Sloka & Translation

[Rama, Lakshmana and Sita take leave of Atri and Anasuya --- enter the Dandaka forest.]

anasūyā tu dharmajñā śrutvā tāṅ mahatīṅ kathām.

paryaṣvajata bāhubhyāṅ śirasyāghrāya maithilīm৷৷2.119.1৷৷


dharmajñā knower of righteousness, anasūyā tu Anasuya on her part, tām all that, mahatīṅ kathām great narrative, śrutvā having heard, maithilīm Sita, śirasi on head, āghrāya having smelt, bāhubhyām with arms, paryaṣvajata embraced.

Then righteous Anasuya, having heard the great story of Sita, kissed her on the forehead and embraced her with both the arms.
vyaktākṣarapadaṅ citraṅ bhāṣitaṅ madhuraṅ tvayā.

yathā svayaṅvaraṅ vṛttaṅ tatsarvaṅ hi śrutaṅ mayā৷৷2.119.2৷৷

ramē.haṅ kathayā tē tu dṛḍhaṅ madhurabhāṣiṇi.


tvayā by you, vyaktākṣarapadam with each word and each syllable uttered clearly, citram wonderful, madhuram sweet, bhāṣitam spoken, svayaṅvaram the ceremony in which the bride chooses the groom of her own accord, yathā as, vṛttam it happened, tatsarvaṅ all that, mayā by me, śrutaṅ hi has been heard, madhurabhāṣiṇi O sweet-speaking, Sita, tē your, kathayā in the story, aham I, dṛḍham ramē I enjoy greatly.

You have related wonderfully and sweetly your Swayamvara with each word and each syllable uttered clearly. I have heard everything as it happened. O sweet-speaking Sita, I have greatly enjoyed your story.
ravirastaṅgataśśrīmānupōhya rajanīṅ śivām৷৷2.119.3৷৷

divasaṅ pratikīrṇānāmāhārārthaṅ patatriṇām.

sandhyākālē nilīnānāṅ nidrārthaṅ śrūyatē dhvaniḥ৷৷2.119.4৷৷


śrīmān resplendent, raviḥ Sun, śivām auspicious, rajanīm night, upōhya after drawing near, astagataḥ has set, divasam during day, āhārārtham for the sake of food, pratikīrṇānām forage far and wide, sandhyākālē in the twilight, nidrārtham for the sake of sleep, nilīnānām resting, patatriṇām of birds, dhvaniḥ sound, śrūyatē is heard.

The resplendent Sun has set. The auspcious night is drawing near. The birds who forage far and wide for food during the day return to their nests to rest for the night. You can hear them twittering.
ētē cāpyabhiṣēkārdrā munayaḥ kalaśōdyatāḥ.

sahitā upavartantē salilāplutavalkalāḥ৷৷2.119.5৷৷


ētē munayaḥ ca these sages, abhiṣēkārdrāḥ wet through ablution, kalaśōdyatāḥ carrying water-pitchers, salilāplutavalkalāḥ their bark robes soaked with water, sahitā: in groups, upavartantē are returning.

The sages also are returning in groups with water-pitchers filled with water and their bark robes soaked with water after their ceremonial bath.
ṛṣīṇāmagnihōtrēṣu hutēṣu vidhipūrvakam.

kapōtāṅgāruṇō dhūmō dṛśyatē pavanōddhataḥ৷৷2.119.6৷৷


ṛṣīṇām of the ascetics, agnihōtrēṣu in Agnihotra sacrifices, vidhipūrvakam duly, hutēṣu oblations offered, kapōtāṅgāruṇaḥ tawny like the pigeon's body, dhūmaḥ smoke, pavanōddhataḥ raised by the wind, dṛśyatē is seen.

The ascetics have duly offered oblations to the fire in Agnihotra sacrifices and the smoke, tawny like the pigeon's body, emanates wafted by the wind.
alpaparṇā hi taravō ghanībhūtāssamantataḥ.

viprakṛṣṭēndriyē dēśē.sminna prakāśanti vai diśaḥ৷৷2.119.7৷৷


samantataḥ on all sides, alpaparṇāḥ with sparse leaves, taravaḥ trees, ghanībhūtāḥ have grown dense, viprakṛṣṭēndriyē with disturbed senses, asmin dēśē in this region, diśaḥ the four quarters, na prakāśanti vai no longer look bright.

The trees with sparse leaves all over have grown dense, the quarters in the distant region are no longer discernible by the senses.
rajanīcarasattvāni pracaranti samantataḥ.

tapōvanamṛgā hyētē vēditīrthēṣu śēratē৷৷2.119.8৷৷


rajanīcarasatvāni the beings that range by night, samantataḥ everywhere, pracaranti are wandering, ētē tapōvanamṛgāḥ these deer of the penance grove, vēditīrthēṣu around sacred altars, śēratē are sleeping.

The night rangers have started moving everywhere and the deer in the penance grove are beginning to sleep around the sacred altars.
sampravṛttāniśā sītē nakṣatrasamalaṅkṛtā.

jyōtsnāprāvaraṇaścandrō dṛśyatē.bhyuditō.mbarē৷৷2.119.9৷৷


sītē O Sita, nakṣatrasamalaṅkṛtā adorned with stars, niśā night, sampravṛttā has commenced, jyōtsnāprāvaraṇaḥ spread with the mantle of moonlight, candraḥ moon, ambarē in the sky, abhyuditaḥ is rising, dṛśyatē is appearing.

O Sita, adorned with stars, the night has commenced. You can see the moon rising in the sky spreading his mantle of light.
gamyatāmanujānāmi rāmasyānucarī bhava.

kathāyantyā hi madhuraṅ tvayā.haṅ paritōṣitā৷৷2.119.10৷৷


gamyatām you may go now, anujānāmi I give you my consent, rāmasya to Rama, anucarī bhava be his companion, madhuram sweetly, kathayantyā story-telling, tvayā by you, aham I, paritōṣitā thoroughly contented.

With my permission you may go now and be a companion of Rama. I am thoroughly contented with your story told so sweetly.
alaṅkuru ca tāvattvaṅ pratyakṣaṅ mama maithili.

prītiṅ janaya mē vatsē divyālaṅkāraśōbhitā৷৷2.119.11৷৷


maithili O Sita, tvam you, mama my, pratyakṣaṅ tāvat in my presence, alaṅkuru adorn yourself, vatsē dear child, divyālaṅkāraśōbhitā adorned with divine ornaments, mē to me, prītim delight, janaya cause me.

O Sita, adorn yourself in my presence. Dear child, permit me the pleasure of adorning you with these divine ornaments.
sā tathā samalaṅkṛtya sītā surasutōpamā.

praṇamya śirasā tasyai rāmaṅ tvabhimukhī yayau৷৷2.119.12৷৷


surasutōpamā resembling the daughter of a god, sā sītā that Sita, tathā in that way, samalaṅkutya having adorned, tasyai to her, śirasā with her head, praṇamya saluting with reverence, rāmam to Rama, abhimukhī towards, yayau went.

Sita, adorned, looked like the daughter of a god. She bowed at the feet of Anasuya in reverence and set out to meet Rama.
tathā tu bhūṣitāṅ sītāṅ dadarśa vadatāṅ varaḥ.

rāghavaḥ prītidānēna tapasvinyā jaharṣa ca৷৷2.119.13৷৷


vadatām among those eloquent one, varaḥ excellent, rāghavaḥ Rama, tathā in that way, bhūṣitām adorned, sītām Sita, dadarśa beheld, tapasvinyāḥ of the female ascetic, prītidānēna with gifts of
love, jaharṣa ca rejoiced.

Rama, the most eloquent among men, saw Sita adorned, and rejoiced at the gifts of love given by the ascetic Anasuya.
nyavēdayattatassarvaṅ sītā rāmāya maithilī.

prītidānaṅ tapasvinyā vasanābharaṇasrajam৷৷2.119.14৷৷


maithilī the princess of Mithila, sītā Sita, tataḥ there after, tapasvinyāḥ of ascetic Anasuya, prītidānam gifts of love, vasanābharaṇasrajam raiment, jewellery and garlands, sarvam everything, rāmāya to Rama, nyavēdayat related.

Sita the princess of Mithila related everything to Rama and showed him the gifts of love given by ascetic Anasuya -- raiment, jewellery and garlands.
prahṛṣṭastvabhavadrāmō lakṣmaṇaśca mahārathaḥ.

maithilyāssatkriyāṅ dṛṣṭvā mānuṣēṣu sudurlabhām৷৷2.119.15৷৷


rāmaḥ Rama, mahārathaḥ great charioteer, lakṣmaṇaśca Lakshmana also, mānuṣēṣu among mortals, sudurlabhām very difficult to obtain, maithilyāḥ to Sita, satkriyām the honour, dṛṣṭvā having seen, prahṛṣṭaḥ abhavat was gratified.

Rama the great charioteer and Lakshmana were exceedingly gratified to see the honour conferred on Sita, rare among mortals.
tatastāṅ śarvarīṅ prītaḥ puṇyāṅ śaśinibhānanaḥ.

arcitastāpasai ssiddhairuvāsa raghunandanaḥ৷৷2.119.16৷৷


tataḥ thereafter, śaśinibhānanaḥ face like the Moon, raghunandanaḥ the descendant of Raghu, siddhaiḥ
by the acomplished, tāpasaiḥ by ascetics, arcitaḥ hospitality having been extended, prītaḥ in
delight, puṇyām holy, tāṅ śarvarīm that night, uvāsa passed.

Thereafter, the descendant of Raghu, whose countenance resembled the Moon, having received the hospitality of the accomplished ascetics, passed that holy night in delight.
tasyāṅ rātryāṅ vyatītāyāmabhiṣicya hutāgnikān.

āpṛcchētāṅ naravyāghrau tāpasānvanagōcarān৷৷2.119.17৷৷


tasyām that, rātryām night, vyatītāyām had passed away, naravyāghrau the two great men, abhiṣicya having bathed, hutāgnikān who performed their fire-offerings, vanagōcarān inhabiting the forest, tāpasān ascetics, apṛcchētām took leave of.

Night over, the two best men, Rama and Lakshmana, after their ablution took leave of the ascetics inhabiting the forest who offered morning oblations to the fire .
tāvūcustē vanacarāstāpasā dharmacāriṇaḥ.

vanasya tasya sañcāraṅ rākṣasaissamabhiplutam৷৷2.119.18৷৷


vanacarāḥ dwellers in the forest, dharmacāriṇaḥ following the righteousness, tē tāpasāḥ those ascetics, tasya vanasya of that forest, sañcāram movement, rākṣasaiḥ with demons, samabhiplutam inundated, tau addressing both of them, ūcuḥ said.

The righteous ascetics dwelling in the forest informed both Rama and Lakshmana that part of the forest infested by demons.
rakṣāṅsi puruṣādāni nānārūpāṇi rāghava.

vasantyasminmahāraṇyē vyālāśca rudhirāśanāḥ৷৷2.119.19৷৷


rāghava O Rama!, asmin mahāraṇyē in this great forest, puruṣādāni man-eaters, nānārūpāṇi in various forms, rakṣāṅsi demons, rudhirāśanāḥ blood-drinking, vyālāśca wild animals, vasanti are
living.

O Rama, this great forest is haunted by carnivorous demons who can assume any
form and by blood-drinking wild animals.
ucchiṣṭaṅ vā pramattaṅ vā tāpasaṅ dharmacāriṇam.

adantyasminmahāraṇyē tānnivāraya rāghava৷৷2.119.20৷৷


rāghava Rama, asmin mahāraṇyē in this great forest, ucchiṣṭaṅ vā or impure, pramattaṅ vā or not alert, tāpasam an ascetic, adanti they (eat) devour, tān them, nivāraya prevent them.

O Rama, in this great forest demons will devour the ascetics if they find them impure or intoxicated or indolent. Prevent them.
ēṣa panthā maharṣīṇāṅ phalānyāharatāṅ vanē.

anēna tu vanaṅ durgaṅ gantuṅ rāghava tē kṣamam৷৷2.119.21৷৷


rāghava Rama, ēṣaḥ vanē in the forest, phalāni fruits, āharatām of those gathering, maharṣīṇām ascetics, ēṣa panthāḥ this path, anēna through this path, durgam impassable, vanam the forest, gantum to go, tē to you, kṣamam is safe.

O Rama, this is the one path in the forest used by the ascetics to gather fruits. You can safely cross the otherwise impassable forest through this path.
itīva taiḥ prāñjalibhistapasvibhirdvijaiḥ kṛtasvastyayanaḥ parantapaḥ.

vanaṅ sabhāryaḥ pravivēśa rāghavassalakṣmaṇassūrya ivābhramaṇḍalam৷৷2.119.22৷৷


prāñjalibhiḥ (paying obeisance) with folded hands, tapasvibhiḥ by ascetics, taiḥ dvijaiḥ by those brahmins, itīva thus, kṛtasvastyayanaḥ obtaining their blessings, parantapaḥ tormentor of enemies, rāghavaḥ Rama, sabhāryaḥ with his wife, salakṣmaṇaḥ with Lakshmana, sūryaḥ Sun, abhramaṇḍalam iva like entering the mass of clouds, vanam forest, pravivēśa entered.

The ascetics offered their blessings to Rama the tormentor of enemies. Thereafter,
accompanied by his wife and Lakshmana, he entered the great forest like the Sun entering the mass of clouds.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē śrīmadvālmīkīya ādikāvyē caturviṅśatsahasrikāyāṅ saṅhitayāṅ śrīmadayōdhyākāṇḍē ēkōnaviṅśatyuttaraśatatamassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the hundred-nineteenth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.