Hope interrupts Sita’s despair

सा राक्षसेन्द्रस्य वचो निशम्य

sā rākṣasendrasya vaco niśamya

Hearing those unwelcome words of Ravana,

तद् रावणस्याप्रियमप्रियार्ता ।

tad rāvaṇasyāpriyamapriyārtā |

the rakshasa king, and suffering over her beloved,

सीता वितत्रास यथा वनान्ते

sītā vitatrāsa yathā vanānte

Sita trembled like a young elephant

सिंहाभिपन्ना गजराजकन्या ॥

siṃhābhipannā gajarājakanyā ||

attacked by a lion at the forest’s edge.

सा राक्षसीमध्यगता च भीरु-

sā rākṣasīmadhyagatā ca bhīru-

Frightened among the rakshasis,

र्वाग्भिर्भृशं रावणतर्जिता च ।

rvāgbhirbhṛśaṃ rāvaṇatarjitā ca |

and harshly threatened by Ravana’s words,

कान्तारमध्ये विजने विसृष्टा

kāntāramadhye vijane visṛṣṭā

Sita lamented like a young girl

बालेव कन्या विललाप सीता ॥

bāleva kanyā vilalāpa sītā ||

abandoned in a lonely wilderness.

सत्यं बतेदं प्रवदन्ति लोके

satyaṃ batedaṃ pravadanti loke

“The good speak truly when they say in this world

नाकालमृत्युर्भवतीति सन्तः ।

nākālamṛtyurbhavatīti santaḥ |

that death does not come before its time;

यत्राहमेवं परिभर्त्स्यमाना

yatrāhamevaṃ paribhartsyamānā

for, threatened in this way,

जीवामि यस्मात् क्षणमप्यपुण्या ॥

jīvāmi yasmāt kṣaṇamapyapuṇyā ||

unfortunate as I am, I still live even a moment.

सुखाद् विहीनं बहुदुःखपूर्ण-

sukhād vihīnaṃ bahuduḥkhapūrṇa-

Deprived of happiness and filled with many sorrows,

मिदं तु नूनं हृदयं स्थिरं मे ।

midaṃ tu nūnaṃ hṛdayaṃ sthiraṃ me |

this heart of mine must surely be firm,

विदीर्यते यन्न सहस्रधाद्य

vidīryate yanna sahasradhādya

since today it does not split into a thousand pieces

वज्राहतं शृंगमिवाचलस्य ॥

vajrāhataṃ śṛṃgamivācalasya ||

like a mountain peak struck by a thunderbolt.

नैवास्ति नूनं मम दोषमत्र

naivāsti nūnaṃ mama doṣamatra

Surely there is no fault of mine in this,

वध्याहमस्याप्रियदर्शनस्य ।

vadhyāhamasyāpriyadarśanasya |

yet I am to be killed by that repulsive one.

भावं न चास्याहमनुप्रदातु-

bhāvaṃ na cāsyāhamanupradātu-

I cannot give him my affection,

मलं द्विजो मन्त्रमिवाद्विजाय ॥

malaṃ dvijo mantramivādvijāya ||

as a twice-born teacher would not impart a sacred mantra to an uninitiated person.

तस्मिन्ननागच्छति लोकनाथे

tasminnanāgacchati lokanāthe

If the lord of the world does not come,

गर्भस्थजन्तोरिव शल्यकृन्तः ।

garbhasthajantoriva śalyakṛntaḥ |

like a surgeon cutting an unborn creature,

नूनं ममांगान्यचिरादनार्यः

nūnaṃ mamāṃgānyacirādanāryaḥ

that ignoble rakshasa king will surely soon

शस्त्रैः शितैश्छेत्स्यति राक्षसेन्द्रः ॥

śastraiḥ śitaiśchetsyati rākṣasendraḥ ||

cut my limbs with sharp weapons.

दुःखं बतेदं ननु दुःखिताया

duḥkhaṃ batedaṃ nanu duḥkhitāyā

Alas, this is suffering added to suffering!

मासौ चिरायाभिगमिष्यतो द्वौ ।

māsau cirāyābhigamiṣyato dvau |

The two months will pass in a cruel waiting,

बद्धस्य वध्यस्य यथा निशान्ते

baddhasya vadhyasya yathā niśānte

like the last night of a condemned thief

राजोपरोधादिव तस्करस्य ॥

rājoparodhādiva taskarasya ||

bound under the king’s sentence.

हा राम हा लक्ष्मण हा सुमित्रे

hā rāma hā lakṣmaṇa hā sumitre

Alas, Rama! Alas, Lakshmana! Alas, Sumitra!

हा राममातः सह मे जनन्यः ।

hā rāmamātaḥ saha me jananyaḥ |

Alas, Rama’s mother, and all my mothers!

एषा विपद्याम्यहमल्पभाग्या

eṣā vipadyāmyahamalpabhāgyā

Unfortunate, I am perishing

महार्णवे नौरिव मूढवाता ॥

mahārṇave nauriva mūḍhavātā ||

like a ship driven astray by winds upon the great sea.

तरस्विनौ धारयता मृगस्य

tarasvinau dhārayatā mṛgasya

Surely those two swift princes

सत्त्वेन रूपं मनुजेन्द्रपुत्रौ ।

sattvena rūpaṃ manujendraputrau |

were killed by the creature that wore a deer’s form,

नूनं विशस्तौ मम कारणात् तौ

nūnaṃ viśastau mama kāraṇāt tau

both on my account,

सिंहर्षभौ द्वाविव वैद्युतेन ॥

siṃharṣabhau dvāviva vaidyutena ||

like two mighty lions struck by lightning.

नूनं स कालो मृगरूपधारी

nūnaṃ sa kālo mṛgarūpadhārī

Surely it was Death in the shape of a deer

मामल्पभाग्यां लुलुभे तदानीम् ।

māmalpabhāgyāṃ lulubhe tadānīm |

that tempted unfortunate me then,

यत्रार्यपुत्रौ विससर्ज मूढा

yatrāryaputrau visasarja mūḍhā

when in my folly I sent away those noble princes,

रामानुजं लक्ष्मणपूर्वजं च ॥

rāmānujaṃ lakṣmaṇapūrvajaṃ ca ||

Rama’s younger brother and Lakshmana’s elder brother.

हा राम सत्यव्रत दीर्घबाहो

hā rāma satyavrata dīrghabāho

Alas, Rama, true to your vows and long-armed!

हा पूर्णचन्द्रप्रतिमानवक्त्र ।

hā pūrṇacandrapratimānavaktra |

Alas, you whose face resembles the full moon!

हा जीवलोकस्य हितः प्रियश्च

hā jīvalokasya hitaḥ priyaśca

You who are beloved and devoted to the welfare of living beings,

वध्यां न मां वेत्सि हि राक्षसानाम् ॥

vadhyāṃ na māṃ vetsi hi rākṣasānām ||

do not know that the rakshasas are about to kill me.

अनन्यदेवत्वमियं क्षमा च

ananyadevatvamiyaṃ kṣamā ca

My exclusive devotion, my patience,

भूमौ च शय्या नियमश्च धर्मे ।

bhūmau ca śayyā niyamaśca dharme |

my bed upon the ground, my discipline in dharma,

पतिव्रतात्वं विफलं ममेदं

pativratātvaṃ viphalaṃ mamedaṃ

and my faithfulness to my husband seem fruitless,

कृतं कृतघ्नेष्विव मानुषाणाम् ॥

kṛtaṃ kṛtaghneṣviva mānuṣāṇām ||

like kindness shown to ungrateful people.

मोघो हि धर्मश्चरितो ममायं

mogho hi dharmaścarito mamāyaṃ

My practice of righteousness seems wasted,

तथैकपत्नीत्वमिदं निरर्थकम् ।

tathaikapatnītvamidaṃ nirarthakam |

and devotion to one husband seems without purpose,

या त्वां न पश्यामि कृशा विवर्णा

yā tvāṃ na paśyāmi kṛśā vivarṇā

since, wasted and pale, I do not see you,

हीना त्वया संगमने निराशा ॥

hīnā tvayā saṃgamane nirāśā ||

separated from you and without hope of reunion.

पितुर्निदेशं नियमेन कृत्वा

piturnideśaṃ niyamena kṛtvā

Having faithfully fulfilled your father’s command,

वनान्निवृत्तश्चरितव्रतश्च ।

vanānnivṛttaścaritavrataśca |

returned from the forest, and completed your vow,

स्त्रीभिस्तु मन्ये विपुलेक्षणाभिः

strībhistu manye vipulekṣaṇābhiḥ

perhaps you will take delight with wide-eyed women,

संरंस्यसे वीतभयः कृतार्थः ॥

saṃraṃsyase vītabhayaḥ kṛtārthaḥ ||

free from fear, your purpose achieved.

अहं तु राम त्वयि जातकामा

ahaṃ tu rāma tvayi jātakāmā

But I, Rama, have loved you,

चिरं विनाशाय निबद्धभावा ।

ciraṃ vināśāya nibaddhabhāvā |

my heart bound to you so long, it seems, for my destruction.

मोघं चरित्वाथ तपो व्रतं च

moghaṃ caritvātha tapo vrataṃ ca

Having practised austerity and vows in vain,

त्यक्ष्यामि धिग्जीवितमल्पभाग्याम् ॥

tyakṣyāmi dhigjīvitamalpabhāgyām ||

I shall leave this unhappy life—alas for it!

संजीवितं क्षिप्रमहं त्यजेयं

saṃjīvitaṃ kṣipramahaṃ tyajeyaṃ

I would quickly abandon life

विषेण शस्त्रेण शितेन वापि ।

viṣeṇa śastreṇa śitena vāpi |

by poison or by a sharp weapon;

विषस्य दाता न तु मेऽस्ति कश्चि-

viṣasya dātā na tu me’sti kaści-

but in the rakshasa’s house there is no one

च्छस्त्रस्य वा वेश्मनि राक्षसस्य ॥

cchastrasya vā veśmani rākṣasasya ||

to give me poison or a weapon.

शोकाभितप्ता बहुधा विचिन्त्य

śokābhitaptā bahudhā vicintya

Tormented by grief and pondering in many ways,

सीताथ वेणीग्रथनं गृहीत्वा ।

sītātha veṇīgrathanaṃ gṛhītvā |

Sita took hold of her braided hair:

उद‍्बद‍्ध्य वेण्युद्‍ग्रथनेन शीघ्र-

udbaddhya veṇyudgrathanena śīghra-

“By hanging myself with this braid,

महं गमिष्यामि यमस्य मूलम् ॥

mahaṃ gamiṣyāmi yamasya mūlam ||

I shall soon go to Yama’s presence.”

उपस्थिता सा मृदुसर्वगात्री

upasthitā sā mṛdusarvagātrī

The lady, tender in every limb, stood there

शाखां गृहीत्वा च नगस्य तस्य ।

śākhāṃ gṛhītvā ca nagasya tasya |

and took hold of a branch of that tree.

तस्यास्तु रामं परिचिन्तयन्त्या

tasyāstu rāmaṃ paricintayantyā

But as the lovely woman thought of Rama,

रामानुजं स्वं च कुलं शुभांग्याः ॥

rāmānujaṃ svaṃ ca kulaṃ śubhāṃgyāḥ ||

his younger brother and her own noble family,

तस्या विशोकानि तदा बहूनि

tasyā viśokāni tadā bahūni

Then many signs that dispelled her sorrow

धैर्यार्जितानि प्रवराणि लोके ।

dhairyārjitāni pravarāṇi loke |

and restored courage, regarded as excellent in the world,

प्रादुर्निमित्तानि तदा बभूवुः

prādurnimittāni tadā babhūvuḥ

appeared to her as omens

पुरापि सिद्धान्युपलक्षितानि ॥

purāpi siddhānyupalakṣitāni ||

that had been observed in earlier times to come true.