Ramayana, Book VI, Canto 120: Sítá Restoredयुद्धकाण्डम्

Ralph T. H. Griffith’s English verse (1870–74), beside the Sanskrit of sarga 6.118.

120Sanskrit sarga 6.118 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे युद्धकाण्डे अष्टादशाधिकशततमः सर्गः ॥६-११८॥
एतच्छ्रुत्वा शुभं वाक्यं पितामहसमीरितम्।
अङ्केनादाय वैदेहीमुत्पपात विभावसुः॥ १॥
विधूयाथ चितां तां तु वैदेहीं हव्यवाहनः।
उत्तस्थौ मूर्तिमानाशु गृहीत्वा जनकात्मजाम्॥ २॥
तरुणादित्यसंकाशां तप्तकाञ्चनभूषणाम्।
रक्ताम्बरधरां बालां नीलकुञ्चितमूर्धजाम्॥ ३॥
अक्लिष्टमाल्याभरणां तथारूपामनिन्दिताम्।
ददौ रामाय वैदेहीमङ्के कृत्वा विभावसुः॥ ४॥
अब्रवीत् तु तदा रामं साक्षी लोकस्य पावकः।
एषा ते राम वैदेही पापमस्यां न विद्यते॥ ५॥
नैव वाचा न मनसा नैव बुद्ध्या न चक्षुषा।
सुवृत्ता वृत्तशौटीर्यं न त्वामत्यचरच्छुभा॥ ६॥
रावणेनापनीतैषा वीर्योत्सिक्तेन रक्षसा।
त्वया विरहिता दीना विवशा निर्जने सती॥ ७॥
रुद्धा चान्तःपुरे गुप्ता त्वच्चित्ता त्वत्परायणा।
रक्षिता राक्षसीभिश्च घोराभिर्घोरबुद्धिभिः॥ ८॥
प्रलोभ्यमाना विविधं तर्ज्यमाना च मैथिली।
नाचिन्तयत तद्रक्षस्त्वद‍्गतेनान्तरात्मना॥ ९॥
विशुद्धभावां निष्पापां प्रतिगृह्णीष्व मैथिलीम्।
न किंचिदभिधातव्या अहमाज्ञापयामि ते॥ १०॥
ततः प्रीतमना रामः श्रुत्वैवं वदतां वरः।
दध्यौ मुहूर्तं धर्मात्मा हर्षव्याकुललोचनः॥ ११॥
एवमुक्तो महातेजा धृतिमानुरुविक्रमः।
उवाच त्रिदशश्रेष्ठं रामो धर्मभृतां वरः॥ १२॥
अवश्यं चापि लोकेषु सीता पावनमर्हति।
दीर्घकालोषिता हीयं रावणान्तःपुरे शुभा॥ १३॥
बालिशो बत कामात्मा रामो दशरथात्मजः।
इति वक्ष्यति मां लोको जानकीमविशोध्य हि॥ १४॥
अनन्यहृदयां सीतां मच्चित्तपरिरक्षिणीम्।
अहमप्यवगच्छामि मैथिलीं जनकात्मजाम्॥ १५॥
इमामपि विशालाक्षीं रक्षितां स्वेन तेजसा।
रावणो नातिवर्तेत वेलामिव महोदधिः॥ १६॥
प्रत्ययार्थं तु लोकानां त्रयाणां सत्यसंश्रयः।
उपेक्षे चापि वैदेहीं प्रविशन्तीं हुताशनम्॥ १७॥
न हि शक्तः सुदुष्टात्मा मनसापि हि मैथिलीम्।
प्रधर्षयितुमप्राप्यां दीप्तामग्निशिखामिव॥ १८॥
नेयमर्हति वैक्लव्यं रावणान्तःपुरे सती।
अनन्या हि मया सीता भास्करस्य प्रभा यथा॥ १९॥
विशुद्धा त्रिषु लोकेषु मैथिली जनकात्मजा।
न विहातुं मया शक्या कीर्तिरात्मवता यथा॥ २०॥
अवश्यं च मया कार्यं सर्वेषां वो वचो हितम्।
स्निग्धानां लोकनाथानामेवं च वदतां हितम्॥ २१॥
इत्येवमुक्त्वा विजयी महाबलः
प्रशस्यमानः स्वकृतेन कर्मणा।
समेत्य रामः प्रियया महायशाः
सुखं सुखार्होऽनुबभूव राघवः॥ २२॥
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये युद्धकाण्डे अष्टादशाधिकशततमः सर्गः ॥ ११८ ॥

English Griffith

Thus spoke the Self-existent Sire:
Then swiftly from the blazing pyre
The circling flames were backward rolled,
And, raising in his gentle hold
Alive unharmed the Maithil dame,
The Lord of Fire embodied came.
Fair as the morning was her sheen,
And gold and gems adorned the queen.
Her form in crimson robes arrayed,
Her hair was bound in glossy braid.
Her wreath was fresh and sweet of scent,
Undimmed was every ornament.
Then, standing close to Ráma’a side,
The universal witness cried:
“From every blot and blemish free
Thy faithful queen returns to thee.
In word or deed, in look or mind
Her heart from thee has ne’er declined.
By force the giant bore away
From thy lone cot his helpless prey;
And in his bowers securely kept
She still has longed for thee and wept.
With soft temptation, bribe and threat,
He bade the dame her love forget:
But, nobly faithful to her lord,
Her soul the giant’s suit abhorred.
Receive, O King, thy queen again,
Pure, ever pure from spot and stain.”

Still stood the king in thoughtful mood
And tears of joy his eyes bedewed.
Then to the best of Gods the best
Of warrior chiefs his mind expressed:

“’Twas meet that mid the thousands here
The searching fire my queen should clear;
For long within the giant’s bower
She dwelt the vassal of his power.
For else had many a slanderous tongue
Reproaches on mine honour flung,
And scorned the king who, love-impelled,
His consort from the proof withheld.
No doubt had I, but surely knew
That Janak’s child was pure and true,
That, come what might, in good and ill
Her faithful heart was with me still.
I knew that Rávaṇ could not wrong
My queen whom virtue made so strong.
I knew his heart would sink and fail,
Nor dare her honour to assail,
As Ocean, when he raves and roars,
Fears to o’erleap his bounding shores.
Now to the worlds her truth is shown,
And Sítá is again mine own.
Thus proved before unnumbered eyes,
On her pure fame no shadow lies.
As heroes to their glory cleave,
Mine own dear spouse I ne’er will leave.”
He ceased: and clasped in fond embrace
On his dear breast she hid her face.