Sloka & Translation

Audio

[Description of Sita who was overcome with grief.]

tasminnēva tataḥ kālē rājaputrī tvaninditā.

rūpayauvanasampannaṅ bhūṣaṇōttamabhūṣitam৷৷5.19.1৷৷

tatō dṛṣṭvaiva vaidēhī rāvaṇaṅ rākṣasādhipam.

prāvēpata varārōhā pravātē kadalī yathā৷৷5.19.2৷৷


tataḥ then, tasmin kālē ēva at that time, rājaputrī princess, aninditā blameless, varārōhā of beautiful waist, vaidēhī Vaidehi, rūpayauvanasampannam endowed with beauty and youth, bhūṣaṇōttamabhūṣitam adorned with best of ornaments, rākṣasādhipam lord of demons, rāvaṇam Ravana, dṛṣṭvaiva just by seeing him, pravātē strong wind, kadalī yathā like the banana plant, prāvēpata was shaken.

On just seeing Ravana, the lord of demons from a distance, adorned with the best of ornaments the charming, young, blameles princess Vaidehi of beautiful waist trembled like a banana plant shaken by a strong wind.
ācchādyōdaramūrubhyāṅ bāhubhyāṅ ca payōdharau.

upaviṣṭā viśālākṣī rudantī varavarṇinī৷৷5.19.3৷৷


viśālākṣī large-eyed one, varavarṇinī a woman of fair complexion, ūrubhyām with thighs, udaram her belly, bāhubhyām with both arms, payōdharau her breasts, ācchādya after covering, rudantī while crying, upaviṣṭā was seated.

Large-eyed, fair-complexioned Sita seated there with her belly, thighs and breasts covered with arms cried.
daśagrīvastu vaidēhīṅ rakṣitāṅ rākṣasīgaṇaiḥ.

dadarśa sītāṅ duḥkhārtāṅ nāvaṅ sannāmivārṇavē৷৷5.19.4৷৷


daśagrīvastu even the ten-necked Ravana on his part, rākṣasīgaṇaiḥ by groups of she-demons, rakṣitām protected by, vaidēhīm Vaidehi, duḥkhārtām tormented with grief, arṇavē in the ocean, sannām drowned, nāvamiva boat like, sītām Sita, dadarśa saw.

The ten-necked Ravana, too, on his part saw Sita, tormented with grief, guarded by the she-demons like a boat sunk in the sea.
asaṅvṛtāyāmāsīnāṅ dharaṇyāṅ saṅśitavratām.

chinnāṅ prapatitāṅ bhūmau śākhāmiva vanaspatēḥ৷৷5.19.5৷৷


asaṅvṛtām on a bare, dharaṇyām on the ground, āsīnām seated, saṅśitavratām one who is woeful, chinnām broken, bhūmau on the ground, prapatitām fallen, vanaspatēḥ of a tree, śākhāmiva like a branch.

She looked woeful seated on the bare earth like the broken branch of a tree cut and fallen down on the ground.
malamaṇḍanacitrāṅgīṅ maṇḍanārhāmamaṇḍitām.

mṛṇālī paṅkadigdhēva vibhāti na vibhāti ca৷৷5.19.6৷৷


malamaṇḍanacitrāṅgīm covered with colourful dust, maṇḍanārhām deserved adornment, amaṇḍitām without any ornament, paṅkadigdhā dipped in mud, mṛṇālīva a lotus stem, vibhāti shining na vibhāti ca and not shining.

Her body looked colourful with dust. Although she deserved adornment, she had none. She was like a lotus stem in mud looking bright yet dull (with mud).
samīpaṅ rājasiṅhasya rāmasya viditātmanaḥ.

saṅkalpahayasaṅyuksairyāntīmiva manōrathaiḥ৷৷5.19.7৷৷


saṅkalpahayasaṅyuksaiḥ yoked to horses of her determination, manōrathaiḥ with the chariot of her mind, viditātmanaḥ bestowed with self-knowledge, rājasiṅhasya of the supreme king, rāmasya Rama's, samīpam to the presence, gacchantīmiva as though she was moving.

She was as though moving towards the knower of the self, the supreme king, Rama with the horses of her resolution yoked to the chariot of her mind.
śuṣyantīṅ rudatīmēkāṅ dhyānaśōkaparāyaṇām.

duḥkhasyāntamapaśyantīṅ rāmāṅ rāmamanuvratām৷৷5.19.8৷৷


śuṣyantīṅ emaciated, rudatīm crying, ēkām alone, dhyānaśōkaparāyaṇām absorbed in thought and grief, duḥkhasya of grief, antam end, apaśyantīm not finding, rāmām Rama, rāmam Rama alone, anuvratām thinking.

She was emaciated, absorbed in thought of Rama alone and crying and unable to find the end to her grief.
vēṣṭamānāṅ tathā.viṣṭāṅ pannagēndravadhūmiva.

dhūpyamānāṅ grahēṇēva rōhiṇīṅ dhūmakētunā৷৷5.19.9৷৷


tathā in that way, āviṣṭām sitting, vēṣṭamānām coiled around, pannagēndravadhūmiva like the queen of serpents, dhūmakētunā by comet, grahēṇa by the planet, dhūpyamānām smoking, rōhiṇīmiva like Rohini.

Sitting in that manner she resembled a coiled serpent queen, the star Rohini overshadowed by a smoking comet (that is Ravana).
vṛttaśīlakulē jātāmācāravati dhārmikē.

punaḥsaṅskāramāpannāṅ jātāmiva ca duṣkulē৷৷5.19.10৷৷


dhārmikē in a righteous, ācāravati in a traditional, vṛttaśīlakulē in a traditional virtuous family,
jātām born, saṅskāram refinement, āpannām attained, duṣkulē in a bad afmily, punaḥ again, jātāmiva ca as though born into.

Though born in a traditional righteous and virtuous family, she was as though passing through a purificatory process like a low-bred woman.
abhūtēnāpavādēna kīrtiṅ nipatitāmiva.

āmnāyānāmayōgēna vidyāṅ praśithilāmiva৷৷5.19.11৷৷


abhūtēna by false, apavādēna scandals, nipatitām lowered, kīrtimiva like fame, āmnāyānām of the Vedic studies, ayōgēna by not applying, praśithilām let loose, vidyāmiva like education.

She resembled reputation besmirched by scandals, like Vedic studies slackened by lack of aplication. (Knowledge is verified with a suitable statment of the Veda which is the ultimate test of ones finding. This method is adopted in all Astika sastras which accept the authority of the Veda).
sannāmiva mahākīrtiṅ śraddhāmiva vimānitām.

pūjāmiva parikṣīṇāmāśāṅ pratihatāmiva৷৷5.19.12৷৷


sannām grown dim, mahākīrtimiva like great fame, vimānitām slighted, śraddhāmiva like faith, parikṣīṇām meddled with, pūjāmiva like worship, pratihatām frustrated, āśāmiva like hope.

She was like great fame grown dim, faith slighted, worship meddled and hope frustrated.
(Note: Sita's condition is being compared with abstract concepts such as fame, faith, reverence and hope which are hit by reverses in fate. She was the personification of all such suffering.)
āyatīmiva vidhvastāmājñāṅ pratihatāmiva.

dīptāmiva diśaṅ kālē pūjāmapahṛtāmiva৷৷5.19.13৷৷


vidhvastām blasted, āyatīmiva like the prospect, pratihatām flouted, ājñāmiva like the command, kālē at the time of catastrophe, dīptām glowing, diśamiva like the direction, apahṛtām abducted, pūjāmiva like worship

She was like a prospect blasted, command flouted, entire direction set on flames at the time of catastrophe and articles of worship abducted by evil forces at the sacrificial ceremony.
padminīmiva vidhvastāṅ hataśūrāṅ camūmiva.

prabhāmiva tamōdhvastāmupakṣīṇāmivāpagām৷৷5.19.14৷৷


vidhvastām blighted, padminīmiva like lotus creeper, hataśūrām whose gallant warriors are killed, camūmiva like the army, tamōdhvastām by darkness shadowed, prabhāmiva like radiance, upakṣīṇām dried, āpagāmiva like the stream.

She was like a lotus-creeper blighted, an army with its gallant warriors killed, radiance of light blocked by darkness and a stream run dry.
vēdīmiva parāmṛṣṭāṅ śāntāmagniśikhāmiva.

paurṇamāsīmiva niśāṅ rāhugrastēndumaṇḍalām৷৷5.19.15৷৷


parāmṛṣṭām defiled, vēdīmiva like the altar of worship, śāntām extinguished, agniśikhāmiva like the blazing flames, rāhugrastēndumaṇḍalām like the full-moon eclipsed by Rahu, pairṇamāsīm full-moon, niśāmiva like the night.

(She was) like the altar of worship defiled, blazing fire extinguished, and the Moon eclipsed by Rahu in the full moon night.
utkṛṣṭaparṇakamalāṅ vitrāsitavihaṅgamām.

hastihastaparāmṛṣṭāmākulāṅ padminīmiva৷৷5.19.16৷৷


hastihastaparāmṛṣṭām destroyed by the trunks of elephants, utkṛṣṭaparṇakamalām lotus pond with excellent leaves, vitrāsitavihaṅgamām with frightened birds, ākulām crushed, padminīmiva like the lotus creeper.

(She appeared) like a lotus-pond the excellent leaves of whose lotuses surrounded by frightened birds are destroyed by the trunks of elephants.
patiśōkāturāṅ śuṣkāṅ nadīṅ visrāvitāmiva.

parayā mṛjayā hīnāṅ kṛṣṇapakṣaniśāmiva৷৷5.19.17৷৷


patiśōkāturām stricken with grief caused by separation from her husband, visrāvitām with its water grown thin, śuṣkām dried, nadīmiva like the river, parayā with great, mṛjayā ablution, hīnām deprived, kṛṣṇapakṣaniśāmiva like the night during the dark fortnight.

Stricken with grief caused by separation from her husband, she appeared like a river gone thin and dry, not fit for ablution, like a night during dark fortnight of the month deprived of all its glow.
sukumārīṅ sujātāṅgīṅ ratnagarbhagṛhōcitām.

tapyamānāmivōṣṇēna mṛṇālīmacirōddhṛtām৷৷5.19.18৷৷


sukumārīm delicate, sujātāṅgīm a lady with beautiful limbs, ratnagarbhagṛhōcitām who deserves to be in a gem-crusted house, tapyamānām being scorched, acirōddhṛtām just plucked out, mṛṇālīmiva like the lotus stem.

A delicate lady with beautiful limbs who deserved to be in a gem-crusted house was (now) like a lotus stem just plucked out and scorched by the Sun's heat.
gṛhītāmālitāṅ stambhē yūthapēna vinākṛtām.

niḥśvasantīṅ suduḥkhārtāṅ gajarājavadhūmiva৷৷5.19.19৷৷


gṛhītām held, stambhē to a pillar, ālitām tied, yūthapēna vinā kṛtām separated from her lord, the
leader of the herd, niḥśvantīm sighing heavily, suduḥkhārtām with intense grief, gajarājavadhūmiva like a royal female elephant.

She was sighing heavily in intense grief like a royal female elephant tied to a pillar and separated from her lord, the leader of the herd.
ēkayā dīrghayā vēṇyā śōbhamānāmayatnataḥ.

nīlayā nīradāpāyē vanarājyā mahīmiva৷৷5.19.20৷৷


dīrghayā with a long, ēkayā even with a single, vēṇyā braid of hair, ayatnataḥ carelessly, śōbhamānām beautiful-looking, nīradāpāyē at the end of rain, nīlayā with dark, vanarājyā with a row of trees, mahīmiva like the land.

She was lovely even with a single braid of unkempt hair like the earth with a single row of dark trees covering its surface at the end of the rainy season.
upavāsēna śōkēna dhyānēna ca bhayēna ca.

parikṣīṇāṅ kṛśāṅ dīnāmalpāhārāṅ tapōdhanām৷৷5.19.21৷৷


upavāsēna by fasting, śōkēna due to grief, dhyānēna due to brooding, bhayēna ca and threatenings, parikṣīṇāṅ a wasted, kṛśām emaciated, dīnāma depressed, alpāhārām ate little, tapōdhanām rich by austerities.

She was wasted and emaciated through fasting and grief, depressed due to brooding and threatenings. She ate very little but was rich with austerities.
āyācamānāṅ duḥkhārtāṅ prāñjaliṅ dēvatāmiva.

bhāvēna raghumukhyasya daśagrīvaparābhavam৷৷5.19.22৷৷


dēvatāmiva like a goddess, duḥkhārtām tormented with grief, bhāvēna mentally, raghumukhyasya to the foremost of the Raghu family, Rama, daśagrīvaparābhavam insult by Ravana, prāñjaliṅ with folded hands, āyācamānām seemed as though supplicating.

Tormented with grief, Sita looked like a goddess begging Rama, the foremost of the Raghu family with folded hands in her mind to destroy Ravana, the ten-necked demon.
samīkṣamāṇāṅ rudatīmaninditāṅ supakṣmatāmrāyataśuklalōcanām.

anuvratāṅ rāmamatīva maithilīṅ pralōbhayāmāsa vadhāya rāvaṇaḥ৷৷5.19.23৷৷


samīkṣamāṇām a lady casting glances, rudatīm crying, aninditām blameless, supakṣmatāmrāyataśuklalōcanām with attractive eyelashes and broad bright eyes, atīva very much, rāmam about Rama, anuvratām devoted, maithilīm Mythili, rāvaṇaḥ Ravana, vadhāya to kill, pralōbhayāmāsa tried to allure.

Blameless Mythili with clear, large eyes and beautiful eyelashes with a reddish tint at the corners was looking around, crying. Ravana tried to allure Sita who was deeply faithful to Rama and threatened to kill her (when he found her unflinching).
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē sundarakāṇḍē ēkōnaviṅśassargaḥ.
Thus ends the nineteenth sarga of Sundarakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.