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.
उवाच छाया वह्निं च रामं च विनयान्विता । करिष्यामीति किमहं तदुपायं वदस्व मे
With humility, she spoke to the shadow, to the fire, and to Rāma: 'I will do it; what should I do? Tell me the means.'
श्रीरामाग्नी ऊचतुः त्वं गच्छ तपसे देवि पुष्करं च सुपुण्यदम् । कृत्वा तपस्या तत्रैव स्वर्गलक्ष्मीर्भविष्यसि
Śrī Rāma and Agni said: 'Go, O goddess, to Puṣkara, which is supremely holy for austerity; performing penance there, you will attain the fortune of heaven.'
सा च तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रतप्य पुष्करे तपः । दिव्यं त्रिलक्षवर्षं च स्वर्गलक्ष्मीर्बभूव ह
Hearing those words, she performed austerity at Puṣkara; for three hundred thousand years, she became possessed of heavenly fortune.
सा च कालेन तपसा यज्ञकुण्डसमुद्भवा । कामिनी पाण्डवानां च द्रौपदी द्रुपदात्मजा
In time, by her penance, she was born from the sacrificial altar as a woman, Draupadī, daughter of Drupada, for the Pāṇḍavas.
कृते युगे वेदवती कुशध्वजसुता शुभा । त्रेतायां रामपत्नी च सीतेति जनकात्मजा
In the Kṛta age, she was Vedavatī, the auspicious daughter of Kuśadhvaja; in Tretā, she was Rāma's wife, Sītā, daughter of Janaka.
तच्छाया द्रौपदी देवी द्वापरे द्रुपदात्मजा । त्रिहायणी च सा प्रोक्ता विद्यमाना युगत्रये
Her shadow was Draupadī, the goddess, daughter of Drupada in Dvāpara; she is called Trihāyaṇī, existing in all three ages.
नारद उवाच प्रियाः पञ्च कथं तस्या बभूवुर्मुनिपुङ्गव । इति मच्चित्तसंदेहं भञ्ज संदेहभञ्जन
Nārada said: O foremost of sages, how did she come to have five beloveds? Please dispel this doubt of mine, O dispeller of doubts.
श्रीनारायण उवाच लङ्कायां वास्तवी सीता रामं सम्प्राप नारद । रूपयौवनसम्पन्ना छाया च बहुचिन्तया
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: In Laṅkā, the real Sītā was united with Rāma, O Nārada; endowed with beauty and youth, while her shadow, due to much anxiety—
रामाग्न्योराज्ञया तप्तुमुपास्ते शङ्करं परम् । कामातुरा पतिव्यग्रा प्रार्थयन्ती पुनः पुनः
By the command of Rāma and Agni, she performed austerities, worshipping the supreme Śaṅkara, tormented by desire, devoted to her husband, repeatedly praying—
पतिं देहि पतिं देहि पतिं देहि त्रिलोचन । पतिं देहि पतिं देहि पञ्चवारं चकार सा
"Grant me a husband, grant me a husband, grant me a husband, O Three-eyed One! Grant me a husband, grant me a husband!"—thus she prayed five times.