The Empty Hermitage

Shloka 1 (aranya.58.1)

स दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मणम् दीनम् शून्यम् दशरथ आत्मजः । पर्यपृच्छत धर्मात्मा वैदेहीम् आगतम् विना ॥ 58.1 ॥

sa dṛṣṭvā lakṣmaṇam dīnam śūnyam daśaratha ātmajaḥ | paryapṛcchata dharmātmā vaidehīm āgatam vinā || 58.1 ||

Seeing Lakshmana approach looking wretched, alone in the empty forest, without Vaidehi, the righteous son of Dasharatha questioned him at once.

Shloka 2 (aranya.58.2)

प्रस्थितम् दण्डक अरण्यम् या माम् अनुजगाम ह । क्व सा लक्ष्मण वैदेही याम् हित्वा त्वम् इह आगतः ॥ 58.2 ॥

prasthitam daṇḍaka araṇyam yā mām anujagāma ha | kva sā lakṣmaṇa vaidehī yām hitvā tvam iha āgataḥ || 58.2 ||

"Lakshmana, where is Vaidehi, who followed me when I set out for the Dandaka forest — the one you have left behind and come here alone?

Shloka 3 (aranya.58.3)

राज्य भ्रष्टस्य दीनस्य दण्डकान् परिधावतः । क्व सा दुःख सहाया मे वैदेही तनु मध्यमा ॥ 58.3 ॥

rājya bhraṣṭasya dīnasya daṇḍakān paridhāvataḥ | kva sā duḥkha sahāyā me vaidehī tanu madhyamā || 58.3 ||

When I was cast out of my kingdom, forlorn and wandering through Dandaka, she alone shared my grief — that slender-waisted Vaidehi — where is she now?

Shloka 4 (aranya.58.4)

याम् विना न उत्सहे वीर मुहूर्तम् अपि जीवितुम् । क्व सा प्राण सहाया मे सीता सुर सुत उपमा ॥ 58.4 ॥

yām vinā na utsahe vīra muhūrtam api jīvitum | kva sā prāṇa sahāyā me sītā sura suta upamā || 58.4 ||

Without her I cannot bear to live even a moment, O hero. Where is Sita, the sharer of my life, lovely as a daughter of the gods?

Shloka 5 (aranya.58.5)

पतित्वम् अमराणाम् वा पृथिव्याः च अपि लक्ष्मण । विना ताम् तपनीय आभाम् न इच्छेयम् जनक आत्मजाम् ॥ 58.5 ॥

patitvam amarāṇām vā pṛthivyāḥ ca api lakṣmaṇa | vinā tām tapanīya ābhām na iccheyam janaka ātmajām || 58.5 ||

Lakshmana, without her — the daughter of Janaka, radiant as gold — I would not desire even the sovereignty of the gods, let alone of this earth.

Shloka 6 (aranya.58.6)

कच्चित् जीवति वैदेही प्राणैः प्रियतरा मम । कच्चित् प्रव्राजनम् वीर न मे मिथ्या भविष्यति ॥ 58.6 ॥

kaccit jīvati vaidehī prāṇaiḥ priyatarā mama | kaccit pravrājanam vīra na me mithyā bhaviṣyati || 58.6 ||

Is Vaidehi, dearer to me than my own life, still alive somehow? Will this exile of mine, O hero, not turn out to have been in vain?

Shloka 7 (aranya.58.7)

सीता निमित्तम् सौमित्रे मृते मयि गते त्वयि । कच्चित् स कामा सुखिता कैकेयी सा भविष्यति ॥ 58.7 ॥

sītā nimittam saumitre mṛte mayi gate tvayi | kaccit sa kāmā sukhitā kaikeyī sā bhaviṣyati || 58.7 ||

Saumitri, if I die for Sita's sake and you return to Ayodhya alone, will Kaikeyi then be content, her desires at last fulfilled?

Shloka 8 (aranya.58.8)

स पुत्र राज्याम् सिद्ध अर्थाम् मृत पुत्रा तपस्विनी । उपस्थास्यति कौसल्या कच्चित् सौम्येन कैकयीम् ॥ 58.8 ॥

sa putra rājyām siddha arthām mṛta putrā tapasvinī | upasthāsyati kausalyā kaccit saumyena kaikayīm || 58.8 ||

"Gentle Lakshmana, now that her son is dead, will my grieving mother Kausalya be forced to wait humbly upon Kaikeyi, who has her son, her kingdom, and every wish of hers fulfilled?

Shloka 9 (aranya.58.9)

यदि जीवति वैदेही गमिष्याम्य् आश्रमम् पुनः । सुवृत्ता यदि वृत्ता सा प्राणान् त्यक्ष्यामि लक्ष्मण ॥ 58.9 ॥

yadi jīvati vaidehī gamiṣyāmy āśramam punaḥ | suvṛttā yadi vṛttā sā prāṇān tyakṣyāmi lakṣmaṇa || 58.9 ||

If Vaidehi is alive, I will go back to the hermitage; but if that woman of pure conduct has met her end, I shall give up my life there and then, Lakshmana.

Shloka 10 (aranya.58.10)

यदि माम् आश्रम गतम् वैदेही न अभिभाषते । पुनः प्रहसिता सीता विनशिष्यामि लक्ष्मण ॥ 58.10 ॥

yadi mām āśrama gatam vaidehī na abhibhāṣate | punaḥ prahasitā sītā vinaśiṣyāmi lakṣmaṇa || 58.10 ||

If Sita does not come to me smiling and speaking as she always has, once I reach the hermitage, Lakshmana, I will perish then and there.

Shloka 11 (aranya.58.11)

ब्रूहि लक्ष्मण वैदेही यदि जीवति वा न वा । त्वयि प्रमत्ते रक्षोभिः भक्षिता वा तपस्विनी ॥ 58.11 ॥

brūhi lakṣmaṇa vaidehī yadi jīvati vā na vā | tvayi pramatte rakṣobhiḥ bhakṣitā vā tapasvinī || 58.11 ||

Speak, Lakshmana — tell me whether Vaidehi is alive or not, or whether, through some lapse of yours, that suffering woman has been devoured by demons.

Shloka 12 (aranya.58.12)

सुकुमारी च बाला च नित्यम् च अदुःख दर्शिनी । मत् वियोगेन वैदेही व्यक्तम् शोचति दुर्मनाः ॥ 58.12 ॥

sukumārī ca bālā ca nityam ca aduḥkha darśinī | mat viyogena vaidehī vyaktam śocati durmanāḥ || 58.12 ||

Delicate and young as she is, never having known sorrow, Vaidehi must surely be grieving now, her heart broken by separation from me.

Shloka 13 (aranya.58.13)

सर्वथा रक्षसा तेन जिह्मेन सुदुरात्मना । वदता लक्ष्मण इति उच्छैः तव अपि जनितम् भयम् ॥ 58.13 ॥

sarvathā rakṣasā tena jihmena sudurātmanā | vadatā lakṣmaṇa iti ucchaiḥ tava api janitam bhayam || 58.13 ||

That treacherous, utterly wicked demon who cried out loudly, 'O Lakshmana!' in a voice like mine, must certainly have struck fear even into your heart.

Shloka 14 (aranya.58.14)

श्रुतः च मन्ये वैदेह्या स स्वरः सदृशो मम । त्रस्तया प्रेषितः त्वम् च द्रष्टुम् माम् शीघ्रम् आगतः ॥ 58.14 ॥

śrutaḥ ca manye vaidehyā sa svaraḥ sadṛśo mama | trastayā preṣitaḥ tvam ca draṣṭum mām śīghram āgataḥ || 58.14 ||

I believe Vaidehi too heard that voice which sounded like mine, and, frightened, sent you hastening to come and see me.

Shloka 15 (aranya.58.15)

सर्वथा तु कृतम् कष्टम् सीताम् उत्सृजता वने । प्रतिकर्तुम् नृशंसानाम् रक्षसाम् दत्तम् अन्तरम् ॥ 58.15 ॥

sarvathā tu kṛtam kaṣṭam sītām utsṛjatā vane | pratikartum nṛśaṃsānām rakṣasām dattam antaram || 58.15 ||

In every way you have brought about grave harm by leaving Sita alone in the forest — you have handed those cruel demons the very opening they needed.

Shloka 16 (aranya.58.16)

दुःखिताः खर घातेन राक्षसाः पिशित अशनाः । तैः सीता निहता घोरैः भविष्यति न संशयः ॥ 58.16 ॥

duḥkhitāḥ khara ghātena rākṣasāḥ piśita aśanāḥ | taiḥ sītā nihatā ghoraiḥ bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ || 58.16 ||

Those flesh-eating demons, still smarting from Khara's slaughter, must by now have savagely killed Sita — of this there is no doubt.

Shloka 17 (aranya.58.17)

अहो अस्मि व्यसने मग्नः सर्वथा रिपु नाशन । किम् तु इदानीम् करिष्यामि शंके प्राप्तव्यम् ईदृशम् ॥ 58.17 ॥

aho asmi vyasane magnaḥ sarvathā ripu nāśana | kim tu idānīm kariṣyāmi śaṃke prāptavyam īdṛśam || 58.17 ||

Alas, destroyer of enemies, I am altogether sunk in disaster — what can I do now? I suppose such a fate was destined to befall me.

Shloka 18 (aranya.58.18)

इति सीताम् वरारोहाम् चिंतयन् एव राघवः । आजगाम जन स्थानम् त्वरया सह लक्ष्मणः ॥ 58.18 ॥

iti sītām varārohām ciṃtayan eva rāghavaḥ | ājagāma jana sthānam tvarayā saha lakṣmaṇaḥ || 58.18 ||

Thinking thus, again and again, of lovely Sita, Raghava hastened on toward Janasthana together with Lakshmana.

Shloka 19 (aranya.58.19)

विगर्हमाणो अनुजम् आर्त रूपम् क्षुधा श्रमेण एव पिपासया च । विनिःश्वसन् शुष्क मुखो विषण्णः प्रतिश्रयम् प्राप्य समीक्ष्य शून्यम् ॥ 58.19 ॥

vigarhamāṇo anujam ārta rūpam kṣudhā śrameṇa eva pipāsayā ca | viniḥśvasan śuṣka mukho viṣaṇṇaḥ pratiśrayam prāpya samīkṣya śūnyam || 58.19 ||

Reproaching his brother as he went, his face wracked with grief, worn down by hunger, exhaustion, and thirst, sighing heavily with his mouth parched dry, and utterly despondent, Rama reached the hermitage — only to find it deserted.

Shloka 20 (aranya.58.20)

स्वम् आश्रमम् स प्रविगाह्य वीरो विहार देशान् अनुसृत्य कांश्चित् । एतत् तत् इति एव निवास भूमौ प्रहृष्ट रोमा व्यथितो बभूव ॥ 58.20 ॥

svam āśramam sa pravigāhya vīro vihāra deśān anusṛtya kāṃścit | etat tat iti eva nivāsa bhūmau prahṛṣṭa romā vyathito babhūva || 58.20 ||

Stepping into his own hermitage, that valiant man wandered through the very spots where they used to spend their days, and at each one, saying to himself, 'yes, this is that place,' his hair stood on end and he was overwhelmed with anguish.