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.
लक्ष्मणेति च शब्दं स कृत्वा च मायया मृगः । प्राणांस्तत्याज सहसा पुरो दृष्ट्वा हरिं स्मरन्
The deer, using illusion, cried out 'Lakṣmaṇa!' and, seeing the monkey before him and remembering him, suddenly gave up its life.
मृगदेहं परित्यज्य दिव्यरूपं विधाय च । रत्ननिर्माणयानेन वैकुण्ठं स जगाम ह
Abandoning its animal form and assuming a divine appearance, it departed for Vaikuṇṭha in a vehicle made of jewels.
वैकुण्ठलोकद्वार्यासीत्किङ्करो द्वारपालयोः । पुनर्जगाम तद्द्वारमादेशाद् द्वारपालयोः
At the gate of Vaikuṇṭha, there was a servant among the gatekeepers; by their command, he again approached that gate.
अथ शब्दं च सा श्रुत्वा लक्ष्मणेति च विक्लवम् । तं हि सा प्रेरयामास लक्ष्मणं रामसन्निधौ
Then, hearing the distressed cry 'Lakṣmaṇa!', Sītā sent Lakṣmaṇa to Rāma's presence.
गते च लक्ष्मणे रामं रावणो दुर्निवारणः । सीतां गृहीत्वा प्रययौ लङ्कामेव स्वलीलया
When Lakṣmaṇa had gone, Rāvaṇa, impossible to resist, seized Sītā and departed for Laṅkā by his own power.
विषसाद च रामश्च वने दृष्ट्वा च लक्ष्मणम् । तूर्णं च स्वाश्रमं गत्वा सीतां नैव ददर्श सः
Rāma became despondent in the forest, and, seeing Lakṣmaṇa, hurried to his own hermitage, but did not find Sītā there.
मूर्च्छां सम्प्राप सुचिरं विललाप भृशं पुनः । पुनः पुनश्च बभ्राम तदन्वेषणपूर्वकम्
He fell unconscious for a long time, lamented intensely, and wandered again and again in search of her.
कालेन प्राप्य तद्वार्तां गोदावरीनदीतटे । सहायान्वानरात्कृत्वा बबन्ध सागरं हरिः
In time, learning the news at the bank of the Godāvarī river, Hari gathered allies among the monkeys and bridged the ocean.
लङ्कां गत्वा रघुश्रेष्ठो जघान सायकेन च । कालेन प्राप्य तं हत्वा रावणं बान्धवैः सह
Going to Laṅkā, the foremost of the Raghu dynasty slew Rāvaṇa with an arrow; in time, having killed him along with his kin.
तां च वह्निपरीक्षां च कारयामास सत्वरम् । हुताशस्तत्र काले तु वास्तवीं जानकीं ददौ
He quickly arranged the fire ordeal for her; at that time, the fire-god returned the true Jānaki.