Passage 1
श्रीराम उवाच— पश्य लक्ष्मण शैलेऽस्मिन् परितः प्रावृषः श्रियम्। दिवि भूमितले दिक्षु शोभमानां प्रसृत्वरीम्॥१॥
Śrī Rāma said: “Lakṣmaṇa, behold upon this mountain the beauty of the rainy season spreading all around, radiant in the sky, across the earth, and through the directions.
Passage 2
लिम्पन्ति गगनं कान्त्या नीलरत्नमनोज्ञया। वेल्लद्वलाकावलयो दरीद्वारविलम्बिनः॥२॥
“Clouds lingering at the mouths of caves, ringed by moving rows of cranes, paint the sky with the lovely luster of blue jewels.
Passage 3
अधित्यकासु शृङ्गेषु कटकेषु समन्ततः। बद्धा इव घनाः सान्द्रगर्जितध्वनिभीषणाः॥३॥
“On plateaus, peaks, and ridges everywhere, clouds seem bound in place, fearsome with the sound of dense thunder.
Passage 4
सृजन्तो घोरतिमिरं विद्युतां निकषोपलाः। धाराभिर्धरणीं कृत्स्नां सिञ्चन्तः शाद्वलावृताम्॥४॥
“They create terrible darkness, serve as touchstones for lightning, and drench the whole grass-covered earth with streams of rain.
Passage 5
गर्जितैस्तर्जयन्तीव सततं मम मानसम्। वक्रेन्द्रचापभ्रूभङ्गैर्भेषयन्ति दिवानिशम्॥५॥
“Their thunder seems constantly to threaten my heart, and day and night their curved rainbow brows frighten me with frowns.
Passage 6
विद्युतां नयनविस्फारैरधैर्यं कुर्वते मनः। वेधयन्तीव हृदयं बिन्दुभिर्मार्गणैरिव॥६॥
“Their lightning flashes like eyes opened wide and make my mind lose courage; their drops seem to pierce my heart like arrows.
Passage 7
वान्ति सीकरिणो वाता धुन्वन्तः कदलीवनम्। शीतला अपि चात्यर्थं दीपयन्तीव पावकम्॥७॥
“Spray-laden winds blow, shaking the plantain grove; though exceedingly cool, they seem to kindle fire.
Passage 8
प्रत्यङ्गं तापयन्तीव जानक्या विरहेऽद्य माम्। पयोदसुहृदां केका भिन्दन्तीव मनो मम॥८॥
“Today, in separation from Jānakī, they seem to burn every limb of mine, while the cries of the peacocks, friends of the clouds, seem to split my heart.
Passage 9
कामं कठोरहृदयो वज्रादप्यस्मि लक्ष्मण। कदम्बगुलिकाबाणैर्वक्षो यस्य न दीर्यते॥९॥
“Lakṣmaṇa, I must indeed be harder-hearted than a thunderbolt, for my breast is not torn apart by the pellet-arrows of kadamba flowers.
Passage 10
पश्य केतकपत्राणि करपत्राणि साम्प्रतम्। प्रागुद्यमयन् हस्तं प्रहरत्यद्य मन्मथः॥१०॥
“See how the ketakī leaves have now become saw-blades; raising his hand, Manmatha strikes me with them today.
Passage 11
तमालकाननं भ्रातः सुस्निग्धं तिमिरोपमम्। गाढमोहमयीं मूर्छामातनोति प्रतिक्षणम्॥११॥
“Brother, this glossy tamāla grove, dark as night, spreads over me at every moment a swoon made of profound bewilderment.
Passage 12
शिलीन्ध्रपुष्पमासाद्य भ्रमरी भ्रमरान्विता। यथा क्रीडति सौमित्रे तथासूयामि संततम्॥१२॥
“Saumitri, when I see a female bee sporting upon a śilīndhra blossom surrounded by male bees, I continually envy them.
Passage 13
नवशाद्वलसंदोहैराचितं धरणीतलम्। इन्द्रगोपगणैर्नित्यमलङ्कृतमिवाधुना॥१३॥
“The surface of the earth is now covered by masses of fresh grass and seems perpetually adorned by companies of red indragopa insects.
Passage 14
चातकानां कलो नादो मेघमण्डलसंनिधौ। उद्वेजयति मां नित्यं प्रियाविरहविह्वलम्॥१४॥
“The sweet sound of cātaka birds near the cloud banks continually agitates me, overwhelmed by separation from my beloved.
Passage 15
कलमालपते नित्यं कोकिलावलिरुन्मदा। यशांसीव जगज्जिष्णोः स्मरसंज्ञस्य भूपतेः॥१५॥
“The intoxicated line of cuckoos always sings sweetly, as though proclaiming the glories of the world-conquering king named Smara.
Passage 16
यूथीकुसुमसौरभ्यसंजातमदविह्वलाः। कुर्वन्ति कलझङ्कारनादं मधुपराजयः॥१६॥
“Kings of bees, overwhelmed by intoxication born from the fragrance of jasmine flowers, make a sweet humming sound.
Passage 17
नद्यो नवघनासारभरितस्रोतसोऽधुना। सजवं यान्ति कामार्ता इवात्मपतिमम्बुधिम्॥१७॥
“The rivers, their currents now filled by showers from new clouds, hasten vigorously toward their lord, the ocean, like women tormented by desire.
Passage 18
गर्जितैर्घनसंघस्य तोयभारविलम्बिनः। गर्जतीवोग्रदर्पेण गिरिरेष गुहामुखैः॥१८॥
“Through the thunder of cloud masses hanging low with their weight of water, this mountain seems to roar with fierce pride from the mouths of its caves.
Passage 19
वान्ति निर्झरा भ्रातः सोद्रेकाः परितो गिरिम्। मत्तः करीव समये मदधाराः समन्ततः॥१९॥
“Brother, swollen waterfalls pour out all around the mountain like streams of rut flowing everywhere from an intoxicated elephant in season.
Passage 20
स्वयं जनितमूष्माणं स्वयमेव निरस्यति। कृपयेव नृणां मेघो धारासम्पातवर्षणः॥२०॥
“The cloud, raining down torrents as though out of compassion for humankind, itself removes the heat it has itself produced.
Passage 21
अभ्राणि स्पृष्टमात्राणि तडिज्ज्वलनवर्तिभिः। गर्जन्ति लोहयन्त्राणि प्रायः स्मरमहीपतेः॥२१॥
“The clouds, merely touched by the flaming wicks of lightning, thunder like the iron engines of King Smara.
Passage 22
तिरोदधति मण्डूका ध्वनिभिर्धीरदूरगैः। शब्दान्तरं परगुणं साभ्यसूया बुधा इव॥२२॥
“Frogs conceal every other sound with their deep, far-traveling cries, like envious scholars suppressing another person's merit.
Passage 23
मध्येरजनि गर्जन्तो वारिदा व्योममण्डले। विलुम्पन्ति सखे निद्रां विरहोद्बोधपण्डिताः॥२३॥
“Friend, thundering in the vault of heaven at midnight, the rainclouds—experts in awakening separation—steal away my sleep. Rāma Calls Out for Sītā
Passage 24
पातयन्ति मुहुर्घोषैरयोघनमिवोरसि। घनौघा मम जानक्या विरहेऽतीव निघृणाः॥२४॥
“Utterly merciless in my separation from Jānakī, the masses of clouds repeatedly strike my chest with their peals as though dropping an iron hammer upon it.
Passage 25
सर्वं सहामि सौमित्रे सोऽहं कठिनमानसः। कथं भविष्यति पुनर्वैदेही विरहात्सदा॥२५॥
“Saumitri, hard-hearted as I am, I endure all this—but how will Vaidehī fare under continual separation?
Passage 26
अये कमलपत्राक्षि शिरीषसुमकोमले। अभूतपूर्वं विरहं वैदेहि सहसे कथम्॥२६॥
“O lotus-petal-eyed Vaidehī, tender as a śirīṣa flower, how do you bear this unprecedented separation?
Passage 27
रामः कठोरहृदय ईदृशीं विरहापदम्। सहतां सुदति स्थाने तव सम्प्रति का दशा॥२७॥
“Let hard-hearted Rāma fittingly endure such a calamity of separation; but fine-toothed one, what must your condition be now?
Passage 28
हा देवि धीरा भवितुमर्हसि जनकात्मजे। अहो अधीरहृदयो रामः किं नु करोत्वयम्॥२८॥
“Alas, goddess, daughter of Janaka, you must remain steadfast. But Rāma's heart has lost all steadiness—what can he do now?
Passage 29
मद्दशां को नु कथयेद्वैदेहि तव संनिधौ। हा हा जनकपुत्रि त्वं कथं नु ज्ञास्यसे प्रिये॥२९॥
“Who will tell you of my condition in your presence, Vaidehī? Alas, beloved daughter of Janaka, how will you ever know?
Passage 30
आत्मनो जीवितेनैव त्वं जीवसि कथंचन। इति मेऽनुमितं देवि किं तु कास्विद् दशा तव॥३०॥
“Goddess, I infer that you somehow remain alive only through your own life-force—but what condition can yours possibly be?
Passage 31
अये मरुत्सखे तत्र गच्छ यत्रास्ति मैथिली। स्फुटं कथय तस्यै त्वं मद्दशां निखिलामपि॥३१॥
“O wind, my friend, go where Maithilī is and clearly tell her my entire condition.
Passage 32
अथ तस्या दशां मित्र कृत्स्नां मम निवेदय। नास्य त्वदुपकारस्य निष्कृतिर्मम विद्यते॥३२॥
“Then, friend, report her whole condition to me. I could never repay this service of yours.”
Passage 33
इति स्मारं स्मारं जनकतनयां प्राणदयितां रघुश्रेष्ठः प्रावृट्समुदयसमुद्दीप्तविरहः। स्वदुःखं सौमित्रे स्फुटमभिदधन्मुग्धहृदयो मुमूर्च्छान्तर्लीनाखिलकरणनिश्चेष्टिततनुः॥३३॥
Remembering again and again Janaka's daughter, beloved as his own life, the foremost Raghu felt his separation blaze up at the onset of the rains. As he openly told Saumitri his sorrow, his heart bewildered, he fainted; every faculty withdrew within and his body became motionless.