Summary
Stepping down from the tree, Hanuma approached Seetha and asked her to clarify him whether she is the wife of Rama. Seetha then starts to narrate her antecedents and the story of Rama along with circumstances under which she along with Rama and Lakshmana went to Dandaka forest as per the command of King Dasaratha. She also informs Hanuma about her snatching away of Ravana from the forest.
Chapter [Sarga] 33 in Detail
so.avatiirya drumaattasmaadvidrumapratimaananah |
viniitavesah kripanah pranipatyopasritya cha || 5-33-1
taam abraviin mahaatejaa hanuumaan maaruta aatmajah |
shirasi anjalim aadhaaya siitaam madhurayaa giraa || 5-33-2
That Hanuma, with coral-colored face, very bright, the son of wind-god, wearing a humble and feeble look, approached Seetha by stepping down from the tree and offered her his salutation by keeping his joined palms on his head and spoke the following sweet words:
kaa nu padma palaasha akshii klishta kausheya vaasinii |
drumasya shaakhaam aalambya tishthasi tvam aninditaa || 5-33-3
"O Lady with your eyes resembling lotus leaves, wearing a worn out silken cloth! O, the irreproachable one! You have stood, holding by the hand a branch of the tree who are you?"
kim artham tava netraabhyaam vaari sravati shokajam |
pundariika palaashaabhyaam viprakiirnam iva udakam || 5-33-4
"Tears of sorrow are gushing down from your eyes, as water is scattered down from two lotus-petals. Why?"
suraanaam asuraanaam ca naaga gandharva rakshasaam |
yakshaanaam kimnaraanaam ca kaa tvam bhavasi shobhane || 5-33-5
"O auspicious lady! In whom are you born-whether in celestials or in ogres or in serpent-demons or in celestial musicians or in demons or in semi-divine beings or in mythical beings?"
kaa tvam bhavasi rudraanaam marutaam vaa vara aanane |
vasuunaam vaa vara aarohe devataa pratibhaasi me || 5-33-6
"O lovely-faced woman! Who are you among eleven Rudra’s who bestow strength, or among Maruts the storm-gods or among eight Vasus the beneficent gods? O Handsome lady with fine hips! You appear to me as a deity."
kim nu candramasaa hiinaa patitaa vibudha aalayaat |
rohinii jyotishaam shreshthaa shreshthaa sarva guna anvitaa || 5-33-7
"Are you Rohini, endowed with all the best qualities, fallen from heaven, left behind by moon and excellent among stars."
kopaat vaa yadi vaa mohaat bhartaaram asita iikshanaa || 5-33-8
vasishtham kopayitvaa tvam na asi kalyaani arundhatii |
"O dark-eyed lady! Are you not the auspicious Arundhati, who irritated her husband, Vasishta the sage either by anger or by error?"
ko nu putrah pitaa bhraata bhartaa vaa te sumadhyame || 5-33-9
asmaal lokaat amum lokam gatam tvam anushocasi |
"O the slender waist lady! You seem to be lamenting over someone who died is he your son, or father or brother or husband."
rodanaadatinihshvaasaadbhuumisamsparshanaadapi || 5-33-10
na tvaam deviimaham manye raajjnah samjjnaavadhaaranaat |
"You are lamenting. You are sighing a lot. You are touching the earth. You have royal insignia in you. According to these things, I do not consider you as a divine woman."
vyanjanaani hi te yaani lakshanaani ca lakshaye || 5-33-11
mahishii bhuumi paalasya raaja kanyaa asi me mataa |
"Based on the marks on your person and your bodily characteristics, I believe you to be a queen of an emperor and the daughter of a king."
raavanena jana sthaanaat balaat apahritaa yadi || 5-33-12
siitaa tvam asi bhadram te tan mama aacakshva pricchatah |
"If you are Seetha stolen per force by Ravana from Janasthaana, tell it to me who is asking if you please!"
yathaa hi tava vaidainyam ruupam caapyatimaanusam || 5-33-13
tapasaa chaanvito vesastvam raamamahisii dhruvam |
"According to your miserable state, the super-human beautiful figure and your costume endowed with austerity, surely you are Rama's wife."
saa tasya vacanam shrutvaa raama kiirtana harshitaa || 5-33-14
uvaaca vaakyam vaidehii hanuumantam druma aashritam |
Hearing his words, Seetha was delighted of Rama's mention and spoke the following words to Hanuma, who was dwelling on a tree.
prithivyaam raajasimhaanaam mukhyasya viditaatmanah || 5-33-15
snusaa dasharathasyaaham shatrusainyaprataapinah |
"I am the daughter-in-law of Dasaratha, eminent among the excellent kings on earth, who understands the nature of the spirit and who torments the army of the adversary."
duhitaa janakasya aham vaidehasya mahaatmanah || 5-33-16
siitaa ca naama naamnaa aham bhaaryaa raamasya dhiimatah |
"I am the daughter of the noble-natured Janaka, the king of Videha kingdom. I am know.
samaa dvaadasha tatra aham raaghavasya niveshane || 5-33-17
bhunjaanaa maanushaan bhogaan sarva kaama samriddhinii |
"I stayed in Rama's house there for twelve years, enjoying the worldly pleasures belonging to human kind and fulfilling all my desires."
tatah trayodashe varshe raajyena ikshvaaku nandanam || 5-33-18
abhishecayitum raajaa sa upaadhyaayah pracakrame |
"Thereafter, in the thirteenth year, King Dasaratha along with his preceptors started to perform anointment of the kingdom to Rama, a celebrity of Ikshvaku dynasty."
tasmin sambhriyamaane tu raaghavasya abhishecane || 5-33-19
kaikeyii naama bhartaaram devii vacanam abraviit |
"While that anointment of Rama was being arranged, a queen called Kaikeyi spoke the following words to Dasaratha, her husband.
na pibeyam na khaadeyam pratyaham mama bhojanam || 5-33-20
esha me jiivitasya anto raamo yadi abhishicyate |
"If Rama gets anointed for the kingdom, from now onwards, I shall neither drink water nor take my food daily. This is the end to my life."
yat tat uktam tvayaa vaakyam priityaa nripati sattama || 5-33-21
tac cen na vitatham kaaryam vanam gacchatu raaghavah |
"O the excellent king! If that word of pledge was uttered affectionately by you and if it is not going to be a waste, let Rama go to the forest."
sa raajaa satya vaag devyaa vara daanam anusmaran || 5-33-22
mumoha vacanam shrutvaa kaikeyyaah kruuram apriyam |
"Hearing the cruel and the disagreeable words of Kaikeyi and recollecting the boon given to the queen, King Dasaratha who was true to his word, fell unconscious.
tatah tu sthaviro raajaa satya dharme vyavasthitah || 5-33-23
jyeshtham yashasvinam putram rudan raajyam ayaacata |
"Then, the aged king, who was firmly established in truth and righteousness, regretfully asked his illustrious eldest son to give back the kingdom, which he bestowed him earlier."
sa pituh vacanam shriimaan abhishekaat param priyam || 5-33-24
manasaa puurvam aasaadya vaacaa pratigrihiitavaan |
"That glorious Rama first admitted his father's words in mind, considering them dearer than his anointment to the kingdom and accepted them with his word."
dadyaan na pratigrihniiyaan na bruuyat kimcit apriyam || 5-33-25
api jiivita hetoh hi raamah satya paraakramah |
"The truly courageous Rama always gives anything to others and does not take anything from others. He does not speak just a little of a disagreeable word even for the cause of his life."
sa vihaaya uttariiyaani mahaaarhaani mahaayashaah || 5-33-26
visrijya manasaa raajyam jananyai maam samaadishat |
"Leaving behind his greatly valuable outer garments and wearing garments made of bark, that highly illustrious Rama gave up his kingdom willingly and assigned me to his mother."
saa aham tasya agratah tuurnam prasthitaa vana caarinii || 5-33-27
na hi me tena hiinaayaa vaasah svarge api rocate |
"To me bereft of him, residing even in heaven does not indeed give pleasure. I, as such, decided to proceed to the forest and soon was ready to start even ahead of Rama."
praag eva tu mahaabhaagah saumitrih mitra nandanah || 5-33-28
puurvajasya anuyaatraa arthe druma ciiraih alamkritah |
"Adorned with clothes of bark, the illustrious Lakshmana, the rejoice of his friends, got ready to follow his elder brother even before (me)."
te vayam bhartuh aadesham bahu maanya dridha vrataah || 5-33-29
pravishtaah sma puraat drishtam vanam gambhiira darshanam |
"Obeying respectfully the command of Lord Dasaratha, we as such with a firm resolution, entered the forest, which we have never seen before and which was deep and profound in appearance."
vasato dandaka aranye tasya aham amita ojasah || 5-33-30
rakshasaa apahritaa bhaaryaa raavanena duraatmanaa |
While Rama of great vigor was dwelling in the forest of Dandaka, the evil-minded demon, Ravana took me, Rama's wife, away."
dvau maasau tena me kaalo jiivita anugrahah kritah || 5-33-31
uurdhvam dvaabhyaam tu maasaabhyaam tatah tyakshyaami jiivitam |
"A period of two months of survival-benefit has been given to me by him. For that reason, after the said two months, I shall give up my life."
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye sundarakaande trayastrimshah sargah
Thus completes 33rd Chapter of Sundara Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate