---
title: "Aranya Kanda, Sarga 63"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/aranya-kanda/sarga-63"
lang: "en"
---

# Aranya Kanda, Sarga 63

> सीतामपश्यन् धर्मात्मा शोकोपहतचेतनः।  
> विललाप महाबाहू रामः कमललोचनः॥ १॥

Not perceiving Sītā, Śrī Rāma, whose mind was set on virtue, and who was distinguished by mighty arms and lotus-like eyes, began to wail, his understanding having been dulled by grief. (1)

> पश्यन्निव च तां सीतामपश्यन्मन्मथार्दितः।  
> उवाच राघवो वाक्यं विलापाश्रयदुर्वचम्॥ २॥

As though seeing her, seized as he was with hallucination, though actually not seeing Sītā, Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu), who was tormented with love, uttered the following words, which could not be easily articulated due to his sobs: (2)

> त्वमशोकस्य शाखाभिः पुष्पप्रियतरा प्रिये।  
> आवृणोषि शरीरं ते मम शोकविवर्धनी॥ ३॥

“Very fond of flowers, you are hiding your body behind the boughs of an Aśoka tree, thereby augmenting my grief all the more, my darling ! (3)

> कदलीकाण्डसदृशौ कदल्या संवृतावुभौ।  
> ऊरू पश्यामि ते देवि नासि शक्ता निगूहितुम्॥ ४॥

“I descry, O queen, both your thighs, even though screened with the plantain tree, resembling as they do the stem of a plantain tree; you are no longer able to hide them from my view ! (4)

> कर्णिकारवनं भद्रे हसन्ती देवि सेवसे।  
> अलं ते परिहासेन मम बाधावहेन वै॥ ५॥

“Jestingly you have taken cover in the grove of Karṇikāra trees, O blessed lady ! But have done with your jest, which is causing annoyance to me. (5)

> विशेषेणाश्रमस्थाने हासोऽयं न प्रशस्यते।  
> अवगच्छामि ते शीलं परिहासप्रियं प्रिये॥ ६॥

“Such fun is not praiseworthy in a hermitage in particular, although I know your nature, which is fond of sport, O darling ! (6)

> आगच्छ त्वं विशालाक्षि शून्योऽयमुटजस्तव।  
> सुव्यक्तं राक्षसैः सीता भक्षिता वा हृतापि वा॥ ७॥  
> न हि सा विलपन्तं मामुपसम्प्रैति लक्ष्मण।  
> एतानि मृगयूथानि साश्रुनेत्राणि लक्ष्मण॥ ८॥  
> शंसन्तीव हि मे देवीं भक्षितां रजनीचरैः।  
> हा ममार्ये क्व यातासि हा साध्वि वरवर्णिनि॥ ९॥

“Return, O large-eyed one ! This hut of yours is desolate.” Getting disillusioned soon after, he said to Lakṣmaṇa: “Clearly enough, Sītā has either been devoured or borne away by ogres; for she does not hasten to me, O Lakṣmaṇa, even though I am wailing for her. These herds of deer with tearful eyes inform me, as it were, of my queen having actually been devoured by ogres, O Lakṣmaṇa ! (Addressing Sītā, he continued :) Ah my worthy queen, where have you gone? Ah, pious lady with excellent complexion ! (7—9)

> हा सकामाद्य कैकेयी देवि मेऽद्य भविष्यति।  
> सीतया सह निर्यातो विना सीतामुपागतः॥ १०॥  
> कथं नाम प्रवेक्ष्यामि शून्यमन्तःपुरं मम।  
> निर्वीर्य इति लोको मां निर्दयश्चेति वक्ष्यति॥ ११॥

“Alas, my queen, Kaikeyī will have her desire fulfilled this day. Come away from Ayodhyā with Sītā and returned to Ayodhyā without Sītā, how, I wonder, shall I be able to enter my gynaeceum, which will be desolate now? People will brand me as powerless and merciless. (10-11)

> कातरत्वं प्रकाशं हि सीतापनयनेन मे।  
> निवृत्तवनवासश्च जनकं मिथिलाधिपम्॥ १२॥  
> कुशलं परिपृच्छन्तं कथं शक्ष्ये निरीक्षितुम्।  
> विदेहराजो नूनं मां दृष्ट्वा विरहितं तया॥ १३॥  
> सुताविनाशसंतप्तो मोहस्य वशमेष्यति।  
> अथवा न गमिष्यामि पुरीं भरतपालिताम्॥ १४॥

“My cowardice too will be manifest through the abduction of Sītā. Again, how, when my exile is over, shall I stare Janaka, the suzerain lord of Mithilā, in the face as he lovingly inquires about my welfare? Agonized by the death of his daughter, on seeing me bereft of her, the ruler of the Videha kingdom will surely fall a prey to infatuation. “Or I shall never return to the city of Ayodhyā, being ruled over by Bharata. (12—14)

> स्वर्गोऽपि हि तया हीनः शून्य एव मतो मम।  
> तन्मामुत्सृज्य हि वने गच्छायोध्यापुरीं शुभाम्॥ १५॥

“Devoid of her heaven too is deemed by me as desolate without doubt. Therefore, leaving me in the forest itself, O Lakṣmaṇa ! return alone to the lovely city of Ayodhyā.(15)

> न त्वहं तां विना सीतां जीवेयं हि कथंचन।  
> गाढमाश्लिष्य भरतो वाच्यो मद्वचनात् त्वया॥ १६॥

“I for my part may not actually survive without the said Sītā in any case. Closely embracing Bharata, he should be spoken to by you in my name as follows : (16)

> अनुज्ञातोऽसि रामेण पालयेति वसुंधराम्।  
> अम्बा च मम कैकेयी सुमित्रा च त्वया विभो॥ १७॥  
> कौसल्या च यथान्यायमभिवाद्या ममाज्ञया।  
> रक्षणीया प्रयत्नेन भवता सूक्तचारिणा॥ १८॥

“ ‘Rule over the earth. You have been permitted by Śrī Rāma to do so.’ Again, my brother, Kaikeyī, as well as Sumitrā as also Kausalyā should be properly greeted by you in obedience to my command, O powerful brother, and should be protected by you with diligence, following good counsel. (17-18)

> सीतायाश्च विनाशोऽयं मम चामित्रसूदन।  
> विस्तरेण जनन्या मे विनिवेद्यस्त्वया भवेत्॥ १९॥

“The death of Sītā, which has already taken place, as also mine, which is going to happen very soon, should be reported in extenso to my mother, Kausalyā, by you O destroyer of foes !” (19)

> इति विलपति राघवे तु दीने  
> वनमुपगम्य तया विना सुकेश्या।  
> भयविकलमुखस्तु लक्ष्मणोऽपि  
> व्यथितमना भृशमातुरो बभूव॥ २०॥

While, having entered the forest, Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) was wailing as aforesaid, feeling miserable in the absence of that lady of lovely locks, Lakṣmaṇa too for his part, whose countenance looked withered through fear, afflicted as he was in mind, grew extremely sick at heart. (20)

Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana

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