सीताविलापः (Sita’s Lament and Resolve under Threat)
सुन्दरकाण्ड
Sarga 28 intensifies the Aśoka-vāṭikā crisis through Sītā’s immediate psychological response to Rāvaṇa’s harsh ultimatum. Hearing the ‘unpleasant words’ of the rākṣasa king, she is compared to a young elephant-calf seized by a lion—an upamā that frames vulnerability amid predation (5.28.1). Encircled by rākṣasīs and verbally threatened, Sītā articulates the paradox of delayed death: elders say untimely death does not occur, yet she remains alive in pitiable fear (5.28.3), and wonders why her heart does not shatter like a thunderstruck mountain-peak (5.28.4). She rejects any notion of yielding affection to Rāvaṇa, likening it to a brāhmaṇa refusing to impart mantra to the unqualified (5.28.5), and fears dismemberment if Rāma does not arrive in time (5.28.6–7). Her lament calls out to Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and the mothers (5.28.8, 5.28.11), and she interprets the deer-episode as ‘kāla’ (time/fate) that tempted her into sending the brothers away (5.28.10). In despair she considers suicide by poison or weapon (5.28.16), then moves toward the flowering śiṃśupā tree, grasping her braid as a means to reach Yama’s realm (5.28.17–18). As she stands holding a branch and remembers Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and their lineage, auspicious bodily omens manifest—traditional signs that dispel grief and restore courage (5.28.19–20), closing the chapter with a subtle narrative counterweight to suicidal intent.
Verse 5.28.1
सा राक्षसेन्द्रस्य वचो निशम्य तद्रावणस्याप्रियमप्रियार्ता।सीता वितत्रास यथा वनान्ते सिंहाभिपन्ना गजराजकन्या।।5.28.1।।
Hearing the hateful words of Rāvaṇa, lord of the rākṣasas, Sītā—stricken with distress—was terrified, like a young elephant-calf seized by a lion in the deep forest.
Verse 5.28.2
सा राक्षसीमध्यगता च भीरु र्वाग्भिर्भृशं रावणतर्जिता च। कान्तारमध्ये विजने विसृष्टा बालेव कन्या विललाप सीता।।5.28.2।।
Set amid the rākṣasī women, timid, and harshly threatened by Rāvaṇa with cruel words, Sītā—left alone in the desolate midst of the forest—lamented like a young girl.
Verse 5.28.3
सत्यं बतेदं प्रवदन्ति लोके नाकालमृत्युर्भवतीति सन्तः।यत्राहमेवं परिभर्त्स्यमानाजीवामि दीना क्षणमप्यपुण्या।।5.28.3।।
Alas, what the wise say in this world is indeed true: death does not come before its appointed time. For here I, though thus being harshly threatened, still live on—wretched and meritless.
Verse 5.28.4
सुखाद्विहीनं बहुदुःखपूर्णमिदं तु नूनं हृदयं स्थिरं मे।विशीर्यते यन्न सहस्रधाऽद्य वज्राहतं शृङ्गमिवाचलस्य।।5.28.4।।
Deprived of happiness and filled with many sorrows, my heart is surely made of something firm—for even today it does not shatter into a thousand pieces, like a mountain-peak struck by a thunderbolt.
Verse 5.28.5
नैवास्ति दोषो मम नूनमत्र वध्याहमस्याप्रियदर्शनस्य।भावं न चास्याहमनुप्रदातु मलं द्विजो मन्त्रमिवाद्विजाय।।5.28.5।।
Surely there is no fault in me if I die here now: I am destined to be slain by that loathsome-looking one. It is not proper for me to yield my heart to him—just as a brahmin would not impart a sacred mantra to one unfit to receive it.
Verse 5.28.6
नूनं ममाङ्गान्यचिरादनार्यः शस्त्रैश्शितैश्छेत्स्यति राक्षसेन्द्रः।तस्मिननागच्छति लोकनाथे गर्भस्थजन्तोरिव शल्यकृन्तः।।5.28.6।।
Surely, before long, that vile lord of rākṣasas will cut my limbs apart with sharp weapons—if the Lord of the world does not arrive here in time—like a cutter extracting a fetus from the womb.
Verse 5.28.7
दुःखं बतेदं मम दुःखिताया मासौ चिरायाधिगमिष्यतो द्वौ। बद्धस्य वध्यस्य तथा निशान्ते राजापराधादिव तस्करस्य।।5.28.7।।
Alas—this is misery for me in my sorrow: two months will pass like an age. I am like a thief, bound for execution for offending the king, who must endure the night until dawn.
Verse 5.28.8
हा राम हा लक्ष्मण हा सुमित्रे हा राममातः सह मे जनन्या। एषा विपद्याम्यहमल्पभाग्या महार्णवे नौरिव मूढवाता।।5.28.8।।
Alas, Rāma! Alas, Lakṣmaṇa! Alas, Sumitrā! Alas, Rāma’s mother—together with my own mother! Here I, ill-fated, am perishing like a little boat in the great ocean, struck by a whirling wind.
Verse 5.28.9
तरस्विनौ धारयता मृगस्यसत्त्वेन रूपं मनुजेन्द्रपुत्रौ।नूनं विशस्तौ मम कारणात्तौ सिंहर्षभौ द्वाविव वैद्युतेन।।5.28.9।।
Those two mighty princes—sons of the lord of men—were confronted by a creature that assumed the form of a deer. Surely, because of me, they have been slain, like two lion-bulls struck down by a bolt of lightning.
Verse 5.28.10
नूनं स कालो मृगरूपधारीमामल्पभाग्यां लुलुभे तदानीम्।यत्रार्यपुत्रं विससर्ज मूढा रामानुजं लक्ष्मणपूर्वजं च।।5.28.10।।
Surely it was Time itself, taking the form of a deer, that lured me—ill-fated as I am—at that moment, when in my folly I sent away the noble prince, and also Rāma’s younger brother, Lakṣmaṇa.
Verse 5.28.11
हा राम सत्यव्रत दीर्घबाहो हा पूर्णचन्द्रप्रतिमानवक्त्र। हा जीवलोकस्य हितः प्रियश्च वध्यां न मां वेत्सि हि राक्षसानाम्।।5.28.11।।
Alas, O Rāma—steadfast in the vow of truth, long-armed; alas, O you whose face is like the full moon; alas, benefactor and beloved of the world of the living—do you not know that I am marked to be slain by the rākṣasas?
Verse 5.28.12
अनन्य दैवत्वमियं क्षमा चभूमौ च शय्या नियमश्च धर्मे।पतिव्रतात्वं विफलं ममेदंकृतं कृतघ्नेष्विव मानुषाणाम्।।5.28.12।।
My single-hearted devotion to you alone as my deity, my forbearance, my sleeping upon the ground, and my discipline in dharma—this very chastity of mine has proved fruitless, like a good deed done for ungrateful people.
Verse 5.28.13
मोघो हि धर्मश्चरितो मयायंतथैकपत्नीत्वामिदं निरर्थम्।या त्वां न पश्यामि कृशा विवर्णा हीना त्वया सङ्गमने निराशा।।5.28.13।।
Truly, the dharma I have practiced has become futile—so too this vow of being devoted to one husband is meaningless—since I do not see you. Separated from you, I have grown emaciated and pale, hopeless of reunion.
Verse 5.28.14
पितुर्निदेशं नियमेन कृत्वा वनान्निवृत्तश्चरितव्रतश्च।स्त्रीभिस्तु मन्ये विपुलेक्षणाभिस्त्वं रंस्यसे वीतभयः कृतार्थः।।5.28.14।।
Having faithfully carried out your father’s command and completed your vowed observance, you will return from the forest; then, I think, free from fear and fulfilled in purpose, you will take delight in the company of large-eyed women.
Verse 5.28.15
अहं तु राम त्वयि जातकामा चिरं विनाशाय निबद्धभावा।मोघं चरित्वाथ तपो व्रतञ्च त्यक्ष्यामिधिग्जीवितमल्पभाग्याम्।।5.28.15।।
But I, O Rāma, set my love upon you and bound my heart to you for a long time—only for my own ruin. Having practiced austerities and vows in vain, I shall now give up my life; fie upon this life of mine, so ill-fated!
Verse 5.28.16
सा जीवितं क्षिप्रमहं त्यजेयं विषेण शस्त्रेण शितेन वापि।विषस्य दाता न हि मेऽस्ति कश्चि च्छस्त्रस्य वा वेश्मनि राक्षसस्य।।5.28.16।।
I would cast off my life at once—by poison, or by a weapon, even a sharp blade. Yet in this rākṣasa’s house there is no one at all who could give me poison, or a weapon.
Verse 5.28.17
इतीव देवी बहुधा विलप्य सर्वात्मना राममनुस्मरन्ती।प्रवेपमाना परिशुष्कवक्त्रा नगोत्तमं पुष्पितमाससाद।।5.28.17।।
Thus the queen, lamenting in many ways and with her whole being remembering Rāma, trembled; her face grown pale and dried, she drew near the finest of trees, in bloom.
Verse 5.28.18
सा शोकतप्ता बहुधा विचिन्त्यसीताऽथ वेण्युद्ग्रथनं गृहीत्वा।उद्बुध्य वेण्युद्ग्रथनेन शीघ्रमहंगमिष्यामि यमस्य मूलम्।।5.28.18।।
Burning with grief and thinking in many ways, Sītā then seized the braid of her hair; resolving swiftly to bind herself with that braid, she said, “I shall quickly go to the very presence of Yama, the Lord of Death.”
Verse 5.28.19
उपस्थिता सा मृदुसर्वगात्री शाखां गृहत्वाऽध नगस्य तस्य।तस्यास्तु रामं प्रविचिन्तयन्त्या रामानुजं स्वं च कुलं शुभाङ्ग्या:।।5.28.19।।शेकानिमित्तानि तथा बहूनिधैर्यार्जितानि प्रवराणि लोके।प्रादुर्निमित्तानि तदा बभूवुः पुरापि सिद्धान्युपलक्षितानि।।5.28.20।।
That gentle-limbed lady approached the śiṃśupā tree and, holding a branch of it, stood there. As the fair-bodied Sītā thought of Rāma, of Rāma’s younger brother, and of her own noble family, many auspicious omens appeared—signs known in the world as dispellers of grief and bringers of courage, proven true even from ancient times.