# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 52 — Sītā drops her ornaments

*She drops her silk and ornaments among five monkeys, Rāvaṇa confines her in Laṅkā and sends agents to Janasthāna*

Portion: Sītā’s resistance and confinement in Laṅkā · Verses: 29 · Ref format: 3.52.<verse>

## Sequence

- Sītā sees five monkeys on a mountain peak (52.1)
- hoping they may convey news to Rāma, she deliberately drops her golden-colored silk upper garment together with ornaments among them → Rāvaṇa, hurrying onward, does not notice, while the monkeys look up at her cries (52.2–4)
- he passes Pampā and continues across forests, rivers, and mountains toward Laṅkā (52.5–7)
- he crosses the ocean as cāraṇas and siddhas declare that this act will bring his end (52.8–10)
- entering Laṅkā, he takes Sītā into his inner apartments (52.11–13)
- he orders the women guarding her to admit no visitors without permission, provide whatever valuables or clothing she wants, and speak no unkind word to her on pain of death (52.14–16). Rāvaṇa leaves the apartments and summons eight powerful rākṣasas (52.17–18)
- he sends them to occupy the devastated Janasthāna, where Khara's force was destroyed (52.19–21)
- he declares his determination to avenge that defeat and says he will not rest until Rāma is dead (52.22–24)
- the eight must report accurately on Rāma's movements, act cautiously, and work toward killing him (52.25–27)
- they depart secretly for Janasthāna → Rāvaṇa congratulates himself on obtaining Sītā, unaware of the consequences of this new enmity (52.28–29).

## Verses

**3.52.1**  
hriyamāṇā tu vaidehī kaṃ cin nātham apaśyatī  
dadarśa giriśṛṅgasthān pañcavānarapuṃgavān  
But Vaidehī, being carried off and seeing no protector, beheld five bull-monkeys perched on a mountain peak.

**3.52.2**  
teṣāṃ madhye viśālākṣī kauśeyaṃ kanakaprabham  
uttarīyaṃ varārohā śubhāny ābharaṇāni ca  
mumoca yadi rāmāya śaṃseyur iti maithilī  
In their midst the wide-eyed, fair-hipped Maithilī let fall her golden-hued silk upper-garment and her lovely ornaments, thinking, 'Perhaps they will tell Rāma.'

**3.52.3**  
vastram utsṛjya tan madhye vinikṣiptaṃ sabhūṣaṇam  
saṃbhramāt tu daśagrīvas tat karma na ca buddhivān  
She let fall the garment, cast down there with the ornaments; but the ten-necked one, clever though he was, in his haste did not notice that act.

**3.52.4**  
piṅgākṣās tāṃ viśālākṣīṃ netrair animiṣair iva  
vikrośantīṃ tadā sītāṃ dadṛśur vānararṣabhāḥ  
The tawny-eyed bull-monkeys then gazed with well-nigh unblinking eyes at that wide-eyed Sītā as she cried out.

**3.52.5**  
sa ca pampām atikramya laṅkām abhimukhaḥ purīm  
jagāma rudatīṃ gṛhya maithilīṃ rākṣaseśvaraḥ  
And crossing the Pampā, the lord of rākṣasas, facing toward the city of Laṅkā, went on, holding the weeping Maithilī.

**3.52.6**  
tāṃ jahāra susaṃhṛṣṭo rāvaṇo mṛtyum ātmanaḥ  
utsaṅgenaiva bhujagīṃ tīkṣṇadaṃṣṭrāṃ mahāviṣām  
Greatly delighted, Rāvaṇa bore her off—his own death—as one might carry in his lap a sharp-fanged, deadly-venomed she-serpent.

**3.52.7**  
vanāni saritaḥ śailān sarāṃsi ca vihāyasā  
sa kṣipraṃ samatīyāya śaraś cāpād iva cyutaḥ  
Through the sky he swiftly passed over forests, rivers, mountains, and lakes, like an arrow shot from a bow.

**3.52.8**  
timinakraniketaṃ tu varuṇālayam akṣayam  
saritāṃ śaraṇaṃ gatvā samatīyāya sāgaram  
Reaching the imperishable abode of Varuṇa—home of the timi-fish and crocodiles, the refuge of rivers—he passed over the ocean.

**3.52.9**  
saṃbhramāt parivṛttormī ruddhamīnamahoragaḥ  
vaidehyāṃ hriyamāṇāyāṃ babhūva varuṇālayaḥ  
As Vaidehī was being carried off, the ocean, abode of Varuṇa, in agitation turned back its waves, its fish and great serpents held motionless.

**3.52.10**  
antarikṣagatā vācaḥ sasṛjuś cāraṇās tadā  
etad anto daśagrīva iti siddhās tadābruvan  
Then the Cāraṇas, moving in the sky, sent forth words, and the Siddhas said, 'This is your end, ten-necked one!'

**3.52.11**  
sa tu sītāṃ viveṣṭantīm aṅkenādāya rāvaṇaḥ  
praviveśa purīṃ laṅkāṃ rūpiṇīṃ mṛtyum ātmanaḥ  
But Rāvaṇa, taking on his lap the writhing Sītā—his own death embodied—entered the city of Laṅkā.

**3.52.12**  
so 'bhigamya purīṃ laṅkāṃ suvibhaktamahāpathām  
saṃrūḍhakakṣyā bahulaṃ svam antaḥpuram āviśat  
Having reached the city of Laṅkā with its well-laid great avenues, he entered his own inner apartments with their many dense enclosures.

**3.52.13**  
tatra tām asitāpāṅgīṃ śokamohaparāyaṇām  
nidadhe rāvaṇaḥ sītāṃ mayo māyām ivāsurīm  
There Rāvaṇa set down that dark-cornered-eyed Sītā, sunk in grief and bewilderment, as the demon Maya once hid away his demonic magic.

**3.52.14**  
abravīc ca daśagrīvaḥ piśācīr ghoradarśanāḥ  
yathā naināṃ pumān strī vā sītāṃ paśyaty asaṃmataḥ  
And the ten-necked one told the fearsome-looking piśāca-women: 'See to it that no man or woman look upon this Sītā without my leave.'

**3.52.15**  
muktāmaṇisuvarṇāni vastrāṇy ābharaṇāni ca  
yad yad icchet tad evāsyā deyaṃ macchandato yathā  
'Pearls, gems, and gold, garments and ornaments—whatever she desires, just that must be given to her, according to my will.'

**3.52.16**  
yā ca vakṣyati vaidehīṃ vacanaṃ kiṃ cid apriyam  
ajñānād yadi vā jñānān na tasyā jīvitaṃ priyam  
'And whoever speaks any unkind word to Vaidehī, whether from ignorance or knowingly—her life is forfeit.'

**3.52.17**  
tathoktvā rākṣasīs tās tu rākṣasendraḥ pratāpavān  
niṣkramyāntaḥpurāt tasmāt kiṃ kṛtyam iti cintayan  
dadarśāṣṭau mahāvīryān rākṣasān piśitāśanān  
Having thus addressed those rākṣasa-women, the mighty lord of rākṣasas went out from that inner apartment and, pondering 'What is to be done?', beheld eight flesh-eating rākṣasas of great valour.

**3.52.18**  
sa tān dṛṣṭvā mahāvīryo varadānena mohitaḥ  
uvācaitān idaṃ vākyaṃ praśasya balavīryataḥ  
Seeing them, the greatly valiant one, deluded by the boon he had won, praised them for their strength and valour and spoke to them these words:

**3.52.19**  
nānāpraharaṇāḥ kṣipram ito gacchata satvarāḥ  
janasthānaṃ hatasthānaṃ bhūtapūrvaṃ kharālayam  
'Armed with various weapons, go swiftly and in haste from here to Janasthāna, the ruined place, formerly the abode of Khara.'

**3.52.20**  
tatroṣyatāṃ janasthāne śūnye nihatarākṣase  
pauruṣaṃ balam āśritya trāsam utsṛjya dūrataḥ  
'Dwell there in Janasthāna, now empty with its rākṣasas slain, relying on your manly strength and casting fear far away.'

**3.52.21**  
balaṃ hi sumahad yan me janasthāne niveśitam  
sadūṣaṇakharaṃ yuddhe hataṃ tad rāmasāyakaiḥ  
'For that great force of mine which was stationed in Janasthāna, together with Dūṣaṇa and Khara, was slain in battle by Rāma's arrows.'

**3.52.22**  
tataḥ krodho mamāpūrvo dhairyasyopari vardhate  
vairaṃ ca sumahaj jātaṃ rāmaṃ prati sudāruṇam  
'Therefore an unprecedented wrath rises in me, overriding my composure; and a very great, dreadful enmity toward Rāma has arisen.'

**3.52.23**  
niryātayitum icchāmi tac ca vairam ahaṃ ripoḥ  
na hi lapsyāmy ahaṃ nidrām ahatvā saṃyuge ripum  
'I wish to repay that enmity toward my foe; for I shall get no sleep until I have slain my enemy in battle.'

**3.52.24**  
taṃ tv idānīm ahaṃ hatvā kharadūṣaṇaghātinam  
rāmaṃ śarmopalapsyāmi dhanaṃ labdhveva nirdhanaḥ  
'Now, once I have slain that Rāma, the slayer of Khara and Dūṣaṇa, I shall find relief, as a pauper who has gained wealth.'

**3.52.25**  
janasthāne vasadbhis tu bhavadbhī rāmam āśritā  
pravṛttir upanetavyā kiṃ karotīti tattvataḥ  
'And you, dwelling in Janasthāna, must bring me true intelligence concerning Rāma—what he is doing.'

**3.52.26**  
apramādāc ca gantavyaṃ sarvair eva niśācaraiḥ  
kartavyaś ca sadā yatno rāghavasya vadhaṃ prati  
'And all you night-rangers must go heedfully, and effort must ever be made toward the slaying of Rāghava.'

**3.52.27**  
yuṣmākaṃ hi balajño 'haṃ bahuśo raṇamūrdhani  
ataś cāsmiñ janasthāne mayā yūyaṃ niyojitāḥ  
'For I know your strength, from many a time at the front of battle; therefore I have appointed you here in Janasthāna.'

**3.52.28**  
tataḥ priyaṃ vākyam upetya rākṣasā mahārtham aṣṭāv abhivādya rāvaṇam  
vihāya laṅkāṃ sahitāḥ pratasthire yato janasthānam alakṣyadarśanāḥ  
Then the eight rākṣasas, having received the pleasing, weighty command and saluted Rāvaṇa, left Laṅkā together and set out for Janasthāna, unseen by any eye.

**3.52.29**  
tatas tu sītām upalabhya rāvaṇaḥ susaṃprahṛṣṭaḥ parigṛhya maithilīm  
prasajya rāmeṇa ca vairam uttamaṃ babhūva mohān muditaḥ sa rākṣasaḥ  
Then Rāvaṇa, having got Sītā and seized Maithilī, greatly delighted, and having entered into a supreme enmity with Rāma, that rākṣasa grew joyful out of his delusion.