Sloka & Translation

[Rama wails -- doubts Sita's existenceblames Lakshmana -- looks out for Sita around the cottage.]

स दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मणं दीनं शून्ये दशरथात्मजः।

पर्यपृच्छत धर्मात्मा वैदेहीमागतं विना।।3.58.1।।


धर्मात्मा righteous self, सः दशरथात्मजः that son of Dasaratha, शून्ये downcast, वैदेहीं विना without Vaidehi, आगतम् who came, दीनम् depressed, लक्ष्मणम् Lakshmana, दृष्ट्वा seeing, पर्यपृच्छत questioned.

Rama, son of Dasaratha, the righteous self, saw Lakshmana downcast and dejected. Seeing him without Sita, Rama enquired:
प्रस्थितं दण्डकारण्यं या मामनुजगाम ह।

क्व सा लक्ष्मण वैदेही यां हित्वा त्वमिहागतः।।3.58.2।।


लक्ष्मण Lakshmna, दण्डकारण्यम् to Dandakaranyam, प्रस्थितम् entered, माम् me, या who, अनुजगाम ह followed, याम् whom, हित्वा having left, त्वम् you, इह here, आगतः came, सा वैदेही that Vaidehi, क्व where is she?

Where is that princess from Videha who accompanied me when I entered Dandaka forest ? Why have you come here leaving her behind ?
राज्यभ्रष्टस्य दीनस्य दण्डकान्परिधावतः।

क्व सा दुःखसहाया मे वैदेही तनुमध्यमा।।3.58.3।।


राज्यभ्रष्टस्य forsaking the kingdom, दण्डकान् Dandaka, परिधावतः running about, दीनस्य of a dejected, मे mine, दुःखसहाया a sharer of my sorrow, तनुमध्यमा lady of slender waist, सा वैदेही that Vaidehi, क्व where is she?

Where is that princess from Videha, a sharer of my sorrows, Sita of slender waist who followed this hapless prince disloged from the kingdom into the Dandaka forest?
यां विना नोत्सहे वीर मुहूर्तमपि जीवितुम्।

क्व सा प्राणसहाया मे सीता सुरसुतोपमा।।3.58.4।।


वीर O Warrior, यां विना without whom, मुहूर्तमपि even for a moment, जीवितुम् to live, नोत्सहे I have no interest, सा she, सुरसुतोपमा who resembles the daughter of a god, मे my, प्राणसहाया sustainer of my life, सीता Sita, क्व Where is she?

O warrior Lakshmana where is that Sita without whom I have no interest to live for a moment, who was like the daughter of a god and a sustainer of my life?
पतित्वममराणां वा पृथिव्याश्चापि लक्ष्मण।

तां विना तपनीयाभां नेच्छेयं जनकात्मजाम्।।3.58.5।।


लक्ष्मण Lakshmana, तपनीयाभाम् goldenhued lady, ताम् she, जनकात्मजां विना without Janaka's daughter, अमराणाम् of gods, पतित्वम् lordship, पृथिव्याश्च of the earth, नेच्छेयम् do not desire.

O Lakshmana I desire no lordship of the gods or of the entire earth without that daughter of Janaka, that lady of golden complexion.
कच्चिज्जीवति वैदेहि प्राणैः प्रियतरा मम।

कच्चित्प्रव्राजनं सौम्य न मे मिथ्या भविष्यति।।3.58.6।।


सौम्य O gentle, मम my, प्राणैः than life, प्रियतरा dearer, वैदेही Vaidehi, जीवति कच्चित् will she be alive, मे my, प्रव्राजनम् banishment from kingdom, मिथ्या prove to be false, न भविष्यति कच्चित् shall not become.

O gentle Lakshmana I wonder if Vaidehi, who is dearer to me than my life is still alive
I hope my banishment from the kingdom is not going to prove false.
सीतानिमित्तं सौमित्रे मृते मयि गते त्वयि।

कच्चित्सकामा सुखिता कैकेयी सा भविष्यति।।3.58.7।।


सौमित्रे Saumitri, सीतानिमित्तम् on account of Sita, मयि when I will be, मृते dead, त्वयि when you, गते will be gone, सा कैकेयी that Kaikeyi, सकामा with her desire fulfilled, सुखिता a happy soul, भविष्यति कच्चित् will be indeed.

O Saumitri when I am dead on account of Sita, and you are back, Kaikeyi with her desire fulfilled will be happy, indeed.
सपुत्रराज्यां सिद्धार्थां मृतपुत्रा तपस्विनी।

उपस्थास्यतिकौसल्या कच्चित्सौम्य न केकयीम्।।3.58.8।।


सौम्य O handsome one, मृतपुत्रा with her son dead, तपस्विनी a lady of renunciation, कौसल्या Kausalya, सपुत्रराज्याम् who enjoys the company of a son and power of the throne, सिद्धार्थाम् accomplished her desire, कैकयीम् Kaikeyi, न उपस्थास्यति कच्चित् cease to serve indeed.

O handsome one I wonder if that lady of renunciation, Kausalya with her son dead, will have to serve Kaikeyi whose desire would be fulfilled, and who will enjoy the power of the throne in the company of her son
यदि जीवति वैदेही गमिष्याम्याश्रमं पुनः।

सुवृत्ता यदि वृत्ता प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्यामि लक्ष्मण।।3.58.9।।


लक्ष्मण O Lakshmana, वैदेही Vaidehi, जीवति यदि if she is living only, पुनः again, आश्रमम् to the cottage, गमिष्यामि will go, यदि वा or else, सुवृत्ता virtuous, वृत्ता dead, प्राणान् life, त्यक्ष्यामि I will give up.

O Lakshmana, only if Vaidehi is alive will I enter the cottage again or else I will give up
my life if that virtuous lady is no more.
यदि मामाश्रमगतं वैदेही नाभिभाषते।

पुनः प्रहसिता सीता विनशिष्यामि लक्ष्मण।।3.58.10।।


लक्ष्मण Lakshmana, आश्रमगतम् when I return to the cottage, माम् me, वैदेही Vaidehi, सीता Sita, प्रहसिता with her sweet smile, पुनः again, नाभिभाषते यदि if she does not speak to me, विनशिष्यामि I will die.

I will die if Sita, princess from Videha, is not there to speak to me with her sweet smile when I return to the cottage, O Lakshmana
ब्रूहि लक्ष्मण वैदेही यदि जीवति वा न वा।

त्वयि प्रमत्ते रक्षोभिर्भक्षिता वा तपस्विनी।।3.58.11।।


लक्ष्मण Lakshmana, वैदेही Vaidehi, जीवति वा alive or, न वा not, त्वयि you, प्रमत्ते were not alert, तपस्विनी lady of renunciation, रक्षोभिः by the demons, भक्षिता वा have they eaten, ब्रूहि tell me.

Tell me, O Lakshmana if Sita is alive or not, whether she was eaten up by demons when you were off your guard.
सुकुमारी च बाला च नित्यं चादुःखदर्शिनी।

मद्वियोगेन वैदेही व्यक्तं शोचति दुर्मनाः।।3.58.12।।


सुकुमारी च a delicate, बाला च young also, नित्यम् always, अदुःखदर्शिनी never experienced sorrow, वैदेही Vaidehi, दुर्मनाः troubled mind, मद्वियोगेन by separation from me, शोचति thinking of, व्यक्तम् it is true.

Vaidehi is delicate, young and she has never faced any sorrow.She will be certainly disheartened due to separation from me.
सर्वदा रक्षसा तेन जिह्मेन सुदुरात्मना।

वदता लक्ष्मणेत्युच्चैस्तवापि जनितं भयम्।।3.58.13।।


जिह्मेन by the wicked, सुदुरात्मना by the evilminded, लक्ष्मण इति saying Lakshmana thus, उच्चैः loudly, वदता calling out, तेन by him, रक्षसा demon, सर्वथा by all means, तवापि for you also, भयम् fear, जनितम् is created.

The evilminded, wicked demon calling out loudly 'O Lakshmana' must have by all means instilled fear in your mind.
श्रुतस्तु शङ्के वैदेह्या स स्वरस्सदृशो मम।

त्रस्तया प्रेषितस्त्वं च द्रष्टुं मां शीघ्रमागतः।।3.58.14।।


वैदेह्या by Vaidehi, मम of me, सदृशः similar, सः that, स्वरः voice, श्रुतः was heard, शङ्के I doubt, त्रस्तया by a frightened lady, प्रेषितः sent, त्वं च you too, माम् me, द्रष्टुम् to see, शीघ्रम् quickly, आगतः came.

I am afraid, Vaidehi, frightened by hearing the voice which was like mine sent you to see me, and you came all at once.
सर्वथा तु कृतं कष्टं सीतामुत्सृजता वने।

प्रतिकर्तुं नृशंसानां रक्षसां दत्तमन्तरं।।3.58.15।।


सीताम् Sita, वने in the forest, उत्सृजता leaving alone, सर्वथा by all means, कष्टम् difficult, कृतम् done, प्रतिकर्तुम् to take revenge, नृशंसानाम् of the cruel, रक्षसाम् of demons, अन्तरम् chance, दत्तम् is given.

You have definitely done a great mistake by leaving Sita alone in the forest. This has given a chance to the cruel demons to wreak revenge.
दुःखिताः खरघातेन राक्षसाः पिशिताशनाः।

तैस्सीता निहता घोरैर्भविष्यति न संशयः।3.58.16।।


पिशिताशनाः flesheaters, राक्षसाः demons, खरघातेन by the death of Khara, दुःखिताः are aggrieved, घोरैः dreadful, तैः by them, सीता Sita, निहता killed, भविष्यति may be, संशयः doubt, न no.

The dreadful, carnivorous demons aggrieved over my murder of Khara must have undoubtedly killed Sita.
अहोऽस्मिन् व्यसने मग्नस्सर्वथा शत्रुसूदन।

किं न्विदानीं करिष्यामि शङ्के प्राप्तव्यमीदृशम्।।3.58.17।।


शत्रुसूदन O destroyer of enemies, सर्वथा in all respects, अस्मिन् in this, व्यसने in sorrow, मग्नः I am drowned, इदानीम् at this time, किं नु करिष्यामि what can I do?, ईदृशम् such, प्राप्तव्यम् destined, शङ्के I fear, अहो alas

O destroyer of enemies I am completely drowned in sorrow. What can I do at this moment. Alas, I am destined to suffer.
इति सीतां वरारोहां चिन्तयन्नेव राघवः।

आजगाम जनस्थानं त्वरया सह लक्ष्मणः।।3.58.18।।


राघवः Raghava, इति thus, वरारोहाम् beautiful, सीताम् Sita, चिन्तयन्नेव while brooding over only, सह लक्ष्मणः along with Lakshmana, त्वरया quickly, जनस्थानम् Janasthanam, आजगाम he went.

While thus brooding over the beautiful Sita, the scion of the Raghus along with Lakshmana hurried towards Janasthana.
विगर्हमाणोऽनुजमार्तरूपं क्षुधा श्रमाच्चैव पिपासया च।

विनिश्श्वसन् शुष्कमुखो विवर्णः प्रतिश्रयं प्राप्य समीक्ष्य शून्यम्।।3.58.19।।

स्वमाश्रमं सम्प्रविगाह्य वीरो विहारदेशाननुसृत्य कांश्चित्।

एतत्तदित्येव निवासभूमौ प्रहृष्टरोमा व्यथितो बभूव।।3.58.20।।


वीरः hero, आर्तरूपम् dejected, अनुजम् brother, विगर्हमाणः blaming him, क्षुधा hunger, श्रमाच्चैव due to exhaustion, पिपासया and thirsty, विनिःश्वसन् sighing deeply, शुष्कमुखः face dried up, विवर्णः turned pale, प्रतिश्रयम् restingplace, प्राप्य reaching, शून्यम् empty, समीक्ष्य seeing, स्वम् his, आश्रमम् hermitage, सम्प्रविगाह्य searching thoroughly, कांश्चित् some of the places, विहारदेशान् places where she was moving about, अनुसृत्य after following her, निवासभूमौ in the dwelling place, एतत् all that, तदेव इति this itself, प्रहृष्टरोमा with horripilation, व्यथितः pained, बभूव became.

Thus blaming his dejected brother, the valiant Rama entered the hermitage, sighing deeply, his face pale and his throat dried up with hunger, exhaustion and thirst. Reaching his dwellingplace, he found it empty. He thoroughly searched the hermitage and the places where she used to move about on the premises. And 'so it has happened', he sadly said to himself, his hair raised on end.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे अष्टपञ्चाशस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the fiftyeighth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.