Summary
Rama is anguished for Seetha's aloneness and it is expressed in his chastening Lakshmana. Rama asks him as to why he left Seetha unguarded in the lonely forest. Rama rushes rapidly to hermitage thinking and talking that rapidly to Lakshmana about Seetha, and on arriving he finds vacuity in hermitage and then he is thrown in throes [a sharp attack of mental anguish] of despair.
Chapter [Sarga] 58 in Detail
sa dristvaa laksmanam diinam shuunyam dasharatha aatmajah |
paryapricchata dharmaaatmaa vaidehiim aagatam vinaa || 3-58-1
On seeing dreary Lakshmana coming into the void of forest devoid of Vaidehi, then the virtue-souled Rama, the son of Dasharatha, has asked him impatiently. [3-58-1]
prasthitam dandaka aranyam yaa maam anujagaama ha |
kva saa laksmana vaidehii yaam hitvaa tvam iha aagatah || 3-58-2
"She who has come in tow with me to Dandaka forest when I started for peregrination, whom you have now deserted and came here, oh, Lakshmana, she that Vaidehi, where is she? [3-58-2]
raajya bhrastasya diinasya dandakaan paridhaavatah |
kva saa duhkha sahaayaa me vaidehii tanu madhyamaa || 3-58-3
"When I have become forlorn with the forfeiture of my kingdom and when I was rushing for Dandaka forest she stood with me as a partaker in my woes. She that comely Vaidehi, where is she? [3-58-3]
yaam vinaa na utsahe viira muhuurtam api jiivitum |
kva saa praana sahaayaa me siitaa sura suta upamaa || 3-58-4
"Without whom I am disinclined to live even for a moment, oh, valiant one, such a Seetha who in simile is like the daughter of deities and who is my life-force, where is she? [3-58-4]
patitvam amaraanaam vaa prithivyaah ca api laksmana |
vinaa taam tapaniiya aabhaam na iccheyam janaka aatmajaam || 3-58-5
"I am not ambitious for the ruler-ship either on heavens or on the earth, oh, Lakshmana, without the daughter of Janaka whose aspect glisters like gold. [3-58-5]
kaccit jiivati vaidehii praanaih priyataraa mama |
kaccit pravraajanam viira na me mithyaa bhavisyati || 3-58-6
"Vaidehi who is dearer to me than my lives, will she be alive somehow! Oh, valiant Lakshmana, this peregrination of mine, will it not become futile, someway! [3-58-6]
siitaa nimittam saumitre mrite mayi gate tvayi |
kaccit sa kaamaa sukhitaa kaikeyii saa bhavisyati || 3-58-7
"When I am dead for the sake of Seetha and when you get back to Ayodhya lonesome, and when Kaikeyi's wishes are accomplished thus, oh, Soumitri, will she be comfortable, somewhat! [3-58-7]
sa putra raajyaam siddha arthaam mrita putraa tapasvinii |
upasthaasyati kausalyaa kaccit saumyena - saumya na - kaikayiim || 3-58-8
"Kaikeyi is with her son, with a kingdom, and further her 'purposes are achieved,' oh, gentle Lakshmana, and because of the death of her son will my austerely mother Kausalya humbly get into the servitude of Kaikeyi, anyhow! [3-58-8]
yadi jiivati vaidehii gamisyaamy aashramam punah |
suvrittaa yadi vrittaa saa praanaan tyaksyaami laksmana || 3-58-9
"I wish to get at the hermitage again if only that Vaidehi of good-conduct is alive in hermitage, else, oh, Lakshmana, if death has already conducted her out of hermitage I too will give up my lives here itself. [3-58-9]
yadi maam aashrama gatam vaidehii na abhibhaasate |
punah prahasitaa siitaa vinashisyaami laksmana || 3-58-10
"If Seetha, the princess from Videha, does not chat with me as before smiling gleefully on my arrival at the hermitage, oh, Lakshmana, I really breath my last. [3-58-10]
bruuhi laksmana vaidehii yadi jiivati vaa na vaa |
tvayi pramatte raksobhih bhaksitaa vaa tapasvinii || 3-58-11
"Say Lakshmana, whether that pietistic Vaidehi is alive or not? Or, on your becoming unmindful of your guard is she consumed by demons, either? [3-58-11]
sukumaarii ca baalaa ca nityam ca aduhkha darshinii |
mat viyogena vaidehii vyaktam shocati durmanaah || 3-58-12
"She who is soft by her nature and youngish by her age has never noticed the despair of separation from me, and now by my dissociation she will be despairing brokenheartedly, so it seems. [3-58-12]
sarvathaa raksasaa tena jihmena suduraatmanaa |
vadataa laksmana iti uccaih tava api janitam bhayam || 3-58-13
"That impostor and highly impudent demon Maareecha who shouted loudly as, 'oh, Lakshmana,' might have caused fear even in you in everyway. [3-58-13]
shrutah ca manye vaidehyaa sa svarah sadrisho mama |
trastayaa presitah tvam ca drastum maam shiighram aagatah || 3-58-14
"I hope that Vaidehi has also heard that voice which is similar to that of mine, and I hope frightened as she is she might have also hastened you, and I hope you also have come to see me, that hastily! [3-58-14]
sarvathaa tu kritam kastam siitaam utsrijataa vane |
pratikartum nrisha.msaanaam raksasaam dattam antaram || 3-58-15
"In everyway you have caused hardship by leaving Seetha in isolation, and a leeway is given to the diabolical demons for a counterattack against us. [3-58-15]
duhkhitaah khara ghaatena raaksasaah pishita ashanaah |
taih siitaa nihataa ghoraih bhavisyati na sa.mshayah || 3-58-16
"Raw-flesh eating demons are distraught as I have liquidated Khara, as a result those ghastly ones would have liquidated Seetha by now. There is no doubt about it. [3-58-16]
aho asmi vyasane magnah sarvathaa ripu naashana |
kim tu idaaniim karisyaami sha.nke praaptavyam iidrisham || 3-58-17
"In everyway I am sunken in scourge, but oh, enemy-eliminator Lakshmana, what I can possibly do in present situation? Perchance, this sort of scourge is liable to chance upon me, alas!" Thus Rama gave vent to his feelings on his way to hermitage. [3-58-17]
iti siitaam varaarohaam ci.ntayan eva raaghavah |
aajagaama jana sthaanam tvarayaa saha laksmanah || 3-58-18
In this way while thinking emotively about that curvaceous Seetha, Raghava hurriedly returned to Janasthaana along with Lakshmana. [3-58-18]
vigarhamaano anujam aarta ruupam
ksudhaa shramena eva pipaasayaa ca |
vinihshvasan shuska mukho visannah
pratishrayam praapya samiiksya shuunyam || 3-58-19
svam aashramam sa pravigaahya viiro
vihaara deshaan anusritya kaa.mshcit |
etat tat iti eva nivaasa bhuumau
prahrista romaa vyathito babhuuva || 3-58-20
He that Rama who chastened his younger brother en route is worried in aspect and wizened is his mouth by hunger, by strain, and also thus by thirst, and suspiring heavily he arrived near at hermitage, and became dispirited when he beheld the hermitage in vacuity. That valiant Rama on quickly entering his own hermitage found it to be vacuous. Then he rushed out and went round a place of pastime of Seetha, saying 'yes, this is that place where she used to move round for plucking flowers.' And again he dashed in to hermitage only to find it as an empty cottage. Then he rushed out to some other place of playtime of Seetha yelling, 'yes, this is that place where she used play with deer, squirrels and birds.' And again came back to vacant hermitage, and again he dashed to some other prayer-time place exclaiming, 'yes, this is that very place where she offered her daily prayers.' Finally on returning to the vacant hermitage he became one who is plunged into hair-raising throes of despair as that cottage is emptied of Seetha. [3-58-19, 20]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye aranya kaande asta pa.ncaashah sargah
Thus, this is the 58th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate