Mahabharata 3.265.17-25

Devanāgarī

इत्य् उक्ता तेन वैदेही परिवृत्य शुभानना ॥
तृणम् अन्तरतः कृत्वा तम् उवाच निशाचरम् ॥
अशिवेनातिवामोरूर् अजस्रं नेत्रवारिणा ॥
स्तनाव् अपतितौ बाला सहिताव् अभिवर्षती ॥
उवाच वाक्यं तं क्षुद्रं वैदेही पतिदेवता ॥
असकृद् वदतो वाक्यम् ईदृशं राक्षसेश्वर ॥
विषादयुक्तम् एतत् ते मया श्रुतम् अभाग्यया ॥
तद् भद्रसुख भद्रं ते मानसं विनिवर्त्यताम् ॥
परदारास्म्य् अलभ्या च सततं च पतिव्रता ॥
न चैवोपयिकी भार्या मानुषी कृपणा तव ॥
विवशां धर्षयित्वा च कां त्वं प्रीतिम् अवाप्स्यसि ॥
प्रजापतिसमो विप्रो ब्रह्मयोनिः पिता तव ॥
न च पालयसे धर्मं लोकपालसमः कथम् ॥
भ्रातरं राजराजानं महेश्वरसखं प्रभुम् ॥
धनेश्वरं व्यपदिशन् कथं त्व् इह न लज्जसे ॥
इत्य् उक्त्वा प्रारुदत् सीता कम्पयन्ती पयोधरौ ॥
शिरोधरां च तन्वङ्गी मुखं प्रच्छाद्य वाससा ॥
तस्या रुदत्या भामिन्या दीर्घा वेणी सुसंयता ॥
ददृशे स्वसिता स्निग्धा काली व्यालीव मूर्धनि ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

ity uktā tena vaidehī parivṛtya śubhānanā ||
tṛṇam antarataḥ kṛtvā tam uvāca niśācaram ||
aśivenātivāmorūr ajasraṃ netravāriṇā ||
stanāv apatitau bālā sahitāv abhivarṣatī ||
uvāca vākyaṃ taṃ kṣudraṃ vaidehī patidevatā ||
asakṛd vadato vākyam īdṛśaṃ rākṣaseśvara ||
viṣādayuktam etat te mayā śrutam abhāgyayā ||
tad bhadrasukha bhadraṃ te mānasaṃ vinivartyatām ||
paradārāsmy alabhyā ca satataṃ ca pativratā ||
na caivopayikī bhāryā mānuṣī kṛpaṇā tava ||
vivaśāṃ dharṣayitvā ca kāṃ tvaṃ prītim avāpsyasi ||
prajāpatisamo vipro brahmayoniḥ pitā tava ||
na ca pālayase dharmaṃ lokapālasamaḥ katham ||
bhrātaraṃ rājarājānaṃ maheśvarasakhaṃ prabhum ||
dhaneśvaraṃ vyapadiśan kathaṃ tv iha na lajjase ||
ity uktvā prārudat sītā kampayantī payodharau ||
śirodharāṃ ca tanvaṅgī mukhaṃ pracchādya vāsasā ||
tasyā rudatyā bhāminyā dīrghā veṇī susaṃyatā ||
dadṛśe svasitā snigdhā kālī vyālīva mūrdhani ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

इत्य् उक्ता तेन वैदेही परिवृत्य शुभानना ॥ तृणम् अन्तरतः कृत्वा तम् उवाच निशाचरम् ॥ अशिवेनातिवामोरूर् अजस्रं नेत्रवारिणा ॥ स्तनाव् अपतितौ बाला सहिताव् अभिवर्षती ॥ उवाच वाक्यं तं क्षुद्रं वैदेही पतिदेवता ॥ असकृद् वदतो वाक्यम् ईदृशं राक्षसेश्वर ॥ विषादयुक्तम् एतत् ते मया श्रुतम् अभाग्यया ॥ तद् भद्रसुख भद्रं ते मानसं विनिवर्त्यताम् ॥ परदारास्म्य् अलभ्या च सततं च पतिव्रता ॥ न चैवोपयिकी भार्या मानुषी कृपणा तव ॥ विवशां धर्षयित्वा च कां त्वं प्रीतिम् अवाप्स्यसि ॥ प्रजापतिसमो विप्रो ब्रह्मयोनिः पिता तव ॥ न च पालयसे धर्मं लोकपालसमः कथम् ॥ भ्रातरं राजराजानं महेश्वरसखं प्रभुम् ॥ धनेश्वरं व्यपदिशन् कथं त्व् इह न लज्जसे ॥ इत्य् उक्त्वा प्रारुदत् सीता कम्पयन्ती पयोधरौ ॥ शिरोधरां च तन्वङ्गी मुखं प्रच्छाद्य वाससा ॥ तस्या रुदत्या भामिन्या दीर्घा वेणी सुसंयता ॥ ददृशे स्वसिता स्निग्धा काली व्यालीव मूर्धनि ॥ity uktā tena vaidehī parivṛtya śubhānanā || tṛṇam antarataḥ kṛtvā tam uvāca niśācaram || aśivenātivāmorūr ajasraṃ netravāriṇā || stanāv apatitau bālā sahitāv abhivarṣatī || uvāca vākyaṃ taṃ kṣudraṃ vaidehī patidevatā || asakṛd vadato vākyam īdṛśaṃ rākṣaseśvara || viṣādayuktam etat te mayā śrutam abhāgyayā || tad bhadrasukha bhadraṃ te mānasaṃ vinivartyatām || paradārāsmy alabhyā ca satataṃ ca pativratā || na caivopayikī bhāryā mānuṣī kṛpaṇā tava || vivaśāṃ dharṣayitvā ca kāṃ tvaṃ prītim avāpsyasi || prajāpatisamo vipro brahmayoniḥ pitā tava || na ca pālayase dharmaṃ lokapālasamaḥ katham || bhrātaraṃ rājarājānaṃ maheśvarasakhaṃ prabhum || dhaneśvaraṃ vyapadiśan kathaṃ tv iha na lajjase || ity uktvā prārudat sītā kampayantī payodharau || śirodharāṃ ca tanvaṅgī mukhaṃ pracchādya vāsasā || tasyā rudatyā bhāminyā dīrghā veṇī susaṃyatā || dadṛśe svasitā snigdhā kālī vyālīva mūrdhani ||Sītā turns away, places a blade of grass between herself and Rāvaṇa, weeps, drenches her breast with tears, and says to this base rākṣasa: she has already heard his poisonous words many times; let him turn his mind away, for she is another's wife, unattainable, and forever faithful to her husband; a wretched human woman does not suit him as a wife, and what joy will he gain by violating one who is helpless; his father is a brahmin equal to Prajāpati, yet he does not keep dharma, and he is not ashamed to call brother Kubera, the friend of Maheśvara; having said this, she weeps again and covers her face with her garment.

Translation

Sītā turned away, placed a blade of grass between herself and Rāvaṇa, and, drenching her breast with unceasing tears, said to the base night-wanderer: "King of the rākṣasas, wretched as I am, I have already heard such poisonous words from you many times. Turn your mind from this. I am another's wife, unattainable, and forever faithful to my husband. A wretched human woman does not suit you as a wife. What joy will you gain by violating one who is helpless? Your father is a brahmin, born of Brahmā, equal to Prajāpati. Why then do you not keep dharma? And how are you not ashamed to call brother the king of kings, the lord of wealth, the friend of Maheśvara?" Having said this, Sītā wept, covering her face with her garment.

Commentary

The blade of grass between them is a sign of utter rejection. Sītā speaks to Rāvaṇa not only as her abductor but as one who disgraces his noble lineage by forsaking dharma.

Version

2597dfcc37f9 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:30:22 PM UTC

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