Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 47 of 128 · 24 verses
Sita Is Shown the Fallen Brothers
With Indrajit gone into Lanka, the monkey chiefs, Hanuman, Angada, Nila, Sushena, Kumuda, Nala, Gaja, Gavaksha, Gavaya, Sharabha, Gandhamadana, Jambavan, Rishabha, Skandha, Rambha, Shatabali and Prithu, surround Raghava in battle order, trees in hand, watching every direction, taking every rustling blade of grass for a rakshasa.
Delighted, Ravana summons Sita’s guards, Trijata among them: tell Vaidehi that Indrajit has killed Rama and Lakshmana; put her in the Pushpaka and show them to her dead on the battlefield. The husband she relied on to refuse me has been killed with his brother at the head of the battle. Free of hope and fear, Maithili will come to me adorned with every ornament; seeing Rama and Lakshmana fallen under Time’s power, with no other way left, the large-eyed one will come to me of her own accord.
The rakshasis bring the Pushpaka to the Ashoka grove and put Sita, overcome with grief, into it with Trijata. Ravana has Lanka hung with banners and proclaims that Indrajit has killed Raghava and Lakshmana. From the chariot Sita sees the whole monkey army struck down, the flesh-eaters exultant, the monkeys in anguish around Rama and Lakshmana. Then she sees the two lying on their bed of arrows, unconscious, their armour broken, their bows thrown aside, every limb cut by arrows, like clumps of reeds on the ground: the two heroes, lotus-eyed, lying like the sons of Fire in the reed bed. Seeing her husband and Lakshmana rolling in the dust, Sita weeps and laments bitterly, believing them dead.
Press › to begin with verse 1.
तस्मिन् प्रविष्टे लङ्कायां कृतार्थे रावणात्मजे । राघवं परिवार्याथ ररक्षुर्वानरर्षभाः ॥ १ ॥
When Ravana’s son had entered Lanka, his purpose achieved, the bulls among monkeys surrounded Raghava and guarded him:
Commentary on the whole sarga
Sita Is Shown the Fallen Brothers 1 min read.
Read the commentary
हनुमानङ्गदो नीलः सुषेणः कुमुदो नलः । गजो गवाक्षो गवयः शरभो गन्धमादनः ॥ २ ॥
Hanuman, Angada, Nila, Sushena, Kumuda, Nala, Gaja, Gavaksha, Gavaya, Sharabha, Gandhamadana,
जाम्बवानृषभः स्कन्धो रम्भः शतबलिः पृथुः । व्यूढानीकाश्च यत्ताश्च द्रुमानादाय सर्वतः ॥ ३ ॥
Jambavan, Rishabha, Skandha, Rambha, Shatabali and Prithu, in battle order and alert, taking trees, on every side.
वीक्षमाणा दिशः सर्वास्तिर्यगूर्ध्वं च वानराः । तृणेष्वपि च चेष्टत्सु राक्षसा इति मेनिरे ॥ ४ ॥
Looking in all directions, crosswise and upward, the monkeys took even moving blades of grass for rakshasas.
रावणश्चापि संहृष्टो विसृज्येन्द्रजितं सुतम् । आजुहाव ततः सीतारक्षणी राक्षसीस्तदा ॥ ५ ॥
And Ravana too, delighted, having dismissed his son Indrajit, then summoned the rakshasis who guarded Sita.
राक्षस्यस्त्रिजटा चापि शासनात् तमुपस्थिताः । ता उवाच ततो हृष्टो राक्षसी राक्षसाधिपः ॥ ६ ॥
The rakshasis and Trijata came to him at his command; then the lord of the rakshasas, delighted, said to the rakshasis:
हताविन्द्रजिताख्यात वैदेह्या रामलक्ष्मणौ । पुष्पकं तत्समारोप्य दर्शयध्वं रणे हतौ ॥ ७ ॥
“Tell Vaidehi that Rama and Lakshmana have been killed by Indrajit. Put her in the Pushpaka and show them killed in battle.
यदाश्रयादवष्टब्धा नेयं मामुपतिष्ठते । सोऽस्या भर्ता सह भ्रात्रा निहतो रणमूर्धनि ॥ ८ ॥
“The one relying on whom she, proud, will not come to me, her husband, has been killed with his brother at the head of the battle.
निर्विशङ्का निरुद्विग्ना निरपेक्षा च मैथिली । मामुपस्थास्यते सीता सर्वाभरणभूषिता ॥ ९ ॥
“Without doubt, without anxiety, without expectation, Maithili, Sita, will come to me, adorned with every ornament.
अद्य कालवशं प्राप्तं रणे रामं सलक्ष्मणम् । अवेक्ष्य विनिवृत्ता सा चान्यां गतिमपश्यती ॥ १० ॥
“Today, seeing Rama with Lakshmana fallen under the power of Time in battle, turned back, seeing no other way,
अनपेक्षा विशालाक्षी मामुपस्थास्यते स्वयम् । तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा रावणस्य दुरात्मनः ॥ ११ ॥
“the large-eyed one, without expectation, will come to me of herself.” Hearing those words of evil-souled Ravana,
राक्षस्यस्तास्तथेत्युक्त्वा जग्मुर्वै यत्र पुष्पकम् । ततः पुष्पकमादाय राक्षस्यो रावणाज्ञया ॥ १२ ॥
the rakshasis said “So be it” and went to where the Pushpaka was. Then, taking the Pushpaka, the rakshasis at Ravana’s command
अशोकवनिकास्थां तां मैथिलीं समुपानयन् । तामादाय तु राक्षस्यो भर्तृशोकपराजिताम् ॥ १३ ॥
brought it to Maithili in the Ashoka grove. Taking her, overcome by grief for her husband, the rakshasis
सीतामारोपयामासुर्विमानं पुष्पकं तदा । ततः पुष्पकमारोप्य सीतां त्रिजटया सह ॥ १४ ॥
then made Sita mount the chariot Pushpaka. Then, having put Sita in the Pushpaka with Trijata,
जग्मुर्दर्शयितुं तस्यै राक्षस्यो रामलक्ष्मणौ । रावणश्चारयामास पताकाध्वजमालिनीम् ॥ १५ ॥
the rakshasis went to show her Rama and Lakshmana. And Ravana had Lanka, garlanded with flags and banners, paraded,
प्राघोषयत हृष्टश्च लङ्कायां राक्षसेश्वरः । राघवो लक्ष्मणश्चैव हताविन्द्रजिता रणे ॥ १६ ॥
and the lord of the rakshasas, delighted, had it proclaimed in Lanka: “Raghava and Lakshmana have been killed by Indrajit in battle.”
विमानेनापि गत्वा तु सीता त्रिजटया सह । ददर्श वानराणां तु सर्वं सैन्यं निपातितम् ॥ १७ ॥
Going in the chariot with Trijata, Sita saw the whole army of the monkeys struck down.
प्रहृष्टमनसश्चापि ददर्श पिशिताशनान् । वानरांश्चातिदुःखार्तान् रामलक्ष्मणपार्श्वतः ॥ १८ ॥
She saw the flesh-eaters with delighted hearts, and the monkeys in great sorrow at the side of Rama and Lakshmana.
ततः सीता ददर्शोभौ शयानौ शरतल्पगौ । लक्ष्मणं चैव रामं च विसंज्ञौ शरपीडितौ ॥ १९ ॥
Then Sita saw both lying on a bed of arrows, Lakshmana and Rama, unconscious, tormented by arrows,
विध्वस्तकवचौ वीरौ विप्रविद्धशरासनौ । सायकैश्छिन्नसर्वाङ्गौ शरस्तम्बमयौ क्षितौ ॥ २० ॥
the heroes, their armour shattered, their bows thrown down, every limb cut by arrows, like clumps of reeds on the ground.
तौ दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरौ तत्र प्रवीरौ पुरुषर्षभौ । शयानौ पुण्डरीकाक्षौ कुमाराविव पावकी ॥ २१ ॥
Seeing there those two brothers, foremost heroes, bulls among men, lotus-eyed, lying like the two sons of Fire as boys in the reeds,
शरतल्पगतौ वीरौ तथाभूतौ नरर्षभौ । दुःखार्ता करुणं सीता सुभृशं विललाप ह ॥ २२ ॥
seeing those two heroes, bulls among men, in such a state on their bed of arrows, Sita, stricken with sorrow, lamented most piteously.
भर्तारमनवद्याङ्गी लक्ष्मणं चासितेक्षणा । प्रेक्ष्य पांसुषु चेष्टन्तौ रुरोद जनकात्मजा ॥ २३ ॥
Seeing her husband and Lakshmana rolling in the dust, the flawless, dark-eyed daughter of Janaka wept.
सबाष्पशोकाभिहता समीक्ष्य तौ भ्रातरौ देवसुतप्रभावौ । वितर्कयन्ती निधनं तयोः सा दुःखान्विता वाक्यमिदं जगाद ॥ २४ ॥
Struck by tearful grief, looking at those two brothers, with the power of sons of gods, believing them dead, overwhelmed with sorrow, she said this: