Sri Valmiki Ramayanam -Aranya Kanda (Book 3) Sarga 46 to 50

Sree MadValmiki Ramayanam

( Translation and Commentary by Scholar, 

 Sreeman Brahmasree Desiraju Hanumantharao ji

and  Sreeman Brahmasree K M K Murthy ji )

Sree MadValmiki Ramayanam

Book III : Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest

Chapter [Sarga] 46

Introduction

Ravana praises Seetha's beauty by extolling every limb of hers, though he enters like a Brahman sanyaasi, a friar. He indulges in a most untoward laudation that is unbefitting for a saintly and elderly almsman. Unable to refute him, because he is in such a pious garb, she had to invite him as an untimely guest

tayaa paruSam uktaH tu kupito raaghava anujaH |
sa vikaa.nkSan bhR^isham raamam pratasthe na ciraat iva || 3-46-1

1. tayaa= by her [Seetha]; paruSam uktaH= rudely, who is spoken to [Lakshmana]; saH raaghava anujaH= he, Raghava's, younger brother; kupitaH= is infuriated; bhR^isham= very much; vi kaankSan= verily, yearning [to see Rama]; na ciraat iva= not, lately [at once]; raamam pratasthe= towards Rama, journeyed.

Raghava's younger brother Lakshmana is very much infuriated at Seetha who spoke to him rudely, as such he journeyed towards Rama at once as though he is yearning to see Rama immediately, albeit his heart wanted him to stand guard to Seetha. [3-46-1]

tadaa aasaadya dashagriivaH kSipram a.ntaram aasthitaH |
abhicakraama vaidehiim parivraajaka ruupa dhR^ik || 3-46-2

2. antaram aasthitaH= interval [opportunity,] taking hold of; dasha griivaH= ten, throated [headed one, Ravana]; tadaa aasaadya= then, on getting it - opportunity; pari vraajaka= roundabout, moving [Brahman] sanyaasi [meandering friar]; ruupa dhR^ik [dhR^it]= aspect, adopting [wearing]; kSipram= quickly; vaidehiim abhicakraama= to Vaidehi, moved towards - approached.

Quickly taking hold of intervallic time then the ten-headed Ravana approached Vaidehi adopting an aspect of a sanyaasi, a meandering Brahman friar. [3-46-2]

shlakSNa kaaSaaya sa.mviitaH shikhii chatrii upaanahii |
vaame ca a.mse avasajya atha shubhe yaSTi kamaNDaluu || 3-46-3
parivraajaka ruupeNa vaidehiim anvavartata |

3, 4a. atha= now; shlakSNa kaaSaaya samviitaH [tat parivraajakaH]= smooth [silky,] saffron, enwrapped in [cloaked in] [that sanyaasi is]; shikhii= with tufted head-hair; chatrii= with an umbrella; upaanahii= with [wooden] sandals; vaame amse= on left, shoulder; shubhe yaSTi kamaNDaluu= auspicious, sanyaasi's shaft, handy water-vessel; avasajya= arranged [hooked - water vessel hooked to hand-shaft]; parivraajaka ruupeNa= with meandering sanyaasi's, mien; vaidehiim anvavartata= towards Vaidehi, approached to.

That sanyaasi is now cloaked in smooth silky saffron, his head-hair is neatly tufted, sandals are wooden, umbrella is on right shoulder, and on his left shoulder a shaft of sanyaasi is shouldered, onto which his handy water vessel is hooked, and he proceeded towards Vaidehi in a mien of meandering sanyaasi. [3-46-3, 4a]

There are many dress rules to a sanyasi 'the Hindu sanyaasi' where the main items are, as said by Sage Angiirasa: brahma s¨tram tridanýam ca vastram jantu niv˜raõam | þikyam p˜tram b®sŸm caiva kaupŸnam ka÷i veÿ÷itam 'sacred thread, three-shafts, saffron clothing, deerskin, handy water vessel, grass-mat, loin-cloth, girdle-cloth... by these he will be known as a real sanyasi 'Hindu sanyaasi.' Out of all these items, the shafts make a difference. Vaishnavaite sanyaasi-s handle three shafts tied into one, and the three are symbolic to cit, acit, iishvara 'animate, inanimate, and lord...' and on this Manu says v˜k daõýa× ca mano daõýa× k˜ya daõýa× tathaiva ca | yasya ete nihit˜ buddhau sa tridaõýŸ ca ucya te the word daNDa means 'repressing, suppression, control...' thus a sanyaasi has to control his 'speech, mind, and body... by that alone he is renowned as sanyasi... Manu. As such, Ravana is in the getup of an unmistakable Brahman sanyaasi, with an unbridled tongue.

taam aasasaada atibalo bhraatR^ibhyaam rahitaam vane || 3-46-4
rahitaam suurya candraabhyaam sa.ndhyaam iva mahat tamaH |

4b, 5a. ati balaH= great-mighty - Ravana; vane bhraatR^ibhyaam rahitaam= in forest, two brothers, without - she who is - Seetha; taam= her; suurya candraabhyaam rahitaam= sun, moon [either of them,] without; sandhyaam= [lively] eventide; mahat tamaH= great, darkness - overpowering an evening; iva= like; Ravana; aasasaada= reached.

As with a pitchiest gloom overcoming the sunless and moonless lively eventide, that great-mighty Ravana came over to Vaidehi in that forest, when she is without two of the brothers, namely Rama and Lakshmana. [3-46-4b, 5a]

taam apashyat tato baalaam raaja putriim yashasviniim || 3-46-5
rohiNiim shashinaa hiinaam grahavat bhR^isha daaruNaH |

5b, 6a. tataH= then; bhR^isha daaruNaH= extremely, sinister [planet, as well as Ravana]; yashasviniim= glorious one; raaja putriim= king's, daughter - princess; baalaam= of young age - youthful one; taam= her [at Seetha]; shashinaa hiinaam rohiNiim= by Moon, devoid of, at Star Rohini; grahavat= like a [bad] planet; [yathaa= as with]; apashyat= [Ravana] has seen.

As a sinister planet looks over Star Rohini when she is devoid of Moon, that extremely sinister Ravana then looked over the glorious and youthful princess Seetha. [3-46-5b, 6a]

Rohini is the principle star and dear wife of the Moon will be in lunar asterism of the same name, and when she comes in the view of planets like Saturn and Mars astrology predicts earthly havocs. Hence, Ravana is compared with such a planet and Seetha with Rohini.

tam ugram paapa karmaaNam janasthaana gataa drumaaH || 3-46-6
sa.mdR^ishya na praka.mpante na pravaati ca maarutaH |

6b, 7a. ugram paapa karmaaNam= Ravana who is with - ferocity, with iniquitous, activities; tam samdR^ishya= him, on observing; janasthaana gataa drumaaH= in Janasthaana, gone in [existing in,] trees; na pra kampante= are not, in full, sway; maarutaH ca= wind, also; na pra vaati= not, in full, swing.

On observing ferocious Ravana whose activities are iniquitous, the trees of Janasthaana are not in full sway, nor the wind is in full swing. [3-46-6b, 7a]

shiighra srotaaH ca tam dR^iSTvaa viikSa.ntam rakta locanam || 3-46-7
stimitam ga.ntum aarebhe bhayaat godaavarii nadii |

7b, 8a. shiighra srotaaH ca= rapid, with onrushes, also; godaavarii nadii= Godavari, river; rakta locanam viikSantam= with bloodshot, eyes, one who is looking about; tam dR^iSTvaa= him, on seeing; bhayaat= from fright; stimitam gantum aarebhe= quietly, to go [to rush off,] started to.

On seeing him who is seeing with his bloodshot eyes, River Godavari too is frightened and started to rush off quietly, whose onrush will be rapid otherwise. [3-46-7b, 8a]

The reaction of the trees, wind, and river is as said by gods to Brahma in Bala Kanda, at 1-15-10: "Surya, the Sun will not verily parch Ravana. Maarutha, the Air will not surge at his sides. On seeing Ravana, the lord of the undulating, drifting waves, Ocean... will not pulsate either, and will hide the undulating waves, for the waves are his wives, and Ravana may abduct them... like Seetha."

raamasya tu a.ntaram prepsuH dashagriivaH tat a.ntare || 3-46-8
upatasthe ca vaidehiim bhikSu ruupeNa raavaNaH |

8b, 9a. raamasya tu= Rama's, but - some [lapse or the other]; antaram prepsuH= lapse - misstep, waiting for; dashagriivaH= ten, throated one - Decahedron; raavaNaH= Ravana; tat antare= in that, meanwhile; bhikSu ruupeNa= sanyaasi, in the getup of; vaidehiim upatasthe= to Vaidehi neared.

In the meanwhile the Decahedron demon Ravana, who is all the while waiting for some lapse of Rama, neared Vaidehi in the getup of a sanyaasi. [3-46-8b, 9a]

abhavyo bhavya ruupeNa bhartaaram anushocatiim || 3-46-9
abhyavartata vaidehiim citraam iva shanaishcaraH |

9b, 10a. a + bhavyaH= not, proper - disgraceful Ravana; bhartaaram anushocatiim vaidehiim= of husband, who is thinking over, to Vaidehi; bhavya ruupeNa= proper, in mien [graceful mien of a Brahman almsman]; shanaiH caraH= slower, mover - slow moving Saturn; citraam iva= to Star Citra, as with; abhyavartata= made advances to.

That disgraceful Ravana made advances in a graceful mien of Brahman almsman to Vaidehi who is thinking over her husband, like the slow moving Saturn making advance to Star Citra which will be ominous. [3-46-9b, 10a]

sahasaa bhavya ruupeNa tR^iNaiH kuupa iva aavR^itaH || 3-46-10
atiSThat prekSya vaidehiim raama patniim yashasviniim |

10b, 11a. kuupaH tR^iNaiH [aavR^itaH] iva= wellspring, by grass, shrouded, like; bhavya ruupeNa aavR^itaH= decent, in getup, enshrouded [Ravana]; yashasviniim raama patniim vaidehiim= admirable, Rama, wife of, Vaidehi; prekSya= seeing her [leering her]; sahasaa atiSThat= in a trice, stood - in her fore.

Like a wellspring shrouded by grass, enshrouded in a decent getup of a Brahman friar, in a trice Ravana leeringly stood before of Vaidehi, the admirable wife of Rama. [3-46-10b, 11a]

This idiomatic usage of tR^iNa kuupa which draws upon straw, is held high by Dr. Satya Vrat, which is repeated often in Ramayana. He says 'Probably Kalidasa too was inspired by this very expression of Valmiki when he put it in the mouth of Shakuntala as she was being repudiated by Dushyanta: ko anyo dharma kancuka praveþina× t®õa k¨pa upama asya tava anuk˜ri bhaviÿyati - abhijñ˜na þ˜kuntalam Act 5.

tiSTan sa.mprekshya ca tadaa patniim raamasya raavaNa || 3-46-11
shubhaam rucira danta oSThiim puurNa candra nibha aananaam |
aasiinaam parNashaalaayaam baaSpa shoka abhipiiDitaam || 3-46-12
sa taam padma palaasha akSiim piita kausheya vaasiniim |
abhyagacChata vaidehiim hR^iSTa cetaa nishaa caraH || 3-46-13

11b, 12, 13. tadaa= then; raavaNaH= Ravana; raamasya patniim= at Rama's, wife; tiSTan sam prekshya= while standing, eyed; hR^iSTa [duSTa] cetaa= gladdened [wicked,] hearted one; saH nishaa caraH= he, night, walker [Ravana]; shubhaam= at her - auspicious one; rucira danta oSThiim= having fine, teeth, lips; puurNa candra nibha aananaam= full, moon, shiny, visaged one; parNa shaalaayaam aasiinaam= in straw, cottage, who is seated; baaSpa shoka abhipiiDitaam= tears, lamentation, tortured by; padma palaasha akSiim= lotus, petal, eyed one; piita kausheya vaasiniim= ochry, silks, wearing; taam vaidehiim abhyagacChata= at her, Vaidehi, approached.

While standing before her then Ravana eyed at the auspicious wife of Rama, whose lips and teeth are fine, visage is shiny like a full moon, and who is presently tortured by her tearful lamentation and sitting in the straw-cottage, and he approached that lotus-petal eyed Vaidehi who is dressed in ochry silks, as that night-walker is gladdened at his heart for her solitude. [3-46-11b, 12,13]

dR^iSTvaa kaama shara aaviddho brahma ghoSam udiirayan |
abraviit prashritam vaakyam rahite raakSasa adhipaH || 3-46-14

14. kaama shara aaviddhaH= Love-god, arrows, hit by; raakSasa adhipaH= demons, king of; dR^iSTvaa= on seeing - her, Seetha; brahma ghoSam udiirayan= Vedic-hymns [said by Brahma,] resonances, uttering [resonating]; [jana] rahite= [people,] without, [to one without companions, to Seetha in solitariness]; pra shritam vaakyam abraviit= well, mannered, sentences, spoke.

He who is hit by the arrows of Love-god that king of demons Ravana, on seeing Seetha entered resonating the resonances of Vedic-hymns as precursory in seeking alms, and spoke these well-mannered sentences to her who is in solitariness. [3-46-14]

taam uttamaam trilokaanaam padma hiinaam iva shriyam |
vibhraajamaanaam vapuSaa raavaNaH prashashamsa ha || 3-46-15

15. tri lokaanaam= in three, worlds; uttamaam= excellent one [Seetha]; padma hiinaam shriyam iva= Divine-lotus, devoid of, Goddess Lakshmi, [just] like; vapuSaa vibhraajamaanaam= with body [beauty of body, ] beaming forth; taam raavaNaH prashashamsa ha= her, Ravana, acclaimed, really.

Ravana really acclaimed her who is an excellent one in all the three worlds, beaming forth with the beauty of her body, and who is like Goddess Lakshmi but for Divine-lotus as Her settle, for Seetha is devoid of her settling, namely Rama. [3-46-15]

kaa tvam kaa.ncana varNa aabhe piita kausheya vaasini |
kamalaanaam shubhaam maalaam padminii iva ca bibhratii || 3-46-16

16. kaancana varNa aabhe= oh, one with - gold's, glitter, glittering; piita kausheya vaasini= ochry, in silks, silkened; padminii iva kamalaanaam= lotus-tendril, like, of lotuses; shubhaam maalaam bibhratii= divine, garland [you wear]; kaa tvam= who, you are.

"Glittering like the glitter of gold, silkened in ochry silks, you are like a lotus-tendril garlanded with divine lotuses as your ensemble, who are you?" Thus Ravanan started addressing Seetha [3-46-16]

The beautiful outfits on this lotus-stalk like Seetha are her mukha kamala, netra kamala, kara kamala, paada kamala... 'lotus-eyes, lotus-face, lotus-stalk like hands and lotus-feet and other limbs...' The word padmini also means a 'lake' besides the runner of lotus plant. The first compound is also read as: raupya kaancana aabhaa meaning 'shining like silver and gold...' but it is in limited mms and with very limited use.

hriiH shriiH kiirtiH shubhaa lakSmiiH apsaraa vaa shubha aanane |
bhuutir vaa tvam varaaarohe ratir vaa svaira caariNii || 3-46-17

17. shubha aanane= oh, rosy, faced one; varaaarohe= oh, curvacious one; tvam= [are] you; hriiH kiirtiH shriiH= [personified] Respect, or Renown, or Resplendence; shubhaa lakSmiiH vaa= felicitous, Lakshmi, or; apsaraa= or [nymphal] apsara; bhuutiH vaa= or Benefactress, or; svaira caariNii= or self, moving [motivated woman]; ratiH vaa= Rati, or.

"Oh, rosy faced one, are you the personified numen of Respect, Renown or Resplendence, or the Felicitous Lakshmi herself, or oh, curvaceous one, are you a nymphal Apsara, or the numen of Benefactress, or a self-motivated woman, or Rati Devi, the consort of Manmatha, the Love God. [3-46-17]

These three attributes are as informed by gods to Vishnu about the three wives of Dasharatha at 1-15-20, as: hrii, HR^illekha, virtue, modesty, uprightness... shrii, shriikaara affluence, prosperity and also suggestive of resplendence, radiance of that prosperity or effluence and kiirti fame, renown, glory... a bhuuti, vibhuuti is accordance, give-all, fortune. The ash applied on forehead in worships is to be applied with a verse bhuutir bhuutikar iishvarii... and for each of these attributes, a presiding deity is there with the same name. Here the hrii is also taken to mean bhuu devi 'Mother Earth' another wife of Vishnu. The addressing varaarohe etc., are the attributes of the addressees as a beautiful woman in the group of: varaarohaa, matta kaashinii, uttamaa, vara varNiniii - amara kosha .

samaaH shikhariNaH snigdhaaH paaNDuraa dashanaaH tava |
vishaale vimale netre raktaante kR^iSNa taarake || 3-46-18

18. tava dashanaaH= your, teeth; samaaH= are evenly; shikhariNaH= have tips like jasmine buds; snigdhaaH= smooth; paaNDuraa= whitely; netre vishaale vimale= eyes, broad, spotless; rakta ante= red, at ends; kR^iSNa taarake= black, starred [irises, pupils are black.]

"Your teeth are evenly, smooth and their tips are like jasmine buds, and your whitish broad eyes are spotless, reddish at ends, and pupils are black. [3-46-18]

vishaalam jaghanam piinam uuruu kari kara upamau |
etau upacitau vR^ittau sa.mhatau sa.mpragalbhitau || 3-46-19
piina unnata mukhau kaantau snigdha taala phala upamau |
maNi praveka aabharaNau rucirau te payo dharau || 3-46-20

19, 20. vishaalam jaghanam= beamy, hips; piinam uuruu= burly, thighs; kari kara upamau= elephant's, hand [trunk,] akin to; te= your; etau= these; maNi praveka aabharaNau= those that have - jewellery, best, ornamented; payaH dharau= milk, bearers - two breasts; upa citau= butting [rubbing each other]; vR^ittau= rotund; sam hatau= well, bumping against each; sam pragalbhitau [sam pra valgitau]= verily, unobtainable [very, well, swinging up]; piina unnata mukhau= brawny, jutting out, faces [of breasts - nipples]; kaantau= covetable; snigdha taala phala upamau= smooth, palm, fruit, like; rucirau= beautiful.

"Your hips are beamy, thighs burly akin to elephant's trunks, and these two breasts of yours that are ornamented with best jewellery are rotund, rubbing and bumping each other, and they are swinging up and up, their nipples are brawny and jutting out, and they are smoothish like palm-fruits, thus they are covetable for they are beautiful. [3-46-19, 20]

caaru smite caaru dati caaru netre vilaasini |
mano harasi me raame nadii kuulam iva a.mbhasaa || 3-46-21
karaantamita madhyaa asi sukeshii sa.mhata stanii |

21, 22a. caaru smite= oh, on who has - alluring, smile; caaru dati= alluring, teeth; caaru netre= alluring, eyes; vilaasini= oh, allurer; raame= oh, beautiful lady [or, Raamaa, the female form of Rama]; nadii ambhasaa kuulam iva= river, by water [by spate,] riverbank [eroding,] as with; me manaH harasi= my, soul, you are robbing; kara anta mita madhyaa= hand, inside, limitable, waisted - a palmful is your waist; su keshii= good, head-hair [velvety hair]; samhata stanii asi= - jostling, breasted one, you are - breasts extrusive to each other.

"Oh, allurer, your smile is alluring, teeth are alluring, and your eyes allure, oh, beauty, your waist is palmful, your hair velvety, your breasts are jostling, and you rob my soul as a spate robs riverbank. [3-46-21, 22a]

na eva devii na gandhar.hvii na yakSii na ca ki.mnarii || 3-46-22
na evam ruupaa mayaa naarii dR^iSTa puurvaa mahii tale |

22b, 23a. mayaa= by me; mahii tale= on earth's, face; evam ruupaa naarii= this kind of, featured, woman [earthly female]; na dR^iSTa puurvaa= not, seen, earlier [hither to]; devii= a goddess; na eva= not [seen,] in that way; gandharvii na= gandharva female, no; yakSii na= yaksha female, no; kinnarii na= kinnara female, no.

"I have not hitherto seen any earthly female with this kind of features on the face of earth; or, a goddess - no; a gandharva female - no; yaksha female - no; kinnaraa female - no, none whosoever! [3-46-22b, 23a]

ruupam agryam ca lokeSu saukumaaryam vayaH ca te || 3-46-23
iha vaasaH ca kaa.ntaare cittam unmathayanti me |

23b, 24a. lokeSu agryam te ruupam= in [three] worlds, excellent, by features; saukumaaryam vayaH ca= with fragility, youthfulness, also; iha kaantaare vaasaH ca= here, in thick of forest, living, also; me cittam unmathayanti [unmaadayati]= my, heart, highly stirring up [maddening, I marvel why.]

"I marvel why an excellent one in all the three worlds by her features, more so, fragile and youthful as yourself should be living here in the thick of forest. [3-46-23b, 24, 25a]

saa pratikraama bhadram te na tvam vastum iha ar.hhasi || 3-46-24
raakSasaanaam ayam vaaso ghoraaNaam kaama ruupiNaam |

25b, 26a. saa= such as you are; prati kraama= return, you go; te bhadram= to you, safety betides; iha tvam vastum na arhasi= here, to live, you, not, suitable for you [inapt of you]; ayam= this [forest]; ghoraaNaam kaama ruupiNaam= for ghastly ones, by wish, guise-changers; raakSasaanaam vaasaH= for demons, dwelling-place.

Such as you are you go back, let safety betide you, as you are unsuited to live in here, for this forest is the dwelling for ghastly demons who by their wish will be changing their guise. [3-46-24b, 25a]

praasaada agraaNi ramyaaNi nagara upavanaani ca || 3-46-25
sa.mpannaani sugandhiini yuktaani aacaritum tvayaa |

25b, 26a. praasaada agraaNi ramyaaNi= skyscrapers, rooftops, delightful ones; sampannaani= flourishing ones; sugandhiini= richly fragranced ones; nagara upavanaani ca= city, pleasure-gardens, also - they alone; tvayaa aacaritum yuktaani= by you, to saunter, befitting.

"Delightful rooftops of skyscrapers, flourishing and richly fragranced pleasure-gardens of cities alone are meetly to you to saunter. [3-46-25b, 26a]

varam maalyam varam ga.ndham varam vastram ca shobhane || 3-46-26
bhartaaram ca varam manye tvat yuktam asitekSaNe |

26b, 27a. a+sita+iikSaNe= not, white, one with eyes - oh, one with blackish eyes; shobhane= oh, beauteous one; varam maalyam= best, garlands; varam gandham [bhojyam]= best, scent [foodstuffs]; varam vastram ca= best, clothing, also; varam bhartaaram ca= best, husband, also; tvat yuktam= to you, meetly; manye= I opine.

Oh, beauteous lady, I opine that only best garlands, best scents, best foodstuffs, best clothing are meetly to you, oh, lady with black pupils, hence it is meet and right to you to have a best husband. Or "Getting at you, the garlands, scents, foodstuffs, or clothing, they all become the best, because you are the best beauteous one, as such, he alone becomes a best person who gets you as his wife, and it is meet and right to you to choose such a husband, [aside: me alone.] [3-46-26b, 27a]

kaa tvam bhavasi rudraaNaam marutaam vaa shucismite || 3-46-27
vasuunaam vaa varaaarohe devataa pratibhaasi me |

27b, 28a. shuci smite= oh, one with impeccable smile; varaaarohe= oh, lay with best midriff - a curvaceous one; tvam kaa bhavasi= you, who, are; rudraaNaam= among Rudraa-gods; marutaam vaa= of Marut-gods, or; vasuunaam vaa= of Vasu-s, or; me devataa pratibhaasi= to me, as goddess, you are beaming forth to me.

"Oh, curvaceous lady, who are you? Oh, one with an impeccable smile, do you belong to Rudraa-gods, or Marut-gods, or to Vasu-s? To me you are beaming forth like a goddess. [3-46-27b, 28a]

Vividly: 'your kind of female is unspotted by me among humans, so you must be some goddess, but I have marked all gods and there I did not find you. This province belongs to demons. As such, gods, gandharva-s, kinnaraa-s and others cannot enter this place, let alone the gods from Shiva's side, because Shiva is the Ultimate for demons. If so, do you belong to ekaa dasha rudraa-s eleven Rudraa-s? Or, because Air can circulate here, do you belong to any of the forty-nine marut gaNaa-s, Wind-gods? Or, because earth has ancient connections with aSTa vasu-s, eight-Vasu-s, do you belong to any one of them?' Further, Seetha is not smiling throughout this chapter as her mind is set on her husband's safety. Nevertheless Ravana assumes that if Seetha smiles, that smile will be impeccable.

na iha gacCha.nti ga.ndharvaa na devaa na ca kinnaraaH || 3-46-28
raakSasaanaam ayam vaasaH katham tu tvam iha aagataa |

28b, 29a. iha gandharvaa na gacChanti= here, gandharva-s, not, they go - arrive; devaa na= gods, no; kinnaraaH ca na= kinnaraa-s, also, no; ayam raakSasaanaam vaasaH= this is, for demons, dwelling-place; tvam katham iha aagataa= you, how, to here, have come.

"This is the dwelling-place of demons, and no goddess, nor a gandharva, nor a kinnara can arrive here, but how you have come here? [3-46-28b, 29a]

iha shaakhaamR^igaaH si.mhaa dviipi vyaaghra mR^igaaH tathaa || 3-46-29
R^ikSaaH tarakSavaH ka.nkaaH katham tebhyo na bibhyase |

29b, 30a. iha= here; shaakh aamR^igaaH= tree-branch, animals [simians]; simhaa dviipi vyaaghra= lions, leopards, tigers; tathaa= likewise; mR^igaaH= predators; R^ikSaaH tarakSavaH kankaaH [caranti]= bears, tigers, vultures, [will be moving]; tebhyaH katham na bibhyase= from them, how, not, frightened you are.

"Here, simians, lions, leopards, tigers, likewise other predators, bears, tigers, vultures will be moving. How you are not frightened from them? [3-46-29b, 30a]

mada anvitaanaam ghoraaNaam ku.njaraaNaam tarasvinaam || 3-46-30
katham ekaa mahaaraNye na bibheSi varaaanane |

30b, 31a. vara aanane= oh, best faced one; mahaa araNye= in great forest; mada anvitaanaam= rut, possessing; ghoraaNaam= horrendous ones; tarasvinaam= mighty ones; kunjaraaNaam= from [such] elephants; ekaa katham na bibheSi= a lonely one, how, not, you are scared.

"Being alone in this forest, oh, lady with a lovely face, how you are unafraid of horrendous and mighty elephants possessed of rut? [3-46-30b, 31a]

kaa asi kasya kutaH ca tvam kim nimittam ca daNDakaan || 3-46-31
ekaa carasi kalyaaNi ghoraan raakSasa sevitaan |

31, 32b. kalyaaNi= oh, auspicious lady; tvam= you; kaa asi= who, are you; kasya= whose - to whom you belong; kutaH ca= from where, also- you have come; raakSasa sevitaan ghoraan daNDakaan= by demons, adored, dreadful, Dandaka forest; ekaa= lonely; kim nimittam carasi= for what, reason, you move about.

"Oh, auspicious lady, who are you? Whose are you? Also from where are you? And being lonely, what for you are moving in dreadful Dandaka forest that is adored by demons?" Thus Ravana spoke to Seetha. [3-46-31, 32b]

iti prashastaa vaidehii raavaNena duraatmanaa - mahaatmanaa- || 3-46-32
dvijaati veSeNa hi tam dR^iSTvaa raavaNam aagatam |
sarvaiH atithi satkaaraiH puujayaamaasa maithilii || 3-46-33

32b, 33. duraatmanaa [mahaatmanaa]= by wicked minded one, [by great-souled Ravana]; raavaNena= by Ravana; iti prashastaa= thus, praised; maithilii vaidehii= one from Mithila, Vaidehi; dvijaati veSeNa aagatam= by twice-born [Brahman,] with getup, one who arrived; tam raavaNam dR^iSTvaa= him, at Ravana, on seeing; sarvaiH atithi satkaaraiH= with all, [casual] guest, [affordable] respects; puujayaamaasa= she started to revere.

When the wicked minded Ravana praised her in this way, Vaidehi the princess from Mithila has seen him who has arrived in the getup of Brahman and started to revere him with all the respects affordable to a casual guest. [3-46-32b, 33]

upaaniiya aasanam puurvam paadyena abhinima.ntrya ca |
abraviit siddham iti eva tadaa tam saumya darshanam || 3-46-34

34. tadaa= then; puurvam aasanam upaaniiya= firstly, seat, on fetching; paadyena abhinimantrya ca= with water, invited, also; saumya darshanam= he who has - gracious, bearing; [bhiksha] siddham iti eva= [food, alms] ready, thus, only; abraviit= said to him.

She firstly fetched a seat him, then invited him with water for feet-wash, and then said to him who looked gracious in his bearing, 'alms are ready.' [3-46-34]

dvijaati veSeNa samiikSya maithilii
tam aagatam paatra kusu.mbha dhaariNam |
ashakyam uddveSTum upaaya darshanaan
nyama.ntrayat braahmaNavat yathaa aagatam || 3-46-35

35. tadaa= then; maithilii= Maithili; dvijaati veSeNa= in Brahman's, getup of; aagatam= who has arrived; paatra kusumbha dhaariNam= a vessel [alms-bowl,] saffron-robe [or, kamaDulu, handy vessel, as the word kusumbha means doubly, robe is taken here,] wearing; ud dveSTum= to flatly refute [irrefutable appearance]; a + shakyam= not, possible one - not a rejectable one; upaaya [a] darshanaan [apaaya a darshanam]= idea [reason,] [not,] found [danger, not, seen= one in an unimperilling appearance]; samiikSya= on exploring - him;braahmaNa vat= a Brahman, like; yathaa aagatam= as, he came nyamantrayat= invited.

Maithili explored him who arrived with the features of a Brahman, with a saffron-robe and alms-bowl, and finding no reason to refute him flatly, as he has come like a Brahman, she invited him as a Brahman. Or Maithili explored him who arrived with the features of a Brahman, with a saffron-robe and alms-bowl, and as he came with an unimperilling appearance of a Brahman, she invited him as she would ordinarily invite a real Brahman. [3-46-35]

Did she recognise Ravana as a pseudo-Brahman or not... is the doubt raised by this verse, because different texts use different compounds apaaya a darshanam.... upaaya a darshanam etc. It is concluded that she, for sure, identified him as a pseudo-Brahman, because she has seen many such sanyasi-s while she was in Mithila. Hence she is said here as Maithili because she hails from Mithila and her father's court was full with these sanyasi-s, yati-s, parivraajaka-s. Then it is questioned as to why she invited him, though recognised him as a pseudo-Brahman. For this Govindaraja says: k˜ÿ˜ya daõýa m˜treõa yati× p¨jyo na samþaya× 'By spotting the saffron robe alone, a sanyasi is venerable...' Then, another doubt is raised as to how she noticed him to be pseudo- sanyasi . For this it is said r˜tri adhv˜nam y˜nam ca strŸ kath˜ laulyam eva ca | mancakam þukla vastram yatŸn˜m patan˜ni ÿa÷ || 'Walking during night, using vehicles, showing interest in episodes relating to women, and relations with women, using a cot to sleep, wearing white cloths... these six show the downfall of his sanyaasi-hood...' Ravana is indulged in strii kathaa in the whole of this chapter, in admiring at her lips, breasts, thighs etc., and no usual swasti vacana, shubha aashiis 'blessings...' are uttered by him and thus Seetha could discern him to be a pseudo- sanyasi. Though knowing him as such, why should she revere him at all, is another question. What else she could do as his appearance itself is uddveSTum a shakyam 'irrefutable appearance of a Brahman sanyasi...' hence, somehow some time is to be gained until the arrival of Rama or Lakshmana. Otherwise, this pseudo-sanyasi may cause any pseudo-problem that she cannot solve. For this, the reply is at the word in the last verse haritam dadarsha... 'only greenery is seen by her not Rama nor Lakshmana...' And in the next verse itself she is addressing him as a "Brahman...' but not with the titles like sanyasi or yatiishvara, paramahamsa, parivraajaka etc. A Brahmin alone is eligible to take up sanyaasa 'Hindu-sanyaasi-hood...' not Kshatriya or others. Hence, she concluded him to be Brahman. When once the sanyaasi-hood is taken he is no more a Brahman and his bodily being neutralises in the Absolute, and such a sanyaasi shall drag on his body, without comfortable bodily needs, until his natural death. But Seetha is addressing him contrary to his stance.

iyam bR^isii braahmaNa kaamam aasyataam
idam ca paadyam pratigR^ihyataam iti |
idam ca siddham vana jaatam uttamam
tvat artham avyagram iha upabhujyataam 3-46-36

36. braahmaNa= oh, Brahman; iyam bR^isii= this is, Darbha-mat; kaamam aasyataam= comfortably, be seated; idam paadyam pratigR^ihyataam= here is, water, receive it; iti= thus on saying; idam uttamam vana jaatam= here is, best, in forest, produce [fruits, tubers, victuals]; tvat artham siddham= for your, sake, ready; iha avyagram upabhujyataam= now, relaxedly, be dined on.

"Oh, Brahman, this is the Darbha-grass-seat and you be seated comfortably, here is water, receive it for hand and feet wash, here is the forest grown victuals for your sake... dine on them relaxedly..." Thus Seetha said to Ravana. [3-46-36]

nima.ntryamaaNaH pratipuurNa bhaaSiNiim
narendra patniim prasamiikSya maithiliim |
prasahya tasyaa haraNe dhR^iDham manaH
samarpayaamaasa aatma vadhaaya raavaNaH || 3-46-37

37. nimantryamaaNaH= one who is being invited; raavaNaH= Ravana; prati puurNa bhaaSiNiim= in turn, thoroughly, talking [talking civilities contextually]; narendra patniim maithiliim= king's, wife, at Maithili; pra samiikSya= on thoroughly, observing; [sva] aatma vadhaaya= [his own,] himself, for destruction of; prasahya= [even] forcibly; tasyaa haraNe= in her, abduction; manaH dhR^iDham samarpayaamaasa= mind, firmly, started to dedicate.

Ravana thoroughly observed that wife of the king, Maithili, when she invited him talking civilities contextual in inviting a guest, that too Brahman sanyasi, and he firmed up his mind to abduct her even forcibly, and started to dedicate himself for destruction. [3-46-37]

tataH suveSam mR^igayaa gatam patim
pratiikSamaaNaa saha lakSmaNam tadaa |
niriikSamaaNaa haritam dadarsha tat
mahad vanam na eva tu raama lakSmaNau || 3-46-38

38. tataH= then; su veSam= beautiful, bodied one - shapely Rama; mR^igayaa gatam= for hunting, who has gone; saha lakSmaNam= with Lakshmana - one who ought to return with Lakshmana, or, Lakshmana who might be returning; patim prati ikSamaaNaa= husband, towards, one who is waiting for - Seetha; tadaa= thus; niriikSamaaNaa [vi viikkshamaaNaa]= gazing at [or, seeing all sides]; haritam tat mahat vanam dadarsha= greenery, that, great, forest's, she saw; raama lakSmaNau tu= Rama, Lakshmana, but; na eva= not, thus - she saw.

Then she looked forward for her shapely husband who has gone on a hunting game, and who must be returning along with Lakshmana, and though she looked intently she could only see the green backdrop of that great forest, but not Rama or Lakshmana. [3-46-38]

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye araNya kaaNDe SaT catvaarinshaH sargaH

Thus, this is the 46th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.

Book III : Aranya Kanda - The Forest Trek

Chapter [Sarga] 47

Introduction

The debate of Seetha and Ravana has started, as Ravana wished to woo Seetha. In the first instance Seetha believes him to be a Vedic Brahman but insists to know about him. Ravana reveals his identity and asks her to become his wife. Thereupon she goes into a frenzied state and brainstorms Ravana in all her curtness.

raavaNena tu vaidehii tadaa pR^iSTaa jihiir.hSuNaa |
parivraajaka ruupeNa shasha.msa aatmaanam aatmanaa || 3-47-1

1. tadaa= then; jihiirSuNaa= by one who wishes to steal; parivraajaka ruupeNa raavaNena= friar's, in mien, by Ravana; pR^iSTaa vaidehii= one who is asked, such Vaidehi; aatmaanam= about herself; aatmanaa= on her own; shashamsa= made clear - informed.

When Ravana whose intention is to abduct her has enquired thus, then on the basis of his Brahman friar's mien Seetha informed about herself on her own. [3-47-1]

braahmaNaH ca atithiH ca eSa anukto hi shapeta maam |
iti dhyaatvaa muhuurtam tu siitaa vacanam abraviit || 3-47-2

2. braahmaNaH ca= Brahman, also; atithiH ca= untimely guest, also; such as he is; eSa= he; an+ uktaH= not, said - if not replied; maam shapeta hi= me, he curses, indeed; iti muhuurtam dhyaatvaa= thus, briefly, thinking; siitaa vacanam abraviit= Seetha, sentence, spoke.

Thinking briefly that, 'he is a Brahman and an untimely guest, he will indeed curse me if he is not replied,' Seetha spoke this sentence. [3-47-2]

A lie cannot be uttered to a sanyaasi, much less to a Brahman. This friar appears as someone who is attired as a sanyaasi to fill his stomach. But he is Brahman, because he came booming Vedic hymns, which no other lesser Brahman can do. Thus, he is someone with a perfect Vedic background... and according to the saying yatiinaam puujanam kaaryam striyaa vaa puruSena... ' an ascetic is to be revered either by a lady or a gentleman...' and thus he cannot be turned out saying 'my husband is not at home...' and if he is neglected he may curse...' these are the criss-cross thoughts of Seetha at that moment. Ghastly Viradha boldly carried her off at one time, but she is yet to see the cunningness of a demon. So with a half-belief and half-heart she started to talk to him.

duhitaa janakasya aham maithilasya mahaatmanaH |
siitaa naamnaa asmi bhadram te raamasya mahiSii priyaa || 3-47-3

3. aham= I am; maithilasya [raajasya] mahaatmanaH janakasya duhitaa= of Mithila, [King's,] noble-souled, Janaka's, daughter; naamnaa siitaa asmi= by name, Seetha, I am; raamasya priyaa mahiSii [bhaaryaa]= Rama's, dear, queen [wife]; te bhadram= let safety betide you.

"I am the daughter of noble-souled Janaka, the king of Mithila, by name I am Seetha, and the dear wife and queen of Rama, let safety betide you. [3-47-3]

Here some versions use bhaaryaa 'wife' while some use mahiSii 'queen...' and this bhadram te coupled with jihiirSuNaa 'abduction wisher...' is taken as a forewarning to Ravana, as she immediately says who her husband is, as she is aware that this friar is Ravana. Then it implicitly means 'you who wish to abduct me, think twice, for my husband is Rama, and let safety prevail on whole of your dynasty, for it is hard to deal with Rama or with his dear queen-wife...'

uSitvaa dvaa dasha samaaH ikshvaakuuNaam niveshane |
bhu.njaanaa maanuSaan bhogaan sarva kaama samR^iddhinii || 3-47-4

4. dvaa dasha samaaH= two, ten [twelve,] years; ikshvaakuuNaam niveshane uSitvaa= Ikshvaku's, in residence, on residing; maanuSaan bhogaan bhunjaanaa= humanly, prosperities, relishing; sarva kaama samR^iddhinii= all, cherishes, in sumptuosity - I was.

"On residing in the residence of Ikshvaku-s in Ayodhya for twelve years, I was in sumptuosity of all cherishes while relishing all humanly prosperities. [3-47-4]

Mythically Seetha is Goddess Lakshmi and an accorder of prosperity. Here she is saying that she had to enjoy 'humanly indulgences...' because her husband incarnated himself as a man, and since she had to enjoy along with him in her in-law's place, she enjoyed those luxuries. Or, if this is read as a+ maanuSa bhogaan 'superhuman delights...' [of course, not 'inhuman delights...'] she enjoyed heavenly comforts as she was enjoying as Lakshmi in vaikunTha 'Milky Ocean of Vishnu.' And then, she is indirectly telling Ravana that she has come now as Seetha, after immolating herself as Vedavati, in an earlier incarnation, only to end Ravana.

tatra trayo dashe varSe raaja ama.ntryata prabhuH |
abhiSecayitum raamam sameto raaja man.htribhiH || 3-47-5

5. tatra= therein [of Ayodhya]; prabhuH raaja= lord and king - Dasharatha; trayaH dashe varSe= thirteenth, in year; raaja mantribhiH sametaH= imperial, ministers, together with; raamam abhiSecayitum= Rama, to anoint [as Crown Prince]; amantryata= deliberated.

"In the thirteenth year the lordly king Dasharatha deliberated together with his imperial ministers to anoint Rama as Crown Prince of Ayodhya. [3-47-5]

tasmin sa.mbhriyamaaNe tu raaghavasya abhiSecane |
kaikeyii naama bhartaaram mama aaryaa yaacate varam || 3-47-6

6. raaghavasya= Raghava's; tasmin abhiSecane sambhriyamaaNe tu= that, anointment, when being organised, but; kaikeyii naama= Kaikeyi, known as - named; mama aaryaa= my, venerable lady [mother-in-law]; bhartaaram varam yaacate= of her husband - Dasharatha, boon, begged.

"When Raghava's anointment was being organised my venerable mother-in-law known as Kaikeyi begged her husband Dasharatha for a boon. [3-47-6]

pratigR^ihya tu kaikeyii shvashuram sukR^itena me |
mama pravraajanam bhartur bharatasya abhiSecanam || 3-47-7
dvau ayaacata bhartaaram satyasa.ndham nR^ipottamam |

7, 8a. kaikeyii= Kaikeyi; me shvashuram= my, with father-in-law; su kR^itena= by good, deed [once done by Kaikeyi for Dasharatha]; pratigR^ihya= on restraining; satya sandham nR^ipa uttamam bhartaaram= truthfulness, abiding one, king, the best one, from such a husband - Dasharatha; mama bhartuH= my, husband's; pra vraajanam= distant, going [expatriation]; bharatasya abhiSecanam= Bharata's, anointment; dvau= two [boons]; ayaacata= she besought.

"Restraining my veracious father-in-law by a good deed once done by her in his respect, Kaikeyi besought two boons from him, namely expatriation of my husband, and anointment of her son Bharata. [3-47-7, 8a]

na adya bhokSye na ca svapsye na paasye kadaacana || 3-47-8
eSa me jiivitasya anto raamo yadi abhiSicyate |
iti bruvaaNaam kaikeyiim shvashuro me sa paarthivaH || 3-47-9
ayaacata arthaiH anvarthaiH na ca yaa.ncaam cakaara saa |

8b, 9, 10a. adya= now; raamaH abhiSicyate yadi= Rama, is anointed, if; na bhokSye= not, I eat; na ca svapsye= not, also, I sleep; kadaa cana= in any way - come what may; na paasye ca= not, I drink, also; eSa me jiivitasya antaH= this way, my, life's, ending; so said Kaika to Dasharatha; iti bruvaaNaam kaikeyiim= thus, speaking [nagging,] at Kaikeyi; me saH shvashuraH paarthivaH= of mine, he that, father-in-law, and king; anvarthaiH arthaiH= with meaningful, riches; ayaacata= entreated; saa yaa.ncaam na cakaara= she, that entreaty, not, made good.

" 'If Rama is anointed now, come what may I will not eat, sleep, or drink, and my life ends this way,' thus Kaikeyi was adamantine, and the king and my father-in-law entreated her who is nagging with meaningful riches, but she did not make good on that entreaty. [3-47-8b, 9, 10a]

mama bhartaa mahaatejaa vayasaa pa.nca vi.mshakaH || 3-47-10
aSTaa dasha hi var.hSaaNi mama janmani gaNyate |

10b, 11. mahaatejaa mama bhartaa= great resplendent my, husband; vayasaa panca vimshakaH= by age, five, twenty - twenty-five years; mama janmani= my, from birth; aSTaa dasha varSaaNi hi= eight, ten - eighteen, years, only; gaNyate= reckoned up.

"My great-resplendent husband was of twenty-five years of age at that time, and to me eighteen years are reckoned up from my birth. [3-47-10b, 11a]

These foots are said to be nonexistent in some more ancient mms. But lengthy narrations are there in calculating the age of Rama and Seetha, at this point of legend with these stanzas. The letter bha in the line mama bhartaa mahaatejaa is the ninth letter of Gayatri hymn and thus the ninth book of Ramayana with thousand couplets is started from here. The whole of Ramayana is with twenty-four thousand verses and Gayatri hymn has twenty-four letters, and each book of Ramayana contains a thousand verses, starting with each letter of Gayatri. This is the then classification of the cantos of this epic and such grouping of verses is nonexistent now.

raama iti prathito loke satyavaan shiilavaan shuciH || 3-47-11
vishaalaakSo mahaabaahuH sarva bhuuta hite rataH |

11b. 12a. raama iti= Rama, thus; loke prathitaH= in world, exalted as; satyavaan shiilavaan shuciH= unambiguous, unblemished, unsullied one; vishaala akSaH mahaabaahuH= broad, eyed one, ambidextrous one; sarva bhuuta hite rataH= all, beings, in welfare, delights in [delights in bringing universal welfare]; [mama bhartaa= is my, husband.]

"Rama - thus he is exalted in the world, an unambiguous, unblemished, unsullied one, and a broad-eyed ambidextrous one, who delights in bringing universal welfare, is my husband. [3-47-11b, 12a]

The dexterity of an archer depends mainly on his sighting and targeting eye. Hence, the eyes and dexterity are to be coupled instead of cleaving them as two attributes of Rama. Otherwise, in Seetha's saying that 'my husband is a broad-eyed one...' it does not make any sense to Ravana, because Ravana's eyes are much more bigger and bloodshot. Thus 'my ambidextrous husband's eyes are broad puNDariika vishaala akshaH, and those eyes are a couple of fish-eye lenses of a camera and can view in 360º, thus you cannot escape their target, in any angle...' Further, these and some more attributes in the coming verses like simha uraska etc., they are the very same words coined by Sage Narada, while informing Valmiki about Rama in the first chapter of Bala Kanda. Some think such repetitions are essentially Homeric. But in Indian scripts they are not mere repetitions but reiteration of the very same concept in the very same words, which is not an epical flaw in view of the ruling aadaraat punarukti, aadaraat dvirukti... 'an affectionate reiteration...' Hence, the very same words are put on the tongue of the principle character, Seetha.

kaamaartaH ca mahaaraajaH pitaa dasharathaH svayam || 3-47-12
kaikeyyaaH priya kaamaartham tam raamam na abhiSecayat |

12b, 13a. kaama aartaH= one who is - love, sick - for Kaikeyi; mahaaraajaH pitaa dasharathaH svayam= great-king, [his, Rama's] father, Dasharatha, personally; kaikeyyaaH priya kaama artham= for Kaikeyi's, cherish [aspiration,] desired [by her,] for fulfilling; tam raamam na abhiSecayat= him, Rama, not, anointed.

"But Rama's father Dasharatha was lovesick for Kaikeyi and to fulfil her desired aspiration that great king did not anoint Rama. [3-47-12b, 13a]

abhiSekaaya tu pituH samiipam raamam aagatam || 3-47-13
kaikeyii mama bhartaaram iti uvaaca drutam vacaH |

13b, 14a. abhiSekaaya= for anointment; pituH samiipam aagatam= to father's, presence of, [when] arrived; mama bhartaaram raamam= to my, husband Rama; kaikeyii iti drutam [dhR^itam] vacaH uvaaca= Kaikeyi, these, readily [decidedly,] words, spoke.

"When Rama arrived in the presence of his father, Kaikeyi readily and decidedly spoke these words to my husband. [3-47-b, 14a]

tava pitraa samaaj~naptam mama idam shR^iNu raaghava || 3-47-14
bharataaya pradaatavyam idam raajyam akaNTakam |

14b, 15b. raaghava= oh, Raghava; tava pitraa sam aaj~naptam= your, by father, verily, proclaimed; idam mama shR^iNu= this, mine [from me,] you hear; a + kaNTakam idam raajyam= not, thorny [thornless,] this, kingdom; bharataaya pra daatavyam= to Bharata, well, accorded.

" 'What your father has proclaimed, oh, Raghava, that may be heard from me. He said, 'let this thornless kingdom be accorded to Bharata.' [3-47-14b, 15a]

tvayaa tu khalu vastavyam nava var.hSaaNi pa.nca ca || 3-47-15
vane pravraja kaakutstha pitaram mocaya anR^itaat |

15b, 16a. kaakutstha= oh, Kakutstha Rama; tvayaa= by you; nava panca ca= nine, five, also - nine plus five - fourteen; varSaaNi= years; vane vastavyam khalu= in forest, inhabitable, indeed; pra vraja= onward, move [you repair to forests]; pitaram a+nR^itaat mocaya= father, from untruthfulness, be released [redeemed from the remorse of perjury.]

"And you, oh, Kakutstha Rama, indeed have to inhabit the forests for nine plus five years, hence you repair to forests and redeem your father from the remorse of perjury.' [3-47-15b, 16a]

tathaa iti uvaaca taam raamaH kaikeyiim akuto bhayaH || 3-47-16
cakaara tat vacaH tasyaa mama bhartaa dR^iDha vrataH |

16b, 17a. a + kutaH bhayaH= not, from anywhere, one who has fear - an unfearing one from any side, Rama; dR^iDha vrataH= resolute, to pledge [strong-willed one]; mama bhartaa raamaH= my, husband, Rama; tathaa iti= so be it; taam kaikeyiim uvaaca= to her, to Kaikeyi, having said; tasyaaH tat vacaH cakaara= her, that, word [dictate,] made good [followed.]

" 'As an unfearing one from any quarter and as a resolute one in his pledge my husband Rama said 'so be it' to Kaikeyi and followed her dictate. [3-47-16b, 17a]

dadyaat na pratigR^ihNiiyaat satyam bruuyaat na ca anR^itam || 3-47-17
etat braahmaNa raamasya vratam dhruvam anuttamam |

17b, 18a. dadyaat= [he] gives - a renderer; na prati gR^ihNiiyaat= not, in turn, takes [not a recipient]; satyam bruuyaat= truth, speaks; a + nR^itam na ca= un, truth, not, also [least of all]; braahmaNa= oh, Brahman; etat raamasya= this is, Rama's; dhruvam= unalterable; an + uttamam= un, surpassable; vratam= vow.

"My husband is evermore a renderer but not a recipient, and forever he speaks truth, and not the untruth, least of all. Oh, Brahman, this is the unalterable and unsurpassable vow of Rama. [3-47-17b, 18a]

In Maha Bharata Dharmaraja is informed that 'a king shall give, but he shall not beseech, he can perform a Vedic Ritual but cannot make it performed by others, he can learn Veda-s, but cannot teach them, he shall endeavour to govern the people [properly...] dady˜t r˜j˜ na y˜ceta yajeta na y˜jayeta | na adhy˜payet adhiyŸta praj˜n ca parip˜layet || bh˜rata - r˜ja dharma

tasya bhraataa tu vaimaatro lakSmaNo naama viiryavaan || 3-47-18
raamasya puruSavyaaghraH sahaayaH samare arihaa |

18b, 19a. tasya raamasya= that, Rama's; vi maatraH [dvai maatra]= of another mother [second-mother]; bhraataa= brother of; viiryavaan puruSa vyaaghraH= valorous one; manly tiger; lakSmaNaH naama= Lakshmana, known as; samare ari haa= in war, enemy, eliminator.

"One known as Lakshmana is such a Rama's brother from another mother, and he is a valorous one, tigerly-man, and an eliminator of enemies in war. [3-47-18b, 19a]

A stepmother is called as vi maata or dvaimaata and it is said vaimaatreyo vimaatR^ija - amara kosha one is other mother, the other is second-mother, both are the nomenclatures of a stepmother.

sa bhraataa lakSmaNo naama dharma caarii dR^iDha vrataH || 3-47-19
anvagacChat dhanuS paaNiH pravraja.ntam mayaa saha |

19b, 20a. dharma caarii= virtue, follower; [brahmacaarii= celibate]; dR^iDha vrataH= steadfast, in commitment; lakSmaNaH naama= Lakshmana, known as; saH bhraataa= he that, brother; dhanuS paaNiH= bow, handling; mayaa saha pravrajantam= with me, along, proceeding; [raamasya] sahaayaH= [to Rama,] as helpmate; anvagacChat= followed

"He who is known as Lakshmana, a follower of virtue and steadfast in his commitment, followed Rama handling his bow as a helpmate, when Rama was proceeding to forests along with me. [3-47-19b, 20a]

Some texts use the word brahma caarii 'celibate' basing on the word Rama used when saying about Lakshmana to Shuurpanakha about Lakshmana as apuurvii while some others use as above.

jaTii taapasa ruupeNa mayaa saha saha anujaH || 3-47-20
praviSTo da.nDakaaraNyam dharma nityo dhR^iDha vrataH |

20b, 21a. dharma nityaH= in probity, always [one who is abiding]; dhR^iDha vrataH= resolutely, vowed - such Rama; jaTii taapasa ruupeNa= tufty-haired, saint, in aspect [Rama]; mayaa saha= me, along with; saha anujaH= with, his brother [Lakshmana]; danDaka araNyam praviSTaH= Dandaka, forest entered.

"Because Rama always abides in probity and resolutely vowed to it, he entered Dandaka forest in the aspect of a tufty haired saint along with me and his brother. [3-47-20b, 21a]

te vayam pracyutaa raajyaat kaikeyyaaH tu kR^ite trayaH || 3-47-21
vicaraama dvija shreSTha vanam ga.mbhiiram ojasaa |

21b, 22a. dvija shreSTha= oh, Brahman, the eminent; te vayam= those, we- such a we are we; trayaH= three of us; kaikeyyaaH kR^ite tu= for Kaikeyi, sake of, but for; raajyaat pra cyutaa= from kingdom, verily, fallen [downfallen]; ojasaa= on our own mettle; gambhiiram vanam vicaraamaH= impenetrable, forest, we are moving about.

"Such as we are, oh, eminent Brahman, we three are moving about the impenetrable Dandaka forest just by our own mettle as we fell down from kingdom owing to Kaikeyi. [3-47-21b, 22a]

samaashvasa muhuurtam tu shakyam vastum iha tvayaa || 3-47-22
aagamiSyati me bhartaa vanyam aadaaya puSkalam |
ruruun godhaan varaahaan ca hatvaa aadaaya amiSaan bahu || 3-47-23

22b, 23. muhuurtam samaashvasa= for a moment, be comfortable; tvayaa iha vastum shakyam= by you, here, to take rest, possible; me bhartaa= my, husband; ruruun= stag with black stripes; godhaan= mongooses like [civet-like mammals of the family Viverridae, esp. of the genus Herpestes, Marathi manguus]; varaahaan ca= wild-boars, also; hatvaa= on killing; bahu amiSaan aadaaya= aplenty, meat, on taking; puSkalam vanyam aadaaya= plentiful, forest produce, on taking; aagamiSyati= will be coming [soon.]

"Be comfortable for a moment, here it is possible for you to make a sojourn, and soon my husband will be coming on taking plentiful forest produce, and on killing stags, mongooses, wild boars he fetches meat, aplenty. [3-47-22b, 23]

saH tvam naama ca gotram ca kulam aacakSva tattvataH |
ekaH ca daNDakaaraNye kim artham carasi dvija || 3-47-24

24. dvija= oh, Brahman; saH tvam= such as you are; naama ca gotram ca kulam ca= name, also, parentage, also, caste, also; tattvataH aacakSva= in actuality, make mention of; ekaH ca= lonesomely, also; daNDaka araNye in Dandaka, forest; kim artham carasi for what, reason, you wander.

"Such as you are, oh, Brahman, you may make mention of your name, parentage and caste, in their actuality. For what reason you are wandering in Dandaka forest lonesomely?" Thus Seetha questioned Ravana. [3-47-24]

She is addressing him as 'oh, Brahman...' and yet asking his caste. This is a tricky stanza. This implies her knowledge and/or ignorance about Ravana. As a housewife, it is a natural question to be put to an out-of-way friar moving in the deep of forests. Here, neither a village, nor a single family, nor even a human being is available to accord alms, and this odd almsman is moving here who is supposed to move about villages as said: bhiksha artham graamam pravishet. Or, she must be asking him about his caste, creed etc., when he was a householder. But it is out of place. On the other hand, if Seetha is from a well-trained family, she is not supposed to question the caste, creed, and name of a real sanyaasi. Again, she is asking him to reveal himself 'in essence, truthfully.' She might have thought him to be a cursing Brahman in the first instance, but she might have found him out to be a pseudo-sanyaasi. Now that she is slowly realising that he may not be a proper Brahman either, she may be asking him straightforwardly. Because Ravana is coming out of Brahman's guise in next two stanzas, it is said that she pointedly asked him as above.

evam bruvatyaam siitaayaam raama patniiaam mahaabalaH |
pratyuvaaca uttaram tiivram raavaNo raakSasaadhipaH || 3-47-25

25. raama patniiaam [patnyaam] siitaayaam= to Rama's, wife, Seetha; evam bruvatyaam= this way, while still speaking; mahaabalaH raakSasaadhipaH raavaNaH= great-mighty, demons, king, Ravana; tiivram uttaram= brusque, reply; prati uvaaca= in turn, said [replied.]

Ravana, the great-mighty king of demons, brusquely replied Seetha, the wife of Rama, while she is still speaking in this way. [3-47-25]

yena vitraasitaa lokaaH sa deva asura maanuSaa |
aham saH raavaNo naama siite rakSo gaNa iishvaraH || 3-47-26

26. siite= oh, Seetha; aham= I am [he]; yena= by whom; sa deva asura maanuSaa= with [composed of,] gods, demons, humans; lokaaH=[all] worlds; vi traasitaaH= [are] highly, startled; such a being I am; saH rakSaaH gaNa iishvaraH= he that, demon, hosts, sovereign of; raavaNaH naama= Ravana, known as.

"Oh, Seetha, of whom all the worlds composed of gods, demons and humans are highly startled, I am that sovereign of hosts of demons, known as Ravana. [3-47-26]

tvaam tu kaa.ncana varNa aabhaam dR^iSTvaa kausheya vaasiniim |
ratim svakeSu daareSu na adhigacChaami anindite || 3-47-27

27. a +nindite= oh, not, peccable one; kaancana varNa aabhaam= golden, hued, glittering; kausheya vaasiniim= ochry-silks, attired in; tvaam dR^iSTvaa= you, on seeing; svakeSu daareSu= in my, wives; ratim= pleasure; na adhi gacChaami= not, I derive.

"On seeing you, oh, impeccable one, glittering with golden complexion and attired in ochry-silks, I derive no pleasure in my wives. [3-47-27]

Ravana as a devotee of Lakshmi said the above as a renouncer. tvaam dR^iSTvaa 'on seeing you...' after a long time... svakeSu 'in my kith and kin...' daareSu wives...' ratim 'pleasure, involvement...' na adhigacChaami 'not, I attain...' 'On seeing you, I no longer can attain pleasure with my kith and kin, or with my wives... for I have seen my ultimate motherly goddess... thus I am ready to renounce this accursed being of Ravana...' Maheshvara Tirtha.

bahviinaam uttama striiNaam aahR^itaanaam itaH tataH |
sarvaasaam eva bhadram te mama agra mahiSii bhava || 3-47-28

28. itaH tataH= from here, and there; aahR^itaanaam= [by me,] appropriated; bahviinaam= among many - superior class ladies; sarvaasaam eva= [above] all of them, thus; uttama striiNaam= choicest, women; mama agra mahiSii= my, prime, queen; bhava= you become; te bhadram= you, be safe.

"You become my prime queen above all the choicest women with superior status, whom I have appropriated from here and there. [3-47-28]

Ravana as devotee is saying: aaR^itaanaam uttamam striiNaam 'To all of the choicest women appropriated by me...; mama to me'; agra mahiSiiyaa 'to the one who is my prime queen'; tasyaaH ca mama ca to her and to me; bhava iishvarii you be the ruling deity; 'To all of the choicest women appropriated by me... and to the one who is my present prime queen, namely Mandodari, to her and to me, and to all of us, you be the ruling deity...' Tiirtha.

la.nkaa naama samudrasya madhye mama mahaapurii |
saagareNa parikSiptaa niviSTaa giri muur.hdhani || 3-47-29

29. lankaa naama= Lanka, known as; mama mahaa purii= my, great, city; samudrasya madhye= ocean's, amidst - is there; saagareNa pari kSiptaa= by ocean, around, encompassed; that Lanka; giri muurdhani= mountain, on top; niviSTaa= nestled.

"Nestled on a mountaintop my great city known as Lanka is there in the midst of an ocean and all over encompassed by an ocean. [3-47-29]

tatra siite mayaa saardham vaneSu vicariSyasi |
na ca asya vana vaasasya spR^ihayiSyasi bhaamini || 3-47-30

30. siite= oh, Seetha; tatra mayaa saardham= there, with me, along with; vaneSu= in pleasure-gardens; vicariSyasi= you can saunter; bhaamini= oh, lady with resentment; asya vana vaasasya= about this, forest, dwelling; na ca spR^iha yiSyasi= not, also - at all events, think back to.

"Oh, Seetha, there you can saunter in pleasure-gardens along with me, and oh, lady with resentment, you will not think back to this forest-living, at all events. [3-47-30]

The word bhaamini is an addressing to a beautiful lady, who is with some anger or resentment kopanaa saa eva bhaaminii - amara kosha and Ravana mistook Seetha's fury as 'an anger in passion.'

pa.nca daasyaH sahasraaNi sarva aabharaNa bhuuSitaaH |
siite paricariSyanti bhaaryaa bhavasi me yadi || 3-47-31

31. siite= oh, Seetha; me bhaaryaa bhavasi yadi= my, wife, you become, if; sarva aabharaNa bhuuSitaaH= all [every description,] ornaments, adorned with; panca sahasraaNi daasyaH= five, thousand, handmaidens; paricariSyanti= will be in your attendance.

"Oh, Seetha, if you become my wife five thousand handmaidens adorned with ornaments of every description will be in your attendance." Thus Ravana said to Seetha. [3-47-31]

Ravana, the devotee, is saying panca sahasraaNi daasyaH 'five thousand servants...' me 'with me... together with me' paricariSyasi yadi tava 'if we all render service to you...' then you will be baaryaa; bha + aaryaa; bhaayaa= kaantyaa, aaryaa= puujyaa 'by your splendour...' bhavasi you will become the venerable Goddess Lakshmi by your own splendour while thousands are serving you...'

raavaNena evam uktaa tu kupitaa janaka aatmajaa |
pratyuvaaca anavadyaa.ngii tam anaadR^itya raakSasam || 3-47-32

32. raavaNena evam uktaa tu= by Ravana, this way, she who is said, but; an+a+vadya angii= without, not, appreciable, limbed - one with flawless limbs - Seetha; janaka aatmajaa kupitaa= Janaka's, daughter, is infuriated; tam raakSasam= him, that demon; an aadR^itya= not, honouring - discourteously; pratyuvaaca= replied.

When Ravana said in this way, Seetha the daughter of Janaka, a flawless one by her physique, dishonoured and replied that demon. [3-47-32]

Here the word tu in raavaNena evam uktaa tu is said as tu shabdena puurvokta upacaara vacana vilakshaNa vacana it means ultimately as - Seetha spoke in derision.

mahaa girim iva aka.mpyam mahendra sadR^isham patim |
mahaa udadhim iva akSobhyam aham raamam anuvrataa || 3-47-33

33. mahaa girim iva= sturdy, mountain, like; a + kampyam= not, flexible; mahendra sadR^isham= lordly Indra, comparable to; mahaa udadhim iva= vast, ocean, like; a + kSobhyam= not, be roiled - be churned - unshakeable; such a; patim raamam= husband, Rama; aham anu vrataa= I, follow up on [adhere,] avowed to.

"I have avowed to adhere to such a husband Rama, who is inflexible like a sturdy mountain, comparable to lordly Indra, unshakable like a vast ocean. [3-47-33]

Vividly: 'A mountain will be unswerving even if a hundred thunderbolts strike it at once, thus is my husband... but you, you are always swerving while hankering after your petty cherishes... thus, you are a straw in the wind... my husband is a coequal of Indra, while you are humiliated by Indra's son. The ocean will be turbulent on its surface but it will be calm and clear at its abyss, engulfing unusual treasures... though my husband appears as a passionate person, an indulgent person in humanly pursuits, from hunting games to hollering, in worldly agonies and ecstasies, but at his heart, he is like the fathomless serene ocean... I have avowed to follow him in this lifetime.'

sarva lakshaNa sa.mpannam nyagrodha pari maNDalam |
satya sa.ndham mahaabhaagam raamam anuvrataa || 3-47-34

34. [aham= I am]; sarva lakshaNa sampannam= all, endowments, enriched; nyagrodha pari maNDalam= banyan tree [like,] surmounted, with orbicularity; satya sandham= truthfulness, as hs target; mahaabhaagam high-minded one; raamam anuvrataa= to such a Rama., I avowed to adhere.

"He who is enriched with all endowments, and who is like a banyan tree with its surmounted orbicularity, the high-minded one with truthfulness alone is his target, and I am avowed to adhere to such a Rama. [3-47-34]

The banyan tree is an Indian fig tree, Ficus benghalensis, the branches of which hang down and root themselves. The simile of a banyan tree to Rama says that: he is an atom in the atomic seed of that tree. On its growth, it spreads so wide and broad and every branch take its own root like the manifold growth of this universe. Hence, every individual being is his offspring and progeny. And the whole universe is pervaded by his 'tree-top' like shelter. Secondly, that tree gives shelter to innumerable beings for it is so wide at its apex. Hence, anyone can take shelter under Rama, because he is obliged to oblige all sarva jana anukuulata as said in an ancient saying: k¨pa udakam va÷a cch˜y˜ yuvatŸn˜m stana dvayam | þŸt˜ k˜le bhavet uÿõam uÿõa k˜le bhavet þŸtalam || 'water in a well, banyan tree shade, maiden's two breasts, will warm up in cold season and cool down in hot season...' Govindaraja.

mahaabaahum mahoraskam si.mha vikraa.nta gaaminam |
nR^isi.mham si.mha sa.mkaasham aham raamam anuvrataa || 3-47-35

35. aham= I; mahaa baahum= great, are his arms [ambidextrous]; mahaa uraskam= broad-chested; simha vikraanta gaaminam= lion, with prance, strider; nR^i simham= man, lion [here, not exactly a lion, the best, foremost, supreme one]; simha samkaasham= lion, like; raamam anuvrataa= to such a Rama, avowed to adhere.

"He who is ambidextrous, broad-chested, supreme among men, and a lion-like person with the strides of prancing lion, and I am avowed to adhere to such a Rama. [3-47-35]

'His dexterity is evident from the moment he started to save the order of universe, at the time churning Milky Ocean, becoming Mohini, becoming a Fish, a Tortoise etc. His strides are evident, when he as a dwarfish boy strode all the three worlds. As a lion-man, he tore the very stomach of the evil and now he is striding like a prancing lion towards you, for you alone are the prey for that lionised human incarnation...'

puurNa candra aananam viiram raaja vatsam jitendriyam |
pR^ithu kiirtim mahaabaahum aham raamam anuvrataa || 3-47-36

36. aham= I; puurNa candra aananam= full, moon, faced; viiram= valiant one; raaja vatsam= king's, son; jita indriyam= self-conquered one; pR^ithu kiirtim= expressly, acclaimed; mahaabaahum [mahaa aatmaanam]= effectively, armed [high-souled]; raamam anuvrataa= to such a Rama, avowed to adhere.

"He who is a valiant one with a face like that of full-moon, a prince with his self-conquered, and he who is expressly acclaimed and effectively armed, and I am avowed to adhere to such a Rama. [3-47-36]

'He is a valiant person and he confronts, if need be, his enemies straightforwardly, about which you have heard when your Khara, Dushana, and others are eliminated by him... but you are sneaky and slithery... you are ever a thief, never a valiant one... his face is like a pleasant full-moon, at any given opportunity, while yours is revulsive... and you are like the eclipsing planet Rahu or Ketu, whose effect lasts a few minutes... he is expressly acclaimed for his welfare activities and of course, you are also expressly acclaimed, but, only for your ill-faring actives... the senses of an yet to be crowned prince will be like the unbridled horses... but my husband conquered his own senses like an uncrowned sagacious emperor... while you, though you declare yourself as the monarch of demons, there is not even an iota of self-righteousness in you, befitting even to a petty king... then where is the question of your majesty, monarchy, or sovereignty...'

Seetha reiterates the statement 'I am avowed to adhere to such a Rama...' four times. This is daarDhyata - said for the purpose of 'reinforcement' of her statement.

tvam punaH ja.mbukaH si.mhiim maam iha icChasi durlabhaam |
na aham shakyaa tvayaa spraSTum aadityasya prabhaa yathaa || 3-47-37

37. jambukaH= a fox; tvam punaH= you [being a fox,] again [on the other hand, yet]; dur labhaam= not [at all,] accessible one; simhiim= a lioness; maam= me; iha icChasi= now, you fancy; aadityasya prabhaa yathaa= Sun's, Shine, as with; aham tvayaa spraSTum= I, by you, to touch - to seize; na shakyaa= not, possible.

"You being a fox you woo me who am an absolutely inaccessible lioness? Why wooing, it is impossible for you to touch me as with the untouchable Shine of the Sun. [3-47-37]

A fox usually waits in a ditch until the lion or lioness finishes its feast. The lion will have its lion's share and go away. Then the lioness and her cubs have their share and go away. Then it is the day of the fox-in-the-ditch. 'Like a fox-in-the-ditch, how you dare to come to an inaccessible lioness, when the lion departed...' Next, Sun's wife is Prabha or Shine and she is non-figural resplendent entity. She is perceivable but untouchable. If anyone can lay his hands on her by the dint of his yogic or ascetic practises, and if he baskets that Shine for use in night, that night becomes a day, for it will be shining with sunshine, and thus his pleasurable night is evanished. Thereby he looses his minimal personal comfort of a night and it will be self-ruinous to experiment with such ideas.

paadapaan kaa.ncanaan nuunam bahuun pashyasi ma.ndabhaak |
raaghavasya priyaam bhaaryaam yaH tvam icChasi raakshasa || 3-47-38

38. raakshasa= you demon; yaH tvam= which, you are - you who are; raaghavasya priyaam bhaaryaam icChasi= Raghava's, dear, wife, cherishing; manda bhaak= [are an] ill, fated [demon]; such as you are you; nuunam= undeniably; kaancanaan paadapaan= golden, trees; bahuun pashyasi many, you, are visualising.

"You who are an ill-fated demon, oh, demon, by your wooing the dear wife of Raghava, thus you must be visualising many golden trees, undeniably. [3-47-38]

A dying person fantasises golden trees and the like presuming his travel to heaven. By these illusions his death is predictable.

kSudhitasya ca si.mhasya mR^iga shatroH tarasvinaH |
aashii viSasya vadanaat damSTraam aadaatum icChasi || 3-47-39

39. mR^iga shatroH= animals, challenger of; tarasvinaH= expeditious ones [expeditious lion and rebounding serpent]; kSudhitasya simhasya= ravenous, lion's; aashii viSasya vadanaat= serpent, venomous, from mouth; damSTraam aadaatum icChasi?= fangs, to twitch, do you wish to?

"Do you wish to twitch fangs from the mouth of a ravenous lion, the expeditious challenger of animals, and from the mouth of a rebounding venomous serpent. [3-47-39]

The simile of lion and serpent is to Rama and the fangs to Seetha. A lion or a snake knows well how to protect its instruments, namely fangs. Hence, Seetha is the fang of expeditious and ravenous Rama in eliminating evil on earth and now he will become a grudging venomous cobra too, for its tail is going to be trampled, by Seetha's abduction. Thus, the instrumentality of Seetha is established and no instrument needs to bother on its own, because its owner takes care of that instrument.

ma.ndaram parvata shreSTham paaNinaa hartum icChasi |
kaala kuuTam viSam piitvaa svastimaan ga.ntum icChasi || 3-47-40

40. parvata shreSTham mandaram= mountain, the best [massive,] Mt. Mandara; paaNinaa hartum icChasi?= by [the sleight of] hand, to steal, do you wish to; kaalakuuTam viSam piitvaa= lethal, venom, on consuming; svastimaan gantum icChasi?= healthily, to go [decamp,] you wish to?

"Do you wish to steal away the massive Mandara Mountain by the sleight of your hand, but how do you wish to decamp healthily without consuming lethal poison? [3-47-40]

She is reminiscing her emergence. Mt. Mandara is mentioned but not Mt. Himalayas or Mt. Meru, even though they are more massive and lofty. Vishnu used Mt. Mandara as a churn-staff when Milk Ocean was churned, but not Himalayas or Meru and the burden of that Mt. Mandara was sustained by Vishnu alone as a Tortoise, which is impossible for simpletons like Ravana, as Ravana failed to lift Mt. Kailash. Before Lakshmi's emergence from the churning Milk Ocean, Her elder sister haalaahala 'lethal poison' emerged and it could be contained only by Shiva, and now, if Ravana contemplates to consume her elder sister kaalakuuTa, haalaahala 'lethal poison' it is evident what will become of him. This is nidarshana alankaara; samaanya vaakyaartha aikyata 'aesthetics of correspondence...'

akSi suucyaa pramR^ijasi jihvayaa leDhi ca kSuram |
raaghavasya priyaam bhaaryaam adhiga.ntum tvam icChasi || 3-47-41

41. tvam= you; raaghavasya priyaam bhaaryaam= Raghava's, dear, wife; adhi gantum [yadi] icChasi= to over, ride - steal off, [if,] wish to; such you; suucyaa= with needle [with needlepoint]; akSi pra mR^ijasi= eyes, verily [deeply,] you wish to wipe [scrape]; jihvayaa kSuram leDhi= with tongue, licking, razor-blade.

"If you wish to override the dear wife of Raghava, then it is as good as wishing to deeply scrape your eyes with needlepoint, and licking the razorblade with your tongue. [3-47-41]

avasajya shilaam kaNThe samudram tartum icChasi |
suuryaa candramasau ca ubhau praaNibhyaam hartum icChasi || 3-47-42
yo raamasya priyaam bhaaryaam pradhar.hSayitum icChasi |

42, 43a. yaH= which you; raamasya priyaam bhaaryaam= who, Rama's, dear, at wife; pra dharSayitum icChasi= bitterly, to intimidate, wishing to; such you; kaNThe shilaam avasajya= at neck, boulder, arraying - like dress material; samudram tartum icChasi= ocean, to swim for it, you wish to; suuryaa candramasau ubhau= Sun, Moon, both; praaNibhyaam hartum icChasi= with a pair of you hands, to steal, you wish to.

"You who wish to bitterly intimidate the dear wife of Rama are as good as the one who wish to swim an ocean arraying a boulder around his neck, and with a pair of hands you wish to steal away both the Sun and Moon? [3-47-42, 43a]

agnim prajvalitam dR^iSTvaa vastreNa aahartum icChasi || 3-47-43
kalyaaNa vR^ittaam yo bhaaryaam raamasya hartum icChasi |

43b, 44a. yaH= which you; raamasya= of Rama; kalyaaNa vR^ittaam= one with auspicious, legend; such; bhaaryaam hartum icChasi= wife, to abduct, you wish to; such you; pra jvalitam agnim dR^iSTvaa= highly, flaming, fire, though evincing; vastreNa aahartum icChasi= by cloth [bundle,] to steal away, you wish to.

"You who wish to abduct me with an auspicious legend as the wife of Rama, thus you wish to steal away a glowing fire in a cloth-bundle, though evincing it to be highly flaming? [3-47-43b, 44a]

ayo mukhaanaam shuulaanaam agre caritum icChasi |
raamasya sadR^ishiim bhaaryaam yo adhiga.ntum tvam icChasi || 3-47-44

44b, c. yaH tvam= which, you; raamasya= Rama's; sadR^ishiim= 1] befitting wife, 2] selfsame; bhaaryaam= wife; adhigantum icChasi= to override, you, wish to; ayaH mukhaanaam shuulaanaam agre= iron, faces, spears, top of [on spiculated floor, sharp spikes of iron spears]; caritum icChasi= to tread, you wish to.

"You who wish to override the befitting and selfsame wife of Rama, are wishing to tread on the needle-sharp spikes of iron spears. [3-47-44b, c]

This declaration that she is selfsame to Rama is on the analogy of raamaa the feminal name of Rama. aham n˜r˜yanŸ n˜ma s˜ satt˜ vaiÿõavŸ par˜ - lakÿmŸ tantra 3-1 - yah˜ may˜ jagat vy˜ptam svar¨peõa svabh˜vata× | tay˜ v˜ptam idam viþvam niyantrŸ ca tath˜ ŸþvarŸ || 'I am indeed Naaraayanee [i.e. Lakshmi] the supreme essence of Lord Vishnu----Lakshmi Tantra 3.1. 'In my essence and entity I pervade all this universe, and as I pervade all over I am the controller and presiding deity...'

yad a.ntaram si.mha shR^igaalayoH vane
yad a.ntaram syandanikaa samudrayoH |
sura agrya sauviirakayoH yad a.ntaram
tad a.ntaram daasharatheH tava eva ca || 3-47-45

45. vane= in forest; simha shR^igaalayoH= between lion, fox; yat antaram= which, difference [at odds, is there]; syandanikaa samudrayoH yat antaram= between turbid-rivulet, ocean, which, odds - are there; sura= 1] ambrosia, 2] wine; agryat= fine variety; sauviirakayoH= sour gruel; yat antaram= which, odds - is there; tava= between yours; daasharatheH eva ca= Dasharatha's son, like that, also; tat antaram= that [such,] odds - is there.

"Which odds are there between a lion and a fox in a given forest, which odds are there between a turbid-rivulet and an ocean, and which odds are there between a fine-wine and sour-gruel, likewise you are also at odds with the son of Dasharatha. [3-47-45]

The usage of the word syandanika is said to be the usage of a rare word by Valmiki, meaning kshudra nadi 'a turbid-rivulet...' as recorded by Pt. Satya Vrat, in Ramayana - A Linguistic Study.

yad a.ntaram kaa.ncana siisa lohayoH
yad a.ntaram candana vaari pa.nkayoH |
yad a.ntaram hasti biDaalayoH vane
tad a.ntaram dasharatheH tava eva ca || 3-47-46

46. kaancana siisa lohayoH= among gold, lead, metals; yat antaram= which, imparity= which, imparity is there; candana vaari= sandalwood, water; pankayoH= sewage [waters]; yat antaram= which, imparity is there; vane hasti biDaalayoH= in forest, among elephant, wildcat; yat antaram= which, imparity - is there; tat antaram= that [such,] imparity - is there; tava dasharatheH eva ca= among you, Dasharatha's son, like that, also.

"Which imparity is there among the metals of gold and lead, which imparity is there among the waters of sandalwood and sewage, which imparity is there between an elephant and a wildcat of forests, such an imparity exists between you and the son of Dasharatha. [3-47-46]

yad a.ntaram vaayasa vainateyayoH
yad a.ntaram madgu mayuurayoH api |
yad a.ntaram ha.msa gR^idhrayoH vane
tad a.ntaram daasharatheH tava eva ca || 3-47-47

47. vaayasa vainateyayoH= betwixt crow, eagle; yat antaram= which, dissimilarity is there; madgu mayuurayoH api= betwixt waterfowl, peacock, even; yat antaram which, dissimilarity is there; vane= in forest; hamsa gR^idhrayoH= betwixt swan, falcon; yat antaram which, dissimilarity is there; daasharatheH tava eva ca= betwixt Dasharatha's son, yours, like that, only; tat antaram= that [such,] dissimilarity is there.

"Which dissimilarity obtains betwixt a crow and an eagle, which dissimilarity obtains betwixt a waterfowl and a peacock, which dissimilarity obtains betwixt a swan and a falcon living in forest, such a dissimilarity obtains betwixt you and the son of Dasharatha. [3-47-47]

tasmin sahasraakSa sama prabhaave
raame sthite kaarmuka baaNa paaNau |
hR^itaa api te aham na jaraam gamiSye
vajram yathaa makSikayaa avagiirNam || 3-47-48

48. hR^itaa api= stolen, even if; aham= I am; sahasraakSa sama prabhaave= Thousand-eyed one, Indra similar, with impaction; kaarmuka baaNa paaNau= with bow, arrows, in hand; tasmin raame sthite= he that, Rama, while standing; makSikayaa= along with a fly; avagiirNam= swallowed; vajram= 1] diamond, 2] clarified butter - ghee; yathaa= as with; te jaraam= by you, into digestion; na, gamiSye= not, I go.

"Even if you steal me away now, later when Indra similar Rama posits himself with his bow and arrows in hand on the battlefield, you cannot live on, and in the meanwhile you cannot digest me, as with a diamond swallowed along with a fly." Thus Seetha gave her vent to her disdainful feelings towards Ravana. [3-47-48]

Here, if a fly is accidentally swallowed along with pure ghee, it will be vomited out for the nausea caused by that fly in the stomach. But diamond rends the stomach. The word vajram is usually a diamond, and if a diamond is consumed, accidentally or wilfully, it will tear off the intestines to death. Hence taking the Vedic saying vajro va aajyam the word is generally translated as ghee.

iti iva tat vaakyam aduSTa bhaavaa
suduSTam uktvaa rajanii caram tam |
gaatra praka.mpaat vyathitaa babhuuva
vaata uddhataa saa kadalii iva tanvii || 3-47-49

49. a + duSTa bhaavaa= not, sullied, in intentions; tanvii= fragile bodied one; saa= she; su duSTam= highly, sullied one [in his intentions, or, very harsh words of Seetha]; tam rajanii caram= to him, night, walker; tat vaakyam= that [these,] sentences; iti iva uktvaa= thus, in this way, having said; gaatra pra kampaat= 1] voice, 2] body, verily, from trembling; vaata uddhataa kadalii iva= by gust, up-heaved, banana plant, as with; vyathitaa babhuuva= tormented, she became.

On speaking these sentences with high-strung words, with all her unsullied intentions to that highly sullied night-rambler Ravana, her fragile body trembled tormentedly as with a banana plant up-heaved by gust. [3-47-49]

She poured forth all of her feelings unbothered for consequences and when her haranguing is over, she felt certain uneasiness. This uneasiness is two fold. One is in accordance with humanly nature of a woman as she is staunch enough to not yield to any, and if anyone makes an untoward advance, she has a 'list' of suicide-programs, those that are narrated to Lakshmana in the previous chapter. Further, she is yet to know about Rama's welfare, which will be impossible if this demon carries her away now. On the other side, as a Divine Consort of Vishnu, her uneasiness is for her separation from Rama, but not from the fear of any molestation by Ravana, and as the expected hour has come, the expectancy for the prospective elimination of Ravana is making her to tremble, impetuously.

taam vepamaanaam upalakSya siitaam
sa raavaNo mR^ityu sama prabhaavaH |
kulam balam naama ca karma ca aatmanaH
samaacacakSe bhaya kaaraNa artham || 3-47-50

50. mR^ityu sama prabhaavaH= Death, similar, in his impetus; saH raavaNaH= he, Ravana; vepamaanaam taam siitaam= tremulous, at her, Seetha; upa lakSya= closely, marking; bhaya kaaraNa artham= scare, causing, for the purpose of; aatmanaH= of his own; kulam balam naama ca= caste, competence, name, also; karma ca= capabilities, also; sam aacacakSe= clearly, informed.

On closely marking Seetha to be tremulous, he that Ravana whose impetus is Death similar, clearly informed her of his name, caste, competency, and capability as his purpose is to cause scare. [3-47-50]

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye araNya kaaNDe sapta catvaarinshaH sargaH

Thus, this is the 47th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.

Book III : Aranya Kanda - The Forest Trek

Chapter [Sarga] 48

Introduction

Ravana vaingloriously extols himself and tempts Seetha with all impossible comforts and luxuries, if she obliges him and comes to Lanka with him, leaving Rama. She curtly dismisses all his baiting and luring

evam bruvatyaam siitaayaam sa.mrabdhaH paruSa akSaram |
lalaaTe bhrukuTiim kR^itvaa raavaNaH prati uvaaca ha || 3-48-1

1. siitaayaam evam bruvatyaam = to such Seetha, thus, she who is speaking; raavaNaH samrabdhaH= Ravana, embittered; lalaaTe bhru kuTiim kR^itvaa= on forehead, eyebrow, folding, on making; paruSa akSaram prati uvaaca ha = rude, words, in reply, spoke, indeed.

When Seetha spoke thus Ravana is embittered, and knitting his eyebrows he indeed spoke these rudish words to Seetha. [3-48-1]

bhraataa vaishravaNasya aham saapatno varavar.hNini |
raavaNo naama bhadram te dashagriivaH prataapavaan || 3-48-2

2. vara varNini = oh, lady of superb, complexion; aham vaishravaNasya saapatnaH bhraataa = I am, of Vaishravana [Kubera's,] from stepmother, brother - stepbrother; dasha griivaH= one who is - ten, faced; prataapavaan= one who is - highly valorous one; raavaNaH naama= Ravana, known as; te bhadram = to you, let there be safety.

"I am known as Ravana, oh, lady with superb complexion, let safety betide you, the highly valorous and ten-headed stepbrother of Kubera. [3-48-2]

yasya devaaH sa ga.ndharvaaH pishaaca pataga uragaaH |
vidravanti bhayaat bhiitaa mR^ityoH iva sadaa prajaaH || 3-48-3

3. prajaaH= people; mR^ityoH iva= by death, as with; yasya bhayaat bhiitaa = from whose, fear, frightened - at whose very sight; sa gandharvaaH= along with, gandharva-s; devaaH pishaaca pataga uragaaH= gods, together evil-spirits, birds, snakes; sadaa vi dravanti= always, verily, running away; I am that Ravana.

"I am that Ravana at whose sight all the gods together with gandharva-s, evil-spirits, birds and snakes will always be frightened and fleeing, as with the people frightened and fleeing from death. [3-48-3]

yena vaishravaNo bhraataa vaimaatraH kaaraNaa.ntare |
dvandvam aasaaditaH krodhaat raNe vikramya nirjitaH || 3-48-4

4. yena= by whom; kaaraNa antare= for reason, another; krodhaat= infuriately; dvandvam aasaaditaH= duel, one who obtained - Kubera; vaimaatraH bhraataa= one from stepparent, brother; vaishravaNaH = Vaishravana [Kubera,]; raNe vikramya ni rjitaH= in combat, setting upon, completely trounced.

"I am that Ravana who when infuriated for some other reason took up a duel with Kubera, his brother from stepparent, wherein that Kubera is set up against and completely trounced in a combat. [3-48-4]

mat bhaya aartaH parityajya svam adhiSThaanam R^iddhimat |
kailaasam parvata shreSTham adhyaaste nara vaahanaH || 3-48-5

5. nara vaahanaH= one who has - humans, as vehicular transport - Kubera; yat bhaya aartaH= by whom, fearfully, [Kubera is] tormented; R^iddhimat= wealthiest [place]; svam adhiSThaanam = his own [Kubera's place] presided over place; pari tyajya completely, abandoning; parvata shreSTham kailaasam adhyaaste= mountain, excellent, on Kailash, living.

"I am that Ravana by whom Kubera, the god for Wealth-Management whose vehicular transport is handled by humans, is tormented fearfully and made to completely abandon his wealthiest place which is presided over by him till then, and I am the one who made that Kubera to flee to the excellent Mt. Kailash where he is somehow living, because I will not cause any harm on Mt. Kailash as I hold it sacred. [3-48-5]

yasya tat puSpakam naama vimaanam kaamagam shubham |
viiryaad aavarjitam bhadre yena yaami vihaayasam || 3-48-6

6. bhadre= oh, auspicious lady; yasya= whose [Kubera's]; tat puSpakam naama= that, Pushpaka, known as; kaama gam= by wish, piloted; shubham= an auspicious [aircraft]; vimaanam= aircraft; viiryaat= by valour; aavarjitam= acquired; yena vihaayasam yaami = by which, in sky, I travel.

"I am that Ravana, oh, auspicious lady, who just by his valour acquired Kubera's auspicious aircraft known as Pushpaka, whose pilotage is just by the wish of its aviator, with which I will be travelling in skies. [3-48-6]

mama sa.njaata roSasya mukham dR^iSTvaa eva maithili |
vidravanti paritrastaaH suraaH shakra purogamaaH || 3-48-7

7. maithil= oh, Maithili; sanjaata roSasya= shot up, with rancour; mama mukham= my, face; dR^iSTvaa eva= seeing, just by; pari trastaaH= highly, frightened; shakra purogamaaH suraaH = with Indra, at their fore - as leader, [all] gods; vi dravanti= quickly, running away.

"Just by seeing rancour-shot face of mine, oh, Maithili, all the gods will quickly shoot off, even if Indra is leading them, then where is the question of their confronting me. [3-48-7]

yatra tiSThaami aham tatra maaruto vaati shankitaH |
tiivra a.mshuH shishira a.mshuH ca bhayaat sa.mpadyate raviH || 3-48-8

8. aham yatra tiSThaami = I am, where, staying; tatra= there; maarutaH shankitaH vaati = Air-god, doubtfully, wafts; tiivra amshuH raviH ca= one with singeing, sunbeams, Sun, also; bhayaat= by fear; shishira amshuH sampadyate = cooling, moonbeams, he obtains [effectuates].

"Where I will be staying there the Air-god wafts doubtfully, lest his gusts and blasts may hurt me, and the Sun also effectuates his singeing sunbeams as cooling moonbeams, lest I may abduct his wife Prabha, the Sunshine. [3-48-8]

niSka.mpa patraaH taravo nadyaH ca stimita udakaaH |
bhavanti yatra tatra aham tiSThaami ca caraami ca || 3-48-9

9. aham yatra tatra tiSThaami= I, where, and where, am staying; ca caraami ca= freely, moving, also; there; taravaH= trees - will become; niS kampa patraaH = without, rustle, of leaves; nadyaH ca= rivers, also; stimita udakaaH= with quiet, waters; bhavanti= they become [they quieten.]

"At places where I will be staying or freely moving there the leaves of trees will be less of rustle, lest I may wilt them up, and there the gush of water of rivers too will quieten, lest I may dry them up. [3-48-9]

mama paare samudrasya la.nkaa naama purii shubhaa |
sa.mpuurNaa raakSasaiH ghoraiH yathaa indrasya amaraavatii || 3-48-10

10. ghoraiH raakSasaiH sampuurNaa= with ghastly, demons, plethoric; lankaa naama= Lanka, known as; shubhaa= magnificent one; indrasya amaraavatii yathaa = Indra's, Amaravati, on par with; mama purii= my, city; samudrasya paare = of ocean, on other shore is there.

"My magnificent city known as Lanka is there on the other shore of the ocean, plethoric with all kinds of amenities, as well as with ghastly demons, which city will be on par with Indra's Amaravati, but for meekly gods and meaningless souls. [3-48-10]

praakaareNa parikSiptaa paaNDureNa viraajitaa |
hema kakSyaa purii ramyaa vaiduuryamaya toraNaa || 3-48-11

11. ramyaa purii= that gorgeous, city; paaNDureNa viraajitaa praakaareNa pari kSiptaa= with whitish [silver wall,] adorned, with compound walls, completely, covered; hema kakSyaa = with golden, chambers; vaiduurya maya toraNaa= full of lapis jewelled, with archways.

"That gorgeous city is completely walled in with compound walls that are adorned with whitish silver, and its palace-chambers are golden, and its archways are fully jewelled with lapis jewels. [3-48-11]

hasti ashva ratha sa.mbhaadhaa tuurya naada vinaaditaa |
sarva kaama phalaiH vR^ikSaiH sa.nkula udyaana bhuuSitaa || 3-48-12

12. hasti ashva ratha sambhaadhaa= elephants, horses, chariots, trodden are its streets [encumbered]; tuurya naada vinaaditaa= with trumpet's, sounds, verily sounded; sarva kaama phalaiH vR^ikSaiH= all, cherishes [savours,] with fruits, with trees; sankula udyaana bhuuSitaa= chirruping, pleasure-garden, bedecked with.

"It is encumbered with elephants, horses and chariots, well sounded by the sounds of trumpets, and with trees which yield fruits that fulfil all the savours, and it is bedecked with chirrupy pleasure-gardens. [3-48-12]

tatra tvam vasa he siite raajaputri mayaa saha |
na smariSyasi naariiNaam maanuSiiNaam manasvini || 3-48-13

13. raaja putri= oh, king's, daughter - princess; manasvini= oh, self-respectful lady; hè, siite= Seetha; tatra= there - in Lanka; mayaa saha= me, along with; tvam vasa = you, reside, [or, sojourn, stop over]; maanuSiiNaam naariiNaam na smariSyasi= among females, as one among human [females,] not, you think.

"Oh, princess, oh, self-respectful lady, if you reside there together with me, hè, Seetha, then you will not think of yourself as one from among human females. [3-48-13]

The addressing expression hè, has some significance, as in hè, raam... hè, prabho... hè, bhagavaan... This has a signal of reverence than that the usual 'O' or 'oh,' for they are bland expressions of addressing.

bhu.njaanaa maanuSaan bhogaan divyaan ca varavar.hNini |
na smariSyasi raamasya maanuSasya gata aayuSaH || 3-48-14

14. vara varNini= oh, superb, complexioned one; maanuSaan bhogaan= humanly, luxuries; divyaan [bhogaan ] ca= heavenly, [luxuries,] also; bhunjaanaa = revelling in; maanuSasya gata aayuSaH raamasya = of human, with lessened, longevity, of Rama; na smariSyasi = not, you, recollect.

"Revelling in humanly luxuries, over and beyond in heavenly luxuries also, you will not recollect humanly Rama, whose longevity is lessened. [3-48-14]

Vividly: 'you said that you enjoyed all humanly luxuries when you stayed at your in-law's place in Ayodhya, as at 3-47-4... they are nothing when compared with the luxuries I provide in Lanka... they are a + maanuSaan bhogaan 'super human luxuries...' as well as divyaan 'paradisiacal...' so you choose yourself between this forlorn state and a stately living...' Ravana spoke this as a perfect tempting debauch.

Ravana as devotee of Lakshmi is saying: 'If you come to Lanka with me and tatra vasatii 'while staying there...' another text for the above tatra vasa 'you stay there...' mayaa ' by me, a servant of yours, suchlike me...' ellipt. samarpitaan 'submitted, offered offerings...' maanuSaan ca divyaam ca bhogaan bhunjaanaa 'humanly, and heavenly luxuries, on enjoying...' maanuSiiNaam naariiNaam: dvitiiyena SaSTi 'one among human females...' na smariSyasi 'you do not reminisce...'

'You will not count yourself as a human female, if you come over to Lanka and enjoy the humanly and heavenly luxuries, which I, as a humble servant of yours, will offer...'

If you come there, you will not think of maanuSasya 'incarnate as man, Rama...' gata aayuSasya = gata, aayuSaH = acquired, longevity; 'Rama who acquired a longevity for eleven thousand years... raamasya 'about such a Rama... you will not think about him at all...' ellipt. naH sambandhinaH 'we, the related beings of Rama...' smariSyasi 'you think of...'

'you will stop thinking about humans and other humanly affairs, and you also will not think of Rama alone, but you will think about us, the accursed demons, the dependents and servants of the Supreme Person, Vishnu... and in doing so, your thinking shall lead towards our release from this accursed demon-hood...' Maheshvara Tiirtha.

sthaapayitvaa priyam putram raaj~naa dasharathena yaH |
manda viiryaH suto jyeSThaH tataH prasthaapito vanam || 3-48-15

15. manda viiryaH= less of, bravery [spineless, because that Rama is spineless]; jyeSThaH sutaH = [though] eldest son; yaH= which Rama is - exiled; raaj~naa dasharathena= by king, by Dasharatha; priyam putram sthaapayitvaa = dear, son [Bharata,] on establishing; tataH= therefrom; vanam prasthaapitaH= to forests, put to flight.

"Though Rama is the eldest son, king Dasharatha established his dear son Bharata as king, and because Rama is spineless he is put to flight to forests, and now, what is he and what am I, in matter of sovereignty. [3-48-15]

Ravana as devotee says: raaj~naa 'one that rules from within...' like an antaryaami, 'an inner force... i.e., you as Goddess Lakshmi, raaj~naa 'by King Dasharatha...' as an inner force of Dasharatha, you made Dasharatha to select manda viiryaH, a priyaH, putram, bharatam 'spineless, not, the choicest, son, Bharata...' and sthaapayitvaa 'you made Dasharatha to establish Bharata on throne...' raaj~naa 'by the inner ruler, inner force... by you...' the King Dasharatha is incited to send his jyeSTaH 'eldest son...' also as said in vishNu sahasra naamaavali: jyeSTaH shreSTaH prajaapatiH 'eldest, best, ruler of people... Vishnu, is prasthaapito vanam 'sent away to forests...

’you are Goddess Lakshmi, an inner-ruler in all beings... though Dasharatha was uninterested to select Bharata you made Dasharatha, as his inner force, to select a spineless Bharata, and Bharata is established on the throne by Dasharatha, through you... besides, though Dasharatha was disinterested to send his dear eldest son Rama to forests, you as Dasharatha’s inner force, made Dasharatha to send Rama, the eldest, best, and the only ruler of people, namely Rama, [as said in Vishnu’s Thousand names,] to forests for the elimination of demons, and thereby to release us from our accursed being... hence you, as inner force of everybody, have to come with me, if Rama’s incarnation is to yield its results...’ Maheshvara Tiirtha.

tena kim bhraSTa raajyena raameNa gata cetasaa |
kariSyasi vishaalaakSi taapasena tapasvinaa || 3-48-16

16. vishaala akSi= oh, broad-eyed one; bhraSTa raajyena= subverted, from kingdom; gata cetasaa= gone is, his anima [or, dwindled is, his valour]; taapasena= simmered down [pitiable]; tapasvinaa= with an ascetic; tena raameNa kim kariSyasi= with him [with such a] Rama, what, you aspire to do.

"Rama is subverted from kingdom, thus dwindled is valour, thus winded down is his anima, thus he has become a pitiable one, thus he became an ascetic as nothing else is there for him to undertake, oh, broad-eyed lady, what do you aspire to do with such a Rama? [3-48-16]

When a tempter can convincingly prove that a woman's husband is 'unfit' then only he can succeed in his overtures. His theorematic reasoning is to let down Rama from Seetha's viewpoint, as she has broad-eyes, and she is supposed to see reality: 'Rama is rendered to nothing as said in an age-old saying bhagnaa kR^iSe bhaagavataa bhavanti 'when manly pursuits fail, he turns out as a sanctimonious person... sanyaasi, bairaag, a friar...' Hence, living with him here will cause only eye-soar in looking at these murky forests, to your wide-eyes... thus, come with me...'

Ravana as devotee says: bhaSTa raajyena; bhraSTam ariiNaam raajyam, yena tena 'subverted, enemies', kingdoms, by whom, by him...' 'he who has subverted all the kingdoms of enemies, with such a Rama...' gata cetasaa 'devoid of inner soul...' He by himself is the Cosmic Soul and no duality of souls occurs in the Absolute Soul. Because He has no duality, there will be no duality in his acts na tasya kaaryam, kaaraNam na vidyate... shruti. Then He is taapasena tapasvinaam: taapasa ina tapasvinaam 'for ascetics, lord, also an acetic...' because He is lord of all ascetics he must also be one with them...' saha raameNa tvam 'with, Rama, you...' ellipt. ayam vij~naapanam 'this supplication...' kariSyasi kim 'will you make over, isn't it?

'He who has snubbed down all enemy kingdoms, where enemies are not earthly enemies, and as he has no duality in his deeds, won't you make over this request of mine, in welcoming you to Lanka, to him...' Tiirtha.

sarva raakSasa bhartaaram kaamaya - kaamaat - svayam aagatam |
na manmatha shara aaviSTam prati aakhyaatum tvam ar.hhasi || 3-48-17

17. [kaamaat] kaamaya= in love, [you love me]; svayam aagatam= personally, came [to you]; manmatha shara aaviSTam= Love-god's, arrow, hit by; sarva raakSasa bhartaaram= all, demon's, king; such as I am, me; tvam= you; prati [iva]= towards [this way]; aakhyaatum= to speak - or, pratikhyaatum= to reject; na arhasi = not, apt of you.

"I, the king of all the demons, am hit by the arrows of Love-god and came to you in love, and instead of beseeching me to love you, your rejection and speaking this way, is unapt of you.

Or

"Although I am the king of all the demons, on seeing you I am hit by the arrows of Love-god and came to you, thus you love me... but rejecting me this way is unapt of you, as you alone will be loosing heavenly comforts, if you reject me. [3-48-17]

Ravana, the devotee is saying: 'I maybe the king of all the demons, but kaamaat 'longingly, devotedly, zealously...' iha aagatam 'to here, he who came...' manmadha shara aaviSTam prati here the last word prati 'towards' is to be taken as iva 'like, as though, deem...' then 'deeming me as though I am hit by the arrows of Love-god and talking nonsense...' svayam 'you personally... in your right mind' aakhyaatum na arhasi 'to say so, is inapt of you...'

"I may be a king of all the demons in universes, but I am a zealotry devotee of yours... but deeming me to be one who is hit by the arrows of Love-god and thus speaking nonsense... this way of your thinking of me and speaking to me, is unapt of you in the right your mind...' Maheshvara Tiirtha.

prati aakhyaaya hi maam bhiiru paritaapam gamiSyasi |
caraNena abhihatya iva puruuravasam uurvashii || 3-48-18

18. bhiiru= oh, modest lady; maam= me; prati aakhyaaya= against, by saying [refusing]; puruuravasam= Puruurava is; caraNena abhihatya= with feet, on kicking; uurvashii iva= Uurvashi, as with; paritaapam gamiSyasi= remorse, you enter - you become remorseful.

"Oh, modest lady, on refusing me you surely become remorseful like Uurvashi who once kicked Puruurava with her feet. [3-48-18]

Uurvashi is one among the four celestial chief maidens, apsara-s, namely, Uurvashi, Rambha, Menaka and Tiolottama. When Vishnu was in His meditation all the other apsara-s came to Him to disturb His meditation. Knowing that, Vishnu gave birth to this Uurvashi from his things. Thus, she is called the one who came from thighs uuruH 'from thighs...' and this word is defined as uru vaSTi 'muchly, splendorous one...' Then the other apsara-s had to accept ashamedly that Uurvashi is a beauty of higher order. Kalidasa took this as his subject for his drama 'Vikramorvashiiyam.'

a.ngulyaa na samo raamo mama yuddhe sa maanuSaH |
tava bhaagyen sa.mpraaptam bhajasva varavar.hNini || 3-48-19

19. varavarNini= oh, richly, colourful lady; maanuSaH saH raamaH= [mere] human, he, that Rama; yuddhe= in war; mama angulyaa samaH na = my, finger, equal to, not - he is not; tava bhaagyen sampraaptam [maam] bhajasva= by your, serendipity [good fortune,] chanced, [me] you honour.

"He that Rama is merely a human, and in war he equals me not by my finger, oh, richly colourful lady, and I chanced here merely by your serendipity, thus you honour me and my desire to possess you..." Thus Ravana spoke to Seetha. [3-48-19]

'Serendipity' is the faculty of making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident... coined by Horace Walpole [1754] after The Three Princes of Serendip [now Sri Lanka,] a fairy tale. Now as a Lankan, let Ravana also say so.

Ravana, the devotee is saying: yuddhe 'in war...' yasya angulyaaH samaH ko api na asti 'whose, finger, equalling, whoever, even, not, there...' yaH saH raamaH ' who, he, is Rama... or, Vishnu Himself...' maanuSaH 'humanly incarnate...' tam 'him, such a Rama...' mama bhaagyena 'by my, fortune...' sampraaptam 'presently' let that Rama arrive [in Lanka...]' bhajasva 'him, that Rama, you hold him in honour...'

"In battlefield none can match that Rama even by his little finger, for He is none other than Vishnu, and such a Vishnu chanced here in the human incarnation as Rama, and let fortune betide me and let that Rama arrive in my Lanka, and you be instrumental to his arrival, then you may hold that Rama in high honour... for all this to happen first you come with me..." Maheshvara Tiirtha.

evam uktaa tu vaidehii kruddhaa sa.mrakta locanaa |
abraviit paruSam vaakyam rahite raakSasa adhipam || 3-48-20

20. evam uktaa vaidehii tu = thus, spoken to, Vaidehi, on her part; kruddhaa samrakta locanaa= infuriated, with bloodshot, eyes; rahite= without [anyone, in lonely place]; raakSasa adhipam= to demon's, king paruSam vaakyam abraviit = bitter, words, she spoke.

Vaidehi who is spoken thus is infuriated on her part and with her eyes bloodshot spoke these bitter words to the king of demons in that lonely lace. [3-48-20]

The lonely place is an advantageous place for such tempters. But if the tempted is self-controlled, nothing adverse can happen. raagam viviktaa iti vardhayanti 'inclination increases in isolation...' But Seetha is disinclined to any such advances or lures or temptations. Some discussion is there in endnote.

katham vaishravaNam devam sarva deva namaskR^itam |
bhraataram vyapadishya tvam ashubham kartum icChasi || 3-48-21

21. sarva deva namaskR^itam= by all, gods, reverenced; devam vaishravaNam = god, Vaishravana [Kubera]; bhraataram vyapadishya= brother, by making known - telling his name; tvam= you; a+shubham kartum katham icChasi= un, holy [sinful acts,] to commit, how, you wish to.

"How you wish to commit sins although saying that Kubera, a god reverenced by all of the gods, is your brother? [3-48-21]

avashyam vinashiSyanti sarve raavaNa raakSasaaH |
yeSaam tvam karkasho raajaa dur.hbuddhiH ajita indriyaH || 3-48-22

22. raavaNa= oh, Ravana; karkashaH= cruel one; dur buddhiH= bad, minded [culpable]; a + jita indriyaH= with not, controlled, senses; such as you are; tvam= you; yeSaam raajaa= to whom, you are a king; such of those; sarve raakSasaaH= all of those, demons; avashyam vi nashiSyanti = perforce, completely get destroyed.

"All the demons will perforce get completely destroyed, oh, Ravana, for whom you the cruel and culpable one with uncontrolled senses is the king, and you will be blameworthy for the elimination of righteous demons like Vibheeshana, et al. [3-48-22]

apahR^itya shaciim bhaaryaam shakyam indrasya jiivitum |
na hi raamasya bhaaryaam maam apaniiya asti jiivitam || 3-48-23

23. indrasya bhaaryaam shaciim apahR^itya =Indra's, wife, Shaci, on abducting; jiivitum shakyam = to live on, it possible to; raamasya bhaaryaam maam = Rama's, wife, me; apa niiya= leading away - on abducting; jiivitam= liveability na asti hi= not, is there, indeed.

"It may be possible to live after abducting Shaci Devi, the wife of Indra, somehow and anyhow there will be no liveability after abducting me, the wife of Rama. [3-48-23]

jiivet ciram vajra dharasya hastaat
shaciim pradhR^iSya apratiruupa ruupaam |
na maa dR^ishiim raakSasa dhar.hSayitvaa
piita amR^itasya api tava asti mokSaH || 3-48-24

24. raakSasa= oh, demon; a +prati ruupa ruupaam= not, mirrored, prettiness, prettyish lady; shaciim= Shaci Devi is; vajra dharasya hastaat= Thunderbolt, wielder, from the hand of; pradhR^iSya= on forcibly snatching away; ciram jiivet = for a long time, one may live; maa dR^ishiim= me, similar; dharSayitvaa [duuSayitvaa]= on intimidating, [on abusing]; piita amR^itasya api= though consumed, ambrosia, even if; tava asti mokSaH= to you [your-like,] is there, moksha, [release from the cycle of rebirth]; na= is not there.

"Oh, demon, un-mirrored is the prettiness of prettyish Shaci Devi, and one may live long on forcibly snatching her away from the hands of the wielder of Thunderbolt, Indra, but to him who intimidates or abuses me or women like me, there will be no moksha, release from the cycle of rebirth, even if he has consumed amR^ita ambrosia." Thus Seetha spoke to Ravana. [3-48-24]

Seetha iterated twice about Shaci Devi for reinforcing her argument. She did not say 'on abducting me you will not survive...' but said 'on abducting me, or women like me...' this is to say that any husband devote-wife is not to be subjected to such humiliation. Further, this is for ashliila nivaaraNa artham 'to avoid obscenity from the mouth of this principal character in legend....' Govindaraja. As Seetha is unsure whether Ravana consumed ambrosia or not, but, 'if your-like malicious minded beings, though they have gulped amR^ita 'ambrosia' there is no moksha 'release, deliverance...' from death-birth cycle and that moksha is possible through wise thinking... and, as your soul is full with foulness, that unwise state of yours will never attain moksha...' Rama Tilaka Commentary.

.

Who is a pati vrata - husband-devote?

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Seetha is considered as a topmost husband-devotee and there must be some reasons for this. A devote-wife is one who abides by her wedded husband through thick and thin. The reasons for the umpteen number of divorces that are happening all around the globe are incorporated in the following simple verses:

puruÿam sevate na anyam mano v˜k k˜ya karmabhi× |
lobhit˜ api pareõa arthia× s˜ sati loka bh¨ÿaõ˜ ||
dainyena pr˜thit˜ v˜ api balena vidh®t˜ v˜ api |
vastra ˜dyaŸh v˜sit˜ v˜ api na eva anyam bhajate satŸ ||
na anyam k˜mate citte s˜ vijñey˜ pati vrat˜ ||

'She who devotes herself to her own man, but not to any other man, with her heart, word and deed, she alone is the jewel in world... though enticed by others with riches or intimidated with forcefulness, or tempted with richly clothing [and others womanly fancies, but one on discarding them all] attends her own man... she who does not wish other man even in her heart of hearts, she alone is a husband-devote...'

As such, there are no extraordinary talents or traits that make an ideal woman as a husband-devote, except her abidance to the sacredness of marriage as an institution. The domestic quarrelling, bickering, nagging... all these persists in every home, but making a mountain of that anthill, will eventually lead to the collapse of that institution of marriage. No doubt, Seetha is a nagging, quarrelling, and sermonising, tongue-lashing woman but if it comes to her husband, she is undone without him, though he lost his empire, roaming in forests, eating trash etc., and yet she does not depart from her pledge to the institution of marriage.

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye araNya kaaNDe aSTa catvaarimshaH sargaH

Thus, this is the 48th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.

Book III : Aranya Kanda - The Forest Trek

Chapter [Sarga] 49

Introduction

Seetha's abduction takes place now. Ravana forcefully abducts Seetha in his air-chariot. She bewails and

bemoans for Rama and Lakshmana and appeals to all nature to inform Rama about this abduction. Finally, she sees Jatayu, the eagle, and asks him to narrate her abduction to Rama.

siitaayaa vacanam shrutvaa dashagriivaH prataapavaan |
haste hastam samaahatya cakaara sumahat vapuH || 3-49-1

1. prataapavaan dashagriivaH = valorous one, Ten-headed Ravana; siitaayaa vacanam shrutvaa= Seetha's, words, on hearing; haste hastam sam aahatya= on palm, with palm, well [loudly,] clapped; su mahat vapuH cakaara = very mighty, [his] body, made [divulged,].

On hearing Seetha's words that valorous ten-headed Ravana loudly clapped in dissent for once and divulged his very mighty body. [3-49-1]

These beings, including Hanuma, change into titanic form when they are infuriated. A cruel aspect minus anger is not in consonance with each. Thus, Ravana got wild first, but he does not want to hide his reality before his Goddess Lakshmi, hence he divulged his real aspect. Maheshvara Tiirtha.

sa maithiliim punaH vaakyam babhaaSe vaakya kovidaH |
na unmattayaa shrutau manye mama viirya paraakramau || 3-49-2

2. vaakya kovidaH saH = word, smith, he that Ravana; maithiliim punaH vaakyam babhaaSe= he, to Maithili, again, words, spoke; unmattayaa= by you who are mad; mama viirya paraakramau= my, valour, vanquishes; na shrutau manye= not, unheard, I think.

That wordsmith Ravana again spoke these words to Maithili, "Perhaps you have not heard about my valour and vanquishes in all your madness for Rama. [3-49-2]

Ravana as devotee is saying to Seetha: 'unheard are my valour and vanquishes na unmattayaa : matta janaat udgataa unmatta bhinna taa dR^ishayaa 'not mad... you are far from the maddened crowd, you are opposite of a mad personality...' na unmattayaa tvayaa na shrutau manye... 'though you are not a madcap in reality, you did not give any ear to my valour and vanity...' Maheshvara Tiirtha.

Once the demon Mahisha-asura was eliminated by Goddess Durga, a female, and Ravana is now talking to a female, [and maybe she is also in disguise like him.] If this woman assumes her real nature at the time of abduction, the abduction will not be easy and handy. Hence, before her assuming her real form, it is better to show his real entity. Thus, he clapped for once before changing into his real entity. Or, the role-play of a Brahman sanyasi is not in consonance with the villainous abduction and that garb of a Brahman itself is a hindrance to his original atrocious nature known to world as raa vaNa 'one who makes people to cry...' thus vexed with this role-paying of a Brahman, he clapped loudly and infuriately, for once. Rama Tilaka.

ud vaheyam bhujaabhyaam tu mediniim a.mbare sthitaH |
aapibeyam samudram ca mR^ityum hanyaam raNe sthitaH || 3-49-3

3. ambare sthitaH = on sky, standing; bhujaabhyaam mediniim ud vaheyam= by my two arms, earth I can up, lift; samudram ca= [any] ocean, also; aa pibeyam = completely, I gulp down; raNe sthitaH= in war, standing; mR^ityum hanyaam = Death, I put to death.

"Standing on the sky I can lift up the earth with two of my arms, I can completely gulp down any ocean, standing in war I can even put the Death to death. [3-49-3]

ar.hkam tu.ndyaam sharaiH tiikSNair vibhi.ndyaam hi mahiitalam |
kaama ruupiNam unmatte pashya maam kaamadam patim || 3-49-4

4. arkam tundyaam [rundhyaam] hi= Sun, I can split [obstruct] indeed; tiikSNaiH sharaiH = with splitting, arrows; mahiitalam vi bhindyaam= earth's plane, verily, split [splinter]; unmatte= oh, mad woman; kaama dam patim= wishes, endowing, husband; kaama ruupiNam= by wish, who can assume any form; maam pashya = me, you behold.

"Indeed, I can split the Sun and splinter the earth with my splitting arrows, oh, mad woman, I can assume any form as I wish, and endow any wish you wish, such as I am, I must be your husband, behold me." So said Ravana when revealing his real nature. [3-49-4]

evam uktavataH tasya raavaNasya shikhi prabhe |
kruddhasya hari paryante rakte netre babhuuvatuH || 3-49-5

5. evam uktavataH = that way, when he said; kruddhasya tasya raavaNasya = infuriated, that, Ravana's; shikhi prabhe= torchlit, in shine; hari paryante = blackened, at edges; netre= in such eyes; rakte babhuuvatuH= bloodshot, became.

While the infuriated Ravana is saying in that way his eyes which by themselves are torchlit in their shine have became further bloodshot and blackened at their edges. [3-49-5]

sadyaH saumyam parityajya tiikshNa ruupam sa raavaNaH |
svam ruupam kaala ruupa aabham bheje vaishravaNa anujaH || 3-49-6

6. vaishravaNa anujaH= Vaishravana [Kubera's] younger brother; saH raavaNaH= he, Ravana; sadyaH= immediately; saumyam ruupam= gentle, form - of Brahman friar; pari tyajya= discarding; svam= his own; kaala ruupa aabham= Terminator's, form, similar to; tiikshNa ruupam bheje= ferocious, aspect, he assumed.

Immediately discarding the gentle form of a Brahman friar, that younger brother of Kubera, Ravana, assumed his own ferocious form which is similar to the form of Terminator. [3-49-6]

sa.nrakta nayanaH shriimaan tapta kaa.ncana bhuuSaNaH |
krodhena mahataa aaviSTo niila jiimuuta sannibhaH || 3-49-7
dasha aasyo vi.mshati bhujo babhuuva kSaNadaa caraH |

7, 8a. mahataa krodhena aaviSTaH= by desperate, fury, ensorcelled; sam rakta nayanaH= with bloodshot, eyes; shriimaan= celebrated one; tapta kaancana bhuuSaNaH= burnt [purified,] golden, wearer of ornaments; [vicitra shakti sampanna= wizardly Ravana]; niila jiimuuta sannibhaH= blackish, [tempestuous] cloudlike, in shine; dasha aasyaH= ten, faced one; vimshati bhujaaH= twenty, with arms; kSaNadaa caraH= night, walker; babhuuva = became [transmuted.]

That celebrated Ravana whose eyes are bloodshot as he is ensorcelled by desperate fury transmuted his form into a tend-faced, twenty-armed night-walker wearing golden ornaments of purified gold and appearing as a black tempestuous cloud. [3-49-7, 8a]

sa parivraajaka cChadma mahaakaayo vihaaya tat || 3-49-8
pratipede svakam ruupam raavaNo raakSasa adhipaH |
rakta a.mbara dharaH tasthau strii ratnam prekSya maithiliim || 3-49-9

8b, 9. raakSasa adhipaH= demons, sovereign; saH raavaNaH= he, Ravana; parivraajaka cChadma vihaaya= friar's, guise, on discarding; svakam ruupam pratipede= his own, form, he educed; tat mahaa kaayaH = that, mighty-bodied one; rakta ambara dharaH= reddish, clothing, attired in; strii ratnam maithiliim prekSya= lady, gem of a, at Maithili, observing; tasthau= stood afore her.

On discarding that guise of a Brahman friar that sovereign of demons Ravana educed his own physique and then that mighty bodied one attired in reddish clothing stood before Maithili observing that gem of a lady. [3-49-8b, 9]

He stood before her showing his mighty physique, expecting her to yield on seeing such a magnificent manly physique, which dissimilar to the girlish physique of her husband Rama.

sa taam asita kesha antaam bhaaskarasya prabhaam iva |
vasana aabharaNa upetaam maithiliim raavaNo abraviit || 3-49-10

10. saH raavaNaH = he, Ravana; a + sita kesha antaam= not, whitened, head-hair, ends [hairdo having glossily blackish tressed ends]; bhaaskarasya prabhaam iva= sun's, shining, like; vasana aabharaNa upetaam= clothed [silken-ochry-sari,] jewellery, having on her; taam maithiliim abraviit= to her, to Maithili, spoke.

She whose tresses are glossily blackish until their ends, and who has on her glittering jewellery and silken-ochry-sari, whereby who is imperceivable like sun's glaring shine, to such Maithili Ravana spoke. [3-49-10]

triSu lokeSu vikhyaatam yadi bhartaaram icChasi |
maam aashraya varaarohe tava aham sadR^ishaH patiH || 3-49-11

11. varaarohe= oh, high-hipped lady; triSu lokeSu vikhyaatam bhartaaram = in three, worlds, well-renowned, a husband; icChasi yadi = you wish, if; maam aashraya= in me, you seek shelter; aham tava sadR^ishaH patiH= I [alone] will, to you, match up, as husband.

"If you wish to have a husband of well-renown in three worlds you seek shelter in me, oh, high-hipped lady, I alone will match up to you as husband. [3-49-11]

maam bhajasva ciraaya tvam aham shlaaghyaH patiH tava |
na eva ca aham kvacit bhadre kariSye tava vipriyam || 3-49-12
tyajyataam maanuSo bhaavo mayi bhaavaH praNiiyataam |

12, 13a. bhadre= oh, fortunate lady; tvam ciraaya maam bhajasva= you, for a long time [ultimately,] me, you oblige; aham tava shlaaghyaH patiH = I will be, to you, much-lauded, husband; aham kvacit= I will, anytime; tava= to you; vi priyam= dis, pleasure; na kariSye ca = not, I will cause; maanuSe= for humanly [Rama]; bhaavaH= your thoughts [heart, love]; tyajyataam= leave off; mayi bhaavaH pra Niiyataam= me [towards me,] thought [heart, love,] verily lead [bring round.]

"Ultimately you have a much-lauded husband in me, as such you oblige me, and I will not cause any displeasure to you at any point of time. Let your heart refrain from that humanly Rama and you start bringing round your heart towards me. [3-49-12, 13a]

raajyaat cyutam asiddha artham raamam parimita aayuSam || 3-49-13
kaiH guNaiH anuraktaa asi muuDhe paNDita maanini |
yaH striyaa vacanaat raajyam vihaaya sasuhR^it janam || 3-49-14
asmin vyaala anucarite vane vasati dur.hmatiH |

13b, 14, 15a. muuDhe= oh, unintelligent lady; paNDita maanini= highly intelligent, deem your self; dur matiH= bad, minded [mindless Rama]; yaH striyaa vacanaat= who, by a woman's, word; sa= along with; su hR^it janam= good, hearted, people; raajyam vihaaya= kingdom, on leaving off; vyaala anucarite= predators, moving in [on prowl]; asmin vane vasati = in this, in forest, he who lives - Rama; such a; raajyaat cyutam= from kingdom, fallen [spurned off]; a + siddha artham= not, gainful, his purposes; [maanuSaH= being human]; parimita aayuSam= he is with - limited, longevity - short-lived human being; raamam= at Rama; kaiH guNaiH anuraktaa asi= by what, merits [of Rama,] impassioned [for him,] you are.

"Oh, halfwitted lady, you who deem yourself a highly intellectual lady, listen, that mindless Rama who just by a word of a woman forebode kingdom along with all of his amiable people, and lives in this forest where the predators are on the prowl, thus he who is spurned off from kingdom, ungainful are his purposes, and who is even a short-lived human, I wonder by what merits you are impassioned for such a Rama?" Thus Ravana spoke to Seetha. [3-49-13b, 14, 15a]

For the verses from 11 to 14 Maheshvara Tiirtha, a very ancient commentator, tries hard to establish Ravana as an absolute devotee of Goddess Lakshmi, for Ravana himself was their doorkeeper in heaven before his accursed being. He is one from the two doorkeepers in vaikuNTha 'abode of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi' called Jaya and Vijaya Ravana is Jaya, the doorkeeper. That commentary is like this. yadi aham patiH 'if, I am, the lord...' raakshasaam iti seSaH elliptic, 'of demons...' tava sadR^ishaH : kim bhR^itya - iti seSaH 'you befitting, elliptic, am I a befitting servant - no I am not...' 'Although I am not a good servant of yours, but if you wish to me be one, triSu lokeSu vikhyaataam yathaa tathaa 'as if to become famous in all the three worlds...' maam bhartaaram aashraya 'me, as servant, accept...' Here bharta is defined as shushruuSa aadinaa svaaminam bibharti iti bhartaa - bhR^itya iti arthaH 'one who serves his master by his services is bhartaa. Thus bhartaa does not only mean a husband but also a servant. Why should she accept Ravana now as a newly recruited servant? Because ciraaya tava shlaaghyaH 'for a long time I have been extolling you in vaikunTha as Jaya...' and I am a priya : priiNayati iti shshruuSa aadinaa svaaminam - iti priya bhR^ityaH 'a dear, earnest servant of yours...' maam bhajasva 'you know me thus as your humble servant...' maanuSe bhaava tyajataam 'humans only are to be saved..' - you leave this thinking and think that we the demons are also to be saved...' muuDhe paNDita maaninii mayi bhaava praNiiyataam 'Although I am an unread stupid, grace me too because I am your long serving servant...' Further, Rama is raajyaat cyutam 'not fallen from kingship, but he is a spurner of kingly pleasures, he thrusts these small things back with his foot...' why because a siddha artham - ashca asau siddha arthaH ca 'Vishnu is one with His purposes fulfilled... thus He does not care for a petty kingdom, when He is the King of Kings...' parimita aayuSam : parigatam - tyaktam; mitam - alpam - aayuH yena tam - a parimita aayuSam 'He is an eternal entity...' kaiH guNaiH - kaiH= anirvacaniiya; guNaiH= ananta kalyaaNa guNa shiila 'One with indefinable, illimitable auspicious merits...' anuraktaa asi 'you are impassioned for such a Vishnu, though... and I have no objection for that, but bless me too... durmati : duSTeSu api matiH - anugraahikaa buddhi 'He is not a mindless person, but he has a mind for the mindless and bad-minded persons like me... So please come with me and let your husband follow you to Lanka and accord salvation, as planned by you all...' Maheshvara Tiirtha.

iti uktvaa maithiliim vaakyam priya arhaam priya vaadiniim || 3-49-15
abhigamya suduSTa aatmaa raakshasaH kaama mohitaH |
jagraaha raavaNaH siitaam budhaH khe rohiNiim iva || 3-49-16

15b, 16. su duSTa aatmaa= verily, evil, minded [Ravana]; kaama mohitaH= by lust, maddened; raakshasaH raavaNaH = that demon, Ravana; priya [vacana] arhaam= for nice, [words,] proper one - to talk to; priya vaadiniim= nice, talker; maithiliim= to Maithili; vaakyam iti uktvaa= words, this way, on saying; abhi gamya= nigh, drawing - approaching her; khe budhaH rohiNiim iva= in firmament, Budha - the Jupiter, with Rohini, as with; siitaam jagraaha= Seetha, he grabbed.

On saying that sentence to Maithili, who by herself is a nice talker and who is a proper one for addressing with nice words, that verily evil-minded demon Ravana maddened by lust drew nigh of Seetha and grabbed her, as Budha, the Jupiter grabs the Star Rohini in firmament. [3-49-15b, 16]

What happened to the lakshmaNa rekha? 'A boundary drawn by Lakshmana when he departed Seetha in search of Rama?' Some discussion about this is there in the endnote. Here, even though Ravana is su duSTa aatmaa, kaama mohitaa 'a very wicked souled and lustily crazed....' it is all for other women, but not towards Seetha. And thus he caught hold of Seetha, as the planet Budha, Jupiter, the son of Moon catches his own Star mother Rohini, a dear wife the Moon, reverentially. Maheshvara Tiirtha. Later commentators rejected this saying that, if it were to be so, then Ravana has Oedipus complex.

vaamena siitaam padmaakSiim muurdhajeSu kareNa saH |
uurvoH tu dakSiNena eva parijagraaha paaNinaa || 3-49-17

17. saH= he; padma akSiim siitaam= lotus, eyed, at Seetha; vaamena kareNa eva muurdhajeSu= with left, hand, thus, head-hair; dakSiNena paaNinaa uurvoH tu = with right, hand, thighs, but; parijagraaha= grabbed.

He that Ravana grabbed the lotus-eyed Seetha on lifting her up with his left hand at her plait of hair at nape, and with his right hand at her thighs. [3-49-17]

tam dR^iSTvaa giri shR^i.nga aabham tiikSNa da.mSTram mahaa bhujam |
praadravan mR^ityu sa.nkaasham bhaya aartaa vana devataaH || 3-49-18

18. mR^ityu sankaasham= Death, one similar to; tiikSNa damSTram= one with incisive, fangs; mahaa bhujam= mightily, armed one; giri shR^inga aabham= mountain, crest, in shine; tam dR^iSTvaa= him [who grabbed Seetha,] on seeing; vana devataaH= forest, deities; bhaya aartaa = by terrorism, terrorised; praadravan= quickly fled.

On seeing him who grabbed Seetha, who has incisive fangs, mightily armed and who is shining forth like a mountain crest and similar to Death, the forest deities quickly fled away terrorised by his terrorism. [3-49-18]

sa ca maayaamayo divyaH khara yuktaH khara svanaH |
pratyadR^ishyata hemaa.ngo raavaNasya mahaarathaH || 3-49-19

19. [then]; maayaamayaH= miraculously [designed for appearing and disappearing]; divyaH khara yuktaH= miraculous; mules, yoked with; khara svanaH= braying, noisily; hema angaH= golden, with wheels [parts]; raavaNasya saH mahaarathaH = Ravana's, that, miracle-air-chariot; prati adR^ishyata= afore, appeared.

Then the miracle-air-chariot of Ravana which is miraculously designed to appear and disappear at the wish of its master, yoked with miraculous mules, and built with its golden wheels and parts, appeared afore Ravana braying noisily. [3-49-19]

tataH taam paruSaiH vaakyaiH abhitarjya mahaasvanaH |
a.nkena aadaaya vaidehiim ratham aaropayat tadaa || 3-49-20

20. tadaa= then; mahaa svanaH= one who has - strident, voice - Ravana; taam vaidehiim= her, Vaidehi; paruSaiH vaakyaiH abhitarjya= with bitter, words, intimidating; ankena aadaaya = by waist, lifting up - or dragging her onto his flank; tataH= then; ratham aaropayat= chariot, got up on.

Then he whose voice is strident that Ravana lifted her up by her waist and got Vaidehi up on the air-chariot intimidating her with bitter words. [3-49-20]

saa gR^ihiitaa aticukrosha raavaNena yashasvinii |
raamaa iti siitaa duHkha aartaa raamam duuram gatam vane || 3-49-21

21. raavaNena gR^ihiitaa= by Ravana, captured [when gone into captivity of Ravana]; yashasvinii= glorious one; saa siitaa= that, Seetha; duHkha aartaa= with anguish, agonised; vane duuram gatam raamam = in forest, distant, gone, at Rama; raamaa iti= 'oh, Rama', thus [saying]; ati cukrosha= loudly, wailed.

Agonised with anguish when gone into the captivity of Ravana, she that glorious Seetha wailed loudly for Rama saying 'oh, Rama,' which Rama has gone deep into the forest by then. [3-49-21]

taam akaamaam sa kaama aartaH pannaga indra vadhuum iva |
viveSTamaanaam aadaaya utpapaata atha raavaNaH || 3-49-22

22. atha= then; kaama aartaH= with lust, infatuated; saH raavaNaH= that, Ravana; a + kaamaam= not, inclined - one disinclined for lusting; pannaga indra vadhuum iva= cobra, king, wife, like; vi veSTamaanaam= one who is verily, writhing; taam aadaaya= her, on picking her up; [vegena= speedily]; ut papaata= up, fallen - fell upon the skies, flew off.

Ravana who is infatuated with lust picked her up, which lady is disinclined for any kind of sensuality and who is verily writhing like the wife of King Cobra, and then he surged skyward and flew off with her in his air-chariot. [3-49-22]

tataH saa raakSasendreNa hriyamaaNaa vihaayasaa |
bhR^isham cukrosha mattaa iva bhraa.nta cittaa yathaa aaturaa || 3-49-23

23. tataH= then; raakSasa indreNa vihaayasaa hriyamaaNaa= by demons, lord, in skyway, while being abducted; saa = she that Seetha; mattaa iva= frenzied, as if; bhraanta cittaa= bewildered, faculties; aaturaa yathaa = a hysterical person, as with; bhR^isham cukrosha= stridently, bawled.

While that lord of demons is abducting her in the skyway, Seetha became frenzied with bewildered faculties and then bawled stridently like a hysterical person. [3-49-23]

haa lakSmaNa mahaabaaho guru citta prasaadaka |
hriyamaaNaam na jaaniiSe rakSasaa kaama ruupiNaa || 3-49-24

24. mahaabaahuH= greatly dextrous one; guru citta prasaadaka= mentors, heart, rejoicer of; haa lakSmaNa= haa, Lakshmana; kaama ruupiNaa rakSasaa= by wish, guise-changer - dissembler, by demon; hriyamaaNaam= being abducted; [maam= me, of me]; na jaaniiSe= not, you know.

"Haa, greatly dextrous Lakshmana... oh, rejoicer of your mentor... you are incognisant of me who am being abducted by this demon who is a dissembler. [3-49-24]

Seetha tongue-lashed this Lakshmana alone in the earlier chapters and him alone she is addressing now, that too firstly, before calling Rama, that too addressing as 'dextrous one...' Is she self-contradictory? Not so, 'Lakshmana is the one who can protect even the self-reliant Rama, then where is the question of his not protecting Seetha from any calamity?' is her reasoning. On the other hand, Lakshmana left the hermitage just now, so he must be within earshot, while Rama went into deep of the forest long back.

jiivitam sukham arthaam ca dharma hetoH parityajan |
hriyamaaNaam adharmeNa maam raaghava na pashyasi || 3-49-25

25. jiivitam sukham arthaam ca= [high] life, happiness, riches, also; dharma hetoH parityajan= righteousness, for the reason of, one who is relinquishing; raaghava= oh, Raghava; a + dharmeNa= by not, righteousness - unrighteousness or, by an unrighteous demon; hriyamaaNaam= being abducted; maam na pashyasi= me, not, you are observant of.

"Oh, Raghava, you have relinquished your high-life, happiness, and riches for the sake of righteousness, and though you avowed to protect your observants, you are unobservant of me who am being abducted by the unrighteousness itself. [3-49-5]

nanu naama aviniitaanaam vinetaa asi para.ntapa |
katham evam vidham paapam na tvam shaassi hi raavaNam || 3-49-26

26. parantapa= oh, enemy-inflamer; a +viniitaanaam= for not, wise beings [ for uncontrollable beings,] vi netaa= absolute, controller; asi nanu = you are, I dare say [I reckon]; tvam= you; evam vidham paapam raavaNam= this, kind of, sinner, Ravana; katham naama= how, I wonder; na shaassi hi = not, controlling, indeed.

"Oh, enemy-inflamer Rama, I reckon that you are an absolute controller of uncontrollable beings, I wonder why you are not controlling this kind of sinner, Ravana, indeed?" This is how Seetha started her cry in wilderness. [3-49-26]

nanu sadyo aviniitasya dR^ishyate karmaNaH phalam |
kaalo api a.ngii bhavati atra sasyaanaam iva paktaye || 3-49-27

27. aviniitasya karmaNaH phalam= evil, acts', fruit [result]; sadyaH= instantaneously; na dR^ishyate nu= not, apparent, indeed; sasyaanaam paktaye iva= [yield of] crops, for cooking [after ripeness,] as with; atra= in such matters; kaalaH api angii bhavati= Time, even, part [factor,] becomes.

"Indeed, the result for an evil act will not be apparent instantaneously. Even the time becomes a factor in the matter of cause and effect, as with the crops becoming cookable after certain time lag." Thus, she is addressing Ravana now. [3-49-27]

tvam karma kR^itavaan etat kaala upahata cetanaH |
jiivita a.ntakaram ghoram raamaat vyasanam aap.hnuhi || 3-49-28

28. tvam= you; kaala upahata cetanaH= by Time, battered, with a mind; [ett= this particular]; karma kR^itavaan= deed [exploit,] you have done [as an infringer]; raamaat= from Rama; jiivita antakaram ghoram vyasanam aapnuhi = life, ending, devastating, tribulation, you get.

"The Time has battered your brains and as an infringer you have undertaken this particular exploit, whereby you will get a devastating and life-ending tribulation from Rama." Thus, she upbraided Ravana. [3-49-28]

hanta idaaniim sakaamaa tu kaikeyii baandhavaiH saha |
hriyeyam dharma kaamasya dharma patnii yashasvinaH || 3-49-29

29. dharma kaamasya= honesty, aspirer of - Rama; yashasvinaH= of glorious Rama; dharma patnii= honest, wife; such as I am; hriyeyam= I am being abducted; idaaniim= now; kaikeyii baandhavaiH saha= Kaikeyi, kinfolk, together with; sa kaamaa= with [came true,] aspiration; [astu= let her be]; hanta= oh, god.

"An honest wife of a glorious one who aspires nothing but honesty, such a wife of Rama as I am, I am being abducted, thus the aspiration of Kaikeyi and her kinfolk has now come true. Oh, god!" Thus, she soliloquised. [3-49-29]

Rama also talks in this way when Viraadha abducted Seetha in the opening chapter of this Aranya Kanda. This small talk is more humanly as said: supramatta kupitaanaam bhaava j~naanam dR^iSTam 'in the delirious or furious conditions, one's own heart is outspoken...' and if it is spoken in anger none but their antagonists are envisaged, firstly.

aama.ntraye janasthaanam karNikaaraan ca puSpitaan |
kSipram raamaaya sha.msadhvam siitaam harati raavaNaH || 3-49-30

30. janasthaanam puSpitaan karNikaaraan= in Janasthaana, flowered, Karnikaara trees; aamantraye = I call attention of; raavaNaH siitaam harati = Ravana is, Seetha, thieving; thus; kSipram raamaaya shamsadhvam= instantly, to Rama, be made known inform.

"I call the attention of the flowered Karnikaara trees of Janasthaana, you inform Rama that Ravana is thieving Seetha." Thus, she is addressing the woods and others on the ground from air-chariot. [3-49-30]

ha.msa saarasa sa.nghuSTaam vande godaavariim nadiim |
kSipram raamaaya sha.msa tvam siitaam harati raavaNaH || 3-49-31

31. hamsa saarasa sanghuSTaam= swans, saarasa [water birds,] bustling with; godaavariim nadiim vande = to you Godavari, river, I pray; raavaNaH harati siitaam = Ravana is, thieving, Seetha; tvam kSipram raamaaya shamsa = you, promptly, to Rama, tell.

"I pray you who are with the bustle of swans and saarasa water birds, oh, River Godavari, you promptly tell Rama that Ravana is thieving Seetha. [3-49-31]

This does not mean that this request is as good as asking that river to overflow its banks to go to Rama and tell the news. It is: "I pray you to tell this news to any one of the bustling birds in your lap and that bird swiftly takes to flight to go to Rama and informs him, because the birds are also sympathetic with Rama and with me, as well...' This is hamsa sandesha, saarasa sandesha which idea became more famous at a later time for the emergence of masterpieces like megha sandesha of Kalidasa and hamsa sandesha in nala damayanti upaakhyaana.

daivataani ca yaanti asmin vane vividha paadape |
namaskaromi aham tebhyo bhartuH sha.msata maam hR^itaam || 3-49-32

32. vividha paadape = which is with diverse, trees; asmin vane= in this, forest; [yaani= which of those]; daivataani= sylvan deities; yaanti [santi]= will be moving about [abide by trees]; tebhyaH= for them; aham namaskaromi = I am, offering veneration; maam hR^itaam= me, as a stolen one; bhartuH shamsata= [to my] husband, inform.

"I also venerate you, the sylvan deities that travel in this forest with diverse trees or, those that abide on the treetops, you may please inform my husband that I am being stolen. [3-49-32]

The word namaskaromi is of two parts: namaH, karomi and this namaH is again cleavable as na mama 'not, mine...' 'I have no 'I-ness' and I wholly submit my 'my-ness' unto you...' Thus namaH kaomi is 'I am making myself in submission to you...' and if this said with the gesture of adjoined palms called an~jali, which in Latin is iungo, iungere and if iun is read as an` and ng be read as j~na of Sanskrit, this iungo is also an~jali as Latin has many Sanskrit words in it. Then this is called namaskaara baaNa 'a salutation-arrow' more like a cupid's arrow to bring two together... not necessarily a male and a female, but any two or more, in veneration or friendship.

yaani kaanicit api atra sattvaani nivasanti uta |
sar.hvaaNi sharaNam yaami mR^iga pakSi gaNaan api || 3-49-33

33. atra= there - on the ground as seen from aircraft; yaani kaanicit api= those, some few, even; sattvaani nivasanti uta = beings, are living, there; sarvaaNi= all of the; mR^iga pakSi gaNaan api= animals, birds, groups of, even; sharaNam yaami= shelter, I am getting into - I seek.

"Or, over there, some few beings that are living over there on the ground below, I seek shelter of all the flocks of birds and hoards of animals, and I pray you to convey this news. [3-49-33]

Seetha firstly appealed to the trees frenziedly. But reasoning herself that the trees can tell only when Rama comes to them, for they cannot move, and then she appealed to River Godavari and her swans. Presuming that the water loving water birds may not penetrate the deep forest, and then she appealed the sylvan deities presiding on the treetops. Again presuming that these sylvan deities of forests may not be able to see through the thick of forest, she is now asking the animals and birds that usually move on the ground, to locate Rama. This entire criss-cross thinking has happened within split seconds.

hriyamaaNaam priyaam bhartuH praaNebhyo api gariiyasiim |
vivasha apahR^itaa siitaa raavaNena iti sha.msata || 3-49-34

34. praaNebhyaH api gariiyasiim= by [his] lives, even, loftier; hriyamaaNaam= being stolen; priyaam= about [his] dear [wife]; vi vasha= without, help [helpless one]; siitaa= Seetha; raavaNena apahR^itaa= by Ravana, stolen; iti bhartuH shamsata= thus, to [my] husband, you inform.

"Inform my husband about his dear and loftier wife than his lives, saying that, 'helpless Seetha is stolen by Ravana.' [3-49-34]

viditvaa maam mahaabaahuH amutra api mahaabalaH |
aaneSyati paraakramya vaivasvata hR^itaam api || 3-49-35

35. mahaa balaH= great-mighty one; mahaabaahuH= ambidextrous [Rama]; vaivasvata hR^itaam api= by Death, I am impounded, even if; maam= me; amutra api = [taken to] other world [to heavens,] even if; viditvaa= [if he comes to] on knowing; paraakramya= on aggressing; aaneSyati= brings back.

"If that ambidextrous Rama comes to know about me, even if I am taken to heavens, or, even if I am impounded by Death, that great-mighty Rama brings me back, on aggressing against all of the gods in heaven, or, against Yama, the Death God." Thus, she appealed to one and all, but in vain. [3-49-35]

saa tadaa karuNaa vaaco vilapa.ntii suduHkhitaa |
vanaspati gatam gridhram dadarsha aayata locanaa || 3-49-36

36. tadaa= then; karuNaa vaacaH vilapantii= with pitiable, words, who is bewailing; aayata locanaa= wide, eyed one; saa= she; su duHkhitaa= highly, anguished; vanaspati gatam gridhram dadarsha = tree [a tree that yields fruits without flowering,] gone onto - perched on, eagle, she saw.

She that wide-eyed Seetha who is highly anguished and bewailing with pitiable words then with a wide-eyed expectancy saw the eagle Jatayu perching on a tree. [3-49-36]

saa tam ud viikshya sushroNii raavaNasya vasham gataa |
samaakra.ndat bhayaparaa duHkha upahatayaa giraa || 3-49-37

37. raavaNasya vasham gataa= Ravana's, captivity, gone in; sushroNii= well-waisted one; bhaya paraa= by fear, worsted; saa= she; tam = him [Jataayu]; ud viikshya= up, on seeing - seeing on raising head; duHkha upahatayaa giraa= anguish, walloped with, [stuttering] voice; sam aakrandat= squeakily, shrieked.

She that well-waisted lady who has gone into the captivity of Ravana craned and stared at the eagle, and worsted by fear she shrieked squeakily with a stuttering voice that is walloped with anguish. [3-49-37]

jaTaayo pashya mama aarya hriyamaaNam anaatha vat |
anena raakshasedreNa karuNam paapa karmaNaa || 3-49-38

38. aarya jaTaayoH= oh, dignified [fatherly,] Jatayu; anena paapa karmaNaa= by this one, with sinister, deeds; raakshasa indreNa= by demons, lord of; anaatha vat= orphan, like [orphanized one]; karuNam= pitiably; hriyamaaNam= being abducted; mama [maam] pashya= me, you see.

"Oh, fatherly Jatayu, see me, like an orphanized one I am pitiably abducted by this lord of demons with sinister deeds. [3-49-38]

na eSa vaarayitum shakyaH tvayaa kruuro nishaacara |
sattvavaan jitakaashii ca sa aayudhaH caiva durmatiH || 3-49-39

39. kruuraH= merciless one; sattvavaan= a formidable one; jita kaashii ca= [who by his cunning] conquests, shining forth, also; sa aayudhaH caiva= with, weaponry, also thus; dur matiH= wicked, minded one; eSa nishaacara= this one, night-walker; tvayaa= by you; vaarayitum= to forestall; na shakyaH= not, a possible, one.

"It is impossible for you to forestall this merciless night-walker, for he is formidable, shining forth with cunning conquests, also thus this wicked minded one is with weaponry. [3-49-39]

raamaaya tu yathaa tattvam jaTaayo haraNam mama |
lakSmaNaaya ca tat sarvam aakhyaatavyam asheSataH || 3-49-40

40. jaTaayo= oh, Jatayu; mama haraNam = my, about abduction; yathaa tattvam= as, it happened; tat sarvam= that, all about it; a + sheSataH= without, a residuum - entirely; raamaaya= to Rama; lakSmaNaaya ca= to Lakshmana, also - or to Lakshmana; aakhyaatavyam= be narrated.

"Oh, Jatayu, everything about my abduction shall be narrated to Rama, or to Lakshmana, as it has happened in its entirety." Thus Seetha supplicated Jatayu. [3-49-40]

Nobility will not seek help selfishly; if help is sought that way, the seeker instantly becomes an ignoble, falling from the heights of personal nobility. Seetha may be an impetuous lady but if she talking to a noble elderly person or being, she talks judiciously in all her humbleness. Here she is not asking Jatayu to wage a war against Ravana to save her. She is asking Jatayu to convey the news of her abduction to Rama, because as an old eagle, as old as her father-in-law, Jatayu may not fight back this Ravana successfully. Besides, Ravana is with weaponry and a cunning warrior. Jatayu may be a powerful eagle, but if it comes to weapons and missiles, a natural being cannot withstand the artificial ammunition of war. Hence, visualising the danger in Jatayu's attempting any combat with Ravana, she is asking him to be the carrier of news, as all the trees, river and her birds, sylvan deities, and the other birds and animals are not heedful of her request, and this eagle alone is beheld, besides being an old acquaintance.

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Is Seetha an 'untouchable'?

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Whether Seetha is touched by Ravana or not - is a much debated issue by ancient commentators. When Ravana is carrying a curse on his head, that makes his head/heads to be splintered, if he lustfully touches any woman, against her will, it is questioned how his head is not splintered now, when touching Seetha. Maheshvara Tiirtha brings in skaanda puraaNa which says that: ch˜y˜ gr˜hitvam api asi sarva vidy˜ viþ˜rade | keþa ch˜y˜m par˜m®þya j˜nu ch˜yam tahaiva ca | g®hŸtv˜ j˜nakŸm h®ÿ÷o lank˜m pr˜y˜ tath˜ eva ca | 'Ravana being an expert in all branches of sciences, caught Janaki by the shadow of her head-hair and the shadow of thighs...' Maheshvara Tiirtha.

For this Rama Tilaka says yet another way of catching Seetha, as explained for the verse at 3-49-17: muurdhajeSu kareNa : muudhaja iSu kareNa 'best ones, arrows, with hands...' 'with the hands that handle the best arrows... Seetha is caught...' vaama kareNa uurvo saH pari jagraaha here the word uuru which usually translates as 'thighs' is said as 'feet...' 'Ravana caught hold of her feet as the Planet Budha, the Jupiter caught the feet of his mother Star Rohini, requesting his personal deity Goddess Lakshmi to come to Lanka. Rama Tilaka.

Catching Seetha while she is standing is not possible in both the ways as said above. She should be in a supine position on ground to handle her from under her thighs or at the nape of the neck. Her falling on ground is not explicitly said in these verses in Aranya. But Seetha says at verse 3-49-34, that 'in a state of helplessness, I am abducted...' This word vivasha, vi vashatvam is not only 'helplessness...' but also a state of 'swooning...' She repeats the same wording in Sundara Kanda and even in Yuddha Kanda II at verse 8 of 116 sarga, while replying Rama's accusation, in saying that yadi aham g˜tra samsparþam gat˜ asmi vivaþ˜ prabho 'when I was 'helpless' I was touched by Ravana... fault is not mine, gods alone have fouled it...' Thus, it is assumed that Seetha was in a short swoon when caught by Ravana. Then again, when she was rolling on ground in the same state Ravana lifts her up by her waist into his air-chariot.

All this discussion is to establish Seetha is an 'untouchable' for others, and for fear of a blemish to her paativratya 'husband-devoutness...' which topic will be raised by no other than Rama, after war. The absolute devotees of Rama or Seetha hold Ravana's touching Seetha, as an intolerable act. Thus, to portray that Seetha is 'untouchable' there are many more legends woven around this topic.

One among it is lakshmaNa rekha 'Lakshmana's drawing a line around the hermitage, like a firewall...' When Seetha transgressed this firewall and came out of it to offer alms to Ravana, in Brahman sanyaasi's guise, she in her fear fell down on ground, as said in aadhyaatma raamaayaNa in the verse: tato vid˜rya dharaõŸm nakhai× uddh®tya b˜hubhi× | tolayitv˜ rathe kÿipt˜ yayau kÿipram vih˜yas˜ || 'then [Ravana] cleaved the earth with his nails, uplifting that clod with his hands and with a balancing act put it in the air-chariot, and quickly went away in skyway...'

Another anthology says that Rama while going after the Golden Deer, hid the real Seetha and placed a maayaa siitaa 'an illusory Seetha...' in the cottage. This deceptive Seetha is continued until her self-immolation after Great War. Real Seetha emerged out of the pyre instead of this Maya Seetha. Then it is questioned, whether the bemoaning and bewailing of Rama for Seetha, throughout the later part of the epic is to hoodwink the readers or so? It is then replied that this also is one among the many miraculous effects of Vishnu viSNu maaya All this culminates into the saying of Bhagavad Gita: vyavas˜y˜tmik˜ buddhi× eka iha kuru nandana | bahu þakh˜ hi anant˜h ca buddhayo avyavas˜yiõ˜m || 2-41 'the object to determine is distinct singularly, and many and unending are those who say manifoldly with indistinct minds....'

Nothing happens by mere touching of Seetha, for she is a resolute lady to abide by her husband Rama. Valmiki is very clear in picturing her to be a stubborn and staunch husband-devote, and no more mythological bends are required to prove her chastity. She herself proved this with her agni pravesha 'self-immolation...' to all concerned. If Seetha acquired a blemish by mere touch, then Draupadi will be in a more pathetic state, since she is physically handled by Keecaka, that too when she is in her senses. The common feature in both the cases is, some other man 'touching their braids...' A woman's head hair cannot be touched by anybody in molestation. atra daþagrŸvo atyanta avamati r¨pam kula kÿaya karam keþa grahaõam svasya bhavitavya anur¨patay˜ k®tav˜ | keþa grahaõasya - sabh˜ nayana - paruÿa bh˜ÿaõa - vastra apaharaõa - ˜di apekÿay˜ - vadhopekÿay˜ ca atyanta avamati karatvam kula kÿaya karatva ca bh˜rate prati p˜ditam - dk 'Ravana is predestined for self-ruin, hence touched the braid of Seetha, and touching the braid of a lady, dragging her to king's court, roughly talking to her, undressing her, all these lead to the destruction of one's own clan, as demonstrated in Maha Bharata...' In vana parva of Bharata, when Draupadi goes on complaining that 'I am dragged by my braid... I am dragged by my braid...' Krishna says to Draupadi: rudiÿyanti striyo hi evam yeÿ˜m kruddh˜ asi bh˜mini | satyam te pratij˜n˜ami r˜jñ˜ r˜jñŸ bhaviÿyasi || 'you women always go on weeping for such tings... [having suffered in such a way,] I promise that you alone will become the empress...' So also, Seetha is instrumental for the elimination of evil, called Ravana together with all his clansmen. This is as pledged by Veadavati, an earlier incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. As such, Seetha has to go to Lanka to attend that complete eradication, according to mythology.

Whether it is myth or real she is not all a frailty to yield up that easily nor a weak bodied one for an easy molestation. She travelled the length and breadth of the country barefooted, that too in impenetrable forests. These ladies of lore had their yogic faculties with which Gaandhaari, the mother Duryodhana, in Maha Bharata makes him a diamond-bodied one, excepting his thighs. Their words come true if they utter them with certain concentration. At the time of burning the tail of Hanuma in Sundara Kaanda Seetha says: siito bhava 'cool down...' 'Let the fire on the tail of that monkey be coolant to him...' and it happened accordingly. That burning tail burnt whole Lanka, except some places, without any scorching effect on Hanuma. Likewise she would have said at Ravana hato bhava 'dead, you are...' but she does not say so. Rama's pledge to saints and sages to eliminate evil on earth is to be fulfilled by Rama alone.

Leaving the untouchablness or otherwise of Seetha aside, since every negative act is to be solemnised, let us listen to the fruits of listening or reading of this episode, siitaa apaharaNa 'abduction of Seetha...' as it involves the elimination of evil on earth, Skanda Puraana says 'nothing inauspicious will happen to those best people who listen this episode of Seetha's abduction...'

sŸt˜ apaharaõam ca eva þ®õvanti narottam˜× |
na teÿ˜m aþubham devi bhaviÿyati kad˜cana ||- sk˜nda

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye araNya kaaNDe eko na pa.ncaashaH sargaH

Thus, this is the 49th chapter in Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.

Book III : Aranya Kanda - The Forest Trek

Chapter [Sarga] 50

introduction

Jataayu confronts Ravana on hearing the wailing of Seetha. He boldly forestalls Ravana and his air-chariot in the sky itself, and as an elderly being he reviles Ravana from the viewpoint of righteousness befitting to kings, but of no avail. His dilemma is that he cannot take flight to Rama's place, nor he can forestall Ravana until Rama comes. Yet, he persists to affront Ravana.

tam shabdam avasuptasya jaTaayuH atha shushruve |
niraikSat raavaNam kSipram vaidehiim ca dadarsha saH || 3-50-1

1. ava suptasya= one who is slumbering; jaTaayuH tam shabdam shushruve= Jataayu, that, noise [voicing of Seetha,] clearly heard; atha saH kSipram= then, he, quickly; nir aikshat = gazed; raavaNam vaidehiim ca dadarsha= Ravana, Vaidehi, even, he saw.

Jataayu who is slumbering away craned and stared on hearing the voicing of Seetha and then he saw Ravana and even Vaidehi. [3-50-1]

tataH parvata shR^i.nga aabhaH tiikSNa tuNDaH khaga uttamaH |
vanaspati gataH shriimaan vyaajahaara shubhaam giram || 3-50-2

2. tataH parvata shR^inga aabhaH= then, mountain, peak, in shine [peakiness]; tiikSNa tuNDaH = very sharp, beaked one; shriimaan= that majestic eagle; vanaspati gataH = on tree, gone on [perched]; khaga uttamaH= bird, best; shubhaam giram vyaajahaara = expedient, with words, uttered.

That best bird majestic Jataayu with a very sharp beak and appearing like a mountain peak, then uttered these words of expediency still perching on a tree. [3-50-2]

dashagriiva sthito dharme puraaNe satya sa.mshrayaH |
bhraataH saH tvam ninditam karma kartum na ar.hhasi sa.mprataam ||3-50-3
jaTaayuH naama naamnaa aham gR^idhra raajo mahaabalaH |

3, 4a. bhraataH= oh, brother; dashagriiva= oh, Ten-headed [Decahedral-demon] Ravana; samprataam= now; tvam ninditam karma kartum na arhasi = deplorable, deed, to do [to undertake,] not, apt of you; aham puraaNe dharme sthitaH = I, in perpetual, probity, he who is abiding; satya samshrayaH= to truthfulness, one avowed to; saH aham= such as I am; mahaabalaH= mightiest; gR^idhra raajaH= eagles, king; naamnaa jaTaayuH naama = known as, Jataayu, by name.

"Oh, brother, now it is inapt of you to undertake a deplorable deed. I am one of those who abide by perpetual probity and avowed to truthfulness. Such as I am, oh, Decahedral-demon Ravana, I am the mightiest king of eagles known by the name Jataayu. [3-50-3, 4a]

This self-assured statement of Jataayu is like this: aham puraaNe dharme sthitaH 'I abide by the sanaatana dharama, 'The Eternal Virtue...' 'belonging to the master and the servant...' aham daashyaH, 'I am a humble servant of Supreme Soul...' aham satya samshrayaH, 'I am sheltered by the Everlasting Truth... that Everlasting Truth is made known in satyam j~naanam anantam brahma... and thus bhagavat ekopaaya niSTaH, 'I have a complete dedication unto god...' - 'I with my unwavering determination am subservient to Him alone, and such as I am, in my presence you cannot undertake a deplorable deed, deplorable to that Eternal Virtue or to three worlds...' On telling about himself, next he started to tell about his master. Govindaraja.

raajaa sarvasya lokasya mahendra varuNa upamaH || 3-50-4
lokaanaam ca hite yukto raamo dasharatha aatmajaH |

4b, 5a. dasharatha aatmajaH raamaH = Dasharatha's, soul-born son, Rama; sarvasya lokasya raajaa = all, world's, king - ruler; mahendra varuNa upamaH= Mahendra, Varuna - Rain-god, one similar to; lokaanaam hite yuktaH ca = worlds', in well-being, connected with, also.

"Rama, the son of Dasharatha, is the master of all the world, one similar to Mahendra and Varuna, the Rain-god, and the one who is connected with the well-being of all the world. [3-50-4b, 5a]

The simile of Indra and Rain-god to Rama is to say that 'Rama is a bestower of rains and livelihood like Indra, the presiding deity of east, through the Rain-god, the presiding deity of west, unlike you who are a pilferer... and he is the preserver of all the worlds... so, you also get persevered by him, because he is also the lord of yours...' Govindaraja.

tasya eSaa loka naathasya dharma patnii yashasvinii || 3-50-5
siitaa naama varaarohaa yaam tvam hartum iha icChasi |

5b, 6a. yaam= whom; tvam iha hartum icChasi= you, now, to abduct, you desire to; eSaa= she is; siitaa naama varaarohaa= Seetha, named, best lady; yashasvinii= glorious one; loka naathasya= worlds, husband's [preserver's]; tasya= his - Rama's; dharma patnii = legitimate, wife.

"Whom you desire to abduct now, that best lady is Seetha by her name, and this glorious one is the legitimate wife of that preserver of all the worlds, namely Rama. [3-50-5b, 6a]

katham raajaa sthito dharme para daaraan paraamR^ishet || 3-50-6
rakSaNiiyaa visheSeNa raaja daaraa mahaabalaH |

6b, 7a. dharme sthitaH raajaa= in probity, adhering, a king; para daaraan= other's, wires; katham paraamR^ishet= how, he touches - lay hands on; mahaabalaH= oh, great-mighty Ravana; raaja daaraa= king's, wife; visheSeNa rakSaNiiyaa= particularly, is to be safeguarded.

"How a king adhering to probity can lay his hands on the wives of others? If it is a king's wife, oh, great-mighty Ravana, she is to be safeguarded particularly. [3-50-6b, 7a]

nivartaya gatim niicaam para daara abhimarshanaat || 3-50-7
na tat samaacaret dhiiro yat paro asya vigar.hhayet |
yathaa aatmanaH tathaa anyeSaam daaraa rakSyaa vimarshanaat || 3-50-8

7b, 8. niicaam gatim [matim]= filthy, course/fortuity, [or, mind]; para daara abhimarshanaat= other's, wife, from lay hands on; nivartaya= turn back; paraH= other person; asya= him [the doer of bad-deed]; yat vigarhayet= which [deed,] deplores; tat dhiiraH na samaacaret = that [deed,] a sagacious one, will not, undertake; aatmanaH daara= one's own wife; yathaa= as to how; tathaa= = in that way; anyeSaam daaraH= other person's, wife; vimarshanaat= from [somebody's] laying hands on her; rakSyaaH= she is to be protected.

"Reverse your filthy course, or fortuity, or mind form laying your hands on other's wives. A sagacious person does not undertake that deed by which others deplore him. As with the protection of one's own wife from somebody's laying hands on her, other person's wife is also to be protected in that way. [3-50-8 [3-50-7b, 8]

If it is asked that a king's wife is a special entity to be protected, and then other's wives are less fortunate or what? Not so, it is said that the wife of a king is a motherly entity. Other's wives may become sisters or sister-in-laws etc., but a mother is a mother. The difference in dealing with a king's wife and with wife of a commoner is that of a difference between a sinner and a criminal. Either way unrighteous it is. The very basic concept of wooing others' wives itself, is both a crime and a sin. 'R^itaa upeyaat...' iti shaastraat - gamyaa sva bhaaryaa | anyaa bhaaryaa agamyaa iti- maadhava aacaarya - dk.

Here the word 'king' also denotes the god, as Manu uses the word 'raajaa' for Yama, the Terminator yamo vaivasvato raajaa yaH tava eSa hR^iodi sthitaa... For this, Ravana may refute saying, 'this Rama may be a god of yours... but not mine...' And for this it is countered in saying, devaanaam ca devataaanaam ca saamaanyam adhi daivam... 'there is no your god or my god, but god is one... to everyone...'

Jataayu is asking for a reversal of Ravana's mind or course, otherwise misfortune likely to happen to him. Further, being a king one shall never do a deplorable and unkingly act. anena loka ninditam karma na kartavyam iti | tath˜ ca viþõu pur˜õe - parityajyet artha k˜mo dharma pŸý˜ karau n®pa | dharmam api aþubhodarkam loka vik®ÿ÷am eva ca - dk

artham vaa yadi vaa kaamam shiSTaaH shaastreSu anaagatam |
vyavasyanti anu raajaanam dharmam paulastya na.ndana || 3-50-9

9. paulastya nandana= oh, Paulastya's, scion of; shiSTaaH= erudite scholars; shaastreSu an+aagatam = in scriptures, not, conspicuous; artham vaa= prosperity, either; yadi vaa kaamam= or, if, pleasures; dharmam= [or even] probity; raajaanam anu = kings' [course of action,] by following; vyavasyanti= conduct themselves.

"If the means to gain probity, or prosperities, or even pleasures are inconspicuous in scriptures, oh, the scion of Paulastya, then even the erudite scholars will conduct themselves following the king and his demeanour. [3-50-9]

There is another flex for the raajaanam anu as raajaanam iva 'like king, like subjects...' shiSTaaH 'anyone who takes recourse to righteous behaviour...' Because the king shall possess an aptitude to go through the scriptures and ascertain what is right and what is wrong, then only his subjects will follow likewise. Even if the course of conduct is imperceptible in scriptures, a king shall decide the right way, and thus the subjects automatically follow him, in the same way... thus, 'being a king, yet behaving like a criminal and a sinner, is inapt of you...' so said Jataayu to Ravana. Maheshvara Tiirtha.

Ravana is the son of Vishravasa who again is the son of Pulastya, the brainchild of Brahma, who are all supposed to be the well-read scholars in all scriptures and sciences. Hence, Jataayu is addressing Ravana to remember his scholarship, which is in effrontery with his present behaviour. And the suggestion that 'protect wives of others persons as you protect your own wife...' is to say that 'if somebody from your subjects, on following your present path, gains access to your wife Mandodari, do you tolerate?'

raajaa dharmaH ca kaamaH ca dravyaaNaam ca uttamo nidhiH |
dharmaH shubham vaa paapam vaa raaja muulam pravar.htate || 3-50-10

10. dharmaH ca kaamaH ca= of probity, also, of pleasures, also; dravyaaNaam ca= for prosperities, also; raajaa uttamaH nidhiH = king is, the best, repository; dharmaH= [whether it is] probity; shubham vaa paapam vaa= [whether it is] felicity, or, iniquity, or; raaja muulam pravartate= king, as fount, they emerge.

"A king is the best repository for probity, prosperities, and pleasures, and whether it is probity or felicity or even iniquity that will emerge from the fount called king. [3-50-10]

Other mms read raajaa dharmasya kaamasya... then 'the king is the root cause for the prevalence of probity, felicity etc. anena prajaa raajaanam anusaranti iti suucitam... dk 'subjects follow what a king does...'

paapa svabhaavaH capalaH katham tvam rakSasaam vara |
aishvaryam abhisa.mpraapto vimaanam iva duSkR^itii || 3-50-11

11. rakSasaam varaH= among demons, oh, prominent one; paapa svabhaavaH= deviltry, by your nature; capalaH= mercuriality - you have; tvam= such a you are; duS kR^itii= an evil, doer; vimaanam [sampraaptaH ] iva = aircraft [that takes him to heaven,] [attaining,] as with; aishvaryam katham abhisampraaptaH= affluence [kingdom,] how, you attained - amassed.

"Oh, prominent one among demons, deviltry and mercuriality are but natural for you demons, but how you have amassed affluence, as with an evildoer attaining an aircraft that puts him to flight to heaven.

Or

"You by your nature are a devilish and mercurial personality though you have come from a decent lineage, how you have become an outranking demon among demons and how you could attain kingdom, which is to be ruled righteously, like an evildoer attaining a heaven-bound aircraft. [3-50-11]

kaama svabhaavo yaH saH asau na shakyaH tam pramaarjitum |
na hi duSTa aatmanaam aaryam aavasati aalaye ciram || 3-50-12

12. yaH= which; [yasya= to whom]; svabhaavaH= is the nature; asau saH = from him [his,] that; pra maarjitum = to efface; kaama [kaamam]= perhaps; na shakyaH= not, possible; duSTa aatmanaam aalaye= evil, minded one's, in residence; aaryam= sermon [prosperity]; ciram na aavasati hi= for a long time, not, dwells, indeed.

"He whose nature is such, that nature is perhaps impossible to efface, a sermon does not dwell in the heart of an evil-minded one for a long time, indeed.

Or

"He whose nature itself is vile, it is perhaps impossible for him to efface it, and in the residence of such an evil-minded person, evilly acquired prosperity does not dwell for a long time, indeed. [3-50-12]

Ruling the kingdom righteously, in itself is a merit that leads that king to heavens. When the kingdom itself is acquired unrighteously, and so the oppulence, there is no question of merit or heaven, or even an air ticket to that heaven. For such persons, all these are ad hoc luxuries. anena p˜piÿ÷asya aiþvaryam na bhavati | pr˜ptam cet api na tiÿ÷ati - adharm˜t ca eva nahuÿa× pratipede ras˜talam - k˜mandaka - dk

The reference to an aircraft that carries Ravana to heaven is not the Pushpaka aircraft, which he already grabbed from Kubera. The airports of Pushpaka aircraft are in the mortal worlds and in heavens it can land at the best in Indra's heaven, say paradise. There is no entry for these petty airships into the higher realms of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara if piloted by Ravana like demons.

viSaye vaa pure vaa te yadaa raamo mahaabalaH |
na aparaadhyati dharmaatmaa katham tasya aparaadhyasi || 3-50-13

13. mahaa balaH= great-mighty [Rama]; dharma aatmaa= noble souled [Rama]; raamaH= Rama; yadaa= when; te viSaye vaa= in your, country, either; pure vaa = in [your] city, or; na aparaadhyati= not, offensive - not transgressed; tasya= in his [respect]; katham aparaadhyasi= how, you are offensive.

"When that great-mighty Rama has not transgressed either in your country or in your city Lanka, then how you become a transgressor in respect of that noble-souled Rama? [3-50-13]

Vividly: 'you may say that abduction of enemy's wife is my hobby... but you are abducting the wife of one who is neither a friend nor an enemy of yours... why for is this fancy when viewed in the prospective of righteousness or polity of kingships... anena anapar˜dhiÿu samŸcŸneÿu apar˜dho na kartavyam iti s¨citam | tath˜ ca udyoga parve - mah˜ bh˜rate - duryodhanam prati bhagavad vacanam - ˜tm˜nam k®ntati hi eÿa vanam paraþun˜ yath˜ | yatsamyak vartam˜neÿu mithy˜ r˜jan pravartate || iti - dk 'No unilateral aggression is desirable at the unaggressive lot... Thus, Lord Krishna says to Duryodhana in Udyoga parva of Maha Bharata: broadly: 'a wood is felled by its own kin-wood, namely a wooden shaft attached to the axe... so, the present pseudo-kings will be felled down by their own kinsfolk...'

Jataayu's questioning is the same that was once Seetha asked Rama in the early chapters of Aranya, 'why wage a war without a cause...' She must have understood the answer by now by the acts of Ravana.

yadi shuurpaNakhaa hetoH janasthaana gataH kharaH |
ativR^itto hataH puurvam raameNa akliSTa karmaNaa || 3-50-14
atra bruuhi yathaa tattvam ko raamasya vyatikramaH |
yasya tvam loka naathasya hR^itvaa bhaaryaam gamiSyasi || 3-50-15

14. shuurpaNakhaa hetoH= Shuurpanakha, for the sake of; janasthaana gataH kharaH= Janasthaana, gone in [residing,] Khara; ati vR^ittaH= is over, bearing - transgressed; a+ kliSTa karmaNaa= [one who is with] not, fatigable, deeds; by such a; raameNa = by Rama; puurvam= in first instance; hataH yadi= killed, if; atra= in that matter; loka naathasya= world's, lord's; yasya bhaaryaam= whose, wife; tvam= you; hR^itvaa gamiSyasi= on stealing, you are going; such; raamasya= Rama's; vyatikramaH [vi ati kramaH= highly, over, stepping] high transgression; kaH = what is; yathaa tattvam bruuhi= as per, actuality, you tell.

"If Rama of indefatigable deeds firstly eliminated Khara who is stationed at Janasthaana, and who transgressed for the sake of Shuurpanakha, tell me what in actuality is the highly overstepping behaviour of Rama in that matter, whereupon you are stealing off with the wife of such a lord of world? [3-50-14, 15]

kSipram visR^ija vaidehiim maa tvaa ghoreNa cakSuSaa |
dahet dahanabhuutena vR^itram indra ashaniH yathaa || 3-50-16

16. kSipram vaidehiim visR^ija = instantly, Vaidehi, deliver up; tvaa [tvaam]= you will be; indra ashaniH= Indra's, Thunderbolt; vR^itram= Vritta, the demon; yathaa= as with; dahana bhuutena = which have become glowing fire; ghoreNa cakSuSaa= with disastrous [eyes,] with [such] eyes; [raamasya= of Rama]; maa dahet = let not, burn.

"Instantly deliver up Vaidehi. Let not the disastrous and glowing fire-like eyes of Rama, which transmogrify so when he assumes fury, burn you down as the Thunderbolt of Indra once burnt the demon Vritta. [3-50-16]

sarpam aashiiviSam baddhvaa vastra ante na avabudhyase |
griivaayaam pratimuktam ca kaala paasham na pashyasi || 3-50-17

17. aashiiviSam sarpam= lethally venomous, serpent; vastra ante baddhvaa= attire, at fringe of, on bundling; na avabudhyase= not, conscious of; griivaayaam prati muktam ca = at neck, towards [around,] loosened; [prati saktam= around, tied]; kaala paasham na pashyasi= Terminator's, lasso, not, seeing [wary of] you are.

"You are unconscious that you have presently bundled a lethally venomous serpent at the fringe of your attire, and you are equally unwary that the Terminator's lasso is presently loosened around your neck. [3-50-17]

sa bhaaraH saumya bhartavyo yo naram na avasaadayet |
tat annam api bhoktavyam jiir.hyate yat anaamayam || 3-50-18

18. saumya= oh, cultured one; yaH naram na ava saadayet = by which, man, not, down, brings - which will not bring a man down]; sa bhaaraH bhartavyaH= that, weight, can be shouldered; yat anaamayam jiiryate = which, without upsetting [stomach,] is digestible; tat annam api bhoktavyam= that, repast, even, is to be consumed.

"Oh, cultured one, that weight alone is to be shouldered by which a man is not brought down, and that repast alone is to be consumed by which nothing upsets. [3-50-18]

Futile is the experimentation with impossible undertakings as they will be upsetting normalcy. anena aþakyam karma na kartavyam iti s¨citm | tath˜ ca k˜mandake - þakya aþakya paricchedam kury˜t budhy˜ prasannatay˜ | kevalam danta bhaðg˜ya dantina× þaila t˜ýanam - iti - dk 'capability or incapability is to be assessed firstly, with a judicious mind... one's own teeth may not be hit with a stone, only to examine how easily they can be broken by that stone...'

yat kR^itvaa na bhavet dharmo na kiirtiH na yashaH dhruvam |
shariirasya bhavet khedaH kaH tat karma samaacaret || 3-50-19

19. yat= which; kR^itvaa= having done - on undertaking; dharmaH na bhavet = probity, not, becomes [chance upon]; kiirtiH na= deference, not; yashaH na= distinction, not - occurs; shariirasya khedaH bhavet = body's, woefulness, chances upon; tat karma= such an, undertaking; kaH dhruvam samaacaret= who, for sure, undertakes.

"Who will undertake a deed that yields neither probity, nor deference, nor distinction but results in just physical drudgery? [3-50-19]

The words kiirti, yashaas may look synonymous but have been defined separately. kiirti is the fame which arises from acts of valour, etc., while yashas is the fame which arises from acts of charity and the like. In another way kiirti is the renown obtained from doing merited and socio-economic deeds done through conducting Vedic rituals and the like, and yashas is the renown obtained from having riches, wealth, and affluence. Rama Tilaka says that kiirti = deshaantara khyaati fame which 'spreads in countries beyond one's own country...' while yashas = sva desha khyaaati is 'the fame confined to one's own country.' Dr. Satya Vrat is of the opinion that 'which of the two explanations of the commentator, Rama Tilaka, is acceptable and more reasonable we cannot say in our present stage of knowledge... In fact the commentator himself is not sure; one strikes him at one time, and another at another place...' Kulluka Bhatt in his commentary on manu dharma shaastra says that jiivataH khyati ruupam - yashaH 'fame in living time is yashaH and the other mR^itasya khyaati ruupam - kiirtim 'the fame that remains after death is kiirti

Fruitless, wearisome undertakings are meaningless thus they need not be undertaken. ananena niÿphalam ˜y˜sakaram karma na ˜rambhaõŸyam iti s¨citam | tath˜ ca manu× - na karma niÿphalam kury˜t yasm˜t asukhodayam - dk

SaSTi varSa sahasraaNi jaatasya mama raavaNa |
pitR^i paitaamaham raajyam yathaavat anutiSThataH || 3-50-20

20. raavaNa= oh, Ravana; pitR^i paitaamaham raajyam= father, forefather's, kingdom; yathaavat anutiSThataH= according to tradition, dedicated myself to it; jaatasya mama= from birth, to me; SaSTi varSa sahasraaNi= sixty, years, thousand - sixty thousand years completed.

"I have dedicated myself to the kingdom of my fathers and forefathers according to tradition, and sixty thousand years have elapsed since I was born. [3-50-20]

vR^iddho aham tvam yuvaa dhanvii sa rathaH kavacii sharii |
na ca api aadaaya kushalii vaidehiim na gamiSyasi || 3-50-21

21. aham vR^iddhaH= I am, oldish; tvam yuvaa= you are, youngish; dhanvii= [you are] an archer; sa rathaH= with, air-chariot; kavacii= armoured; sharii= with arrows; na ca api= not, alo, even; or, [tathaa api= even then]; vaidehiim aadaaya= Vaidehi, on taking; kushalii na gamiSyasi= safely, you cannot, go [abscond.]

"You are youngish whereas I am oldish, you are an armoured archer darting arrows from an air-chariot, whereas I am pensile bird in an open sky. Nevertheless, on taking Vaidehi you cannot abscond safely. [3-50-21]

na shaktaH tvam balaat hartum vaidehiim mama pashyataH |
hetubhiH nyaaya sa.myuktaiH dhruvaam veda shrutiim iva || 3-50-22

22. mama pashyataH= I am, while seeing [while I keep an eye on her]; vaidehiim= Vaidehi be; nyaaya samyuktaiH hetubhiH = logic, along with, reasoning - with conjectural logic; dhruvaam veda shrutiim iva= definitive, Veda, scriptures, as with; balaat hartum= to forcibly, abduct; tvam na shaktaH= you are, not, capable.

"It will be incapable of you to forcibly abduct Vaidehi when I keep an eye one her, as with the defilement of definitive Vedic scriptures by the logicians, dialecticians, materialists and suchlike non-believers, with their conjectural logic.

Or

"Veda-s are definitive in their canons and their authority is established beyond doubt, yet the doubtful scholarly logicians still try to pamper their import with their conjectural logic, and when I am watchful of what is going on I do not let you pamper Seetha, as such take this caution and release her. [3-50-22]

The Indian materialists called caarkavaa-s, or, the nihilists like Sage Jaabaali, who tries to preach nihilism to Rama, and the non-conformists to Veda-s, called a-Vaidika-s like Buddhists and Jain-s etc., try hard to let down what Veda says, with all their masterly dialectics. Even then, at one stage or the other, they all yield up, or a stalemate, or a faux pas occurs in their debates. Thus, no scholar need abuse the scriptures, for he does not know the subject in its entirety, or what those scriptures contain. anena þruti pratipanno artho na ˜bh˜sai× tarkai× b˜dhayitum þakyata iti s¨citam | tath˜ ca manu× - yo avamanyeta te t¨bhe hetu þ˜stra ˜þray˜t nara× | sa s˜dhubhi× bahiÿk˜ryo n˜stiko veda nindaka× || - dk

This Seetha is compared with Veda-s, one to many times, for the reason of her sacredness as a devout husband-devotee. Sugreeva also says this alone at 4-6-5: 'for I will fetch her very soon, like the retrieval of Scriptures of Veda-s...

Basing on these references of Seetha to Vedic canons, there is a thinking that the subject of Ramayana is the problem of god in retrieving the lost word, where that word was with the god at the beginning. Seetha is Veda, the word, Gayatri etc. And god has lost it. In search of that word, Veda, Gayatri, the god started his search. In his search he helps all those who abide by 'word' or 'faithful to word' and ultimately annihilates the demons that falsify or abuse the 'word.'

yudhyasva yadi shuuro asi muhuurtam tiSTha raavaNa |
shayiSyase hato bhuumau yathaa puurvam kharaH tathaa || 3-50-23

23. raavaNa= oh, Ravana; shuuraH asi yadi= valiant one, you are, if; yudhyasva = you combat; muhuurtam tiSTha= for a moment, you stay; puurvam kharaH yathaa= earlier, as with, Khara; tathaa= likewise; hataH bhuumau shayiSyase = slain, on earth, you will sprawl.

"Stay for a moment, oh, Ravana, if you are valiant enough you can combat with Rama who will return right away, and at his hand you will be slain and sprawling on earth in the same way as Khara sprawled earlier. [3-50-23]

Or optionally, you can combat with me in which meantime Rama will come hither...

asakR^it sa.nyuge yena nihataa daitya daanavaaH |
na ciraat ciira vaasaaH tvaam raamo yudhi vadhiSyati || 3-50-24

24. yena= by whom; a + sakR^it= not, for once - time after time; sanyuge daitya daanavaaH nihataa = in combat, ogres, demons, are eliminated; such Rama; na ciraat= not, long after [very soon]; ciira vaasaaH raamaH = in jute-cloth, one attired in, Rama; tvaam yudhi vadhiSyati= you, in war, eliminates.

"He who eliminated demons and ogres in combats time after time, that Rama though apparently attired in jute-cloths like a meek-saint, will become a towering-inferno in a given combat, and he eliminates you very soon. [3-50-24]

kim nu shakyam mayaa kartum gatau duuram nR^ipa aatmajau |
kSipram tvam nashyase niica tayoH bhiito na sa.mshayaH || 3-50-25

25. mayaa kim nu shakyam kartum= by me, what, verily, is possible, to do; nR^ipa aatmajau duuram gatau = king's, sons [princes,] remotely, have gone; niica= you knave; tayoH bhiitaH= of them, scared; tvam kSipram nashyase= you, in a wink, cease [be lost to my blockade]; samshayaH na = doubt, is not there.

"What can possibly be done by me when those princes have gone far-off! It is beyond the scope of my fetching them in time! You knave, you who are scared of them will now be lost to my blockade, without a doubt. [3-50-25]

na hi me jiivamaanasya nayiSyasi shubhaam imaam |
siitaam kamala patra akSiim raamasya mahaSiim priyaam || 3-50-26

26. me jiivamaanasya= I am, while living; shubhaam= auspicious one; kamala patra akSiim= lotus, leaves, eyed one; raamasya priyaam mahaSiim = Rama's, dear, queen; imaam siitaam= this [lady,] Seetha; na nayiSyasi hi = not, you lead away, indeed.

"When I am alive you cannot lead away this auspicious, lotus-leave-eyed Seetha, the dear queen of Rama. [3-50-26]

avashyam tu mayaa kaaryam priyam tasya mahaatmanaH |
jiivitena api raamasya tathaa dasharathasya ca || 3-50-27

27. mahaa aatmanaH = great-souled one; tasya raamasya= for that, Rama; tathaa= likewise; dasharathasya ca= for Dasharatha, also; mayaa avashyam= by me, definitely; jiivitena api= [at the stake of my] life, even; priyam kaaryam= agreeable, deed; [kartavyam= is to be done.]

"But I must definitely accomplish something to forestall you till they come, for I cannot willingly depart from here to fetch any of the two brothers, and that deed I needs must do shall be agreeable to the great-souled Rama, likewise even to Dasharatha, even at the stake of my life. [3-50-27]

tiSTha tiSTha dashagriiva muhuurtam pashya raavaNa |
vR^intaat iva phalam tvaam tu paatayeyam ratha uttamaat |
yuddha aatithyam pradaasyaami yathaa praaNam nishaa cara || 3-50-28

28. dashagriiva= oh, Ten-head Ravana; muhuurtam= briefly; tiSTha tiSTha= stopoff, stopoff; raavaNa pashya= Ravana, see; nishaa cara= oh, night, walker; yathaa praaNam [tiSTati]= as [long as,] life, [remains in me, I am alive]; yuddha aatithyam pradaasyaami = duel, guestship, I give; vR^intaat phalam iva = from sepals, [burdensome] fruit, as with; tvaam = you; ratha uttamaat= from chariot, the best; paatayeyam= I jettison.

"Stopoff! Stopoff! Oh, Decahedral Ravana, briefly learn of me as how I jettison you from your best air-chariot, as with the unloading of a burdensome fruit from its sepals. Oh, nightwalker, I will be giving guestship to you in a duel as long as I am alive. [3-50-28]

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye araNya kaaNDe pa.ncaashaH sargaH

Thus, this is the 50th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.

Sree Valmiki Ramayana

courtesy from

Sree Brahmasri Desiraju Hanumanta Rao ji

and  Sreeman Brahmasri K M K Murthy ji

 I Humbly bow to the  lotus feet of both of them

for the collection