Sanskrit Text in Telugu , Kannada, Gujarati, Devanagari, English

|| om tat sat||

Sundarakanda
Sarga 19
(with word meanings and summary)

Sarga 19 is all about Sita in separation from Rama. The poet uses many ways to describe her sorrow.
All of these descriptions have a parallel. That parallel is a Jivatma awaiting the union with Paramatma. The inner meaning as well as the external story merge into one in this Sarga.

The nineteenth Sarga may be summarized as follows..

Seeing that Rakshasa king Ravana, endowed with beauty and youth, adorned with best of ornaments , entering the Ashoka grove, Sita the blameless princess , was shaken like a banana plant by a strong wind.

Seated on bare ground, covered with dust yet looking colorful, without any ornaments though deserving ornaments, she was like a lotus stem dipped in mud not shining yet shining. Emaciated, and sorrowing she was meditating on Rama and only Rama.Yet she is not seeing the end of that sorrow. That state of Sita was described with a torrent of similes by the poet.

Sitting coiled around, she was like the wife of Serpent King. She was like the star Rohini overpowered by the smoking red planet. Though born in a righteous and traditionally virtuous family, and married into an equally famous family she was looking like one born in a family of lower strata. She was like the fame lowered by false scandals. She was like the unused Vedic knowledge. She was like the education that is rusted. She was like great fame which was dimmed, like a faith that was slighted, like a worship that was impeded, like a hope that was dashed. She was like a prospect that was destroyed, like an order that was disobeyed, like a direction set aflame at the time of catastrophe. She was like creeper destroyed, like an army with its warriors killed, like radiant light blocked by darkness, like a stream that is dry. She was like the altar of worship that was defiled, like the blazing flame that was contained, like the night of full moon eclipsed by Rahu.

That Sita was desired by Ravana, who tries to win her over with deceitful words. It was as though he was inviting fate by his actions in pursuit of his desire.

Now we go through the Slokas.

||Sloka 19.01, 02||

tasminnēva tataḥ kālē rājaputtrī tvananditā|
rūpayauvanasaṁpannaṁ bhūṣaṇōttama bhūṣitam||19.01||
tatō dr̥ṣṭvaiva vaidēhī rāvaṇaṁ rākṣasādhipaṁ|
prāvēpata varārōhā pravātē kadaḷī yathā||19.02||

sa|| tataḥ tasmin ēva kālē bhūṣaṇōttamabhūṣitaṁ rūpayauvvana saṁpannaṁ rākṣasādhipaṁ rāvaṇaṁ dr̥ṣṭvaiva rājaputrī aniṁditā rūpayauvvana saṁpannaṁ bhūṣaṇōttamabhūṣitaṁ varārōhā vaidēhī pravātē kadaḷī yathā prāvēpata||

Govindaraja Tika says - 'bhūṣaṇōttamabhūṣitaṁ rūpayauvvana saṁpannaṁ rākṣasādhipaṁ rāvaṇaṁ';

||Sloka meanings||

tataḥ tasmin ēva kālē - at the same time
rūpayauvvana saṁpannaṁ - endowed with youth and beauty
bhūṣaṇōttamabhūṣitaṁ - adorned with best of ornaments
rākṣasādhipaṁ rāvaṇaṁ dr̥ṣṭvaiva - just by seeing Ravana, the king of Rakshasas
rājaputrī aniṁditā - blameless princess
varārōhā vaidēhī - Vaidehi of slender waist
pravātē kadaḷī yathā prāvēpata - shaken like a Banana plant in strong wind

||Sloka summary||

"Then at that time just by seeing Ravana, the king of Rakshasas, endowed with beauty and youth, adorned with best of ornaments ( entering the Ashoka grove) the blameless princess of slender waist, Sita was shaken like a banana plant by a strong wind." ||19.01-02||

||Sloka 19.03||

accādyōdaramūrubhyāṁ bāhubhyāṁ ca payōdharau|
upaviṣṭā viśālākṣī rudantī varavarṇinī||19.03||

sa||viśālākṣī varavarṇinī ūrubhyāṁ udaraṁ bāhūbhyāṁ payōdharau acchādya rudantī upaviṣṭā||

||Sloka meanings||

viśālākṣī varavarṇinī - large eyed, fair complexioned one
ūrubhyāṁ udaraṁ - belly with her thighs
bāhūbhyāṁ payōdharau acchādya - covering her breasts with both arms
rudantī upaviṣṭā - sat crying .

||Sloka summary||

"The large eyed, fair complexioned Sita withdrawing her thighs to cover her belly and arms to cover her breasts sat there crying." ||19.03||

"ā uttamamaina varṇamu kala viśālākṣi tana toḍalatō udaramunu, bāhuvulatō stanamulanu kappukoni kūrcuni vilapiṁpasāgenu."||19.03||

||Sloka 19.04||

daśagrīvastu vaidēhīṁ rakṣitāṁ rākṣasīgaṇaiḥ|
dadarśa sītāṁ duḥkhārtāṁ nāvaṁ sannāmivārṇavē ||19.04||

sa|| daśagrīvastu rākṣasīgaṇaiḥ rakṣitām duḥkhārtām ārṇavē sannāṁ nāvamiva vaidēhīṁ sītāṁ dadarśa||

||Sloka meanings||

daśagrīvastu - the ten headed Ravana
rākṣasīgaṇaiḥ rakṣitām - one protected by legions of Rakshasa women
duḥkhārtām - one immersed in grief
ārṇavē sannāṁ nāvamiva - like a boat in high seas
vaidēhīṁ sītāṁ dadarśa - saw Sita, the daughter of Videha king

||Sloka summary||

"The ten headed Ravana saw Sita , the daughter of Videha king, protected by legions of Rakshasa women and immersed in grief looking like a boat in high seas." ||19.04||

||Sloka 19.05||

asaṁvr̥tāyāṁ māsīnāṁ dharaṇyāṁ saṁśitavratāṁ
chinnāṁ prapatitāṁ bhūmau śākhāmiva vanaspatēḥ||19.05||

sa|| asaṁvr̥tāṁ dharaṇyāṁ āsīnām chinnāṁ bhūmau prapatitām vanaspatēḥ śākhāmiva ||

||Sloka meanings||

asaṁvr̥tāṁ dharaṇyāṁ āsīnām - sitting on a bare ground
chinnāṁ bhūmau prapatitām - cut and fallen down on the ground
vanaspatēḥ śākhāmiva - like a branch of tree

||Sloka summary||

"Seated on bare ground, she was like a branch of tree cut and fallen down on the ground." ||19.05||

||Sloka 19.06||

malamaṇḍina citrāṅgīṁ maṁḍanārhāṁ amaṇḍitām|
mr̥ṇāḷī pañkadigdhēva vibhāti na vibhāti ca||19.06||

sa|| malamaṇḍana citrāṅgīṁ maṇḍanārhāṁ amaṇḍitām pañkadigdhā mr̥ṇālī iva bhāti na vibhāti ca||

||Sloka meanings||

malamaṇḍana citrāṅgīṁ -
Covered with dust yet looking colorful
maṇḍanārhāṁ amaṇḍitām -
without any ornaments though deserving ornaments
pañkadigdhā mr̥ṇālī iva -
like a lotus stem dipped in mud
bhāti na vibhāti ca -
not shining yet shining

||Sloka summary||

"Covered with dust yet looking colorful, without any ornaments though deserving ornaments, she is like a lotus stem dipped in mud not shining yet shining." ||19.06||

||Sloka 19.07||

samīpaṁ rājasiṁhasya rāmasya viditātmanaḥ|
saṅkalpahayasaṁyuktaiḥ yāntīmiva manōrathaiḥ||19.07||

sa|| saṁkalpahayasaṁyuktaiḥ manōrathaiḥ viditātmanaḥ rājasiṁhasya rāmasya samīpaṁ gacchantīmiva |

||Sloka meanings||

saṁkalpahayasaṁyuktaiḥ -
yoked to the horses of her conviction
manōrathaiḥ -
with the chariot of mind
viditātmanaḥ rājasiṁhasya -
the lion among kings and the one who has realized self
rāmasya samīpaṁ gacchantīmiva -
as if racing to be near Rama

||Sloka summary||

"She was as if racing to the Rama, the lion among kings and the one who has realized self, yoked to the horses of her conviction with the chariot of mind." ||19.07||

||Sloka 19.08||

śuṣyantīṁ rudatīṁ ēkāṁ dhyānaśōkaparāyaṇām|
duḥkha syāntaṁ apaśyantīṁ rāmāṁ rāmaṁ anuvratām||19.08||

sa|| śuṣyaṁtīṁ rudatīṁ ēkāṁ dhyānaparāyaṇām duḥkhasya aṁtaṁ apaśyaṁtīṁ rāmāṁ rāmam anuvratām ||

||Sloka meanings||

śuṣyaṁtīṁ rudatīṁ - emaciated and crying
ēkāṁ dhyānaparāyaṇām - alone and meditating
duḥkhasya aṁtaṁ apaśyaṁtīṁ - not seeing the end of sorrow
rāmāṁ rāmam anuvratām - meditating on Rama and only Rama

||Sloka summary||

"Emaciated, crying, alone, meditating , not seeing the end of sorrow, she was meditating on Rama and only Rama" ||19.08||

||Sloka 19.09||

vēṣṭamānāṁ tatha''viṣṭāṁ pannagēndravadhūmiva|
dhūpyamānāṁ grahēṇēva rōhiṇīṁ dhūmakētunā||19.09||

sa|| tathā aviṣṭāṁ vēṣṭamānāṁ pannagēṁdra vadhūmiva dhūmakētunā grahēṇa dhūpyamānām rōhiṇīṁ iva ||

||Sloka meanings||

tathā aviṣṭāṁ - thus sitting ( Sita)
vēṣṭamānāṁ pannagēṁdra vadhūmiva -
like a coiled serpent queen
dhūmakētunā grahēṇa dhūpyamānām rōhiṇīṁ iva -
like the star Rohini overpowered by the smoking planet.

||Sloka summary||

"Sitting coiled around, she is like the wife of Serpent King, like the star Rohini overpowered by the smoking planet." ||19.09||

||Sloka 19.10||

vr̥ttaśīlakulējātāṁ ācāravati dhārmikē|
punassaṁskāramāpannāṁ jātā miva duṣkulē||19.10||

sa|| jātāṁ dhārmikē ācāravatī vr̥ttaśīlakulē saṁskāraṁ āpannāṁ duṣkulē punaḥ jātāṁ iva ||

Govindaraja Tika says - " vr̥ttaṁ dr̥ḍhaṁ śīlaṁ svabhāvō yasya tat, taccatat kulaṁ tasmin ācāravatī samayācāravatī dhārmikē yajñādi dharma pradhānē ēvaṁ bhūtē kulē jātām, saṁskāramāpannām vivāharūpa saṁskāramāpannāmtaḥ saṁskāradvārā duṣkulē punarjātāṁ iva sthitām , kumārānāṁ upanayanamiva kumārīṇāṁ dvitīyaṁ janma, "vaivāhikō vidhiḥ strīṇāmaupanāyanikaḥ smr̥taḥ', iti smr̥tēḥ||

||Sloka meanings||

jātāṁ dhārmikē ācāravatī - born in a righteous and traditional family
vr̥ttaśīlakulē saṁskāraṁ āpannāṁ - attained a traditional virtuous family ,
duṣkulē punaḥ jātāṁ iva - as if again born in a family of no tradition

||Sloka summary||

"Born in a righteous and traditional line, by marriage attained a traditional virtuous family, and traditionally virtuous family, as if again born in a family of no tradition."||19.10||

||Sloka 19.11||

abhūtēnāpavādēna kīrtiṁ nipatitā miva|
amnāyānāṁ ayōgēna vidyāṁ praśithilāmiva||19.11||

sa|| abhūtēna apavādēna nipātitāṁ kīrtimiva āmnāyatānām ayōgēna praśithilām vidyāṁ iva||

||Sloka meanings||

abhūtēna apavādēna - by false scandals
nipātitāṁ kīrtimiva - like a fame lowered
āmnāyatānām ayōgēna - by unused Vedic knowledge
praśithilām vidyāṁ iva - like education that is rusted

||Sloka summary||

"She is like the fame lowered by false scandals, like an education that is rusted by unused Vedic knowledge." ||19.11||

||Sloka 19.12||

sannāmiva mahākīrtiṁ śraddhāmiva vimānitām|
pūjāmiva parikṣīṇāṁ āśāṁ pratihatāmiva||19.12||

sa|| sannām mahākīrtiṁ iva vimānitāṁ śraddhāṁ iva parikṣiṇāṁ pūjāṁ iva pratihatāṁ āśāṁ iva||

||Sloka meanings||

sannām mahākīrtiṁ iva - like great fame which is dimmed
vimānitāṁ śraddhāṁ iva - , like faith that is slighted,
parikṣiṇāṁ pūjāṁ iva - like worship that is impeded
pratihatāṁ āśāṁ iva - like hope that is dashed

||Sloka summary||

"She was like great fame which is dimmed, faith that is slighted, worship that is impeded, like hope that is dashed."||19.12||

||Sloka 19.13||

ayatīmiva vidhvastāṁ ājñāṁ pratihatāmiva |
dīptāmiva diśaṁ kālē pūjāṁ apahr̥tā miva||19.13||

sa|| vidhvastāṁ ayatīṁ iva pratihatāṁ ājñāṁ iva kālē dīptitāṁ diśamiva apahr̥tāṁ pūjāṁ iva||

Govindaraja Tika says- 'atra pūjāśabdēna pūjā dravyamucyatē'; Here the word, 'pūja' worship is explained as material for worship.

||Sloka meanings||

vidhvastāṁ ayatīṁ iva - like a prospect that is destroyed
pratihatāṁ ājñāṁ iva - like an order that is disobeyed
kālē dīptitāṁ diśamiva - like a direction set aflame at the time of catastrophe
apahr̥tāṁ pūjāṁ iva - like a worship that was abducted ( by evil doers)

||Sloka summary||

"She was like a prospect that is destroyed , like an order that is disobeyed, like a direction set aflame at the time of catastrophe. She was like a worship that was abducted ( by evil doers)". ||19.13||

||Sloka 19.14||

padminīmiva vidhvastāṁ hataśūrāṁ camūmiva|
prabhāmiva tamōdhvastāṁ upakṣīṇāmivāpagām||19.14||

sa|| vidhvastāṁ padminīṁ iva hataśūraṁ camūṁ iva tamōdhvastāṁ prabhāṁ iva upakṣīṇām apagāṁ iva||

||Sloka meanings||

vidhvastāṁ padminīṁ iva - like a creeper that was destroyed
hataśūraṁ camūṁ iva - like an army with its warriors killed
tamōdhvastāṁ prabhāṁ iva - like radiant light blocked by darkness
upakṣīṇām apagāṁ iva - like a stream that is dried

||Sloka summary||

"She was like creeper destroyed, like an army with its warriors killed, like radiant light blocked by darkness, like a stream that is dried." ||19.14||

||Sloka 19.15||

vēdīmiva parāmr̥ṣṭāṁ śāntāṁ agniśikhāmiva|
paurṇamāsī miva niśāṁ rāhugrastēndumaṇḍalām ||19.15||

sa|| parāmr̥ṣṭāṁ vēdīṁ iva śāṁtāṁ agniśikhāṁ iva rāhugrastēndumaṇḍalāṁ paurṇamāsīṁ niśāṁ iva ||

||Sloka meanings||

parāmr̥ṣṭāṁ vēdīṁ iva - like the altar of worship that is defiled
śāṁtāṁ agniśikhāṁ iva - like the blazing flame that is contained
paurṇamāsīṁ niśāṁ iva - like the night of full moon
rāhugrastēndumaṇḍalāṁ - with moon eclipsed by Rahu

||Sloka summary||

"She was like the altar of worship that is defiled, like the blazing flame that is contained, like the night of full moon with moon eclipsed by Rahu" .||19.15||

||Sloka 19.16||

utkr̥ṣṇaparṇakamalāṁ vitrāsita vihaṅgamāṁ|
hasti hastaparāmr̥ṣṭāṁ ākulāṁ padminīmiva||19.16||

sa|| hastihastaparāmr̥ṣṭām utkr̥ṣṭaparṇakamalām vitrāsita vihaṅgamāṁ ākulām padminīṁ iva ||

||Sloka meanings||

hastihastaparāmr̥ṣṭām - destroyed by the trunks of the elephants
utkr̥ṣṭaparṇakamalām - with excellent leaves and lotuses
vitrāsita vihaṅgamāṁ - with frightened birds
ākulām padminīṁ iva - like a pond kaluṣamaina sarassu vale

||Sloka summary||

"She is like the disturbed lotus pond with frightened birds, with excellent lotuses and leaves destroyed by the trunks of the elephants." ||19.16||

||Sloka 19.17||

patiśōkaturāṁ śuṣkāṁ nadīṁ visrāvitāmiva|
parayā mr̥jayā hīnāṁ kr̥ṣṇapakṣa niśāmiva||19.17||

sa|| patiśōkaturāṁ visrāvitāṁ śuṣkāṁ nadīṁ iva parayā mr̥jayā hīnām kr̥ṣṇapakṣaniśāṁ iva||

||Sloka meanings||

patiśōkaturāṁ - stricken with grief created by separation from her husband
visrāvitāṁ śuṣkāṁ nadīṁ iva - like river dried with its water diverted
parayā mr̥jayā hīnām - not fit for ablutions
kr̥ṣṇapakṣaniśāṁ iva - like the night of a dark fortnight

||Sloka summary||

"Stricken with grief created by separation from her husband, she is like river dried with its water grown thin not fit for ablution , like night during the dark fortnight."||19.17||

||Sloka 19.18||

sukumārīṁ sujātāṅgīṁ ratnagarbhagr̥hōcitām|
tapyamānāmivōṣṇēna mr̥ṇāḷī macirōddhr̥tām ||19.18||

sa|| sukumārīṁ sujātāṅgīṁ ratnagarbhagr̥hōcitāṁ tapyamānāṁ acirōddhatām mr̥ṇālīṁ iva ||

||Sloka meanings||

sukumārīṁ sujātāṅgīṁ -
delicate lady with beautiful limbs
ratnagarbhagr̥hōcitāṁ -
one who deserves to be in a house whose interiors are decorated with gems
tapyamānāṁ acirōddhatām -
plucked out and scorched
mr̥ṇālīṁ iva - like a lotus

||Sloka summary||

"The delicate lady with beautiful limbs, who deserves to be in a house whose interiors are decorated with gems, was like a lotus plucked out and scorched by heat." ||19.18||

||Sloka 19.19||

gr̥hītā māḷitāṁ stambhē yūdhapēna vinā kr̥tāṁ|
niśśvasantīṁ suduḥkhārtāṁ gajarājavadhūmiva ||19.19||

sa|| niḥśvasaṁtīṁ suduḥkhārtāṁ gr̥hītāṁ staṁbhē ālitāṁ yūthapēna vinā kr̥tām gajarājavadhūṁ iva||

||Sloka meanings||

gajarājavadhūṁ iva - like a royal elephant king's consort
gr̥hītāṁ staṁbhē ālitāṁ - held and tied to a pillar,
yūthapēna vinā kr̥tām - separated from her lord
niḥśvasaṁtīṁ suduḥkhārtāṁ - sighing heavily with intense grief

||Sloka summary||

"Like a royal elephant king's consort separated from her lord, held and tied to a pillar, she was sighing heavily with intense grief." ||19.19||

||Sloka 19.20||

ēkayā dīrghayā vēṇyā śōbhamānāṁ ayatnataḥ|
nīlayā nīradāpāyē vanarājyā mahīmiva||19.20||

sa|| dīrghayā ēkayā vēṇyā ayatnataḥ śōbhamānām nīradāpāyē nīlayā vanarājyā mahīṁ iva||

||Sloka meanings||

dīrghayā ēkayā vēṇyā - with a long single plait of hair
ayatnataḥ śōbhamānām -carelessly made yet beautiful
nīradāpāyē - at the end of rainy season
mahīṁ iva - like the earth
nīlayā vanarājyā - with a dark row of trees

||Sloka summary||

"Looking beautiful with a long single plait of hair carelessly made, she is like a dark row of trees at the end of rainy season on the land." ||19.20||

||Sloka 19.21||

upavāsēna śōkēna dhyānēna ca bhayēna ca|
parīkṣīṇāṁ kr̥śāṁ dīnāṁ alpāhārāṁ tapōdhanām||19.21||

sa|| upavāsēna śōkēna dhyānēna bhayēna ca parikṣīṇāṁ kr̥śāṁ dīnāṁ alpahārāṁ tapōdhanām ||

||Sloka meanings||

upavāsēna śōkēna - by fasting and grief
dhyānēna bhayēna ca dīnāṁ -
depressed due to brooding and threats
parikṣīṇāṁ kr̥śāṁ alpahārāṁ -
wasted and emaciated due to very little food
tapōdhanām - rich with austerities.

||Sloka summary||

"Thin and emaciated through fasting and grief, depressed due to brooding, she is rich with austerities." ||19.21||

||Sloka 19.22||

ayācamānāṁ duḥkhārtāṁ prāñjaliṁ dēvatāmiva|
bhāvēna raghumukhyasya daśagrīva parābhavam||19.22||

sa|| dēvatāṁ iva duḥkhārtāṁ bhāvēna raghumukhyasya daśagrīva parābhavam prāṁjaliṁ ayācamānām||

||Sloka meanings||

duḥkhārtāṁ dēvatāṁ iva -
like a goddess tormented with grief
bhāvēna ayācamānām raghumukhyasya
mentally supplicating to the the chief of Raghu's clan
daśagrīva parābhavam -
defeat of the ten headed one
prāṁjaliṁ - with folded hands

||Sloka summary||

"She was like a goddess tormented with grief, with folded hands mentally supplicating Rama the foremost of Raghu line to protect her from the insults of Ravana." ||19.22||

||Sloka 19.23||

samīkṣamāṇāṁ rudatīmaninditāṁ
supakṣma tāmrāyata śuklalōcanām|
anuvratāṁ rāmamatīva maithilīṁ
pralōbhayāmāsa vadhāya rāvaṇaḥ ||19.23||

sa||| samīkṣamānām rudatīṁ aniṁditāṁ supakṣma tāmrāyata śuklalōcanām atīva rāmaṁ anuvratām maithilīṁ rāvaṇaḥ vadhāya pralōbhayāmāsa||

||Sloka meanings||

samīkṣamānām rudatīṁ aniṁditāṁ -
blameless Mythili crying and casting glances
supakṣma tāmrāyata śuklalōcanām -
with attractive eyelashes and broad bright eyes
atīva rāmaṁ anuvratām maithilīṁ- always devoted to Rama
rāvaṇaḥ vadhāya pralōbhayāmāsa -
Ravana was trying to allure Sita, desiring his own death

||Sloka summary||

"As if desiring his own death, Ravana tries to allure the blameless Mythili with large eyes and with attractive eyelashes and large bright eyes devoted very much to Rama who was crying." ||19.23||

With this Sloka Sarga nineteen comes to an end

ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē ādikāvyē vālmīkīyē
caturviṁśat sahasrikāyāṁ saṁhitāyām
śrīmatsuṁdarakāṁḍē ēkōnaviṁśassargaḥ||

||om tat sat||