तथापि पुष्टा न क्लिष्टा नवयौवनसंयुता । सुश्राव सा च सहसा सुवाचमशरीरिणीम्
Yet, she remained nourished, untroubled, and endowed with fresh youth; suddenly, she heard a bodiless, auspicious voice.
जन्मान्तरे च ते भर्ता भविष्यति हरिः स्वयम् । ब्रह्मादिभिर्दुराराध्यं पतिं लप्स्यसि सुन्दरि
"In another birth, your husband will be Hari himself; O beautiful one, you will obtain as your husband him who is difficult to propitiate even for Brahma and the other gods."
इति श्रुत्वा च सा हृष्टा चकार ह पुनस्तपः । अतीव निर्जनस्थाने पर्वते गन्धमादने
Hearing this, she rejoiced and again undertook austerity in a most desolate place, on Mount Gandhamadana.
तत्रैव सुचिरं तप्त्वा विश्वस्य समुवास सा । ददर्श पुरतस्तत्र रावणं दुर्निवारणम्
There, after performing penance for a long time, she dwelled in the world; and there, before her, appeared Ravana, difficult to withstand.
दृष्ट्वा सातिथिभक्त्या च पाद्यं तस्मै ददौ किल । सुस्वादुभूतं च फलं जलं चापि सुशीतलम्
Seeing him, she offered him, as a guest, water for washing his feet, delicious fruit, and very cool water.
तच्च भुक्त्वा स पापिष्ठश्चोवास तत्समीपतः । चकार प्रश्नमिति तां का त्वं कल्याणि वर्तसे
Having eaten that, the most sinful one stayed near her and questioned her thus: 'Who are you, O auspicious one, and why are you here?'
तां दृष्ट्वा स वरारोहां पीनश्रोणिपयोधराम् । शरत्पद्मोत्सवास्यां च सस्मितां सुदतीं सतीम्
Seeing her, of excellent form, with full hips and breasts, her face radiant as an autumn lotus, smiling, with beautiful teeth, and chaste—
मूर्च्छामवाप कृपणः कामबाणप्रपीडितः । स करेण समाकृष्य शृङ्गारं कर्तुमुद्यतः
Afflicted by the arrows of desire, the wretched Ravana fell into a swoon; seizing her by the hand, he sought to act lustfully.
सती चुकोप दृष्ट्वा तं स्तम्भितं च चकार ह । स जडो हस्तपादैश्च किञ्चिद्वक्तुं न च क्षमः
The chaste one, seeing him thus, became angry and rendered him paralyzed; he became insensible, unable to move his hands or feet, nor could he speak.
तुष्टाव मनसा देवीं प्रययौ पद्मलोचनाम् । सा तुष्टा तस्य स्तवनं सुकृतं च चकार ह
He praised the goddess mentally and departed to the lotus-eyed one; she, pleased, accepted his praise as a meritorious act.
सा शशाप मदर्थे त्वं विनंक्ष्यसि सबान्धवः । स्पृष्टाहं च त्वया कामाद् बलं चाप्यवलोकय
She cursed him, saying, 'For my sake, you shall perish along with your kin; and since you have touched me out of desire, behold your strength now.'
इत्युक्त्वा सा च योगेन देहत्यागं चकार ह । गङ्गायां तां च संन्यस्य स्वगृहं रावणो ययौ
Having spoken thus, she abandoned her body through yogic power; leaving her in the Ganges, Rāvaṇa returned to his own home.
अहो किमद्भुतं दृष्टं किं कृतं वानयाधुना । इति सञ्चिन्त्य सञ्चिन्त्य विललाप पुनः पुनः
Ah, what a wonder has been seen! What has she done now? Thus reflecting again and again, he lamented repeatedly.
सा च कालान्तरे साध्वी बभूव जनकात्मजा । सीतादेवीति विख्याता यदर्थे रावणो हतः
In the course of time, that virtuous woman was born as the daughter of Janaka, renowned as Sītā Devī, for whose sake Rāvaṇa was slain.
महातपस्विनी सा च तपसा पूर्वजन्मतः । लेभे रामं च भर्तारं परिपूर्णतमं हरिम्
That great ascetic, by the power of her previous life's austerities, obtained Rāma as her husband, the supreme and perfect Hari.
सम्प्राप तपसाऽऽराध्य दुराराध्यं जगत्पतिम् । सा रमा सुचिरं रेमे रामेण सह सुन्दरी
By worship through austerity, she attained the Lord of the universe, who is difficult to propitiate; that beautiful Rāmā enjoyed long happiness with Rāma.
जातिस्मरा न स्मरति तपसश्च क्लमं पुरा । सुखेन तज्जहौ सर्वं दुःखं चापि सुखं फले
Though she remembered her past birth, she did not recall the fatigue of her austerities; with ease she abandoned all suffering, for happiness is the fruit.
नानाप्रकारविभवं चकार सुचिरं सती । सम्प्राप्य सुकुमारं तमतीव नवयौवना
That faithful wife enjoyed various kinds of prosperity for a long time, having attained that gentle, ever-youthful husband.
गुणिनं रसिकं शान्तं कान्तं देवमनुत्तमम् । स्त्रीणां मनोज्ञं रुचिरं तथा लेभे यथेप्सितम्
She obtained, as she desired, a virtuous, delightful, peaceful, and incomparable husband, charming and pleasing to women.
पितुः सत्यपालनार्थं सत्यसन्धो रघूद्वहः । जगाम काननं पश्चात्कालेन च बलीयसा
For the sake of fulfilling his father's promise, the truthful scion of the Raghu lineage later went to the forest, being mighty.
तस्थौ समुद्रनिकटे सीतया लक्ष्मणेन च । ददर्श तत्र वह्निं च विप्ररूपधरं हरिः
He stayed near the ocean with Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa; there Hari beheld a fire taking the form of a Brāhmaṇa.
रामं च दुःखितं दृष्ट्वा स च दुःखी बभूव ह । उवाच किञ्चित्सत्येष्टं सत्यं सत्यपरायणः
Seeing Rāma distressed, that fire also became sorrowful; being devoted to truth, he spoke a few true words.
द्विज उवाच भगवच्छ्रूयतां राम कालोऽयं यदुपस्थितः । सीताहरणकालोऽयं तवैव समुपस्थितः
The Brāhmaṇa said: 'O blessed one, listen, Rāma, the time has now come; the time for Sītā's abduction has arrived for you.'
दैवं च दुर्निवार्यं च न च दैवात्परो बली । जगत्प्रसूं मयि न्यस्य छायां रक्षान्तिकेऽधुना
'Fate is difficult to resist, and no one is stronger than destiny; entrust Sītā, the mother of the world, to me now, near the demon.'
दास्यामि सीतां तुभ्यं च परीक्षासमये पुनः । देवैः प्रस्थापितोऽहं च न च विप्रो हुताशनः
'I will return Sītā to you at the time of trial; I have been sent by the gods, and I am not a Brāhmaṇa but the fire-god.'
रामस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा न प्रकाश्य च लक्ष्मणम् । स्वीकारं वचसश्चक्रे हृदयेन विदूयता
Hearing these words, Rāma, without revealing it to Lakṣmaṇa, accepted them with a heart full of pain.
वह्निर्योगेन सीताया मायासीतां चकार ह । तत्तुल्यगुणसर्वाङ्गां ददौ रामाय नारद
Through yogic power, the fire-god created a Māyā-Sītā, identical in all qualities, and gave her to Rāma, O Nārada.
सीतां गृहीत्वा स ययौ गोप्यं वक्तुं निषिध्य च । लक्ष्मणो नैव बुबुधे गोप्यमन्यस्य का कथा
Taking Sītā, he departed, forbidding anyone to speak of it; Lakṣmaṇa did not perceive the secret, so how could anyone else?
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे रामो ददर्श कानकं मृगम् । सीता तं प्रेरयामास तदर्थे यत्नपूर्वकम्
Meanwhile, Rāma saw a golden deer; Sītā urged him, with great effort, to pursue it.
संन्यस्य लक्ष्मणं रामो जानक्या रक्षणे वने । स्वयं जगाम तूर्णं तं विव्याध सायकेन च
Leaving Lakṣmaṇa to protect Jānaki in the forest, Rāma himself swiftly went and struck the deer with an arrow.