अधोमुखीं शोकपरामुपविष्टां महीतले। भर्तारं समनुध्यान्तीमशोकवनिकां गताम्
He saw her sitting on the ground, her face cast down, overwhelmed with grief, constantly thinking of her husband, having gone to the Aśoka grove.
उपास्यमानां घोराभी राक्षसीभिरदूरतः। उपसृत्य ततः सीतां प्रहर्षं नाम कीर्तयन्
Surrounded closely by terrifying Rākṣasī women, he approached Sītā and, proclaiming his joy, spoke her name.
इदं च वचनं धृष्टमुवाच जनकात्मजाम्। सान्त्व्यमाना मया भद्रे यमाश्रित्य विमन्यसे
And he spoke these bold words to the daughter of Janaka: 'O gentle one, whom do you rely on, that you are consoled by me?'
खरहन्ता स ते भर्ता राघवः समरे हतः। छिन्नं ते सर्वथा मूलं दर्पश्च निहतो मया
Your husband, Rāghava, the slayer of Khara, has been killed in battle; your root is utterly cut off, and your pride has been destroyed by me.
व्यसनेनात्मनः सीते मम भार्या भविष्यसि। विसृजैतां मतिं मूढे किं मृतेन करिष्यसि
Because of your misfortune, Sītā, you shall become my wife; abandon this foolish resolve—what will you do with one who is dead?
भवस्व भद्रे भार्याणां सर्वासामीश्वरी मम। अल्पपुण्ये निवृत्तार्थे मूढे पण्डितमानिनि। शृणु भर्तृवधं सीते घोरं वृत्रवधं यथा
Be, O gentle one, the chief among all my wives; you of little merit, whose purpose is lost, foolish one, who think yourself wise—hear, Sītā, of your husband's dreadful death, like the slaying of Vṛtra.
समायातः समुद्रान्तं हन्तुं मां किल राघवः। वानरेन्द्रप्रणीतेन बलेन महता वृतः
Rāghava, it is said, came to the ocean's edge to kill me, surrounded by a great army led by the king of the monkeys.
संनिविष्टः समुद्रस्य पीड्य तीरमथोत्तरम्। बलेन महता रामो व्रजत्यस्तं दिवाकरे
He encamped at the northern shore of the ocean, pressing the bank with his great army; as the sun set, Rāma proceeded.
अथाध्वनि परिश्रान्तमर्धरात्रे स्थितं बलम्। सुखसुप्तं समासाद्य चरितं प्रथमं चरैः
Then, when the army was weary on the march and resting at midnight, my spies found them all sleeping soundly.
तत्प्रहस्तप्रणीतेन बलेन महता मम। बलमस्य हतं रात्रौ यत्र रामः सलक्ष्मणः
Then, with my great army led by Prahasta, their force was destroyed at night, where Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa were.
पट्टिशान् परिघांश्चक्रानृष्टीन् दण्डान् महायुधान्। बाणजालानि शूलानि भास्वरान् कूटमुद्गरान्
With swords, iron clubs, discs, spears, staffs, mighty weapons, showers of arrows, shining spikes, and spiked maces,
यष्टीश्च तोमरान् प्रासांश्चक्राणि मुसलानि च। उद्यम्योद्यम्य रक्षोभिर्वानरेषु निपातिताः
Staves, javelins, lances, discs, and pestles—raising and raising them, the Rākṣasas struck them down upon the monkeys.
अथ सुप्तस्य रामस्य प्रहस्तेन प्रमाथिना। असक्तं कृतहस्तेन शिरश्छिन्नं महासिना
Then, as Rāma slept, Prahasta the destroyer, with steady hand and great sword, cut off his head without resistance.
विभीषणः समुत्पत्य निगृहीतो यदृच्छया। दिशः प्रव्राजितः सैन्यैर्लक्ष्मणः प्लवगैः सह
Vibhīṣaṇa, having leapt up, was seized by chance and driven away in all directions by the armies, along with Lakṣmaṇa and the monkeys.
सुग्रीवो ग्रीवया सीते भग्नया प्लवगाधिपः। निरस्तहनुकः सीते हनूमान् राक्षसैर्हतः
O Sītā, Sugrīva, the lord of the monkeys, had his neck broken; Hanumān, with his jaw shattered, was slain by the rākṣasas, O Sītā.
जाम्बवानथ जानुभ्यामुत्पतन् निहतो युधि। पट्टिशैर्बहुभिश्छिन्नो निकृत्तः पादपो यथा
Then Jāmbavān, rising on his knees, was struck down in battle, cut to pieces by many spears, like a tree felled.
मैन्दश्च द्विविदश्चोभौ तौ वानरवरर्षभौ। निःश्वसन्तौ रुदन्तौ च रुधिरेण परिप्लुतौ
Mainda and Dvivida, those two foremost and best of monkeys, were lying there, breathing heavily and weeping, drenched in blood.
असिना व्यायतौ छिन्नौ मध्ये ह्यरिनिषूदनौ। अनुश्वसिति मेदिन्यां पनसः पनसो यथा
Those two destroyers of foes, exhausted and cut in two with swords at the waist, lie on the ground, gasping, like jackfruit trees split apart.
नाराचैर्बहुभिश्छिन्नः शेते दर्यां दरीमुखः। कुमुदस्तु महातेजा निष्कूजन् सायकैर्हतः
Darīmukha lies in a trench, cut by many iron arrows; Kumuda, of great energy, is silent, struck down by shafts.
हरयो मथिता नागै रथजालैस्तथापरे। शयाना मृदितास्तत्र वायुवेगैरिवाम्बुदाः
The monkeys were crushed by elephants, others by chariots; they lay trampled there, like clouds scattered by the force of the wind.
प्रसृताश्च परे त्रस्ता हन्यमाना जघन्यतः। अनुद्रुतास्तु रक्षोभिः सिंहैरिव महाद्विपाः
Others, terrified, stretched out and fleeing, were struck down from behind, pursued by the rākṣasas like great elephants by lions.
सागरे पतिताः केचित् केचिद् गगनमाश्रिताः। ऋक्षा वृक्षानुपारूढा वानरीं वृत्तिमाश्रिताः
Some fell into the ocean, some took refuge in the sky; the bears climbed trees, adopting the ways of monkeys.
सागरस्य च तीरेषु शैलेषु च वनेषु च। पिङ्गलास्ते विरूपाक्षै राक्षसैर्बहवो हताः
On the shores of the ocean, in the mountains, and in the forests, many tawny monkeys were slain by the rākṣasas with deformed eyes.
एवं तव हतो भर्ता ससैन्यो मम सेनया। क्षतजार्द्रं रजोध्वस्तमिदं चास्याहृतं शिरः
Thus your husband, along with his army, was slain by my forces; this head, blood-soaked and dust-covered, has been brought here.
ततः परमदुर्धर्षो रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः। सीतायामुपशृण्वन्त्यां राक्षसीमिदमब्रवीत्
Then Rāvaṇa, the exceedingly formidable lord of rākṣasas, spoke these words to the rākṣasī as Sītā listened.
राक्षसं क्रूरकर्माणं विद्युज्जिह्वं समानय। येन तद्राघवशिरः संग्रामात् स्वयमाहृतम्
Bring here the rākṣasa Vidyujjihva, cruel in his deeds, who personally brought that head of Rāghava from the battlefield.
विद्युज्जिह्वस्तदा गृह्य शिरस्तत्सशरासनम्। प्रणामं शिरसा कृत्वा रावणस्याग्रतः स्थितः
Then Vidyujjihva, taking that head along with the bow and arrows, bowed his head in reverence and stood before Rāvaṇa.
तमब्रवीत् ततो राजा रावणो राक्षसं स्थितम्। विद्युज्जिह्वं महाजिह्वं समीपपरिवर्तिनम्
Then the king Rāvaṇa spoke to that rākṣasa Vidyujjihva, the great-tongued one who stood nearby.
अग्रतः कुरु सीतायाः शीघ्रं दाशरथेः शिरः। अवस्थां पश्चिमां भर्तुः कृपणा साधु पश्यतु
Quickly place the head of Daśaratha’s son before Sītā, so that the wretched woman may see her husband’s final condition.
एवमुक्तं तु तद् रक्षः शिरस्तत् प्रियदर्शनम्। उपनिक्षिप्य सीतायाः क्षिप्रमन्तरधीयत
Thus addressed, that rākṣasa quickly set down the head, pleasing to behold, before Sītā, and then vanished.