Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 118 of 128 · 22 verses
Agni Returns Sita
Hearing the auspicious words spoken by the Grandfather, Fire rises, holding the Vaidehi in his lap. Shaking the pyre apart, the bearer of offerings rises at once in bodily form, holding the daughter of Janaka, bright as the morning sun, adorned with molten gold, wearing red clothes, young, with dark curling hair, her garlands and ornaments unwithered, blameless as before, and gives her to Rama. Then Fire, witness of the world, says to Rama: here is your Vaidehi, Rama; there is no sin in her. Neither in word, nor in mind, nor in thought, nor with her eyes, has this good, virtuous woman been unfaithful to you, whose pride is in good conduct. She was carried off by Ravana, the rakshasa swollen with his strength, while she was wretched and helpless, parted from you in the lonely forest; confined and guarded in the inner palace, her mind on you, devoted to you alone, watched by terrible rakshasis of terrible intent, tempted in many ways and threatened, Maithili did not give a thought to that rakshasa, her inner self having gone to you. Accept Maithili, pure in heart and sinless; she is not to be spoken to harshly at all. I command you.
Rama, best of speakers, pleased at heart, broods for a moment, righteous, his eyes brimming with joy. Then the radiant, steadfast one of wide valour, best of the upholders of dharma, says to the best of the gods: Sita had to be purified before the worlds, for this auspicious woman had lived a long time in Ravana’s inner palace. If I had taken back Janaki without purifying her, people would have said of me, “Rama, son of Dasharatha, is foolish and ruled by desire.” I too know that Maithili, daughter of Janaka, has no other in her heart and guards her thoughts for me. Ravana could no more violate this wide-eyed woman, protected by her own splendour, than the great ocean can pass its shore. To give the three worlds proof, resting on truth, I disregarded the Vaidehi as she entered the fire. That very evil-souled one could not assail Maithili even in thought; she was unreachable, like a blazing flame of fire. This virtuous woman does not deserve to be shaken in Ravana’s inner palace; Sita is no more separate from me than light from the sun. Maithili, daughter of Janaka, is pure in the three worlds; I can no more abandon her than a self-possessed man can abandon his good name. I must certainly do what all of you, affectionate lords of the world, say for my good. Having said this, the victorious, mighty, famous Rama, praised for his own deeds, is reunited with his beloved, and Raghava, deserving happiness, enjoys happiness.
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एतच्छ्रुत्वा शुभं वाक्यं पितामहसमीरितम् । अङ्केनादाय वैदेहीमुत्पपात विभावसुः ॥ १ ॥
Hearing these auspicious words spoken by the Grandfather, Fire, taking the Vaidehi in his lap, rose up.
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विधूयाथ चितां तां तु वैदेहीं हव्यवाहनः । उत्तस्थौ मूर्तिमानाशु गृहीत्वा जनकात्मजाम् ॥ २ ॥
Then, shaking that pyre apart, the bearer of offerings in bodily form rose at once, holding the Vaidehi, daughter of Janaka,
तरुणादित्यसंकाशां तप्तकाञ्चनभूषणाम् । रक्ताम्बरधरां बालां नीलकुञ्चितमूर्धजाम् ॥ ३ ॥
bright as the morning sun, adorned with molten gold, wearing red clothes, young, with dark curling hair,
अक्लिष्टमाल्याभरणां तथारूपामनिन्दिताम् । ददौ रामाय वैदेहीमङ्के कृत्वा विभावसुः ॥ ४ ॥
her garlands and ornaments unwithered, as she had been, blameless: the Vaidehi Fire gave to Rama, having placed her in his lap.
अब्रवीत् तु तदा रामं साक्षी लोकस्य पावकः । एषा ते राम वैदेही पापमस्यां न विद्यते ॥ ५ ॥
And then Fire, witness of the world, said to Rama: “Here is your Vaidehi, Rama; there is no sin in her.
नैव वाचा न मनसा नैव बुद्ध्या न चक्षुषा । सुवृत्ता वृत्तशौटीर्यं न त्वामत्यचरच्छुभा ॥ ६ ॥
“Neither by word, nor by mind, nor by thought, nor by eye has this good woman of good conduct transgressed against you, whose pride is in good conduct.
रावणेनापनीतैषा वीर्योत्सिक्तेन रक्षसा । त्वया विरहिता दीना विवशा निर्जने सती ॥ ७ ॥
“She was carried off by Ravana, the rakshasa swollen with valour, when, parted from you, she was wretched and helpless in the lonely place, virtuous one.
रुद्धा चान्तःपुरे गुप्ता त्वच्चित्ता त्वत्परायणा । रक्षिता राक्षसीभिश्च घोराभिर्घोरबुद्धिभिः ॥ ८ ॥
“Confined and guarded in the inner palace, her mind on you, devoted to you, watched by terrible rakshasis of terrible intent,
प्रलोभ्यमाना विविधं तर्ज्यमाना च मैथिली । नाचिन्तयत तद्रक्षस्त्वद्गतेनान्तरात्मना ॥ ९ ॥
“being tempted in many ways and threatened, Maithili did not think of that rakshasa, with her inner self gone to you.
विशुद्धभावां निष्पापां प्रतिगृह्णीष्व मैथिलीम् । न किंचिदभिधातव्या अहमाज्ञापयामि ते ॥ १० ॥
“Accept Maithili, pure in feeling, sinless; she is not to be told anything harsh; I command you.”
ततः प्रीतमना रामः श्रुत्वैवं वदतां वरः । दध्यौ मुहूर्तं धर्मात्मा हर्षव्याकुललोचनः ॥ ११ ॥
Then Rama, best of speakers, pleased at heart, hearing this, brooded for a moment, righteous, his eyes brimming with joy.
एवमुक्तो महातेजा धृतिमानुरुविक्रमः । उवाच त्रिदशश्रेष्ठं रामो धर्मभृतां वरः ॥ १२ ॥
Spoken to so, the radiant, steadfast one, of wide valour, Rama, best of the upholders of dharma, said to the best of the thirty gods:
अवश्यं चापि लोकेषु सीता पावनमर्हति । दीर्घकालोषिता हीयं रावणान्तःपुरे शुभा ॥ १३ ॥
“Sita certainly deserved purification in the eyes of the worlds, for this auspicious one had lived a long time in Ravana’s inner palace.
बालिशो बत कामात्मा रामो दशरथात्मजः । इति वक्ष्यति मां लोको जानकीमविशोध्य हि ॥ १४ ॥
“’Foolish, alas, ruled by desire, is Rama, son of Dasharatha’: so the world would speak of me, if I had not purified Janaki.
अनन्यहृदयां सीतां मच्चित्तपरिरक्षिणीम् । अहमप्यवगच्छामि मैथिलीं जनकात्मजाम् ॥ १५ ॥
“I too know that Sita, Maithili, daughter of Janaka, has no other in her heart and guards her mind for me.
इमामपि विशालाक्षीं रक्षितां स्वेन तेजसा । रावणो नातिवर्तेत वेलामिव महोदधिः ॥ १६ ॥
“Ravana could not transgress against this wide-eyed one, protected by her own splendour, as the great ocean cannot pass its shore.
प्रत्ययार्थं तु लोकानां त्रयाणां सत्यसंश्रयः । उपेक्षे चापि वैदेहीं प्रविशन्तीं हुताशनम् ॥ १७ ॥
“But for the sake of conviction for the three worlds, resting on truth, I disregarded the Vaidehi as she entered the fire.
न हि शक्तः सुदुष्टात्मा मनसापि हि मैथिलीम् । प्रधर्षयितुमप्राप्यां दीप्तामग्निशिखामिव ॥ १८ ॥
“For that very evil-souled one could not, even in thought, assail Maithili, unreachable like a blazing flame of fire.
नेयमर्हति वैक्लव्यं रावणान्तःपुरे सती । अनन्या हि मया सीता भास्करस्य प्रभा यथा ॥ १९ ॥
“This virtuous woman does not deserve to be shaken in Ravana’s inner palace; for Sita is not other than me, as light is not other than the sun.
विशुद्धा त्रिषु लोकेषु मैथिली जनकात्मजा । न विहातुं मया शक्या कीर्तिरात्मवता यथा ॥ २० ॥
“Maithili, daughter of Janaka, is pure in the three worlds; she cannot be abandoned by me, as fame cannot by a self-possessed man.
अवश्यं च मया कार्यं सर्वेषां वो वचो हितम् । स्निग्धानां लोकनाथानामेवं च वदतां हितम् ॥ २१ ॥
“And I must certainly do what all of you, affectionate lords of the world, speaking so for my good, say is good.”
इत्येवमुक्त्वा विजयी महाबलः प्रशस्यमानः स्वकृतेन कर्मणा । समेत्य रामः प्रियया महायशाः सुखं सुखार्होऽनुबभूव राघवः ॥ २२ ॥
Having said this, the victorious, very mighty Rama, praised for the deed he had done himself, very famous, joined with his beloved, Raghava, deserving happiness, enjoyed happiness.