Aranya Kanda · Sarga 54 of 76 · 30 verses
Sita Drops Her Jewels; Lanka
As she is carried off, Vaidehi, seeing no protector anywhere, sees five chief monkeys sitting on a mountain peak. Among them the large-eyed, lovely-hipped one drops her golden silk upper garment and her auspicious ornaments, hoping they might tell Rama; she lets fall the cloth with the ornaments wrapped in it into their midst. In his haste Dashagriva does not notice what she has done. The tawny-eyed best of monkeys, with eyes as if unblinking, see the large-eyed Sita crying out. Passing over the Pampa, the king of the rakshasas goes toward the city of Lanka, holding the weeping Maithili. Delighted, Ravana carries her off, his own death, like a sharp-fanged, deadly she-serpent held in his lap. Through the sky he quickly passes forests, rivers, mountains and lakes, like an arrow shot from a bow. Reaching the imperishable home of Varuna, abode of whales and crocodiles, refuge of rivers, he crosses the ocean. As Vaidehi is carried off, the home of Varuna is thrown into turmoil, its waves rolling, its fish and great serpents stopped. Then the charanas in the sky speak, and the siddhas say: “This is the end of Dashagriva.” Holding the struggling Sita on his lap, Ravana enters the city of Lanka, his own death in bodily form. Reaching the city of Lanka with its well-laid great roads, he enters his own inner palace, with its many crowded courts. There Ravana places Sita, dark-eyed, full of grief and confusion, as Maya placed the demonic illusion. Dashagriva says to the terrible-looking pishachi women: “Let no man or woman see Sita without my permission. Pearls, gems, gold, clothes and ornaments, whatever she wants, give it to her at once, as I wish. Whoever says anything unpleasant to Vaidehi, knowingly or unknowingly, does not value her life.”
Having said this to the rakshasis, the mighty king of the rakshasas leaves the inner palace, thinking, “What is to be done?”, and sees eight very mighty flesh-eating rakshasas. The very mighty one, deluded by the gift of his boon, praises them for their strength and valour and says: “Go quickly from here, with weapons of many kinds, to Janasthana, its stronghold destroyed, once the home of Khara. Stay there in empty Janasthana, its rakshasas killed, relying on your manhood and strength, casting fear far away. The great, mighty army stationed in Janasthana, with Dushana and Khara, has been killed in battle by Rama’s arrows. So an anger never felt before is growing in me beyond my composure, and a very great, very terrible enmity toward Rama has arisen. I want to repay that enmity of my great enemy; I will not find sleep without killing my enemy in battle. Having killed that Rama, slayer of Khara and Dushana, I will find peace, as a poor man finds wealth. Living in Janasthana, you must bring me true news of Rama, what he is doing. All you night-rangers must go carefully, and always make efforts toward Raghava’s death. I know your strength in many battles; that is why I have placed you in this Janasthana.” Then, hearing these welcome words of great purpose, the eight rakshasas salute Ravana and set out together from Lanka toward Janasthana, invisible. Having got hold of Sita Maithili, very delighted, Ravana, having started a great enmity with Rama, rejoices in his delusion.
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ह्रियमाणा तु वैदेही कंचिन्नाथमपश्यती । ददर्श गिरिशृङ्गस्थान् पञ्च वानरपुङ्गवान् ॥ १ ॥
Being carried off, Vaidehi, seeing no protector anywhere, saw five chief monkeys standing on a mountain peak.
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Sita Drops Her Jewels; Lanka 1 min read.
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तेषां मध्ये विशालाक्षी कौशेयं कनकप्रभम् । उत्तरीयं वरारोहा शुभान्याभरणानि च ॥ २ ॥
मुमोच यदि रामाय शंसेयुरिति भामिनी । वस्त्रमुत्सृज्य तन्मध्ये निक्षिप्तं सहभूषणम् ॥ ३ ॥
In their midst the large-eyed, lovely-hipped one let fall her golden silk upper garment and her auspicious ornaments, hoping they might tell Rama; the cloth, released, was thrown in their midst together with the ornaments.
सम्भ्रमात् तु दशग्रीवस्तत्कर्म च न बुद्धवान् । पिङ्गाक्षास्तां विशालाक्षीं नेत्रैरनिमिषैरिव ॥ ४ ॥
But in his haste Dashagriva did not notice that deed. The tawny-eyed ones, with eyes as if unblinking, that large-eyed one,
विक्रोशन्तीं तदा सीतां ददृशुर्वानरोत्तमाः । स च पम्पामतिक्रम्य लङ्कामभिमुखः पुरीम् ॥ ५ ॥
Sita, crying out then, the best of monkeys saw. And he, passing over the Pampa, facing toward the city of Lanka,
जगाम मैथिलीं गृह्य रुदतीं राक्षसेश्वरः । तां जहार सुसंहृष्टो रावणो मृत्युमात्मनः ॥ ६ ॥
went, the lord of the rakshasas, holding the weeping Maithili. Ravana, greatly delighted, carried her off, his own death,
उत्सङ्गेनैव भुजगीं तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रां महाविषाम् । वनानि सरितः शैलान् सरांसि च विहायसा ॥ ७ ॥
like a sharp-fanged she-serpent of great poison on his lap. Forests, rivers, mountains and lakes, through the sky
स क्षिप्रं समतीयाय शरश्चापादिव च्युतः । तिमिनक्रनिकेतं तु वरुणालयमक्षयम् ॥ ८ ॥
he quickly passed, like an arrow released from a bow. Going to the imperishable home of Varuna, abode of whales and crocodiles,
सरितां शरणं गत्वा समतीयाय सागरम् । सम्भ्रमात् परिवृत्तोर्मी रुद्धमीनमहोरगः ॥ ९ ॥
the refuge of rivers, he crossed the ocean. In turmoil, its waves rolling, its fish and great serpents stopped,
वैदेह्यां ह्रियमाणायां बभूव वरुणालयः । अन्तरिक्षगता वाचः ससृजुश्चारणास्तदा ॥ १० ॥
the home of Varuna became, as Vaidehi was carried off. Then the charanas in the sky uttered words,
एतदन्तो दशग्रीव इति सिद्धास्तथाब्रुवन् । स तु सीतां विचेष्टन्तीमङ्केनादाय रावणः ॥ ११ ॥
and the siddhas said so: “This is the end of Dashagriva.” But Ravana, holding the struggling Sita on his lap,
प्रविवेश पुरीं लङ्कां रूपिणीं मृत्युमात्मनः । सोऽभिगम्य पुरीं लङ्कां सुविभक्तमहापथाम् ॥ १२ ॥
entered the city of Lanka, his own death in bodily form. Reaching the city of Lanka with its well-divided great roads,
संरूढकक्ष्यां बहुलां स्वमन्तःपुरमाविशत् । तत्र तामसितापाङ्गीं शोकमोहसमन्विताम् ॥ १३ ॥
he entered his own inner palace, with its many crowded courts. There that one with dark-cornered eyes, full of grief and confusion,
निदधे रावणः सीतां मयो मायामिवासुरीम् । अब्रवीच्च दशग्रीवः पिशाचीर्घोरदर्शनाः ॥ १४ ॥
Sita, Ravana placed, as Maya the asura illusion. And Dashagriva said to the pishachis, terrible to see:
यथा नैनां पुमान् स्त्री वा सीतां पश्यत्यसम्मतः । मुक्तामणिसुवर्णानि वस्त्राण्याभरणानि च ॥ १५ ॥
“Let no man or woman see this Sita without my approval. Pearls, gems, gold, clothes and ornaments,
यद् यदिच्छेत् तदैवास्या देयं मच्छन्दतो यथा । या च वक्ष्यति वैदेहीं वचनं किंचिदप्रियम् ॥ १६ ॥
“whatever she may wish, let it be given to her at once, as I wish. And whoever says to Vaidehi any unpleasant word,
अज्ञानाद् यदि वा ज्ञानान्न तस्या जीवितं प्रियम् । तथोक्त्वा राक्षसीस्तास्तु राक्षसेन्द्रः प्रतापवान् ॥ १७ ॥
“out of ignorance or knowingly, her life is not dear to her.” Having spoken so to those rakshasis, the mighty lord of the rakshasas,
निष्क्रम्यान्तःपुरात् तस्मात् किं कृत्यमिति चिन्तयन् । ददर्शाष्टौ महावीर्यान् राक्षसान् पिशिताशनान् ॥ १८ ॥
going out of that inner palace, thinking “What is to be done?”, saw eight very mighty flesh-eating rakshasas.
स तान् दृष्ट्वा महावीर्यो वरदानेन मोहितः । उवाच तानिदं वाक्यं प्रशस्य बलवीर्यतः ॥ १९ ॥
He, very mighty, deluded by the gift of the boon, having seen them, said these words to them, praising them for strength and valour:
नानाप्रहरणाः क्षिप्रमितो गच्छत सत्वराः । जनस्थानं हतस्थानं भूतपूर्वं खरालयम् ॥ २० ॥
“With many kinds of weapons, go quickly from here in haste to Janasthana, its stronghold destroyed, formerly the home of Khara.
तत्रास्यतां जनस्थाने शून्ये निहतराक्षसे । पौरुषं बलमाश्रित्य त्रासमुत्सृज्य दूरतः ॥ २१ ॥
“Stay there in Janasthana, empty, its rakshasas killed, relying on your manhood and strength, casting fear far off.
बहुसैन्यं महावीर्यं जनस्थाने निवेशितम् । सदूषणखरं युद्धे निहतं रामसायकैः ॥ २२ ॥
“The great army of great valour stationed in Janasthana, with Dushana and Khara, has been killed in battle by Rama’s arrows.
ततः क्रोधो ममापूर्वो धैर्यस्योपरि वर्धते । वैरं च सुमहज्जातं रामं प्रति सुदारुणम् ॥ २३ ॥
“So an anger never felt before grows in me beyond my composure, and a very great, very terrible enmity has arisen toward Rama.
निर्यातयितुमिच्छामि तच्च वैरं महारिपोः । नहि लप्स्याम्यहं निद्रामहत्वा संयुगे रिपुम् ॥ २४ ॥
“I wish to repay that enmity of my great enemy. I will not find sleep without killing my enemy in battle.
तं त्विदानीमहं हत्वा खरदूषणघातिनम् । रामं शर्मोपलप्स्यामि धनं लब्ध्वेव निर्धनः ॥ २५ ॥
“Having now killed that Rama, the slayer of Khara and Dushana, I will find peace, as a poor man having found wealth.
जनस्थाने वसद्भिस्तु भवद्भी राममाश्रिता । प्रवृत्तिरुपनेतव्या किं करोतीति तत्त्वतः ॥ २६ ॥
“Living in Janasthana, you must bring news concerning Rama: what he is doing, truly.
अप्रमादाच्च गन्तव्यं सर्वैरेव निशाचरैः । कर्तव्यश्च सदा यत्नो राघवस्य वधं प्रति ॥ २७ ॥
“And all you night-rangers must go without carelessness, and always make effort toward the killing of Raghava.
युष्माकं तु बलं ज्ञातं बहुशो रणमूर्धनि । अतश्चास्मिञ्जनस्थाने मया यूयं निवेशिताः ॥ २८ ॥
“Your strength is known to me many times at the head of battle; therefore you have been placed by me in this Janasthana.”
ततः प्रियं वाक्यमुपेत्य राक्षसा महार्थमष्टावभिवाद्य रावणम् । विहाय लङ्कां सहिताः प्रतस्थिरे यतो जनस्थानमलक्ष्यदर्शनाः ॥ २९ ॥
Then, having received those welcome words of great purpose, the eight rakshasas, saluting Ravana, leaving Lanka together, set out toward Janasthana, of invisible appearance.
ततस्तु सीतामुपलभ्य रावणः सुसम्प्रहृष्टः परिगृह्य मैथिलीम् । प्रसज्य रामेण च वैरमुत्तमं बभूव मोहान्मुदितः स रावणः ॥ ३० ॥
Then, having got Sita Maithili, and holding her, greatly delighted, having started a supreme enmity with Rama, that Ravana was glad in his delusion.