Sundara Kanda · Sarga 32 of 68 · 14 verses
Dream or Waking?
Sita sees, hidden among the branches, a monkey wrapped in white, tawny as massed lightning, with eyes like molten gold, modest and kind-spoken. She is astonished and then frightened: what a terrible creature! She faints, and on reviving cries out for Rama and Lakshmana. Seeing him still there, humble, she wonders if she is dreaming; but to dream of a monkey is unlucky, and she prays for the safety of Rama, Lakshmana and her father Janaka.
Then she reasons: this is no dream, for she has not slept in her grief. She thinks of Rama constantly and speaks his name; perhaps her longing makes her see and hear what she wishes. But a wish has no form, and this creature has a clear one and is speaking to her. She bows to Brihaspati, to Indra, to Brahma and to Agni: may what this forest creature has said in front of her be true, and not otherwise.
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ततः शाखान्तरे लीनं दृष्ट्वा चलितमानसा । वेष्टितार्जुनवस्त्रं तं विद्युत्संघातपिंगलम् ॥ १ ॥
Then, seeing him hidden among the branches, her mind shaken, wrapped in white cloth, tawny as a mass of lightning,
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सा ददर्श कपिं तत्र प्रश्रितं प्रियवादिनम् । फुल्लाशोकोत्कराभासं तप्तचामीकरेक्षणम् ॥ २ ॥
she saw the monkey there, modest, kind of speech, glowing like a heap of blossoming ashoka flowers, his eyes like molten gold.
साथ दृष्ट्वा हरिश्रेष्ठं विनीतवदवस्थितम् । मैथिली चिन्तयामास विस्मयं परमं गता ॥ ३ ॥
Then seeing the best of monkeys sitting there humbly, Maithili, filled with the greatest wonder, thought:
अहो भीममिदं सत्त्वं वानरस्य दुरासदम् । दुर्निरीक्ष्यमिदं मत्वा पुनरेव मुमोह सा ॥ ४ ॥
“Ah, this monkey is a terrible creature, hard to approach!” Thinking him dreadful to look at, she fainted again.
विललाप भृशं सीता करुणं भयमोहिता । राम रामेति दुःखार्ता लक्ष्मणेति च भामिनी ॥ ५ ॥
Bewildered by fear, Sita lamented piteously and loudly, crying “Rama, Rama!” in her distress, and “Lakshmana!”, the lovely lady.
रुरोद सहसा सीता मन्दमन्दस्वरा सती । साथ दृष्ट्वा हरिवरं विनीतवदुपागतम् । मैथिली चिन्तयामास स्वप्नोऽयमिति भामिनी ॥ ६ ॥
Suddenly the virtuous Sita wept in a very low voice. Then, seeing the best of monkeys come near so humbly, lovely Maithili thought, “This is a dream.”
सा वीक्षमाणा पृथुभुग्नवक्त्रं शाखामृगेन्द्रस्य यथोक्तकारम् । ददर्श पिंगप्रवरं महार्हं वातात्मजं बुद्धिमतां वरिष्ठम् ॥ ७ ॥
Looking at the broad, bent face of the monkey lord’s obedient servant, she saw the noble chief of tawny ones, the son of the Wind, best of the wise.
सा तं समीक्ष्यैव भृशं विपन्ना गतासुकल्पेव बभूव सीता । चिरेण संज्ञां प्रतिलभ्य चैवं विचिन्तयामास विशालनेत्रा ॥ ८ ॥
Seeing him, Sita was deeply stricken and became almost lifeless. Regaining consciousness after a long while, the large-eyed one thought this:
स्वप्नो मयायं विकृतोऽद्य दृष्टः शाखामृगः शास्त्रगणैर्निषिद्धः । स्वस्त्यस्तु रामाय सलक्ष्मणाय तथा पितुर्मे जनकस्य राज्ञः ॥ ९ ॥
“I have seen an ill-omened dream today: a monkey, which the books forbid. May it go well with Rama and Lakshmana, and with my father, King Janaka.
स्वप्नो हि नायं नहि मेऽस्ति निद्रा शोकेन दुःखेन च पीडितायाः । सुखं हि मे नास्ति यतो विहीना तेनेन्दुपूर्णप्रतिमाननेन ॥ १० ॥
“But this is no dream, for I have no sleep, tormented as I am by grief and pain. I have no happiness, since I am deprived of him whose face is like the full moon.
रामेति रामेति सदैव बुद्ध्या विचिन्त्य वाचा ब्रुवती तमेव । तस्यानुरूपं च कथां तदर्था- मेवं प्रपश्यामि तथा शृणोमि ॥ ११ ॥
“Always thinking ‘Rama, Rama’ in my mind and speaking of him alone in words, I see and hear a story fitting him and about him.
अहं हि तस्याद्य मनोभवेन सम्पीडिता तद्गतसर्वभावा । विचिन्तयन्ती सततं तमेव तथैव पश्यामि तथा शृणोमि ॥ १२ ॥
“For I, tormented today by love for him, my whole being gone to him, thinking always of him alone, see and hear accordingly.
मनोरथः स्यादिति चिन्तयामि तथापि बुद्ध्यापि वितर्कयामि । किं कारणं तस्य हि नास्ति रूपं सुव्यक्तरूपश्च वदत्ययं माम् ॥ १३ ॥
“I think it may be my wish; yet I reason with my mind too: what is the cause? A wish has no form, and this one, of clear form, is speaking to me.
नमोऽस्तु वाचस्पतये सवज्रिणे स्वयम्भुवे चैव हुताशनाय । अनेन चोक्तं यदिदं ममाग्रतो वनौकसा तच्च तथास्तु नान्यथा ॥ १४ ॥
“Homage to the Lord of Speech, to the wielder of the thunderbolt, to the Self-born, and to Fire. What this forest-dweller has said before me, let it be so, and not otherwise.”