Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 116

Meaning

Hearing the harsh utterance, which caused her hair to stand on end, when spoken to as aforesaid by Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu), who was full of anger, Sītā, a princess of Videha territory, for her part, felt greatly afflicted. (1)

Meaning

That princess of Mithilā stood bent low with shame on hearing on that occasion in the presence of a large gathering the foregoing vehement speech of her husband, the like of which had not been actually heard by her before. (2)

Meaning

As though pierced by those arrow-like words, nay, shrinking into her limbs as it were with shame, that daughter of Janaka shed profuse tears. (3)

Meaning

Then, wiping clean her face, which was bathed in tears, she slowly addressed in faltering accents the following reply to her spouse: (4)

Meaning

“Why do you, like a common man, address to me, O hero, such unkind and unbecoming words, which are so jarring to the ear, as a common man would do to an ordinary woman? (5)

Meaning

“I am not as you take me to be, O mighty-armed one! Be restored to confidence about me. I swear to you by my own character. (6)

Meaning

“Judging by the conduct of vulgar women, you seem to distrust the entire womankind, which is not reasonable. Pray, shake off this doubt if I have been actually tested and found trustworthy by you. (7)

Meaning

“I was helpless when I came into contact with the person of Rāvaṇa; I did not act of my own free will on that occasion. My adverse fate alone is to blame on that score, my lord. (8)

Meaning

“That which is under my control, viz., my heart, ever abides in you. What could I do, helpless as I was, with regard to my limbs, which had fallen under the sway of another? (9)

Meaning

“If I could not be fully known to you, O bestower of honour on others, in spite of our love for each other having simultaneously grown and despite our having lived together for so many years, I am undone for good, thanks to such ingnorance. (10)

Meaning

“When the eminent hero, Hanumān, was dispatched by you in order to find me out, why, O king, was I not repudiated by you even while I was still in Laṅkā? (11)

Meaning

“Life, O hero, would have been yielded up by me, when repudiated for good by you, immediately on hearing the message, conveying the repudiation, before the very eyes of this monkey, Hanumān. (12)

Meaning

“This useless exertion in the shape of crossing over to Laṅkā and waging war with the mighty Rāvaṇa, which you have put forth exposing your life to danger, would not have been undertaken nor would your friends, viz., the monkeys and Vibhīṣaṇa), have been put to such fruitless hardship.(13)

Meaning

“By you, however, who, like a small man, gave yourself up to anger alone, O jewel among the rulers of men, womanliness alone has been mainly taken into consideration. (14)

Meaning

“Only my appellation, Jānakī or Vaidehī, has been derived from King Janaka (not that I owe my descent to him), since my birth took place from the sacrificial ground of Janaka. This divine origin of mine was, however, not taken into account by you. My exalted character was not prized by you either, O appraiser of good conduct? (15)

Meaning

“The fact that my hand was pressed by you in my childhood as a token of your acceptance when it was placed in yours by my father during the nuptials was not duly recognized by you while repudiating me. Nay, my devotion to you as well as my chastity have all been ignored by you.” (16)

Meaning

Speaking as aforesaid in a voice choked with tears and weeping all the while, Sītā appealed as follows to Lakṣmaṇa, who was absorbed in thought and feeling sore distressed: (17)

Meaning

“Pray, O Lakṣmaṇa! raise for me a pyre, the only antidote against this calamity. I no longer desire to survive, smitten as I am with false reproaches. (18)

Meaning

“I will enter a fire, which is the only course appropriate for me, renounced as I am in a public gathering by my husband, who is no longer pleased with my virtues.”(19)

Meaning

Requested thus by Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory), Lakṣmaṇa, the destroyer of hostile champions, looked at Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu), overcome as he was with indignation. (20)

Meaning

Ascertaining the pleasure of Śrī Rāma’s mind as revealed by his facial expression, the valiant son of Sumitrā prepared a pyre in deference to the wishes of Śrī Rāma.(21)

Meaning

No one, near and dear, actually dared on that occasion to speak to or even look upon, much less pacify Śrī Rāma, who vied with Yama (the destroyer of the worlds) at the time of universal dissolution. (22)

Meaning

Walking clockwise as a mark of respect about Śrī Rāma, standing with his head bent low, Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory) approached the blazing fire. (23)

Meaning

Nay, respectfully bowing down to the gods as well as to the Brāhmaṇas in general, the princess of Mithilā prayed as follows with joined palms in the presence of the fire: (24)

Meaning

“As my heart never turns away from Śrī Rāma, so may the god of fire, the witness of the world, protect me on all sides. (25)

Meaning

“Since Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) takes me to be corrupt, though of unimpeachable conduct, let the god of fire, the witness of the world, under such circumstances, protect me on all sides. (26)

Meaning

“Inasmuch as I have never been unfaithful in act, thought and speech to Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) who knows the secret of all virtues, let the god of fire in that case afford protection to me. (27)

Meaning

“Since the glorious sun-god, the wind-god, the deities presiding over the four quarters, and even so the moon-god, as also the deity presiding over the daytime and the morning and evening twilights and the night as also Mother Earth and others too likewise know me to be richly endowed with good character, let the god of fire protect me.” (28)

Meaning

Saying so, and going clockwise round the fire as a mark of respect, Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory), for her part entered the blazing fire with a fearless mind. (29)

Meaning

Nay, the huge gathering present there, teeming, as it was, with children and old people, witnessed the resplendent princess of Mithilā enterning the fire. (30)

Meaning

The lady, who shone like fresh refined gold and was decked with ornaments of refined gold, rushed into the blazing fire in the presence of all the people. (31)

Meaning

All created beings beheld that large-eyed lady, Sītā, who shone like a golden altar, descending into the fire (lit., the bearer of sacrificial offerings) on that occasion.(32)

Meaning

Ṛṣis (the seers of Vedic Mantras), gods and the Gandharvas saw that highly blessed lady penetrating deep into the fire (lit., the consumer of oblations) like the consummating offering of ghee. (33)

Meaning

All the women present on the occasion screamed on perceiving her, adorned as she was, falling into the fire like an unbroken stream of ghee, duly consecrated by the recitation of Mantras, falling into a sacrificial fire. (34)

Meaning

The denizens of all the three worlds, including gods, the Gandharvas (celestial musicians) and Dānavas (the (demons), witnessed her jumping into the fire like a goddess, subjected to a curse, falling from heaven into hell. (35)

Meaning

While she was entering into the flames, a loud cry, which appeared strange, rose from the ogres and the monkeys alike. (36)