Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 27
एवमुक्ता तु वैदेही प्रियार्हा प्रियवादिनी। प्रणयादेव संक्रुद्धा भर्तारमिदमब्रवीत्॥ १॥
Meaning
Roused to indignation through sheer love when admonished as aforesaid, Sītā, the daughter of the king of the Videhas, for her part, who deserved kindness from her husband and always spoke kindly to him, replied to her husband as follows : (1)
किमिदं भाषसे राम वाक्यं लघुतया ध्रुवम्। त्वया यदपहास्यं मे श्रुत्वा नरवरोत्तम॥ २॥
Meaning
“Wherefore do you tender me this advice, which makes me look indeed so small, O Rāma, and which I am amused to hear, O jewel among the foremost of men ! (2)
वीराणां राजपुत्राणां शस्त्रास्त्रविदुषां नृप। अनर्हमयशस्यं च न श्रोतव्यं त्वयेरितम्॥ ३॥
Meaning
“What has been uttered by you is unworthy of valiant princes adept in the use of weapons and missiles, and disgraceful to them, O ruler of men, and is not worth listening to. (3)
आर्यपुत्र पिता माता भ्राता पुत्रस्तथा स्नुषा। स्वानि पुण्यानि भुञ्जानाः स्वं स्वं भाग्यमुपासते॥ ४॥
Meaning
“Father, mother, brother, son and daughter-in-law, my darling, reap each his or her destiny, enjoying their own merits earned in previous lives. (4)
भर्तुर्भाग्यं तु नार्येका प्राप्नोति पुरुषर्षभ। अतश्चैवाहमादिष्टा वने वस्तव्यमित्यपि॥ ५॥
Meaning
“A wife alone actually shares the fortune of her husband, O jewel among men ! For this very reason I too stand enjoined by my parents-in-law that I should as well take up my abode in the forest. (5)
न पिता नात्मजो वात्मा न माता न सखीजनः। इह प्रेत्य च नारीणां पतिरेको गतिः सदा॥ ६॥
Meaning
“In the case of women neither father nor son nor their own body nor mother nor their female companions serve as an asylum here or hereafter. The husband alone is their refuge at all times. (6)
यदि त्वं प्रस्थितो दुर्गं वनमद्यैव राघव। अग्रतस्ते गमिष्यामि मृद्नन्ती कुशकण्टकान्॥ ७॥
Meaning
“If you depart this very day for the forest of Daṇḍaka which is difficult to penetrate, O scion of Raghu, I shall walk ahead of you crushing under my soles blades of the sacred Kuśa grass and thorns that lie on the way. (7)
ईर्ष्यां रोषं बहिष्कृत्य भुक्तशेषमिवोदकम्। नय मां वीर विस्रब्धः पापं मयि न विद्यते॥ ८॥
Meaning
“Casting away envy at my courage in voluntarily offering to accompany you to the forest and wrath at my insolence in flouting your command to stay in Ayodhyā, confidently take me with you as one would take water remaining in one’s pot after one has drunk it once, O valiant prince ! No sin that may deter you from taking me with you abides in me. (8)
प्रासादाग्रे विमानैर्वा वैहायसगतेन वा। सर्वावस्थागता भर्तुः पादच्छाया विशिष्यते॥ ९॥
Meaning
“Protection under the feet of one’s husband under all circumstances is preferable for a woman to residence at the top of a palace, or living in aerial cars or coursing through the heavens by virtue of mystic powers acquired through proficiency in Yoga. (9)
अनुशिष्टास्मि मात्रा च पित्रा च विविधाश्रयम्। नास्मि सम्प्रति वक्तव्या वर्तितव्यं यथा मया॥ १०॥
Meaning
“I have been taught in many ways by my mother and father how I should conduct myself in relation to you. As such I need not be instructed in this behalf at this juncture. (10)
अहं दुर्गं गमिष्यामि वनं पुरुषवर्जितम्। नानामृगगणाकीर्णं शार्दूलगणसेवितम्॥ ११॥
Meaning
“Unattended by any male servant I shall proceed with you to the forest of Daṇḍaka, which is difficult to penetrate and teems with multitudes of beasts of various species and is infested with herds of tigers. (11)
सुखं वने निवत्स्यामि यथैव भवने पितुः। अचिन्तयन्ती त्रीँल्लोकांश्चिन्तयन्ती पतिव्रतम्॥ १२॥
Meaning
“Nay, caring not for the sovereignty of the three worlds and concentrating my thought on the vow of serving my husband (yourself), I shall live happily in the forest as I would in my paternal home. (12)
शुश्रूषमाणा ते नित्यं नियता ब्रह्मचारिणी। सह रंस्ये त्वया वीर वनेषु मधुगन्धिषु॥ १३॥
Meaning
“Serving you everyday with self-restraint and practising sacred vows, I shall sport with you in woodlands fragrant with stores of honey, O valiant prince ! (13)
त्वं हि कर्तुं वने शक्तो राम सम्परिपालनम्। अन्यस्यापि जनस्येह किं पुनर्मम मानद॥ १४॥
Meaning
“As for yourself, you are indeed capable of duly supporting in the forest even other men, who are not related to you, much more so myself, who am your wedded wife and entirely dependent on you, O Rāma, who bestow honour on others ! (14)
साहं त्वया गमिष्यामि वनमद्य न संशयः। नाहं शक्या महाभाग निवर्तयितुमुद्यता॥ १५॥
Meaning
“Such as I am, I shall undoubtedly accompany you to the forest today. Bent as I am on going, I cannot be diverted from my purpose, O highly fortunate prince ! (15)
फलमूलाशना नित्यं भविष्यामि न संशयः। न ते दुःखं करिष्यामि निवसन्ती त्वया सदा॥ १६॥
Meaning
“I shall without doubt live on fruits and roots alone from day to day and shall not cause any annoyance to you while living with you. (16)
अग्रतस्ते गमिष्यामि भोक्ष्ये भुक्तवति त्वयि। इच्छामि परतः शैलान् पल्वलानि सरांसि च॥ १७॥ द्रष्टुं सर्वत्र निर्भीता त्वया नाथेन धीमता। हंसकारण्डवाकीर्णाः पद्मिनीः साधुपुष्पिताः॥ १८॥ इच्छेयं सुखिनी द्रष्टुं त्वया वीरेण संगता। अभिषेकं करिष्यामि तासु नित्यमनुव्रता॥ १९॥ सह त्वया विशालाक्ष रंस्ये परमनन्दिनी। एवं वर्षसहस्राणि शतं वापि त्वया सह॥ २०॥ व्यतिक्रमं न वेत्स्यामि स्वर्गोऽपि हि न मे मतः। स्वर्गेऽपि च विना वासो भविता यदि राघव। त्वया विना नरव्याघ्र नाहं तदपि रोचये॥ २१॥
Meaning
“I shall walk ahead of you and shall take my food only when you have finished your meal. After that, I long to see mountains, ponds and lakes, remaining fearless everywhere with you as my wise protector. Accompanied by you, a heroic prince, I wish happily to see lotus-ponds teeming with swans and water-fowls and abounding in lotuses. Nay, remaining devoted to you I shall daily take my bath in them and, full of supreme joy, sport with you, in this way, O large-eyed lord ! Spending with you, say, thousands of years or even a hundred thousand years, I shall never experience any sorrow. Heaven too will not be acceptable to me otherwise. Even if an abode devoid of you is vouchsafed to me in heaven, O scion of Raghu, I shall never find pleasure in it without you, O tiger among men ! (17—21)
अहं गमिष्यामि वनं सुदुर्गमं मृगायुतं वानरवारणैश्च। वने निवत्स्यामि यथा पितुर्गृहे तवैव पादावुपगृह्य सम्मता॥ २२॥
Meaning
“I shall proceed to the forest of Daṇḍaka which is most difficult to penetrate and is infested with game of various kinds as well as with monkeys and elephants. Nay, clinging to your feet alone and esteemed by you, I shall dwell in the forest as though in my father’s home. (22)
अनन्यभावामनुरक्तचेतसं त्वया वियुक्तां मरणाय निश्चिताम्। नयस्व मां साधु कुरुष्व याचनां नातो मया ते गुरुता भविष्यति॥ २३॥
Meaning
“Therefore, grant my prayer and take me with you to the forest—me, who am exclusively devoted to you, whose mind is fondly attached to you and who am determined to die if disunited from you. You shall not be burdened by my being taken alongwith you.” (23)
तथा ब्रुवाणामपि धर्मवत्सलां न च स्म सीतां नृवरो निनीषति। उवाच चैनां बहु संनिवर्तने वने निवासस्य च दुःखितां प्रति॥ २४॥
Meaning
Śrī Rāma, the foremost among men, did not feel inclined in the least to take to the forest Sītā, who was so fond of righteousness and even though she spoke as aforesaid. Nay, in order to turn her away from her resolve, he spoke to her a lot about the miseries attendant upon forest life. (24)
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