Aranya Kanda · Sarga 53 of 76 · 26 verses
Sita Reproaches Ravana in Flight
Seeing him fly up into the sky, Maithili, daughter of Janaka, grieving, deeply troubled, in great fear, her eyes red with anger and weeping, speaks piteously to the terrible-eyed king of the rakshasas as she is carried away: “Are you not ashamed of this deed, low Ravana, you who, knowing I was alone, stole me and are running away? Surely it was you, wicked one, coward, wanting to carry me off, who lured my husband away by illusion in the form of a deer. And the one who rose to save me has been struck down too: that ancient king of vultures, my father-in-law’s friend. Great indeed is your valour, lowest of rakshasas! You did not win me in battle by announcing your name. How can you do such a condemned deed and not be ashamed, low one: carrying off a woman, another man’s wife, when she is alone? Men in the worlds will tell of this vile deed of yours, so cruel and unrighteous, you who think yourself a hero. Shame on your heroism and the courage you spoke of then; shame on such conduct, which brings reproach on your family in the world. What can be done, since you run away so fast? Stay even a moment; you will not go back alive. Once you come within sight of those two princes, you could not live a moment, even with your army. You cannot bear the touch of their arrows in any way, any more than a bird can bear the touch of a fire blazing in the forest. Do what is good for you and let me go, Ravana. My husband, angry at my violation, will with his brother bring about your destruction if you do not let me go. The resolve with which you want to carry me off by force will be fruitless, low one. Not seeing my husband, who is like a god, I cannot bear to keep my life long in the power of an enemy. Surely you do not see what is good or wholesome for yourself, as a mortal at the time of death turns to what is contrary; whatever is wholesome does not please those who are about to die. I see the noose of Time fastened round your neck, since you are not afraid in this place of fear, night-ranger. Clearly you see golden trees; you see the terrible river Vaitarani flowing with floods of blood, Ravana, and the terrible forest whose leaves are swords; you will see the sharp shalmali tree, covered with iron thorns, with flowers of refined gold and leaves of the finest beryl. Having done such a wrong to that great soul, you will not be able to live long, pitiless one, as if you had drunk poison. You are bound by the noose of Time, hard to ward off, Ravana. Where will you go to find peace from my great-souled husband? He who, without his brother, killed fourteen thousand rakshasas in battle in the twinkling of an eye: how could that heroic Raghava, mighty, skilled in all weapons, not kill with sharp arrows you who have carried off his dear wife?” Saying these and other harsh things, Vaidehi, on Ravana’s lap, overwhelmed by fear and grief, laments piteously. As she, in deep distress, speaking much, pitifully, lamenting, struggles, the wicked one, a tremor coming over his body, carries off the young princess.
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खमुत्पतन्तं तं दृष्ट्वा मैथिली जनकात्मजा । दुःखिता परमोद्विग्ना भये महति वर्तिनी ॥ १ ॥
Seeing him fly up into the sky, Maithili, daughter of Janaka, grieving, deeply troubled, being in great fear,
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Sita Reproaches Ravana in Flight 1 min read.
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रोषरोदनताम्राक्षी भीमाक्षं राक्षसाधिपम् । रुदती करुणं सीता ह्रियमाणा तमब्रवीत् ॥ २ ॥
her eyes red with anger and weeping, Sita, weeping piteously, being carried off, said to the terrible-eyed king of the rakshasas:
न व्यपत्रपसे नीच कर्मणानेन रावण । ज्ञात्वा विरहितां यो मां चोरयित्वा पलायसे ॥ ३ ॥
“Are you not ashamed of this deed, low Ravana, you who, knowing me alone, having stolen me, run away?
त्वयैव नूनं दुष्टात्मन् भीरुणा हर्तुमिच्छता । ममापवाहितो भर्ता मृगरूपेण मायया ॥ ४ ॥
“Surely it was by you, wicked one, a coward wishing to carry me off, that my husband was led away by illusion in the form of a deer.
यो हि मामुद्यतस्त्रातुं सोऽप्ययं विनिपातितः । गृध्रराजः पुराणोऽसौ श्वशुरस्य सखा मम ॥ ५ ॥
“And he who rose to save me has also been struck down, that ancient king of vultures, my father-in-law’s friend.
परमं खलु ते वीर्यं दृश्यते राक्षसाधम । विश्राव्य नामधेयं हि युद्धे नास्मि जिता त्वया ॥ ६ ॥
“Supreme indeed is your valour seen to be, lowest of rakshasas: having announced your name, I was not won by you in battle!
ईदृशं गर्हितं कर्म कथं कृत्वा न लज्जसे । स्त्रियाश्चाहरणं नीच रहिते च परस्य च ॥ ७ ॥
“How, having done such a condemned deed, are you not ashamed, low one: the carrying off of a woman, another’s, when alone?
कथयिष्यन्ति लोकेषु पुरुषाः कर्म कुत्सितम् । सुनृशंसमधर्मिष्ठं तव शौटीर्यमानिनः ॥ ८ ॥
“Men in the worlds will tell of this vile deed, very cruel and most unrighteous, of you who think yourself a hero.
धिक् ते शौर्यं च सत्त्वं च यत्त्वया कथितं तदा । कुलाक्रोशकरं लोके धिक् ते चारित्रमीदृशम् ॥ ९ ॥
“Shame on your heroism and courage, which you spoke of then! Shame on such conduct, which causes reproach to your family in the world!
किं शक्यं कर्तुमेवं हि यज्जवेनैव धावसि । मुहूर्तमपि तिष्ठ त्वं न जीवन् प्रतियास्यसि ॥ १० ॥
“What can be done like this, since you run with such speed? Stay even a moment; you will not return alive.
नहि चक्षुःपथं प्राप्य तयोः पार्थिवपुत्रयोः । ससैन्योऽपि समर्थस्त्वं मुहूर्तमपि जीवितुम् ॥ ११ ॥
“For having come into the range of sight of those two princes, you would not be able to live even a moment, even with your army.
न त्वं तयोः शरस्पर्शं सोढुं शक्तः कथंचन । वने प्रज्वलितस्येव स्पर्शमग्नेर्विहंगमः ॥ १२ ॥
“You cannot in any way bear the touch of their arrows, any more than a bird the touch of a fire blazing in the forest.
साधु कृत्वाऽऽत्मनः पथ्यं साधु मां मुञ्च रावण । मत्प्रधर्षणसंक्रुद्धो भ्रात्रा सह पतिर्मम ॥ १३ ॥
“Having done well what is wholesome for yourself, let me go well, Ravana. My husband, enraged at my violation, together with his brother,
विधास्यति विनाशाय त्वं मां यदि न मुञ्चसि । येन त्वं व्यवसायेन बलान्मां हर्तुमिच्छसि ॥ १४ ॥
“will bring about your destruction if you do not let me go. The resolve with which you wish to carry me off by force,
व्यवसायस्तु ते नीच भविष्यति निरर्थकः । नह्यहं तमपश्यन्ती भर्तारं विबुधोपमम् ॥ १५ ॥
“that resolve of yours, low one, will be fruitless. For not seeing that husband of mine, like the gods,
उत्सहे शत्रुवशगा प्राणान् धारयितुं चिरम् । न नूनं चात्मनः श्रेयः पथ्यं वा समवेक्षसे ॥ १६ ॥
“I cannot bear, fallen into an enemy’s power, to keep my life long. Surely you do not see what is good or wholesome for yourself,
मृत्युकाले यथा मर्त्यो विपरीतानि सेवते । मुमूर्षूणां तु सर्वेषां यत् पथ्यं तन्न रोचते ॥ १७ ॥
“as a mortal at the time of death resorts to contrary things. Whatever is wholesome does not please any who are about to die.
पश्यामीह हि कण्ठे त्वां कालपाशावपाशितम् । यथा चास्मिन् भयस्थाने न बिभेषि निशाचर ॥ १८ ॥
“For here I see you with the noose of Time fastened on your neck, since in this place of fear you are not afraid, night-ranger.
व्यक्तं हिरण्मयांस्त्वं हि सम्पश्यसि महीरुहान् । नदीं वैतरणीं घोरां रुधिरौघविवाहिनीम् ॥ १९ ॥
“Clearly you see golden trees; and the terrible river Vaitarani, carrying floods of blood,
खड्गपत्रवनं चैव भीमं पश्यसि रावण । तप्तकाञ्चनपुष्पां च वैदूर्यप्रवरच्छदाम् ॥ २० ॥
“and the terrible forest with leaves of swords you see, Ravana; and with flowers of refined gold and leaves of the finest beryl,
द्रक्ष्यसे शाल्मलीं तीक्ष्णामायसैः कण्टकैश्चिताम् । नहि त्वमीदृशं कृत्वा तस्यालीकं महात्मनः ॥ २१ ॥
“you will see the sharp shalmali tree, covered with iron thorns. For having done such a wrong to that great soul,
धारितुं शक्ष्यसि चिरं विषं पीत्वेव निर्घृण । बद्धस्त्वं कालपाशेन दुर्निवारेण रावण ॥ २२ ॥
“you will not be able to live long, pitiless one, as if you had drunk poison. You are bound by the noose of Time, hard to ward off, Ravana.
क्व गतो लप्स्यसे शर्म मम भर्तुर्महात्मनः । निमेषान्तरमात्रेण विना भ्रातरमाहवे ॥ २३ ॥
“Where will you go to find peace from my great-souled husband? He by whom, in the mere space of a twinkle, without his brother, in battle,
राक्षसा निहता येन सहस्राणि चतुर्दश । कथं स राघवो वीरः सर्वास्त्रकुशलो बली ॥ २४ ॥
“fourteen thousand rakshasas were killed: how would that heroic Raghava, skilled in all weapons, mighty,
न त्वां हन्याच्छरैस्तीक्ष्णैरिष्टभार्यापहारिणम् । एतच्चान्यच्च परुषं वैदेही रावणाङ्कगा । भयशोकसमाविष्टा करुणं विललाप ह ॥ २५ ॥
“not kill with sharp arrows you, the stealer of his beloved wife?” These and other harsh things Vaidehi, on Ravana’s lap, overwhelmed by fear and grief, lamented piteously.
तदा भृशार्तां बहु चैव भाषिणीं विलापपूर्वं करुणं च भामिनीम् । जहार पापस्तरुणीं विचेष्टतीं नृपात्मजामागतगात्रवेपथुः ॥ २६ ॥
Then, as she, deeply afflicted, speaking much, lamenting piteously, passionate, young, struggled, the wicked one, a tremor coming over his body, carried off the princess.