--- title: "Sundara Kanda, Sarga 21" canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/sundara-kanda/sarga-21" lang: "en" --- # Sundara Kanda, Sarga 21 > तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा सीता रौद्रस्य रक्षसः। > आर्ता दीनस्वरा दीनं प्रत्युवाच ततः शनैः॥ १॥ Hearing the aforesaid speech of that terrible ogre, Sītā, who was already afflicted, now gently and sadly replied in piteous tones. (1) > दुःखार्ता रुदती सीता वेपमाना तपस्विनी। > चिन्तयन्ती वरारोहा पतिमेव पतिव्रता॥ २॥ > तृणमन्तरतः कृत्वा प्रत्युवाच शुचिस्मिता। > निवर्तय मनो मत्तः स्वजने प्रीयतां मनः॥ ३॥ Placing a straw between herself and Rāvaṇa in order to avoid direct contact with him, poor Sītā of excellent limbs and bright smiles, who was sobbing and shuddering, stricken with sorrow as she was, and, being devoted to her husband, was, constantly thinking of him alone, replied in the following words: “Withdraw your mind from me and let it be satisfied with your own consorts alone. (2-3) > न मां प्रार्थयितुं युक्तस्त्वं सिद्धिमिव पापकृत्। > अकार्यं न मया कार्यमेकपत्न्या विगर्हितम्॥ ४॥ > कुलं सम्प्राप्तया पुण्यं कुले महति जातया। > एवमुक्त्वा तु वैदेही रावणं तं यशस्विनी॥ ५॥ > रावणं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा भूयो वचनमब्रवीत्। > नाहमौपयिकी भार्या परभार्या सती तव॥ ६॥ “You are not deserving of seeking to win me any more than a sinner deserves to seek perfection in the form of final beatitude. An unworthy act which is deprecated by a devoted wife can never be done by me, who was born in a noble house and have joined a pious family by virtue of marriage.” Having spoken thus to Rāvaṇa, who made his foes cry in terror, and turning her back on him, the illustrious Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, once more addressed the following words to him : “Being the virtuous wife of another, I cannot be your lawful consort. (4–6) > साधु धर्ममवेक्षस्व साधु साधुव्रतं चर। > यथा तव तथान्येषां रक्ष्या दारा निशाचर॥ ७॥ “Take into account the rule of conduct of the virtuous and duly follow the course of conduct of the virtuous. Others’ wives too deserve to be protected by you in the same way as your own, O prowler of the night !(7) > आत्मानमुपमां कृत्वा स्वेषु दारेषु रम्यताम्। > अतुष्टं स्वेषु दारेषु चपलं चपलेन्द्रियम्। > नयन्ति निकृतिप्रज्ञं परदाराः पराभवम्॥ ८॥ “Making a model of yourself, take delight in your wife alone. Others’ wives lead to humiliation of the fickle man of vagrant senses and reproachful understanding, who is not contented with his own wife. (8) > इह सन्तो न वा सन्ति सतो वा नानुवर्तसे। > यथा हि विपरीता ते बुद्धिराचारवर्जिता॥ ९॥ “Either there are no pious men here or you do not follow them in that your mind is so perverse and has turned away from right conduct. (9) > वचो मिथ्याप्रणीतात्मा पथ्यमुक्तं विचक्षणैः। > राक्षसानामभावाय त्वं वा न प्रतिपद्यसे॥ १०॥ “Or, you do not listen to the wholesome advice tendered by the wise, your mind being set on the unreal, bent as you are on the destruction of ogres. (10) > अकृतात्मानमासाद्य राजानमनये रतम्। > समृद्धानि विनश्यन्ति राष्ट्राणि नगराणि च॥ ११॥ “Having found as their ruler one who has not been able to control his mind and who is given to unrighteousness, even affluent kingdoms and cities go to ruin. (11) > तथैव त्वां समासाद्य लंका रत्नौघसंकुला। > अपराधात् तवैकस्य नचिराद् विनशिष्यति॥ १२॥ “Even so, having got you as its ruler, Laṅkā, which is full of heaps of precious stones, will perish before long for the fault of one individual, viz., yourself. (12) > स्वकृतैर्हन्यमानस्य रावणादीर्घदर्शिनः। > अभिनन्दन्ति भूतानि विनाशे पापकर्मणः॥ १३॥ “All beings rejoice over the destruction, O Rāvaṇa, of that short-sighted fellow who is given to sinful deeds and is being killed by his own doings. (13) > एवं त्वां पापकर्माणं वक्ष्यन्ति निकृता जनाः। > दिष्ट्यैतद् व्यसनं प्राप्तो रौद्र इत्येव हर्षिताः॥ १४॥ “In the same way people tormented by you will speak of you as a man of sinful deeds and feeling rejoiced will say: ‘Luckily enough has the terrible being met with this reverse.’ (14) > शक्या लोभयितुं नाहमैश्वर्येण धनेन वा। > अनन्या राघवेणाहं भास्करेण यथा प्रभा॥ १५॥ “I am not capable of being tempted with power or riches; I am undivided from Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, even as sunlight is from the sun. (15) > उपधाय भुजं तस्य लोकनाथस्य सत्कृतम्। > कथं नामोपधास्यामि भुजमन्यस्य कस्यचित्॥ १६॥ “Having rested on the honoured arm of that lord of the people, how shall I actually rest on the arm of anyone else? (16) > अहमौपयिकी भार्या तस्यैव च धरापतेः। > व्रतस्नातस्य विद्येव विप्रस्य विदितात्मनः॥ १७॥ “I am the lawful wife of that ruler of the globe alone even as knowledge of Veda lawfully belongs to a Brāhmaṇa who has realized the Self and has had his ceremonial bath as a token of having completed his vow of celibacy. (17) > साधु रावण रामेण मां समानय दुःखिताम्। > वने वासितया सार्धं करेण्वेव गजाधिपम्॥ १८॥ “Unite me straight with Śrī Rāma, wretched as I am, even as one would unite a lordly elephant with a female elephant in heat in a forest, O Rāvaṇa ! (18) > मित्रमौपयिकं कर्तुं रामः स्थानं परीप्सता। > बन्धं चानिच्छता घोरं त्वयासौ पुरुषर्षभः॥ १९॥ “It would be but meet that that jewel among men, Śrī Rāma, be made friends by you if you seek to preserve your fortress Laṅkā and if you do not wish to suffer terrible bondage. (19) > विदितः सर्वधर्मज्ञः शरणागतवत्सलः। > तेन मैत्री भवतु ते यदि जीवितुमिच्छसि॥ २०॥ “He is a reputed knower of all virtues and fond of those who have sought shelter with him. Let your friendship be established with him if you seek to survive. (20) > प्रसादयस्व त्वं चैनं शरणागतवत्सलम्। > मां चास्मै प्रयतो भूत्वा निर्यातयितुमर्हसि॥ २१॥ “Nay, propitiate Śrī Rāma, who is fond of those who have sought protection with him. And, remaining restrained throughout in your behaviour with me, be pleased to restore me to him. (21) > एवं हि ते भवेत् स्वस्ति सम्प्रदाय रघूत्तमे। > अन्यथा त्वं हि कुर्वाणः परां प्राप्स्यसि चापदम्॥ २२॥ “Surely your welfare lies in thus restoring me to Śrī Rāma, the foremost of the Raghus. Acting otherwise you will undoubtedly meet with adversity. (22) > वर्जयेद् वज्रमुत्सृष्टं वर्जयेदन्तकश्चिरम्। > त्वद्विधं न तु संक्रुद्धो लोकनाथः स राघवः॥ २३॥ “The thunderbolt may spare a wrongdoer like you, even though discharged; Death too may ignore an offender like you for a long time. That scion of Raghu, the protector of the people, will not, however, leave you when enraged. (23) > रामस्य धनुषः शब्दं श्रोष्यसि त्वं महास्वनम्। > शतक्रतुविसृष्टस्य निर्घोषमशनेरिव॥ २४॥ “You will soon hear the twang of Śrī Rāma’s bow, producing a terrific sound and resembling the crash of the thunderbolt hurled by Indra (who is presupposed to have performed a hundred Aśwamedha sacrifices in his previous existence as a condition precedent to his attainment of that exalted position). (24) > इह शीघ्रं सुपर्वाणो ज्वलितास्या इवोरगाः। > इषवो निपतिष्यन्ति रामलक्ष्मणलक्षिताः॥ २५॥ “Well-mounted arrows marked by the names of Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa will soon rain on this city like serpents with flaming jaws. (25) > रक्षांसि निहनिष्यन्तः पुर्यामस्यां न संशयः। > असम्पातं करिष्यन्ति पतन्तः कङ्कवाससः॥ २६॥ “Descending on this city, the arrows decorated with the plumes of a buzzard, which are sure to exterminate the ogres, will leave no space uncovered by them; there is no doubt about it. (26) > राक्षसेन्द्रमहासर्पान् स रामगरुडो महान्। > उद्धरिष्यति वेगेन वैनतेय इवोरगान्॥ २७॥ “That great secretary-bird in the form of Śrī Rāma will speedily stamp out the mighty serpents in the form of the leaders of ogres in the same way as Garuḍa, the king of birds, son of Vinatā, would extirpate serpents. (27) > अपनेष्यति मां भर्ता त्वत्तः शीघ्रमरिंदमः। > असुरेभ्यः श्रियं दीप्तां विष्णुस्त्रिभिरिव क्रमैः॥ २८॥ “My husband, the tamer of his foes, will soon recover me from you even as Lord Viṣṇu wrested the radiant sovereignty of the three worlds from the demons in the course of three strides. (28) > जनस्थाने हतस्थाने निहते रक्षसां बले। > अशक्तेन त्वया रक्षः कृतमेतदसाधु वै॥ २९॥ “The host of the ogres stationed in Janasthāna having been destroyed by Śrī Rāma and your foothold on Janasthāna having consequently been lost, this wicked deed in the shape of my abduction was actually perpetrated by you, impotent as you were to avenge yourself on the destruction of the army in Janasthāna, O ogre ! (29) > आश्रमं तत्तयोः शून्यं प्रविश्य नरसिंहयोः। > गोचरं गतयोर्भ्रात्रोरपनीता त्वयाधम॥ ३०॥ “I was borne away by you, O vile wretch, entering that lonely hermitage of the aforesaid two brothers, who are lions among men and who had gone out a-hunting.(30) > नहि गन्धमुपाघ्राय रामलक्ष्मणयोस्त्वया। > शक्यं संदर्शने स्थातुं शुना शार्दूलयोरिव॥ ३१॥ “It is not possible for you to stand within the sight of Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa even on smelling their presence, any more than a dog would tarry within the gaze of a pair of tigers. (31) > तस्य ते विग्रहे ताभ्यां युगग्रहणमस्थिरम्। > वृत्रस्येवेन्द्रबाहुभ्यां बाहोरेकस्य विग्रहे॥ ३२॥ “Your victory in an encounter with them, situated as you are, is uncertain in the same way as on the part of a single arm of the demon Vṛtra in its encounter with both the arms of Indra during the great war between gods and demons at the beginning of creation. (32) > क्षिप्रं तव स नाथो मे रामः सौमित्रिणा सह। > तोयमल्पमिवादित्यः प्राणानादास्यते शरैः॥ ३३॥ “Soon shall that lord of mine, Śrī Rāma, with Lakṣmaṇa (son of Sumitrā), take away your life with his shafts even as the sun sucks up with its rays the shallow water of a pool. (33) > गिरिं कुबेरस्य गतोऽथवाऽऽलयं > सभां गतो वा वरुणस्य राज्ञः। > असंशयं दाशरथेर्विमोक्ष्यसे > महाद्रुमः कालहतोऽशनेरिव॥ ३४॥ “Even if you flyaway for protection to the mountain, Kailāśa, constituting the abode of Kubera (the god of riches) or descend on the council-chamber of King Varuṇa (the deity presiding over water), you shall undoubtedly be deprived of your life by the arrows of Śrī Rāma (son of Daśaratha), killed as you already are by the Time-Spirit even as a huge tree felled by lightning.” (34) Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana --- Source: Gita Press, Gorakhpur editions. Buy the book: https://gitapress.org/product/sri-ramcharitmanas-special-edition Ramayana.com, a free, ad-free project of Ved Vyas Foundation.