Valmiki Ramayana 2.72.13

2.72.13

amantrayata kṛtsnaś ca tasyāḥ sarvasakhījanaḥ
yathāyaṃ samupakrānto niḥśeṣaṃ naḥ kariṣyati

He grasped her in his ruthless hold,
And hastening in, S'atrughna told:
'Here is the wicked pest,' he cried,
'Through whom the king thy father died,
And Ráma wanders in the wood:
Do with her as thou deemest good.'
The warder spoke: and every word
S'atrughna's breast to fury stirred:
He called the servants all and each.
And spake in wrath his hasty speech:
'This is the wretch my sire who slew,
And misery on my brothers drew:
Let her this day obtain the meed,
Vile sinner, of her cruel deed.'
He spake; and moved by fury laid
His mighty hand upon the maid,
Who as her fellows ringed her round.
Made with her cries the hall resound,
Soon as the gathered women viewed
S'atrughna in his angry mood,
Their hearts disturbed by sudden dread,
They turned and from his presence fled.
'His rage,' they cried, 'on us will fall,
And ruthless, he will slay us all.
Come, to Kaus'alyá let us flee:
Our hope, our sure defence is she,
Approved by all, of virtuous mind,
Compassionate, and good, and kind.'
His eyes with burning wrath aglow,
S'atrughna, shatterer of the foe,
Dragged on the ground the hump-back maid
Who shrieked aloud and screamed for aid.
This way and that with no remorse
He dragged her with resistless force,
And chains and glittering trinkets burst
Lay here and there with gems dispersed,
Till like the sky of Autumn shone
The palace floor they sparkled on.
The lord of men, supremely strong,
Haled in his rage the wretch along:
Where Queen Kaikeyí dwelt he came,
And sternly then addressed the dame.
Deep in her heart Kaikeyí felt
The stabs his keen reproaches dealt,
And of S'atrughna's ire afraid,
To Bharat flew and cried for aid.
He looked and saw the prince inflamed
With burning rage, and thus exclaimed:
'Forgive! thine angry arm restrain:
A woman never may be slain,
My hand Kaikeyí's blood would spill,
The sinner ever bent on ill,
But Ráma, long in duty tried,
Would hate the impious matricide:
And if he knew thy vengeful blade
Had slaughtered e'en this hump-back maid,
Never again, be sure, would he
Speak friendly word to thee or me."
When Bharat's speech S'atrughna heard
He calmed the rage his breast that stirred,
Releasing from her dire constraint
The trembling wretch with terror faint.
Then to Kaikeyí's feet she crept,
And prostrate in her misery wept.
Kaikeyí on the hump-back gazed,
And saw her weep and gasp.
Still quivering, with her senses dazed,
From fierce S'atrughna's grasp.
With gentle words of pity she
Assuaged her wild despair.
Even as a tender hand might free
A curlew from the snare.