Sita's Doubt and Prayer

Shloka 1 (sundara.32.1)

ततः शाखान्तरे लीनं दृष्ट्वा चलितमानसा । वेष्टितार्जुनवस्त्रं तं विद्युत्संघातपिंगलम् ॥ 32.1 ॥

tataḥ śākhāntare līnaṃ dṛṣṭvā calitamānasā | veṣṭitārjunavastraṃ taṃ vidyutsaṃghātapiṃgalam || 32.1 ||

Then, catching sight of him hidden among the branches -- her mind shaken -- wrapped in white cloth, tawny like a mass of flashing lightning --

Shloka 2 (sundara.32.2)

सा ददर्श कपिं तत्र प्रश्रितं प्रियवादिनम् । फुल्लाशोकोत्कराभासं तप्तचामीकरेक्षणम् ॥ 32.2 ॥

sā dadarśa kapiṃ tatra praśritaṃ priyavādinam | phullāśokotkarābhāsaṃ taptacāmīkarekṣaṇam || 32.2 ||

...she beheld there the monkey, humble and gentle-spoken, radiant like a cluster of blooming Ashoka blossoms, his eyes like molten gold.

Shloka 3 (sundara.32.3)

साथ दृष्ट्वा हरिश्रेष्ठं विनीतवदवस्थितम् । मैथिली चिन्तयामास विस्मयं परमं गता ॥ 32.3 ॥

sātha dṛṣṭvā hariśreṣṭhaṃ vinītavadavasthitam | maithilī cintayāmāsa vismayaṃ paramaṃ gatā || 32.3 ||

Seeing that foremost of monkeys standing there humbly, Maithili, overtaken by the greatest astonishment, began to think:

Shloka 4 (sundara.32.4)

अहो भीममिदं सत्त्वं वानरस्य दुरासदम् । दुर्निरीक्ष्यमिदं मत्वा पुनरेव मुमोह सा ॥ 32.4 ॥

aho bhīmamidaṃ sattvaṃ vānarasya durāsadam | durnirīkṣyamidaṃ matvā punareva mumoha sā || 32.4 ||

"Ah, this monkey-creature is fearsome, hard to approach!" Thinking it thus dreadful even to look upon, she swooned once more.

Shloka 5 (sundara.32.5)

विललाप भृशं सीता करुणं भयमोहिता । राम रामेति दुःखार्ता लक्ष्मणेति च भामिनी ॥ 32.5 ॥

vilalāpa bhṛśaṃ sītā karuṇaṃ bhayamohitā | rāma rāmeti duḥkhārtā lakṣmaṇeti ca bhāminī || 32.5 ||

Overwhelmed by fear, Sita lamented most piteously; that splendid lady, afflicted with grief, cried out "O Rama, Rama!" and "O Lakshmana!"

Shloka 6 (sundara.32.6)

रुरोद सहसा सीता मन्दमन्दस्वरा सती । साथ दृष्ट्वा हरिवरं विनीतवदुपागतम् । मैथिली चिन्तयामास स्वप्नोऽयमिति भामिनी ॥ 32.6 ॥

ruroda sahasā sītā mandamandasvarā satī | sātha dṛṣṭvā harivaraṃ vinītavadupāgatam | maithilī cintayāmāsa svapno'yamiti bhāminī || 32.6 ||

The chaste Sita suddenly wept, her voice faint and low. Then, seeing that best of monkeys approach with such humility, Maithili, the splendid one, thought this must be a dream.

Shloka 7 (sundara.32.7)

सा वीक्षमाणा पृथुभुग्नवक्त्रं शाखामृगेन्द्रस्य यथोक्तकारम् । ददर्श पिंगप्रवरं महार्हं वातात्मजं बुद्धिमतां वरिष्ठम् ॥ 32.7 ॥

sā vīkṣamāṇā pṛthubhugnavaktraṃ śākhāmṛgendrasya yathoktakāram | dadarśa piṃgapravaraṃ mahārhaṃ vātātmajaṃ buddhimatāṃ variṣṭham || 32.7 ||

Gazing at him she beheld the son of the Wind-god -- broad and curved of face, acting as the lord of monkeys had bidden, foremost among the tawny ones, greatly venerable, the very best of the wise.

Shloka 8 (sundara.32.8)

सा तं समीक्ष्यैव भृशं विपन्ना गतासुकल्पेव बभूव सीता । चिरेण संज्ञां प्रतिलभ्य चैवं विचिन्तयामास विशालनेत्रा ॥ 32.8 ॥

sā taṃ samīkṣyaiva bhṛśaṃ vipannā gatāsukalpeva babhūva sītā | cireṇa saṃjñāṃ pratilabhya caivaṃ vicintayāmāsa viśālanetrā || 32.8 ||

The very instant she beheld him, Sita became deeply distressed, almost as though lifeless. After a long while, regaining her senses, that wide-eyed lady thought thus:

Shloka 9 (sundara.32.9)

स्वप्नो मयायं विकृतोऽद्य दृष्टः शाखामृगः शास्त्रगणैर्निषिद्धः । स्वस्त्यस्तु रामाय सलक्ष्मणाय तथा पितुर्मे जनकस्य राज्ञः ॥ 32.9 ॥

svapno mayāyaṃ vikṛto'dya dṛṣṭaḥ śākhāmṛgaḥ śāstragaṇairniṣiddhaḥ | svastyastu rāmāya salakṣmaṇāya tathā piturme janakasya rājñaḥ || 32.9 ||

"Today I have seen in a dream this ill-formed monkey, forbidden as inauspicious by the body of scriptures. May it be well with Rama and Lakshmana, and with my father, King Janaka."

Shloka 10 (sundara.32.10)

स्वप्नो हि नायं नहि मेऽस्ति निद्रा शोकेन दुःखेन च पीडितायाः । सुखं हि मे नास्ति यतो विहीना तेनेन्दुपूर्णप्रतिमाननेन ॥ 32.10 ॥

svapno hi nāyaṃ nahi me'sti nidrā śokena duḥkhena ca pīḍitāyāḥ | sukhaṃ hi me nāsti yato vihīnā tenendupūrṇapratimānanena || 32.10 ||

"Yet this is surely not a dream, for I, tormented by grief and sorrow, have no sleep at all. There is no happiness for me, parted as I am from him whose face is like the full moon."

Shloka 11 (sundara.32.11)

रामेति रामेति सदैव बुद्ध्या विचिन्त्य वाचा ब्रुवती तमेव । तस्यानुरूपं च कथां तदर्था- मेवं प्रपश्यामि तथा शृणोमि ॥ 32.11 ॥

rāmeti rāmeti sadaiva buddhyā vicintya vācā bruvatī tameva | tasyānurūpaṃ ca kathāṃ tadarthā- mevaṃ prapaśyāmi tathā śṛṇomi || 32.11 ||

"Ever pondering with my mind and speaking with my voice of him alone -- Rama, Rama! -- it is for that reason that I now see and hear a story so fitting to him, of just such purport."

Shloka 12 (sundara.32.12)

अहं हि तस्याद्य मनोभवेन सम्पीडिता तद्गतसर्वभावा । विचिन्तयन्ती सततं तमेव तथैव पश्यामि तथा शृणोमि ॥ 32.12 ॥

ahaṃ hi tasyādya manobhavena sampīḍitā tadgatasarvabhāvā | vicintayantī satataṃ tameva tathaiva paśyāmi tathā śṛṇomi || 32.12 ||

"Tormented today by love's own anguish, my whole being turned wholly towards him, ever thinking of him alone -- thus indeed I see him, and thus I hear him."

Shloka 13 (sundara.32.13)

मनोरथः स्यादिति चिन्तयामि तथापि बुद्ध्यापि वितर्कयामि । किं कारणं तस्य हि नास्ति रूपं सुव्यक्तरूपश्च वदत्ययं माम् ॥ 32.13 ॥

manorathaḥ syāditi cintayāmi tathāpi buddhyāpi vitarkayāmi | kiṃ kāraṇaṃ tasya hi nāsti rūpaṃ suvyaktarūpaśca vadatyayaṃ mām || 32.13 ||

"I think it may be merely a wish of the mind, and yet I reason it out with my intellect too: for what cause does he -- who by rights has no form for such a longing -- speak to me here with a form so clearly manifest?"

Shloka 14 (sundara.32.14)

नमोऽस्तु वाचस्पतये सवज्रिणे स्वयम्भुवे चैव हुताशनाय । अनेन चोक्तं यदिदं ममाग्रतो वनौकसा तच्च तथास्तु नान्यथा ॥ 32.14 ॥

namo'stu vācaspataye savajriṇe svayambhuve caiva hutāśanāya | anena coktaṃ yadidaṃ mamāgrato vanaukasā tacca tathāstu nānyathā || 32.14 ||

"Salutation to Vachaspati together with the thunderbolt-wielder Indra, and to the Self-born One and to the Fire that consumes oblations! Whatever this forest-dweller has spoken before me -- let it be exactly so, and not otherwise!"