सा मुहूर्तात् समाश्वस्य परिलभ्याथ चेतनाम्। तच्छिरः समुपास्थाय विललापायतेक्षणा
After a moment, regaining her senses, she approached that head and, her eyes wide with grief, began to lament.
हा हतास्मि महाबाहो वीरव्रतमनुव्रत। इमां ते पश्चिमावस्थां गतास्मि विधवा कृता
Alas, I am destroyed, O mighty-armed, steadfast in heroism; I have reached your final state, made a widow.
प्रथमं मरणं नार्या भर्तुर्वैगुण्यमुच्यते। सुवृत्तः साधुवृत्तायाः संवृत्तस्त्वं ममाग्रतः
For a woman, the first death is said to be her husband's disgrace; you, of noble conduct, have died before me, who am also of good conduct.
महद् दुःखं प्रपन्नाया मग्नायाः शोकसागरे। यो हि मामुद्यतस्त्रातुं सोऽपि त्वं विनिपातितः
Great sorrow has come upon me, plunged in an ocean of grief; even you, who rose to save me, have now fallen.
सा श्वश्रूर्मम कौसल्या त्वया पुत्रेण राघव। वत्सेनेव यथा धेनुर्विवत्सा वत्सला कृता
My mother-in-law Kausalyā, through you, her son Rāghava, has been made like a cow bereft of her calf, full of affection.
उद्दिष्टं दीर्घमायुस्ते दैवज्ञैरपि राघव। अनृतं वचनं तेषामल्पायुरसि राघव
Even the astrologers foretold you would have a long life, O Rāghava; their words have proved false, for your life was short.
अथवा नश्यति प्रज्ञा प्राज्ञस्यापि सतस्तव। पचत्येनं तथा कालो भूतानां प्रभवो ह्ययम्
Or else, even the wisdom of the wise perishes, for Time, the origin of beings, consumes all in this way.
अदृष्टं मृत्युमापन्नः कस्मात् त्वं नयशास्त्रवित्। व्यसनानामुपायज्ञः कुशलो ह्यसि वर्जने
How did you, learned in statecraft, skilled in averting misfortune, fall into unseen death?
तथा त्वं सम्परिष्वज्य रौद्रयातिनृशंसया। कालरात्र्या ममाच्छिद्य हृतः कमललोचन
Thus, you were seized and carried away by cruel, merciless Night of Death, after embracing me, O lotus-eyed one.
इह शेषे महाबाहो मां विहाय तपस्विनीम्। प्रियामिव यथा नारीं पृथिवीं पुरुषर्षभ
Here I shall remain, O mighty-armed one, forsaking this ascetic woman, just as a man abandons his beloved wife, O best of men, and leaves the earth.
अर्चितं सततं यत्नाद् गन्धमाल्यैर्मया तव। इदं ते मत्प्रियं वीर धनुः काञ्चनभूषितम्
This bow, adorned with gold, which I have always worshipped for you with care, with perfumes and garlands, O hero, is dear to me and now I offer it to you.
पित्रा दशरथेन त्वं श्वशुरेण ममानघ। सर्वैश्च पितृभिः सार्धं नूनं स्वर्गे समागतः
You, O faultless one, have surely joined my father-in-law, King Dasharatha, and all the ancestors together in heaven.
दिवि नक्षत्रभूतं च महत्कर्मकृतं तथा। पुण्यं राजर्षिवंशं त्वमात्मनः समुपेक्षसे
You disregard your own royal and virtuous lineage, which shines like a constellation in the sky and is renowned for great deeds.
किं मां न प्रेक्षसे राजन् किं वा न प्रतिभाषसे। बालां बालेन सम्प्राप्तां भार्यां मां सहचारिणीम्
O king, why do you not look at me, or speak to me—your young wife, who has come to you as a companion in her youth?
संश्रुतं गृह्णता पाणिं चरिष्यामीति यत् त्वया। स्मर तन्नाम काकुत्स्थ नय मामपि दुःखिताम्
Remember, O Kakutstha, the vow you made when you took my hand, saying, 'I will live with you.' Take me also, who am afflicted with sorrow.
कस्मान्मामपहाय त्वं गतो गतिमतां वर। अस्माल्लोकादमुं लोकं त्यक्त्वा मामपि दुःखिताम्
O best among the energetic, why have you left me behind, abandoning this world for the next, and leaving me, too, in grief?
कल्याणै रुचिरं गात्रं परिष्वक्तं मयैव तु। क्रव्यादैस्तच्छरीरं ते नूनं विपरिकृष्यते
That beautiful body of yours, which I alone have embraced with love, is surely now being torn apart by beasts of prey.
अग्निष्टोमादिभिर्यज्ञैरिष्टवानाप्तदक्षिणैः। अग्निहोत्रेण संस्कारं केन त्वं न तु लप्स्यसे
Having performed sacrifices like Agnishtoma with abundant gifts, by whom will you now receive the funeral rites with sacred fire?
प्रव्रज्यामुपपन्नानां त्रयाणामेकमागतम्। परिप्रेक्ष्यति कौसल्या लक्ष्मणं शोकलालसा
Kausalya, longing in her grief, will see only one of the three who went into exile—Lakshmana—return.
स तस्याः परिपृच्छन्त्या वधं मित्रबलस्य ते। तव चाख्यास्यते नूनं निशायां राक्षसैर्वधम्
As she asks him about the slaughter of your allied forces, he will surely tell her at night of your death at the hands of the rakshasas.
सा त्वां सुप्तं हतं ज्ञात्वा मां च रक्षोगृहं गताम्। हृदयेनावदीर्णेन न भविष्यति राघव
Knowing that you were killed while asleep and that I was taken to the house of the demons, O Raghava, she will not survive with her heart shattered.
मम हेतोरनार्याया अनघः पार्थिवात्मजः। रामः सागरमुत्तीर्य वीर्यवान् गोष्पदे हतः
Because of me, the unworthy one, the sinless son of a king, Rama, who crossed the ocean with his strength, has been slain as if in a cow's hoofprint.
अहं दाशरथेनोढा मोहात् स्वकुलपांसनी। आर्यपुत्रस्य रामस्य भार्या मृत्युरजायत
I, married to Dasharatha's son through delusion, have become the disgrace of my family; as the wife of noble Rama, I have brought about his death.
नूनमन्यां मया जातिं वारितं दानमुत्तमम्। याहमद्यैव शोचामि भार्या सर्वातिथेरिह
Surely, I must have obstructed some great charity or excellent gift in a previous birth, for today I grieve as the wife of the foremost of all guests.
साधु घातय मां क्षिप्रं रामस्योपरि रावण। समानय पतिं पत्न्या कुरु कल्याणमुत्तमम्
O Ravana, kill me quickly over Rama's body; unite the husband with his wife and grant the highest good.
इतीव दुःखसंतप्ता विललापायतेक्षणा। भर्तुः शिरो धनुश्चैव ददर्श जनकात्मजा
Thus, tormented by grief, the wide-eyed daughter of Janaka lamented, and saw her husband's head and his bow.
एवं लालप्यमानायां सीतायां तत्र राक्षसः। अभिचक्राम भर्तारमनीकस्थः कृताञ्जलिः
As Sita was thus lamenting there, the rakshasa approached her husband, standing before him with joined palms.
विजयस्वार्यपुत्रेति सोऽभिवाद्य प्रसाद्य च। न्यवेदयदनुप्राप्तं प्रहस्तं वाहिनीपतिम्
He offered his respects, saying, 'Conquer, O son of the lord,' and after winning favor, reported that Prahasta, the commander of the army, had arrived.
अमात्यैः सहितः सर्वैः प्रहस्तस्त्वामुपस्थितः। तेन दर्शनकामेन अहं प्रस्थापितः प्रभो
Prahasta has come to you, together with all the ministers; desiring an audience with you, O lord, he has sent me here.
नूनमस्ति महाराज राजभावात् क्षमान्वित। किंचिदात्ययिकं कार्यं तेषां त्वं दर्शनं कुरु
Surely, O great king, there is some urgent matter, appropriate for a king and requiring patience; you should grant them an audience.