Aranya Kanda · Sarga 56A of 76 · 26 verses · Interpolated (prakshipta)
Indra Brings Sita Heavenly Food (an Interpolated Sarga)
This short sarga is not part of the main sequence. The printed vulgate editions place it after sarga 56 and mark it as prakshipta, a passage added to the poem later; the Govindaraja edition introduces it with the words “after this, this interpolated sarga is found”. It is given here complete so that nothing printed in the tradition is left out, and it is labelled for what it is.
Brahma sees that Sita, held in Lanka, will not eat and may die before Rama can find her. He sends Indra with Nidra, the goddess of Sleep. Sleep stupefies the rakshasas, and Indra appears to Sita and offers her heavenly food that will keep hunger and thirst from her for ten thousand years.
Sita does not trust him at once. She asks for the signs of a god, which she once saw in Rama’s company; Indra shows them: his feet do not touch the ground, his eyes do not blink, his clothes take no dust and his garland does not fade. Reassured, and glad to hear that Rama and Lakshmana live, she first offers the food in her mind to her husband and his brother, then eats. Indra returns to heaven with Sleep.
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प्रवेशितायां सीतायां लङ्कां प्रति पितामहः । तदा प्रोवाच देवेन्द्रं परितुष्टं शतक्रतुम् ॥ १ ॥
When Sita had been brought into Lanka, the Grandsire then spoke to the king of the gods, Shatakratu, who was well pleased:
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Indra Brings Sita Heavenly Food (an Interpolated Sarga) 1 min read.
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त्रैलोक्यस्य हितार्थाय रक्षसामहिताय च । लङ्कां प्रवेशिता सीता रावणेन दुरात्मना ॥ २ ॥
“For the good of the three worlds and the ruin of the rakshasas, Sita has been brought into Lanka by evil-souled Ravana.
पतिव्रता महाभागा नित्यं चैव सुखैधिता । अपश्यन्ती च भर्तारं पश्यन्ती राक्षसीजनम् ॥ ३ ॥
“Devoted to her husband, most fortunate, always raised in comfort, she does not see her husband and sees only the throng of rakshasis;
राक्षसीभिः परिवृता भर्तृदर्शनलालसा । निविष्टा हि पुरी लङ्का तीरे नदनदीपतेः ॥ ४ ॥
“surrounded by rakshasis, she longs to see her husband; and the city of Lanka is built on the shore of the lord of rivers.
कथं ज्ञास्यति तां रामस्तत्रस्थां तामनिन्दिताम् । दुःखं संचिन्तयन्ती सा बहुशः परिदुर्लभा ॥ ५ ॥
“How will Rama know that the blameless one is there? Brooding much on her sorrow, she, so hard to reach,
प्राणयात्रामकुर्वाणा प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्यत्यसंशयम् । स भूयः संशयो जातः सीतायाः प्राणसंक्षये ॥ ६ ॥
“not taking food to keep alive, will surely give up her life. So a further fear has arisen: that Sita’s life may end.
स त्वं शीघ्रमितो गत्वा सीतां पश्य शुभाननाम् । प्रविश्य नगरीं लङ्कां प्रयच्छ हविरुत्तमम् ॥ ७ ॥
“Go quickly from here and see lovely-faced Sita; enter the city of Lanka and give her the finest offering-food.”
एवमुक्तोऽथ देवेन्द्रः पुरीं रावणपालिताम् । आगच्छन्निद्रया सार्धं भगवान् पाकशासनः ॥ ८ ॥
So addressed, the king of the gods, the blessed chastiser of Paka, came with Sleep to the city ruled by Ravana.
निद्रां चोवाच गच्छ त्वं राक्षसान् सम्प्रमोहय । सा तथोक्ता मघवता देवी परमहर्षिता ॥ ९ ॥
He said to Sleep, “Go and stupefy the rakshasas.” So told by Maghavan, the goddess, overjoyed,
देवकार्यार्थसिद्ध्यर्थं प्रामोहयत राक्षसान् । एतस्मिन्नन्तरे देवः सहस्राक्षः शचीपतिः ॥ १० ॥
stupefied the rakshasas to accomplish the gods’ purpose. Meanwhile the thousand-eyed god, lord of Shachi,
आससाद वनस्थां तां वचनं चेदमब्रवीत् । देवराजोऽस्मि भद्रं ते इह चास्मि शुचिस्मिते ॥ ११ ॥
approached her where she was in the grove and said: “I am the king of the gods; blessings on you. I am here, sweet-smiling one.
अहं त्वां कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थं राघवस्य महात्मनः । साहाय्यं कल्पयिष्यामि मा शुचो जनकात्मजे ॥ १२ ॥
“For the accomplishment of great-souled Raghava’s purpose I will give you help; do not grieve, daughter of Janaka.
मत्प्रसादात् समुद्रं स तरिष्यति बलैः सह । मयैवेह च राक्षस्यो मायया मोहिताः शुभे ॥ १३ ॥
“By my grace he will cross the ocean with his forces. It is I, lovely one, who have stupefied the rakshasis here by illusion.
तस्मादन्नमिदं सीते हविष्यान्नमहं स्वयम् । स त्वां संगृह्य वैदेहि आगतः सह निद्रया ॥ १४ ॥
“So, Sita, I myself have brought you this food, offering-food; I have come, Vaidehi, together with Sleep.
एतदत्स्यसि मद्धस्तान्न त्वां बाधिष्यते शुभे । क्षुधा तृषा च रम्भोरु वर्षाणामयुतैरपि ॥ १५ ॥
“Eat it from my hand, lovely one; neither hunger nor thirst will trouble you, fair-thighed one, even for ten thousand years.”
एवमुक्ता तु देवेन्द्रमुवाच परिशङ्किता । कथं जानामि देवेन्द्रं त्वामिहस्थं शचीपतिम् ॥ १६ ॥
Thus addressed, she said to the king of the gods, doubting: “How am I to know that you who are here are the king of the gods, the lord of Shachi?
देवलिङ्गानि दृष्टानि रामलक्ष्मणसंनिधौ । तानि दर्शय देवेन्द्र यदि त्वं देवराट् स्वयम् ॥ १७ ॥
“I have seen the signs of the gods in the presence of Rama and Lakshmana. Show them, king of the gods, if you are indeed the king of the gods.”
सीताया वचनं श्रुत्वा तथा चक्रे शचीपतिः । पृथिवीं नास्पृशत् पद्भ्यामनिमेषेक्षणानि च ॥ १८ ॥
Hearing Sita’s words, the lord of Shachi did so: he did not touch the earth with his feet, and his eyes did not blink;
अरजोऽम्बरधारी च न म्लानकुसुमस्तथा । तं ज्ञात्वा लक्षणैः सीता वासवं परिहर्षिता ॥ १९ ॥
his garment was free of dust, and his flowers did not wither. Knowing Vasava by these signs, Sita, overjoyed,
उवाच वाक्यं रुदती भगवन् राघवं प्रति । सह भ्रात्रा महाबाहुर्दिष्ट्या मे श्रुतिमागतः ॥ २० ॥
weeping, spoke of Raghava: “By good fortune the mighty-armed one, with his brother, has come to my hearing.
यथा मे श्वशुरो राजा यथा च मिथिलाधिपः । तथा त्वामद्य पश्यामि सनाथो मे पतिस्त्वया ॥ २१ ॥
“As I see my father-in-law the king, and the lord of Mithila, so do I see you today; through you my husband has a protector.
तवाज्ञया च देवेन्द्र पयोभूतमिदं हविः । अशिष्यामि त्वया दत्तं रघूणां कुलवर्धनम् ॥ २२ ॥
“At your command, king of the gods, I will eat this offering turned to milk-rice, given by you, which increases the line of the Raghus.”
इन्द्रहस्ताद् गृहीत्वा तत् पायसं सा शुचिस्मिता । न्यवेदयत भर्त्रे सा लक्ष्मणाय च मैथिली ॥ २३ ॥
Taking that milk-rice from Indra’s hand, sweet-smiling Maithili first offered it to her husband and to Lakshmana:
यदि जीवति मे भर्ता सह भ्रात्रा महाबलः । इदमस्तु तयोर्भक्त्या तदाश्नात् पायसं स्वयम् ॥ २४ ॥
“If my husband lives, mighty, with his brother, let this be theirs, in devotion.” Then she ate the milk-rice herself.
इतीव तत् प्राश्य हविर्वरानना जहौ क्षुधादुःखसमुद्भवं च तम् । इन्द्रात् प्रवृत्तिम् उपलभ्य जानकी काकुत्स्थयोः प्रीतमना बभूव ॥ २५ ॥
Having eaten that offering, the fair-faced one put away the suffering born of hunger; and having heard from Indra news of the two Kakutsthas, Janaki was glad at heart.
स चापि शक्रस्त्रिदिवालयं तदा प्रीतो ययौ राघवकार्यसिद्धये । आमन्त्र्य सीतां स ततो महात्मा जगाम निद्रासहितः स्वमालयम् ॥ २६ ॥
And Shakra too, pleased, went then to his heavenly home, for the success of Raghava’s cause; taking leave of Sita, the great-souled one went with Sleep to his own abode.