रामायणम् — सुन्दरकाण्डे षड्विंशः सर्गः | rāmāyaṇam

सा राक्षसेन्द्रस्य वचो निशम्य
तद्रावणस्याप्रियमप्रियार्ता ।
सीता वितत्रास यथा वनान्ते
सिंहाभिपन्ना गजराजकन्या ॥

Summary AI Hearing the unpleasant words of *Rāvaṇa*, the king of the *Rākṣasas*, the distressed *Sītā* trembled with fear, much like a young elephant cow cornered by a lion in the depths of a forest.

M N Dutt Hearing those unpleasant words of Rāvana, the lord of Rāksasas, Sītā, racked with sorrow on account of her husband, became terrified, like to a she-elephant, worsted by a lion on the skirt of a forest.

५.२६.२

सा राक्षसी मध्यगता च भीरु
र्वाग्भिर्भृशं रावणतर्जिता च ।
कान्तारमध्ये विजने विसृष्टा
बालेव कन्या विललाप सीता ॥

Summary AI Surrounded by demonesses and terrorized by *Rāvaṇa*'s threats, the timid *Sītā* lamented piteously, resembling a young girl abandoned in the middle of a desolate and vast wilderness.

M N Dutt Threatened by Rāvana and encircled by the Rākşasīs, that timid damsel bewailed like a girl cast off in a lonely forest.

५.२६.३

सत्यं बतेदं प्रवदन्ति लोके
नाकालमृत्युर्भवतीति सन्तः ।
यत्राहमेवं परिभर्त्स्यमाना
जीवामि किंचित्क्षणमप्यपुण्या ॥

Summary AI "Alas! The wise truly say that death does not come before its appointed time, for even though I am unfortunate and being thus threatened, I continue to live for even a moment longer."

M N Dutt Truly the sages say that death in this world dose not come untimely. Or else would I have, vicious as I am, lived for a moment, being thus sorely threatened.

५.२६.४

सुखाद्विहीनं बहुदुःखपूर्ण
मिदं तु नूनं हृदयं स्थिरं मे ।
विदीर्यते यन्न सहस्रधाद्य
वज्राहतं शृङ्गमिवाचलस्य ॥

Summary AI "My heart, devoid of joy and overflowing with sorrow, must surely be made of stone; otherwise, it would have shattered into a thousand pieces today, like a mountain peak struck by a thunderbolt."

M N Dutt Forsooth, my mind, divested of happiness and full of misery, is firin or else why is it not broken in sunder like to the summit of a hill clapped by a thunderbolt.

५.२६.५

नैवास्ति नूनं मम दोषमत्र
वध्याहमस्याप्रियदर्शनस्य ।
भावं न चास्याहमनुप्रदातु
मलं द्विजो मन्त्रमिवाद्विजाय ॥

Summary AI "There is no fault of mine in this; I am destined to be killed by this hideous creature. I can never offer my heart to him, just as a *Brāhmaṇa* can never impart a sacred *mantra* to one who is not twice-born."

M N Dutt Nor am I to blame for this. I am worthy of being killed by this demon of uncomely presence. As a Brāhmaṇa cannot impart instructions in Vedas to the people of other castes so I shall not confer my mind on Rāvana.

५.२६.६

नूनं ममाङ्गान्यचिरादनार्यः
शस्त्रैः शितैश्छेत्स्यति राक्षसेन्द्रः ।
तस्मिन्ननागच्छति लोकनाथे
गर्भस्थजन्तोरिव शल्यकृन्तः ॥

Summary AI "Since the Lord of the world, *Rāma*, has not yet arrived, this ignoble king of *Rākṣasas* will surely soon carve my limbs with sharp weapons, much like a surgeon cutting an embryo from the womb."

५.२६.७

दुःखं बतेदं मम दुःखिताया
मासौ चिरायाभिगमिष्यतो द्वौ ।
बद्धस्य वध्यस्य यथा निशान्ते
राजापराधादिव तस्करस्य ॥

Summary AI "Alas! For me, the sorrowful one, these remaining two months will pass as slowly and painfully as the final night for a thief who is bound and sentenced to death for an offense against the king."

M N Dutt Two months shall pass away in no time and I shall have to suffer the pain of death, overwhelmed with sorrow as I am, like to a thief, confined in stocks, at the command of the sovereign to receive death the next morning.

५.२६.८

हा राम हा लक्ष्मण हा सुमित्रे
हा राम मातः सह मे जनन्या ।
एषा विपद्याम्यहमल्पभाग्या
महार्णवे नौरिव मूढ वाता ॥

Summary AI "O *Rāma*! O *Lakṣmaṇa*! O *Sumitrā*! O Mother of *Rāma*! O my own mother! I, of wretched fortune, am perishing like a ship caught in a violent storm in the middle of the great ocean."

M N Dutt O Rama! O Laksmana! O Sumitra! O Rama's mother! O my mothers! I am worsted in this ocean of grief, like to a bark, driven hither and thither by the blast, in the midst of an ocean.

५.२६.९

तरस्विनौ धारयता मृगस्य
सत्त्वेन रूपं मनुजेन्द्रपुत्रौ ।
नूनं विशस्तौ मम कारणात्तौ
सिंहर्षभौ द्वाविव वैद्युतेन ॥

Summary AI "Those two powerful princes, *Rāma* and *Lakṣmaṇa*, must have been slain because of me by that being in the form of a deer, like two lion-like bulls struck down by a bolt of lightning."

M N Dutt Verily for me, those two powerful, lion-like sons of the king, have been killed by (this demon) effulgent like the lightning and assuming the semblance of a deer.

५.२६.१०

नूनं स कालो मृगरूपधारी
मामल्पभाग्यां लुलुभे तदानीम् ।
यत्रार्यपुत्रं विससर्ज मूढा
रामानुजं लक्ष्मणपूर्वकं च ॥

Summary AI "Surely Time itself assumed the form of that deer and lured me, the unfortunate one, so that I, in my delusion, sent away both my husband and his younger brother *Lakṣmaṇa*."

M N Dutt Unfortunate as I am, forsooth I was tempted then by death wearing the shape of a deer and thus foolishly lost Rāma and Lakşmana, the sons of the worshipful sire.

५.२६.११

हा राम सत्यव्रत दीर्घवाहो
हा पूर्णचन्द्रप्रतिमानवक्त्र ।
हा जीवलोकस्य हितः प्रियश्च
वध्यां न मां वेत्सि हि राक्षसानाम् ॥

Summary AI "O *Rāma*, observer of true vows! O long-armed one with a face like the full moon! O benefactor and beloved of all living beings! You do not know that I am here, held captive and destined for death by the *Rākṣasas*."

M N Dutt O Rāma, O you of truthful vows, O you of long arms, O you having the countenance of a full moon! O my life! engaged as you are in the welfare of the people, do you not perceive that I am about to be killed by the Rākşasas.

५.२६.१२

अनन्यदेवत्वमियं क्षमा च
भूमौ च शय्या नियमश्च धर्मे ।
पतिव्रतात्वं विफलं ममेदं
कृतं कृतघ्नेष्विव मानुषाणाम् ॥

Summary AI "My exclusive devotion to my husband, my endurance, my sleeping on the ground, my religious discipline, and my chastity—all these have become as fruitless as a good deed done for the ungrateful."

M N Dutt Alas! this my devotedness to my husband, my forgiveness, my lying down on the bare earth, my observance of religious vows, my wife-like virtues, are lost like to service done for an ungrateful wight.

५.२६.१३

मोघो हि धर्मश्चरितो ममायं
तथैकपत्नीत्वमिदं निरर्थम् ।
या त्वां न पश्यामि कृशा विवर्णा
हीना त्वया संगमने निराशा ॥

Summary AI "My practice of virtue is in vain, and my devotion to one husband is useless; for here I am, separated from you, emaciated, pale, and hopeless of reunion, unable even to see you."

M N Dutt In vain are my pious rites, and in vain is my devotedness to my husband since I do not behold you, am pale and feeble in your absence and have given up all hopes of seeing you.

५.२६.१४

पितुर्निर्देशं नियमेन कृत्वा
वनान्निवृत्तश्चरितव्रतश्च ।
स्त्रीभिस्तु मन्ये विपुलेक्षणाभिः
संरंस्यसे वीतभयः कृतार्थः ॥

Summary AI "Having faithfully carried out your father's command and completed your vow, you will return from the forest, free from fear and successful, and will likely find joy in the company of other large-eyed women."

M N Dutt And duly satisfying your sire's command, and returning successfully from the forest, you shall fearlessly sport with many a damsel having large eyes.

५.२६.१५

अहं तु राम त्वयि जातकामा
चिरं विनाशाय निबद्धभावा ।
मोघं चरित्वाथ तपोव्रतं च
त्यक्ष्यामि धिग्जीवितमल्पभाग्या ॥

Summary AI "O *Rāma*! I, who have loved you and centered my entire being upon you for so long, find that it leads only to my destruction. Having practiced penance and vows in vain, I shall now give up my life. Woe to my wretched destiny!"

M N Dutt (But for me) O Rama, I was for my own destruction, devoted, soul and heart, to you. Oh! fruitless is my asceticism and wifely virtue! Oh fie on me! I shall renounce this my unfortunate life.

५.२६.१६

सा जीवितं क्षिप्रमहं त्यजेयं
विषेण शस्त्रेण शितेन वापि ।
विषस्य दाता न तु मेऽस्ति कश्चि
च्छस्त्रस्य वा वेश्मनि राक्षसस्य ॥

Summary AI "I would gladly end my life quickly by poison or a sharp weapon, but in this house of the *Rākṣasa*, there is no one who will provide me with either poison or a blade."

M N Dutt I desire to do away speedily with my being by means of poison or a sharp weapon. But there is no one in this city of the Rākşasas, who bring me this poison or weapon.

५.२६.१७

शोकाभितप्ता बहुधा विचिन्त्य
सीताथ वेण्युद्ग्रथनं गृहीत्वा ।
उद्बध्य वेण्युद्ग्रथनेन शीघ्र
महं गमिष्यामि यमस्य मूलम् ॥

Summary AI Consumed by grief and after deep contemplation, *Sītā* took hold of her long braid and resolved: "By hanging myself with my own braid, I shall quickly depart for the abode of *Yama*."

५.२६.१८

इतीव सीता बहुधा विलप्य
सर्वात्मना राममनुस्मरन्ती ।
प्रवेपमाना परिशुष्कवक्त्रा
नगोत्तमं पुष्पितमाससाद ॥

Summary AI Lamenting in this manner and constantly remembering *Rāma* with her whole soul, the trembling *Sītā*, her mouth parched with sorrow, approached a magnificent flowering tree.

M N Dutt Bewailing thus in various accents, and remembering Rāma with all her heart, Sītā, having her countenance dried up, and trembling, got at the biggest tree enveloped with flowers. And thinking thus, Sītā, stricken with grief, took up in her hand, her braid of hair and thought—"I shall soon hang myself with this braid and reach the abode of Death."

५.२६.१९

उपस्थिता सा मृदुर्सर्वगात्री
शाखां गृहीत्वाथ नगस्य तस्य ।
तस्यास्तु रामं प्रविचिन्तयन्त्या
रामानुजं स्वं च कुलं शुभाङ्ग्याः ॥

Summary AI The delicate and beautiful *Sītā* stood there holding a branch of that tree, her mind deeply absorbed in thoughts of *Rāma*, *Lakṣmaṇa*, and her own noble lineage.

५.२६.२०

शोकानिमित्तानि तदा बहूनि
धैर्यार्जितानि प्रवराणि लोके ।
प्रादुर्निमित्तानि तदा बभूवुः
पुरापि सिद्धान्युपलक्षितानि ॥

Summary AI At that moment, many auspicious signs—portents that dispel sorrow, are the best in the world, and have been proven true in the past—began to manifest for her.

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