पेयमानीयतां क्षिप्रं माल्यं च विविधं बहु। ततः शूर्पणखा नाम राक्षसी वाक्यमब्रवीत्
Quickly bring drink and many kinds of garlands; then the rakshasi named Surpanakha spoke these words.
अजामुख्या यदुक्तं वै तदेव मम रोचते। सुरा चानीयतां क्षिप्रं सर्वशोकविनाशिनी
What Ajāmukhī has said, that alone pleases me; quickly bring liquor, the destroyer of all sorrow.
मानुषं मांसमास्वाद्य नृत्यामोऽथ निकुम्भिलाम्। एवं निर्भर्त्स्यमाना सा सीता सुरसुतोपमा। राक्षसीभिर्विरूपाभिर्धैर्यमुत्सृज्य रोदिति
After tasting human flesh, let us dance at Nikumbhila; thus, as Sita, equal to a daughter of the gods, was being threatened by the hideous rakshasis, she abandoned her courage and wept.
thumb|पञ्चविंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे सुन्दरकाण्डे पञ्चविंशः सर्गः ॥५-
Hear now the twenty-fifth sarga in the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, in the Sundara Kanda.
अथ तासां वदन्तीनां परुषं दारुणं बहु। राक्षसीनामसौम्यानां रुरोद जनकात्मजा
Then, as those fierce, harsh, and many words were spoken by the cruel rakshasis, the daughter of Janaka wept.
एवमुक्ता तु वैदेही राक्षसीभिर्मनस्विनी। उवाच परमत्रस्ता बाष्पगद्गदया गिरा
Thus addressed by the rakshasis, Vaidehi, steadfast in mind, spoke, greatly terrified, her voice choked with tears.
न मानुषी राक्षसस्य भार्या भवितुमर्हति। कामं खादत मां सर्वा न करिष्यामि वो वचः
A human woman should not become the wife of a rakshasa; do as you wish and eat me all of you, but I will not obey your command.
सा राक्षसीमध्यगता सीता सुरसुतोपमा। न शर्म लेभे शोकार्ता रावणेनेव भर्त्सिता
Surrounded by the rakshasis, Sita, equal to a daughter of the gods, found no peace, tormented by grief and threatened by Ravana.
वेपते स्माधिकं सीता विशन्तीवांगमात्मनः। वने यूथपरिभ्रष्टा मृगी कोकैरिवार्दिता
Sita trembled greatly, as if her body were leaving her; like a deer separated from its herd, tormented by crows in the forest.
सा त्वशोकस्य विपुलां शाखामालम्ब्य पुष्पिताम्। चिन्तयामास शोकेन भर्तारं भग्नमानसा
Then, grasping a large, blossoming branch of an ashoka tree, she, her mind broken by sorrow, thought of her husband.
सा स्नापयन्ती विपुलौ स्तनौ नेत्रजलस्रवैः। चिन्तयन्ती न शोकस्य तदान्तमधिगच्छति
She bathed her ample breasts with streams of tears from her eyes; thinking, she could not find an end to her grief.
सा वेपमाना पतिता प्रवाते कदली यथा। राक्षसीनां भयत्रस्ता विवर्णवदनाभवत्
Trembling, she fell like a plantain tree in a storm; terrified by the rakshasis, her face lost its color.
तस्याः सा दीर्घबहुला वेपन्त्याः सीतया तदा। ददृशे कम्पिता वेणी व्यालीव परिसर्पती
Then, as Sita trembled with her long, thick hair, her braid was seen shaking, winding like a serpent.
सा निःश्वसन्ती शोकार्ता कोपोपहतचेतना। आर्ता व्यसृजदश्रूणि मैथिली विललाप च
She, sighing and overcome by grief, her mind disturbed by anger, afflicted, shed tears and lamented, that daughter of Mithila.
हा रामेति च दुःखार्ता हा पुनर्लक्ष्मणेति च। हा श्वश्रूर्मम कौसल्ये हा सुमित्रेति भामिनी
Distressed by sorrow, she cried out, 'Alas, Rāma!' and again, 'Alas, Lakṣmaṇa!' and, 'Alas, my mother-in-law Kausalyā! Alas, noble Sumitrā!'
लोकप्रवादः सत्योऽयं पण्डितैः समुदाहृतः। अकाले दुर्लभो मृत्युः स्त्रिया वा पुरुषस्य वा
This saying, declared by the wise, is indeed true: death is hard to obtain before its time, for a woman or for a man.
यत्राहमाभिः क्रूराभी राक्षसीभिरिहार्दिता। जीवामि हीना रामेण मुहूर्तमपि दुःखिता
Here I am, tormented by these cruel rākṣasīs, living even for a moment, separated from Rāma, suffering.
एषाल्पपुण्या कृपणा विनशिष्याम्यनाथवत्। समुद्रमध्ये नौः पूर्णा वायुवेगैरिवाहता
I, low in merit and pitiable, will perish like an abandoned one, as a full ship in the middle of the ocean, driven by the force of the wind.
भर्तारं तमपश्यन्ती राक्षसीवशमागता। सीदामि खलु शोकेन कूलं तोयहतं यथा
Unable to see my husband and fallen under the power of the rākṣasīs, I truly sink with grief, as a riverbank struck by water.
तं पद्मदलपत्राक्षं सिंहविक्रान्तगामिनम्। धन्याः पश्यन्ति मे नाथं कृतज्ञं प्रियवादिनम्
Blessed are those who behold my lord, whose eyes are like lotus petals, who strides with a lion's gait, who is grateful and speaks kindly.
सर्वथा तेन हीनाया रामेण विदितात्मना। तीक्ष्णं विषमिवास्वाद्य दुर्लभं मम जीवनम्
Indeed, deprived of Rāma, who knows himself, my life is hard to endure, as if tasting sharp poison.
कीदृशं तु महापापं मया देहान्तरे कृतम्। तेनेदं प्राप्यते घोरं महादुःखं सुदारुणम्
What great sin did I commit in a former body, that I now suffer this terrible, dreadful sorrow?
जीवितं त्यक्तुमिच्छामि शोकेन महता वृता। राक्षसीभिश्च रक्षन्त्या रामो नासाद्यते मया
I wish to abandon my life, overwhelmed by great grief, but guarded by the rākṣasīs, I cannot reach Rāma.
धिगस्तु खलु मानुष्यं धिगस्तु परवश्यताम्। न शक्यं यत् परित्यक्तुमात्मच्छन्देन जीवितम्
Fie upon humanity, fie upon dependence on others, for life cannot be abandoned at will.
thumb|षड्विंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे सुन्दरकाण्डे षड्विंशः सर्गः ॥५-
Listen to the twenty-sixth sarga in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Sundara Kāṇḍa.
प्रसक्ताश्रुमुखी त्वेवं ब्रुवती जनकात्मजा। अधोगतमुखी बाला विलप्तुमुपचक्रमे
With her face streaming with tears, the daughter of Janaka, her face cast down, began to lament like a young girl.
उन्मत्तेव प्रमत्तेव भ्रान्तचित्तेव शोचती। उपावृत्ता किशोरीव विचेष्टन्ती महीतले
She grieved like one mad, or intoxicated, or deranged in mind, moving restlessly on the ground like a young cow that has turned back.
राघवस्य प्रमत्तस्य रक्षसा कामरूपिणा। रावणेन प्रमथ्याहमानीता क्रोशती बलात्
While Rāghava was unguarded, I was seized by Rāvaṇa, the rākṣasa who can assume any form, and brought here by force as I cried out.
राक्षसीवशमापन्ना भर्त्स्यमाना च दारुणम्। चिन्तयन्ती सुदुःखार्ता नाहं जीवितुमुत्सहे
Fallen under the power of the rākṣasīs and harshly threatened, I am deeply afflicted and cannot endure to live.
नहि मे जीवितेनार्थो नैवार्थैर्न च भूषणैः। वसन्त्या राक्षसीमध्ये विना रामं महारथम्
For me, there is no value in life, nor in wealth, nor in ornaments, dwelling among the rākṣasīs without Rāma, the great chariot-warrior.