Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 32

Meaning

Beholding that head as well as that excellent bow, nay, recalling the alliance of Śrī Rāma with Sugrīva, which accounted for the destruction of monkeys by the ogres, spoken of by Hanumān, the eyes, the hue of the countenance, the said countenance resembling that of her husband, the locks as well as the brow as also the well-known splendid jewel on the top, nay, identifying the head of her husband by means of these distinguishing marks, the aforesaid Sītā felt sore distressed and, crying like a female osprey, began to reproach Kaikeyī for this as follows: (1—3)

Meaning

“Be now satisfied, now that your desire has been fulfilled, O Kaikeyī, in that this delight of his House has been killed. The entire race has been uprooted by you, given as you were to quarrelling. (4)

Meaning

“What offence, I wonder, was given by the noble Śrī Rāma to Kaikeyī, for which he was exiled into the forest with me, after presenting him with a robe of bark!” (5)

Meaning

Trembling all over while saying so, the youthful lady, the poor Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, for her part fell prostrate to the ground like a plantain tree cut to the root. (6)

Meaning

Regaining consciousness after a while and taking heart, nay, sitting very near the head, that large-eyed lady began to lament as follows: “Alas! I am undone, O mighty-armed prince, faithful to your heroic vow of carrying out the command of your father till the last moment of your life! I have witnessed your final state, widowed as I am. (8)

Meaning

“The death of a husband before that of his wife is declared to be a catastrophe. A man of noble conduct, you have died before me, a woman of virtuous conduct! (9)

Meaning

“Even you, who were actually intent on delivering me, fallen in great adversity and swallowed up in an ocean of grief, have been struck down by the enemies! (10)

Meaning

“My celebrated mother-in-law, Kausalyā, who was so fond of her offspring, O scion of Raghu, has been disunited from you, her son, even as a cow, who is fond of its calf, would get disunited from its calf. (11)

Meaning

“Your life was predicted to be long by astrologers, O scion of Raghu! Their prophecy, however, has proved to be false since your life has been so short, O Rāma! (12)

Meaning

“Or, even though you were extremely sagacious, perhaps prudence disappeared in you, in that you fell into the enemy’s hands while asleep. Indeed, this Time-Spirit alone, who is the cause of existence of all created beings, brings them to an end. (13)

Meaning

“How did you meet with an unforeseen death—you, who were well-versed in the science of political ethics, nay, who knew the ways and means of warding off calamities and were skilled in employing them? (14)

Meaning

“After tearing you from me and closely embracing you, O lotus-eyed one, you were in that condition of lying buried in sleep, borne away by the horrible and most cruel deity presiding over the night of destruction. (15)

Meaning

“Having deserted me, a pitiable woman, and embracing the earth like a darling, you are lying here, O mighty-armed jewel among men! (16)

Meaning

“Here lies your bow decked with gold, which was always meticulously worshipped by me with sandal paste and wreaths of flowers and which was so dear to me, O gallant prince! (17)

Meaning

“You have surely been re-united in heaven with your father and my father-in-law, King Daśaratha, as well as with all the manes, O sinless one! (18)

Meaning

“What a pity that you are deserting the saintly race of royal sages to which you belong—you, by whom such extraordinary exploits have been performed, which shine like luminaries in the sky! (19)

Meaning

“Why don’t you look at me, O prince? And why don’t you answer me, won by you when you were a mere boy, as a wife and companion of a tender age? (20)

Meaning

“Call to mind, O scion of Kakutstha, the solemn promise that was actually made by you while taking my hand in yours, viz., that ‘I shall practise virtue with you’ and take me, the wretched one, too with you to the other world. (21)

Meaning

“Wherefore, having brought me all the way from Ayodhyā to Janasthāna, O jewel among the resourceful, have you departed from this world to the other, deserting even me, the miserable woman? (22)

Meaning

“That body of yours, which looked charming with festive decorations, and was till now embraced by me alone, is surely being violently dragged here and there by carnivorous beasts. (23)

Meaning

“Why are you not really going to secure the privilege of being cremated with a sacrificial fire even though you have worshipped the Lord through sacrificial performances such as Agniṣṭoma, in which handsome fees were paid to the officiating priests? (24)

Meaning

“What a pity that completely given up to grief, Kausalyā (your mother) will eagerly see returned Lakṣmaṇa alone of the three who went into exile from Ayodhyā! (25)

Meaning

“To her, when she keenly inquires about you, he will undoubtedly communicate to her the extermination at night by the ogres of the army of your ally, Sugrīva, as well as your own death. (26)

Meaning

“Coming to know of your having been killed while asleep and of myself having found my way into the abode of the ogre, Rāvaṇa, she with a broken heart will not survive, O scion of Raghu! (27)

Meaning

“How strange that having crossed the sea on my account, unworthy as I am, Śrī Rāma, a sinless prince, who was full of valour, has been killed in the footprint of a cow (without any struggle). (28)

Meaning

“The obloquy of my race, I was wedded by Śrī Rāma (a son of Daśaratha) through ignorance. The wife has eventually proved to be the death of Śrī Rāma, her consort, the son of a worthy father! (29)

Meaning

“Undoubtedly in some other brith a supreme gift, viz., the gift of a girl in marriage, was obstructed by me in that I, the consort of one who was hospitable to all, grieve even at this age on this spot. (30)

Meaning

“Kill me at once by all means, laying me on the body of Śrī Rāma, O Rāvaṇa! Unite a husband with his wife and thus practise a supreme virtue. (31)

Meaning

“Join my head with his head and my body with his body. I shall follow the way of my high-souled husband, O Rāvaṇa!” (32)

Meaning

In these words did the large-eyed daughter of Janaka lament, tormented as she was with agony, and looked on her husband’s head and bow. (33)

Meaning

While Sītā was wailing, as aforesaid, an ogre guarding the gate approached his master, Rāvaṇa, on that spot with joined palms. (34)

Meaning

Greeting Rāvaṇa with the words “Be victorious, my lord !” and thereby winning his pleasure, the ogre reported to him in the following words about Prahasta, the Commander-in-Chief, having arrived: (35)

Meaning

“Accompanied by all the ministers, Prahasta has sought your presence. I have been dispatched by him, eager as he is to see you, my lord! (36)

Meaning

“Surely there is some urgent work, O great monarch endowed with forgiveness as a mark of royalty, therefore, be pleased to see them.” (37)

Meaning

Leaving the Aśoka grove on hearing the aforesaid submission of the ogre, Rāvaṇa (the ten-headed monster) left to see the counsellors. (38)

Meaning

Having come to know the prowess of Śrī Rāma, nay, entering the council-chamber and deciding upon his course of action in consultation with his counsellors, Rāvaṇa for his part proceeded to act accordingly. (39)

Meaning

Immediately after the departure of Rāvaṇa, the aforesaid (illusory) head as well as that excellent bow vanished. (40)

Meaning

In consultation with the aforesaid counsellors of terrible prowess, Rāvaṇa (the ruler of ogres) for his part then arrived at a definite conclusion regarding the course of action to be taken against Śrī Rāma. (41)

Meaning

Rāvaṇa, the suzerain lord of ogres, thereupon spoke in the following opprotune words to all the troop commanders, who wished him well and stood not very far from him: (42)

Meaning

“Speedily collect in my presence the forces through the sounding of kettledrums, produced by beating them with drum-sticks. The reason for collecting the forces should not, however, be pointed out.” (43)

Meaning

Bowing to his command in the words “Amen!”, the envoys, who were present there, thereupon immediately collected a huge army in an unpremeditated way and further reported to their bellicose lord about the army having assembled. (44)