एवमुक्ता तु वैदेही प्रियाहाँ प्रियवादिनी। प्रणयादेव संक्रुद्धा भर्तारमिदमब्रवीत्॥
Being addressed thus, Vaidehi, beloved and sweet speeched, spoke to her husband the following words, offended as it were on account of her great affection.
किमिदं भाषसे राम वाक्यं लघुतया ध्रुवम्। त्वया यदपहास्यं मे श्रुत्वा नरवरोत्तम॥
It is that you speak me thus, thinking me, no doubt, mean minded. I can not but laugh at your words.
वीराणां राजपुत्राणां शस्त्रास्त्रविदुषां नृप। अनर्हमयशस्यं च न श्रोतव्यं त्वयेरितम्॥
Oh best of men; what you have said is not becoming of a mighty prince versed in military arts and is really very opprobrious and infamous. What more, it is not proper even to hear them.
आर्यपुत्र पिता माता भ्राता पुत्रस्तथा स्नुषा। स्वानि पुण्यानि भुञ्जानाः स्वं स्वं भाग्यमुपासते॥ भर्तुर्भाग्यं तु नार्येका प्राप्नोति पुरुषर्षभ। अतश्चैवाहमादिष्टा वने वस्तव्यमित्यपि॥
Oh dear husband, father, mother, son, brother, daughter-in-law, all of them abide by the consequences of their own actions, it is the wife alone, Oh best of men, that shares the fate of her husband; it is therefore that ever along with you I have been ordered to live in the forest.
न पिता नात्मजो वात्मा न माता न सखीजनः। इह प्रेत्य च नारीणां पतिरेको गतिः सदा॥
Neither father, mother, son, friends, nor her ownself is the stay of a woman in this or in after life, it is the husband along that is her only support.
यदि त्वं प्रस्थितो दुर्गं वनमद्यैव राघव। अग्रतस्ते गमिष्यामि मृद्गन्ती कुशकण्टकान्॥
If do you repair today to the forest impregnable, I shall go before you, oh Rāghava, treading upon the thorns and prickly grass.
ईष्या रोषं बहिष्कृत्य भुक्तशेषमिवोदकम्। नय मां वीर विस्रब्धः पापं मयि न विद्यते॥
Confident do you take me with you, Oh great hero, renouncing jealousy and indignation, like to water left after drinking; there exists no sin in me that could justify forsaking.
प्रासादाग्रे विमानैर्वा वैहायसगतेन वा। सर्वावस्थागता भर्तुः पादच्छाया विशिष्यते॥
To woman is preferable under all circumstances the shade of her husband's feet to the tops of a palace, the celestial car or excursion in the airy path.* *It was generally believed that by certain processes of Yoga one acquired power to fly in the air.
अनुशिष्टास्मि मात्रा च पित्रा च विविधाश्रयम्। नास्मि सम्प्रति वक्तव्या वर्तितव्यं यथा मया॥
I have been taught by my father and mother to follow my husband in all conditions of life; and I shall carry out now what I have been taught; I shall not abide by any other counsel.
अहं दुर्गं गमिष्यामि वनं पुरुषवर्जितम्। नानामृगगणाकीर्णं शार्दूलगणसेवितम्॥
I shall wend my way to the forest impassable, devoid of men, inhabited by various deers, tigers and other voracious animals.
सुखं वने निवत्स्यामि यथैव भवने पितुः। अचिन्तयन्ती त्रीलोकांश्चिन्तयन्ती पतिव्रतम्॥
Happily shall I live there as if in my paternal house, giving no thought upon the prosperity of the three worlds, thinking only of the services that are to be rendered to my husband.
शुश्रूषमाणा ते नित्यं नियता ब्रह्मचारिणी। सह रंस्ये त्वया वीर वनेषु मधुगन्धिषु ॥
I shall sport with you, O great hero, in that forest impregnated with the fragrance of flowers, tending you constantly, having my senses subdued, and being engaged in austere performances.
त्वं हि कर्तुं वने शक्तो राम सम्परिपालनम्। अन्यस्यापि जनस्येह किं पुनर्मम मानद॥
Oh great hero, capable are you to maintain many thousand others in the forest, what of me.
साहं त्वया गमिष्यामि वनमद्य न संशयः। नाहं शक्या महाभाग निवर्तयितुमुद्यता॥
Surely shall I go to-day to the forest with you; there is no doubt about it and you shall not be able. Oh great hero, to dissuade me from so doing.
फलमूलाशना नित्यं भविष्यामि न संशयः। न ते दुःखं करिष्यामि निवसन्ती त्वया सदा॥
Undoubtedly I shall always live upon roots and fruits, living with you always I shall not bring about your affliction.
अग्रतस्ते गमिष्यामि भोक्ष्ये भुक्तवति त्वयि। इच्छामि परतः शैलान् पल्वलानि सरांसि च ॥
Always I shall precede you when walking, and shall take my repast after you have taken it willing am I to view mountains, rivulets, lakes and ponds.
द्रष्टुं सर्वत्र निर्भीता त्वया नाथेन धीमता। हंसकारण्डवाकीर्णाः पद्मिनीः साधुपुष्पिताः॥ इच्छेयं सुखिनी द्रष्टुं त्वया वीरेण संगता। अभिषेकं करिष्यामि तासु नित्यमनुव्रता॥ सह त्वया विशालाक्ष रंस्ये परमनन्दिनी। एवं वर्षसहस्राणि शतं वापि त्वया सह॥ व्यतिक्रमं न वेत्स्यामि स्वर्गोऽपि हि न मे मतः। स्वर्गेऽपि च विना वासो भविता यदि राघव। त्वया विना नरव्याघ्र नाहं तदपि रोचये॥
Being fearless in your company, Oh my intelligent husband and great hero, I shall behold on all sides ponds filled with wild geese and ducks and beautified with a collection of fullblown lotuses, and shall bathe there every day, pursuing the same vow with you. And greatly gratified, I shall, Oh you having expansive eyes, amuse there with you, in this manner, even for hundred or thousand years. I shall never experience the reverse of fortune, inasmuch as I do not like to live in the abode of celestials, Oh Rāghava, if I am to dwell there without you; no, it is not pleasing to me, Oh best of men.
अहं गमिष्यामि वनं सुदुर्गमं मृगायुतं वानरवारणैश्च। वने निवत्स्यामि यथा पितुर्गृहे तवैव पादावुपगृह्य सम्मता॥
I shall go there in that dense forest full of deers, monkeys and elephants and live there as if under my paternal roof cleaving to your feet and abiding in your pleasure.
अनन्यभावामनुरक्तचेतसं त्वया वियुक्तां मरणाय निश्चिताम्। नयस्व मां साधु कुरुष्व याचनां नातो मया ते गुरुता भविष्यति॥
Do you accept my entreaty whose heart is entirely yours, knows none else, and is ever attached to you, and who am resolved to die if forsaken by you; thus repairing I shall be in no way a burden to you.
तथा ब्रुवाणामपि धर्मवत्सलां न च स्म सीतां नृवरो निनीषति। उवाच चैनां बहु संनिवर्तने वने निवासस्य च दु:खितां प्रति॥
That best of men, reluctant to take Sītā with him, who had spoken thus and who was greatly attached to virtue, related to her about the many miseries consequent upon dwelling in the forest, with a view to prevent her from following him.