Summary
Seetha implores upon Rama to allow her to come to forests, and says that she heard through some foretellers that she has to live in forests for some time, when she was with her father's place. But Rama is not interested to make Seetha's life penurious in forests and once again tries to pacify her. He asks her to stay back at Ayodhya. For that Seetha laments to become lonely parted with her husband.
Chapter [Sarga] 29 in Detail
etat tu vacanam shrutvaa siitaa raamasya duhkhitaa |
prasakta ashru mukhii mandam idam vacanam abraviit || 2-29-1
Seetha was distressed to hear these words of Rama and spoke these words slowly, with her face with tears.
ye tvayaa kiirtitaa dosaa vane vastavyataam prati |
gunaan iti eva taan viddhi tava sneha purah kritaan || 2-29-2
"know all those disadvantages you mentioned about dwelling in the forest become advantages to me, if your affection is placed before them."
mrigaah simhaa gajaashchaiva shaarduulaah sharabhaastathaa |
pakshinah srimaraashcaiva ye chaanye vanachaarinah || 2-29-3
adrishhtapuurvaruupatvaatsarve te tava raaghava |
ruupam drishhtvaapasarpeyurbhaye sarve hi bibhyati || 2-29-4
"Oh Rama! Antelopes, lions, elephants, tigers, Sarabhas (legendary animal with eight legs), birds, yaks and all others which roam in the forest, run away after seeing your form, since they have never seen your figure before. When there is cause for fear, who would not have fear?"
tvayaa ca saha gantavyam mayaa guru jana aajnayaa |
tvad viyogena me raama tyaktavyam iha jiivitam || 2-29-5
"Oh, Rama! As per the command of the elders, I also should go along with you. My life is to be abandoned here, if I were separated from you."
na ca maam tvat samiipastham api shaknoti raaghava |
suraanaam iishvarah shakrah pradharsayitum ojasaa || 2-29-6
"Oh Rama! Even Devendra the Lord of celestials, by his strength, cannot over power me, who is in your vicinity."
pati hiinaa tu yaa naarii na saa shaksyati jiivitum |
kaamam evam vidham raama tvayaa mama vidarshitam || 2-29-7
"Oh Rama! Verily such a thing was taught to me by you, that a woman disunited from her husband should not be able to survive."
atha ca api mahaa praajna braahmanaanaam mayaa shrutam |
puraa pitri grihe satyam vastavyam kila me vane || 2-29-8
"Oh Rama, the very wise! Besides, formerly in my father's house it was heard by me from the month of Brahmanas that I was destined to stay really in a forest."
laksanibhyo dvijaatibhyah shrutvaa aham vacanam grihe |
vana vaasa krita utsaahaa nityam eva mahaa bala || 2-29-9
"Oh Rama the man of great strength! Ever since I heard this word from Brahmanas who can interpret marks on the body, I was always eager to stay in a forest."
aadesho vana vaasasya praaptavyah sa mayaa kila |
saa tvayaa saha tatra aham yaasyaami priya na anyathaa || 2-29-10
"Oh, Rama the beloved! That prediction of dwelling in the forest is to be realized by me. I must accordingly accompany you to the forest, it cannot be otherwise."
krita aadeshaa bhavisyaami gamisyaami saha tvayaa |
kaalah ca ayam samutpannah satya vaag bhavatu dvijah || 2-29-11
"I shall be the one who has fulfilled the Brahmanas word. I shall accompany you to the forest. The time has come for Brahmanas words to come true."
vana vaase hi jaanaami duhkhaani bahudhaa kila |
praapyante niyatam viira purusaih akrita aatmabhih || 2-29-12
"Oh valiant prince! I know that in the forest, sufferings indeed are many and are invariably obtained by men having unformed minds."
kanyayaa ca pitur gehe vana vaasah shrutah mayaa
bhiksinyaah saadhu vrittaayaa mama maatur iha agratah || 2-29-13
"While I was an unmarried girl, the prediction about my dwelling the forest was heard by me in my father's house from a female mendicant having good manners, in the presence of my mother."
prasaaditah ca vai puurvam tvam vai bahu vidham prabho |
gamanam vana vaasasya kaanksitam hi saha tvayaa || 2-29-14
"Oh Lord! In the past, you have been really pleased for many a time to take me along with you indeed for the tour of a forest, as longed by me."
krita ksanaa aham bhadram te gamanam prati raaghava |
vana vaasasya shuurasya caryaa hi mama rocate || 2-29-15
"Oh, Rama! May all be well with you! I am waiting for a journey to the forest. A work-out of adventures is really delightful to me."
shuddha aatman prema bhaavaadd hi bhavisyaami vikalmasaa |
bhartaaram anugacchantii bhartaa hi mama daivatam || 2-29-16
"Oh, the pure-minded! Following my husband with loving devotion, I shall become sin-less; for husband is the supreme deity to me."
pretya bhaave api kalyaanah samgamah me saha tvayaa |
shrutir hi shruuyate punyaa braahmanaanaam yashasvinaam || 2-29-17
iha loke ca pitribhir yaa strii yasya mahaa mate |
adbhir dattaa svadharmena pretya bhaave api tasya saa || 2-29-18
"Even after my death, I shall stay united with you. On this subject, the meritorious words of Brahmanas is being heard thus:- In this world, which woman was given away to whom by parents with water according to the moral code binding on them, that woman belongs to him alone even after death.
evam asmaat svakaam naariim suvrittaam hi pati vrataam |
na abhirocayase netum tvam maam kena iha hetunaa || 2-29-19
"By what reason now are you thus not willing to take me, the woman having good conduct, devoted to her husband and belonging to you, from this place?"
bhaktaam pati vrataam diinaam maam samaam sukha duhkhayoh |
netum arhasi kaakutstha samaana sukha duhkhiniim || 2-29-20
"Oh Rama, the scion of Kakutsa! You ought to take me, who is a devotee, so devoted to husband, who is distressed who feels alike in pleasure and pain and shares your joys and sorrows."
yadi maam duhkhitaam evam vanam netum na ca icchasi |
visam agnim jalam vaa aham aasthaasye mrityu kaaranaat || 2-29-21
"I shall take resort to poison or fire or water for dying, if you are not willing to take me, afflicted as I am, as above."
evam bahu vidham tam saa yaacate gamanam prati |
na anumene mahaa baahus taam netum vijanam vanam || 2-29-22
Even though she requested him in many ways about setting out to the forest, he did not agree to take her to the forest, which is a solitary place.
evam uktaa tu saa cintaam maithilii samupaagataa |
snaapayantii iva gaam usnaih ashrubhir nayana cyutaih || 2-29-23
After hearing Rama's words, Seetha was sorrowful, moistening with earth as it were with burning tears, trickling down her eyes.
cintayantiim tathaa taam tu nivartayitum aatmavaan |
taamroshhthiim sa tadaa siitaam kaakutstho bahv asaantvayat || 2-29-24
Rama the prudent man then pacified in many ways, to avert that Seetha with red lips, who was sorrowful as above.
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye ayodhya kaande ekona tri.mshah sargah
Thus completes 29th chapter of Ayodhya Kanda in glorious Ramayana, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate