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

||om tat sat||

 

suṁdarakāṁḍa.
atha aṣṭāviṁśassargaḥ

sā rākṣasēṁdrasya vacō niśamya
tadrāvaṇa syā priya mapriyārtā|
sītā vitatrāsa yathā vanāṁtē
siṁhābhipannā gajarājakanyā||1||

sa|| sā sītā rākṣasēṁdrasya apriyaṁ tat vacaḥ niśamya apriyārtā vanāṁtē siṁhābhipanna gajarājakanyā iva vitatrāsa||

After hearing the unpleasant words spoken by the king of Rakshasas, which caused restlessness and sorrow to Sita , she was terrified like the young elephant princess caught by the lion in the forest.

sā rākṣasī madhyagatāca bhīru
rvāgbhirbhr̥śaṁ rāvaṇa tarjitā ca|
kāṁtāramadhyē vijanē visr̥ṣṭā
bālēva kanyā vilalāpa sītā||2||

sa|| bhīruḥ bhr̥śaṁ vāgbhiḥ rāvaṇa tarjitā ca rākṣasīmadhyagatā ca sā sītā vijanē kāṁtāramadhyē viśr̥jya bālā kanyā iva vilalāpa||

The timid lady surrounded by Rakshasa women, threatened by Ravana's terrible words wept like a young girl in desolate forest.

satyaṁ batēdaṁ pravadaṁti lōkē
nākālamr̥tyurbavatītisaṁtaḥ|
yatrāhamēvaṁ paribhartsya mānā
jīvāmi kiṁcit kṣaṇamapyapuṇyā|| 3||
sukhādvihīnaṁ bahuduḥkhapūrṇaṁ
idaṁ tu nūnaṁ hr̥dayaṁsthiraṁ mē|
viśīryatē yanna sahasradhā:'dya
vajrāhataṁ śr̥ṁga mivāscalasya||4||

sa|| lōkē akālamr̥tyuḥ na bhavati iti idaṁ satyaṁ santaḥ pravadaṁti| yatra ēvaṁ paribhartsyamānā apuṇyā ahaṁ dīnā kṣaṇaṁ api jīvati bata||sukhāt vihīnaṁ bahuduḥkhapūrṇaṁ idaṁ mē hr̥dayaṁ nūnaṁ sthiraṁ yat vajrāhataṁ acalasya śr̥ṁgamiva sahasrathā adya naviśīryatē||

' Elders say that untimely death will not happen .That seems to be true. Even though I am threatened like this I am living pitiably even for a moment is surely because of lack of merits. Although I am without happiness and filled with agony , my heart is hard and does not break into thousand pieces like the mountain hit by Vajrayutha!

naivāsti dōṣaṁ mamanūna matra
vadhyāha masyā:'priyadarśanasya|
bhāvaṁ na cāsyāha manu pradātu
malaṁ dvijō maṁtramivāsdvijāya||5||
nūnaṁ mamāṁgā nyacirā danārya
śśastrai śśitai ścētsyati rākṣasēṁdraḥ|
tasminnāgacchati lōkanāthē
garbhasthajaṁtōriva śalya kr̥ntaḥ||6||
duḥkhaṁ batēdaṁ mamaduḥkhitāyā
māsau cirāyādhigamiṣyatau dvau|
baddasya vadhyasya tathā niśāṁtē
rājāparādhādiva taskarasya||7||

sa|| atra mama dōṣaḥ na iva asti (yadi) ahaṁ apriyadarśanasya asya vadhyā|ahaṁ asya bhāvaṁ dvijaḥ advijāya maṁtramiva anupradātuṁ na alam ||lōkanāthē tasmin ānāgacchati anāryaḥ rākṣasēṁdraḥ śalyakr̥ṁtaḥ garbhastha jaṁtōriva mama aṁgāni nūnaṁ śatraiḥ chētsyati|| rājāparādhāt baddhasya niśāṁtē vadhyasya taskarasya iva duḥkhitāyāḥ mama dvau māsau cirāyādhigamiṣyataḥ idaṁ duḥkhaṁ bata ||

Set to be killed by the ugly one, If I were to die there is no fault. I cannot surrender myself to him like the Brahmin who would not part his knowledge to a non-Brahmin. If he, the lord of the world does not come here, the vile king of Rakshasas will cut me to pieces like the barber who cuts the foetus with a sharp knife. For me sorrowing two months is a long time to wait . I am like the thief caught due to offending the king, and waiting overnight to be killed at the day break.

hā rāma hā lakṣmaṇa hā sumitrē
hā rāmamātāḥ saha mē jananyā|
ēṣā vipadyā myaha malpabhāgyā
mahārṇavē nauriva mūḍhavātā||8||
tarasvinau dhārayatā mr̥gasya
satvēna rūpaṁ manujēṁdra putrau|
nūnaṁ viśastau mama kāraṇāttau
siṁharṣabhau dvāviva vaidyutēna||9||
nūnaṁ sa kālō mr̥garūpadhārī
mā malpabhāgyāṁ lulubhē tadānīm|
yatrāryaputraṁ visasarja mūḍhā
rāmānujaṁ lakṣmaṇapūrvajaṁ ca||10||

sa||hārāma hā lakṣmaṇa hā sumitrē hā rāmamātāḥ mē jananyā saha alpabhāgyā ēṣā ahaṁ mahāṇavē mūḍhavātā nauriva vipadyāmi|| mr̥gasya rūpaṁ dhārayatā satvēna tarasvinau tau manujēṁdraputrau vaidyutēna dvau siṁharṣabhau iva mama kāraṇāt nūnam viśastau||nūnaṁ sa kālaḥ mr̥garūpadhārī tadānīṁ alpabhāgyāṁ māṁ lulubhē yatra mūḍhā rāmānujaṁ lakṣmaṇapūrvajam āryaputraṁ ca visasarja||

Oh Rama Oh Lakshmana Oh Sumitra Oh Rama's mother Oh my own mother I am an ill starred woman going to perish , like the ship caught in whirlwind in the midst of an ocean. The two princes must have been killed by the creature in the guise of a deer on my account like the two mighty lions are killed by the bolt of lightning. Surely that is the fate in the guise of a deer that tempted this unfortunate soul which sent away Rama's brother and Lakshmana's elder brother.

hārāma satyavrata dīrghabāhō
hā pūrṇa caṁdra pratimānavaktra|
hā jīvalōkaśca hitaḥ priyaśca
vadhyāṁ na māṁ vētsi hi rākṣasānām||11||
ananya daivatva miyaṁ kṣamā ca
bhūmau ca śayyā niyamaśca dharmē|
pativratā tvaṁ viphalaṁ mamēdaṁ
kr̥taṁ kr̥taghnēṣviva mānuṣāṇām||12||

sa||satyavrata dīrghabāhō hā rāma hā pūrṇacaṁdra pratimāna vaktrahā jīvalōkasya hitaḥ priyaśca mām rakṣasānāṁ vadhyāṁ na vētsi|| ananyadaivatvaṁ iyaṁ kṣamā ca bhūmau śayya dharmē niyamaśca pativratātvaṁ mama idaṁ kr̥taghnēṣu mānuṣāṇāṁ kr̥tamiva viphalam ||

Oh The one commtted to truth ! Oh the long armed one ! O Rama whose face shines like a full moon ! oh beloved of the world dear to every one ! You do not know that I am to be killed by the Rakshasas. Inspite of being not devoted to any other god other than you , sleeping on the ground, maintaining righteous course of action, maintaining discipline, maintaining the vows of chastity my efforts are failing like the prayers of an ungrateful person.

mōghō hi dharmaścaritō mayāsyam
tathaikapatnītva midaṁ nirartham|
yā tvāṁ na paśyāmi kr̥śā vivarṇā
hīnā tvayā saṁgamanē nirāśā||13||
piturnidēśam niyamēna kr̥tvā
vanān nivr̥ttaścaritavrataśca|
strībhistu manyē vipulēkṣaṇābhi
stvaṁ raṁsyasē vītabhayaḥ kr̥tārthaḥ||14||

sa|| yā tvāṁ napaśyāmi tvayā hīnā saṁgamānē nirāśā kr̥śā vivarṇā mayā caritaḥ ayaṁ dharmaḥ mōghaḥ hi | tathā idaṁ ēkapatnītvāṁ nirartham||tvaṁ pituḥ nirdēśaṁ niyamēna kr̥tvā caritavratasya vanāt nivr̥taḥ vīta bhayaḥ kr̥tārthaḥ vipulēkṣaṇābhiḥ strībhiḥ raṁsyasē manyē||

Not seeing you , deprived of your company, with no hope in reuniting , following the righteous path and devotion to you is useless. Having fulfilled the pledge to your father, having returned from the forest , free of fear , being an accomplished one you will surely revel in the company of large eyed damsels.

ahaṁ tu rāmā tvayi jāta kāmā
ciraṁ vināśāya nibaddhabhāvā|
mōghaṁ caritvā:'tha tapōvrataṁ ca
tyakṣyāmi dhik jīvita malpabhāgyā||15||
sā jīvitaṁ kṣipra mahaṁ tyajēyaṁ
viṣēṇa śastrēṇa śitēna vāpi|
viṣasya dātā na hi mē:'sti kaścit
śastrasya vā vēśmani rākṣasasya||16||

sa|| rāmā tvayi jātakāmā aham tu ciraṁ nibaddhabhāvā tapaḥ vrataṁ ca mōghaṁ vināśāya caritvātha jivitaṁ takṣyāmi | alpabhāgyāṁ dhik||sā ahaṁ kṣipraṁ jīvitaṁ viṣēṇa śitēna śastrēṇa vā api tyajēyaṁ | rākṣasasya vēśmani mē viṣasya śastrasya vā dātā kaścit nāsti||

Oh Rama I loved you . I have for a long time kept my feelings of love fixed on you. I have also followed penance and all vows in vain only resulting in my doom. After practising I am giving up being luckless. Fie on me.I will end my life at once by taking poison or using sharp weapons. But in this palace of the king of Rakshasas there is no one who can give me poison or the weapons.

itīva dēvī bahudhā vilapya
sarvātmanā rāma manusmaraṁtī|
pravēpamānā pariśuṣkavaktrā
nagōttamaṁ puṣpita māsa sāda||17||
śōkābhitaptā bahudhā viciṁtyā
sītāstha vēṇyudgrathanaṁ gr̥hītvā|
udbadhya vēṇyudgrathanēna śīghraṁ
ahaṁ gamiṣyāmi yamasya mūlam||18||

sa|| dēvī itīva bahudhā vilapya sarvātmanā rāmaṁ anusmaraṁtī pravēpamānā pariṣuṣkavaktrā puṣpitaṁ nagōttamam asasāda ||śōkābhitaptā śītā bahudhā vicintya atha vēṇyud-gradhanaṁ gr̥hītvā ahaṁ vēṇyud-gradhanēna ud-budhya śīghraṁ yamasya mūlaṁ gamiṣyāmi||

In this way the pale looking Queen Sita sorrowing in many ways, and always thinking of Rama, shivering approached the great tree in bloom. Drenched in sorrow , thinking in many ways, took hold of her long braid said to herself - 'tying myself with this braid I shall reach the Yama's abode quickly'.

upasthitā sā mr̥dusarvagātrī
śākhāṁgr̥hītvā:'tha nagasya tasya |
tasyāstu rāmaṁ praviciṁtayaṁtyā
rāmānujaṁ svaṁ ca kulaṁ śubhāṁgyāḥ||19||
śōkānimittāni tathā bahūni
dhairyārjitāni pravarāṇi lōkē|
prādurnimittāni tadā babhūvuḥ
purāpi siddhā nyupalakṣitāni||20||

sa|| atha mr̥dusarvagātrī sā tasya nagasya śākhāṁ gr̥hītvā (upasthitā)| rāmaṁ rāmānujaṁ svaṁ kulaṁ ca praviciṁtayaṁtyā śubhāṁgyāḥ tasyāḥ tu śōkānimittāni dhairyārjitāni lōkē pravarāṇi tathā purāpi siddhāni upalakṣitāni bahūni nimittāni prādurbhabhūvuḥ||

Then the lady of delicate limbs, holding the branch of that Simsupa tree stood. She was thinking of Rama , his brother, her own family then auspicious omens which are harbingers of courage, which are dispellers of sorrow, which were proven in olden times appeared on her auspicious body

ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē ādikāvyē vālmīkīyē
caturviṁśat sahasrikāyāṁ saṁhitāyām
śrīmatsuṁdarakāṁḍē aṣṭāviṁśassargaḥ||

Thus ends the Sarga twenty eight of Sundarakanda in Ramayana the first poem composed in Sanskrit by the first poet sage Valmiki.

||om tat sat||