Sita’s resolve in captivity

अथ तासां वदन्तीनां परुषं दारुणं बहु ।

atha tāsāṃ vadantīnāṃ paruṣaṃ dāruṇaṃ bahu |

As the women uttered many harsh and dreadful words,

राक्षसीनामसौम्यानां रुरोद जनकात्मजा ॥

rākṣasīnāmasaumyānāṃ ruroda janakātmajā ||

Janaka’s daughter wept among those pitiless rakshasis.

एवमुक्ता तु वैदेही राक्षसीभिर्मनस्विनी ।

evamuktā tu vaidehī rākṣasībhirmanasvinī |

The steadfast Vaidehi, thus addressed by the rakshasis,

उवाच परमत्रस्ता बाष्पगद‍्गदया गिरा ॥

uvāca paramatrastā bāṣpagadgadayā girā ||

spoke in great fear, her voice choked with tears.

न मानुषी राक्षसस्य भार्या भवितुमर्हति ।

na mānuṣī rākṣasasya bhāryā bhavitumarhati |

A human woman cannot become the wife of a rakshasa.

कामं खादत मां सर्वा न करिष्यामि वो वचः ॥

kāmaṃ khādata māṃ sarvā na kariṣyāmi vo vacaḥ ||

Eat me, all of you, if you wish; I shall not obey you.

सा राक्षसीमध्यगता सीता सुरसुतोपमा ।

sā rākṣasīmadhyagatā sītā surasutopamā |

Sita, beautiful as a heavenly maiden, stood among the rakshasis;

न शर्म लेभे शोकार्ता रावणेनेव भर्त्सिता ॥

na śarma lebhe śokārtā rāvaṇeneva bhartsitā ||

overcome by sorrow, she found no peace, as though Ravana himself threatened her.

वेपते स्माधिकं सीता विशन्तीवांगमात्मनः ।

vepate smādhikaṃ sītā viśantīvāṃgamātmanaḥ |

Sita trembled greatly, as if shrinking into herself,

वने यूथपरिभ्रष्टा मृगी कोकैरिवार्दिता ॥

vane yūthaparibhraṣṭā mṛgī kokairivārditā ||

like a doe separated from its herd and harried by wolves.

सा त्वशोकस्य विपुलां शाखामालम्ब्य पुष्पिताम् ।

sā tvaśokasya vipulāṃ śākhāmālambya puṣpitām |

Holding a broad, flowering branch of the ashoka tree,

चिन्तयामास शोकेन भर्तारं भग्नमानसा ॥

cintayāmāsa śokena bhartāraṃ bhagnamānasā ||

her heart broken by sorrow, she thought of her husband.

सा स्नापयन्ती विपुलौ स्तनौ नेत्रजलस्रवैः ।

sā snāpayantī vipulau stanau netrajalasravaiḥ |

Her flowing tears drenched her breast;

चिन्तयन्ती न शोकस्य तदान्तमधिगच्छति ॥

cintayantī na śokasya tadāntamadhigacchati ||

as she reflected, she could find no end to her sorrow.

सा वेपमाना पतिता प्रवाते कदली यथा ।

sā vepamānā patitā pravāte kadalī yathā |

Trembling, she sank down like a plantain in a strong wind;

राक्षसीनां भयत्रस्ता विवर्णवदनाभवत् ॥

rākṣasīnāṃ bhayatrastā vivarṇavadanābhavat ||

terrified of the rakshasis, her face grew pale.

तस्याः सा दीर्घबहुला वेपन्त्याः सीतया तदा ।

tasyāḥ sā dīrghabahulā vepantyāḥ sītayā tadā |

As Sita trembled, her long, thick braid

ददृशे कम्पिता वेणी व्यालीव परिसर्पती ॥

dadṛśe kampitā veṇī vyālīva parisarpatī ||

was seen shaking like a serpent gliding along.

सा निःश्वसन्ती शोकार्ता कोपोपहतचेतना ।

sā niḥśvasantī śokārtā kopopahatacetanā |

Sighing in sorrow, her mind wounded by anger,

आर्ता व्यसृजदश्रूणि मैथिली विललाप च ॥

ārtā vyasṛjadaśrūṇi maithilī vilalāpa ca ||

the suffering princess of Mithila shed tears and lamented.

हा रामेति च दुःखार्ता हा पुनर्लक्ष्मणेति च ।

hā rāmeti ca duḥkhārtā hā punarlakṣmaṇeti ca |

“Alas, Rama!” she cried in anguish, and again, “Alas, Lakshmana!

हा श्वश्रूर्मम कौसल्ये हा सुमित्रेति भामिनी ॥

hā śvaśrūrmama kausalye hā sumitreti bhāminī ||

Alas, my mother-in-law Kausalya! Alas, Sumitra!”

लोकप्रवादः सत्योऽयं पण्डितैः समुदाहृतः ।

lokapravādaḥ satyo’yaṃ paṇḍitaiḥ samudāhṛtaḥ |

“This common saying, declared by wise people, is true:

अकाले दुर्लभो मृत्युः स्त्रिया वा पुरुषस्य वा ॥

akāle durlabho mṛtyuḥ striyā vā puruṣasya vā ||

death is hard to obtain before its appointed time, for woman or man.

यत्राहमाभिः क्रूराभी राक्षसीभिरिहार्दिता ।

yatrāhamābhiḥ krūrābhī rākṣasībhirihārditā |

For here I am, tormented by these cruel rakshasis,

जीवामि हीना रामेण मुहूर्तमपि दुःखिता ॥

jīvāmi hīnā rāmeṇa muhūrtamapi duḥkhitā ||

yet I live even a moment, suffering and separated from Rama.

एषाल्पपुण्या कृपणा विनशिष्याम्यनाथवत् ।

eṣālpapuṇyā kṛpaṇā vinaśiṣyāmyanāthavat |

Unfortunate and helpless, I shall perish without protection,

समुद्रमध्ये नौः पूर्णा वायुवेगैरिवाहता ॥

samudramadhye nauḥ pūrṇā vāyuvegairivāhatā ||

like a laden boat in mid-ocean battered by violent winds.

भर्तारं तमपश्यन्ती राक्षसीवशमागता ।

bhartāraṃ tamapaśyantī rākṣasīvaśamāgatā |

Unable to see my husband, fallen under the rakshasis’ power,

सीदामि खलु शोकेन कूलं तोयहतं यथा ॥

sīdāmi khalu śokena kūlaṃ toyahataṃ yathā ||

I crumble in grief like a riverbank beaten by water.

तं पद्मदलपत्राक्षं सिंहविक्रान्तगामिनम् ।

taṃ padmadalapatrākṣaṃ siṃhavikrāntagāminam |

Blessed are those who see my lord, with lotus-petal eyes

धन्याः पश्यन्ति मे नाथं कृतज्ञं प्रियवादिनम् ॥

dhanyāḥ paśyanti me nāthaṃ kṛtajñaṃ priyavādinam ||

and a lion’s powerful stride, grateful and gentle in speech.

सर्वथा तेन हीनाया रामेण विदितात्मना ।

sarvathā tena hīnāyā rāmeṇa viditātmanā |

Utterly separated from that self-possessed Rama,

तीक्ष्णं विषमिवास्वाद्य दुर्लभं मम जीवनम् ॥

tīkṣṇaṃ viṣamivāsvādya durlabhaṃ mama jīvanam ||

I find life unbearable, as though I had swallowed bitter poison.

कीदृशं तु महापापं मया देहान्तरे कृतम् ।

kīdṛśaṃ tu mahāpāpaṃ mayā dehāntare kṛtam |

What great wrong did I commit in another lifetime

तेनेदं प्राप्यते घोरं महादुःखं सुदारुणम् ॥

tenedaṃ prāpyate ghoraṃ mahāduḥkhaṃ sudāruṇam ||

that I now undergo this dreadful and cruel suffering?

जीवितं त्यक्तुमिच्छामि शोकेन महता वृता ।

jīvitaṃ tyaktumicchāmi śokena mahatā vṛtā |

Enveloped in great sorrow, I wish to give up my life;

राक्षसीभिश्च रक्षन्त्या रामो नासाद्यते मया ॥

rākṣasībhiśca rakṣantyā rāmo nāsādyate mayā ||

guarded by these rakshasis, I cannot reach Rama.

धिगस्तु खलु मानुष्यं धिगस्तु परवश्यताम् ।

dhigastu khalu mānuṣyaṃ dhigastu paravaśyatām |

Alas for human helplessness! Alas for living under another’s power,

न शक्यं यत् परित्यक्तुमात्मच्छन्देन जीवितम् ॥

na śakyaṃ yat parityaktumātmacchandena jīvitam ||

when even relinquishing life is not within one’s own choice!”