Doha 10
Dialogue between Sītā and Trijaṭā
सीता तैं मम कृत अपमाना। कटिहउँ तव सिर कठिन कृपाना॥ नाहिं त सपदि मानु मम बानी। सुमुखि होति न त जीवन हानी॥१॥
स्याम सरोज दाम सम सुंदर। प्रभु भुज करि कर सम दसकंधर॥ सो भुज कंठ कि तव असि घोरा। सुनु सठ अस प्रवान पन मोरा॥२॥
चंद्रहास हरु मम परितापं। रघुपति बिरह अनल संजातं॥ सीतल निसित बहसि बर धारा। कह सीता हरु मम दुख भारा॥३॥
सुनत बचन पुनि मारन धावा। मयतनयाँ कहि नीति बुझावा॥ कहेसि सकल निसिचरिन्ह बोलाई। सीतहि बहु बिधि त्रासहु जाई॥४॥
मास दिवस महुँ कहा न माना। तौ मैं मारबि काढ़ि कृपाना॥५॥
Meaning
“Sītā, you have hurled insults at me; I will accordingly cut off your head with my relentless sword. Either obey my command at once, or else you will lose your life, O beautiful lady.” (1) “My lord’s arm is lovely as a string of blue lotuses and shapely and long as the trunk of an elephant, O ten-headed monster. Either that arm or your dreadful sword will have my neck: hear this my solemn vow, O fool. (2) (Turning to Rāvaṇa’s glittering scimitar) “Take away, O Candrahāsa*, the burning anguish of my heart caused by the fire of separation from Śrī Raghunātha. You possess a cool, sharp and good blade; therefore, relieve the burden of my sorrow,” Sītā said.(3) * The word literally means ‘That which derides the moon by its cool brilliance’. Though generally used as a synonym for a curved sword, it particularly denotes the sword possessed by Rāvaṇa as a gift from Bhagavān Śaṅkara, to whom it originally belonged. In Her utter despair Sītā looked to Rāvaṇa’s sword alone to come to Her rescue and end Her miserable existence; and the sword, though cruel and dreadful to all appearance, appeared to Her as agreeable and soothing as the moon’s rays to a burning heart. The appellation ‘Candrahāsa’ thus sounded most appropriate to Her. On hearing these words he rushed forward to kill Her; it was Queen Mandodarī (Maya’s daughter) who (intervened and) pacified him with words of good counsel. Summoning all the demonesses (posted there) he said, “Go and intimidate Sītā in every way. (4) “If she does not accept my directive in a month’s time, I will draw my sword and behead her.” (5)
भवन गयउ दसकंधर इहाँ पिसाचिनि बृंद। सीतहि त्रास देखावहिं धरहिं रूप बहु मंद॥१०॥
Meaning
(Having issued these instructions) the ten-headed Rāvaṇa returned to his palace; while the host of fiendesses in the Aśoka grove assumed various kinds of hideous forms and intimidated Sītā. (10)
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