Sundara Kanda · Sarga 33 of 68 · 31 verses
“I Am Sita”
Hanuman climbs down from the tree, his face like coral, and approaches humbly, bowing with joined palms above his head. Who is she, he asks, with eyes like lotus petals, in worn silk, clinging to a branch with tears streaming down? A goddess, a naga, a gandharva? Rohini fallen from heaven without the moon, or Arundhati who has angered Vasishtha? Whom does she mourn? Because she weeps and sighs and touches the earth, she cannot be a goddess; her marks are those of a king’s daughter and a king’s chief queen. If she is Sita, carried off by Ravana from Janasthana, let her tell him.
Delighted to hear Rama praised, Vaidehi answers. She is the daughter-in-law of Dasharatha and the daughter of Janaka, called Sita, wife of wise Rama. For twelve years she lived happily in Raghava’s house. In the thirteenth year the king prepared to consecrate Rama, but Kaikeyi demanded that Rama go to the forest, and the truthful king, remembering his promised boons, fainted. Rama, to whom his father’s word was dearer than the throne, accepted it gladly: he would give and not take, speak truth and not falsehood, even for his life. He laid aside his fine clothes and gave up the kingdom in his heart; she went ahead of him into the forest, since without him even heaven would not please her, and Lakshmana went too, dressed in bark and grass. While they were living in the Dandaka forest, Ravana carried her off. He has granted her two months more to live; after that she will give up her life.
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सोऽवतीर्य द्रुमात् तस्माद् विद्रुमप्रतिमाननः । विनीतवेषः कृपणः प्रणिपत्योपसृत्य च ॥ १ ॥
He came down from that tree, his face like coral, in humble guise, pitiable, and, bowing and approaching,
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तामब्रवीन्महातेजा हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः । शिरस्यञ्जलिमाधाय सीतां मधुरया गिरा ॥ २ ॥
radiant Hanuman, son of the Wind, placing his joined palms on his head, said to Sita in a sweet voice:
का नु पद्मपलाशाक्षि क्लिष्टकौशेयवासिनि । द्रुमस्य शाखामालम्ब्य तिष्ठसि त्वमनिन्दिते ॥ ३ ॥
“Who are you, with eyes like lotus petals, wearing worn silk, standing holding a branch of the tree, blameless one?
किमर्थं तव नेत्राभ्यां वारि स्रवति शोकजम् । पुण्डरीकपलाशाभ्यां विप्रकीर्णमिवोदकम् ॥ ४ ॥
“Why do tears born of grief flow from your eyes, like water scattered from the petals of a white lotus?
सुराणामसुराणां च नागगन्धर्वरक्षसाम् । यक्षाणां किंनराणां च का त्वं भवसि शोभने ॥ ५ ॥
“Who are you, lovely one, among gods and asuras, nagas, gandharvas and rakshasas, yakshas and kinnaras?
का त्वं भवसि रुद्राणां मरुतां वा वरानने । वसूनां वा वरारोहे देवता प्रतिभासि मे ॥ ६ ॥
“Who are you, lovely-faced one, among the Rudras, the Maruts or the Vasus? Fair-hipped one, you seem to me a goddess.
किं नु चन्द्रमसा हीना पतिता विबुधालयात् । रोहिणी ज्योतिषां श्रेष्ठा श्रेष्ठा सर्वगुणाधिका ॥ ७ ॥
“Are you Rohini, best of the stars, best and richest in every virtue, fallen from the dwelling of the gods, deprived of the moon?
कोपाद् वा यदि वा मोहाद् भर्तारमसितेक्षणे । वसिष्ठं कोपयित्वा त्वं वासि कल्याण्यरुन्धती ॥ ८ ॥
“Or, dark-eyed one, are you the blessed Arundhati, having angered your husband Vasishtha in anger or in error?
को नु पुत्रः पिता भ्राता भर्ता वा ते सुमध्यमे । अस्माल्लोकादमुं लोकं गतं त्वमनुशोचसि ॥ ९ ॥
“Who is the son, father, brother or husband, slender-waisted one, gone from this world to the next, for whom you grieve?
रोदनादतिनिःश्वासाद् भूमिसंस्पर्शनादपि । न त्वां देवीमहं मन्ये राज्ञः संज्ञावधारणात् ॥ १० ॥
“From your weeping, your deep sighing, your touching the ground, and from your bearing the marks of a king, I do not think you a goddess.
व्यञ्जनानि हि ते यानि लक्षणानि च लक्षये । महिषी भूमिपालस्य राजकन्या च मे मता ॥ ११ ॥
“From the signs and the marks I see on you, you seem to me the chief queen of a lord of the earth, and a king’s daughter.
रावणेन जनस्थानाद् बलात् प्रमथिता यदि । सीता त्वमसि भद्रं ते तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः ॥ १२ ॥
“If you are Sita, carried off by force from Janasthana by Ravana, bless you, tell me so; I am asking you.
यथा हि तव वै दैन्यं रूपं चाप्यतिमानुषम् । तपसा चान्वितो वेषस्त्वं राममहिषी ध्रुवम् ॥ १३ ॥
“For as your distress is, and your beauty beyond the human, and your dress marked by austerity, you are surely Rama’s queen.”
सा तस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा रामकीर्तनहर्षिता । उवाच वाक्यं वैदेही हनूमन्तं द्रुमाश्रितम् ॥ १४ ॥
Hearing his words, delighted by the praise of Rama, Vaidehi said to Hanuman, who had come to the tree:
पृथिव्यां राजसिंहानां मुख्यस्य विदितात्मनः । स्नुषा दशरथस्याहं शत्रुसैन्यप्रणाशिनः ॥ १५ ॥
“I am the daughter-in-law of Dasharatha, foremost of the lions among kings on earth, who knew himself and destroyed enemy armies.
दुहिता जनकस्याहं वैदेहस्य महात्मनः । सीतेति नाम्ना चोक्ताहं भार्या रामस्य धीमतः ॥ १६ ॥
“I am the daughter of Janaka, the great-souled king of Videha. I am called by the name Sita, wife of wise Rama.
समा द्वादश तत्राहं राघवस्य निवेशने । भुञ्जाना मानुषान् भोगान् सर्वकामसमृद्धिनी ॥ १७ ॥
“For twelve years I lived there in Raghava’s house, enjoying human pleasures, rich in everything I could wish for.
ततस्त्रयोदशे वर्षे राज्ये चेक्ष्वाकुनन्दनम् । अभिषेचयितुं राजा सोपाध्यायः प्रचक्रमे ॥ १८ ॥
“Then, in the thirteenth year, the king with his preceptors began to consecrate the delight of the Ikshvakus in the kingship.
तस्मिन् सम्भ्रियमाणे तु राघवस्याभिषेचने । कैकेयी नाम भर्तारमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ १९ ॥
“While Raghava’s consecration was being prepared, Kaikeyi said this to her husband:
न पिबेयं न खादेयं प्रत्यहं मम भोजनम् । एष मे जीवितस्यान्तो रामो यद्यभिषिच्यते ॥ २० ॥
“’I will not drink, I will not eat my daily food; this is the end of my life if Rama is consecrated.
यत् तदुक्तं त्वया वाक्यं प्रीत्या नृपतिसत्तम । तच्चेन्न वितथं कार्यं वनं गच्छतु राघवः ॥ २१ ॥
“’If the words you spoke to me in love, best of kings, are not to be made false, let Raghava go to the forest.’
स राजा सत्यवाग् देव्या वरदानमनुस्मरन् । मुमोह वचनं श्रुत्वा कैकेय्याः क्रूरमप्रियम् ॥ २२ ॥
“That king, truthful in speech, remembering the boons he had granted the queen, fainted on hearing Kaikeyi’s cruel, unwelcome words.
ततस्तं स्थविरो राजा सत्यधर्मे व्यवस्थितः । ज्येष्ठं यशस्विनं पुत्रं रुदन् राज्यमयाचत ॥ २३ ॥
“Then the old king, standing firm in the dharma of truth, weeping, asked his eldest, glorious son for the kingdom.
स पितुर्वचनं श्रीमानभिषेकात् परं प्रियम् । मनसा पूर्वमासाद्य वाचा प्रतिगृहीतवान् ॥ २४ ॥
“The glorious one, to whom his father’s word was dearer than the consecration, first accepted it in his mind and then accepted it in words.
दद्यान्न प्रतिगृह्णीयात् सत्यं ब्रूयान्न चानृतम् । अपि जीवितहेतोर्हि रामः सत्यपराक्रमः ॥ २५ ॥
“He would give and not take; he would speak the truth and never a lie, even to save his life: Rama, of true valour.
स विहायोत्तरीयाणि महार्हाणि महायशाः । विसृज्य मनसा राज्यं जनन्यै मां समादिशत् ॥ २६ ॥
“The greatly glorious one laid aside his costly upper garments, gave up the kingdom in his mind, and entrusted me to his mother.
साहं तस्याग्रतस्तूर्णं प्रस्थिता वनचारिणी । नहि मे तेन हीनाया वासः स्वर्गेऽपि रोचते ॥ २७ ॥
“But I quickly set out ahead of him to roam the forest; without him even living in heaven does not please me.
प्रागेव तु महाभागः सौमित्रिर्मित्रनन्दनः । पूर्वजस्यानुयात्रार्थे कुशचीरैरलंकृतः ॥ २८ ॥
“And even before that, fortunate Saumitri, delight of his friends, dressed in kusha grass and bark, set out to follow his elder brother.
ते वयं भर्तुरादेशं बहुमान्य दृढव्रताः । प्रविष्टाः स्म पुरादृष्टं वनं गम्भीरदर्शनम् ॥ २९ ॥
“Respecting our master’s command, firm in our vows, we entered the forest, never seen before, deep to look upon.
वसतो दण्डकारण्ये तस्याहममितौजसः । रक्षसापहृता भार्या रावणेन दुरात्मना ॥ ३० ॥
“While that one of boundless might was living in the Dandaka forest, I, his wife, was carried off by the evil-souled rakshasa Ravana.
द्वौ मासौ तेन मे कालो जीवितानुग्रहः कृतः । ऊर्ध्वं द्वाभ्यां तु मासाभ्यां ततस्त्यक्ष्यामि जीवितम् ॥ ३१ ॥
“He has granted me the favour of two months more to live. After those two months I will give up my life.”