Sundara Kanda, Sarga 27

Meaning

Distracted through anger when told by Sītā of her violent intention, some ogresses proceeded to communicate it to the evil-minded Rāvaṇa. (1)

Meaning

Approaching Sītā, the ogresses of hideous aspect then spoke to her again the following harsh words, which harped on the same point and spelt disaster to them alone: (2)

Meaning

“O wretched Sītā of sinful resolve, the ogresses will feast at pleasure on this flesh of yours this very moment today.” (3)

Meaning

Seeing Sītā intimidated as above by those vile women at that moment, an aged ogress, Trijaṭā, who had just woken up from sleep, spoke as follows: (4)

Meaning

“Devour yourselves, O wretches if you will; you will not be able to feast on Sītā, Janaka’s daughter and beloved daughter-in-law of Daśaratha. (5)

Meaning

“A horrible dream, which makes my hair stand on end, has actually been seen by me today pointing to the annihilation of ogres and to the well-being of her husband.” (6)

Meaning

Seized with fright when spoken to as aforesaid by Trijaṭā, all the ogresses, who were distracted through anger only a minute before, spoke as follows to the aforesaid Trijaṭā: (7)

Meaning

“Speak out what kind of dream was seen by you this night.” Hearing the request that had escaped from the lips of the ogresses, Trijaṭā for her part made the following answer bearing on the dream seen by her during the morning wee-hours : “Mounting a celestial palanquin made of ivory and coursing through the airspace, nay, drawn by a thousand horses, Śrī Rāma himself, clad in a white raiment and wearing a white garland, has duly come here with Lakṣmaṇa. (8—10)

Meaning

“Clad in white robes, Sītā, too, was seen by me in the dream today perched on a white mountain surrounded by sea. (11)

Meaning

“Nay, Sītā was seen re-united with Śrī Rāma as light is with the sun. Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, who shone brightly with Lakṣmaṇa, was further beheld by me as mounted on a huge elephant*, closely resembling a hill, with as many as four tusks. Wearing white garlands and clad in white robes and ablaze with their own effulgence, nay, shining brightly like the sun, the two brothers for their part then stood by the side of Sītā, Janaka’s daughter. Thereupon Sītā actually mounted the shoulders of that tusker led by her husband, standing in the air in front of the aforesaid white hill. Springing up from the lap of her husband, the lotus-eyed lady was then seen by me gently touching the moon and the sun* with her hands. Then that jewel among elephants, ridden by the aforesaid two brothers as well as by the large-eyed Sītā took its stand on Laṅkā. I saw in another dream that wearing a white garland and clad in a white robe, Śrī Rāma, a scion of Kakutstha, himself came here along with his consort, Sītā, in a chariot drawn by eight white bullocks and was accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, too. Then in another dream the valiant Śrī Rāma of unfailing prowess, a jewel among men was seen by me on the move towards a northerly direction having ascended the celestial aerial car, Puṣpaka, shining brightly as the sun. In this way was Śrī Rāma, who vies with Lord Viṣṇu in prowess, seen by me in a dream alongwith his younger brother, Lakṣmaṇa, and his wife, Sītā. Surely Śrī Rāma, who is endowed with extraordinary energy, is incapable of being conquered by gods and demons or even by ogres or by any other people, even as heaven cannot be won by sinful men. “Rāvaṇa too was seen by me in the dream today with a shaven head, nay, bathed in oil, attired in red, drunken and still drinking, adorned with garlands of oleander flowers and fallen on the earth from the aerial car, Puṣpaka. (12—23)

Meaning

“He was seen in a dream once more with a shaven head and robed in black, wearing a red garland and smeared with red sandal-paste and being pulled by a woman on a chariot drawn by asses. (24)

Meaning

“Quaffing oil, laughing and dancing, his mind confused and senses obscured, he sped on the back of an ass in a southerly direction. (25)

Meaning

“Rāvaṇa, the lord of ogres, was again seen by me fallen headlong from the back of the ass, confused through fear. (26)

Meaning

“Leaping up suddenly, utterly bewildered, terror-stricken, overpowered with intoxication, looking like a madman, and sky-clad, he was seen uttering many abusive words. (27)

Meaning

“Entering a fearful gloom, resembling hell itself, emitting a foul smell difficult to bear, nay, full of filth and mire, the aforesaid Rāvaṇa soon disappeared into it. (28)

Meaning

“Again having set out in a southerly direction, he entered a dry lake even without mud. Tying the ten-headed monster round his neck, a dark young woman clad in red, her limbs besmeared with mud, was dragging him in a southerly direction. Rāvaṇa’s younger brother Kumbhakarṇa of extraordinary might was likewise seen by me in that dream. (29-30)

Meaning

“All the sons of Rāvaṇa too were seen by me with shaven heads and bathed in oil. Nay, Rāvaṇa, the ten-headed monster, departed in a southerly direction on the back of a boar, his eldest son Meghanāda (the conqueror of Indra) too on the back of a dolphin and Kumbhakarṇa on the back of a camel. In that dream Vibhīṣaṇa, Rāvaṇa’s youngest brother, alone was seen by me shaded with a white canopy, dressed in white and wearing a white garland, nay, smeared with white sandal-paste. Hailed with blasts of conch-shells and the beating of kettledrums as well as with dances and songs, Vibhīṣaṇa stood there in the air mounted on a four-tusked celestial elephant closely resembling a hill and trumpeting like thunder, with four ministers. (31—35)

Meaning

“A large assemblage, distinguished by the sound of vocal and instrumental music, of ogres, clad in red and adorned with red garlands and drinking oil, had also collected. (36)

Meaning

“Nay, this enchanting city of Laṅkā, horses, chariots and elephants and all, was seen by me fallen into the sea, its gateways and arches shattered. (37)

Meaning

“Though protected on all sides by Rāvaṇa, Laṅkā was further seen by me in a different dream burnt up by an agile monkey, acting as an envoy of Śrī Rāma. (38)

Meaning

“All the ogresses in Laṅkā, now arid with ashes, were seen drunk with oil and laughing heartily with great noise. (39)

Meaning

“Putting on a red attire of inferior quality, all these jewels among the ogres, Kumbhakarṇa and others, disappeared into a pool of cowdung. (40)

Meaning

“Therefore, get away from this place and watch how Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, recovers Sītā. Supremely intolerant by nature, he will undoubtedly kill you all alongwith the ogres. (41)

Meaning

“Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, would never tolerate his beloved and highly esteemed wife, who had followed him in his exile, to be reproached or threatened by you. (42)

Meaning

“Therefore, have done with cruel words and let conciliatory words alone be spoken to her. Let us crave her forgiveness; for, this alone appeals to me. (43)

Meaning

“Rid of her numerous woes, that wretched lady about whom such a dream has been vividly seen by me will undoubtedly attain her beloved and highest object. (44)

Meaning

“Beseech her forgiveness, O ogresses, even though she has been menaced by you. What will be gained through your anxiety to discuss the subject any more; for a terrible danger from Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) threatens the ogres. (45)

Meaning

“Sītā, a princess of Mithilā, daughter of Janaka, will get pleased with prostration alone. She is capable of shielding you from a terrible danger, O ogresses ! (46)

Meaning

“Furthermore, I do not notice in the limbs of this large-eyed lady any inauspicious mark, however minute, which may give indication of any mishap to her. (47)

Meaning

“I, for my part, suspect that misfortune has befallen this godlike lady—who does not merit adversity and who mounted an aerial car in the dream seen by me—only in the shape of diminution of splendour occasioned by want of bath, toilet etc.(48)

Meaning

“I, for my part, visualize the accomplishment of purpose of Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory to be at hand, as also the destruction of Rāvaṇa, the lord of ogres, and the triumph of Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu. (49)

Meaning

“Nay, her left eye, large as a lotus-petal, is seen throbbing. This is surely a prognostication of her hearing a most pleasing news. (50)

Meaning

“Again, slightly thrilled, the left arm alone of this amiable lady, Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, is palpitating without any visible cause at all. (51)

Meaning

“Her most shapely left thigh, resembling the proboscis of an elephant, which is also pulsating, announces, as it were, the presence of Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, standing in front of her. (52)

Meaning

“Nay, uttering excellent sweet notes again and again after entering its nest on the branch of a tree, a delighted bird is repeatedly urging Sītā, as it were, to rejoice, uttering, as it did, a note announcing the advent of an auspicious hour.” (53)

Meaning

Rejoiced at the prospect of her husband’s triumph, that shy youthful lady thereupon said, “If that comes out to be true, I shall undoubtedly be your protector.” (54)