Sita before her captor

तस्मिन्नेव ततः काले राजपुत्री त्वनिन्दिता ।

tasminneva tataḥ kāle rājaputrī tvaninditā |

At that very time, the faultless princess

रूपयौवनसम्पन्नं भूषणोत्तमभूषितम् ॥

rūpayauvanasampannaṃ bhūṣaṇottamabhūṣitam ||

saw one endowed with beauty and youth and adorned with excellent ornaments—

ततो दृष्ट्वैव वैदेही रावणं राक्षसाधिपम् ।

tato dṛṣṭvaiva vaidehī rāvaṇaṃ rākṣasādhipam |

and, recognizing Ravana, lord of rakshasas,

प्रावेपत वरारोहा प्रवाते कदली यथा ॥

prāvepata varārohā pravāte kadalī yathā ||

lovely Sita of Videha trembled like a plantain tree in the wind.

ऊरुभ्यामुदरं छाद्य बाहुभ्यां च पयोधरौ ।

ūrubhyāmudaraṃ chādya bāhubhyāṃ ca payodharau |

Covering her abdomen with her thighs and her breasts with her arms,

उपविष्टा विशालाक्षी रुदती वरवर्णिनी ॥

upaviṣṭā viśālākṣī rudatī varavarṇinī ||

the beautiful, wide-eyed woman sat weeping.

दशग्रीवस्तु वैदेहीं रक्षितां राक्षसीगणैः ।

daśagrīvastu vaidehīṃ rakṣitāṃ rākṣasīgaṇaiḥ |

Ten-headed Ravana saw Sita guarded by the rakshasis,

ददर्श दीनां दुःखार्तां नावं सन्नामिवार्णवे ॥

dadarśa dīnāṃ duḥkhārtāṃ nāvaṃ sannāmivārṇave ||

helpless and distressed, like a boat sinking in the ocean.

असंवृतायामासीनां धरण्यां संशितव्रताम् ।

asaṃvṛtāyāmāsīnāṃ dharaṇyāṃ saṃśitavratām |

Firm in her vows, she sat upon the uncovered earth,

छिन्नां प्रपतितां भूमौ शाखामिव वनस्पतेः ॥

chinnāṃ prapatitāṃ bhūmau śākhāmiva vanaspateḥ ||

like a branch cut from a tree and fallen to the ground.

मलमण्डनदिग्धांगीं मण्डनार्हाममण्डनाम् ।

malamaṇḍanadigdhāṃgīṃ maṇḍanārhāmamaṇḍanām |

Dirt covered her limbs in place of ornaments, though she deserved adornment;

मृणाली पङ्कदिग्धेव विभाति न विभाति च ॥

mṛṇālī paṅkadigdheva vibhāti na vibhāti ca ||

like a lotus stem smeared with mud, she both shone and did not shine.

समीपं राजसिंहस्य रामस्य विदितात्मनः ।

samīpaṃ rājasiṃhasya rāmasya viditātmanaḥ |

She seemed to travel to self-possessed Rama, lion among kings,

संकल्पहयसंयुक्तैर्यान्तीमिव मनोरथैः ॥

saṃkalpahayasaṃyuktairyāntīmiva manorathaiḥ ||

upon the chariot of her mind drawn by horses of longing.

शुष्यन्तीं रुदतीमेकां ध्यानशोकपरायणाम् ।

śuṣyantīṃ rudatīmekāṃ dhyānaśokaparāyaṇām |

Alone, wasting away, weeping, absorbed in sorrowful thought,

दुःखस्यान्तमपश्यन्तीं रामां राममनुव्रताम् ॥

duḥkhasyāntamapaśyantīṃ rāmāṃ rāmamanuvratām ||

she saw no end to suffering yet remained devoted to Rama.

चेष्टमानामथाविष्टां पन्नगेन्द्रवधूमिव ।

ceṣṭamānāmathāviṣṭāṃ pannagendravadhūmiva |

She seemed possessed by agitation like a serpent lord's wife,

धूप्यमानां ग्रहेणेव रोहिणीं धूमकेतुना ॥

dhūpyamānāṃ graheṇeva rohiṇīṃ dhūmaketunā ||

or Rohini obscured by a smoky comet.

वृत्तशीले कुले जातामाचारवति धार्मिके ।

vṛttaśīle kule jātāmācāravati dhārmike |

Born into a family of good conduct, tradition, and righteousness,

पुनः संस्कारमापन्नां जातामिव च दुष्कुले ॥

punaḥ saṃskāramāpannāṃ jātāmiva ca duṣkule ||

she seemed through altered circumstances to have been reborn among the unworthy.

सन्नामिव महाकीर्तिं श्रद्धामिव विमानिताम् ।

sannāmiva mahākīrtiṃ śraddhāmiva vimānitām |

She seemed great renown brought low, faith dishonored,

प्रज्ञामिव परिक्षीणामाशां प्रतिहतामिव ॥

prajñāmiva parikṣīṇāmāśāṃ pratihatāmiva ||

wisdom diminished, or hope frustrated.

आयतीमिव विध्वस्तामाज्ञां प्रतिहतामिव ।

āyatīmiva vidhvastāmājñāṃ pratihatāmiva |

She seemed a future destroyed, a command defied,

दीप्तामिव दिशं काले पूजामपहतामिव ॥

dīptāmiva diśaṃ kāle pūjāmapahatāmiva ||

a direction blazing ominously, or worship interrupted.

पौर्णमासीमिव निशां तमोग्रस्तेन्दुमण्डलाम् ।

paurṇamāsīmiva niśāṃ tamograstendumaṇḍalām |

She was like a full-moon night with the moon swallowed by darkness,

पद्मिनीमिव विध्वस्तां हतशूरां चमूमिव ॥

padminīmiva vidhvastāṃ hataśūrāṃ camūmiva ||

a ruined lotus pond, or an army whose heroes had been slain.

प्रभामिव तमोध्वस्तामुपक्षीणामिवापगाम् ।

prabhāmiva tamodhvastāmupakṣīṇāmivāpagām |

She was like light defeated by darkness, a river diminished,

वेदीमिव परामृष्टां शान्तामग्निशिखामिव ॥

vedīmiva parāmṛṣṭāṃ śāntāmagniśikhāmiva ||

an altar defiled, or a flame extinguished.

उत्कृष्टपर्णकमलां वित्रासितविहंगमाम् ।

utkṛṣṭaparṇakamalāṃ vitrāsitavihaṃgamām |

She was like a troubled lotus pond with leaves and flowers torn away,

हस्तिहस्तपरामृष्टामाकुलामिव पद्मिनीम् ॥

hastihastaparāmṛṣṭāmākulāmiva padminīm ||

its birds frightened, churned by an elephant's trunk.

पतिशोकातुरां शुष्कां नदीं विस्रावितामिव ।

patiśokāturāṃ śuṣkāṃ nadīṃ visrāvitāmiva |

Wasted by grief for her husband, like a river drained of water,

परया मृजया हीनां कृष्णपक्षे निशामिव ॥

parayā mṛjayā hīnāṃ kṛṣṇapakṣe niśāmiva ||

she lacked her former brightness, like a night in the waning fortnight.

सुकुमारीं सुजातांगीं रत्नगर्भगृहोचिताम् ।

sukumārīṃ sujātāṃgīṃ ratnagarbhagṛhocitām |

Delicate and well-formed, accustomed to jeweled chambers,

तप्यमानामिवोष्णेन मृणालीमचिरोद‍्धृताम् ॥

tapyamānāmivoṣṇena mṛṇālīmaciroddhṛtām ||

she was like a freshly uprooted lotus stem withering in heat.

गृहीतामालितां स्तम्भे यूथपेन विनाकृताम् ।

gṛhītāmālitāṃ stambhe yūthapena vinākṛtām |

She was like a captured elephant queen tied to a post,

निःश्वसन्तीं सुदुःखार्तां गजराजवधूमिव ॥

niḥśvasantīṃ suduḥkhārtāṃ gajarājavadhūmiva ||

separated from her herd's leader, sighing in great distress.

एकया दीर्घया वेण्या शोभमानामयत्नतः ।

ekayā dīrghayā veṇyā śobhamānāmayatnataḥ |

Her single long braid adorned her without deliberate effort,

नीलया नीरदापाये वनराज्या महीमिव ॥

nīlayā nīradāpāye vanarājyā mahīmiva ||

like a dark forest line upon the earth after the clouds have gone.

उपवासेन शोकेन ध्यानेन च भयेन च ।

upavāsena śokena dhyānena ca bhayena ca |

Fasting, sorrow, anxious thought, and fear had worn her thin and helpless;

परिक्षीणां कृशां दीनामल्पाहारां तपोधनाम् ॥

parikṣīṇāṃ kṛśāṃ dīnāmalpāhārāṃ tapodhanām ||

she ate little and held austerity as her wealth.

आयाचमानां दुःखार्तां प्राञ्जलिं देवतामिव ।

āyācamānāṃ duḥkhārtāṃ prāñjaliṃ devatāmiva |

Distressed, with folded hands as though praying to a deity,

भावेन रघुमुख्यस्य दशग्रीवपराभवम् ॥

bhāvena raghumukhyasya daśagrīvaparābhavam ||

she inwardly begged the foremost Raghu prince to bring down ten-headed Ravana.

समीक्षमाणां रुदतीमनिन्दितां

samīkṣamāṇāṃ rudatīmaninditāṃ

Seeing the faultless, weeping princess,

सुपक्ष्मताम्रायतशुक्ललोचनाम् ।

supakṣmatāmrāyataśuklalocanām |

her long clear eyes reddened and edged with lovely lashes,

अनुव्रतां राममतीव मैथिलीं

anuvratāṃ rāmamatīva maithilīṃ

utterly devoted to Rama,

प्रलोभयामास वधाय रावणः ॥

pralobhayāmāsa vadhāya rāvaṇaḥ ||

Ravana tried to tempt her, thereby drawing his own death nearer.