीमिव ॥ १६ ॥
approaching her, the very wicked-souled rakshasa, deluded by desire, Ravana seized Sita, as Budha seizes Rohini in the sky.
वामेन सीतां पद्माक्षीं मूर्धजेषु करेण सः । ऊर्वोस्तु दक्षिणेनैव परिजग्राह पाणिना ॥ १७ ॥
With his left hand he seized lotus-eyed Sita by the hair, and with his right hand he took her by the thighs.
तं दृष्ट्वा गिरिशृङ्गाभं तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रं महाभुजम् । प्राद्रवन् मृत्युसंकाशं भयार्ता वनदेवताः ॥ १८ ॥
Seeing him like a mountain peak, with sharp fangs, mighty-armed, like Death, the forest deities, afflicted by fear, fled.
स च मायामयो दिव्यः खरयुक्तः खरस्वनः । प्रत्यदृश्यत हेमाङ्गो रावणस्य महारथः ॥ १९ ॥
And Ravana’s great chariot, made of illusion, divine, yoked with donkeys, with a harsh sound, golden-bodied, appeared.
ततस्तां परुषैर्वाक्यैरभितर्ज्य महास्वनः । अंकेनादाय वैदेहीं रथमारोपयत् तदा ॥ २० ॥
Then, threatening her with harsh words, roaring loudly, taking Vaidehi on his lap, he then set her in the chariot.
सा गृहीतातिचुक्रोश रावणेन यशस्विनी । रामेति सीता दुःखार्ता रामं दूरं गतं वने ॥ २१ ॥
Seized by Ravana, glorious Sita, stricken with grief, cried out loudly “Rama!”, to Rama gone far into the forest.
तामकामां स कामार्तः पन्नगेन्द्रवधूमिव । विचेष्टमानामादाय उत्पपाताथ रावणः ॥ २२ ॥
Ravana, sick with desire, taking her, unwilling, writhing like the wife of a king of serpents, then flew up.
ततः सा राक्षसेन्द्रेण ह्रियमाणा विहायसा । भृशं चुक्रोश मत्तेव भ्रान्तचित्ता यथातुरा ॥ २३ ॥
Then she, being carried off through the sky by the lord of the rakshasas, cried out loudly, like a madwoman, her mind distracted, as one in pain:
हा लक्ष्मण महाबाहो गुरुचित्तप्रसादक । ह्रियमाणां न जानीषे रक्षसा कामरूपिणा ॥ २४ ॥
“Ha Lakshmana, mighty-armed, gladdener of the mind of your elder! You do not know that I am being carried off by a rakshasa who takes any form at will.
जीवितं सुखमर्थं च धर्महेतोः परित्यजन् । ह्रियमाणामधर्मेण मां राघव न पश्यसि ॥ २५ ॥
“Raghava, you who give up life, happiness and wealth for the sake of dharma, you do not see me being carried off by adharma!
ननु नामाविनीतानां विनेतासि परंतप । कथमेवंविधं पापं न त्वं शाधि हि रावणम् ॥ २६ ॥
“Are you not the chastiser of the unruly, scorcher of foes? Why do you not punish such a wicked one, Ravana?
न तु सद्योऽविनीतस्य दृश्यते कर्मणः फलम् । कालोऽप्यङ्गीभवत्यत्र सस्यानामिव पक्तये ॥ २७ ॥
“But the fruit of an unruly deed is not seen at once; Time also becomes a part in it, as in the ripening of crops.
त्वं कर्म कृतवानेतत् कालोपहतचेतनः । जीवितान्तकरं घोरं रामाद् व्यसनमाप्नुहि ॥ २८ ॥
“You have done this deed, your mind struck by Time; meet, from Rama, a terrible calamity that will end your life.
हन्तेदानीं सकामा तु कैकेयी बान्धवैः सह । ह्रियेयं धर्मकामस्य धर्मपत्नी यशस्विनः ॥ २९ ॥
“Ah, now Kaikeyi has her wish, with her kin: I, the lawful wife of the glorious one who loves dharma, am being carried off.
आमन्त्रये जनस्थाने कर्णिकारांश्च पुष्पितान् । क्षिप्रं रामाय शंसध्वं सीतां हरति रावणः ॥ ३० ॥
“I call on the flowering karnikaras in Janasthana: quickly tell Rama that Ravana is carrying off Sita.
हंससारससंघुष्टां वन्दे गोदावरीं नदीम् । क्षिप्रं रामाय शंस त्वं सीतां हरति रावणः ॥ ३१ ॥
“I salute the river Godavari, echoing with swans and cranes: quickly tell Rama that Ravana is carrying off Sita.
दैवतानि च यान्यस्मिन् वने विविधपादपे । नमस्करोम्यहं तेभ्यो भर्तुः शंसत मां हृताम् ॥ ३२ ॥
“And the deities who are in this forest of many kinds of trees, I bow to them: tell my husband I have been carried off.
यानि कानिचिदप्यत्र सत्त्वानि विविधानि च । सर्वाणि शरणं यामि मृगपक्षिगणानि वै ॥ ३३ ॥
“Whatever creatures of many kinds are here, all the hosts of beasts and birds, I go to them all for refuge.
ह्रियमाणां प्रियां भर्तुः प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसीम् । विवशा ते हृता सीता रावणेनेति शंसत ॥ ३४ ॥
“Tell my husband that his dear one, weightier than his life, is being carried off: ‘Your Sita has been carried off, helpless, by Ravana.’
विदित्वा तु महाबाहुरमुत्रापि महाबलः । आनेष्यति पराक्रम्य वैवस्वतहृतामपि ॥ ३५ ॥
“Knowing it, the mighty-armed, very mighty one will bring me back by valour, even from the other world, even if carried off by Vaivasvata.”
सा तदा करुणा वाचो विलपन्ती सुदुःखिता । वनस्पतिगतं गृध्रं ददर्शायतलोचना ॥ ३६ ॥
Then, lamenting those piteous words, deeply grieved, the large-eyed one saw the vulture sitting in a tree.
सा तमुद्वीक्ष्य सुश्रोणी रावणस्य वशंगता । समाक्रन्दद् भयपरा दुःखोपहतया गिरा ॥ ३७ ॥
Looking up at him, lovely-hipped one, fallen into Ravana’s power, she cried out, full of fear, in a voice struck by sorrow:
जटायो पश्य मामार्य ह्रियमाणामनाथवत् । अनेन राक्षसेन्द्रेणाकरुणं पापकर्मणा ॥ ३८ ॥
“Jatayu, noble one, see me being carried off like one without a protector, pitilessly, by this king of the rakshasas, doer of evil.
नैष वारयितुं शक्यस्त्वया क्रूरो निशाचरः । सत्ववाञ्जितकाशी च सायुधश्चैव दुर्मतिः ॥ ३९ ॥
“This cruel night-ranger cannot be stopped by you; he is strong, flushed with victory, armed, and of wicked mind.
रामाय तु यथातत्त्वं जटायो हरणं मम । लक्ष्मणाय च तत् सर्वमाख्यातव्यमशेषतः ॥ ४० ॥
“But Jatayu, tell Rama truly of my abduction, and tell Lakshmana all of it, without leaving anything out.”