Sita's Lament

Shloka 1 (sundara.25.1)

अथ तासां वदन्तीनां परुषं दारुणं बहु । राक्षसीनामसौम्यानां रुरोद जनकात्मजा ॥ १ ॥

atha tāsāṃ vadantīnāṃ paruṣaṃ dāruṇaṃ bahu | rākṣasīnāmasaumyānāṃ ruroda janakātmajā || 1 ||

Then, as those unlovely rakshasis kept speaking so much that was harsh and dreadful, the daughter of Janaka wept.

Shloka 2 (sundara.25.2)

एवमुक्ता तु वैदेही राक्षसीभिर्मनस्विनी । उवाच परमत्रस्ता बाष्पगद्गदया गिरा ॥ २ ॥

evamuktā tu vaidehī rākṣasībhirmanasvinī | uvāca paramatrastā bāṣpagadgadayā girā || 2 ||

Thus addressed by the rakshasis, wise Vaidehi, utterly terrified, spoke in a voice choked with tears:

Shloka 3 (sundara.25.3)

न मानुषी राक्षसस्य भार्या भवितुमर्हति । कामं खादत मां सर्वा न करिष्यामि वो वचः ॥ ३ ॥

na mānuṣī rākṣasasya bhāryā bhavitumarhati | kāmaṃ khādata māṃ sarvā na kariṣyāmi vo vacaḥ || 3 ||

"It is not fitting for a human woman to become the wife of a rakshasa. Freely, all of you, devour me as you wish — I will not do as you say."

Shloka 4 (sundara.25.4)

सा राक्षसीमध्यगता सीता सुरसुतोपमा । न शर्म लेभे शोकार्ता रावणेनेव भर्त्सिता ॥ ४ ॥

sā rākṣasīmadhyagatā sītā surasutopamā | na śarma lebhe śokārtā rāvaṇeneva bhartsitā || 4 ||

Sita, surrounded by rakshasis and threatened besides by Ravana, found no comfort at all, tormented by grief though she was like a daughter of the gods.

Shloka 5 (sundara.25.5)

वेपते स्माधिकं सीता विशन्तीवांगमात्मनः । वने यूथपरिभ्रष्टा मृगी कोकैरिवार्दिता ॥ ५ ॥

vepate smādhikaṃ sītā viśantīvāṃgamātmanaḥ | vane yūthaparibhraṣṭā mṛgī kokairivārditā || 5 ||

Sita trembled violently, as though shrinking into her own body, like a doe separated from its herd in the forest and harried by wolves.

Shloka 6 (sundara.25.6)

सा त्वशोकस्य विपुलां शाखामालम्ब्य पुष्पिताम् । चिन्तयामास शोकेन भर्तारं भग्नमानसा ॥ ६ ॥

sā tvaśokasya vipulāṃ śākhāmālambya puṣpitām | cintayāmāsa śokena bhartāraṃ bhagnamānasā || 6 ||

Clinging to a wide, flowering branch of the Ashoka tree, her mind shattered with grief, she gave herself over to thinking of her husband.

Shloka 7 (sundara.25.7)

सा स्नापयन्ती विपुलौ स्तनौ नेत्रजलस्रवैः । चिन्तयन्ती न शोकस्य तदान्तमधिगच्छति ॥ ७ ॥

sā snāpayantī vipulau stanau netrajalasravaiḥ | cintayantī na śokasya tadāntamadhigacchati || 7 ||

Bathing her full breasts with the streams flowing from her eyes, lost in her thoughts, she could not find an end to her sorrow.

Shloka 8 (sundara.25.8)

सा वेपमाना पतिता प्रवाते कदली यथा । राक्षसीनां भयत्रस्ता विवर्णवदनाभवत् ॥ ८ ॥

sā vepamānā patitā pravāte kadalī yathā | rākṣasīnāṃ bhayatrastā vivarṇavadanābhavat || 8 ||

Trembling, she was like a plantain tree fallen in a great gale; terrified by fear of the rakshasis, her face lost all its color.

Shloka 9 (sundara.25.9)

तस्याः सा दीर्घबहुला वेपन्त्याः सीतया तदा । ददृशे कम्पिता वेणी व्यालीव परिसर्पती ॥ ९ ॥

tasyāḥ sā dīrghabahulā vepantyāḥ sītayā tadā | dadṛśe kampitā veṇī vyālīva parisarpatī || 9 ||

That long, thick braid of hers, trembling as she shook, appeared like a serpent gliding and writhing.

Shloka 10 (sundara.25.10)

सा निःश्वसन्ती शोकार्ता कोपोपहतचेतना । आर्ता व्यसृजदश्रूणि मैथिली विललाप च ॥ १० ॥

sā niḥśvasantī śokārtā kopopahatacetanā | ārtā vyasṛjadaśrūṇi maithilī vilalāpa ca || 10 ||

Sighing, tormented by grief, her mind struck down by anguish, that afflicted Maithili let fall her tears and gave herself over to lament:

Shloka 11 (sundara.25.11)

हा रामेति च दुःखार्ता हा पुनर्लक्ष्मणेति च । हा श्वश्रूर्मम कौसल्ये हा सुमित्रेति भामिनी ॥ ११ ॥

hā rāmeti ca duḥkhārtā hā punarlakṣmaṇeti ca | hā śvaśrūrmama kausalye hā sumitreti bhāminī || 11 ||

"Alas, Rama!" cried that sorrowing woman, "and alas, Lakshmana too! Alas, my mother-in-law Kausalya! Alas, Sumitra!"

Shloka 12 (sundara.25.12)

लोकप्रवादः सत्योऽयं पण्डितैः समुदाहृतः । अकाले दुर्लभो मृत्युः स्त्रिया वा पुरुषस्य वा ॥ १२ ॥

lokapravādaḥ satyo'yaṃ paṇḍitaiḥ samudāhṛtaḥ | akāle durlabho mṛtyuḥ striyā vā puruṣasya vā || 12 ||

"True indeed is this saying repeated among the wise the world over: death untimely is hard to come by, whether for a woman or for a man."

Shloka 13 (sundara.25.13)

यत्राहमाभिः क्रूराभी राक्षसीभिरिहार्दिता । जीवामि हीना रामेण मुहूर्तमपि दुःखिता ॥ १३ ॥

yatrāhamābhiḥ krūrābhī rākṣasībhirihārditā | jīvāmi hīnā rāmeṇa muhūrtamapi duḥkhitā || 13 ||

"For here I am, tormented by these cruel rakshasis, and yet I go on living, deprived of Rama, sorrowing, even for a single moment."

Shloka 14 (sundara.25.14)

एषाल्पपुण्या कृपणा विनशिष्याम्यनाथवत् । समुद्रमध्ये नौः पूर्णा वायुवेगैरिवाहता ॥ १४ ॥

eṣālpapuṇyā kṛpaṇā vinaśiṣyāmyanāthavat | samudramadhye nauḥ pūrṇā vāyuvegairivāhatā || 14 ||

"I, of little merit and wretched, shall perish helplessly like a laden ship in the midst of the ocean, battered by the force of the winds."

Shloka 15 (sundara.25.15)

भर्तारं तमपश्यन्ती राक्षसीवशमागता । सीदामि खलु शोकेन कूलं तोयहतं यथा ॥ १५ ॥

bhartāraṃ tamapaśyantī rākṣasīvaśamāgatā | sīdāmi khalu śokena kūlaṃ toyahataṃ yathā || 15 ||

"Not seeing my husband, and having fallen under the power of the rakshasis, I am truly sinking with grief, like a riverbank worn away by the water."

Shloka 16 (sundara.25.16)

तं पद्मदलपत्राक्षं सिंहविक्रान्तगामिनम् । धन्याः पश्यन्ति मे नाथं कृतज्ञं प्रियवादिनम् ॥ १६ ॥

taṃ padmadalapatrākṣaṃ siṃhavikrāntagāminam | dhanyāḥ paśyanti me nāthaṃ kṛtajñaṃ priyavādinam || 16 ||

"Only the truly blessed behold that lord of mine, with eyes like lotus petals, walking with a lion's stride, grateful and sweet of speech."

Shloka 17 (sundara.25.17)

सर्वथा तेन हीनाया रामेण विदितात्मना । तीक्ष्णं विषमिवास्वाद्य दुर्लभं मम जीवनम् ॥ १७ ॥

sarvathā tena hīnāyā rāmeṇa viditātmanā | tīkṣṇaṃ viṣamivāsvādya durlabhaṃ mama jīvanam || 17 ||

"Wholly deprived of that Rama of noble soul, my life, having tasted a bitter poison, has become impossible to sustain."

Shloka 18 (sundara.25.18)

कीदृशं तु महापापं मया देहान्तरे कृतम् । तेनेदं प्राप्यते घोरं महादुःखं सुदारुणम् ॥ १८ ॥

kīdṛśaṃ tu mahāpāpaṃ mayā dehāntare kṛtam | tenedaṃ prāpyate ghoraṃ mahāduḥkhaṃ sudāruṇam || 18 ||

"What great sin, then, did I commit in some other life, that I now obtain this terrible, dreadful, and immense sorrow?"

Shloka 19 (sundara.25.19)

जीवितं त्यक्तुमिच्छामि शोकेन महता वृता । राक्षसीभिश्च रक्ष्यन्त्या रामो नासाद्यते मया ॥ १९ ॥

jīvitaṃ tyaktumicchāmi śokena mahatā vṛtā | rākṣasībhiśca rakṣyantyā rāmo nāsādyate mayā || 19 ||

"Overcome by this great grief, I wish to give up my life — yet even this desire is not within my reach, for I am closely guarded by the rakshasis, and Rama does not reach me."

Shloka 20 (sundara.25.20)

धिगस्तु खलु मानुष्यं धिगस्तु परवश्यताम् । न शक्यं यत् परित्यक्तुमात्मच्छन्देन जीवितम् ॥ २० ॥

dhigastu khalu mānuṣyaṃ dhigastu paravaśyatām | na śakyaṃ yat parityaktumātmacchandena jīvitam || 20 ||

"A curse, truly, upon this human condition; a curse upon being at another's mercy — that it is not possible even to give up one's own life by one's own will."