राक्षसेन्द्रस्तु तच्छ्रुत्वा नाम विश्राव्य चात्मनः । हर्षान्नादं विमुञ्चन्वै निष्क्रान्तो वरुणालयात् ।। ७.२३.
Hearing this, the lord of the Rākṣasas announced his own name, and, roaring with joy, departed from Varuṇa's abode.
आगतस्तु पथा येन तेनैव विनिवृत्य सः । लङ्कामभिमुखो रक्षो नभस्तलगतो ययौ ।। ७.२३.
Turning back along the same path by which he had come, the Rākṣasa, aiming for Laṅkā, traveled through the sky.
निवर्तमानः संहृष्टो रावणस्सुदुरात्मवान् । जह्रे पथि नरेन्द्रर्षिदेवगन्धर्वकन्यकाः ।। ७.२४.
Returning, elated, that Rāvaṇa of wicked resolve seized on the way the daughters of kings, sages, gods, and Gandharvas.
दर्शनीयां हि रक्षः स कन्यां स्त्रीं वापि पश्यति । हत्वा बन्धुजनं तस्या विमाने तां रुरोध ह ।। ७.२४.
Whenever that Rākṣasa saw a beautiful maiden or woman, he would slay her relatives and confine her in his aerial chariot.
एवं पन्नगकन्याश्च राक्षसासुरमानुषीः । यक्षदानवकन्याश्च विमाने सो ऽध्यरोपयत् ।। ७.२४.
In this way, he placed in his chariot the daughters of serpents, Rākṣasas, Asuras, humans, Yakṣas, and Dānavas.
ताश्च सर्वाः समं दुःखान्मुमुचुर्बाष्पजं जलम् । तुल्यमग्न्यर्चिषां तत्र शोकाग्निभयसम्भवम् ।। ७.२४.
All of them together shed tears born of sorrow, equally, like water springing from the fire of grief and fear.
ताभिः सर्वानवद्याभिर्नदीभिरिव सागरः । आपूरितं विमानं तद्भयशोकाशिवाश्रुभिः ।। ७.२४.
That aerial palace was filled, like the ocean by rivers, with tears of fear and grief from all those faultless women.
नागगन्धर्वकन्याश्च महर्षितनयाश्च याः । दैत्यदानवकन्याश्च विमाने शतशो ऽरुदन् ।। ७.२४.
Hundreds of serpent-maidens, daughters of Gandharvas and great sages, and daughters of Daityas and Dānavas wept in the palace.
दीर्घकेश्यः सुचार्वङ्ग्यः पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननाः । पीनस्तन्यस्तथा वज्रवेदिमध्यसमप्रभाः ।। ७.२४.
They had long hair, beautiful limbs, faces like the full moon, full breasts, and waists slender as the middle of a thunderbolt altar.
रथकूबरसङ्काशैः श्रोणिदेशैर्मनोहराः । स्त्रियः सुराङ्गनाप्रख्या निष्टप्तकनकप्रभाः ।। ७.२४.
Their hips resembled the hubs of chariot wheels, enchanting women, radiant as refined gold, comparable to the nymphs of the gods.
शोकदुःखभयत्रस्ता विह्वलाश्च सुमध्यमाः । तासां निश्वासवातेन सर्वतः सम्प्रदीपितम् ।। ७.२४.
Distressed by grief, sorrow, and fear, those lovely-waisted women were agitated; from their sighs, the air was stirred on all sides.
अग्निहोत्रमिवाभाति सन्निरुद्धाग्निपुष्पकम् । दशग्रीववशं प्राप्तास्तास्तु शोकाकुलाः स्त्रियः ।। ७.२४.
That Pushpaka chariot, with its fire suppressed, appeared like a sacrificial altar; those women, now under Rāvaṇa’s power, were overwhelmed by grief.
दीनवक्रेक्षणाः श्यामा मृग्यः सिंहवशा इव । काचिच्चिन्तयती तत्र किं नु मां भक्षयिष्यति ।। ७.२४.
With downcast, crooked glances, dark in complexion, like deer under the power of a lion, one among them thought, 'Will he devour me?'
काचिद्दध्यौ सुदुःखार्ता अपि मां मारयेदयम् । इति मातृपितऽन्स्मृत्वा भर्तऽन्भ्रातऽंस्तथैव च । दुःखशोकसमाविष्टा विलेपुः सहिताः स्त्रियः ।। ७.२४.
Another, deeply afflicted, thought, 'Perhaps he will kill me.' Remembering their mothers, fathers, husbands, and brothers, those women, overwhelmed by sorrow and grief, wept together.
कथं नु खलु मे पुत्रो भविष्यति मया विना । कथं माता कथं भ्राता निमग्नाः शोकसागरे ।। ७.२४.
How will my son fare without me? What of my mother, what of my brother, all plunged in the ocean of grief?
हा कथं नु करिष्यामि भर्तुस्तस्मादहं विना । मृत्यो प्रसादयामि त्वां नय मां दुःखभागिनीम् ।। ७.२४.
Alas, what shall I do, separated from my husband? O Death, I implore you, take me, who am burdened with suffering.
किन्नु तद्दुष्कृतं कर्म पुरा देहान्तरे कृतम् ।। ७.२४.
What evil deed was done by me in a previous body?
एवं स्म दुःखिताः सर्वाः पतिताः शोकसागरे । न खल्विदानीं पश्यामो दुःखस्यास्यान्तमात्मनः ।। ७.२४.
Thus, all of them, fallen into the ocean of grief, lamented; now we do not see any end to this suffering of ours.
अहो धिङ्मानुषं लोकं नास्ति खल्वधमः परः । यद्दुर्बला बलवता भर्तारो रावणेन नः ।। ७.२४.
Alas, shame upon the human world! Surely there is no one more wretched, since our husbands, though weak, have been subdued by the powerful Rāvaṇa.
सूर्येणोदयता काले नक्षत्राणीव नाशिताः । अहो सुबलवद्रक्षो वधोपायेषु युज्यते ।। ७.२४.
Like stars destroyed at sunrise, so too have we been ruined; truly, this mighty Rākṣasa excels in means of destruction.
अहो दुर्वृत्तमास्थाय नात्मानं वैजुगुप्सते । सर्वथा सदृशस्तावद्विक्रमो ऽस्य दुरात्मनः ।। ७.२४.
Alas, having adopted wicked conduct, he does not feel any shame; indeed, such is the valor of this evil-minded one.
इदं त्वसदृशं कर्म परदाराभिमर्शनम् । यस्मादेष परक्यासु रमते राक्षसाधमः ।। ७.२४.
But this act—violating other men's wives—is unworthy; for this vile Rākṣasa delights in women who belong to others.
तस्माद्वै स्त्रीकृतेनैव प्राप्स्यते दुर्मतिर्वधम् । सतीभिर्वरनारीभिरेवं वाक्ये ऽभ्युदीरिते ।। ७.२४.
Therefore, by the very women he has wronged, this wicked-minded one will meet his death; thus spoke those noble and faithful wives.
नेदुर्दुन्दुभयः खस्थाः पुष्पवृष्टिः पपात च । शप्तः स्त्रीभिः स तु समं हतौजा इव निष्प्रभः ।। ७.२४.
The drums in the sky did not resound, nor did a shower of flowers fall; cursed by the women, he became as if bereft of strength and luster.
पतिव्रताभिः साध्वीभिर्बभूव विमना इव । एवं विलपितं तासां शृण्वन्राक्षसपुङ्गवः । प्रविवेश पुरीं लङ्कां पूज्यमानो निशाचरैः ।। ७.२४.
Afflicted by the words of those virtuous and faithful wives, he seemed dispirited; hearing their lamentations, the foremost of the Rākṣasas entered the city of Laṅkā, honored by the night-dwellers.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे घोरा राक्षसी कामरूपिणी । सहसा पतिता भूमौ भगिनी रावणस्य सा ।। ७.२४.
Meanwhile, a dreadful Rākṣasī, capable of assuming any form at will, suddenly fell to the ground—she was the sister of Rāvaṇa.
तां स्वसारं समुत्थाप्य रावणः परिसान्त्वयन् । अब्रवीत्किमिदं भद्रे वक्तुकामा ऽसि मे द्रुतम् ।। ७.२४.
Rāvaṇa, raising his sister and consoling her, said: 'What is this, dear one? Tell me quickly what you wish to say.'
सा बाष्पपरिरुद्धाक्षी रक्ताक्षी वाक्यमब्रवीत् । कृता ऽस्मि विधवा राजंस्त्वया बलवता बलात् ।। ७.२४.
With eyes choked by tears and reddened, she spoke: 'I have been made a widow by your overpowering force, O king.'
एते राजंस्त्वया वीरा दैत्या विनिहता रणे । कालकेया इति ख्याताः सहस्राणि चतुर्दश ।। ७.२४.
'O king, those mighty Daityas known as the Kālakeyas, fourteen thousand in number, were slain in battle by you.'
प्राणेभ्यो ऽपि गरीयान्मे तत्र भर्ता महाबलः ।। ७.२४.
'Among them, my husband—of great might—was dearer to me than life itself.'