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.
स्फुरते नयनं सव्यं बाहुश्च हृदयं च मे। दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मण दूरे त्वां सीताविरहितं पथि
My left eye, arm, and heart are all throbbing, Lakshmana, as I see you on the path, far from Sita.
एवमुक्तस्तु सौमित्रिर्लक्ष्मणः शुभलक्षणः। भूयो दुःखसमाविष्टो दुःखितं राममब्रवीत्
Thus addressed, Saumitri, the virtuous Lakshmana, overwhelmed by sorrow, spoke again to the grieving Rama.
न स्वयं कामकारेण तां त्यक्त्वाहमिहागतः। प्रचोदितस्तयैवोग्रैस्त्वत्सकाशमिहागतः
I did not come here of my own will, abandoning her; I was compelled by her harsh words to come to you.
आर्येणेव परिक्रुष्टं लक्ष्मणेति सुविस्वरम्। परित्राहीति यद्वाक्यं मैथिल्यास्तच्छ्रुतिं गतम्
She cried out loudly, 'Lakshmana!' as if scolded by an elder, and her words, 'Save me!' reached my ears.
सा तमार्तस्वरं श्रुत्वा तव स्नेहेन मैथिली। गच्छ गच्छेति मामाशु रुदती भयविक्लवा
Hearing that anguished cry of yours, Maithili, out of affection for you, urged me again and again, weeping and terrified, to go quickly.
प्रचोद्यमानेन मया गच्छेति बहुशस्तया। प्रत्युक्ता मैथिली वाक्यमिदं तत् प्रत्ययान्वितम्
Pressed by her, I was repeatedly told to go; but I replied to Maithili with these words, full of reassurance.
न तत् पश्याम्यहं रक्षो यदस्य भयमावहेत्। निर्वृता भव नास्त्येतत् केनाप्येतदुदाहृतम्
I do not see any demon here who could bring such fear; be at ease, nothing of this kind has ever happened.
विगर्हितं च नीचं च कथमार्योऽभिधास्यति। त्राहीति वचनं सीते यस्त्रायेत् त्रिदशानपि
How could a noble one utter such a disgraceful and base cry, 'Save me, Sita,' when he could protect even the gods?
किंनिमित्तं तु केनापि भ्रातुरालम्ब्य मे स्वरम्। विस्वरं व्याहृतं वाक्यं लक्ष्मण त्राहि मामिति
For what reason, and by whom, was my brother's voice used, calling out in a broken tone, 'Lakshmana, save me'?
राक्षसेनेरितं वाक्यं त्रासात् त्राहीति शोभने। न भवत्या व्यथा कार्या कुनारीजनसेविता
'Save me,' this cry, uttered out of fear by a demon, O noble lady, should not cause you distress, for it is the way of wicked women.