Sundara Kanda — Sarga 25

अथ तासां वदन्तीनां परुषं दारुणं बहु। राक्षसीनामसौम्यानां रुरोद जनकात्मजा ॥

Those hideous Rākşasīs thus threatening her with reproaches rude and rough, the daughter of the king Janaka began to weep.

Sundara Kanda 25.1

एवमुक्ता तु वैदेही राक्षसीभिर्मनस्विनी। उवाच परमवस्ता वाष्यगद्गदया गिरा॥

And being thus addressed by those Rākşasīs, Vaidehi, of subdued soul, being greatly terrified, said, having her voice choked with vapour.

Sundara Kanda 25.2

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

A woman can never be the wife of a Räksasa. Eat ine up if you will, I shall never follow your words.

Sundara Kanda 25.3

सा राक्षसीमध्यगता सीता सुरसुतोपमा। न शर्म लेभे शोकार्ता रावणेनेव भर्त्तिता ॥

And being surrounded by the Rākṣasīs and threatened by Rāvana, Sītă, resembling the daughter of a celestial, stricken with grief, could not console herself.

Sundara Kanda 25.4

वेपते स्माधिकं सीता विशन्तीवाङ्गमात्मनः। वने यूथपरिभ्रष्टा मृगी कोकैरिवादिता ॥

And trembling, she shrank from their presence like to a strayed fawn surrounded by wolves.

Sundara Kanda 25.5

सा त्वशोकस्य विपुलां शाखामालम्ब्य पुष्पिताम्। चिन्तयामास शोकेन भर्तारं भग्नमानसा ॥

And resorting to a flowery branch of an Asoka tree, she sunk in grief, thought upon her lord.

Sundara Kanda 25.6

सा स्नापयन्ती विपुलौ स्तनौ नेत्रजलस्रवैः। चिन्तयन्ती न शोकस्य तदान्तमधिगच्छति। ७१३

With tears she bathed her beautiful breast and oppressed with woe, she could not reach the other bank of the ocean of grief.

Sundara Kanda 25.7

सा वेपमाना पतिता प्रवाते कदली यथा। राक्षसीनां भयवस्ता विवर्णवदनाभवत्॥

Like a plantain tree shaken by the breeze, she shook and fell down trembling (on the earth). And being afraid of the Rākşasīs, her cheeks forsook their native hue.

Sundara Kanda 25.8

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

And herself trembling, her pretty long lock of hair also shook and appeared like a serpent moving this way and that.

Sundara Kanda 25.9

सा निःश्वसन्ती शोकार्ता कोपोपहतचेतना। आर्ता व्यसृजदश्रूणि मैथिली विललाप च॥ हा रामेति च दुःखार्ता हा पुनर्लक्ष्यणेति च। हा श्वश्रूर्मम कौसल्ये हा सुमित्रेति भामिनी ॥ लोकप्रवादः सत्योऽयं पण्डितैः समुदाहृतः। अकाले दुर्लभो मृत्युः स्त्रिया वा पुरुषस्य वा॥

Overwhelmed with grief and beside herself with ire, the daughter of the king of Mithilā, wept and exclaimed sorrowfully, O Rāma, and again, O Laksmana, O mother Kausalyā! O queen Sumitrā! true is the saying of the wise that death dose never approach untimely the male or the female.

Sundara Kanda 25.10

यत्राहमाभिः क्रूराभी राक्षसीभिरिहार्दिता । जीवामि हीना रामेण मुहूर्तमपि दुःखिता॥

Or else I would not have lived for a moment, separated from Rama and oppressed by the Raksasis as I am.

Sundara Kanda 25.11

एषाल्पपुण्या कृपणा विनशिष्याम्यनाथवत्। समुद्रमध्ये नौः पूर्णा वायुवेगैरिवाहता॥

Limited is my virtue, and therefore I am to die the death of a poor deserted thing like to a bark driven by the blast in the midst of the ocean.

Sundara Kanda 25.12

भर्तारं तमपश्यन्ती राक्षसीवशमागता। सीदामि खलु शोकेन कूलं तोयहतं यथा॥

Debarred from my husband's sight and tortured by the hideous demons, I shall sink, oppressed with woes, like to the banks of a river, washed by the water.

Sundara Kanda 25.13

तं पद्मदलपत्राक्षं सिंहविक्रान्तगामिनम्। धन्याः पश्यन्ति मे नाथं कृतज्ञं प्रियवादिनम्॥

Oh blest are they who have been resting their eyes upon my grateful and sweet-speeched lord of leonine gaits, having eyes resembling lotus petals!

Sundara Kanda 25.14

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

And separated from Rāma of subdued soul, it is as difficult for me to breathe as for him who has drank up virulent poison.

Sundara Kanda 25.15

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

What mighty iniquity had I perpetrated in my previous existence that I have met with this terrible disaster!

Sundara Kanda 25.16

जीवितं त्यक्तुमिच्छामि शोकेन महता वृता। राक्षसीभिश्च रक्षन्त्या रामो नासाद्यते मया॥

I wish to renounce my life under this load of grief-but alas! I am surrounded by the Raks asis and cannot meet Rāma.

Sundara Kanda 25.17

धिगस्तु खलु मानुष्यं धिगस्तु परवश्यताम्। न शक्यं यत्परित्यक्तुमात्मच्छन्देन जीवितम्॥

Oh! cursed is this subject human life, that they cannot renounce it even at their pleasure!

Sundara Kanda 25.18