Sundara Kanda, Sarga 23

Meaning

Having threatened Sītā, a princess of Mithilā and instructing all the ogresses as aforesaid, Rāvaṇa, who made his enemies cry in terror, sallied forth from that grove; so the tradition goes. (1)

Meaning

Rāvaṇa, the king of ogres, having left the Aśoka grove and returned to the gynaeceum, the aforesaid ogresses of hideous appearance for their part ran up in a body to Sītā. (2)

Meaning

Approaching Sītā, the princess of the Videha territory, the ogresses, who were distracted with anger, spoke to her as follows in exceedingly harsh tones : (3)

Meaning

“Don’t you prize, O Sītā, the wifehood of the high-souled and pre-eminent Rāvaṇa, a scion of Sage Pulastya, who is endowed with ten heads?” (4)

Meaning

Then, addressing Sītā, whose belly could be spanned with the palm, an ogress named Ekajata, for her part, her eyes bloodshot with anger, spoke to her as follows : (5)

Meaning

“There is a mind-born son of Brahmā (the creator) widely known by the name of Pulastya. Of the six Prajāpatis,* (lords of created beings entrusted with the work of creation by Brahmā), he is indeed the fourth Prajāpati. (6)

Meaning

“The glorious mind-born son of Pulastya, again, is an eminent Ṛṣi, Viśravā by name, who, they say, equals the Prajāpatis in glory. (7)

Meaning

“Rāvaṇa, who makes his enemies cry in terror, is a son of Viśravā. You deserve to be the wife of the aforesaid lord of ogres, O large eyed one ! (8)

Meaning

“Why don’t you acquiesce in this proposal put forward by me, O lady! charming of every limb?” Dilating her eyes, which resembled a cat’s, an ogress, Harijāta by name, then angrily spoke as follows : “You deserve to be a wife of that king of ogres by whom were vanquished all the thirty-three principal deities, viz., the twelve Ādityas, the eleven Rudras, the eight Vasus and the twin Aświnīkumāras, and even lndra, the ruler of gods. Why don’t you seek the wifehood of Rāvaṇa, who is heroic and mighty, full of valour and proud of his prowess, and who never turns his back on the field of battle? (9—11)

Meaning

“Renouncing his beloved wife Mandodarī, who is much esteemed by all his wives and is highly blessed, Rāvaṇa will betake himself to you. (12)

Meaning

“Nay, leaving alone his well-known gynaeceum, enriched by thousands of women and decked with various jewels, Rāvaṇa will go to you.” (13)

Meaning

Another ogress, Vikaṭā by name, for her part, addressed the following words to Sītā: “He has come by your side, by whose terrible prowess the Nāgas, Gandharvas and demons were routed more than once on the battlefield. (14)

Meaning

“Why don’t you solicit the wifehood of the aforesaid ruler of ogres, the high-souled Rāvaṇa, who is fully accomplished in every way, O vile woman?” (15)

Meaning

Then another ogress, Durmukhi by name, spoke as follows: “Why don’t you yield to Rāvaṇa, in fear of whom the sun does not shine brightly and the wind stops blowing terrifically, O lady with long-cornered eyes? (16)

Meaning

“Why don’t you really make up your mind, O lovely woman, to become the wife of that Rāvaṇa, the lord of ogres and the king of kings, in fear of whom the trees rain down flowers, mountains and clouds shed their water whenever he wills? (17-18)

Meaning

“Accept cheerfully, O lovely lady with sweet smiles, the advice which has been tendered to you in good spirit and in accordance with facts; or else you shall die.” (19)