Sugriva's Account of the Abduction

Shloka 1 (kishkindha.6.1)

पुनरेव अब्रवीत् प्रीतः राघवम् रघुनन्दनम् । अयम् आख्याति ते राम सेवकः मन्त्रि सत्तमः ॥ 6.1 ॥

punareva abravīt prītaḥ rāghavam raghunandanam | ayam ākhyāti te rāma sevakaḥ mantri sattamaḥ

Then the gladdened Sugriva spoke again to Raghava, the joy of the Raghu race: "This excellent minister and servant of yours, O Rama, has told me—

Shloka 2 (kishkindha.6.2)

हनुमान् यन् निमित्तम् त्वम् निर्जनम् वनम् आगतः । लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा वसतः च वने तव ॥ 6.2 ॥

hanumān yan nimittam tvam nirjanam vanam āgataḥ | lakṣmaṇena saha bhrātrā vasataḥ ca vane tava

—Hanuman has told me for what reason you have come to this uninhabited forest together with your brother Lakshmana, and that while you dwelt in the forest—

Shloka 3 (kishkindha.6.3)

रक्षसा अपहृता भार्या मैथिली जनक आत्मजा । त्वया वियुक्ता रुदती लक्ष्मणेन च धीमता ॥ 6.3 ॥

rakṣasā apahṛtā bhāryā maithilī janaka ātmajā | tvayā viyuktā rudatī lakṣmaṇena ca dhīmatā

—that your wife Maithili, the daughter of Janaka, weeping and separated from you and from the wise Lakshmana, was carried off by a demon.

Shloka 4 (kishkindha.6.4)

अन्तरम् प्रेप्सुना तेन हत्वा गृध्रम् जटायुषम् । भार्या वियोगजम् दुःखम् प्रापितः तेन रक्षसा ॥ 6.4 ॥

antaram prepsunā tena hatvā gṛdhram jaṭāyuṣam | bhāryā viyogajam duḥkham prāpitaḥ tena rakṣasā

That demon, watching for his opportunity, slew the vulture Jatayu and thus brought upon you the anguish of separation from your wife.

Shloka 5 (kishkindha.6.5)

भर्या वियोगजम् दुःखम् न चिरात् त्वम् विमोक्ष्यसे । अहम् ताम् आनयिष्यामि नष्टाम् वेदश्रुतीम् इव ॥ 6.5 ॥

bharyā viyogajam duḥkham na cirāt tvam vimokṣyase | aham tām ānayiṣyāmi naṣṭām vedaśrutīm iva

Before long you will be freed from this sorrow of separation from your wife; I shall bring her back, as one retrieves a lost portion of the Veda.

Shloka 6 (kishkindha.6.6)

रसातले वा वर्तन्तीम् वर्तन्तीम् वा नभः तले । अहम् आनीय दास्यामि तव भार्याम् अरिन्दम ॥ 6.6 ॥

rasātale vā vartantīm vartantīm vā nabhaḥ tale | aham ānīya dāsyāmi tava bhāryām arindama

Whether she abides in the netherworld or anywhere beneath the sky, O slayer of foes, I shall bring your wife and give her back to you.

Shloka 7 (kishkindha.6.7)

इदम् तथ्यम् मम वचः त्वम् अवेहि च राघव । न शक्या सा जरयितुम् अपि सः इन्द्रैः सुर असुरैः ॥ 6.7 ॥

idam tathyam mama vacaḥ tvam avehi ca rāghava | na śakyā sā jarayitum api saḥ indraiḥ sura asuraiḥ

Know this word of mine to be true, O Raghava — she cannot be digested even by Indra together with all the gods and demons—

Shloka 8 (kishkindha.6.8)

तव भार्या महाबाहो भक्ष्यम् विष कृतम् यथा । त्यज शोकम् महाबाहो ताम् कान्ताम् आनयामि ते ॥ 6.8 ॥

tava bhāryā mahābāho bhakṣyam viṣa kṛtam yathā | tyaja śokam mahābāho tām kāntām ānayāmi te

—your wife, mighty-armed one, is like food laced with poison. Give up your grief, mighty-armed one; I shall bring that beloved one back to you.

Shloka 9 (kishkindha.6.9)

अनुमानात् तु जानामि मैथिली सा न संशयः । ह्रियमाणा मया दृष्टा रक्षसा रौद्र कर्मणा ॥ 6.9 ॥

anumānāt tu jānāmi maithilī sā na saṃśayaḥ | hriyamāṇā mayā dṛṣṭā rakṣasā raudra karmaṇā

Yet by inference I know, without doubt, that she was indeed Maithili — I saw her being carried off by that demon of cruel deed,

Shloka 10 (kishkindha.6.10)

क्रोशन्ती राम रामेति लक्ष्मणेति च विस्वरम् । स्फुरन्ती रावणस्य अन्के पन्नगेन्द्र वधूः यथा ॥ 6.10 ॥

krośantī rāma rāmeti lakṣmaṇeti ca visvaram | sphurantī rāvaṇasya anke pannagendra vadhūḥ yathā

—crying piteously 'Rama, Rama!' and 'Lakshmana!', writhing in Ravana's grasp like the wife of the serpent-king.

Shloka 11 (kishkindha.6.11)

आत्मना पञ्चमम् माम् हि दृष्ट्वा शैल तले स्थितम् । उत्तरीयम् तया त्यक्तम् शुभानि आभरणानि च ॥ 6.11 ॥

ātmanā pañcamam mām hi dṛṣṭvā śaila tale sthitam | uttarīyam tayā tyaktam śubhāni ābharaṇāni ca

Seeing me, myself the fifth, standing at the foot of the mountain, she let fall her upper garment and her auspicious ornaments.

Shloka 12 (kishkindha.6.12)

तानि अस्माभिः गृहीतानि निहितानि च राघव । आनयिष्यामि अहम् तानि प्रत्यभिज्ञातुम् अर्हसि ॥ 6.12 ॥

tāni asmābhiḥ gṛhītāni nihitāni ca rāghava | ānayiṣyāmi aham tāni pratyabhijñātum arhasi

We gathered them up, Raghava, and kept them safe; I shall fetch them for you, and you should be able to recognize them.

Shloka 13 (kishkindha.6.13)

तम् अब्रवीत् ततः रामः सुग्रीवम् प्रिय वादिनम् । आनयस्व सखे शीघ्रम् किम् अर्थम् प्रविलम्बसे ॥ 6.13 ॥

tam abravīt tataḥ rāmaḥ sugrīvam priya vādinam | ānayasva sakhe śīghram kim artham pravilambase

Then Rama said to that sweet-spoken Sugriva, 'Bring them quickly, my friend — why do you delay?'

Shloka 14 (kishkindha.6.14)

एवम् उक्तः तु सुग्रीवः शैलस्य गहनाम् गुहाम् । प्रविवेश ततः शीघ्रम् राघव प्रिय काम्यया ॥ 6.14 ॥

evam uktaḥ tu sugrīvaḥ śailasya gahanām guhām | praviveśa tataḥ śīghram rāghava priya kāmyayā

So addressed, Sugriva, eager to please Raghava, at once entered the deep cave of that mountain.

Shloka 15 (kishkindha.6.15)

उत्तरीयम् गृहीत्वा तु स तानि आभरणानि च । इदम् पश्य इति रामाय दर्शयामास वानरः ॥ 6.15 ॥

uttarīyam gṛhītvā tu sa tāni ābharaṇāni ca | idam paśya iti rāmāya darśayāmāsa vānaraḥ

Taking up the upper garment and those ornaments, the monkey showed them to Rama, saying, 'See — here they are.'

Shloka 16 (kishkindha.6.16)

ततो गृहीत्वा वासः तु शुभानि आभरणानि च । अभवत् बाष्प सम्रुद्धः नीहारेण इव चन्द्रमाः ॥ 6.16 ॥

tato gṛhītvā vāsaḥ tu śubhāni ābharaṇāni ca | abhavat bāṣpa samruddhaḥ nīhāreṇa iva candramāḥ

As soon as he took that garment and the auspicious ornaments in his hands, Rama's eyes filled with tears, like the moon veiled in mist.

Shloka 17 (kishkindha.6.17)

सीता स्नेह प्रवृत्तेन स तु बाष्पेण दूषितः । हा प्रिये इति रुदन् धैर्यम् उत्सृज्य न्यपतत् क्षितौ ॥ 6.17 ॥

sītā sneha pravṛttena sa tu bāṣpeṇa dūṣitaḥ | hā priye iti rudan dhairyam utsṛjya nyapatat kṣitau

Overwhelmed by tears welling up from his love for Sita, he lost his composure and, crying, 'Alas, my beloved!', fell to the ground.

Shloka 18 (kishkindha.6.18)

हृदि कृत्वा स बहुशः तम् अलंकारम् उत्तमम् । निशश्वास भृशम् सर्पः बिलस्थ इव रोषितः ॥ 6.18 ॥

hṛdi kṛtvā sa bahuśaḥ tam alaṃkāram uttamam | niśaśvāsa bhṛśam sarpaḥ bilastha iva roṣitaḥ

Clasping those fine ornaments to his heart again and again, he breathed heavily, like an angry serpent coiled in its hole.

Shloka 19 (kishkindha.6.19)

अविच्छिन्न अश्रु वेगः तु सौमित्रिम् प्रेक्ष्य पार्श्वतः । परिदेवयितुम् दीनम् रामः सम् उपचक्रमे ॥ 6.19 ॥

avicchinna aśru vegaḥ tu saumitrim prekṣya pārśvataḥ | paridevayitum dīnam rāmaḥ sam upacakrame

With tears streaming without pause, Rama looked at Lakshmana standing beside him and began to lament piteously.

Shloka 20 (kishkindha.6.20)

पश्य लक्ष्मण वैदेह्या संत्यक्तम् ह्रियमाणया । उत्तरीयम् इदम् भूमौ शरीराद् भूषणानि च ॥ 6.20 ॥

paśya lakṣmaṇa vaidehyā saṃtyaktam hriyamāṇayā | uttarīyam idam bhūmau śarīrād bhūṣaṇāni ca

'See, Lakshmana — this upper garment and these ornaments, which Vaidehi let fall from her body onto the ground as she was being carried away.'

Shloka 21 (kishkindha.6.21)

शाद्वलिन्याम् ध्रुवम् भूम्याम् सीतया ह्रियमाणया । उत्सृष्टम् भूषणाम् इदम् तथा रूपम् हि दृश्यते ॥ 6.21 ॥

śādvalinyām dhruvam bhūmyām sītayā hriyamāṇayā | utsṛṣṭam bhūṣaṇām idam tathā rūpam hi dṛśyate

'These ornaments must surely have been dropped by Sita as she was carried off, upon this grassy ground — for indeed they still appear unbroken, in their original form.'

Shloka 22 (kishkindha.6.22)

एवम् उक्तसः तु रामेण लक्ष्मणो वाक्यम् इदम् अब्रवीत् । न अहम् जानामि केयूरे न अहम् जानामि कुण्डले ॥ 6.22 ॥

evam uktasaḥ tu rāmeṇa lakṣmaṇo vākyam idam abravīt | na aham jānāmi keyūre na aham jānāmi kuṇḍale

When Rama had said this, Lakshmana spoke these words: 'I do not recognize these armlets, nor do I recognize these earrings—

Shloka 23 (kishkindha.6.23)

नूपुरे तु अभिजनामि नित्यम् पाद अभिवंदनात् । ततः तु राघवो वाक्यम् सुग्रीवम् इदम् अब्रवीत् ॥ 6.23 ॥

nūpure tu abhijanāmi nityam pāda abhivaṃdanāt | tataḥ tu rāghavo vākyam sugrīvam idam abravīt

—but these anklets I know well, for I have always bowed at her feet.' Then Raghava spoke these words to Sugriva—

Shloka 24 (kishkindha.6.24)

ब्रूहि सुग्रीव कम् देशम् ह्रियन्ती लक्षिता त्वया । रक्षसा रौद्ररूपेण मम प्राणप्रिया प्रिया ॥ 6.24 ॥

brūhi sugrīva kam deśam hriyantī lakṣitā tvayā | rakṣasā raudrarūpeṇa mama prāṇapriyā priyā

—'Tell me, Sugriva, in what direction did you see my beloved — dearer to me than life itself — being borne away by that demon of terrible form?'

Shloka 25 (kishkindha.6.25)

क्व वा वसति तत् रक्षः महत् व्यसनदम् मम । यन् निमित्तम् अहम् सर्वान् नाशयिष्यामि राक्षसान् ॥ 6.25 ॥

kva vā vasati tat rakṣaḥ mahat vyasanadam mama | yan nimittam aham sarvān nāśayiṣyāmi rākṣasān

'And where does that demon live who has brought this great calamity upon me — he for whose sake I shall annihilate the entire race of demons?'

Shloka 26 (kishkindha.6.26)

हरता मैथिलीम् येन माम् च रोषयता ध्रुवम् । आत्मनो जीवित अन्ताय मृत्यु द्वारम् अपावृतम् ॥ 6.26 ॥

haratā maithilīm yena mām ca roṣayatā dhruvam | ātmano jīvita antāya mṛtyu dvāram apāvṛtam

'He who carried off Maithili, and thereby surely roused my fury, has by that very act thrown open for himself the door of death.'

Shloka 27 (kishkindha.6.27)

मम दयित तमा हृता वनात् रजनिचरेण विमथ्य येन सा । कथय मम रिपुम् तम् अद्य वै प्लवगपते यम सन्निधिम् नयामि ॥ 6.27 ॥

mama dayita tamā hṛtā vanāt rajanicareṇa vimathya yena sā | kathaya mama ripum tam adya vai plavagapate yama sannidhim nayāmi

'O lord of monkeys, tell me now of that enemy of mine — the night-wandering demon who violently seized my most beloved one and carried her off from the forest — for this very day I shall send him into the presence of Yama.'