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[Sita wails over her misery.]

atha tāsāṅ vadantīnāṅ paruṣaṅ dāruṇaṅ bahu.

rākṣasīnāmāsaumyānāṅ rurōda janakātmajā৷৷5.25.1৷৷


atha then, asaumyānām ugly, tāsām of them, rākṣasīnām of the ogresses, paruṣam harsh, dāruṇam terrific, bahu much, vadantīnām they spoke, janakātmajā Janaka's daughter, rurōda cried.

On hearing the many harsh words of dire threat by the ugly ogresses, the daughter of Janaka wept.
ēvamuktā tu vaidēhī rākṣasībhirmanasvinī.

uvāca paramatrastā bhāṣpagdgadayā girā৷৷5.25.2৷৷


rākṣasībhiḥ by the ogresses, ēvam in that way, uktā having spoken, manasvinī a noble lady, vaidēhī Vaidehi, paramatrastā terribly afraid, bhāṣpagadgadayā throat choked, with tears, girā with a word, uvāca said.

In reply to the ogresses who thus spoke, noble Vaidehi, terribly frightened, said in a voice choked with tears.
na mānuṣī rākṣasasya bhāryā bhavitumarhati.

kāmaṅ khādata māṅ sarvā na kariṣyāmi vō vacaḥ৷৷5.25.3৷৷


mānuṣī a human, rākṣasasya demon's, bhāryā wife, bhavitum to become, na arhati not fit, sarvāḥ all, kāmam freely, mām me, khādata you can eat, vaḥ your, vacaḥ word, na kariṣyāmi I will not follow.

sā rākṣasīmadhyagatā sītā surasutōpamā.

na śarma lēbhē duḥkhārtā rāvaṇēna ca tarjitā৷৷5.25.4৷৷


rākṣasīmadhyagatā surrounded by ogresses, surasutōpamā like the daughter of a divine, rāvaṇēna ca by Ravana, tarjitā threatened, sā sītā that Sita, duḥkhārtā distressed, śarma solace, na lēbhē could not get.

Surrounded by the ogresses, distressed Sita, who was like the daughter of a divine, did not get any solace.
vēpatē smādhikaṅ sītā viśantī vāṅgamātmanaḥ.

vanē yūthaparibhraṣṭā mṛgī kōkairivārditā৷৷5.25.5৷৷


vanē in the forest, yūthaparibhraṣṭā strayed from the herd, kōkaiḥ by wolves, arditā tormented, mṛgīva like a doe, sītā Sita, ātmanaḥ herself, aṅgam her limbs, viśantiḥ withdrawing herself, adhikam excessively, vēpatē sma trembled.

'Like a doe that strayed from the herd in the forest and tormented by wolves around, Sita had withdrawn into herself all her limbs through fear, she was trembling excessively.
sā tvaśōkasya vipulāṅ śākhāmālambya puṣpitām.

cintayāmāsa śōkēna bhartāraṅ bhagnamānasā৷৷5.25.6৷৷


śōkēna with grief, bhagnamānasā with a broken heart, sā she, aśōkasya Ashoka tree, puṣpitām flowered, vipulām large, śākhām branch, ālambya laying hold on, bhartāram of her husband, cintayāmāsa thought.

Laying hold on a large blossoming branch of the Ashoka tree, Sita thought of her husband with a broken heart.
sā snāpayantī vipulau stanau nētrajalasravaiḥ.

cintayantī na śōkasya tadāntamadhigacchati৷৷5.25.7৷৷


tadā then, sā she, nētrajalasravaiḥ with the flow of tears, vipulau large, stanau breasts, snāpayantī bathing them, cintayantī brooding, śōkasya of sorrow, antam end, na adhigacchati could not find.

Her large breasts bathed with the flow of tears, she continued to brood over her plight and found no end to it.
sā vēpamānā patitā pravātē kadalī yathā.

rākṣasīnāṅ bhayatrastā vivarṇavadanābhavat৷৷5.25.8৷৷


sā she, pravātē to stormy wind, patitā fallen, kadalī yathā like a banana plant, vēpamānā trembling, rākṣasīnāṅ of the ogresses, bhayaṅtrastā frightened, vivarṇavadanā pale-faced, abhavat became.

Trembling like a banana tree uprooted by the stormy wind, Sita who was seized with fear of the ogresses looked pale and desperate.
tasyāḥ sā dīrghavipulā vēpantyā sītayā tadā.

dadṛśē kampinī vēṇī vyālīva parisarpatī৷৷5.25.9৷৷


vēpantyāḥ of the trembling Sita, tasyāḥ her, dīrghavipulā long and luxuriant, kampinī shaking, sā that, sītayā by Sita, vēṇī braid, parisarpatī moving, vyālīva like a female serpent, dadṛśē appeared.

The long, luxuriant braid of hair of the trembling Sita waving (in the wind), appeared like a crawling female serpent.
sā niḥśvasantī duḥkhārtā śōkōpahatacētanā.

ārtā vyasṛjadaśrūṇi maithilī vilalāpa ca৷৷5.25.10৷৷


duḥkhārtā distressed lady, śōkōpahatacētanā consciousness drowned in tears, ārtā afflicted, sā she, maithilī Mythili, niḥśvasantī while sighing, aśrūṇi tears, vyasṛjat shedding, vilalāpa ha cried.

The distressed Mythili, her consciousness drowned in grief, sighing, shed streams of tears.
hā rāmēti ca duḥkhārtā hā punarlakṣmaṇēti ca.

hā śvaśru mama kausalyē hā sumitrēti bhāminī৷৷5.25.11৷৷


bhāminī beautiful lady, duḥkhārtā afflicted, hā rāmēti alas, Rama, punaḥ again, hā lakṣmaṇēti alas, Lakshmana, mama my, śvaśru mother-in-law, hā kausalyē alas, Kausalya, hā sumitrēti alas, Sumitra.

'The bright, beautiful Sita began to wail, alas, "Rama! alas, Lakshmana! alas, my mother-in-law, Kausalya! alas, Sumitra!
lōkapravādaḥ satyō.yaṅ paṇḍitaiḥ samudāhṛtaḥ.

akālē durlabhō mṛtyuḥ striyā vā puruṣasya vā৷৷5.25.12৷৷

yadahamēvaṅ krūrābhī rākṣasībhirihārditā.

jīvāmi hīnā rāmēṇa muhūrtamapi duḥkhitā৷৷5.25.13৷৷


aham I, ēvam in this way, krūrābhiḥ by cruel, rākṣasībhiḥ by ogresses, arditā tormented, iha here, rāmēṇa from Rama, hīnā separated from, duḥkhārtā afflicted, muhūrtamapi even a moment, yadā such being the fact, jīvāmi I live, striyā vā by a woman or, puruṣasya vā or for a man, akālē untimely, mṛtyuḥ death, durlabhaḥ is difficult, paṇḍitaiḥ by the learned, samudāhṛtaḥ quoted, lōkapravādaḥ among people, satyaḥ truth.

'There is a famous popular saying among the learned that untimely death is not
possible either for a woman or a man.It is true that I am living in this miserable condition, deprived of Rama's company and tormented by these cruel ogresses here. Living in such conditions even for a moment is impossible. But nobody dies an untimely death.
ēṣālpapuṇyā kṛpaṇā vinaśiṣyāmyanāthavat.

samudramadhyē nauḥ pūrṇā vāyuvēgairivāhatā৷৷5.25.14৷৷


alpapuṇyā a lowly women, kṛpaṇā a wretched, ēṣā here I am, anāthavat like an orphan, samudramadhyē in the midst of ocean, vāyuvēgaiḥ by the speed of the wind, āhatā hit, pūrṇā full, nauḥ iva like a boat, vinaśiṣyāmi will be ruined.

'I am a woman of low merit, a wretched woman, an orphan. I will be ruined like the loaded boat that gets hit in the midst of the ocean by the stormy wind.
bhartāraṅ tamapaśyantī rākṣasīvaśamāgatā.

sīdāmi khalu śōkēna kūlaṅ tōyahataṅ yathā৷৷5.25.15৷৷


bhartāram husband, tam him, apaśyantī not finding, rākṣasīvaśam under control of the ogresses, āgatā reached, tōyahatam eroded by water, tīraṅ yathā like the bank of a river, śōkēna on account of grief, sīdāmi khalu I am collapsing indeed.

'Unable to find my husband and seized by these ogresses, I am collapsing on account of grief like a river-bank under the current of water.
taṅ padmadalapatrākṣaṅ siṅhavikrāntagāminam.

dhanyāḥ paśyanti mē nāthaṅ kṛtajñaṅ priyavādinam৷৷5.25.16৷৷


padmadalapatrākṣaṅ one who has eyes like lotus petals, siṅhavikrāntagāminam one who walks majestically like a lion, kṛtajñam grateful one, priyavādinam sweet in his talk, tam him, mē my, nātham lord, dhanyāḥ blessed, paśyanti can see.

'Blessed are those who are in touch with my husband with eyes like lotus petals, whose walk is majestic like a lion's, who has a sense of gratitude and is pleasing in words.
sarvathā tēna hīnāyā rāmēṇa viditātmanā.

tīkṣṇaṅ viṣamivāsvādya durlabhaṅ mama jīvitam৷৷5.25.17৷৷


viditātmanā endowed with self-knowledge, tēna by him, rāmēṇa by Rama, hīnāyāḥ separated, mama my, tīkṣṇam deadly, viṣam poison, āsvādyēva like one who has drunk, jīvitam life, sarvathā by all means, durlabham impossible.

'Separated from Rama endowed with self-knowledge, it is impossible for me to live like one who has drunk venom.
kīdṛśaṅ tu mahāpāpaṅ mayā janmāntarē kṛtam.

yanēdaṅ prāpyatē duḥkhaṅ mayā ghōraṅ sudāruṇam৷৷5.25.18৷৷


yēna by such a manner, mayā by me, ghōram terrific, sudāruṇam very cruel, idam this, duḥkham sorrow, prāpyatē experienced, kīdṛśam what type of, mahāpāpam great sin, mayā by me, janmāntarē in my past life, kṛtam is done.

'I do not know what great sin I have committed in my past life for which I experience this terrific, cruel affliction?
jīvitaṅ tyaktumicchāmi śōkēna mahatā vṛtā.

rākṣasībhiśca rakṣantyā rāmō nāsādyatē mayā৷৷5.25.19৷৷


mahatā with great, śōkēna by sorrow, avṛtā filled, jīvitam life, tyaktum to give up, icchāmi I long, rāmaḥ Rama, mayā by me, nāsādyatē reach, rākṣasībhiḥ by ogresses, surakṣitā I am well-guarded.

'I long to give up my life, afflicted with great grief, as I, well-guarded by these ogresses, have no hope to reach Rama.
dhigastu khalu mānuṣyaṅ dhigastu paravaśyatām.

na śakyaṅ yatparityaktumātmacchandēna jīvitam৷৷5.25.20৷৷


mānuṣyam human, dhik astu what a pitiable situation, paravaśyatām dependance, dhik astu fie upon, yat since, ātmacchandēna although I wish, jīvitam life, parityaktum to give up, na śakyam khalu not able.

'Fie upon this human life. Fie upon this dependence. What a pitiable situation I am placed in. It is not possible for me, a human, to give up life at my free will.'
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē sundarakāṇḍē pañcaviṅśassargaḥ.
Thus ends the twentyfifth sarga of Sundarakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.