कर्तव्यमिह तिष्ठन्त्या यत्प्रधानस्त्वमागतः। एवं ब्रुवाणां वैदेहीं बाष्पशोकसमन्विताम्
What is the purpose of your staying here, when you have come as the chief protector? Thus spoke Vaidehi, filled with tears and sorrow.
अब्रवील्लक्ष्मणस्त्रस्तां सीतां मृगवधूमिव। पन्नगासुरगन्धर्वदेवदानवराक्षसैः
Then Lakshmana spoke to frightened Sita, like a deer-cow, 'By serpents, asuras, gandharvas, gods, danavas, or rakshasas—'
अशक्यस्तव वैदेहि भर्ता जेतुं न संशयः। देवि देवमनुष्येषु गन्धर्वेषु पतत्रिषु
'Your husband, O Vaidehi, cannot be defeated—there is no doubt—by gods, men, gandharvas, or birds.'
राक्षसेषु पिशाचेषु किन्नरेषु मृगेषु च। दानवेषु च घोरेषु न स विद्येत शोभने
'Among rakshasas, pisacas, kinnaras, and animals, and even among the fierce danavas, there is none, O beautiful one—'
यो रामं प्रतियुध्येत समरे वासवोपमम्। अवध्यः समरे रामो नैवं त्वं वक्तुमर्हसि
'Who could fight Rama in battle, who is equal to Indra; Rama is invincible in battle, so you should not speak in this way.'
न त्वामस्मिन् वने हातुमुत्सहे राघवं विना। अनिवार्यं बलं तस्य बलैर्बलवतामपि
'I cannot bear to leave you in this forest without Raghava; his strength cannot be resisted, even by the strongest of the strong.'
त्रिभिर्लोकैः समुदितैः सेश्वरैः सामरैरपि। हृदयं निर्वृतं तेऽस्तु संतापस्त्यज्यतां तव
'Even if all three worlds, with their lords and the hosts of gods, were to unite, his power could not be overcome. Let your heart be at peace, and let your distress be set aside.'
आगमिष्यति ते भर्ता शीघ्रं हत्वा मृगोत्तमम्। न स तस्य स्वरो व्यक्तं न कश्चिदपि दैवतः
'Your husband will soon return, having slain the noble deer; that voice you heard is not truly his, nor could it be any god's.'
गन्धर्वनगरप्रख्या माया तस्य च रक्षसः। न्यासभूतासि वैदेहि न्यस्ता मयि महात्मना
'That was the illusion of the rakshasa, like a city of the gandharvas; O Vaidehi, you have been entrusted to me by the great-souled Rama.'
रामेण त्वं वरारोहे न त्वां त्यक्तुमिहोत्सहे। कृतवैराश्च कल्याणि वयमेतैर्निशाचरैः
'O fair-hipped one, I cannot bear to abandon you here, for you have been entrusted to me by Rama; and now, O auspicious one, we have become enemies to these night-wanderers.'
खरस्य निधने देवि जनस्थानवधं प्रति। राक्षसा विविधा वाचो व्याहरन्ति महावने
O Devi, after Khara was slain, regarding the massacre at Janasthāna, various words are being spoken by the Rākṣasas in the great forest.
हिंसाविहारा वैदेहि न चिन्तयितुमर्हसि। लक्ष्मणेनैवमुक्ता तु क्रुद्धा संरक्तलोचना
O Vaidehī, you should not dwell on these acts of violence and cruelty; thus addressed by Lakṣmaṇa, she, angered and with bloodshot eyes—
अब्रवीत् परुषं वाक्यं लक्ष्मणं सत्यवादिनम्। अनार्याकरुणारम्भ नृशंस कुलपांसन
—spoke harsh words to Lakṣmaṇa, who always speaks the truth: 'You are ignoble, pitiless in your intent, cruel, and a disgrace to your family.'
अहं तव प्रियं मन्ये रामस्य व्यसनं महत्। रामस्य व्यसनं दृष्ट्वा तेनैतानि प्रभाषसे
'I think you take pleasure in Rama’s great misfortune; seeing Rama in distress, you speak these words.'
नैव चित्रं सपत्नेषु पापं लक्ष्मण यद् भवेत्। त्वद्विधेषु नृशंसेषु नित्यं प्रच्छन्नचारिषु
'It is not surprising if evil arises among rivals, Lakṣmaṇa, especially among the cruel and ever-deceitful like you.'
सुदुष्टस्त्वं वने राममेकमेकोऽनुगच्छसि। मम हेतोः प्रतिच्छन्नः प्रयुक्तो भरतेन वा
'You are truly wicked, following Rama alone into the forest, secretly, either for my sake or sent by Bharata.'
तन्न सिध्यति सौमित्रे तवापि भरतस्य वा। कथमिन्दीवरश्यामं रामं पद्मनिभेक्षणम्
'But this will not succeed, O son of Sumitrā, neither for you nor for Bharata; how could I, having taken Rama, dark as a blue lotus and lotus-eyed, as my husband—'
उपसंश्रित्य भर्तारं कामयेयं पृथग्जनम्। समक्षं तव सौमित्रे प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्याम्यसंशयम्
'—desire another man? In your very presence, O son of Sumitrā, I will surely give up my life.'
रामं विना क्षणमपि नैव जीवामि भूतले। इत्युक्तः परुषं वाक्यं सीतया रोमहर्षणम्
'Without Rama, I cannot live even for a moment on this earth.' Thus, addressed with harsh, hair-raising words by Sītā—
अब्रवील्लक्ष्मणः सीतां प्राञ्जलिः स जितेन्द्रियः। उत्तरं नोत्सहे वक्तुं दैवतं भवती मम
—Lakṣmaṇa, self-controlled and with joined palms, spoke to Sītā: 'I am unable to reply; you are as a goddess to me.'
वाक्यमप्रतिरूपं तु न चित्रं स्त्रीषु मैथिलि। स्वभावस्त्वेष नारीणामेषु लोकेषु दृश्यते
'O Maithilī, it is not surprising to hear such unfitting words from women; this is the nature of women, seen in this world.'
विमुक्तधर्माश्चपलास्तीक्ष्णा भेदकराः स्त्रियः। न सहे हीदृशं वाक्यं वैदेहि जनकात्मजे
'Women are fickle, unrestrained, sharp, and divisive; O Vaidehī, daughter of Janaka, I cannot endure such words.'
श्रोत्रयोरुभयोर्मध्ये तप्तनाराचसंनिभम्। उपशृण्वन्तु मे सर्वे साक्षिणो हि वनेचराः
'Let all the dwellers of the forest bear witness as I speak words, piercing as heated arrows, between both my ears.'
न्यायवादी यथा वाक्यमुक्तोऽहं परुषं त्वया। धिक् त्वामद्य विनश्यन्तीं यन्मामेवं विशङ्कसे
'Though I have spoken justly, you have addressed me with harsh words; shame on you, who are perishing, for suspecting me in this way.'
स्त्रीत्वाद् दुष्टस्वभावेन गुरुवाक्ये व्यवस्थितम्। गच्छामि यत्र काकुत्स्थः स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु वरानने
'Because of your womanhood and wicked nature, you remain fixed in your own view; I go now to where Rāma is, may you fare well, O beautiful-faced one.'
रक्षन्तु त्वां विशालाक्षि समग्रा वनदेवताः। निमित्तानि हि घोराणि यानि प्रादुर्भवन्ति मे। अपि त्वां सह रामेण पश्येयं पुनरागतः
'May all the forest deities protect you, O wide-eyed one; for dreadful omens are appearing to me. May I see you again, together with Rāma, when I return.'
लक्ष्मणेनैवमुक्ता तु रुदती जनकात्मजा। प्रत्युवाच ततो वाक्यं तीव्रबाष्पपरिप्लुता
Thus addressed by Lakṣmaṇa, the daughter of Janaka, weeping and overwhelmed with intense tears, replied with these words:
गोदावरीं प्रवेक्ष्यामि हीना रामेण लक्ष्मण। आबन्धिष्येऽथवा त्यक्ष्ये विषमे देहमात्मनः
'Deprived of Rāma, O Lakṣmaṇa, I will enter the Godāvarī, or else I will tie a noose or abandon my body in some perilous place.'
पिबामि वा विषं तीक्ष्णं प्रवेक्ष्यामि हुताशनम्। न त्वहं राघवादन्यं कदापि पुरुषं स्पृशे
I will drink deadly poison or enter a blazing fire, but I will never touch any man other than Rāghava.
इति लक्ष्मणमाश्रुत्य सीता शोकसमन्विता। पाणिभ्यां रुदती दुःखादुदरं प्रजघान ह
Hearing this, Sītā, overwhelmed by grief, struck her belly with her hands as she wept in sorrow.