Aranya Kanda · Sarga 61 of 76 · 31 verses
The Search on the Mountain
Seeing the hermitage empty, the leaf hut deserted and the seats scattered, and not seeing Vaidehi there though he searches everywhere, Rama, son of Dasharatha, raising his lovely arms, cries out: “Where is Vaidehi, Lakshmana? To what place has she gone from here? By whom has my beloved been carried off, Saumitri, or by whom eaten? If you want to laugh at me, Sita, hiding behind a tree, enough of your laughing now; come to me in my great sorrow. The trusting fawns you used to play with, gentle one, miss you and brood, their eyes full of tears. Without Sita I cannot live, Lakshmana; great grief born of Sita’s abduction surrounds me. Surely my father, the great king, will see me in the other world: ‘How have you come to me here, having promised and been appointed by me, without completing that time?’ Surely my father will say to me in the other world, ‘Shame on you, acting from desire, ignoble, a speaker of falsehood!’ Where are you going, lovely-hipped one, leaving me here, helpless, burning with grief, wretched, my hopes broken, pitiable, as fame leaves a crooked man? Do not leave me, slender-waisted one. Without you I will give up my own life.” Lamenting so, longing to see Sita, Raghava, deeply grieved, does not see Janaka’s daughter.
As he fails to find Sita, wholly given to grief, like an elephant sinking in deep mud, Lakshmana, wishing his good, says to Rama: “Do not despair, very wise one; make an effort with me. This best of mountains, hero, is adorned with many caves. Maithili loves to wander in the woods and is wild about the forest. She may have gone into the forest, or to a lotus pool in full flower, or to the river full of fish and vanjula trees; or, wanting to frighten us, she may be hiding somewhere in the woods, to test you and me, bull among men. Let us make every effort at once to search for her. If you think so, Kakutstha, let us search the whole forest where Janaka’s daughter may be; do not give your mind to grief.” Spoken to so out of affection by Lakshmana, Rama, composed, begins to search with Saumitri. The two sons of Dasharatha, searching forests, mountains, rivers and lakes thoroughly for Sita, searching all the slopes, rocks and peaks of that mountain, do not find her. Having searched the mountain on every side, Rama says to Lakshmana: “I do not see auspicious Vaidehi on the mountain here, Saumitri.” Then Lakshmana, burning with grief, wandering in the Dandaka forest, says to his brother of blazing splendour: “You will find Maithili, Janaka’s daughter, very wise one, as mighty-armed Vishnu won this earth by binding Bali.” Spoken to so by heroic Lakshmana, Raghava, his mind struck by sorrow, says in a wretched voice: “The whole forest has been well searched, the lotus pools with their blooming lotuses, and this mountain with its many caves and waterfalls, very wise one; but I do not see Vaidehi, weightier to me than my life.” Lamenting so, wasted by Sita’s abduction, wretched, possessed by grief, Rama is overwhelmed for a moment. All his limbs shaking, his judgement gone, senseless, he sits down, sick and wretched, sighing long and hot. Lotus-eyed Rama, sighing many times, cries out “Ha beloved!” again and again, his voice choked with tears. Then Lakshmana, grieving, comforts his dear brother in many ways, humbly, with joined palms. But disregarding the words fallen from Lakshmana’s lips, not seeing his beloved Sita, he cries out again and again.
Press › to begin with verse 1.
दृष्ट्वाऽऽश्रमपदं शून्यं रामो दशरथात्मजः । रहितां पर्णशालां च प्रविद्धान्यासनानि च ॥ १ ॥
अदृष्ट्वा तत्र वैदेहीं संनिरीक्ष्य च सर्वशः । उवाच रामः प्राक्रुश्य प्रगृह्य रुचिरौ भुजौ ॥ २ ॥
Seeing the hermitage empty, and the leaf hut deserted, and the seats thrown about, and not seeing Vaidehi there, having searched everywhere, Rama, son of Dasharatha, crying out, raising his lovely arms, said:
Commentary on the whole sarga
The Search on the Mountain 1 min read.
Read the commentary
क्व नु लक्ष्मण वैदेही कं वा देशमितो गता । केनाहृता वा सौमित्रे भक्षिता केन वा प्रिया ॥ ३ ॥
“Where is Vaidehi, Lakshmana, or to what place has she gone from here? By whom has my beloved been carried off, Saumitri, or by whom eaten?
वृक्षेणावार्य यदि मां सीते हसितुमिच्छसि । अलं ते हसितेनाद्य मां भजस्व सुदुःखितम् ॥ ४ ॥
“If, hiding behind a tree, you wish to laugh at me, Sita, enough of your laughter now; come to me, deeply grieved.
यैः परिक्रीडसे सीते विश्वस्तैर्मृगपोतकैः । एते हीनास्त्वया सौम्ये ध्यायन्त्यस्राविलेक्षणाः ॥ ५ ॥
“The trusting fawns with whom you play, Sita, bereft of you, gentle one, are brooding, their eyes full of tears.
सीतया रहितोऽहं वै नहि जीवामि लक्ष्मण । वृतं शोकेन महता सीताहरणजेन माम् ॥ ६ ॥
“Without Sita I surely do not live, Lakshmana. Great grief born of Sita’s abduction surrounds me.
परलोके महाराजो नूनं द्रक्ष्यति मे पिता । कथं प्रतिज्ञां संश्रुत्य मया त्वमभियोजितः ॥ ७ ॥
“Surely the great king, my father, will see me in the other world: ‘How, having promised, appointed by me,
अपूरयित्वा तं कालं मत्सकाशमिहागतः । कामवृत्तमनार्यं वा मृषावादिनमेव च ॥ ८ ॥
“’without completing that time, have you come here to my side?’ ‘Acting from desire, ignoble, and a speaker of falsehood:
धिक् त्वामिति परे लोके व्यक्तं वक्ष्यति मे पिता । विवशं शोकसंतप्तं दीनं भग्नमनोरथम् ॥ ९ ॥
“’shame on you!’, my father will clearly say to me in the other world. Helpless, burning with grief, wretched, my hopes broken,
मामिहोत्सृज्य करुणं कीर्तिर्नरमिवानृजुम् । क्व गच्छसि वरारोहे मा मोत्सृज सुमध्यमे ॥ १० ॥
“leaving me here, pitiable, as fame leaves a crooked man, where are you going, lovely-hipped one? Do not leave me, slender-waisted one.
त्वया विरहितश्चाहं त्यक्ष्ये जीवितमात्मनः । इतीव विलपन् रामः सीतादर्शनलालसः ॥ ११ ॥
“And bereft of you I will give up my own life.” Lamenting so, Rama, longing to see Sita,
न ददर्श सुदुःखार्तो राघवो जनकात्मजाम् । अनासादयमानं तं सीतां शोकपरायणम् ॥ १२ ॥
Raghava, deeply grieved, did not see Janaka’s daughter. As he, wholly given to grief, did not find Sita,
पङ्कमासाद्य विपुलं सीदन्तमिव कुञ्जरम् । लक्ष्मणो राममत्यर्थमुवाच हितकाम्यया ॥ १३ ॥
like an elephant reaching deep mud and sinking, Lakshmana, wishing his good, said greatly to Rama:
मा विषादं महाबुद्धे कुरु यत्नं मया सह । इदं गिरिवरं वीर बहुकन्दरशोभितम् ॥ १४ ॥
“Do not despair, very wise one; make an effort with me. This best of mountains, hero, is adorned with many caves.
प्रियकाननसंचारा वनोन्मत्ता च मैथिली । सा वनं वा प्रविष्टा स्यान्नलिनीं वा सुपुष्पिताम् ॥ १५ ॥
“Maithili loves to wander in the woods and is mad about the forest. She may have entered the forest, or a lotus pool in full flower,
सरितं वापि सम्प्राप्ता मीनवञ्जुलसेविताम् । वित्रासयितुकामा वा लीना स्यात् कानने क्वचित् ॥ १६ ॥
“or reached the river frequented by fish and vanjula trees. Or, wishing to frighten us, she may be hidden somewhere in the woods,
जिज्ञासमाना वैदेही त्वां मां च पुरुषर्षभ । तस्या ह्यन्वेषणे श्रीमन् क्षिप्रमेव यतावहे ॥ १७ ॥
“Vaidehi, wanting to test you and me, bull among men. In searching for her, glorious one, let us make efforts quickly.
वनं सर्वं विचिनुवो यत्र सा जनकात्मजा । मन्यसे यदि काकुत्स्थ मा स्म शोके मनः कृथाः ॥ १८ ॥
“Let us search the whole forest where that daughter of Janaka is, if you think so, Kakutstha; do not set your mind on grief.”
एवमुक्तः स सौहार्दाल्लक्ष्मणेन समाहितः । सह सौमित्रिणा रामो विचेतुमुपचक्रमे ॥ १९ ॥
Spoken to so out of affection by Lakshmana, composed, Rama, with Saumitri, began to search.
तौ वनानि गिरींश्चैव सरितश्च सरांसि च । निखिलेन विचिन्वन्तौ सीतां दशरथात्मजौ ॥ २० ॥
Those two sons of Dasharatha, searching forests and mountains and rivers and lakes thoroughly for Sita,
तस्य शैलस्य सानूनि शिलाश्च शिखराणि च । निखिलेन विचिन्वन्तौ नैव तामभिजग्मतुः ॥ २१ ॥
searching thoroughly the slopes, rocks and peaks of that mountain, did not find her.
विचित्य सर्वतः शैलं रामो लक्ष्मणमब्रवीत् । नेह पश्यामि सौमित्रे वैदेहीं पर्वते शुभाम् ॥ २२ ॥
Having searched the mountain all round, Rama said to Lakshmana: “I do not see auspicious Vaidehi here on the mountain, Saumitri.”
ततो दुःखाभिसंतप्तो लक्ष्मणो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । विचरन् दण्डकारण्यं भ्रातरं दीप्ततेजसम् ॥ २३ ॥
Then Lakshmana, burning with sorrow, wandering in the Dandaka forest, said these words to his brother of blazing splendour:
प्राप्स्यसे त्वं महाप्राज्ञ मैथिलीं जनकात्मजाम् । यथा विष्णुर्महाबाहुर्बलिं बद्ध्वा महीमिमाम् ॥ २४ ॥
“You will obtain Maithili, Janaka’s daughter, very wise one, as mighty-armed Vishnu, having bound Bali, obtained this earth.”
एवमुक्तस्तु वीरेण लक्ष्मणेन स राघवः । उवाच दीनया वाचा दुःखाभिहतचेतनः ॥ २५ ॥
Spoken to so by heroic Lakshmana, that Raghava said in a wretched voice, his mind struck by sorrow:
वनं सुविचितं सर्वं पद्मिन्यः फुल्लपङ्कजाः । गिरिश्चायं महाप्राज्ञ बहुकन्दरनिर्झरः । नहि पश्यामि वैदेहीं प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसीम् ॥ २६ ॥
“The whole forest has been well searched, and the lotus pools with blooming lotuses, and this mountain, very wise one, with many caves and waterfalls; but I do not see Vaidehi, weightier than my life-breaths.”
एवं स विलपन् रामः सीताहरणकर्षितः । दीनः शोकसमाविष्टो मुहूर्तं विह्वलोऽभवत् ॥ २७ ॥
Lamenting so, Rama, wasted by Sita’s abduction, wretched, possessed by grief, was overwhelmed for a moment.
स विह्वलितसर्वाङ्गो गतबुद्धिर्विचेतनः । निषसादातुरो दीनो निःश्वस्याशीतमायतम् ॥ २८ ॥
All his limbs shaken, his judgement gone, senseless, he sat down, sick, wretched, sighing hot and long.
बहुशः स तु निःश्वस्य रामो राजीवलोचनः । हा प्रियेति विचुक्रोश बहुशो बाष्पगद्गदः ॥ २९ ॥
And sighing many times, lotus-eyed Rama cried out “Ha beloved!” many times, his voice choked with tears.
तं सान्त्वयामास ततो लक्ष्मणः प्रियबान्धवम् । बहुप्रकारं शोकार्तः प्रश्रितः प्रश्रिताञ्जलिः ॥ ३० ॥
Then Lakshmana, grieving, humble, with humbly joined palms, comforted his dear kinsman in many ways.
अनादृत्य तु तद् वाक्यं लक्ष्मणोष्ठपुटच्युतम् । अपश्यंस्तां प्रियां सीतां प्राक्रोशत् स पुनः पुनः ॥ ३१ ॥
But disregarding those words fallen from Lakshmana’s lips, not seeing that beloved Sita, he cried out again and again.