Agni Purana

अब्रवीद्रावणं क्रुद्धा न त्वं राजा न रक्षकः। खरादिहन्तू रामस्य सीतां भार्यां हरस्व च

Angry, she spoke to Ravana: 'You are not a king, nor a protector; come here and kill Rama, and seize Sita, his wife.'

रामलक्ष्मणरक्तस्य पानाज्जीवामि नान्यथा। तथेत्याह च तच्छ्रुत्वा मारीचं प्राह वै व्रज

'I live only by drinking the blood of Rama and Lakshmana, not otherwise.' Hearing this, Ravana said, 'So be it,' and then addressed Maricha: 'Go!'

स्वर्णचित्रमृगो भूत्वा रामलक्ष्मणकर्षकः। सीताग्रे तां हरिष्यामि अन्यथा मरणं तव

'Become a golden, spotted deer, and draw away Rama and Lakshmana; in Sita’s presence I will seize her, otherwise your death is certain.'

मारीचो रावणं प्राह रामो मृत्युर्धनुर्धरः। रावणादपि मर्त्तव्यं मर्त्तव्यं राघवादपि

Maricha said to Ravana: 'Rama, the wielder of the bow, is death itself; it is better to die at Ravana’s hand, but one must die at Raghava’s hand.'

अवश्यं यदि मर्त्तव्यं वरं रामो न रावणः। इति मत्वा मृगो भूत्वा सीताग्रे व्यचरन्मुहुः

'If I must certainly die, it is better by Rama than by Ravana.' Thinking thus, he became a deer and wandered again and again before Sita.

सीतया प्रेरितो रामः शरेणाथावधीच्च तम्। म्रियमाणो मृगः प्राह हा सीते लक्ष्मणेति च

Urged by Sita, Rama killed him with an arrow; as he was dying, the deer cried out, 'Ha, Sita! Ha, Lakshmana!'

सौमित्रिः सीतयोक्तोऽथ विरुद्धं राममागतः। रावणोऽप्यहरत् सीतां हत्वा गृध्रं जटायुषम्

Then Saumitri, at Sita’s urging, went to Rama, who was in distress; and Ravana seized Sita, having slain the vulture Jatayu.

जटायुषा स भिन्नाङ्गः अङ्केनादाय जानकीम्। गतो लङ्कामशोकाख्ये धारयामास चाब्रवीत्

Having his limbs wounded by Jatayu, he took Janaki on his lap, went to Lanka, to the place called Ashoka, kept her there, and spoke.

भव भार्य्या ममाग्र्या त्वं राक्षस्यो रक्ष्यतामियम् । रामो हत्वा तु मारीचं दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मणमब्रवीत्

'Become my chief wife; let this rakshasi guard you.' Rama, having slain Maricha, saw Lakshmana and spoke.

मायामृगोऽसौ सौमित्रे यथा त्वमिह चागतः । तथा सीता हृता नूनं नापश्यत् स गतोऽथ ताम्

That was a magical deer, O Saumitri, just as you have come here; in the same way, Sita was truly abducted, and he did not see her as he departed.

शुशोच विललापार्त्तो मां त्यक्त्वा क्क गतासि वै। लक्ष्मणाश्वासितो रामो मार्गयामास जानकीम्

He grieved and lamented in distress, crying, 'Where have you gone, leaving me?'; consoled by Lakshmana, Rama began searching for Janaki.

दृष्ट्वा जटायुस्तं प्राह रावणो हृतवांश्च ताम्। मृतोऽथ संस्कृतस्तेन कबन्धञ्चावधीत्ततः

Seeing him, Jatayu spoke: 'Ravana has carried her away.' Then, after Jatayu died and was given rites by him, he slew Kabandha thereafter.

नारद उवाच रामः पस्पासरो गत्वा शोचन् स शर्वरीं ततः। हनूमता स सूग्नीवं मित्रञ्चकार ह

Narada said: Rama, having gone forth, spent the night grieving; then, with Hanuman, he made Sugriva his friend.

सप्त तालन् विनिर्भिद्य शरेणैकेन पश्यतः। पादेन दुन्दुभेः कायञ्चिक्षेप दशयोजनम्

He pierced seven palm trees with a single arrow before their eyes, and with his foot, he hurled Dundubhi's body ten yojanas.

तद्रिपुं बालिनं हत्वा भ्रातरं वैरसारिणम्। किष्किन्धां कपिरज्यञ्च रुमान्तारां समर्पयत्

Having slain that enemy, Bali, the brother hostile to him, he entrusted Kishkindha, the kingdom of the monkeys, and Ruma to Sugriva.

ऋष्यमूकेहरीशायकिष्किन्धेशोऽब्रवीत्सच । सीतां त्वं प्राश्यसेयद्वत् तथा राम करोमिते

The lord of monkeys dwelling at Rishyamuka, the king of Kishkindha, spoke: 'You will recover Sita, just as I will act for Rama.'

तछ्रुत्वा माल्यवत्पृष्ठे चातुर्मास्यं चकारसः। किष्किन्धायाञ्च सुग्रीवो यदा नायाति दर्शनम्

Hearing this, he performed the four-month vow on Mount Malyavat, and Sugriva did not come to meet him in Kishkindha.

तदाऽब्रवीत्तं रामोक्तं लक्षमणो व्रज राघवम्। न स सङ्कुचितः पन्था येन बाली हतो गतः

Then, as Rama had said, Lakshmana spoke: 'Go to Raghava; the path is not obstructed, the way by which Bali was slain and departed.'

समये तिष्ठ सुग्रीव मा बालिपथमन्वगः। सुग्रीव आह संसक्तो गतं कालं न बुद्धवान्

'Keep to the appointed time, Sugriva; do not follow the path of Bali.' Sugriva replied: 'Absorbed, I did not notice the passage of time.'

इत्युक्त्वा स गतो रामं नत्वोवाच हरीश्वरः। आनीता वानराः सर्वे सीतायाश्च गवेषणे

Having said this, he went to Rama, bowed, and spoke to the lord of monkeys: 'All the monkeys have been gathered for the search for Sita.'

त्वन्मतात् प्रेषयिष्यामि विचिन्वन्तु च जानकीम् । पूर्वादौ मासमायान्तु मासादूर्ध्वं निहन्मि तान्

'On my command, I will send them; let them search for Janaki. Let them return within a month; after a month, I will destroy them.'

इत्युक्ता वानराः पूर्वपश्चमोत्तरमार्गगाः। जग्मू रामं ससुग्रीवमपशयन्तस्तु जानकीम्

Thus instructed, the monkeys went east, west, and north; they journeyed with Rama and Sugriva, but did not find Janaki.

रामाङ्गुलीयं संगृह्य हनूमान् वानरैः सह। दक्षिणे मागयामास सुप्रभाया गुहान्तिके

Hanuman, taking Rama's ring, together with the monkeys, searched in the south near the cave of Suprabha.

मासादूर्ध्वञ्च विन्यस्ता अपश्यन्तस्तु जानकीम्। ऊचुर्वृथामरिष्यामो जटायुर्द्धन्य एव सः

After a month had passed and they had not found Janaki, they said: 'We shall die in vain; Jatayu alone is blessed.'

सीतार्थे योऽत्यजत् प्राणान्रावणेन हतो रणे। तच्छ्रु त्वा प्राह सम्पातिर्विहाय कपिभक्षणम्

For Sita's sake, he who abandoned his life, slain by Ravana in battle—hearing this, Sampati spoke, forsaking the monkeys as food.

भ्राताऽसौ मे जटायुर्वै मयोड्डीनोऽर्कमण्डलम्। अर्क तापाद्रक्षितोऽगाद् दग्धपक्षोऽहमभ्रगः

'That Jatayu was my brother; I was lifted up to the orb of the sun. Protected from the sun's heat, I went, but my wings were burned and I fell from the sky.'

रामवार्त्ताश्रवात् पक्षौ जातौ भूयोऽथ जानकीम्। पश्याम्यशोकवनिकागतां लङ्कागतां किल

From hearing news of Rama, my wings have grown again; now I see Janaki, who has entered the Ashoka grove, and is indeed in Lanka.

शतयोजनचविश्तीर्णे लवणाब्धौ त्रिकूटके। ज्ञात्वा रामं ससुग्रीवं वानराः कथयन्तु वै

In the salt ocean, vast for a hundred yojanas, at Trikuta, let the monkeys, having recognized Rama and Sugriva, indeed speak.

नारद उवाच सम्पातिवचनं श्रुत्वा हनुमानङ्गदादयः। अब्धिं दृष्ट्वाऽब्रुवंस्तेऽब्धिं लङ्घयेत को नु जीवयेत्

Narada said: Having heard Sampati's words, Hanuman, Angada, and the others, seeing the ocean, spoke: 'Who indeed can cross this ocean and survive?'