Ravana's Deception of Sita

Shloka 1 (yuddha.47.1)

तस्मिन् प्रविष्टे लङ्कायां कृतार्थे रावणात्मजे। राघवं परिवार्याथ ररक्षुर्वानरर्षभाः ॥ 47.1 ॥

tasmin praviṣṭe laṅkāyāṃ kṛtārthe rāvaṇātmaje| rāghavaṃ parivāryātha rarakṣurvānararṣabhāḥ || 47.1 ||

When Ravana's son, his purpose accomplished, had entered Lanka, the foremost of monkeys gathered round Raghava and kept watch over him.

Shloka 2 (yuddha.47.2)

हनुमानङ्गदो नीलः सुषेणः कुमुदो नलः। गजो गवाक्षो गवयः शरभो गन्धमादनः ॥ 47.2 ॥

hanumānaṅgado nīlaḥ suṣeṇaḥ kumudo nalaḥ| gajo gavākṣo gavayaḥ śarabho gandhamādanaḥ || 47.2 ||

Hanuman, Angada, Nila, Sushena, Kumuda, Nala, Gaja, Gavaksha, Gavaya, Sharabha, Gandhamadana --

Shloka 3 (yuddha.47.3)

जाम्बवानृषभः स्कन्धो रम्भः शतबलिः पृथुः। व्यूढानीकाश्च यत्ताश्च द्रुमानादाय सर्वतः ॥ 47.3 ॥

jāmbavānṛṣabhaḥ skandho rambhaḥ śatabaliḥ pṛthuḥ| vyūḍhānīkāśca yattāśca drumānādāya sarvataḥ || 47.3 ||

-- Jambavan, Rishabha, Skandha, Rambha, Shatabali, and Prithu, all these arrayed their ranks in battle order, and, watchful, took up trees on every side --

Shloka 4 (yuddha.47.4)

वीक्षमाणा दिशः सर्वास्तिर्यगूर्ध्वं च वानराः। तृणेष्वपि च चेष्टत्सु राक्षसा इति मेनिरे ॥ 47.4 ॥

vīkṣamāṇā diśaḥ sarvāstiryagūrdhvaṃ ca vānarāḥ| tṛṇeṣvapi ca ceṣṭatsu rākṣasā iti menire || 47.4 ||

-- and the monkeys kept watch on every quarter, sideways and above; and if even a blade of grass so much as stirred, they cried, “A rakshasa!”

Shloka 5 (yuddha.47.5)

रावणश्चापि संहृष्टो विसृज्येन्द्रजितं सुतम्। आजुहाव ततः सीतारक्षणी राक्षसीस्तदा ॥ 47.5 ॥

rāvaṇaścāpi saṃhṛṣṭo visṛjyendrajitaṃ sutam| ājuhāva tataḥ sītārakṣaṇī rākṣasīstadā || 47.5 ||

Ravana too, overjoyed, dismissed his son Indrajit, and thereupon summoned the rakshasi women who guarded Sita.

Shloka 6 (yuddha.47.6)

राक्षस्यस्त्रिजटा चापि शासनात् तमुपस्थिताः। ता उवाच ततो हृष्टो राक्षसी राक्षसाधिपः ॥ 47.6 ॥

rākṣasyastrijaṭā cāpi śāsanāt tamupasthitāḥ| tā uvāca tato hṛṣṭo rākṣasī rākṣasādhipaḥ || 47.6 ||

Those rakshasi women, along with Trijata, came before him at his command; and the lord of rakshasas, delighted, spoke to those demon-women:

Shloka 7 (yuddha.47.7)

हताविन्द्रजिताख्यात वैदेह्या रामलक्ष्मणौ। पुष्पकं तत्समारोप्य दर्शयध्वं रणे हतौ ॥ 47.7 ॥

hatāvindrajitākhyāta vaidehyā rāmalakṣmaṇau| puṣpakaṃ tatsamāropya darśayadhvaṃ raṇe hatau || 47.7 ||

“Tell the Videha princess that Rama and Lakshmana have been slain by Indrajit. Set her upon the Pushpaka, and show her the two of them fallen in battle.”

Shloka 8 (yuddha.47.8)

यदाश्रयादवष्टब्धा नेयं मामुपतिष्ठते। सोऽस्या भर्ता सह भ्रात्रा निहतो रणमूर्धनि ॥ 47.8 ॥

yadāśrayādavaṣṭabdhā neyaṃ māmupatiṣṭhate| so'syā bhartā saha bhrātrā nihato raṇamūrdhani || 47.8 ||

“He, on whose support relying she has held herself back from me till now, that husband of hers lies slain, together with his brother, at the head of the battlefield.”

Shloka 9 (yuddha.47.9)

निर्विशङ्का निरुद्विग्ना निरपेक्षा च मैथिली। मामुपस्थास्यते सीता सर्वाभरणभूषिता ॥ 47.9 ॥

nirviśaṅkā nirudvignā nirapekṣā ca maithilī| māmupasthāsyate sītā sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā || 47.9 ||

“Free of doubt, free of anguish, with no hope left elsewhere, Sita of Mithila, adorned in all her jewels, will now come to me of her own accord.”

Shloka 10 (yuddha.47.10)

अद्य कालवशं प्राप्तं रणे रामं सलक्ष्मणम्। अवेक्ष्य विनिवृत्ता सा चान्यां गतिमपश्यती ॥ 47.10 ॥

adya kālavaśaṃ prāptaṃ raṇe rāmaṃ salakṣmaṇam| avekṣya vinivṛttā sā cānyāṃ gatimapaśyatī || 47.10 ||

“Today, seeing Rama, together with Lakshmana, fallen under the sway of death on the battlefield, and finding no other refuge, she will turn back --”

Shloka 11 (yuddha.47.11)

अनपेक्षा विशालाक्षी मामुपस्थास्यते स्वयम्। तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा रावणस्य दुरात्मनः ॥ 47.11 ॥

anapekṣā viśālākṣī māmupasthāsyate svayam| tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā rāvaṇasya durātmanaḥ || 47.11 ||

“-- and that large-eyed woman, with no expectation left, will come to me of herself.” Hearing this speech of the evil-souled Ravana --

Shloka 12 (yuddha.47.12)

राक्षस्यस्तास्तथेत्युक्त्वा जग्मुर्वै यत्र पुष्पकम्। ततः पुष्पकमादाय राक्षस्यो रावणाज्ञया ॥ 47.12 ॥

rākṣasyastāstathetyuktvā jagmurvai yatra puṣpakam| tataḥ puṣpakamādāya rākṣasyo rāvaṇājñayā || 47.12 ||

-- those rakshasi women said, “So be it,” and went to where the Pushpaka stood; then, by Ravana's command, the rakshasi women took the Pushpaka --

Shloka 13 (yuddha.47.13)

अशोकवनिकास्थां तां मैथिलीं समुपानयन्। तामादाय तु राक्षस्यो भर्तृशोकपराजिताम् ॥ 47.13 ॥

aśokavanikāsthāṃ tāṃ maithilīṃ samupānayan| tāmādāya tu rākṣasyo bhartṛśokaparājitām || 47.13 ||

-- and brought it near to Mithila's princess, who was staying in the Ashoka grove; and taking up that lady, overcome with grief for her husband --

Shloka 14 (yuddha.47.14)

सीतामारोपयामासुर्विमानं पुष्पकं तदा। ततः पुष्पकमारोप्य सीतां त्रिजटया सह ॥ 47.14 ॥

sītāmāropayāmāsurvimānaṃ puṣpakaṃ tadā| tataḥ puṣpakamāropya sītāṃ trijaṭayā saha || 47.14 ||

-- the rakshasi women then made Sita ascend the Pushpaka craft; and having set Sita, together with Trijata, upon the Pushpaka --

Shloka 15 (yuddha.47.15)

जग्मुर्दर्शयितुं तस्यै राक्षस्यो रामलक्ष्मणौ। रावणश्चारयामास पताकाध्वजमालिनीम् ॥ 47.15 ॥

jagmurdarśayituṃ tasyai rākṣasyo rāmalakṣmaṇau| rāvaṇaścārayāmāsa patākādhvajamālinīm || 47.15 ||

-- the rakshasi women went to show her Rama and Lakshmana. Ravana, meanwhile, had Lanka decked out, garlanded with flags and banners --

Shloka 16 (yuddha.47.16)

प्राघोषयत हृष्टश्च लङ्कायां राक्षसेश्वरः। राघवो लक्ष्मणश्चैव हताविन्द्रजिता रणे ॥ 47.16 ॥

prāghoṣayata hṛṣṭaśca laṅkāyāṃ rākṣaseśvaraḥ| rāghavo lakṣmaṇaścaiva hatāvindrajitā raṇe || 47.16 ||

-- and the lord of rakshasas, rejoicing, caused a proclamation to be made throughout Lanka that Raghava and Lakshmana had been slain in battle by Indrajit.

Shloka 17 (yuddha.47.17)

विमानेनापि गत्वा तु सीता त्रिजटया सह। ददर्श वानराणां तु सर्वं सैन्यं निपातितम् ॥ 47.17 ॥

vimānenāpi gatvā tu sītā trijaṭayā saha| dadarśa vānarāṇāṃ tu sarvaṃ sainyaṃ nipātitam || 47.17 ||

Sita, journeying in that flying craft together with Trijata, saw the entire host of monkeys lying struck down.

Shloka 18 (yuddha.47.18)

प्रहृष्टमनसश्चापि ददर्श पिशिताशनान्। वानरांश्चातिदुःखार्तान् रामलक्ष्मणपार्श्वतः ॥ 47.18 ॥

prahṛṣṭamanasaścāpi dadarśa piśitāśanān| vānarāṃścātiduḥkhārtān rāmalakṣmaṇapārśvataḥ || 47.18 ||

She saw the flesh-eating demons, their hearts full of joy, and the monkeys, overwhelmed with grief, standing beside Rama and Lakshmana.

Shloka 19 (yuddha.47.19)

ततः सीता ददर्शोभौ शयानौ शरतल्पगौ। लक्ष्मणं चैव रामं च विसंज्ञौ शरपीडितौ ॥ 47.19 ॥

tataḥ sītā dadarśobhau śayānau śaratalpagau| lakṣmaṇaṃ caiva rāmaṃ ca visaṃjñau śarapīḍitau || 47.19 ||

Then Sita beheld both of them, Lakshmana and Rama, lying upon a bed of arrows, senseless, tormented by shafts --

Shloka 20 (yuddha.47.20)

विध्वस्तकवचौ वीरौ विप्रविद्धशरासनौ। सायकैश्छिन्नसर्वाङ्गौ शरस्तम्बमयौ क्षितौ ॥ 47.20 ॥

vidhvastakavacau vīrau vipraviddhaśarāsanau| sāyakaiśchinnasarvāṅgau śarastambamayau kṣitau || 47.20 ||

-- those two heroes, their armour shattered, their bows flung far away, their every limb torn by arrows, lying as if made of a mass of shafts upon the ground.

Shloka 21 (yuddha.47.21)

तौ दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरौ तत्र प्रवीरौ पुरुषर्षभौ। शयानौ पुण्डरीकाक्षौ कुमाराविव पावकी ॥ 47.21 ॥

tau dṛṣṭvā bhrātarau tatra pravīrau puruṣarṣabhau| śayānau puṇḍarīkākṣau kumārāviva pāvakī || 47.21 ||

Seeing those two brothers there, mighty heroes, foremost of men, lotus-eyed, lying there like the two sons of Fire --

Shloka 22 (yuddha.47.22)

शरतल्पगतौ वीरौ तथाभूतौ नरर्षभौ। दुःखार्ता करुणं सीता सुभृशं विललाप ह ॥ 47.22 ॥

śaratalpagatau vīrau tathābhūtau nararṣabhau| duḥkhārtā karuṇaṃ sītā subhṛśaṃ vilalāpa ha || 47.22 ||

-- those two heroes, foremost among men, stretched upon a bed of arrows in that wretched state, Sita, overcome with grief, wailed most piteously.

Shloka 23 (yuddha.47.23)

भर्तारमनवद्याङ्गी लक्ष्मणं चासितेक्षणा। प्रेक्ष्य पांसुषु चेष्टन्तौ रुरोद जनकात्मजा ॥ 47.23 ॥

bhartāramanavadyāṅgī lakṣmaṇaṃ cāsitekṣaṇā| prekṣya pāṃsuṣu ceṣṭantau ruroda janakātmajā || 47.23 ||

Beholding her husband and Lakshmana, lying stirring in the dust, that faultless-limbed, dark-eyed daughter of Janaka burst into sobs.

Shloka 24 (yuddha.47.24)

सबाष्पशोकाभिहता समीक्ष्य। तौ भ्रातरौ देवसुतप्रभावौ। वितर्कयन्ती निधनं तयोः सा। दुःखान्विता वाक्यमिदं जगाद ॥ 47.24 ॥

sabāṣpaśokābhihatā samīkṣya| tau bhrātarau devasutaprabhāvau| vitarkayantī nidhanaṃ tayoḥ sā| duḥkhānvitā vākyamidaṃ jagāda || 47.24 ||

Gazing upon those two brothers, radiant as the sons of gods, and overcome with tearful grief, she, believing them dead and consumed with sorrow, spoke these words: