Summary
In this chapter Seetha ponders a lot and decides to give up life without Rama.
Chapter [Sarga] 26 in Detail
prasaktaashrumukhii tvevam bruvatii janakaatmajaa |
adhogatamukhii baalaa vilaptumupachakrame || 5-26-1
With a face continually shedding tears, Seetha a young woman, thus speaking with a downward face, started to weep.
unmatteva pramatteva bhraantachitteva shochatii |
upaavrittaa kishoriiva vivestantii mahiitale || 5-26-2
Seetha was crying like a mad one, like an intoxicated one, with a deluded mind. Like a female horse rolling on ground, Seetha rolled on the ground.
raaghavasya pramattasya raksasaa kaamaruupinaa |
raavanena pramathyaahamaaniitaa kroshatii balaat || 5-26-3
"While Rama was heedless (taken away by Maareecha), I who have been crying was forcibly brought overpowered by the ogre Ravana who can wear desired form."
raaksasiivashamaapannaa bhartsyamaanaa sudaarunam |
chintayantii suduhkhaartaa naaham jiivitumutsahe || 5-26-4
"Being under the control of ogresses, being frightened very horribly, thinking and being tormented by grief, I do not desire to live."
na hi me jiivite naartho nai vaarthairna cha bhuusanaih |
vasantyaa raaksasiimadhye vinaa raamam mahaaratham || 5-26-5
"Without Rama, a great car-warrior, living in the midst of ogresses, there is no use with life to me; not with wealth, not with ornaments."
ashmasaaramidam nuunathavaapyajaraamaram |
hridayam mama yenedam na duhkhenaavashiiryate || 5-26-6
"Or my heart truly is made of iron. It is un-decaying and without death. By what reason is it not destroying with sorrow?"
dhinmaamanaaryaamasatiim yaaham tena vinaa kritaa |
muhuurtamapi raksaami jiivitam paapajiivitaa || 5-26-7
"Whoever I with a sinful life made to be without Rama, protecting life even for a moment, to such me who am ignoble, who am bad wife, shame on me."
kaa cha me jiivite shraddhaa sukhe vaa tam priyam vinaa |
bhartaaram saagaraantaayaa vasudhaayaah priyamvadam || 5-26-8
"Without husband Rama who is the lord of the earth with ocean at the end, a pleasant talker, what is the interest to me in life or in comfort."
bhidyataam bhaksyataam vaapi shariiram visrijaamyaham |
na chaapyaham chiram kuhkham saheyam priyavarjitaa || 5-26-9
"I will leave the body. Let it be split into pieces or let it be eaten. I without husband will not tolerate sorrow for a long time."
charanenaapi savyena na sprisheyam nishaacharam |
raavanam kim punaraham kaavayeyam vigarhatam || 5-26-10
"I will not touch even with my left foot Ravana an ogre of reprehensible conduct. What to say of desiring him."
pratyaakhyaatam na jaanaati naatmaanam naatmanah kulam |
yo nrishamsasvabhaavena maam praarthayitumichchhati || 5-26-11
"Whoever Ravana with a cruel nature desires to solicit me, that Ravana does not know him to be refused; he does not know his race."
chinnaa bhinnaa vibhaktaa vaa diiptevaagnau pradiipitaa |
raavanam nopatistheyam kim pralaapena vashchiram || 5-26-12
"Even if cut or if divided into parts in blazing fire, I will not reach Ravana. What is the use with your prattling for a long time?"
khyaatah praajjnah kritajjnshashcha raaghavah |
sadvritto niranukroshah shanke madbhaagyasamksayaat || 5-26-13
"Rama is famous, is a wise man, is compassionate with a good conduct. Due to the deterioration of my fortune, I doubt He became hard hearted."
raaksasaanaam sahasraani janasthaane chaturdasha |
yenaikena nirastaani sa maam kim naabhipadyate || 5-26-14
"By whom alone fourteen thousand of ogres have been destroyed, why that Rama is not saving me."
niruddhaa raavanenaahamalpaviiryena raksasaa |
samarthah khalu me bhartaa raavanam hantumaahave || 5-26-15
"I am withheld by the ogre Ravana with little strength. My husband is indeed capable of killing Ravana in a war."
viraadho dandakaaranye yena raaksasapungavah |
rane raamena nihatah sa maam kim naabhipadyate || 5-26-16
"By which Rama Viradha, best among ogres, has been killed in Dandaka forest in a war, why is that He not saving me?"
kaamam madhye samudrasya lankeyam duspradharsanaa |
na tu raaghavabaanaanaam gatirodho bhavisyati || 5-26-17
"This city of Lanka being in the middle of ocean is difficult to be attacked. But there will not be an obstacle to flying of Rama's arrows."
kim nu tatkaaranam yena raamo dridhaparaakramah |
raksasaapahritaam bhaaryaamistaam naabhyavapadyate || 5-26-18
"What now is that reason by which Rama with a firm courage is not protecting His dear wife stolen by an ogre."
ihasthaam maam na jaaniite shanke laksmanapuurvajah |
jaanannapi sa tejasvii dharsanam marsayisyati || 5-26-19
"I doubt that Rama elder to Lakshmana does not know me to be here. After knowing will that glorious Rama tolerate this outrage?"
hriteti yo.adhigatvaa maam raaghavaaya nivedayet |
gridhraarajoapi sa rane raavanena nipaatitah || 5-26-20
"Whoever Jataayu nearing Rama will have let known to Rama that Seetha was stolen, that king of vultures has been killed by Ravana in war."
kritam karma mahattena maam tathaabhyavapadyataa |
tisthataa raavanadvandve vriddhenaapi jataayusaa || 5-26-21
"A great deed has been done by that Jataayu, thus protecting me, although of old age, standing in a dual combat with Ravana."
yadi maamiha jaaniiyaadvartamaanaam sa raaghavah |
adya baanairabhikruddhah kuryaallokamaraaksasam || 5-26-22
"If that Rama knows me to be living here, with anger He will make the world to be without ogres with His arrows now."
vidhamechcha puriim lankaam shosayechcha mahodadhim |
raavanasya cha niichasya kiirtim naama cha naashayet || 5-26-23
"Rama will blow away the city of Lanka, will dry up the great ocean, will destroy the name and fame of Ravana."
tato nihatanaathaanaam raaksasiinaam grihe grihe |
yathaahamevam rudatii tathaa bhuyo na samshayah || 5-26-24
"Thereafter how I am crying in this way, in the same way, in very house, ogresses with killed husbands will cry again and again. There is no doubt in this."
anvisya raksasaam lankaam kuryaadraamah salaksmanah |
na hi taabhyaam ripurdristo muhuurtamapi jiivati || 5-26-25
"Rama together will Lakshmana will search the city of Lanka belonging to ogres. An enemy seen by those two will indeed not live even for a moment."
chitaadhumaakulapathaa gridhramandalasamkulaa |
achirena tu lankeyam shmashaanasadrishii bhavet || 5-26-26
"This Lanka shortly will become like a graveyard, with paths agitated with smoke of funeral pyres, crowded with a group of vultures."
achirenaiva kaalena praapsyaamyeva manoratham |
dusprasthaano.ayamaakhyaati sarvesaam vo viparyayam || 5-26-27
"In a short time only I will attain my desire. This evil course is telling of destruction of you all."
yaadrishaaniiha drishante lankaayaamashubhaani vai |
achirenaiva kaalena bhavisyati hataprabhaa || 5-26-28
"Here in Lanka whatever inauspicious things are being seen, from those, in a short while Lanka will become deprived of glory."
nuunam lankaa hate paape raavane raaksasaadhame |
shosam yaasyati durdharsaa pramadaa vidhava yathaa || 5-26-29
"While the sinful, vile ogre Ravana is being killed, Lanka which is unconquerable till now, definitely will get drying up like a woman who lost husband."
punyotsava samriddhaa cha nastabharrtii saraaksasii |
bhavisyati purii lankaa nastabhartrii yathaanganaa || 5-26-30
"Now abounding in pious festivities, the city of Lanka with lost lord together with ogresses will become like a woman with lost husband."
nuunam raaksasakanyaanaam rudantiinaam grihe grihe |
shrosyaami nachiraadeva duhkhaartaanaamiha dhvanim || 5-26-31
"In a short while here in every house I can definitely hear the sound of ogresses crying being tormented by grief."
saandhakaaraa hatadyotaa hataraaksasapungavaa |
bhavisyati purii lankaa nirdagdhaa raamasaayakaih || 5-26-32
"The city of Lanka will become burnt by Rama's arrows together with darkness, with destroyed luster with killed best ogres."
yadi naama sa shuuro maam raamo raktaantaalochanah |
jaaniiyadvartamaanaam hi raavanasya niveshane || 5-26-33
"Will that Rama who is a strong man with red eye corners know me to be in the house of Ravana."
anena tu nrishamsena raavanenaadhamena me |
samayo yastu nirdistastasya kaalo.ayamaagatah || 5-26-34
sa cha me vihito mrityurasmin duste na vartate |
"Whatever time has been ordered by this cruel and vilest of men Ravana, this time has come to me. That death decreed to me does not hold good to this evil one (Ravana)."
akaaryam ye na jaananti nairritaah paapakaarinah || 5-26-35
adharmaattu mahotpaato bhavisyati hi saampratam |
naite dharmam vijaananti raaksasaah pishitaashanaah || 5-26-36
"Whoever sinful ogres who do not know what should not be done, due to their unrighteousness now there will be a great calamity. These meat eating ogres do not know virtue."
dhruvam maam praataraashaarthe raaksasah kalpayisyati |
saaham katham karisyaami tam vinaa priyadarshanam || 5-26-37
raamam raktaantanayanamapashyantii sukuhkhitaa |
"An ogre will definitely eat me for breakfast. What should such I do without Rama with pleasing appearance? I am grieving a lot not seeing Rama with red eye corners."
yadi kashchit pradaataa me visasyaadya bhavediha || 5-26-38
ksipram vaivasvatam devam pashyeyam patinaa vinaa |
"Now if there exists any one who is a giver of poison here, I without husband quickly will see the god Yama."
naajaanaajjivatiim raamah sa maam laksmanapuurvajah || 5-26-39
jaanantau tau na kuryaataam noryvaam hi mama maarganam |
"That Rama elder to Lakshmana may not know me to be alive. If those two know me to be alive, then it cannot be said that they will not do my search on earth."
nuunam mamaiva shokena sa niiro laksmanaagrajah || 5-26-40
devalokamito yaatastyaktvaa deham mahiitale |
"That valiant Rama who is the elder brother of Lakshmana due to grief of me, leaving the body on earth has gone to celestial world. This is certain."
dhanyaa devaah sagandharvaah siddhaashcha paramarsayah || 5-26-41
mama pashyanti ye naatham raamam raajiivalochanam |
"Whoever is seeing my husband Rama with eyes resembling a lotus flower such Devas, Siddhas together with Gandharvas and great sages are fortunate."
athavaa na hi tasyaartho dkarmakaamasya dhiimatah || 5-26-42
mayaa raamasya raajarserbhaaryayaa paramaatmanah |
"Or to that Rama with a desire in virtuousness, who is intelligent, a sage-king, the supreme spirit, there is no use with me, his wife."
drishyamaane bhavetpriitih sauhridam naastyapashyatah || 5-26-43
naashayanti kritaghnaastu na raamo naashayisyati |
"Friendly disposition will occur in what is being seen. There is no friendship to one who does not see. Ungrateful ones destroy friendship. But Rama will not destroy friendship."
kim nu me na gunaah kechitkim vaa bhaagyaksayo mama || 5-26-44
yaaham siidaami raamena hiinaa mukhyena bhaaminii |
"I who is a woman who is perishing without the chief Rama to such me are there no good qualities or has my fortune diminished."
shryo hi hiivitaanmartum vihiinaayaa mahaatmanah || 5-26-45
raamaadaklistachaaritraachchhuuraachchhatrunibarhanaat |
"To me who is deprived of Rama with untroubled reputation, a warrior, annihilator of enemies, a great soul, more than living, death is good."
athavaa nyastashastrau tau vane muulaphalaashinau || 5-26-46
bhraatarau hi narashresthau samvrittau vanagocharau |
"Or those two brothers who are best among men giving up weapons in the forest may have become dwellers of forest eating roots and fruits."
athavaa raaksasendrena raavanena duraatmanaa || 5-26-47
chadmanaa ghaatitau shuurau bhraatarau raamalaksmanau |
"Or Rama and Lakshmana the warrior brothers may have been killed by the evil soul king of ogres Ravana by deceit."
saahamevamgate kaale martumichchhaami sarvathaa || 5-26-48
na cha me vihito mrityurasmin duhkhe.api vartate |
"Under such circumstances and time, such I in all ways desire to die. Even in this grief, death is not bestowed on me."
dhanyaah khalu mahaatmaano munayastyaktakilbisaah || 5-26-49
jitaatmano mahaabhaagaa yesaam na stah priyaapriye |
"Great souled ones with abandoned sins, with a conquered mind, those with great fortune, sages are indeed fortunate to whom there is no pleasure and displeasure."
priyaanna sambhavedduhkhamapriyaadadhikam bhayam || 5-26-50
taabhyaam hi ye viyujyante namastesaam mahaatmanaam |
"From pleasure sorrow and from displeasure great fear do not occur to great souls. Whoever are separated from pleasure and displeasure, my obeisance to such great souls."
saahamtyuktaa priyenaiva raamena viditaatmanaa || 5-26-51
praanaamstyaksyaami paapasya raavanasya gataa vasham |
"Left by dear Rama with a well known mind coming under the control of sinful Ravana, such I will leave breath of life."
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye sundarakaande sadvimshah sargah
Thus completes 26th Chapter of Sundara Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate