# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 57 — Lakṣmaṇa explains his departure *He recounts Sītā’s accusations after the false cry, Rāma insists that her harsh words should not have overridden his order* Portion: The empty hut and the search for Sītā · Verses: 25 · Ref format: 3.57. ## Sequence - The account returns to the brothers' conversation on the path: Rāma asks why Lakṣmaṇa abandoned the responsibility entrusted to him (57.1–4) - Lakṣmaṇa says he did not leave willingly (57.5–6) - he recounts how the cry in Rāma's voice frightened Sītā and how he tried to reassure her that no enemy could overcome Rāma (57.7–13) - she accused him of desiring her, conspiring with Bharata, and waiting for an opportunity against Rāma → angered by those accusations, he left the hermitage (57.14–18) - Rāma says that even harsh words should not have made him disregard the order to protect her, particularly when he knew Rāma could defend himself (57.19–22) - he confirms that the deer was a rākṣasa who revealed his real form and imitated his voice while dying (57.23–25). ## Verses **3.57.1** athāśramād upāvṛttam antarā raghunandanaḥ paripapraccha saumitriṃ rāmo duḥkhārditaḥ punaḥ Then Rāma, the delight of Raghu, afflicted with grief, on the way questioned Saumitri again, who had turned back from the hermitage. **3.57.2** tam uvāca kimarthaṃ tvam āgato 'pāsya maithilīm yadā sā tava viśvāsād vane viharitā mayā He said to him: For what reason have you come, abandoning Maithilī, when she was left by me in the forest through trust in you? **3.57.3** dṛṣṭvaivābhyāgataṃ tvāṃ me maithilīṃ tyajya lakṣmaṇa śaṅkamānaṃ mahat pāpaṃ yat satyaṃ vyathitaṃ manaḥ O Lakṣmaṇa, the moment I saw you come to me having left Maithilī, my mind, suspecting some great calamity, was truly agitated. **3.57.4** sphurate nayanaṃ savyaṃ bāhuś ca hṛdayaṃ ca me dṛṣṭvā lakṣmaṇa dūre tvāṃ sītāvirahitaṃ pathi My left eye throbs, and my arm and my heart, O Lakṣmaṇa, on seeing you at a distance on the path, bereft of Sītā. **3.57.5** evam uktas tu saumitrir lakṣmaṇaḥ śubhalakṣaṇaḥ bhūyo duḥkhasamāviṣṭo duḥkhitaṃ rāmam abravīt Thus addressed, Saumitri Lakṣmaṇa of auspicious marks, again overcome with grief, spoke to the grieving Rāma. **3.57.6** na svayaṃ kāmakāreṇa tāṃ tyaktvāham ihāgataḥ pracoditas tayaivograis tvatsakāśam ihāgataḥ Not of my own free will did I abandon her and come here; urged on by her with fierce words, I came here to your presence. **3.57.7** āryeṇeva parikruṣṭaṃ hā sīte lakṣmaṇeti ca paritrāhīti yad vākyaṃ maithilyās tac chrutiṃ gatam The cry that seemed uttered by the noble one—'Ah Sītā! O Lakṣmaṇa! Save me!'—that utterance reached Maithilī's hearing. **3.57.8** sā tam ārtasvaraṃ śrutvā tava snehena maithilī gaccha gaccheti mām āha rudantī bhayavihvalā Hearing that anguished cry, Maithilī, out of love for you, weeping and overcome with fear, said to me, 'Go, go!' **3.57.9** pracodyamānena mayā gaccheti bahuśas tayā pratyuktā maithilī vākyam idaṃ tvatpratyayānvitam Being urged repeatedly by her with 'go,' Maithilī was answered by me with this word, full of trust in you: **3.57.10** na tat paśyāmy ahaṃ rakṣo yad asya bhayam āvahet nirvṛtā bhava nāsty etat kenāpy evam udāhṛtam I see no rākṣasa here that could bring him danger; be at ease—there is nothing to it; this was uttered thus by some (deceiver). **3.57.11** vigarhitaṃ ca nīcaṃ ca katham āryo 'bhidhāsyati trāhīti vacanaṃ sīte yas trāyet tridaśān api O Sītā, how would the noble one—he who could rescue even the gods—utter so despicable and base a word as 'save me!'? **3.57.12** kiṃnimittaṃ tu kenāpi bhrātur ālambya me svaram visvaraṃ vyāhṛtaṃ vākyaṃ lakṣmaṇa trāhi mām iti na bhavatyā vyathā kāryā kunārījanasevitā For what reason, and by whom, taking on my brother's voice, was this word uttered in a distorted tone—'Lakṣmaṇa, save me!'? You should not indulge the distress that base women resort to. **3.57.13** alaṃ vaiklavyam ālambya svasthā bhava nirutsukā na cāsti triṣu lokeṣu pumān yo rāghavaṃ raṇe jāto vā jāyamāno vā saṃyuge yaḥ parājayet Enough of giving way to agitation—be composed and free of anxiety; there is no man in the three worlds, born or yet to be born, who could defeat Rāghava in battle. **3.57.14** evam uktā tu vaidehī parimohitacetanā uvācāśrūṇi muñcantī dāruṇaṃ mām idaṃ vacaḥ Thus addressed, Vaidehī, her mind utterly bewildered, shedding tears, spoke to me this harsh word. **3.57.15** bhāvo mayi tavātyarthaṃ pāpa eva niveśitaḥ vinaṣṭe bhrātari prāpte na ca tvaṃ mām avāpsyasi Your feeling toward me has been set exceedingly wicked; even when your brother is dead and gone, you shall not obtain me. **3.57.16** saṃketād bharatena tvaṃ rāmaṃ samanugacchasi krośantaṃ hi yathātyarthaṃ nainam abhyavapadyase By a secret pact with Bharata you follow Rāma; for though he cries out so exceedingly, you do not go to his aid. **3.57.17** ripuḥ pracchannacārī tvaṃ madartham anugacchasi rāghavasyāntaraprepsus tathainaṃ nābhipadyase You are an enemy moving in disguise, following us for my sake; seeking a chance against Rāghava, you thus do not go to his aid. **3.57.18** evam ukto hi vaidehyā saṃrabdho raktalocanaḥ krodhāt prasphuramāṇauṣṭha āśramād abhinirgataḥ Thus addressed by Vaidehī, enraged and red-eyed, my lips quivering with anger, I went forth from the hermitage. **3.57.19** evaṃ bruvāṇaṃ saumitriṃ rāmaḥ saṃtāpamohitaḥ abravīd duṣkṛtaṃ saumya tāṃ vinā yat tvam āgataḥ To Saumitri speaking thus, Rāma, bewildered by anguish, said: 'You have done wrong, gentle one, in that you came without her.' **3.57.20** jānann api samarthaṃ māṃ rakṣasāṃ vinivāraṇe anena krodhavākyena maithilyā niḥsṛto bhavān Though you knew me capable of warding off the rākṣasas, you set out on account of this angry speech of Maithilī. **3.57.21** na hi te parituṣyāmi tyaktvā yad yāsi maithilīm kruddhāyāḥ paruṣaṃ śrutvā striyā yat tvam ihāgataḥ I am by no means pleased with you, in that you left Maithilī and came, in that you came here on hearing an angry woman's harsh words. **3.57.22** sarvathā tv apanītaṃ te sītayā yat pracoditaḥ krodhasya vaśam āgamya nākaroḥ śāsanaṃ mama In every way you have done amiss, in that, urged on by Sītā and falling under the sway of anger, you did not carry out my command. **3.57.23** asau hi rākṣasaḥ śete śareṇābhihato mayā mṛgarūpeṇa yenāham āśramād apavāditaḥ For that rākṣasa lies dead, struck down by my arrow—he by whom, in the form of a deer, I was lured away from the hermitage. **3.57.24** vikṛṣya cāpaṃ paridhāya sāyakaṃ salīla bāṇena ca tāḍito mayā mārgīṃ tanuṃ tyajya ca viklavasvaro babhūva keyūradharaḥ sa rākṣasaḥ Having drawn my bow and fitted an arrow, and struck by me effortlessly with a shaft, that rākṣasa, casting off his deer-body and crying in a faltering voice, became a wearer of armlets (his true demon form). **3.57.25** śarāhatenaiva tadārtayā girā svaraṃ mamālambya sudūrasaṃśravam udāhṛtaṃ tad vacanaṃ sudāruṇaṃ tvam āgato yena vihāya maithilīm Struck by the arrow, in an anguished voice, taking on my voice so as to be heard far off, he uttered that most terrible cry—on account of which you came, leaving Maithilī behind.