Rama's Lament for Sita

Shloka 1 (aranya.62.1)

सीताम् अपश्यन् धर्मात्मा शोक उपहत चेतनः । विललाप महाबाहू रामः कमल लोचनः ॥ 62.1 ॥

sītām apaśyan dharmātmā śoka upahata cetanaḥ | vilalāpa mahābāhū rāmaḥ kamala locanaḥ || 62.1 ||

Unable to find Sita, the righteous, mighty-armed, lotus-eyed Rama, his heart stricken with grief, gave way to lament.

Shloka 2 (aranya.62.2)

पश्यन् इव च ताम् सीताम् अपश्यन् मदन अर्दितः । उवाच राघवो वाक्यम् विलाप आश्रय दुर्वचम् ॥ 62.2 ॥

paśyan iva ca tām sītām apaśyan madana arditaḥ | uvāca rāghavo vākyam vilāpa āśraya durvacam || 62.2 ||

As if seeing her before him though she was nowhere to be found, and tormented by longing, Raghava spoke words of lament, words scarcely bearable to utter.

Shloka 3 (aranya.62.3)

त्वम् अशोकस्य शाखाभिः पुष्प प्रिय तरा प्रिये । आवृणोषि शरीरम् ते मम शोक विवर्धिनी ॥ 62.3 ॥

tvam aśokasya śākhābhiḥ puṣpa priya tarā priye | āvṛṇoṣi śarīram te mama śoka vivardhinī || 62.3 ||

You, my love, so fond of flowers, are concealing your body behind the branches of this Ashoka tree — you who only deepen my sorrow!

Shloka 4 (aranya.62.4)

कदली काण्ड सदृशौ कदल्या संवृता उभौ । ऊरू पश्यामि ते देवि न असि शक्ता निगूहितुम् ॥ 62.4 ॥

kadalī kāṇḍa sadṛśau kadalyā saṃvṛtā ubhau | ūrū paśyāmi te devi na asi śaktā nigūhitum || 62.4 ||

Your two thighs, like plantain-stalks, hidden behind a plantain tree — I can see them, goddess; you cannot hide yourself from me.

Shloka 5 (aranya.62.5)

कर्णिकार वनम् भद्रे हसंती देवि सेवसे । अलम् ते परिहासेन मम बाधावहेन वै ॥ 62.5 ॥

karṇikāra vanam bhadre hasaṃtī devi sevase | alam te parihāsena mama bādhāvahena vai || 62.5 ||

Gracious goddess, laughing, you linger in this Karnikara grove; enough now of this teasing of yours, which brings me only torment.

Shloka 6 (aranya.62.6)

विशेषेण आश्रमस्थाने हासो अयम् न प्रशस्यते । अवगच्छामि ते शीलम् परिहास प्रियम् प्रिये ॥ 62.6 ॥

viśeṣeṇa āśramasthāne hāso ayam na praśasyate | avagacchāmi te śīlam parihāsa priyam priye || 62.6 ||

Especially here in a hermitage, such laughter is unbecoming; I know your nature well, beloved, fond as you are of playful teasing.

Shloka 7 (aranya.62.7)

आगच्छ त्वम् विशालाक्षी शून्यो अयम् उटजः तव । सु व्यक्तम् राक्षसैः सीता भक्षिता वा हृता अपि वा ॥ 62.7 ॥

āgaccha tvam viśālākṣī śūnyo ayam uṭajaḥ tava | su vyaktam rākṣasaiḥ sītā bhakṣitā vā hṛtā api vā || 62.7 ||

Come now, wide-eyed one — your hut stands empty. It is plain now that Sita has been devoured, or else carried off, by rakshasas.

Shloka 8 (aranya.62.8)

न हि सा विलपंतम् माम् उपसम्प्रैति लक्ष्मण । एतानि मृग यूधानि स अश्रु नेत्राणि लक्ष्मण ॥ 62.8 ॥

na hi sā vilapaṃtam mām upasampraiti lakṣmaṇa | etāni mṛga yūdhāni sa aśru netrāṇi lakṣmaṇa || 62.8 ||

For she does not come to me, Lakshmana, however I lament. These very herds of deer, Lakshmana, their eyes brimming with tears,

Shloka 9 (aranya.62.9)

शंशन्ति इव हि मे देवीम् भक्षिताम् रजनीचरैः । हा मम आर्ये क्व याता असि हा साध्वि वर वर्णिनि ॥ 62.9 ॥

śaṃśanti iva hi me devīm bhakṣitām rajanīcaraiḥ | hā mama ārye kva yātā asi hā sādhvi vara varṇini || 62.9 ||

seem to be telling me that my lady has been devoured by night-roving demons. Ah, my noble one, where have you gone? Ah, virtuous, lovely one!

Shloka 10 (aranya.62.10)

हा स कामा अद्य कैकेयी देवि मे अद्य भविष्यति । सीताया सह निर्यातो विना सीताम् उपागतः ॥ 62.10 ॥

hā sa kāmā adya kaikeyī devi me adya bhaviṣyati | sītāyā saha niryāto vinā sītām upāgataḥ || 62.10 ||

Ah, today Kaikeyi's desire will be fulfilled, my queen! I set out into exile with Sita, and now I return without her."

Shloka 11 (aranya.62.11)

कथम् नाम प्रवेक्ष्यामि शून्यम् अन्तः पुरम् मम । निर्वीर्य इति लोको माम् निर्दयः च इति वक्ष्यति ॥ 62.11 ॥

katham nāma pravekṣyāmi śūnyam antaḥ puram mama | nirvīrya iti loko mām nirdayaḥ ca iti vakṣyati || 62.11 ||

How indeed shall I ever enter my own inner chambers, now left empty? People will call me powerless, and heartless besides.

Shloka 12 (aranya.62.12)

कातरत्वम् प्रकाशम् हि सीता अपनयनेन मे । निवृत्त वन वासः च जनकम् मिथिल अधिपम् ॥ 62.12 ॥

kātaratvam prakāśam hi sītā apanayanena me | nivṛtta vana vāsaḥ ca janakam mithila adhipam || 62.12 ||

My cowardice will stand plainly exposed through Sita's loss. And when my forest-exile ends and I come before Janaka, lord of Mithila —

Shloka 13 (aranya.62.13)

कुशलम् परिपृच्छन्तम् कथम् शक्षे निरीक्षितुम् । विदेह रजो नूनम् माम् दृष्ट्वा विरहितम् तया ॥ 62.13 ॥

kuśalam paripṛcchantam katham śakṣe nirīkṣitum | videha rajo nūnam mām dṛṣṭvā virahitam tayā || 62.13 ||

how shall I bear even to look at him when he asks after her welfare? The king of Videha, on seeing me without her,

Shloka 14 (aranya.62.14)

सुता विनाश संतप्तो मोहस्य वशम् एष्यति । अथवा न गमिष्यामि पुरीम् भरत पालितम् ॥ 62.14 ॥

sutā vināśa saṃtapto mohasya vaśam eṣyati | athavā na gamiṣyāmi purīm bharata pālitam || 62.14 ||

he will surely be overcome, stricken with grief at his daughter's ruin. Or rather, I shall not return at all to that city Bharata now rules —

Shloka 15 (aranya.62.15)

स्वर्गो अपि हि तया हीनः शून्य एव मतो मम । तत् माम् उत्सृज्य हि वने गच्छ अयोध्या पुरीम् शुभाम् ॥ 62.15 ॥

svargo api hi tayā hīnaḥ śūnya eva mato mama | tat mām utsṛjya hi vane gaccha ayodhyā purīm śubhām || 62.15 ||

for even heaven itself, without her, seems to me an utter emptiness. So leave me here in this forest, Lakshmana, and go back to the fair city of Ayodhya.

Shloka 16 (aranya.62.16)

न तु अहम् ताम् विना सीताम् जीवेयम् हि कथंचन । गाढम् आश्लिष्य भरतो वाच्यो मत् वचनात् त्वया ॥ 62.16 ॥

na tu aham tām vinā sītām jīveyam hi kathaṃcana | gāḍham āśliṣya bharato vācyo mat vacanāt tvayā || 62.16 ||

for I truly cannot go on living without Sita, come what may. Embrace Bharata closely, and say to him on my behalf:

Shloka 17 (aranya.62.17)

अनुज्ञातो असि रामेण पालय इति वसुंधराम् । अंबा च मम कैकेयी सुमित्रा च त्वया विभो ॥ 62.17 ॥

anujñāto asi rāmeṇa pālaya iti vasuṃdharām | aṃbā ca mama kaikeyī sumitrā ca tvayā vibho || 62.17 ||

'You have Rama's leave — go and rule this earth.' And, mighty one, my mothers Kaikeyi and Sumitra —

Shloka 18 (aranya.62.18)

कौसल्या च यथा न्यायम् अभिवाद्या मम अज्ञया । रक्षणीया प्रयत्नेन भवता सा उक्त कारिणा ॥ 62.18 ॥

kausalyā ca yathā nyāyam abhivādyā mama ajñayā | rakṣaṇīyā prayatnena bhavatā sā ukta kāriṇā || 62.18 ||

and Kausalya, too, must be duly greeted in my name, and carefully looked after by you, ever heeding what she asks.

Shloka 19 (aranya.62.19)

सीतायाः च विनाशो अयम् मम च अमित्र सूदन । विस्तरेण जनन्या मे विनिवेद्य त्वया भवेत् ॥ 62.19 ॥

sītāyāḥ ca vināśo ayam mama ca amitra sūdana | vistareṇa jananyā me vinivedya tvayā bhavet || 62.19 ||

And this loss of Sita, and my own condition, slayer of foes, you must report to my mother in full detail.

Shloka 20 (aranya.62.20)

इति विलपति राघवो तु दीनो । वनम् उपगम्य तया विना सु केश्या । भय विकल मुखः तु लक्ष्मणो अपि । व्यथित मना भृशम् आतुरो बभूव ॥ 62.20 ॥

iti vilapati rāghavo tu dīno | vanam upagamya tayā vinā su keśyā | bhaya vikala mukhaḥ tu lakṣmaṇo api | vyathita manā bhṛśam āturo babhūva || 62.20 ||

Thus the wretched Raghava lamented, having come into this forest without her of the beautiful hair; and Lakshmana too, his face drained with fear, his heart troubled, grew deeply distressed.