Chapter [Sarga] 25

Book V : Sundara Kanda - Book Of Beauty

Chapter [Sarga] 25

Introduction

Seetha calls out Rama and others and bursts into a wail not being able to endure the threats of ogre women.

Verse Locator

atha taasaaM vadantiinaaM paruSaM daaruNaM bahu |
raakSasiinaamasaumyaanaaM ruroda janakaatmajaa || 5-25-1

1, atha = thereafter; taasaam =(as) those; raakshasiinaam = ogre women; asaumyaanaam = with a cruel nature;vadantiinaam = were speaking; bahu =a lot; parushham = harshly; daaruNam = (and) horribly;janakaatmajaa = Seetha; ruroda = cried.

As those ogre woman with a cruel nature were speaking a lot harshly and horribly, Seetha cried.

Verse Locator

evamuktaa tu vaidehii raakSasiibhirmanasvinii |
uvaacha paramatrastaabaaSpagadgadayaa giraa || 5-25-2

2. evam = thus; uktaa = being spoken to; raakshasiibhiH = by ogre women; vaidehii = Seetha; manasvinii = with a good mind; paramatrastaa = being frightened a lot; baashhpa gadgadayaa giraa = with a voice indistinct due to tears; uvaacha = spoke (as follows).

Thus being spoken to by ogre women, Seetha with a good mind being frightened a lot spoke as follows with a voice indistinct due to tears.

Verse Locator

na maanuSii raakSasasya bhaaryaa bhavitumarhati |
kaamaM khaadata maaM sarvaa na kariSyaami vo vachaH || 5-25-3

3. maanushhii = a human woman; na arhati = is not suited; bhavitum = to become; bhaaryaa = a wife; raakshasasya = of an ogre; sarvaaH = all of you; khaadata = eat; maam = me; kaamam = according to your desire;na karishhyaami = I will not do; vaH = (according to) your; vachaH = words.

"A human woman is not suited to become a wife of an ogre. All of you eat me according to your desire. I will not do according to your words."

Verse Locator

saa raakSasiimadhyagataa siitaa surasutopamaa |
na sharma lebhe duHkhaartaa raavaNena cha tarjitaa || 5-25-4

4. raakshsaiimadhyagataa = being in the middle of ogre women; tarjitaa= being frightened; raavaNena cha = by Ravana also; surasutopamaa = like a daughter of gods; saa siitaa = that Seetha; na lebhe = did not get; sharma = comfort; duHkhaartaa = being tormented by grief.

Being in the middle of ogre women, being frightened by Ravana also, like a daughter of gods, that Seetha did not get comfort being tormented by grief.

Verse Locator

vepate smaadhikaM siitaa vishantii vaaN^gamaatmanaH |
vane yathaa paribhraSTaa mR^igii kokairivaarditaa || 5-25-5

5. mR^igiiva = like a fawn; vane = in a forest; yuudhaparibhrashhTaa = lost from its herd; arditaa = tormented; kokaiH = by wolves; vishantiiva = (Seetha was) as though sinking (into); aatmanaH = own; aN^gam = body; vepate sma = (and) shook; adhikam = a lot.

Like a fawn in a forest lost from its herd and tormented by wolves, Seetha was as though sinking into own body and shook a lot.

Verse Locator

saa tvashokasya vipulaaM shaakhaamaalambya puSpitaam |
chintayaamaasa shokena bhartaaraM bhagnamaanasaa || 5-25-6

6. saa tu = that Seetha; bhagna maanasaa = with a broken heart; shokena = due to grief; aalambya = holding; pushhpitaam shaakhaam = a flowering branch; vipulaam = which was wide; ashokasya = of Ashoka tree; chintayaamaasa = thought; bhartaaram = about husband.

That Seetha with a broken heart due to grief, held a wide flowering branch of Ashoka tree and thought about Her husband.

Verse Locator

saa snaapayantii vipulau stanau netrajalasravaiH |
cintayantii na shokasya tadaantamadhigachchhati || 5-25-7

7. tadaa = then; saa = that Seetha; snaapayantii = washing; vipulau stanau = Her wide breasts; netra jala sravaiH = with a flow of tears from eyes; chintayantii = (and) thinking; na adhigachchhati = did not get; antam = end; shokasya = of sorrow.

Then that Seetha washing Her wide breasts with a flow of tears from eyes and thinking, did not get end of sorrow.

Verse Locator

saa vepamaanaa patitaa pravaate kadaLii yathaa |
raakSasiinaaM bhayatrastaa vivarNavadanaabhavat || 5-25-8

8. saa = that Seetha; vepamaanaa = was shaking; kadaLii yathaa = like a plantain tree; patitaa = fallen down; pravaate = in an exceedingly windy place; raakshasii bhaya saMtrastaa = trembling with fear of the ogre women; abhavat = became; vivarNavadanaa = with a pale face.

That Seetha was shaking like a plantain tree fallen down in an exceedingly windy place, trembling with fear of the ogre women, and became with a pale face.

Verse Locator

tasyaaH saa diirghavipulaa vepantyaa siitayaa tadaa |
dadR^ishe kampinii veNii vyaaLiiva parisarpatii || 5-25-9

9. saa kampinii veNii = that moving plait; diirgha vipulaa = which was wide and long; tasyaaH paramstriyaaH = of that best woman; vepantyaaH = trembling; dadR^ishe = was seen (to be); vyaaLiiva = like a serpant;parisarpatii = in motion.

That moving plait, which was wide and long, of that best woman was seen to be like a serpant in motion.

Verse Locator

saa niHshvasantii duHkhaartaa shokopahatachetanaa |
aartaa vyasR^ijadashruuNi maithilii vilalaapa cha || 5-25-10

10. saa maithilii = that Seetha; duHkhaartaa = tormented by grief; shokopahata chetanaa = with a mind hit by sorrow; aartaa = struck by calamity; niHshvasantii = was sighing; nyasR^ijat = let down; ashruuNi = tears; vilalaapa cha = and also cried.

That Seetha tormented by grief, with a mind hit by sorrow, struck by calamity was sighing and let down tears and also cried.

Verse Locator

haa raameti cha duHkhaartaa haa punarlakSmaNeti cha |
haa shvashru mama kausalye haa sumitreti bhaaminii || 5-25-11

11. bhaaminii = Seetha; duHkhaartaa = being tormented by grief (said) ; haa raameti = Oh! Rama! punaH = again; haa lakshmaNeti = Oh! Lakshmana; haa kausalye = Oh! Kausalya; mama shvashru = my mother-in-law; haa sumitreti = Oh! Sumitra.

Seetha being tormented by grief said : "Oh! Rama!" and again "Oh! Lakshmana!","Oh! Kausalya!, my mother-in-law" "Oh! Sumitra!"

Verse Locator

lokapravaadaH satyo.ayaM paNDitaiH samudaahR^itaH |
akaale durlabho mR^ityuH striyaa vaa puruSasya vaa || 5-25-12
yadaahamevaM kruuraabhii raakshasiibhirihaarditaa |
jiivaami hiinaa raameNa muhuurtamapi duHkhitaa || 5-25-13

12, 13. aham = I; evam = thus; aarditaa =being tormented; kruuraabhiH raakshasiibhiH = by cruel ogre women; iha = here; hiinaa = lacking; raameNa = Rama; duHkhaartaa = being tormented by grief; yadaa = when; jiivaami = I am living; muhuurtamapi = even for a moment; mR^ityuH = death; akaale = at wrong time; striyaaH vaa = to woman; purushhasya = or to a man; durlabhaH = is hard; samudaahR^itaH = (thus) being said;lokapravaadaH = the popular saying in the world; satyaH = is true.

"I thus being tormented by cruel ogre women here lacking Rama, being tormented by grief, when I am living even for a moment,' death at wrong time to woman or to a man is hard' - thus being said this popular saying in the world is true."

Verse Locator

eSaalpapuNyaa kR^ipaNaa vinashiSyaamyanaathavat |
samudramathye nauH puurNaa vaayuvegairivaahataa || 5-25-14

14. eshhaa = this me; alpapuNyaa = with small merit;kR^ipaNaa = wretched; anaathavat = like an orphan; vinashishhyaami = will perish; nauH iva = like a ship; samudramadhye = in the middle of the ocean; aahataa = being hit; vaayuvegaiH = by the speed of wind.

"This me with small merit,wreched, like an orphan, will perish like a ship in the middle of the ocean being hit by the speed of wind."

Verse Locator

bhartaaraM tamapashyantii raakSasiivashamaagataa |
siidaami khalu shokena kuulaM toyahataM yathaa || 5-25-15

15. apashyantii = not seeing; bhartaaram = my husband; tam = that Rama;aagataa = obtaining; raakshasii vasham = control of ogre women; tiiram yathaa = like a bank; toyahatam = hit by water; siidaami khalu = I am verily perishing; shokena = with sorrow.

"Not seeing my husband that Rama and obtaining control of ogre women like a bank hit by water I am verily perishing with sorrow."

Verse Locator

taM padmadaLapatraakSaM siMhavikraantagaaminam |
dhanyaaH pashyanti me naathaM kR^itajJNaM priyavaadinam || 5-25-16

16. dhanyaaH = (only) fortunate; pashyanti = see; tam = that; me = my; naatham = husband; padmadaLapatraaksham = with eyes like petals of an expanded lotus; siMha vikraanta gaaminam = walking with the gait of a lion; kR^itajJNam = correct in conduct; priyavaadiam = pleasant talker;

"Only fortunate see that my husband with eyes like petals of an expanded lotus, walking with the gait of a lion, correct in conduct and a pleasant talker."

Verse Locator

sarvathaa tena hiinaayaa raameNa viditaatmanaa |
tiikSNaMviSamivaasvaadyadurlabhaM mama jiivitam || 5-25-17

17. mama = to me; hiinaayaaH = lacking; tena= that Rama; viditaatmanaa = with a famous soul; aasvaadyeva = like after eating; tiikshNam vishham = a pungent poison; jiivitam = life; sarvathaa = in all ways; durlabham = is hard.

"To me lacking that Rama with a famous soul, like after eating a pungent poison life in all ways is hard."

Verse Locator

kiidR^ishaM tu mahaapaapaM mayaa janmaantare kR^itam |
yenedaM praapyate duHkhaM mayaa ghoraM sudaaruNaM || 5-25-18

18. yena = by what; mayaa = by me; praapyate = obtaining; idam = this; duHkham = grief; ghoram = which is horrible;sudaaruNam = very dreadful; kiidR^isham = what kind of; mahaa paapam = great sin;kR^itam = has been done; mayaa = by me; janmaantare = in an other life.

"By what this horrible and very dreadful grief is obtained by me, what kind of great sin had been done by me in another life."

Verse Locator

jiivitaM tyaktuMichchhaami shokena mahataa vR^itaa |
raakSasiibhishcha rakSyantyaa raamo naasaadyate mayaa || 5-25-19

19. vR^itaa = together; mahataa shokena = with great grief; ichchhaami = I desire; tyaktum = to give away; jiivitum = life; kaamaH = (this) desire; na avaapyate = is not obtainable; mayaa = by me; surakshitaa = I am well protected; raakshasiibhiH = by ogre women.

"Together with great grief, I desire to give away my life. This desire is not obtainable by me. I am well protected by ogre women."

Verse Locator

dhigastu khalu maanuSyaM dhigastu paravashyataam |
na shakyaM yatparityaktumaatmachchhandena jiivitam || 5-25-20

20. dhik astu = fie; maanushhyam = upon human condition; dhik astu = fie; paravashyataam = upon being in the control of others; yat = by what reason; aatmachchhandena = according to own desire; na shakyam = it is not possible; parityaktum = to give up; jiivitam = life.

"Fie upon human condition! Fie upon being in the control of others. By what reason it is not possible according to own desire to give up life."

ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye sundarakaaNDe paJNchaviMshaH sargaH

Thus completes 25th Chapter of Sundara Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.