{"kanda":3,"kandaName":"Araṇya Kāṇḍa","sarga":56,"title":"Return to the empty hut","sentence":"Rāma imagines Sītā’s loss and its consequences, hurries back with Lakṣmaṇa and finds their dwelling deserted","portion":"The empty hut and the search for Sītā","sequence":[[{"steps":["Rāma repeatedly asks where Sītā is, recalling how she shared his exile and saying that no Kingdom could compensate for losing her (56.1–6)"],"from":1,"to":6,"sarga":56},{"steps":["he imagines his own death, Kausalyā's further suffering, and Kaikeyī's satisfaction","he says he cannot live if Sītā does not greet him at the hermitage (56.7–12)"],"from":7,"to":12,"sarga":56},{"steps":["he suspects that the false cry frightened Sītā into sending Lakṣmaṇa away and that this gave their enemies an opportunity (56.13–16)"],"from":13,"to":16,"sarga":56},{"steps":["distressed and uncertain what to do, he hurries with Lakṣmaṇa to Janasthāna (56.17–18)"],"from":17,"to":18,"sarga":56},{"steps":["exhausted, thirsty, and still reproaching his brother, he reaches the empty dwelling","the familiar places where they lived together intensify his grief (56.19–20)."],"from":19,"to":20,"sarga":56}]],"verses":[{"v":1,"ref":"3.056.001","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"sa dṛṣṭvā lakṣmaṇaṃ dīnaṃ śūnye daśarathātmajaḥ","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"paryapṛcchata dharmātmā vaidehīm āgataṃ vinā","q":null}],"tr":"Seeing Lakṣmaṇa dejected and alone, that righteous son of Daśaratha questioned him, come without Vaidehī:","w":[["sa","he","saḥ"],["dṛṣṭvā","having seen"],["lakṣmaṇaṃ","Lakṣmaṇa"],["dīnaṃ","dejected"],["śūnye","in the lonely (place)"],["daśarathātmajaḥ","son of Daśaratha","daśaratha-ātmajaḥ",[["daśaratha","Daśaratha"],["ātmaja","son"]]],["paryapṛcchata","questioned"],["dharmātmā","the righteous one","dharma-ātmā",[["dharma","dharma"],["ātman","soul"]]],["vaidehīm","Vaidehī"],["āgataṃ","(him) come"],["vinā","without"]]},{"v":2,"ref":"3.056.002","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"prasthitaṃ daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ yā mām anujagāma ha","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"kva sā lakṣmaṇa vaidehī yāṃ hitvā tvam ihāgataḥ","q":null}],"tr":"She who followed me as I set out for the Daṇḍaka forest—where is she, Lakṣmaṇa, that Vaidehī, whom you have left to come here?","w":[["prasthitaṃ","(me) set out"],["daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ","for the Daṇḍaka forest","daṇḍaka-araṇyaṃ",[["daṇḍaka","Daṇḍaka"],["araṇya","forest"]]],["yā","who"],["mām","me"],["anujagāma","followed"],["ha","indeed"],["kva","where"],["sā","she"],["lakṣmaṇa","Lakṣmaṇa"],["vaidehī","Vaidehī"],["yāṃ","whom"],["hitvā","having abandoned"],["tvam","you"],["ihāgataḥ","come here","iha āgataḥ"]]},{"v":3,"ref":"3.056.003","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"rājyabhraṣṭasya dīnasya daṇḍakān paridhāvataḥ","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"kva sā duḥkhasahāyā me vaidehī tanumadhyamā","q":null}],"tr":"Where is she, my companion in sorrow, slender-waisted Vaidehī—companion to me, fallen from kingship, wretched, roaming the Daṇḍaka wilds?","w":[["rājyabhraṣṭasya","of (me) fallen from the kingdom","rājya-bhraṣṭasya",[["rājya","kingdom"],["bhraṣṭa","fallen"]]],["dīnasya","wretched"],["daṇḍakān","the Daṇḍaka (wilds)"],["paridhāvataḥ","roaming about"],["kva","where"],["sā","she"],["duḥkhasahāyā","companion in sorrow","duḥkha-sahāyā",[["duḥkha","sorrow"],["sahāya","companion"]]],["me","my"],["vaidehī","Vaidehī"],["tanumadhyamā","of slender waist","tanu-madhyamā",[["tanu","slender"],["madhyama","waist"]]]]},{"v":4,"ref":"3.056.004","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"yāṃ vinā notsahe vīra muhūrtam api jīvitum","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"kva sā prāṇasahāyā me sītā surasutopamā","q":null}],"tr":"Without whom I cannot bear to live even a moment, O hero—where is she, my life's companion, Sītā, like a daughter of the gods?","w":[["yāṃ","whom"],["vinā","without"],["notsahe","I cannot bear","na utsahe"],["vīra","O hero"],["muhūrtam","a moment"],["api","even"],["jīvitum","to live"],["kva","where"],["sā","she"],["prāṇasahāyā","companion (dear as) life","prāṇa-sahāyā",[["prāṇa","life-breath"],["sahāya","companion"]]],["me","my"],["sītā","Sītā"],["surasutopamā","like a daughter of the gods","sura-suta-upamā",[["sura","god"],["suta","daughter"],["upamā","like"]]]]},{"v":5,"ref":"3.056.005","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"patitvam amarāṇāṃ vā pṛthivyāś cāpi lakṣmaṇa","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"vinā tāṃ tapanīyābhāṃ neccheyaṃ janakātmajām","q":null}],"tr":"Even lordship over the immortals or over the earth, Lakṣmaṇa, I would not want without her, the gold-hued daughter of Janaka.","w":[["patitvam","lordship, sovereignty"],["amarāṇāṃ","over the immortals"],["vā","or"],["pṛthivyāś","of the earth","pṛthivyāḥ"],["cāpi","and even","ca api"],["lakṣmaṇa","Lakṣmaṇa"],["vinā","without"],["tāṃ","her"],["tapanīyābhāṃ","radiant as gold","tapanīya-ābhāṃ",[["tapanīya","gold"],["ābhā","luster"]]],["neccheyaṃ","I would not desire","na iccheyaṃ"],["janakātmajām","the daughter of Janaka","janaka-ātmajām",[["janaka","Janaka"],["ātmajā","daughter"]]]]},{"v":6,"ref":"3.056.006","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"kaccij jīvati vaidehī prāṇaiḥ priyatarā mama","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"kaccit pravrājanaṃ saumya na me mithyā bhaviṣyati","q":null}],"tr":"Is Vaidehī, dearer to me than my own life, still alive? Gentle one, will my exile not prove to have been in vain?","w":[["kaccij","surely?","kaccit"],["jīvati","lives"],["vaidehī","Vaidehī"],["prāṇaiḥ","than (my) life-breaths"],["priyatarā","dearer"],["mama","to me"],["kaccit","surely?"],["pravrājanaṃ","exile, banishment"],["saumya","O gentle one"],["na","not"],["me","my"],["mithyā","in vain"],["bhaviṣyati","will become"]]},{"v":7,"ref":"3.056.007","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"sītānimittaṃ saumitre mṛte mayi gate tvayi","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"kaccit sakāmā sukhitā kaikeyī sā bhaviṣyati","q":null}],"tr":"O son of Sumitrā, if I die on account of Sītā and you too are gone, will that Kaikeyī have her wish fulfilled and be happy?","w":[["sītānimittaṃ","on account of Sītā","sītā-nimittaṃ",[["sītā","Sītā"],["nimitta","cause, account"]]],["saumitre","O son of Sumitrā"],["mṛte","when (I am) dead"],["mayi","when I (am gone)"],["gate","when gone"],["tvayi","you (being gone)"],["kaccit","perhaps?"],["sakāmā","with wish fulfilled","sa-kāmā",[["sa","with"],["kāma","wish"]]],["sukhitā","happy"],["kaikeyī","Kaikeyī"],["sā","she"],["bhaviṣyati","will become"]]},{"v":8,"ref":"3.056.008","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"saputrarājyāṃ siddhārthāṃ mṛtaputrā tapasvinī","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"upasthāsyati kausalyā kaccin saumya na kaikayīm","q":null}],"tr":"Will not the wretched Kausalyā, her son dead, have to wait upon Kaikeyī, whose son now holds the kingdom and whose aims are accomplished, gentle one?","w":[["saputrarājyāṃ","(Kaikeyī) whose son has the kingdom","sa-putra-rājyāṃ",[["sa","with"],["putra","son"],["rājya","kingdom"]]],["siddhārthāṃ","whose aims are accomplished","siddha-arthāṃ",[["siddha","accomplished"],["artha","aim"]]],["mṛtaputrā","(Kausalyā) whose son is dead","mṛta-putrā",[["mṛta","dead"],["putra","son"]]],["tapasvinī","the wretched one"],["upasthāsyati","will wait upon"],["kausalyā","Kausalyā"],["kaccin","surely not?","kaccit"],["saumya","gentle one"],["na","not"],["kaikayīm","Kaikeyī"]]},{"v":9,"ref":"3.056.009","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"yadi jīvati vaidehī gamiṣyāmy āśramaṃ punaḥ","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"suvṛttā yadi vṛttā sā prāṇāṃs tyakṣyāmi lakṣmaṇa","q":null}],"tr":"If Vaidehī is alive I will go back to the hermitage; but if that virtuous woman has perished, I too will give up my life, Lakṣmaṇa.","w":[["yadi","if"],["jīvati","lives"],["vaidehī","Vaidehī"],["gamiṣyāmy","I will go","gamiṣyāmi"],["āśramaṃ","to the hermitage"],["punaḥ","again"],["suvṛttā","virtuous, of good conduct","su-vṛttā",[["su","good"],["vṛtta","conduct"]]],["yadi","if"],["vṛttā","has perished, is dead"],["sā","she"],["prāṇāṃs","(my) life-breaths","prāṇān"],["tyakṣyāmi","I will give up"],["lakṣmaṇa","Lakṣmaṇa"]]},{"v":10,"ref":"3.056.010","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"yadi mām āśramagataṃ vaidehī nābhibhāṣate","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"punaḥ prahasitā sītā vinaśiṣyāmi lakṣmaṇa","q":null}],"tr":"If, when I reach the hermitage, Vaidehī with her sweet smile does not speak to me again, I shall perish, Lakṣmaṇa.","w":[["yadi","if"],["mām","me"],["āśramagataṃ","come to the hermitage","āśrama-gataṃ",[["āśrama","hermitage"],["gata","gone, come"]]],["vaidehī","Vaidehī"],["nābhibhāṣate","does not address","na abhibhāṣate"],["punaḥ","again"],["prahasitā","smiling","pra-hasitā",[["pra","forth"],["hasita","smiling, laughing"]]],["sītā","Sītā"],["vinaśiṣyāmi","I shall perish"],["lakṣmaṇa","Lakṣmaṇa"]]},{"v":11,"ref":"3.056.011","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"brūhi lakṣmaṇa vaidehī yadi jīvati vā na vā","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"tvayi pramatte rakṣobhir bhakṣitā vā tapasvinī","q":null}],"tr":"Tell me, Lakṣmaṇa, whether Vaidehī is alive or not, or whether the poor woman was devoured by the rākṣasas while you were off your guard.","w":[["brūhi","tell"],["lakṣmaṇa","Lakṣmaṇa"],["vaidehī","Vaidehī"],["yadi","whether"],["jīvati","lives"],["vā","or"],["na","not"],["vā","or"],["tvayi","you (being)"],["pramatte","heedless, off guard"],["rakṣobhir","by the rākṣasas","rakṣobhiḥ"],["bhakṣitā","devoured"],["vā","or"],["tapasvinī","the poor woman"]]},{"v":12,"ref":"3.056.012","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"sukumārī ca bālā ca nityaṃ cāduḥkhadarśinī","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"madviyogena vaidehī vyaktaṃ śocati durmanāḥ","q":null}],"tr":"Delicate and young and never having known sorrow, Vaidehī surely grieves, downcast, at being parted from me.","w":[["sukumārī","delicate","su-kumārī",[["su","very"],["kumārī","young girl"]]],["ca","and"],["bālā","young"],["ca","and"],["nityaṃ","ever"],["cāduḥkhadarśinī","and never seeing sorrow","ca a-duḥkha-darśinī",[["a","not"],["duḥkha","sorrow"],["darśin","seeing"]]],["madviyogena","through separation from me","mad-viyogena",[["mad","me"],["viyoga","separation"]]],["vaidehī","Vaidehī"],["vyaktaṃ","clearly"],["śocati","grieves"],["durmanāḥ","downcast","dur-manāḥ",[["dur","bad, ill"],["manas","mind"]]]]},{"v":13,"ref":"3.056.013","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"sarvathā rakṣasā tena jihmena sudurātmanā","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"vadatā lakṣmaṇety uccais tavāpi janitaṃ bhayam","q":null}],"tr":"Assuredly, by that crooked and utterly evil-souled rākṣasa crying out 'Lakṣmaṇa!' aloud, fear was stirred up even in you.","w":[["sarvathā","assuredly"],["rakṣasā","by the rākṣasa"],["tena","that"],["jihmena","crooked"],["sudurātmanā","utterly evil-souled","su-dur-ātmanā",[["su","very"],["dur","ill"],["ātman","soul"]]],["vadatā","crying, uttering"],["lakṣmaṇety","'Lakṣmaṇa!'","lakṣmaṇa iti"],["uccais","aloud","uccaiḥ"],["tavāpi","even in you","tava api"],["janitaṃ","produced, stirred up"],["bhayam","fear"]]},{"v":14,"ref":"3.056.014","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"śrutaś ca śaṅke vaidehyā sa svaraḥ sadṛśo mama","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"trastayā preṣitas tvaṃ ca draṣṭuṃ māṃ śīghram āgataḥ","q":null}],"tr":"That voice, so like mine, was heard by Vaidehī, I suspect; and, terrified, she sent you, and you came quickly to see me.","w":[["śrutaś","heard","śrutaḥ"],["ca","and"],["śaṅke","I suspect"],["vaidehyā","by Vaidehī"],["sa","that","saḥ"],["svaraḥ","voice"],["sadṛśo","resembling","sadṛśaḥ"],["mama","mine"],["trastayā","by (her) terrified"],["preṣitas","sent","preṣitaḥ"],["tvaṃ","you"],["ca","and"],["draṣṭuṃ","to see"],["māṃ","me"],["śīghram","quickly"],["āgataḥ","come"]]},{"v":15,"ref":"3.056.015","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"sarvathā tu kṛtaṃ kaṣṭaṃ sītām utsṛjatā vane","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"pratikartuṃ nṛśaṃsānāṃ rakṣasāṃ dattam antaram","q":null}],"tr":"In every way a grievous wrong has been done by abandoning Sītā in the forest; an opening has been given to the cruel rākṣasas to strike back.","w":[["sarvathā","in every way"],["tu","indeed"],["kṛtaṃ","done"],["kaṣṭaṃ","a grievous wrong"],["sītām","Sītā"],["utsṛjatā","by (you) abandoning"],["vane","in the forest"],["pratikartuṃ","to strike back, retaliate"],["nṛśaṃsānāṃ","of the cruel"],["rakṣasāṃ","of the rākṣasas"],["dattam","given"],["antaram","an opening, opportunity"]]},{"v":16,"ref":"3.056.016","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"duḥkhitāḥ kharaghātena rākṣasāḥ piśitāśanāḥ","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"taiḥ sītā nihatā ghorair bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ","q":null}],"tr":"The flesh-eating rākṣasas, aggrieved by the slaying of Khara—by those dreadful ones Sītā will have been slain, there is no doubt.","w":[["duḥkhitāḥ","aggrieved"],["kharaghātena","by the slaying of Khara","khara-ghātena",[["khara","Khara"],["ghāta","slaying"]]],["rākṣasāḥ","the rākṣasas"],["piśitāśanāḥ","flesh-eaters","piśita-aśanāḥ",[["piśita","flesh"],["aśana","eating"]]],["taiḥ","by those"],["sītā","Sītā"],["nihatā","slain"],["ghorair","dreadful","ghoraiḥ"],["bhaviṣyati","will be"],["na","no"],["saṃśayaḥ","doubt"]]},{"v":17,"ref":"3.056.017","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"aho 'smi vyasane magnaḥ sarvathā ripunāśana","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"kiṃ tv idānīṃ kariṣyāmi śaṅke prāptavyam īdṛśam","q":null}],"tr":"Ah, I am utterly sunk in calamity, O destroyer of foes! But what shall I do now? I fear such was the fate destined to befall me.","w":[["aho","ah, alas"],["'smi","I am","asmi"],["vyasane","in calamity"],["magnaḥ","sunk"],["sarvathā","utterly"],["ripunāśana","O destroyer of foes","ripu-nāśana",[["ripu","foe"],["nāśana","destroyer"]]],["kiṃ","what"],["tv","but","tu"],["idānīṃ","now"],["kariṣyāmi","shall I do"],["śaṅke","I fear"],["prāptavyam","what was destined to befall"],["īdṛśam","such"]]},{"v":18,"ref":"3.056.018","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"iti sītāṃ varārohāṃ cintayann eva rāghavaḥ","q":null},{"p":"c","t":"ājagāma janasthānaṃ tvarayā sahalakṣmaṇaḥ","q":null}],"tr":"Thus brooding on the shapely Sītā, Rāghava, together with Lakṣmaṇa, came in haste to Janasthāna.","w":[["iti","thus"],["sītāṃ","Sītā"],["varārohāṃ","the shapely one","vara-ārohāṃ",[["vara","fair, excellent"],["ārohā","hips, form"]]],["cintayann","brooding","cintayan"],["eva","even, indeed"],["rāghavaḥ","Rāghava"],["ājagāma","came"],["janasthānaṃ","to Janasthāna"],["tvarayā","in haste"],["sahalakṣmaṇaḥ","together with Lakṣmaṇa","saha-lakṣmaṇaḥ",[["saha","with"],["lakṣmaṇa","Lakṣmaṇa"]]]]},{"v":19,"ref":"3.056.019","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"vigarhamāṇo 'nujam ārtarūpaṃ kṣudhā śramāc caiva pipāsayā ca","q":["vigarhamāṇo 'nujam ārtarūpaṃ","kṣudhā śramāc caiva pipāsayā ca"]},{"p":"c","t":"viniḥśvasañ śuṣkamukho viṣaṇṇaḥ pratiśrayaṃ prāpya samīkṣya śūnyam","q":["viniḥśvasañ śuṣkamukho viṣaṇṇaḥ","pratiśrayaṃ prāpya samīkṣya śūnyam"]}],"tr":"Reproaching his younger brother, who looked distressed, sighing from hunger, weariness, and thirst, dry-mouthed and dejected, he reached the dwelling and beheld it empty.","w":[["vigarhamāṇo","reproaching","vigarhamāṇaḥ"],["'nujam","(his) younger brother","anujam"],["ārtarūpaṃ","of distressed appearance","ārta-rūpaṃ",[["ārta","distressed"],["rūpa","form, appearance"]]],["kṣudhā","from hunger"],["śramāc","from weariness","śramāt"],["caiva","and","ca eva"],["pipāsayā","from thirst"],["ca","and"],["viniḥśvasañ","sighing","viniḥśvasan"],["śuṣkamukho","dry-mouthed","śuṣka-mukhaḥ",[["śuṣka","dry"],["mukha","mouth"]]],["viṣaṇṇaḥ","dejected"],["pratiśrayaṃ","the dwelling, shelter"],["prāpya","having reached"],["samīkṣya","having beheld"],["śūnyam","empty"]]},{"v":20,"ref":"3.056.020","lines":[{"p":"a","t":"svam āśramaṃ saṃpravigāhya vīro vihāradeśān anusṛtya kāṃś cit","q":["svam āśramaṃ saṃpravigāhya vīro","vihāradeśān anusṛtya kāṃś cit"]},{"p":"c","t":"etat tad ity eva nivāsabhūmau prahṛṣṭaromā vyathito babhūva","q":["etat tad ity eva nivāsabhūmau","prahṛṣṭaromā vyathito babhūva"]}],"tr":"Entering his own hermitage and retracing some of their old haunts—'here it is, that very spot'—on the ground where they had dwelt, his hair bristling, the hero became stricken with grief.","w":[["svam","his own"],["āśramaṃ","hermitage"],["saṃpravigāhya","having entered"],["vīro","the hero","vīraḥ"],["vihāradeśān","the places of (their) roaming","vihāra-deśān",[["vihāra","roaming, sport"],["deśa","place"]]],["anusṛtya","having retraced"],["kāṃś cit","some, certain","kān cit"],["etat","this"],["tad","that","tat"],["ity","thus","iti"],["eva","indeed"],["nivāsabhūmau","on the ground of (their) dwelling","nivāsa-bhūmau",[["nivāsa","dwelling"],["bhūmi","ground"]]],["prahṛṣṭaromā","with hair bristling","prahṛṣṭa-romā",[["prahṛṣṭa","bristling, thrilled"],["roman","hair"]]],["vyathito","stricken, agitated","vyathitaḥ"],["babhūva","became"]]}]}