Sanskrit Sloka text in Devanagari, Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu , and English

||om tat sat||

sundarakāṇḍ.
atha paṁcaviṁśassargaḥ

tathā tāsāṁ vadantīnāṁ paruṣaṁ dāruṇaṁ bahu|
rākṣasīnāṁ asaumyānāṁ rurōda janakātmajā||1||

sa|| atha asaumyānāṁ rākṣasīnāṁ bahu dāruṇaṁ paruṣaṁ vadantīnāṁ ( śrutvā) janakātmajā rurōda||

Then hearing the many harsh words of the unpleasant Rakshasis the daughter of Janaka wept.

ēvamuktvātu vaidēhī rākṣasībhirmanasvinī
uvāca paramatrastā bhāṣpagadgadayā girā||2||
na mānuṣī rākṣasasya bhāryābhavitumarhati|
kāmaṁ khādata māṁ sarvā na kariṣyāmi vō vacaḥ||3||

sa|| ēvaṁ uktvā tu rākṣasībhiḥ manasvinī vaidēhī parama trastā bhāṣpagadgadayā girā uvāca|| mānuṣī rākṣasasya bhāryā bhavituṁ na arhati | māṁ sarvā kāmaṁ khādata | vō vacaḥ na kariṣyāmi ||

Having been told thus by the Rakshasa women, very much afraid Vaidehi with her voice choking with tears spoke thus. 'A human being cannot be the wife of a Rakshasa. You can all freely eat me. I will not do what you say'.

sā rākṣasīmadhyagatā sītā surasutōpamā|
na śarma lēbhē duḥkhārtā rāvaṇēna tarjitā||4||
vēpatēsmādhikaṁ sītā viśantīvāṅga mātmanaḥ|
vanē yūdhaparibhraṣṭā mr̥gī kōkai rivārditā ||5||
sā tvaśōkasya vipulāṁ śākhā mālambya puṣpitām|
cintayāmāsa śōkēna bhartāraṁ bhagnamānasā||6||

sa|| rākṣasī madhyagatā rāvaṇēna tarjitā surasutōpamā sā sītā duḥkhārtā śarma na lēbhē ||vanē yūdhaparibhraṣṭā kōkaiḥ ārditā mr̥gī iva ātmanā aṅgaṁ viśantiḥ adhikaṁ vēpatē sma||śōkēna bhagnamānasya sā aśōkasya puṣpitāṁ vipulaṁ śākhām ālambya bhartāraṁ cintayāmāsa||

Surrounded by the Rakshasa women, threatened by Ravana, Sita, who is like the daughter of Gods could not get solace. Like the deer separated from its herd and chased by the wolves in the forest, Sita trembling excessively withdrew her limbs into herself. With a broken heart and in sorrow, she held on to the flowering branches of that Ashoka tree and started thinking about her husband.

sā snāpayantī vipulau stanau nētrajalasravaiḥ|
cintayantī na śōkasya tadānta madhigaccati||7||
sā vēpamānā patitā pravātē kadaḷī yathā|
rākṣasīnāṁ bhayatrastā vivarṇavadanā'bhavat||8||
tasyā ssā dīrghavipulā vēpantyā sītayā tadā|
dadr̥śē kampinī vēṇī vyāḷīva parisarpatī||9||

sa|| tadā sā nētrajalasravaiḥ vipulau stanau snāpayaṁtī ciṁtayaṁtī sōkasya aṁtaṁ na adhigacchati ||sā pravātē patitā vēpamānā kadaḷī yathā rākṣasīnāṁ bhayatrastā vivarṇavadanā abhavat || vēpaṁtyāḥ tasyāḥ dīrghavipulā kaṁpinī sā sītayā vēṇī vyālīva parisarpatī dadr̥śē||

Then brooding and with the flow of tears bathing her breasts she could not reach the other end of the sea of sorrow. Trembling like a banana tree in stormy winds , frightened of the Rakshasa women she looked very pale. The long luxuriant braid of Sita who was shaking looked like a moving serpent.

sā niśśvasantī duḥkhārtā śōkōpahatacētanā|
artā vyasr̥ja daśrūṇī maithilī vilalāpa ha||10||
hārāmēti ca duḥkhārtā hā punarlakṣmaṇēti ca|
hā śvaśru mama kausalyē hā sumitrēti bhāminī||11||

sa|| duḥkhārtā śōkōphahatacētanā ārtā sā maithilī niḥśvasaṁtī aśrūṇi vyasr̥ja vilalāpa ha ||duḥkhārtā hā rāma iti punaḥ hā lakṣmaṇa iti hā mamaśvaśru kausalyē hāsumitrē iti ( vilalāpa ha)||

The distressed and afflicted Mythili with her consciousness drowned in tears, breathing heavily cried shedding tears. The afflicted lady cried saying 'Oh Rama, Oh Lakshmana, my mother in law O Kausalya Oh Sumitra' .

lōka pravādaḥ satyō'yaṁ paṇḍitaissamudāhr̥taḥ|
akālē durlabhō mr̥tyu sstriyā vā puruṣasyavā||12||
yatrāha mēvaṁ krūrābhī rākṣasībhi rihārditā|
jīvāmi hīnā rāmēṇa muhūrtamapi duḥkhitā||13||

sa|| yatra ahaṁ ēvaṁ krūrābhiḥ rākṣasībhiḥ ārditā iha rāmēṇa hīnā duḥkhārtā yadā muhūrtaṁ api jīvāmi (tadā) striyāvā puruṣasya vā akālē mr̥tyuḥ durlabhaḥ paṁḍitaḥ samudāhr̥taḥ (iti) ayaṁ lōkapravādaḥ satyaḥ||

' As I am tormented by the cruel Rakshasis here and separated from Rama I cannot live for a moment. Then the often quoted saying of learned that untimely death is difficult is true'.

ēṣa'lpapuṇyā kr̥paṇā vinaśiṣyāṁ anāthavat|
samudramadhyē nauḥ pūrṇā vāyuvēgai rivāhatā||14||
bhartāraṁ taṁ apaśyantī rākṣasīvaśa māgatā|
sīdāmi khalu śōkēna kūlaṁ tōyahataṁ yathā||15||
taṁ padmadaḷapatrākṣaṁ siṁhavikrānta gāminam|
dhanyāḥ paśyanti mē nāthaṁ kr̥tajñaṁ priyavādinam||16||

sa|| alpapuṇyayā kr̥paṇā ēṣā anāthavat samudramadhyē vāyuvēgaiḥ āhatā pūrṇā nauḥ iva vinaśiṣyāmi|| bhartāraṁ taṁ apaśyaṁtī rākṣasī vaśaṁ āgatā tōyahataṁ tīraṁ yathā śōkēna sīdāmi khalu||padmadalapatrākṣaṁ siṁha vikrāṁta gāminaṁ kr̥tajñaṁ priyavādinaṁ mē nāthaṁ pasyaṁti (tē) dhanyāḥ||

' This lowly wretched woman who is like an orphan that I am , I will be destroyed like the full boat hit by stormy winds in the middle of the sea. Unable to see my husband, being in the control of the Rakshasis, I am collapsing in sorrow like the bank of a river pushed by the water currents. Those who can see that husband of mine who has eyes like that of a lotus petals, who walks with the majesty of a lion, who is ever grateful, they are indeed blessed.

sarvathā tēna hīnayā rāmēṇa viditātmanā|
tīkṣṇaṁ viṣamivā''svādya durlabhaṁ mama jīvanam||17||
kīdr̥śaṁ tu mahāpāpaṁ purā janmāntarē kr̥tam|
yēnēdaṁ prāpyatē duḥkhaṁ mayā ghōraṁ sudāruṇam||18||
jīvitaṁ tyaktu micchāmi śōkēna mahatā vr̥tā|
rākṣasībhiśca rakṣyantyā rāmō nāsādyatē mayā||19||

sa|| viditātmanā tēna rāmēṇa hīnāyāḥ mama tīkṣṇaṁ viṣaṁ āsvādyēva jīvitaṁ sarvathā durlabham||yēna mayā ghōraṁ sudāruṇaṁ idaṁ duḥkhaṁ prāpyatē kīdr̥śaṁ mahāpāpaṁ (mayā) purā janmāṁtarē kr̥taṁ||mahatā śōkēna āvr̥tā jīvitaṁ tyaktuṁ icchāmi | rāmaḥ mayā āsādyatē na (yadā ahaṁ) rākṣasībhiḥ surakṣitā||

'Separated from Rama the one who has realized self, my life is impossible like that one who drank venom. Why I am subject to this terrible cruel sorrow ? What kind of great sin I might have commited in my previous birth ? Filled with this great sorrow I want to give up my life. Rama cannot get me , while I am protected by these Rakshasis'.

dhi gastu khalu mānuṣyaṁ dhigastu paravaśyatām|
na śakyaṁ yatparityaktu mātmacchandēna jīvitam||20||

sa|| mānuṣyaṁ dhik astu | paravaśyatāṁ dhik astu | yat ātmachaṁdēna jivitaṁ parityaktuṁ (api) na śakyaṁ khalu ||

' Fie upon human life. Fie upon dependence.Though I wish to give up life I am unable to'.

ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē ādikāvyē vālmīkīyē
caturviṁśat sahasrikāyāṁ saṁhitāyām
śrīmatsundarakāṇḍē pañcaviṁśassargaḥ||

Thus ends Sarga twenty five of Sundarakanda in Ramayana , the first ever poem composed in Sanskrit by the first poet sage Valmiki.
||om tat sat||