Critical Edition
मार्कण्डेय उवाच ततस्तां भर्तृशोकार्तां दीनां मलिनवाससम् मणिशेषाभ्यलंकारां रुदतीं च पतिव्रताम्
AI Translation: Markandeya said: Then, she who was afflicted by grief for her husband, miserable, wearing dirty clothes, adorned with remaining jewels, weeping, and devoted to her husband,
राक्षसीभिरुपास्यन्तीं समासीनां शिलातले रावणः कामबाणार्तो ददर्शोपससर्प च
AI Translation: Seeing her seated on a rock, being attended by the demons, Rāvaṇa, afflicted by the arrows of love, saw her and approached her.
देवदानवगन्धर्वयक्षकिंपुरुषैर्युधि अजितोऽशोकवनिकां ययौ कन्दर्पमोहितः
AI Translation: In battle with gods, demons, gandharvas, yakshas, and kinnaras, He went to the Aśoka grove, deluded by Kāma.
दिव्याम्बरधरः श्रीमान्सुमृष्टमणिकुण्डलः विचित्रमाल्यमुकुटो वसन्त इव मूर्तिमान्
M. N. Dutt: Attired in a celestials garment, wearing a handsome appearance, adorned with jewelled ear-rings, decked with a beautiful garland and a crown and looking as (handsome as) the very embodiment of Spring.
स कल्पवृक्षसदृशो यत्नादपि विभूषितः श्मशानचैत्यद्रुमवद्भूषितोऽपि भयंकरः
M. N. Dutt: Being dressed carefully he looked as (beautiful as) the Kalpa tree. But with all his rich dress he appeared as terrible as a banian tree in the midst of a cremation ground.
स तस्यास्तनुमध्यायाः समीपे रजनीचरः ददृशे रोहिणीमेत्य शनैश्चर इव ग्रहः
M. N. Dutt: That night-ranger, approaching the slenderwaisted lady, looked like (the grim) planet Saturn before (the beautiful) Rohini.
स तामामन्त्र्य सुश्रोणीं पुष्पकेतुशराहतः इदमित्यब्रवीद्बालां त्रस्तां रौहीमिवाबलाम्
M. N. Dutt: Having greeted that lady of beautiful hips, terrified like a helpless doe, he (Ravana) smarting under the shafts of that god having the flower for his emblem, addressed her thus,
सीते पर्याप्तमेतावत्कृतो भर्तुरनुग्रहः प्रसादं कुरु तन्वङ्गि क्रियतां परिकर्म ते
M. N. Dutt: "Sita, you have favoured too much your husband up to this time. O lady of slender form, be now favourably disposed towards me. Let your person be well-dressed.
भजस्व मां वरारोहे महार्हाभरणाम्बरा भव मे सर्वनारीणामुत्तमा वरवर्णिनि
M. N. Dutt: O excellent lady, live under my protection and O fair, complexioned damsel, adorned with rich ornaments and dresses be the first lady among all the females (of my harem).
सन्ति मे देवकन्याश्च राजर्षीणां तथाङ्गनाः सन्ति दानवकन्याश्च दैत्यानां चापि योषितः
M. N. Dutt: Many daughters of the celestials and the Gandharvas are in my household and I possess several daughters of the Danavas and the Daityas.
चतुर्दश पिशाचानां कोट्यो मे वचने स्थिताः द्विस्तावत्पुरुषादानां रक्षसां भीमकर्मणाम्
M. N. Dutt: as One hundred and forty millions Pishachas, twice many man-eating Rakshasas of terrible deed execute my commands.
ततो मे त्रिगुणा यक्षा ये मद्वचनकारिणः केचिदेव धनाध्यक्षं भ्रातरं मे समाश्रिताः
M. N. Dutt: And thrice as many Yakshas carry out my orders. Some only are under the sway of my brother (Kubera) the lord of wealth.
गन्धर्वाप्सरसो भद्रे मामापानगतं सदा उपतिष्ठन्ति वामोरु यथैव भ्रातरं मम
M. N. Dutt: O gentle lady gifted with fair thighs, the Gandharvas and the Apsaras attend upon me in my drinking hall as they do my brother.
पुत्रोऽहमपि विप्रर्षेः साक्षाद्विश्रवसो मुनेः पञ्चमो लोकपालानामिति मे प्रथितं यशः
M. N. Dutt: (Again) I am the son to that Brahmanic sage, the Muni Vishrava and am celebrated under the name of the fifth Lokapala (regent of the universe).
दिव्यानि भक्ष्यभोज्यानि पानानि विविधानि च यथैव त्रिदशेशस्य तथैव मम भामिनि
M. N. Dutt: O lady, I have as plenty of eatables, foods and drinks as the lord of the celestials himself.
क्षीयतां दुष्कृतं कर्म वनवासकृतं तव भार्या मे भव सुश्रोणि यथा मन्दोदरी तथा
M. N. Dutt: Let all your troubles of a forest life be over. O fair-hipped damsel, be my consort as Mandodari herself.
इत्युक्ता तेन वैदेही परिवृत्य शुभानना तृणमन्तरतः कृत्वा तमुवाच निशाचरम्
M. N. Dutt: Thus spoken to, the princes of Videha endued with a beautiful face, turning away (from Ravana) and considering him as something more insignificant than a straw thus replied to him.
अशिवेनातिवामोरूरजस्रं नेत्रवारिणा स्तनावपतितौ बाला सहितावभिवर्षती उवाच वाक्यं तं क्षुद्रं वैदेही पतिदेवता
AI Translation: With the tears from her eyes, which were not auspicious, she was constantly sprinkling the ground. The young woman, with her breasts falling down, was sprinkling him together with herself. Vaidehi, the goddess of her husband, spoke these words to the wicked one.
Supplementary Passages:
3.265.18 After 18cd, S (except G3) ins.: *1270 व्यवस्थाप्य कथंचित्सा विषादादतिमोहिता
असकृद्वदतो वाक्यमीदृशं राक्षसेश्वर विषादयुक्तमेतत्ते मया श्रुतमभाग्यया
AI Translation: Hearing these words of yours, O lord of the demons, spoken repeatedly, I have heard them with sorrow, O unfortunate one.
तद्भद्रसुख भद्रं ते मानसं विनिवर्त्यताम् परदारास्म्यलभ्या च सततं च पतिव्रता
AI Translation: O Bhadrasukha, may your mind be turned away from evil. I am the wife of another, and always a chaste wife.
न चैवोपयिकी भार्या मानुषी कृपणा तव विवशां धर्षयित्वा च कां त्वं प्रीतिमवाप्स्यसि
AI Translation: And you have no wife who is suitable for you, a poor human woman. Having violated a helpless woman, what pleasure will you find?
प्रजापतिसमो विप्रो ब्रह्मयोनिः पिता तव न च पालयसे धर्मं लोकपालसमः कथम्
AI Translation: The Brahmin is equal to Prajapati, the father is the source of the Veda. How is it that you, equal to the guardians of the world, do not protect the Dharma?
भ्रातरं राजराजानं महेश्वरसखं प्रभुम् धनेश्वरं व्यपदिशन्कथं त्विह न लज्जसे
M. N. Dutt: Being equal to a Lokapala why have you no regard for virtue! Dishonouring that king, your adorable brother, the lord of wealth and friend of Maheshvara how it is that you do not feel shame"?
इत्युक्त्वा प्रारुदत्सीता कम्पयन्ती पयोधरौ शिरोधरां च तन्वङ्गी मुखं प्रच्छाद्य वाससा
M. N. Dutt: Saying (all) this, that lady of delicate limbs Sita, with her breasts and neck trembling (in emotion) and covering her face with her clothes, began to weep profusely.
तस्या रुदत्या भामिन्या दीर्घा वेणी सुसंयता ददृशे स्वसिता स्निग्धा काली व्यालीव मूर्धनि
M. N. Dutt: And while that fair lady was weeping, her long, well-woven, black and glossy, braid hanging down from her head looked like a black snake.
तच्छ्रुत्वा रावणो वाक्यं सीतयोक्तं सुनिष्ठुरम् प्रत्याख्यातोऽपि दुर्मेधाः पुनरेवाब्रवीद्वचः
AI Translation: Hearing those words spoken by Sita, which were very harsh, Even though rejected, the evil-minded Ravana again spoke these words:
काममङ्गानि मे सीते दुनोतु मकरध्वजः न त्वामकामां सुश्रोणीं समेष्ये चारुहासिनीम्
AI Translation: Let the god of love torment my limbs, O Sita, but I shall not approach you, O you of beautiful hips, O you of charming smile, if you are not desirous.
किं नु शक्यं मया कर्तुं यत्त्वमद्यापि मानुषम् आहारभूतमस्माकं राममेवानुरुध्यसे
M. N. Dutt: What am I able to do since you even to this day cherish Rama, who is but a man (and therefore) our food"
इत्युक्त्वा तामनिन्द्याङ्गीं स राक्षसगणेश्वरः तत्रैवान्तर्हितो भूत्वा जगामाभिमतां दिशम्
M. N. Dutt: Thus addressing that lady of faultless proportions, the lord of the Rakshasas vanished at that very spot and went whether he liked.
राक्षसीभिः परिवृता वैदेही शोककर्शिता सेव्यमाना त्रिजटया तत्रैव न्यवसत्तदा
M. N. Dutt: And the princess of Videha weighed down with grief continued to dwell there, surrounded by Rakshasa women and kindly treated by Trijata.