Paumacariya 101
English (machine translation) 101
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- English
101.1
Then on a certain day, Rāghava was petitioned by the kings—
by the lord of Kiṣkindhā, the son of the Wind, Vibhīṣaṇa, and many others:
101.2
"O Lord! In a foreign land the daughter of King Janaka dwells in sorrow.
Becoming gracious in mind towards her, give your command!"
101.3
Pondering this matter, Padma, surrounded by the people, said:
"Because of the public censure against Vaidehī, how can I look upon her face?
101.4
If she convinces all the people of the earth by means of an oath,
then my dwelling together with her will take place, and not otherwise."
101.5
Having spoken thus, the leaders of the Vidyādharas with swift speed
summoned the people of the earth, and the assemblage of kings gathered.
101.6
The Vidyādharas too quickly arrived, filled with all their retinues,
and they all set up camp outside the city.
101.7
Spacious platforms and delightful pavilions for spectator-houses were constructed;
upon them the people sat, all eager to witness the oath.
101.8
Betel, flowers, sandalwood, beds, seats, food, drink, and the like—
everything was thoroughly and well provided for the populace by the ministers.
101.9
Then, instructed by Rāma, Sugrīva, Vibhīṣaṇa, Sarayanandī,
Bhāmaṇḍala, Hanumat, Virādhita, and the others set forth.
101.10
These and other warriors went in half a moment to Puṇḍarīkapura;
they entered the royal palace where Vaidehī was dwelling.
101.11
Uttering cries of victory, all the Vidyādharas bowed down to Sītā;
and she too, filled with agitation, spoke to them warmly.
101.12
Then, when they were seated, Sītā spoke words of self-reproach:
"Thus has my body been made a vessel of sorrow by fate!
101.13
These limbs of mine, burned by the fire of evil men's words,
are not cooled even by the water of the Ocean of Milk."
101.14
Then they said: "O Mistress! Cast away this terrible grief!
He is the most evil of the evil, whoever spreads slander about you!
101.15
What foolish-minded person can lift up the earth? Who can drink the fire yellow with sparks?
Who can smear the bodies of the moon and the sun with frost?
101.16
Whoever speaks slander here in the world against you of pure virtue,
may that liar never attain happiness in the world!
101.17
Thus the aerial car Puṣpaka has been dispatched for you by Lord Padma;
ascend it quickly, O Queen, and let us go to the city of Kosalā!
101.18
Padma, the country, and the city display no beauty when bereft of you,
just as trees, dwellings, and the sky [lack beauty] when deprived of moonlight."
101.19
Addressed thus, Sītā, in order to shake off the slander,
mounted the excellent aerial car and went with the warriors to the city of Sāketa.
101.20
There, descending from the excellent aerial car at the Mahendrodaya [garden] where Rāma was staying,
the daughter of Janaka spent one night there.
101.21
Then, when the sun had risen, Sītā, surrounded by noble women
and moving gracefully like a female elephant, arrived near Padma.
101.22
All the people exclaimed: "Sītā's beauty, moral strength, and noble grandeur,
and her virtue are truly the highest in the entire three worlds!"
101.23
The Vidyādharas in the sky and all the people stationed on the surface of the earth,
noisy with cries of 'Bravo!', watched her intently.
101.24
Some looked at Rāma, others at long-armed Lakṣmaṇa;
others beheld Lava and Kuśa, possessing the radiance of the moon and the sun.
101.25
With astonished minds, some gazed at Sugrīva, the daughter of Janaka, and Vibhīṣaṇa;
some at Hanumat, and others at the son of Candrodara.
101.26
As the daughter of Janaka approached near Rāma,
Lakṣmaṇa along with the kings performed the customary reception according to rule.
101.27
Seeing her approaching, Rāghava thought within himself:
"How is it that, even though abandoned in a forest infested with wild beasts, she did not die?"
101.28
Having folded her hands in supplication, she bowed at Rāghava’s feet; / contemplating many things, Sītā stood before him.
101.29
Lord Padma said to her: “Do not stand before me! / Withdraw so that I might look [elsewhere]; I am not shameless.
101.30
In the mansion of Rāvaṇa, confined within the inner quarters for many days, / there you dwelt, and I do not know your heart.”
101.31
Sītā spoke to her husband: “There is no other as cruel as you! / Like a common vulgar man, you undertake exceedingly harsh action.
101.32
Under the pretext of pregnancy-longing, when you abandoned me in the great forest, / O Rāghava, was that exceedingly cruel deed worthy of you?
101.33
If I had died there in the dread great forest in mental distress, / then what would have been accomplished by you, who are making for a great evil rebirth?
101.34
If you had even a little sincere affection toward me, O Lord, / then why was I not abandoned at that time in the house of an ascetic nun?
101.35
For those without refuge or protectors, afflicted with sorrow, and become destitute, / and for those fallen into calamity, O Lord, the teaching of the Jina is the refuge here.
101.36
If you bear affection, O Lord, even when things have gone this far, give me an order; / being composed in heart, what is to be done by me in this matter?”
101.37
Rāma said: “O beloved, I know your conduct is stainless; / only, regarding public slander, make it free from taint by means of an ordeal.”
101.38
Hearing this speech, Sītā said: “Listen to my word, / among the five ordeals, O Lord, I shall satisfy the people:
101.39
I will mount the balance, I will enter fire, and I will hold the red-hot plowshare, / and I will drink fierce poison; state another condition as well, and I will do it.”
101.40
Having reflected, Rāma said: “Enter the fire, O pure one!” / She too said to him: “So be it, there is no doubt.”
101.41
And when the condition was accepted, hearing that very thing from Sītā, the people / with eyes streaming tears became exceedingly sorrowful and dejected.
101.42
In the meantime, Siddhārtha spoke: “Listen, O lord, to my word! / Even gods cannot adequately praise the moral virtues of the princess of Videha.
101.43
Mount Meru might enter the netherworld, or the salt ocean might dry up, / but surely, O Lord, no ruin of conduct could befall the daughter of Janaka.
101.44
By means of spells and mantras, the shrines on the five Merus / were venerated by me, O Rāghava, and penance was performed for a very long time.
101.45
Let that greatness of my merit become fruitless, O highly renowned one, / if there is any ruin of conduct, even in thought, on the part of Sītā!”
101.46
Having spoken well, Siddhārtha said again: “Her conduct being unbroken, / Sītā will emerge from the fire like a staff of gold!”
101.47
The sky-going beings in the sky, and the earth-dwellers standing upon the ground, said: / “Well said, well said, O Siddhārtha! Such words have you spoken!”
101.48
“Sītā is chaste, truly chaste!” the people said there with raised voices; / “And no blemish, O Padma, belongs to the women of great men.”
101.49
Thus all the people, weeping, said with choking voices: / “O Rāghava, do not undertake an exceedingly pitiless, harsh deed!”
101.50
Padma said: “If you have even the slightest compassion in this matter, / do not speak exceedingly rashly concerning the slander of Sītā!”
101.51
Then the attendants nearby were commanded by Rāma: “Dig a ditch / measuring three hundred cubits, square and deep.
101.52
Fill it with logs of firewood, with chips of black agallochum and sandalwood; / quickly ignite a fierce fire on every side in the ditch.”
101.53
Saying “As you command, O Lord!”, by the host of attendants / that very ditch and all the other work was carried out.
101.54
In the meantime, O Śreṇika, that night, an affliction was produced / for the sage Sakalabhūṣaṇa in a garden by his enemy from a previous birth,
101.55
by an evil, dread Rākṣasī named Vidyunmukhā. / Listen with single-minded attention to how suffering was caused to him by her:
101.56
On Mount Vaitāḍhya, on the northern row, is the city Guñjāvihāna; / the heroic Vidyādhara, King Siṃhavikrama, ruled it.
101.57
Śrī was his noble wife, and his son was named Sakalabhūṣaṇa; / that prince married eight hundred excellent maidens.
101.58
Now his chief queen, endowed with virtues, was named Kiraṇamaṇḍalā; / she passionately desired his own brother-in-law, Hemasiṃha.
101.59
Seeing that, Sakalabhūṣaṇa became exceedingly enraged at once; / yet he was pacified with sweet words among his other wives.
101.60
Then on another occasion, Kiraṇamaṇḍalā slept with him; / discovered, she was banished by the enraged lord of men.
101.61
Seized with spiritual urgency, King Sakalabhūṣaṇa renounced the world; / and dying, she was born as a dread Rākṣasī, Vidyunmukhā.
101.62
To him as he wandered for alms, that exceedingly sinful Rākṣasī, / breaking an elephant from its tether, caused affliction with it.
101.63
She caused the burning of a house, a rain of dust, and the scattering of many thorns on the road; / and likewise, when he stood in pratimā meditation, breaking through the joint of a house,
101.64
making him out to be a thief, the sādhu was bound and then released again; / at the midday hour, he entered the city for alms.
101.65
Then, having taken a pearl necklace in the form of a woman, she came forth, / tied it around his neck, and said: “This śramaṇa is a thief!”
101.66
And that evil woman caused many other afflictions to him; / again, she approached the śramaṇa who stood on Mount Mahendrodaya.
101.67
With vetālas, elephants, lions, hundreds of fearsome serpents, / and women, that exceedingly fierce woman caused affliction to him.
101.68
Through these and other forms causing great suffering, / his mind was not shaken, and omniscience arose [in him].
101.69
Knowing the arising of omniscience, the gods headed by Indra, / mounted on elephants, horses, and chariots, quickly went near the sādhu.
101.70
Then Hariṇakeśī, the fire-god, relating the event concerning Janaka’s daughter / to the lord of immortals, [said]: “See, O Lord, such a difficult ordeal!
101.71
The fire, hard to touch even for the gods, producing terror in all creatures, / how has such a terrible affliction been set in motion for Sītā, O highly renowned one?
101.72
For one devoted to the Jina’s doctrine, a true laywoman of pure conduct, / for one such as her, O lord of gods, how can this affliction take place?”
101.73
He was told by the lord of gods: “I am going to pay homage to the sādhu; / you, however, go and render assistance to Sītā.”
101.74
Having spoken thus, Indra went near the feet of the sage; / and then Hariṇakeśin went near to Sītā.
101.75
Thus adorned with excellent crowns and necklaces, his footstool kissed by numerous feudatories, / the army commander, whose mind was directed to the lord of gods, took Rāma along the path of the pure sky.
101.76
Here ends the one hundred and first chapter, entitled 'The Manifestation of the Gods', in the Paümacariya.
Linked texts (1)
- Paümacariya — Vimalasūri, Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit