Aranya Kanda · Sarga 52 of 76 · 44 verses
Sita Carried Through the Sky
Seeing the king of vultures killed by Ravana, she whose face is like the moon laments in deep grief: “Signs, marks, dreams, the cries and sight of birds are surely seen by men in happiness and sorrow. Surely, Rama, you do not know of your own great calamity; surely, Kakutstha, beasts and birds are running for my sake. This bird, who came here out of compassion to save me, lies killed on the ground through my misfortune. Save me today, Kakutstha! Lakshmana!” the lovely woman cries out in terror, as if they were near enough to hear. As she laments like one without a protector, her garlands and ornaments crushed, Ravana, king of the rakshasas, rushes at Vaidehi. As she twists like a creeper and clings to the great trees, crying “Let go, let go!” again and again, the king of the rakshasas reaches her. As she cries “Rama, Rama!”, alone in the forest without Rama, he, like Death, seizes her by the hair, for the end of his own life. When Vaidehi is violated so, the whole world, moving and unmoving, is thrown out of its bounds and covered by blind darkness. The wind does not blow there; the sun loses its light. Seeing Sita touched, the god, the glorious Grandfather, with his divine eye, says: “The work is done.” All the supreme seers living in the Dandaka forest, seeing Sita touched, are both delighted and distressed, knowing that Ravana’s destruction has come by fate.
Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, takes her, weeping “Rama, Rama!” and “Lakshmana!”, and goes into the sky. The princess, her body the colour of refined gold, dressed in yellow silk, shines like a flash of lightning. With her yellow garment flying, Ravana shines all the more, like a mountain lit by fire. The red, fragrant lotus petals of that most auspicious Vaidehi scatter over Ravana. Her silk, flying in the sky, shining like gold, looks like a copper-coloured cloud in the sunlight at sunset. Her spotless face, on Ravana’s lap in the sky, does not shine without Rama, like a lotus without its stalk. It is like the moon risen, splitting a dark cloud: with lovely forehead and fine hair, like the heart of a lotus, flawless, adorned with white, very clear, shining teeth, with lovely eyes, weeping, the tears wiped away, lovely as the moon, with a fine nose and lovely red lips, golden in the sky: shaken by the lord of the rakshasas, that auspicious face does not shine without Rama, like the moon risen by day. Golden-coloured Maithili, held against the dark-bodied king of the rakshasas, shines like a golden girdle on a dark elephant. Lotus-yellow, golden, Janaka’s daughter with her blazing ornaments shines in Ravana like lightning in a cloud. With the ringing of Vaidehi’s ornaments, the lord of the rakshasas is like a clear dark cloud with thunder. A shower of flowers, fallen from her head as Sita is carried off, falls to the ground all round; shaken by Ravana’s speed, that rain of flowers falls back over Dashagriva; a stream of flowers covers Kubera’s younger brother as a spotless garland of stars covers the lofty Mount Meru. Her anklet, adorned with jewels, slips from her foot and falls to the ground like a ring of lightning. Red as young shoots of trees, Vaidehi adorns the dark-bodied lord of the rakshasas like a golden girth on an elephant. Blazing with her own splendour like a great meteor in the sky, Kubera’s younger brother carries Sita away, entering the sky. Her fire-coloured ornaments fall ringing to the ground, like stars falling, spent, from the sky. Her necklace, bright as the moon, slipping from between her breasts, falling, shines like the Ganga falling from the sky. The trees, shaken by the wind of the portent, full of many birds, their tops tossing, seem to say, “Do not fear.” The lotus pools, their lotuses crushed, their fish and water-creatures terrified, seem to mourn for Maithili as for a friend who has lost heart. Lions, tigers, deer and birds, gathering from every side, run angrily after Sita’s shadow. The mountains, their waterfalls like faces in tears, their peaks like raised arms, seem to cry out as Sita is carried off. Seeing Vaidehi carried off, the glorious sun, stricken, its light destroyed, becomes a pale disc. “There is no dharma; where is truth? There is no uprightness, no kindness, where Ravana carries off Rama’s Vaidehi, Sita”: so all creatures lament in their hosts. The fawns, terrified, their faces wretched, weep. Looking up again and again with eyes changed as if by fear, the forest deities tremble all over. Seeing Sita crying out loudly, fallen into such sorrow, crying “Lakshmana! Rama!” in her sweet voice, looking down at the earth again and again, her hair dishevelled, her forehead-mark smeared, Dashagriva carries the proud one off, for his own destruction. Then Maithili with her lovely teeth and bright smile, separated from her kin, not seeing Raghava and Lakshmana, her face pale, is crushed by the weight of fear.
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सा तु ताराधिपमुखी रावणेन निरीक्ष्य तम् । गृध्रराजं विनिहतं विललाप सुदुःखिता ॥ १ ॥
She, her face like the lord of the stars, seeing that king of vultures killed by Ravana, lamented, deeply grieved:
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निमित्तं लक्षणं स्वप्नं शकुनिस्वरदर्शनम् । अवश्यं सुखदुःखेषु नराणां परिदृश्यते ॥ २ ॥
“Signs, marks, dreams, the sound and sight of birds, are surely seen by men in happiness and sorrow.
न नूनं राम जानासि महद्व्यसनमात्मनः । धावन्ति नूनं काकुत्स्थ मदर्थं मृगपक्षिणः ॥ ३ ॥
“Surely, Rama, you do not know your own great calamity; surely, Kakutstha, beasts and birds run for my sake.
अयं हि कृपया राम मां त्रातुमिह संगतः । शेते विनिहतो भूमौ ममाभाग्याद् विहंगमः ॥ ४ ॥
“For this winged one, Rama, come here out of compassion to save me, lies killed on the ground through my ill fortune.”
त्राहि मामद्य काकुत्स्थ लक्ष्मणेति वराङ्गना । सुसंत्रस्ता समाक्रन्दच्छृण्वतां तु यथान्तिके ॥ ५ ॥
“Save me today, Kakutstha! Lakshmana!” the lovely woman, terrified, cried out, as if to those listening near by.
तां क्लिष्टमाल्याभरणां विलपन्तीमनाथवत् । अभ्यधावत वैदेहीं रावणो राक्षसाधिपः ॥ ६ ॥
Toward her, her garlands and ornaments crushed, lamenting like one without a protector, Vaidehi, Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, rushed.
तां लतामिव वेष्टन्तीमालिङ्गन्तीं महाद्रुमान् । मुञ्च मुञ्चेति बहुशः प्राप तां राक्षसाधिपः ॥ ७ ॥
As she twisted like a creeper, embracing great trees, crying “Let go, let go!” many times, the lord of the rakshasas reached her.
क्रोशन्तीं राम रामेति रामेण रहितां वने । जीवितान्ताय केशेषु जग्राहान्तकसंनिभः ॥ ८ ॥
As she cried “Rama, Rama!”, bereft of Rama in the forest, he, like Death, seized her by the hair, for the end of his life.
प्रधर्षितायां वैदेह्यां बभूव सचराचरम् । जगत् सर्वममर्यादं तमसान्धेन संवृतम् ॥ ९ ॥
When Vaidehi was violated, the whole world, moving and unmoving, became without bounds, covered by blind darkness.
न वाति मारुतस्तत्र निष्प्रभोऽभूद् दिवाकरः । दृष्ट्वा सीतां परामृष्टां देवो दिव्येन चक्षुषा ॥ १० ॥
The wind did not blow there; the sun became lightless. Seeing Sita touched, the god, with his divine eye,
कृतं कार्यमिति श्रीमान् व्याजहार पितामहः । प्रहृष्टा व्यथिताश्चासन् सर्वे ते परमर्षयः ॥ ११ ॥
the glorious Grandfather said: “The work is done.” Delighted and distressed were all those supreme seers,
दृष्ट्वा सीतां परामृष्टां दण्डकारण्यवासिनः । रावणस्य विनाशं च प्राप्तं बुद्ध्वा यदृच्छया ॥ १२ ॥
the dwellers in the Dandaka forest, seeing Sita touched, and knowing that Ravana’s destruction had come by fate.
स तु तां राम रामेति रुदतीं लक्ष्मणेति च । जगामादाय चाकाशं रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः ॥ १३ ॥
And that Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, taking her as she wept “Rama, Rama!” and “Lakshmana!”, went into the sky.
तप्ताभरणवर्णाङ्गी पीतकौशेयवासिनी । रराज राजपुत्री तु विद्युत्सौदामनी यथा ॥ १४ ॥
Her limbs the colour of refined ornaments, wearing yellow silk, the princess shone like a lightning flash.
उद्धूतेन च वस्त्रेण तस्याः पीतेन रावणः । अधिकं परिबभ्राज गिरिर्दीप्त इवाग्निना ॥ १५ ॥
And with her yellow garment flying, Ravana shone all the more, like a mountain blazing with fire.
तस्याः परमकल्याण्यास्ताम्राणि सुरभीणि च । पद्मपत्राणि वैदेह्या अभ्यकीर्यन्त रावणम् ॥ १६ ॥
Of that most auspicious Vaidehi, the red and fragrant lotus petals scattered over Ravana.
तस्याः कौशेयमुद्धूतमाकाशे कनकप्रभम् । बभौ चादित्यरागेण ताम्रमभ्रमिवातपे ॥ १७ ॥
Her silk, flying in the sky, golden in radiance, shone like a copper-coloured cloud in the sunshine with the colour of the setting sun.
तस्यास्तद् विमलं वक्त्रमाकाशे रावणाङ्कगम् । न रराज विना रामं विनालमिव पङ्कजम् ॥ १८ ॥
That spotless face of hers, in the sky on Ravana’s lap, did not shine without Rama, like a lotus without its stalk.
बभूव जलदं नीलं भित्त्वा चन्द्र इवोदितः । सुललाटं सुकेशान्तं पद्मगर्भाभमव्रणम् ॥ १९ ॥
शुक्लैः सुविमलैर्दन्तैः प्रभावद्भिरलंकृतम् । तस्याः सुनयनं वक्त्रमाकाशे रावणाङ्कगम् ॥ २० ॥
रुदितं व्यपमृष्टास्रं चन्द्रवत् प्रियदर्शनम् । सुनासं चारुताम्रोष्ठमाकाशे हाटकप्रभम् ॥ २१ ॥
It was like the moon risen, splitting a dark cloud: with lovely forehead and fine hair, like the heart of a lotus, flawless, adorned with white, very clear, shining teeth, her face with lovely eyes, in the sky on Ravana’s lap, weeping, its tears wiped away, lovely to see like the moon, with fine nose and lovely red lips, golden in the sky,
राक्षसेन्द्रसमाधूतं तस्यास्तद् वदनं शुभम् । शुशुभे न विना रामं दिवा चन्द्र इवोदितः ॥ २२ ॥
shaken by the lord of the rakshasas, that auspicious face of hers did not shine without Rama, like the moon risen by day.
सा हेमवर्णा नीलाङ्गं मैथिली राक्षसाधिपम् । शुशुभे काञ्चनी काञ्ची नीलं गजमिवाश्रिता ॥ २३ ॥
Golden in colour, Maithili, against the dark-bodied lord of the rakshasas, shone like a golden girdle on a dark elephant.
सा पद्मपीता हेमाभा रावणं जनकात्मजा । विद्युद् घनमिवाविश्य शुशुभे तप्तभूषणा ॥ २४ ॥
Lotus-yellow, golden, Janaka’s daughter, with blazing ornaments, shone in Ravana like lightning entering a cloud.
तस्या भूषणघोषेण वैदेह्या राक्षसेश्वरः । बभूव विमलो नीलः सघोष इव तोयदः ॥ २५ ॥
With the sound of Vaidehi’s ornaments, the lord of the rakshasas became like a clear dark cloud with thunder.
उत्तमाङ्गच्युता तस्याः पुष्पवृष्टिः समन्ततः । सीताया ह्रियमाणायाः पपात धरणीतले ॥ २६ ॥
A shower of flowers fallen from her head fell to the ground on every side, as Sita was being carried off.
सा तु रावणवेगेन पुष्पवृष्टिः समन्ततः । समाधूता दशग्रीवं पुनरेवाभ्यवर्तत ॥ २७ ॥
But that rain of flowers, shaken all round by Ravana’s speed, fell back again over Dashagriva.
अभ्यवर्तत पुष्पाणां धारा वैश्रवणानुजम् । नक्षत्रमाला विमला मेरुं नगमिवोन्नतम् ॥ २८ ॥
A stream of flowers covered the younger brother of Vaishravana, as a spotless garland of stars covers lofty Mount Meru.
चरणान्नूपुरं भ्रष्टं वैदेह्या रत्नभूषितम् । विद्युन्मण्डलसंकाशं पपात धरणीतले ॥ २९ ॥
Her anklet, adorned with jewels, slipped from Vaidehi’s foot and fell to the ground, like a ring of lightning.
तरुप्रवालरक्ता सा नीलाङ्गं राक्षसेश्वरम् । प्रशोभयत वैदेही गजं कक्ष्येव काञ्चनी ॥ ३० ॥
Red as the young shoots of trees, Vaidehi adorned the dark-bodied lord of the rakshasas, like a golden girth an elephant.
तां महोल्कामिवाकाशे दीप्यमानां स्वतेजसा । जहाराकाशमाविश्य सीतां वैश्रवणानुजः ॥ ३१ ॥
Her, blazing with her own splendour like a great meteor in the sky, Sita, Kubera’s younger brother carried off, entering the sky.
तस्यास्तान्यग्निवर्णानि भूषणानि महीतले । सघोषाण्यवशीर्यन्त क्षीणास्तारा इवाम्बरात् ॥ ३२ ॥
Her ornaments, the colour of fire, fell scattered, ringing, on the ground, like stars fallen, spent, from the sky.
तस्याः स्तनान्तराद् भ्रष्टो हारस्ताराधिपद्युतिः । वैदेह्या निपतन् भाति गङ्गेव गगनच्युता ॥ ३३ ॥
Her necklace, with the radiance of the lord of the stars, slipped from between Vaidehi’s breasts; falling, it shone like the Ganga fallen from the sky.
उत्पातवाताभिरता नानाद्विजगणायुताः । मा भैरिति विधूताग्रा व्याजह्रुरिव पादपाः ॥ ३४ ॥
The trees, delighting in the wind of the portent, full of many kinds of birds, their tops shaken, seemed to say, “Do not fear.”
नलिन्यो ध्वस्तकमलास्त्रस्तमीनजलेचराः । सखीमिव गतोत्साहां शोचन्तीव स्म मैथिलीम् ॥ ३५ ॥
The lotus pools, their lotuses crushed, their fish and water-creatures frightened, seemed to grieve for Maithili as for a friend who had lost heart.
समन्तादभिसम्पत्य सिंहव्याघ्रमृगद्विजाः । अन्वधावंस्तदा रोषात् सीताच्छायानुगामिनः ॥ ३६ ॥
Lions, tigers, deer and birds, rushing together from every side, then ran in anger, following Sita’s shadow.
जलप्रपातास्रमुखाः शृङ्गैरुच्छ्रितबाहुभिः । सीतायां ह्रियमाणायां विक्रोशन्तीव पर्वताः ॥ ३७ ॥
With waterfalls as tearful faces, with peaks as raised arms, the mountains seemed to cry out as Sita was carried off.
ह्रियमाणां तु वैदेहीं दृष्ट्वा दीनो दिवाकरः । प्रविध्वस्तप्रभः श्रीमानासीत् पाण्डुरमण्डलः ॥ ३८ ॥
Seeing Vaidehi carried off, the glorious sun, wretched, its light destroyed, became a pale disc.
नास्ति धर्मः कुतः सत्यं नार्जवं नानृशंसता । यत्र रामस्य वैदेहीं सीतां हरति रावणः ॥ ३९ ॥
“There is no dharma; where is truth? There is no uprightness, no kindness, where Ravana carries off Rama’s Vaidehi, Sita”:
इति भूतानि सर्वाणि गणशः पर्यदेवयन् । वित्रस्तका दीनमुखा रुरुदुर्मृगपोतकाः ॥ ४० ॥
so all creatures lamented in hosts. The fawns, terrified, their faces wretched, wept.
उद्वीक्ष्योद्वीक्ष्य नयनैर्भयादिव विलक्षणैः । सुप्रवेपितगात्राश्च बभूवुर्वनदेवताः ॥ ४१ ॥
Looking up again and again with eyes changed as if by fear, the forest deities were trembling in every limb.
विक्रोशन्तीं दृढं सीतां दृष्ट्वा दुःखं तथा गताम् । तां तु लक्ष्मण रामेति क्रोशन्तीं मधुरस्वराम् ॥ ४२ ॥
अवेक्षमाणां बहुशो वैदेहीं धरणीतलम् । स तामाकुलकेशान्तां विप्रमृष्टविशेषकाम् । जहारात्मविनाशाय दशग्रीवो मनस्विनीम् ॥ ४३ ॥
Seeing Sita crying out loudly, fallen into such sorrow, crying “Lakshmana! Rama!” with her sweet voice, looking down many times at the ground, Vaidehi, with dishevelled hair, her forehead-mark smeared, the proud one, Dashagriva carried off for his own destruction.
ततस्तु सा चारुदती शुचिस्मिता विनाकृता बन्धुजनेन मैथिली । अपश्यती राघवलक्ष्मणावुभौ विवर्णवक्त्रा भयभारपीडिता ॥ ४४ ॥
Then Maithili, with lovely teeth and a bright smile, separated from her kinsfolk, not seeing the two, Raghava and Lakshmana, her face pale, was crushed by the weight of fear.