Uttara Kanda: Chapter 24

निवर्तमानः संहृष्टो रावणः स दुरात्मवान्। जहे पथि नरेन्द्रषिदेवदानवकन्यकाः॥
While thus returning the vicious-souled Rāvana, with delight, carried away stealthily, on his way, the daughters of the royal saints, celestials and Dänavas.

दर्शनीयां हि यां रक्षः कन्यां स्त्री वापि पश्यति। हत्वा बन्धुजनं तस्या विमाने तां रुरोध सः।२।।
And whatever beautiful damsel he saw, married or unmarried, that demon held them captive in his car, having slain all their friends and relatives.

एवं पत्रगकन्याश्च राक्षसासुरमानुषीः। यक्षदानवकन्याश्च विमाने सोऽध्यरोपयत्॥
In this wise he got on his chariot many a female of the Nagas, Raksasa, Asuras, Yaksas, Dänavas and of men.

ता हि सर्वाः समं दुःखान्मुमुचुर्बाष्पजं जलम्। तुल्यमवयर्चिषां तत्र शोकाग्निभयसंभवम्॥ ताभिः सर्वानवद्याभिनंदीभिरिव सागरः। आपूरितं विमानं तद्भयशोकाशिवाश्रुभिः॥
They, all afflicted, shed tears, hot as fiery flames, caused by fear and fire of grief. As the ocean is filled with the currents of the rivers so that car was flooded with their tears originating from fear and sorrow.

नागगन्धर्वकन्याश्च महर्षितनयाश्च याः। दैत्यदानवकन्याश्च विमाने शतशोरुदन्॥
And wept there in the chariot, hundreds of the females of Nagas, Gandharvas, of great ascetics, Daityas and of Dänavas.

दीर्घकेश्यः सुचार्वङ्गयः पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननाः। पीनस्तनतटा मध्ये वज्रवेदिसमप्रभाः॥ रथकूबरसंकाशैः श्रोणिदेशैर्मनोहराः। स्त्रियः सुराङ्गनाप्रख्या निष्टप्तकनकप्रभाः।८।। शोकदुःखभयवस्ता विह्वलाश्च सुमध्यमाः। तासां निश्वासवातेन सर्वतः संप्रदीपितम्॥ अग्निहोत्रमिवाभाति संनिरुद्धाग्निपुष्पकम्। दशग्रीववशं प्राप्तास्तास्तु शोकाकुलाः स्त्रियः॥
They had long hairs, graceful persons, countenances resembling the full-moon, rising breast, slender waist like that of a black-bee and were graceful with back like the pole of a car. They were like the females of the celestials and the burning gold and were all afflicted by grief, sorrow and terror and were young. And the car was ablaze on all sides with the sighing of those damsels and Pușpaka looked like the chamber where fire is kept perpetually.

दीनवक्त्रेक्षणाः श्यामा मृग्यः सिंहवशा इव। काचिच्चिन्तयती तत्र किं नु मां भक्षयिष्यति॥ काचिद्दध्यौ सुदुःखार्ता अपि मां मारयेदयम्।
The countenance and eyes, of those beautiful damsels, brought under the subjection of the tennecked demon, and afflicted with sorrow, looked poorly like a hind attacked by a lion. Some thought, “Will he eat me up" and another, stricken with sorrow, thought, “Will he destroy me?"

इति मातृः पितॄन्स्मृत्वा भर्तृन्भ्रानुंस्तथैव च॥ दुःखशोकसमाविष्टा विलेपुः सहिताः स्त्रियः। कथं नु खलु मे पुत्रो भविष्यति मया विना ॥ कथं माता कथं भ्राता निमग्नाः शोकसागरे। हा कथं नु करिष्यामि भर्तुस्तस्मादहं विना॥ मृत्यो प्रसादयामि त्वां नय मां दुःखभागिनीम्। किं नु तदुष्कृतं कर्म पुरा देहान्तरे कृतम्॥ एवं स्म दुःखिताः सर्वाः पतिताः शोकसागरे। न खल्विदानी पश्यामो दुःखस्यास्यान्तमात्मनः॥
Thus remembering their mothers, fathers, husbands and brothers, all those females, overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, bewailed, some exclaiming. “What shall befall my son in my absence? Alas! into what ocean of grief my mother or brother is sunk? Alas! what shall my husband do in my absence? Therefore, O death, I propitiate you, do you take me, who am subject to miseries. Alas! what an iniquity did I perpetrate in my former birth in another body? Therefore, we all, overwhelmed with grief, are sunk in the ocean of sorrow, and I do not behold the end of my miseries.

अहो धिङ् मानुषं लोकं नास्ति खल्वधमः परः। यहुर्बला बलवता भर्तारो रावणेन नः॥ सूर्येणोदयता काले नक्षत्राणीव नाशिताः।
Oh! fie upon humanity: there is none more vile than a man for they are weak. As the stars disappear with the rising of the sun in time, so our husbands have been destroyed by the powerful Ravana.

अहो सुबलवद्रक्षो वधोपायेषु रज्यते॥ अहो दुर्वृत्तमास्थाय नात्मानं वै जुगुप्सते। सर्वथा सदृशस्तावद्विक्रमोऽस्य दुरात्मनः॥ इदं त्वसदृशं कर्म परदाराभिमर्शनम्। यस्मादेष परक्यासु रमते राक्षसाधमः॥ तस्माद्वै स्त्रीकृतेनैव वधं प्राप्स्यति दुर्मतिः।
Oh! highly powerful is this Rākşasa and he is mad after devising the means of destruction. Alas! being engaged in such vile actions, he does not consider himself cursed; he is as powerful as he is vicious. And though the ravishment of another's wife is a greets in, still that vile Rākşasa is enjoying us who belong to others. Therefore this vicious-minded one shall meet with death, by his own actions.

सतीभिर्वरनारीभिरेवं वाक्येऽभ्युदीरिते॥ नेदुर्दुन्दुभयः खस्थाः पुष्पवृष्टिः पपात च।
As soon as these words were uttered by those chaste damsels, bugles were sounded in heaven and flowery showers fell on earth.

शप्तः स्त्रीभिः स तु समं हतौजा इव निष्प्रभः॥ पतिव्रताभिः साध्वीभिर्बभूव विमना इव।
Being thus imprecated by those chaste females, devoted to their husbands, he became shorn of energy and effulgence and appeared like one divested of mind.

एवं विलपितं तासां शृण्वनराक्षसपुङ्गवः॥ प्रविवेश पुरीं लङ्कां पूज्यमानो निशाचरैः।
Hearing their lamentations thus and being honoured by the night-rangers that foremost of Raksasas entered his city Lankā.

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे घोरा राक्षसी कामरूपिणी॥ सहसा पतिता भूमौ भगिनी रावणस्य सा।
In the interval, Ravana sister, a dreadful and grim visaged she-demon suddenly fell down on the ground.

तां स्वसारं समुत्थाप्य रावणः परिसान्त्वयन्॥ अब्रवीत्किमिदं भद्रे वक्तुकामासि मां द्रुतम्। सा बाष्पपरिरुद्धाक्षी रक्ताक्षी वाक्यमब्रीत्॥
Having raised up his sister and consoled her Rāvana said, “Tell me speedily, O good sister, what you wish to say.” Thereat that she-demon, having blood-red eyes, closed with tears, said.

कृतास्मि विधवा राजंस्त्वया बलवता बलात्। एते राजंस्त्वया वीयर्यादैत्या विनिहता रणे॥ कालकेया इति ख्याताः सहस्राणि चतुर्दशः। प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयान्मे तत्र भर्ता महाबलः॥ सोपि त्वया हतस्तात रिपुणा भ्रातृगन्धिना। त्वयास्मि निहता राजस्वयमेव हि बन्धुना॥
“O king, by you, powerful as you are, I have forcibly been made widow." Fourteen a thousand demons, under the name of Kälakeyas, have been destroyed by you, O King, in the battle and among them was my highly powerful husband, dearer than my life. He has been slain by you, O dear one, an enemy, a brother only in name. I have been killed by you, O king, who are my brother.

राजन्वैधव्यशब्दं च भोक्ष्यामि त्वत्कृतं ह्यहम्। ननु नाम त्वया रक्ष्यो जामाता समरेष्वपि॥ स त्वया निहतो युद्धे स्वयमेव न लज्जसे।
For you, O king, I shall enjoy the word 'widow!' My husband? should have been saved by you in the battle. But he was slain by your ownself in the battle; are you not ashamed of this?" 1. This is the literal translation of the passage-i.e. for you, I shall for ever be known as widow. 2. The word in the text is Tāmata, which literally means son-in-law-but here perhaps it must mean husband for she was his sister.)

एवमुक्तो दशग्रीवो भगिन्या क्रोशमानया॥ अब्रवीत्सान्त्वयित्वा तां समापूर्वमिदं वचः।
Being thus addressed by his bewailing sister, the Ten-necked demon, consoling her in sweet words, said.

अलं वत्से रुदित्वा ते न भेतव्यं च सर्वशः॥ दानमानप्रसादैस्त्वां तोषयिष्यामि यत्नतः।
Of no avail is your lamentation, dear sister; you need not be afraid of any of your of relatives. I shall please you studiously by gifts, honours and favours.

युद्धप्रमत्तो व्याक्षिप्तो जयाकाङ्क्षी क्षिपशरान्।।३३ नाहमज्ञासिषं युध्यन्स्वान्परान्वापि संयुगे। जामातरं न जाने स्म प्रहरन्युद्धदुर्मदः॥
Being mad after war-fare and desirous of acquiring victory, I was continually making a downpour of shafts, so I could not distinguish in the conflict between my own men and enemies, and thus unwittingly I did hurt your husband.

तेनासौ निहतः संख्ये मया भर्ना तव स्वसः। अस्मिन्काले तु यत्प्राप्तं तत्करिष्यामि ते हितम् ॥
And thus, sister, your husband was slain by me in the conflict; I shall now do whatever shall conduce to your well-being.

भ्रातुरैश्वर्ययुक्तस्य खरस्य वस पार्श्वतः। चतुर्दशानां भ्राता ते सहस्राणां भविष्यति॥ प्रभुः प्रयाणे दाने च राक्षसानां महाबलः। तत्र मातृष्वसेयस्ते भ्रातायं वै खरः प्रभुः॥ भविष्यति तवादेशं सदा कुर्वनिशाचरः।
Do you ever reside by the side of your rich brother Khara he shall be the lord of fourteen thousand Räkşasas. That highly powerful one shall give food and clothes to all those Rākşasas. He is your cousin and that night-ranger shall always carry out your orders.

शीघ्रं गच्छत्वयं वीरो दण्डकान्परिरक्षितुम्॥ दूषणोऽस्य बलाध्यक्षो भविष्यति महाबलः।
Let that hero now speedily go to protect the Dandaka forest and the highly powerful Duşana shall be the commander of his forces.

तत्र ते वचनं शूरः करिष्यति तदा खरः॥ रक्षसां कामरूपाणां प्रभुरेष भविष्यति।
There the heroic Khara shall obey your words and be the lord of Raksasas assuming shapes at will.

एवमुक्त्वा दशग्रीवः सैन्यमस्यादिदेश ह॥ चदुर्दश सहस्राणि रक्षसां वीर्यशालिनाम्। स तैः परिवृतः सर्वै राक्षसै?रदर्शनैः॥ आगच्छतः खरः शीघ्रं दण्डकानकुतोभयः। स तत्र कारयामास राज्यं निहतकण्टकम्। सा च शूर्पणखा तत्र न्यवसद्दण्डके वने।॥
Having said this the Ten-necked demon issued orders to his army-fourteen thousand highly powerful Rākṣasas, Being encircled by those grim-visaged Rākşasas, Khara, undaunted, speedily came to the Dandaka forest. There he governed without thorns and Śūrpanakhă also resided in the forest of Dandaka.