Rama's Lament by the Sea

Shloka 1 (yuddha.5.1)

सा तु नीलेन विधिवत्स्वारक्षा सुसमाहिता। सागरस्योत्तरे तीरे साधु सा विनिवेशिता॥ 5.1 ॥

sā tu nīlena vidhivat svārakṣā susamāhitā | sāgarasyottare tīre sādhu sā viniveśitā || 5.1 ||

That army, duly and thoroughly protected by Nila, was well stationed on the northern shore of the ocean.

Shloka 2 (yuddha.5.2)

मैन्दश्च द्विविदश्चोभौ तत्र वानरपुङ्गवौ। विचेरतुश्च तां सेनां रक्षार्थं सर्वतोदिशम्॥ 5.2 ॥

maindaśca dvividaścobhau tatra vānarapuṅgavau | viceratuśca tāṃ senāṃ rakṣārthaṃ sarvato diśam || 5.2 ||

There, both Mainda and Dvivida, those foremost of vanaras, patrolled that army in every direction to guard it.

Shloka 3 (yuddha.5.3)

निविष्टायां तु सेनायां तीरे नदनदीपतेः। पार्श्वस्थं लक्ष्मणं दृष्ट्वा रामो वचनमब्रवीत्॥ 5.3 ॥

niviṣṭāyāṃ tu senāyāṃ tīre nadanadīpateḥ | pārśvasthaṃ lakṣmaṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā rāmo vacanam abravīt || 5.3 ||

When the army had settled on the shore of the lord of rivers and streams, Rama, seeing Lakshmana standing beside him, spoke these words.

Shloka 4 (yuddha.5.4)

शोकश्च किल कालेन गच्छता ह्यपगच्छति। मम चापश्यतः कान्तामहन्यहनि वर्धते॥ 5.4 ॥

śokaśca kila kālena gacchatā hyapagacchati | mama cāpaśyataḥ kāntām ahany ahani vardhate || 5.4 ||

They say that sorrow fades as time passes; yet my anguish at not seeing my beloved only grows with every passing day.

Shloka 5 (yuddha.5.5)

न मे दुःखं प्रिया दूरे न मे दुःखं हृतेति च। एतदेवानुशोचामि वयोऽस्या ह्यतिवर्तते॥ 5.5 ॥

na me duḥkhaṃ priyā dūre na me duḥkhaṃ hṛteti ca | etad evānuśocāmi vayo'syā hy ativartate || 5.5 ||

It is not my sorrow that my beloved is far away, nor that she was carried off - I grieve only for this, that her youth is slipping away.

Shloka 6 (yuddha.5.6)

वाहि वात यतः कान्ता तां स्पृष्ट्वा मामपि स्पृश। त्वयि मे गात्रसंस्पर्शश्चन्द्रे दृष्टिसमागमः॥ 5.6 ॥

vāhi vāta yataḥ kāntā tāṃ spṛṣṭvā mām api spṛśa | tvayi me gātrasaṃsparśaś candre dṛṣṭisamāgamaḥ || 5.6 ||

Blow, O wind, from where my beloved is; touch her, and touch me too - through you I shall feel the touch of her body, and through the moon our two gazes shall meet.

Shloka 7 (yuddha.5.7)

तन्मे दहति गात्राणि विषं पीतमिवाशये। हा नाथेति प्रिया सा मां ह्रियमाणा यदब्रवीत्॥ 5.7 ॥

tan me dahati gātrāṇi viṣaṃ pītam ivāśaye | hā nātheti priyā sā māṃ hriyamāṇā yad abravīt || 5.7 ||

The thought that, as she was being carried off, my beloved cried out, "Alas, my lord!" burns my limbs as though poison had been swallowed and lodged within me.

Shloka 8 (yuddha.5.8)

तद्वियोगेन्धनवता तच्चिन्ताविमलार्चिषा। रात्रिंदिवं शरीरं मे दह्यते मदनाग्निना॥ 5.8 ॥

tadviyogendhanavatā taccintāvimalārciṣā | rātriṃdivaṃ śarīraṃ me dahyate madanāgninā || 5.8 ||

Fed by the fuel of separation from her, its flames made bright by thoughts of her, the fire of desire burns my body night and day.

Shloka 9 (yuddha.5.9)

अवगाह्यार्णवं स्वप्स्ये सौमित्रे भवता विना। एवं च प्रज्वलन् कामो न मा सुप्तं जले दहेत्॥ 5.9 ॥

avagāhyārṇavaṃ svapsye saumitre bhavatā vinā | evaṃ ca prajvalan kāmo na mā suptaṃ jale dahet || 5.9 ||

O Saumitri, I shall plunge into the ocean and sleep there without you, so that this blazing desire may not burn me as I lie asleep in the water.

Shloka 10 (yuddha.5.10)

बह्वेतत् कामयानस्य शक्यमेतेन जीवितुम्। यदहं सा च वामोरुरेकां धरणिमाश्रितौ॥ 5.10 ॥

bahv etat kāmayānasya śakyam etena jīvitum | yad ahaṃ sā ca vāmorur ekāṃ dharaṇim āśritau || 5.10 ||

This much is enough for one so consumed by longing, and by this alone can I live on - that she of the lovely thighs and I still rest upon one and the same earth.

Shloka 11 (yuddha.5.11)

केदारस्येवाकेदारः सोदकस्य निरूदकः। उपस्नेहेन जीवामि जीवन्तीं यच्छृणोमि ताम्॥ 5.11 ॥

kedārasyevākedāraḥ sodakasya nirūdakaḥ | upasnehena jīvāmi jīvantīṃ yac chṛṇomi tām || 5.11 ||

As a waterless field survives on the seepage from a watered field beside it, so I live on that mere trickle of comfort - the hearing that she still lives.

Shloka 12 (yuddha.5.12)

कदा नु खलु सुश्रोणीं शतपत्रायतेक्षणाम्। विजित्य शत्रून् द्रक्ष्यामि सीतां स्फीतामिव श्रियम्॥ 5.12 ॥

kadā nu khalu suśroṇīṃ śatapatrāyatekṣaṇām | vijitya śatrūn drakṣyāmi sītāṃ sphītām iva śriyam || 5.12 ||

When, having conquered my enemies, shall I behold Sita, lovely of hip, with eyes wide as a hundred-petalled lotus, radiant as flourishing fortune itself?

Shloka 13 (yuddha.5.13)

कदा सुचारुदन्तोष्ठं तस्याः पद्ममिवाननम्। ईषदुन्नाम्य पास्यामि रसायनमिवातुरः॥ 5.13 ॥

kadā sucārudantoṣṭhaṃ tasyāḥ padmam ivānanam | īṣad unnāmya pāsyāmi rasāyanam ivāturaḥ || 5.13 ||

When, gently lifting her lotus-like face with its lovely teeth and lips, shall I drink of it as a sick man drinks a healing elixir?

Shloka 14 (yuddha.5.14)

तौ तस्याः सहितौ पीनौ स्तनौ तालफलोपमौ। कदा न खलु सोत्कम्पौ श्लिष्यन्त्या मां भजिष्यतः॥ 5.14 ॥

tau tasyāḥ sahitau pīnau stanau tālaphalopamau | kadā na khalu sotkampau śliṣyantyā māṃ bhajiṣyataḥ || 5.14 ||

When indeed shall those two full breasts of hers, close together, round as palm fruits, quiver as she embraces and clings to me?

Shloka 15 (yuddha.5.15)

सा नूनमसितापाङ्गी रक्षोमध्यगता सती। मन्नाथा नाथहीनेव त्रातारं नाधिगच्छति॥ 5.15 ॥

sā nūnam asitāpāṅgī rakṣomadhyagatā satī | mannāthā nāthahīneva trātāraṃ nādhigacchati || 5.15 ||

She, with her dark-edged eyes, cast into the midst of demons, though her lord I am, finds no protector, as though she were utterly orphaned.

Shloka 16 (yuddha.5.16)

कथं जनकराजस्य दुहिता मम च प्रिया। राक्षसीमध्यगा शेते स्नुषा दशरथस्य च॥ 5.16 ॥

kathaṃ janakarājasya duhitā mama ca priyā | rākṣasīmadhyagā śete snuṣā daśarathasya ca || 5.16 ||

How does she lie there among rakshasa women - King Janaka's daughter, my beloved, the daughter-in-law of Dasharatha?

Shloka 17 (yuddha.5.17)

अविक्षोभ्याणि रक्षांसि सा विधूयोत्पतिष्यति। विधूय जलदान् नीलान् शशिलेखा शरत्स्विव॥ 5.17 ॥

avikṣobhyāṇi rakṣāṃsi sā vidhūyotpatiṣyati | vidhūya jaladān nīlān śaśilekhā śaratsv iva || 5.17 ||

She will shake off and rise clear of those unassailable demons, as the crescent moon of autumn breaks free of dark clouds.

Shloka 18 (yuddha.5.18)

स्वभावतनुका नूनं शोकेनानशनेन च। भूयस्तनुतरा सीता देशकालविपर्ययात्॥ 5.18 ॥

svabhāvatanukā nūnaṃ śokenānaśanena ca | bhūyas tanutarā sītā deśakālaviparyayāt || 5.18 ||

Sita, slender by nature, must now have grown even more frail still - from grief, from fasting, and from the cruelty of this time and place.

Shloka 19 (yuddha.5.19)

कदा नु राक्षसेन्द्रस्य निधायोरसि सायकान्। सीतां प्रत्याहरिष्यामि शोकमुत्सृज्य मानसम्॥ 5.19 ॥

kadā nu rākṣasendrasya nidhāyorasi sāyakān | sītāṃ pratyāhariṣyāmi śokam utsṛjya mānasam || 5.19 ||

When shall I plant my arrows in the chest of the lord of the rakshasas, and, casting off this anguish of mind, bring Sita back?

Shloka 20 (yuddha.5.20)

कदा नु खलु मे साध्वी सीतामरसुतोपमा। सोत्कण्ठा कण्ठमालम्ब्य मोक्ष्यत्यानन्दजं जलम्॥ 5.20 ॥

kadā nu khalu me sādhvī sītāmarasutopamā | sotkaṇṭhā kaṇṭham ālambya mokṣyaty ānandajaṃ jalam || 5.20 ||

When will my virtuous Sita, lovely as a daughter of the gods, cling eagerly to my neck and let flow tears born of joy?

Shloka 21 (yuddha.5.21)

कदा शोकमिमं घोरं मैथिलीविप्रयोगजम्। सहसा विप्रमोक्ष्यामि वासः शुक्लेतरं यथा॥ 5.21 ॥

kadā śokam imaṃ ghoraṃ maithilīviprayogajam | sahasā vipramokṣyāmi vāsaḥ śukletaraṃ yathā || 5.21 ||

When shall I cast off this terrible grief, born of separation from Maithili, suddenly, as one flings away a soiled garment?

Shloka 22 (yuddha.5.22)

एवं विलपतस्तस्य तत्र रामस्य धीमतः। दिनक्षयान्मन्दवपुर्भास्करोऽस्तमुपागमत्॥ 5.22 ॥

evaṃ vilapatas tasya tatra rāmasya dhīmataḥ | dinakṣayān mandavapur bhāskaro'stam upāgamat || 5.22 ||

As the wise Rama lamented thus, the sun, its rays grown faint with the day's decline, went down to its setting.

Shloka 23 (yuddha.5.23)

आश्वासितो लक्ष्मणेन रामः संध्यामुपासत। स्मरन् कमलपत्राक्षीं सीतां शोकाकुलीकृतः॥ 5.23 ॥

āśvāsito lakṣmaṇena rāmaḥ sandhyām upāsata | smaran kamalapatrākṣīṃ sītāṃ śokākulīkṛtaḥ || 5.23 ||

Consoled by Lakshmana, Rama, overwhelmed with grief as he recalled lotus-eyed Sita, performed his evening worship.