Rāmāyana | Āraṇya Kaṇḍa | Chapter 52
52. Rāvaṇa Abducts Sītā
[Rāvaṇa caught hold of Sītā and started flying away. The entire nature cried for her. Lord Brahma and the great sages felt that the time for death of Rāvaṇa was nearing.]
That lady with the face of the king of stars seeing that Rāvaṇa has stuck down, the king of vultures wept due to great grief. 52.1
"People who know the auspicious signs as well as bad omens based on the noise of birds would definitely read the pleasure and pain of man from them." 52.2
"Oh Rāma you are still not aware of the terrible disaster which happened to me but I feel that for my sake the animals and birds are running to tell the son of Kākutstha can about that." 52.3
"Due to my sin and bad luck, the bird which has come forward to save me is lying on the ground dead." 52.4
That blessed and greatly lady shouted bitterly "please save me, Oh Rāma, Oh Lakṣmaṇa", as if feeling that they were nearby to save her. 52.5
Rāvaṇa came running near that lady, whose ornaments and garlands were crushed and who was weeping like a helpless orphan. 52.6
To her who was embracing the huge trees like a climbing plant shouting "Rāma, Rāma" though Rāma was not in that forest, that king of Rākṣasas who looked like the god of death told, Leave it, leave it" and caught hold of hair thus bringing his death near to himself. 52.7-52.8
When Sītā was insulted like this, all moving and non-moving beings not respectable, the forest was covered by darkness, the wind did not blow and the Sun did not shine brightly. 52.9
Seeing with his divine eye, the desperate Sītā grasped and being carried away Lord Brahma said, "The job has been done." 52.10
Those great sages who lived in Daṇḍakāraṇya forest though they were all pained by it, felt happy at seeing Sītā being grasped because they could see in it casually the destruction of Rāvaṇa. 52.11- 52.12
That Rāvaṇa who was the king of Rākṣasas took her away to the sky, when she was crying and chanting "Rāma, Rāma", as well as Lakṣmaṇa. 52.13
Wearing shining golden ornaments and dressed in yellow silk that princess shined like lightning in the sky. 52.14
With the yellow silk cloth flying over him, Rāvaṇa also shined like a mountain, over which there was a yellow flame. 52.15
Vaidehī’s most auspicious fragrant copper coloured lotus petals rained all over Rāvaṇa. 52.16
Her golden coloured silk cloth which was flying in the sky, was exposed to the bright rays of the Sun and shined like a cloud of golden colour. 52.17
Because she was being held under the arm of Rāvaṇa in the sky, her pretty nose and face without Rāma being there, shined like a lotus flower without stalk. 52.18
Sītā's was beautiful with pretty forehead and beautiful hair looked by the inner side of a lotus flower without any marks and her flawless white nice shining teeth which was decorated, her nice nose, her lovely red lips. She was constantly weeping and wiping away her tears and her pure face looked like a moon and being held by Rāvaṇa it looked like a moon trying to break out from the blue cloud. 52.19-52.21
Being shaken by Rāvaṇa, her auspicious moon like face without a shine and looked like a moon which was seen in the day time. 52.22
That golden coloured Maithili being held by the Rākṣasa king who had blue limbs shone like the metal girdle made of gold with inlaid blue gem stones. 52.23
That bright lotus like lady of golden colour wearing shining gold ornaments was shining like lightning coming out of dark cloud, when she was held by the dark Rāvaṇa. 52.24
By the sound made by the ornaments of Vaidehī, that Rāvaṇa looked like a water rich dark cloud, which was roaring. 52.25
When Sītā was being carried away the flowers with which she decorated her head fell like a rain of flowers and fell on the ground. 52.26
That rain of flowers swirling round due to the great speed with which Rāvaṇa was going and covered all over the body of the ten headed one. 52.27
The rain of flowers went towards the younger brother of Vaiśravaṇa, like a bright garland of stars going round the tall and pure Meru Mountain. 52.28
From the feet of Vaidehī, her anklet studded with gems dropped down on earth like with a pleasant sound and it looked like an orb of lightning. 52.29
The lady Vaidehī looking red like the tender leaves of thee tree with the king of Rākṣasas who was in blue in colour looked like the golden chain used to tie the elephant adding to its glitter. 52.30
She with her natural beauty, who was being carried by the younger brother of Vaiśravaṇa in the sky looked like a huge shining comet. 52.31
Her fire coloured ornaments fell on the earth creating loud sound like the weak stars which were falling from the sky. 52.32
The pearl chain that fell from the middle of the breasts of Vaidehi, looked like the waters of river Ganga falling from the sky. 52.33
The trees full of different types flocks of birds which were shaken at the top by the gust of the wind seem to say to Sītā, "Be not afraid." 52.34
The faded lotus flowers and disturbed animals living in water disturbed by great fear in the lotus ponds were feeling sorry for Sītā just like one feels sorry to a friend who has stopped to breath. 52.35
The lions, tigers and other wild animals collected together due to sorrow jumped and ran chasing the shadow of Sītā. 52.36
When Sītā was being carried away the water falls from the mountains indicated their tears and the peaks indicated that they lifted up their arms. 52.37
Even the Sun who has great luster after seeing Sītā being carried away, became gloomy, shed his luster and a white disc appeared round him. 52.38
All beings wailed in groups saying, "where is Dharma, where is truth, where is honesty, where is compassion, when Rāvaṇa is stealing Vaidehī, the wife of Rāma." 52.39
The young deer with an upset face with desperate looks wept looking up at the direction where Sītā was being taken though they were not able to see clearly due to tears hiding their eyes. 52.40
Similarly the gods of the forest seeing Sītā reduced to the state of weeping and crying out loudly and also weeping, were greatly shaken. 52.41
That ten headed one was carrying Vaidehī, who was crying in a sweet voice, "Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa", who was looking all over the ground, with dishevelled hair and with her auspicious mark in forehead wiped out, was really travelling fast towards his own death. 52.42-52.43
Then Maithili with pretty teeth and sweet smile without any relatives and unable to see Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa became pale faced and greatly scared. 52.44
This is the end of Fifty Second Sarga of Āraṇya Kanda which occurs in Holy Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki as the First Epic.