---
title: "Sundara Kanda, Sarga 25"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/sundara-kanda/sarga-25"
lang: "en"
---

# Sundara Kanda, Sarga 25

> अथ तासां वदन्तीनां परुषं दारुणं बहु।  
> राक्षसीनामसौम्यानां रुरोद जनकात्मजा॥ १॥

In the midst of those repellent ogresses, who were uttering many such unkind and cruel remarks, the daughter of Janaka, Sita, now fell a-weeping. (1)

> एवमुक्ता तु वैदेही राक्षसीभिर्मनस्विनी।  
> उवाच परमत्रस्ता बाष्पगद्गदया गिरा॥ २॥

Greatly alarmed when threatened thus by the ogresses, Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, of firm resolve, for her part, spoke as follows in a voice choked with tears: (2)

> न मानुषी राक्षसस्य भार्या भवितुमर्हति।  
> कामं खादत मां सर्वा न करिष्यामि वो वचः॥ ३॥

“A female human being is not fit to become the wife of an ogre. Devour me all, if you will; I shall never follow your counsel.”(3)

> सा राक्षसीमध्यगता सीता सुरसुतोपमा।  
> न शर्म लेभे शोकार्ता रावणेनेव भर्त्सिता॥ ४॥

Surrounded by ogresses, stricken with grief, as it were, due to her having been reproached by Rāvaṇa, the aforesaid Sītā, who resembled the daughter of a god, did not find rest. (4)

> वेपते स्माधिकं सीता विशन्तीवांगमात्मनः।  
> वने यूथपरिभ्रष्टा मृगी कोकैरिवार्दिता॥ ५॥

Shrinking into her own person, as it were, through fear, Sītā shook violently as a doe which has strayed away from its herd and is tormented by wolves in a forest. (5)

> सा त्वशोकस्य विपुलां शाखामालम्ब्य पुष्पिताम्।  
> चिन्तयामास शोकेन भर्तारं भग्नमानसा॥ ६॥

Laying hold of a big bough of an Aśoka tree, which was rich in blossom, frustrated as she was in mind through grief, Sītā, for her part, thought of her lord. (6)

> सा स्नापयन्ती विपुलौ स्तनौ नेत्रजलस्रवैः।  
> चिन्तयन्ती न शोकस्य तदान्तमधिगच्छति॥ ७॥

Bathing her large breasts with the streams of her tears and brooding over her miserable plight, she saw no end to her grief at that moment. (7)

> सा वेपमाना पतिता प्रवाते कदली यथा।  
> राक्षसीनां भयत्रस्ता विवर्णवदनाभवत्॥ ८॥

Shaking like a plantain tree exposed to a stormy wind, seized as she was with the fear of the ogresses, Sītā looked palefaced. (8)

> तस्याः सा दीर्घबहुला वेपन्त्याः सीतया तदा।  
> ददृशे कम्पिता वेणी व्यालीव परिसर्पती॥ ९॥

That swinging braid of Sītā, long and thick, while she was shaking from head to foot, looked like a gliding serpent at that time. (9)

> सा निःश्वसन्ती शोकार्ता कोपोपहतचेतना।  
> आर्ता व्यसृजदश्रूणि मैथिली विललाप च॥ १०॥  
> हा रामेति च दुःखार्ता हा पुनर्लक्ष्मणेति च।  
> हा श्वश्रूर्मम कौसल्ये हा सुमित्रेति भामिनी॥ ११॥

Drawing deep audible breaths, miserable and stricken with grief as she was, that lovely young lady, the princess of Mithilā, whose understanding had been clouded through anger and who was afflicted with agony, began to shed tears and wailed—“O Rāma,” and again, “O Lakṣmaṇa, O Kausalyā, my mother-in-law, O Sumitrā ! (10-11)

> लोकप्रवादः सत्योऽयं पण्डितैः समुदाहृतः।  
> अकाले दुर्लभो मृत्युः स्त्रिया वा पुरुषस्य वा॥ १२॥  
> यत्राहमाभिः क्रूराभी राक्षसीभिरिहार्दिता।  
> जीवामि हीना रामेण मुहूर्तमपि दुःखिता॥ १३॥

“There is this popular saying uttered by the wise that the death of a woman or of a man is difficult to occur before time inasmuch as, even though I am tormented by these fierce ogresses here and stand separated from Śrī Rāma, and afflicted, I am able to survive even for a while. (12-13)

> एषाल्पपुण्या कृपणा विनशिष्याम्यनाथवत्।  
> समुद्रमध्ये नौः पूर्णा वायुवेगैरिवाहता॥ १४॥

“Of poor merit and wretched that I am, I shall perish like a forlorn creature, even as a bark fully loaded and buffeted by the blasts of a tempest would flounder in the ocean. (14)

> भर्तारं तमपश्यन्ती राक्षसीवशमागता।  
> सीदामि खलु शोकेन कूलं तोयहतं यथा॥ १५॥

“Unable to see my celebrated husband and fallen into the clutches of ogresses, I am wasting away through grief even as a river bank undermined by the current. (15)

> तं पद्मदलपत्राक्षं सिंहविक्रान्तगामिनम्।  
> धन्याः पश्यन्ति मे नाथं कृतज्ञं प्रियवादिनम्॥ १६॥

“Only the fortunate are able to look on my aforesaid lord, who has eyes resembling the petals of an expanded lotus and walks with the gait of a lion, who is alive to the services rendered to him and speaks kind words to all. (16)

> सर्वथा तेन हीनाया रामेण विदितात्मना।  
> तीक्ष्णं विषमिवास्वाद्य दुर्लभं मम जीवनम्॥ १७॥

“My life, now that I have been separated from the aforesaid Śrī Rāma, a knower of the Self, is hard to sustain even as for one who has swallowed a deadly poison. (17)

> कीदृशं तु महापापं मया देहान्तरे कृतम्।  
> तेनेदं प्राप्यते घोरं महादुःखं सुदारुणम्॥ १८॥

“What kind of heinous sin was actually perpetrated by me in another body in a previous existence? Due to that, this terrible and most cruel major sorrow is being experienced by me. (18)

> जीवितं त्यक्तुमिच्छामि शोकेन महता वृता।  
> राक्षसीभिश्च रक्षन्त्या रामो नासाद्यते मया॥ १९॥

“Beset that I am with this intense grief, I long to give up the ghost; for Śrī Rāma can never be reached by me so long as I am being guarded by the ogresses. (19)

> धिगस्तु खलु मानुष्यं धिगस्तु परवश्यताम्।  
> न शक्यं यत् परित्यक्तुमात्मच्छन्देन जीवितम्॥ २०॥

“Shame indeed be upon the human state and shame be upon dependence on others, due to which it is not possible for me even to yield up life of my own free will !” (20)

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

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