The Banishment of Sita

Shloka 1 (uttara.45.1)

तेषां समुपविष्टानां सर्वेषां दीनचेतसाम् । उवाच वाक्यं काकुत्स्थो मुखेन परिशुष्यता ।। 45.1 ।।

teṣāṃ samupaviṣṭānāṃ sarveṣāṃ dīnacetasām | uvāca vākyaṃ kākutstho mukhena pariśuṣyatā || 45.1 ||

To all of them, seated there, their hearts sorrowful, Kakutstha spoke, his mouth dry with grief.

Shloka 2 (uttara.45.2)

सर्वे शृणुत भद्रं वो मा कुरुध्वं मनो ऽन्यथा । पौराणां मम सीतायां यादृशी वर्तते कथा ।। 45.2 ।।

sarve śṛṇuta bhadraṃ vo mā kurudhvaṃ mano 'nyathā | paurāṇāṃ mama sītāyāṃ yādṛśī vartate kathā || 45.2 ||

"Listen, all of you, may good befall you; do not let your minds turn elsewhere - hear what kind of talk the citizens are spreading about me, concerning Sita.

Shloka 3 (uttara.45.3)

पौरापवादः सुमहांस्तथा जनपदस्य च । वर्तते मयि बीभत्सा सा मे मर्माणि कृन्तति ।। 45.3 ।।

paurāpavādaḥ sumahāṃstathā janapadasya ca | vartate mayi bībhatsā sā me marmāṇi kṛntati || 45.3 ||

Very great slander from the citizens, and from the people of the countryside as well, has fallen upon me; this loathsome talk cuts into my very vitals.

Shloka 4 (uttara.45.4)

अहं किल कुले जात इक्ष्वाकूणां महात्मनाम् । सीता ऽपि सत्कुले जाता जनकानां महात्मनाम् ।। 45.4 ।।

ahaṃ kila kule jāta ikṣvākūṇāṃ mahātmanām | sītā 'pi satkule jātā janakānāṃ mahātmanām || 45.4 ||

I, it is said, was born in the noble line of the great-souled Ikshvakus; Sita too was born in the noble line of the great-souled Janakas.

Shloka 5 (uttara.45.5)

जानासि त्वं यथा सौम्य दण्डके विजने वने । रावणेन हृता सीता स च विध्वंसितो मया ।। 45.5 ।।

jānāsi tvaṃ yathā saumya daṇḍake vijane vane | rāvaṇena hṛtā sītā sa ca vidhvaṃsito mayā || 45.5 ||

You know, O gentle one, how in the lonely Dandaka forest Sita was carried off by Ravana, and how he was destroyed by me.

Shloka 6 (uttara.45.6)

तत्र मे बुद्धिरुत्पन्ना जनकस्य सुतां प्रति । अत्रोषितामिमां सीतामानयेयं कथं पुरीम् ।। 45.6 ।।

tatra me buddhirutpannā janakasya sutāṃ prati | atroṣitāmimāṃ sītāmānayeyaṃ kathaṃ purīm || 45.6 ||

There, this thought arose in me regarding Janaka's daughter: how could I bring this Sita, who had dwelt there, into the city?

Shloka 7 (uttara.45.7)

प्रत्ययार्थं ततः सीता विवेश ज्वलनं तदा । प्रत्यक्षं तव सौमित्रे देवानां हव्यवाहनः । अपापां मैथिलीमाह वायुश्चाकाशगोचरः ।। 45.7 ।।

pratyayārthaṃ tataḥ sītā viveśa jvalanaṃ tadā | pratyakṣaṃ tava saumitre devānāṃ havyavāhanaḥ | apāpāṃ maithilīmāha vāyuścākāśagocaraḥ || 45.7 ||

So then, to establish proof, Sita entered the fire; in your very presence, O Saumitri, Havyavahana, the oblation-bearer of the gods, and Vayu, moving through the sky, declared Maithili sinless.

Shloka 8 (uttara.45.8)

चन्द्रादित्यौ च शंसेते सुराणां सन्निधौ पुरा । ऋषीणां चैव सर्वेषामपापां जनकात्मजाम् ।। 45.8 ।।

candrādityau ca śaṃsete surāṇāṃ sannidhau purā | ṛṣīṇāṃ caiva sarveṣāmapāpāṃ janakātmajām || 45.8 ||

And the Moon and the Sun too, in the presence of the gods and of all the sages, at that time declared Janaka's daughter sinless.

Shloka 9 (uttara.45.9)

एवं शुद्धसमाचारा देवगन्धर्वसन्निधौ । लङ्काद्वीपे महेन्द्रेण मम हस्ते निवेशिता ।। 45.9 ।।

evaṃ śuddhasamācārā devagandharvasannidhau | laṅkādvīpe mahendreṇa mama haste niveśitā || 45.9 ||

Thus, of purified conduct, in the presence of gods and gandharvas, on the island of Lanka, she was placed in my hand by Mahendra himself.

Shloka 10 (uttara.45.10)

अन्तरात्मा च मे वेत्ति सीतां शुद्धां यशस्विनीम् । ततो गृहीत्वा वैदेहीमयोध्यामहमागतः ।। 45.10 ।।

antarātmā ca me vetti sītāṃ śuddhāṃ yaśasvinīm | tato gṛhītvā vaidehīmayodhyāmahamāgataḥ || 45.10 ||

And my own inner soul knows Sita to be pure and glorious. Then, taking Vaidehi, I came to Ayodhya.

Shloka 11 (uttara.45.11)

अयं तु मे महान्वादः शोकश्च हृदि वर्तते । पौरापवादः सुमहांस्तथा जनपदस्य च ।। 45.11 ।।

ayaṃ tu me mahānvādaḥ śokaśca hṛdi vartate | paurāpavādaḥ sumahāṃstathā janapadasya ca || 45.11 ||

Yet this great dispute and grief now abides in my heart - the very great slander of the citizens, and of the people of the countryside as well.

Shloka 12 (uttara.45.12)

अकीर्तिर्यस्य गीयेत लोके भूतस्य कस्यचित् । पतत्येवाधमाँल्लोकान्यावच्छब्दः प्रकीर्त्यते ।। 45.12 ।।

akīrtiryasya gīyeta loke bhūtasya kasyacit | patatyevādhamā~llokānyāvacchabdaḥ prakīrtyate || 45.12 ||

Whenever ill fame is sung of any being that ever lived, that being falls indeed into the lowest worlds, for as long as that report is spread abroad.

Shloka 13 (uttara.45.13)

अकीर्तिर्निन्द्यते देवैः कीर्तिर्लोकेषु पूज्यते । कीर्त्यर्थं तु समारम्भः सर्वेषां सुमहात्मनाम् ।। 45.13 ।।

akīrtirnindyate devaiḥ kīrtirlokeṣu pūjyate | kīrtyarthaṃ tu samārambhaḥ sarveṣāṃ sumahātmanām || 45.13 ||

Ill fame is condemned even by the gods, good fame is honoured in all the worlds; and it is for the sake of fame that every great soul undertakes his labours.

Shloka 14 (uttara.45.14)

अप्यहं जीवितं जह्यां युष्मान्वा पुरुषर्षभाः । अपवादभयाद्भीतः किं पुनर्जनकात्मजाम् ।। 45.14 ।।

apyahaṃ jīvitaṃ jahyāṃ yuṣmānvā puruṣarṣabhāḥ | apavādabhayādbhītaḥ kiṃ punarjanakātmajām || 45.14 ||

O bulls among men, out of fear of ill report I would give up even my own life, or even you - how much more, then, Janaka's daughter?

Shloka 15 (uttara.45.15)

तस्माद्भवन्तः पश्यन्तु पतितं शोकसागरे । नहि पश्याम्यहं भूतं किञ्चिद्दुःखमतो ऽधिकम् ।। 45.15 ।।

tasmādbhavantaḥ paśyantu patitaṃ śokasāgare | nahi paśyāmyahaṃ bhūtaṃ kiñcidduḥkhamato 'dhikam || 45.15 ||

Therefore, may you all see me fallen into an ocean of grief; for I do not see, among any being that has ever lived, any sorrow greater than this.

Shloka 16 (uttara.45.16)

श्वस्त्वं प्रभाते सौमित्रे सुमन्त्राधिष्ठितं रथम् । आरुह्य सीतामारोप्य विषयान्ते समुत्सृज ।। 45.16 ।।

śvastvaṃ prabhāte saumitre sumantrādhiṣṭhitaṃ ratham | āruhya sītāmāropya viṣayānte samutsṛja || 45.16 ||

Tomorrow at dawn, O Saumitri, mount the chariot driven by Sumantra, and, placing Sita in it, leave her at the border of the kingdom.

Shloka 17 (uttara.45.17)

गङ्गायास्तु परे पारे वाल्मीकेस्तु महात्मनः । आश्रमो दिव्यसङ्काशस्तमसातीरमाश्रितः ।। 45.17 ।।

gaṅgāyāstu pare pāre vālmīkestu mahātmanaḥ | āśramo divyasaṅkāśastamasātīramāśritaḥ || 45.17 ||

On the far bank of the Ganga is the hermitage of the great soul Valmiki, divine in appearance, situated on the bank of the Tamasa.

Shloka 18 (uttara.45.18)

तत्रैनां विजने देशे विसृज्य रघुनन्दन । शीघ्रमागच्छ भद्रं ते कुरुष्व वचनं मम ।। 45.18 ।।

tatraināṃ vijane deśe visṛjya raghunandana | śīghramāgaccha bhadraṃ te kuruṣva vacanaṃ mama || 45.18 ||

O delight of the Raghus, having left her there in that lonely place, come back quickly; may good befall you - do as I say.

Shloka 19 (uttara.45.19)

न चास्मिन् प्रतिवक्तव्यः सीतां प्रति कथञ्चन । तस्मात्त्वं गच्छ सौमित्रे नात्र कार्या विचारणा ।। 45.19 ।।

na cāsmin prativaktavyaḥ sītāṃ prati kathañcana | tasmāttvaṃ gaccha saumitre nātra kāryā vicāraṇā || 45.19 ||

No word of protest should be spoken to me in this matter concerning Sita, in any way whatsoever. Therefore go, O Saumitri; no deliberation is to be made in this.

Shloka 20 (uttara.45.20)

अप्रीतिर्हि परा मह्यं त्वयेतत्प्रतिवारिते । शापिता हि मया यूयं भुजाभ्यां जीवितेन च ।। 45.20 ।।

aprītirhi parā mahyaṃ tvayetatprativārite | śāpitā hi mayā yūyaṃ bhujābhyāṃ jīvitena ca || 45.20 ||

For if this were opposed by you, it would cause me the utmost displeasure; for I have bound you all by oath, upon my own arms and my very life.

Shloka 21 (uttara.45.21)

ये मां वाक्यान्तरे ब्रूयुरनुनेतुं कथञ्चन । अहिता नाम ते नित्यं मदभीष्टविघातनात् ।। 45.21 ।।

ye māṃ vākyāntare brūyuranunetuṃ kathañcana | ahitā nāma te nityaṃ madabhīṣṭavighātanāt || 45.21 ||

Whoever should speak to me, in between, in any way, to dissuade me - they are, in truth, forever my enemies, for they would thwart my heart's desire.

Shloka 22 (uttara.45.22)

मानयन्तु भवन्तो मां यदि मच्छासने स्थिताः । इतो ऽद्य नीयतां सीता कुरुष्व वचनं मम ।। 45.22 ।।

mānayantu bhavanto māṃ yadi macchāsane sthitāḥ | ito 'dya nīyatāṃ sītā kuruṣva vacanaṃ mama || 45.22 ||

If you all honour me, and remain within my command, let Sita be taken away from here today; do as I say.

Shloka 23 (uttara.45.23)

पूर्वमुक्तो ऽहमनया गङ्गातीरे महाश्रमान् । पश्येयमिति तस्याश्च कामः संवर्त्यतामयम् ।। 45.23 ।।

pūrvamukto 'hamanayā gaṅgātīre mahāśramān | paśyeyamiti tasyāśca kāmaḥ saṃvartyatāmayam || 45.23 ||

I was earlier told by her, 'I wish to see the great hermitages on the bank of the Ganga' - let this very desire of hers now be brought to pass."

Shloka 24 (uttara.45.24)

एवमुक्त्वा तु काकुत्स्थो बाष्पेण पिहिताननः । प्रविवेश स धर्मात्मा भ्रातृभिः परिवारितः ।। 45.24 ।।

evamuktvā tu kākutstho bāṣpeṇa pihitānanaḥ | praviveśa sa dharmātmā bhrātṛbhiḥ parivāritaḥ || 45.24 ||

Having said this, Kakutstha, his face veiled with tears, that righteous soul, went within, surrounded by his brothers,

Shloka 25 (uttara.45.25)

शोकसंलग्नहृदयो निशश्वास यथा द्विपः ।। 45.25 ।।

śokasaṃlagnahṛdayo niśaśvāsa yathā dvipaḥ || 45.25 ||

his heart bound fast with grief, sighing heavily, like an elephant.