विनष्टा भक्षिता वापि राक्षसैर्वनचारिभिः। अशुभान्येव भूयिष्ठं यथा प्रादुर्भवन्ति मे
'—has either perished or been devoured by the rākṣasas who roam the forest. For only inauspicious omens appear before me in abundance.'
अपि लक्ष्मण सीतायाः सामग्र्यं प्राप्नुयामहे। जीवन्त्याः पुरुषव्याघ्र सुताया जनकस्य वै
'O Lakṣmaṇa, will we find any trace of Sītā, the daughter of Janaka, the tiger among men, while she still lives?'
यथा वै मृगसंघाश्च गोमायुश्चैव भैरवम्। वाश्यन्ते शकुनाश्चापि प्रदीप्तामभितो दिशम्। अपि स्वस्ति भवेत् तस्या राजपुत्र्या महाबल
'Just as the herds of deer and the dreadful jackals howl, and birds cry out around the blazing quarters, may all be well with that royal maiden, O mighty one.'
इदं हि रक्षो मृगसंनिकाशं प्रलोभ्य मां दूरमनुप्रयातम्। हतं कथंचिन्महता श्रमेण स राक्षसोऽभून्म्रियमाण एव
'That demon, resembling a deer, lured me far away; after a great struggle, I somehow slew him as he was dying.'
मनश्च मे दीनमिहाप्रहृष्टं चक्षुश्च सव्यं कुरुते विकारम्। असंशयं लक्ष्मण नास्ति सीता हृता मृता वा पथि वर्तते वा
'My mind is dejected and joyless here, and my left eye twitches with agitation; without doubt, Lakṣmaṇa, Sītā is gone—either abducted, dead, or wandering somewhere.'
thumb|अष्टपञ्चाशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अरण्यकाण्डे अष्टपञ्चाशः सर्गः ॥३-
Listen now to the fifty-eighth sarga in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Araṇyakāṇḍa.
स दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मणं दीनं शून्यं दशरथात्मजः। पर्यपृच्छत धर्मात्मा वैदेहीमागतं विना
Seeing Lakṣmaṇa dejected and alone, the son of Daśaratha, righteous in nature, questioned him about Vaidehī, who had not come.
प्रस्थितं दण्डकारण्यं या मामनुजगाम ह। क्व सा लक्ष्मण वैदेही यां हित्वा त्वमिहागतः
'She who followed me when I set out for the Daṇḍaka forest—where is that Vaidehī, Lakṣmaṇa, whom you left behind and came here?'
राज्यभ्रष्टस्य दीनस्य दण्डकान् परिधावतः। क्व सा दुःखसहाया मे वैदेही तनुमध्यमा
'As I wander the Daṇḍaka forest, deprived of my kingdom and stricken with sorrow, where is that slender-waisted Vaidehī, my companion in suffering?'
यां विना नोत्सहे वीर मुहूर्तमपि जीवितुम्। क्व सा प्राणसहाया मे सीता सुरसुतोपमा
'O hero, without her I cannot bear to live even for a moment; where is that Sītā, my companion in life, who is like a daughter of the gods?'
पतित्वममराणां हि पृथिव्याश्चापि लक्ष्मण। विना तां तपनीयाभां नेच्छेयं जनकात्मजाम्
'O Lakṣmaṇa, even the sovereignty of the gods or the earth I would not desire without her, the daughter of Janaka, radiant as gold.'
कच्चिज्जीवति वैदेही प्राणैः प्रियतरा मम। कच्चित् प्रव्राजनं वीर न मे मिथ्या भविष्यति
Is Vaidehī, who is dearer to me than life itself, still alive? Hero, will my exile not be in vain?
सीतानिमित्तं सौमित्रे मृते मयि गते त्वयि। कच्चित् सकामा कैकेयी सुखिता सा भविष्यति
Saumitri, because of Sītā, if I am dead and you are gone, will Kaikeyī be happy and fulfilled?
सपुत्रराज्यां सिद्धार्थां मृतपुत्रा तपस्विनी। उपस्थास्यति कौसल्या कच्चित् सौम्येन कैकयीम्
Will gentle Kausalyā, bereft of her son and devoted to austerity, attend upon Kaikeyī, who has her son and the kingdom, and has achieved her desire?
यदि जीवति वैदेही गमिष्याम्याश्रमं पुनः। संवृत्ता यदि वृत्ता सा प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्यामि लक्ष्मण
If Vaidehī is alive, I will return to the hermitage; but if she is gone, Lakṣmaṇa, I will give up my life.
यदि मामाश्रमगतं वैदेही नाभिभाषते। पुरः प्रहसिता सीता विनशिष्यामि लक्ष्मण
If, when I reach the hermitage, Vaidehī does not speak to me with a smile, Lakṣmaṇa, I will perish.
ब्रूहि लक्ष्मण वैदेही यदि जीवति वा न वा। त्वयि प्रमत्ते रक्षोभिर्भक्षिता वा तपस्विनी
Tell me, Lakṣmaṇa, whether Vaidehī is alive or not; has the ascetic lady been devoured by the demons while you were distracted?
सुकुमारी च बाला च नित्यं चादुःखभागिनी। मद्वियोगेन वैदेही व्यक्तं शोचति दुर्मनाः
Vaidehī is delicate, young, and always unacquainted with suffering; surely, separated from me, she grieves, her mind troubled.
सर्वथा रक्षसा तेन जिह्मेन सुदुरात्मना। वदता लक्ष्मणेत्युच्चैस्तवापि जनितं भयम्
Certainly, that cruel and wicked demon, calling out 'Lakṣmaṇa' loudly, caused you fear.
श्रुतश्च मन्ये वैदेह्या स स्वरः सदृशो मम। त्रस्तया प्रेषितस्त्वं च द्रष्टुं मां शीघ्रमागतः
I think I heard a voice like mine from Vaidehī, and, terrified, she sent you, and you quickly came to see me.
सर्वथा तु कृतं कष्टं सीतामुत्सृजता वने। प्रतिकर्तुं नृशंसानां रक्षसां दत्तमन्तरम्
By leaving Sītā alone in the forest, I have surely done a terrible thing, giving the cruel demons an opportunity to act.
दुःखिताः खरघातेन राक्षसाः पिशिताशनाः। तैः सीता निहता घोरैर्भविष्यति न संशयः
The flesh-eating demons, distressed by Khara's death, have surely killed Sītā—of this there is no doubt.
अहोऽस्मि व्यसने मग्नः सर्वथा रिपुनाशन। किं त्विदानीं करिष्यामि शङ्के प्राप्तव्यमीदृशम्
Alas, I am plunged into misfortune, destroyer of enemies; what shall I do now? I fear such a fate was destined for me.
इति सीतां वरारोहां चिन्तयन्नेव राघवः। आजगाम जनस्थानं त्वरया सहलक्ष्मणः
Thus, as Rāghava thought about Sītā, the noble lady, he hurried with Lakṣmaṇa to Janasthāna.
विगर्हमाणोऽनुजमार्तरूपं क्षुधाश्रमेणैव पिपासया च। विनिःश्वसन् शुष्कमुखो विषण्णः प्रतिश्रयं प्राप्य समीक्ष्य शून्यम्
Reproaching his younger brother, looking distressed, exhausted by hunger and thirst, sighing, his mouth dry, dejected, he reached the shelter and saw it empty.
स्वमाश्रमं स प्रविगाह्य वीरो विहारदेशाननुसृत्य कांश्चित्। एतत्तदित्येव निवासभूमौ प्रहृष्टरोमा व्यथितो बभूव
The hero entered his own hermitage, searched some of the places where she used to walk, and, recognizing the dwelling place, his hair stood on end and he was overcome with pain.
thumb|एकोनषष्ठितमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अरण्यकाण्डे एकोनषष्ठितमः सर्गः ॥३-
Hear now the fifty-ninth sarga in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Araṇyakāṇḍa.
अथाश्रमादुपावृत्तमन्तरा रघुनन्दनः। परिपप्रच्छ सौमित्रिं रामो दुःखादिदं वचः
Then, as he returned from the hermitage, Rāghava, son of Raghu, questioned Saumitri with these words, full of sorrow.
तमुवाच किमर्थं त्वमागतोऽपास्य मैथिलीम्। यदा सा तव विश्वासाद् वने विरहिता मया
He said to him: 'Why have you come, leaving Maithilī behind, when she, trusting you, was left alone in the forest by me?'
दृष्ट्वैवाभ्यागतं त्वां मे मैथिलीं त्यज्य लक्ष्मण। शङ्कमानं महत् पापं यत्सत्यं व्यथितं मनः
Seeing you return without Maithili, Lakshmana, I feared some great calamity, and my heart was deeply troubled.