Aranya Kanda, Sarga 54

Meaning

Not finding any saviour while being carried away by Rāvaṇa, Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, for her part caught sight of five Vānara (monkey) chiefs sitting on a mountain-peak. (1)

Meaning

The lovely lady with large eyes and other comely limbs took off from her person her silken upper garment, brilliant as gold, as well as her shining jewels. Having placed other articles of her wearing apparel in the said garment, the latter was dropped alongwith the jewels in the midst of the monkeys in the hope that they might break the news of her being carried away by Rāvaṇa to Śrī Rāma if he ever happened to meet them. (2-3)

Meaning

In his flurry, however, Rāvaṇa (the ten-headed monster) did not at all perceive the aforesaid act of Sītā. The tawny-eyed monkey chiefs then beheld with unwinking eyes as it were (through wonder and compassion) that large-eyed Sītā crying loudly. Having passed beyond the Pampā lake, that ruler of ogres proceeded with his face towards the city of Laṅkā, taking the princess of Mithilā, who continued to cry all the time. Extremely delighted, Rāvaṇa bore in his arms his own death in the form of Sītā as one would carry in one’s arms a highly venomous female serpent with sharp fangs. Coursing through the air like an arrow shot from a bow, he quickly left clearly behind forests, rivers, mountains and lakes. Having reached the Indian ocean, the abode of Timis (a species of fish of an enormous size) and crocodiles, the seat of Varuṇa (the god of waters), which knows no depletion, and the resting-place of rivers, Rāvaṇa for his part passed clearly beyond it. While Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory) was being carried away by Rāvaṇa, the ocean (the seat of Varuṇa) found its billows brought to a standstill and its fishes and large aquatic serpents rendered motionless due to fear of Rāvaṇa. At that moment Cāraṇas (the celestial bards) standing in the airspace uttered the following remark : “This act of bearing away Sītā marks the end of Rāvaṇa, the ten-headed monster.” The Siddhas too spoke likewise. Bearing in his arms Sītā, his death-incarnate, the said Rāvaṇa for his part entered the city of Laṅkā. Reaching the large city of Laṅkā, which contained well-ramified roads and whose gateways remained thronged with people, he entered his own gynaeceum. There Rāvaṇa lodged the celebrated Sītā, who was noted for the dark corners of her eyes and was seized with grief and infatuation—even as the demon Maya (the suzerain lord of Tripura) would shed his demoniac Māyā (conjuring trick). Nay, Rāvaṇa commanded fiendesses of terrible aspect as follows : “Take care that no unauthorized man or woman looks on Sītā. Pearls, gems and gold, articles of wearing apparel and ornaments—whatever she desires should be supplied to her that very moment in deference to my wishes according to her choice. Nay, I presume life is not dear to the ogress who utters any harsh word to her through ignorance or consciously.” Having instructed the aforesaid ogresses accordingly and sallying forth from that gynaeceum contemplating as to what should be done next, the powerful Rāvaṇa (the king of ogres) for his part granted interview to eight exceptionally powerful flesh-eating ogres. (4—18)

Meaning

Having met and extolled them on the score of their strength and prowess, and blinded by the boon he had received from Brahmā, the exceptionally powerful Rāvaṇa spoke to them as follows : (19)

Meaning

“Equipped with diverse weapons proceed at once from this place with all speed to Janasthāna, which was formerly the abode of Khara, but whose dwellings have since been laid waste by Rāma. (20)

Meaning

“Relying on your own manliness and strength and casting off fear at a distance, get yourself established in the said Janasthāna, which is now desolate, the ogres living there having been exterminated by Rāma. (21)

Meaning

“The very powerful and large army stationed in Janasthāna has been wiped out on the battlefield alongwith Dūṣaṇa and Khara by the arrows of Rāma. (22)

Meaning

“As a sequel to it a rage which was never known before has taken possession of me and is growing beyond the limits of forbearance. Nay, a very great and fierce enmity has since then been set up with Rāma. (23)

Meaning

“I wish to put an end to the enmity by being quits with my great enemy, Rāma, and I shall not get a wink of sleep till I have slain the enemy in battle. (24)

Meaning

“I shall have peace of mind now only after killing the slayer of Khara and Dūṣaṇa, as a destitute would on obtaining wealth. (25)

Meaning

“Information bearing on Rāma as to what he is doing should be correctly made available to me by you while staying in Janasthāna. (26)

Meaning

“Journey should be undertaken by all the rangers of the night with vigilance and an endeavour should always be made for the destruction of Rāma. (27)

Meaning

“Your strength, of course, has been witnessed on many an occasion in the van of fight and hence you have been selected by me for being stationed in yonder Janasthāna.” (28)

Meaning

Receiving the command couched in endearing terms and full of deep meaning, nay, greeting Rāvaṇa and quitting Laṅkā, all the eight ogres thereupon set out towards the quarter in which lay Janasthāna, their body remaining invisible. (29)

Meaning

Extremely rejoiced to secure Sītā, the princess of Mithilā, and having placed her within the four walls of his gynaeceum and having set up bitter enmity with Śrī Rāma, the aforesaid Rāvaṇa, for his part, who made people cry by his cruel deeds, felt happy through ignorance. (30)