Sources

The earth opens

Valmiki · Uttara Kanda
7.93.1–7.97.27 (CrEd 7.84.1–7.88.20)

At Rama's horse sacrifice, Valmiki sends two boys, Kusha and Lava, to sing the Ramayana before the king; Rama hears his own story and sees his own face in theirs. He sends word that Sita may prove her purity before the assembly. Valmiki brings her and swears to her innocence and to the twins' birth, and Sita calls on the Earth, which opens for her.

Sanskrit · English·Translation: Raam Leela

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Part 1

The song in the court

Valmiki 7.93.1–7.95.17 (CrEd 7.84.1–7.86.16)

॥ 7.93.14 ॥

CrEd 7.84.12

silent moment

॥ 7.93.5, 7 ॥

CrEd 7.84.3, 5

Uttara · later layercondensed from 7.93.5, 7

Valmiki

Sanskrit

स शिष्याव् अब्रवीद् धृष्टो युवां गत्वा समाहितौ ।
कृत्स्नं रामायणं काव्यं गायतां परया मुदा ।
रामस्य भवनद्वारि यत्र कर्म च वर्तते ।
ऋत्विजाम् अग्रतश् चैव तत्र गेयं विशेषतः ॥

sa śiṣyāv abravīd dhṛṣṭo yuvāṃ gatvā samāhitau
kṛtsnaṃ rāmāyaṇaṃ kāvyaṃ gāyatāṃ parayā mudā
rāmasya bhavanadvāri yatra karma ca vartate
ṛtvijām agrataś caiva tatra geyaṃ viśeṣataḥ

English

Delighted, he said to his two pupils:
“Go, the two of you, attentive,
and sing the whole Ramayana poem
with the highest joy.
At the door of Rama’s palace,
where the rite is under way,
and before the priests:
there above all it should be sung.”

॥ 7.93.12 ॥

CrEd 7.84.10

Uttara · later layer

Valmiki

Sanskrit

लोभश् चापि न कर्तव्यः स्वल्पोऽपि धनकाङ्क्षया ।
किं धनेनाश्रमस्थानां फलमूलोपभोगिनाम् ॥

lobhaś cāpi na kartavyaḥ svalpo 'pi dhanakāṅkṣayā
kiṃ dhanenāśramasthānāṃ phalamūlopabhoginām

English

Nor should you be greedy,
even a little, from desire for wealth;
what use is wealth to those in a hermitage,
who live on fruit and roots?

॥ 7.93.13 ॥

CrEd 7.84.11

Uttara · later layer

Valmiki

Sanskrit

यदि पृच्छेत् स काकुत्स्थो युवां कस्येति दारकौ ।
वाल्मीकेर् अथ शिष्यौ हि ब्रूताम् एवं नराधिपम् ॥

yadi pṛcchet sa kākutstho yuvāṃ kasyeti dārakau
vālmīker atha śiṣyau hi brūtām evaṃ narādhipam

English

If Kakutstha should ask you,
“Whose are you, boys?”,
then say this to the king:
“We are Valmiki’s pupils.”

॥ 7.93.15 ॥

CrEd 7.84.13

Uttara · later layer

Valmiki

Sanskrit

आदिप्रभृति गेयं स्यान् न चावज्ञाय पार्थिवम् ।
पिता हि सर्वभूतानां राजा भवति धर्मतः ॥

ādiprabhṛti geyaṃ syān na cāvajñāya pārthivam
pitā hi sarvabhūtānāṃ rājā bhavati dharmataḥ

English

Sing it from the beginning,
and do not slight the king;
for by dharma the king
is the father of all beings.

॥ 1.1.2 ॥

CrEd 1.1.2

Uttara · later layer

Kusha

Sanskrit

को न्व् अस्मिन् साम्प्रतं लोके गुणवान् कश् च वीर्यवान् ।
धर्मज्ञश् च कृतज्ञश् च सत्यवाक्यो दृढव्रतः ॥

ko nv asmin sāmprataṃ loke guṇavān kaś ca vīryavān
dharmajñaś ca kṛtajñaś ca satyavākyo dṛḍhavrataḥ

English

Who in this world now
is virtuous, and who is valiant,
who knows dharma, who is grateful,
true in speech, and firm in his vows?

॥ 1.1.8 ॥

CrEd 1.1.8

Uttara · later layer

Lava

Sanskrit

इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवो रामो नाम जनैः श्रुतः ।
नियतात्मा महावीर्यो द्युतिमान् धृतिमान् वशी ॥

ikṣvākuvaṃśaprabhavo rāmo nāma janaiḥ śrutaḥ
niyatātmā mahāvīryo dyutimān dhṛtimān vaśī

English

Born of the line of Ikshvaku,
known among the people as Rama:
self-mastered, of great valour,
radiant, steadfast, in command of himself.

॥ 7.94.11 ॥

CrEd 7.85.6

silent moment

॥ 7.94.12–13 ॥

CrEd 7.85.7–8

Uttara · later layer

Sages

Sanskrit

उभौ रामस्य सदृशौ बिम्बाद् बिम्बम् इवोद्धृतौ ।
जटिलौ यदि न स्यातां न वल्कलधरौ यदि ।
विशेषं नाधिगच्छामो गायतो राघवस्य च ॥

ubhau rāmasya sadṛśau bimbād bimbam ivoddhṛtau
jaṭilau yadi na syātāṃ na valkaladharau yadi
viśeṣaṃ nādhigacchāmo gāyato rāghavasya ca

English

Both are like Rama,
like images lifted from an image.
If they did not wear matted locks,
if they were not dressed in bark,
we could find no difference
between the singers and Raghava.

॥ 7.94.17–18 ॥

CrEd 7.85.12–13

Uttara · later layer

Rama

Sanskrit

अष्टादश सहस्राणि सुवर्णस्य महात्मनोः ।
ददस्व शीघ्रं काकुत्स्थ बालयोर् मा वृथा श्रमः ॥

aṣṭādaśa sahasrāṇi suvarṇasya mahātmanoḥ
dadasva śīghraṃ kākutstha bālayor mā vṛthā śramaḥ

English

Eighteen thousand pieces of gold
for these two noble boys
give quickly, Kakutstha;
let their labour not be in vain.

॥ 7.94.18–19 ॥

CrEd 7.85.13–14

silent moment

॥ 7.94.19–20 ॥

CrEd 7.85.14–15

Uttara · later layer

Kusha

Sanskrit

ऊचतुश् च महात्मानौ किम् अनेनेति विस्मितौ ।
वन्येन फलमूलेन निरतौ स्वो वनौकसौ ।
सुवर्णेन हिरण्येन किं करिष्यावहे वने ॥

ūcatuś ca mahātmānau kim aneneti vismitau
vanyena phalamūlena niratau svo vanaukasau
suvarṇena hiraṇyena kiṃ kariṣyāvahe vane

English

And the two great-souled ones said,
amazed: “What is this to us?
On wild fruit and roots
we live content, dwellers in the forest;
with gold and with riches
what would we do in the forest?”

॥ 7.94.23 ॥

CrEd 7.85.18

Uttara · later layer

Rama

Sanskrit

किंप्रमाणम् इदं काव्यं का प्रतिष्ठा महात्मनः ।
कर्ता काव्यस्य महतः को वासौ मुनिपुंगवः ॥

kiṃpramāṇam idaṃ kāvyaṃ kā pratiṣṭhā mahātmanaḥ
kartā kāvyasya mahataḥ ko vāsau munipuṃgavaḥ

English

How great is this poem in measure?
What is its ground, this tale of a great soul?
And who is the maker of the great poem,
that bull among sages?

॥ 7.94.25, 27–28 ॥

CrEd 7.85.19–20

Uttara · later layercondensed from 7.94.25, 27–28

Lava

Sanskrit

पृच्छन्तं राघवं वाक्यम् ऊचतुर् मुनिदारकौ ।
वाल्मीकिर् भगवान् कर्ता संप्राप्तो यज्ञसंनिधिम् ।
येनेदं चरितं तुभ्यम् अशेषं संप्रदर्शितम् ।
आदिप्रभृति राजेन्द्र पञ्चसर्गशतानि च ।
प्रतिष्ठा जीवितं यावत् तावद् राजञ् शुभाशुभम् ॥

pṛcchantaṃ rāghavaṃ vākyam ūcatur munidārakau
vālmīkir bhagavān kartā saṃprāpto yajñasaṃnidhim
yenedaṃ caritaṃ tubhyam aśeṣaṃ saṃpradarśitam
ādiprabhṛti rājendra pañcasargaśatāni ca
pratiṣṭhā jīvitaṃ yāvat tāvad rājañ śubhāśubham

English

To Raghava, who asked,
the sage’s boys spoke these words:
“The blessed Valmiki is its maker,
who has come here to the sacrifice,
by whom this story of yours
has been shown in full.
From the beginning, king of kings,
there are five hundred sargas;
its ground, king, is your life, as long as it lasts,
the good of it and the ill.”

॥ 7.94.29 ॥

CrEd 7.85.21

Uttara · later layer

Kusha

Sanskrit

यदि बुद्धिः कृता राजञ् श्रवणाय महारथ ।
कर्मान्तरे क्षणीभूतस् तच् छृणुष्व सहानुजः ॥

yadi buddhiḥ kṛtā rājañ śravaṇāya mahāratha
karmāntare kṣaṇībhūtas tac chṛṇuṣva sahānujaḥ

English

If you have set your mind, king,
on hearing it, great warrior,
then, at leisure between the rites,
listen to it with your brothers.

॥ 7.94.30 ॥

CrEd 7.85.22

Uttara · later layer

Rama

Sanskrit

बाढम् इत्य् अब्रवीद् रामः ॥

bāḍham ity abravīd rāmaḥ

English

“Very well,” said Rama.

॥ 7.95.1–2 ॥

CrEd 7.86.1–2

silent moment

॥ 7.95.3–4 ॥

CrEd 7.86.3–4

Uttara · later layer

Rama

Sanskrit

मद्वचो ब्रूत गच्छध्वम् इति भगवतोऽन्तिकम् ।
यदि शुद्धसमाचारा यदि वा वीतकल्मषा ।
करोत्व् इहात्मनः शुद्धिम् अनुमान्य महामुनिम् ॥

madvaco brūta gacchadhvam iti bhagavato 'ntikam
yadi śuddhasamācārā yadi vā vītakalmaṣā
karotv ihātmanaḥ śuddhim anumānya mahāmunim

English

“Go into the blessed one’s presence
and give him my word:
if her conduct is pure,
if she is free of every stain,
let her prove her purity here,
with the great sage’s leave.”

॥ 7.95.6 ॥

CrEd 7.86.6

Uttara · later layer

Rama

Sanskrit

श्वः प्रभाते तु शपथं मैथिली जनकात्मजा ।
करोतु परिषन्मध्ये शोधनार्थं ममेह च ॥

śvaḥ prabhāte tu śapathaṃ maithilī janakātmajā
karotu pariṣanmadhye śodhanārthaṃ mameha ca

English

Tomorrow at dawn let Maithili,
Janaka’s daughter, take an oath
in the midst of the assembly,
to clear herself, and me, here.

॥ 7.95.10 ॥

CrEd 7.86.10

Uttara · later layer

Valmiki

Sanskrit

एवं भवतु भद्रं वो यथा तुष्यति राघवः ।
तथा करिष्यते सीता दैवतं हि पतिः स्त्रियाः ॥

evaṃ bhavatu bhadraṃ vo yathā tuṣyati rāghavaḥ
tathā kariṣyate sītā daivataṃ hi patiḥ striyāḥ

English

So be it, and blessings on you.
As pleases Raghava,
so Sita will do;
for a woman’s husband is her god.

॥ 7.95.11–12 ॥

CrEd 7.86.11–12

silent moment

॥ 7.95.13 ॥

CrEd 7.86.13

Uttara · later layer

Rama

Sanskrit

भगवन्तः सशिष्या वै सानुगश् च नराधिपाः ।
पश्यन्तु सीताशपथं यश् चैवान्योऽभिकाङ्क्षते ॥

bhagavantaḥ saśiṣyā vai sānugaś ca narādhipāḥ
paśyantu sītāśapathaṃ yaś caivānyo 'bhikāṅkṣate

English

Let the revered sages with their pupils,
the kings with their followers,
and whoever else desires it,
come and see Sita’s oath.

॥ 7.95.14–16 ॥

CrEd 7.86.14–16

silent moment

Part 2

The earth opens

Valmiki 7.96.1–7.97.27 (CrEd 7.87.1–7.88.20)

॥ 7.96.10 ॥

CrEd 7.87.8

silent moment

॥ 7.96.11–12 ॥

CrEd 7.87.9–10

silent moment

॥ 7.96.14 ॥

CrEd 7.87.12

Uttara · later layer

Kings

Sanskrit

साधु सीतेति के चित् तु साधु रामेति चापरे ।
उभाव् एव तु तत्रान्ये साधु साध्व् इति चाब्रुवन् ॥

sādhu sīteti ke cit tu sādhu rāmeti cāpare
ubhāv eva tu tatrānye sādhu sādhv iti cābruvan

English

“Well done, Sita!” some cried,
and others, “Well done, Rama!”;
and others there, for both of them,
cried, “Well done, well done!”

॥ 7.96.15–16 ॥

CrEd 7.87.13–14

Uttara · later layer

Valmiki

Sanskrit

इयं दाशरथे सीता सुव्रता धर्मचारिणी ।
अपापा ते परित्यक्ता ममाश्रमसमीपतः ॥

iyaṃ dāśarathe sītā suvratā dharmacāriṇī
apāpā te parityaktā mamāśramasamīpataḥ

English

Son of Dasharatha, this is Sita,
true to her vows, walking in dharma,
sinless, whom you cast off
near my hermitage.

॥ 7.96.17 ॥

CrEd 7.87.15

Uttara · later layer

Valmiki

Sanskrit

लोकापवादभीतस्य तव राम महाव्रत ।
प्रत्ययं दास्यते सीता ताम् अनुज्ञातुम् अर्हसि ॥

lokāpavādabhītasya tava rāma mahāvrata
pratyayaṃ dāsyate sītā tām anujñātum arhasi

English

To you, who fear the world’s reproach,
Rama, great in your vows,
Sita will give proof;
you should give her leave.

॥ 7.96.18 ॥

CrEd 7.87.16

Uttara · later layer

Valmiki

Sanskrit

इमौ च जानकी पुत्राव् उभौ च यमजातकौ ।
सुतौ तवैव दुर्धर्ष सत्यम् एतद् ब्रवीमि ते ॥

imau ca jānakī putrāv ubhau ca yamajātakau
sutau tavaiva durdharṣa satyam etad bravīmi te

English

And these two sons of Janaki,
the two of them born as twins,
are your own sons, unconquerable one;
this I tell you truly.

॥ 7.96.19 ॥

CrEd 7.87.17

Uttara · later layer

Valmiki

Sanskrit

प्रचेतसोऽहं दशमः पुत्रो राघवनन्दन ।
न स्मराम्य् अनृतं वाक्यं तथेमौ तव पुत्रकौ ॥

pracetaso 'haṃ daśamaḥ putro rāghavanandana
na smarāmy anṛtaṃ vākyaṃ tathemau tava putrakau

English

I am the tenth son of Prachetas,
joy of the Raghus;
I do not recall a false word spoken;
so these two are your sons.

॥ 7.96.20–21 ॥

CrEd 7.87.18

Uttara · later layer

Valmiki

Sanskrit

बहुवर्षसहस्राणि तपश्चर्या मया कृता ।
तस्याः फलम् उपाश्नीयाम् अपापा मैथिली यथा ॥

bahuvarṣasahasrāṇi tapaścaryā mayā kṛtā
tasyāḥ phalam upāśnīyām apāpā maithilī yathā

English

For many thousands of years
I have practised austerity;
may I taste its fruit
as surely as Maithili is sinless.

॥ 7.96.22 ॥

CrEd 7.87.19

Uttara · later layer

Valmiki

Sanskrit

अहं पञ्चसु भूतेषु मनःषष्ठेषु राघव ।
विचिन्त्य सीतां शुद्धेति न्यगृह्णां वननिर्झरे ॥

ahaṃ pañcasu bhūteṣu manaḥṣaṣṭheṣu rāghava
vicintya sītāṃ śuddheti nyagṛhṇāṃ vananirjhare

English

Through the five senses, Raghava,
with the mind as the sixth,
I weighed it, and knowing Sita pure,
I took her in by the forest stream.

॥ 7.97.2–3 ॥

CrEd 7.88.2–3ab

Uttara · later layer

Rama

Sanskrit

एवम् एतन् महाभाग यथा वदसि धर्मवित् ।
प्रत्ययो हि मम ब्रह्मंस् तव वाक्यैर् अकल्मषैः ।
प्रत्ययो हि पुरा दत्तो वैदेह्या सुरसंनिधौ ॥

evam etan mahābhāga yathā vadasi dharmavit
pratyayo hi mama brahmaṃs tava vākyair akalmaṣaiḥ
pratyayo hi purā datto vaidehyā surasaṃnidhau

English

It is just as you say, fortunate one,
knower of dharma;
your spotless words, brahmin,
are proof to me.
Proof was given long ago
by Vaidehi, before the gods.

॥ 7.97.4 ॥

CrEd 7.88.3c-f

Uttara · later layer

Rama

Sanskrit

सेयं लोकभयाद् ब्रह्मन्न् अपापेत्य् अभिजानता ।
परित्यक्ता मया सीता तद् भवान् क्षन्तुम् अर्हति ॥

seyaṃ lokabhayād brahmann apāpety abhijānatā
parityaktā mayā sītā tad bhavān kṣantum arhati

English

Yet, brahmin, though I knew she was sinless,
for fear of the world
I cast off Sita;
you must forgive me for it.

॥ 7.97.5 ॥

CrEd 7.88.4

Uttara · later layer

Rama

Sanskrit

जानामि चेमौ पुत्रौ मे यमजातौ कुशीलवौ ।
शुद्धायां जगतो मध्ये मैथिल्यां प्रीतिर् अस्तु मे ॥

jānāmi cemau putrau me yamajātau kuśīlavau
śuddhāyāṃ jagato madhye maithilyāṃ prītir astu me

English

And I know these twins,
Kusha and Lava, are my sons;
let my love be with Maithili,
proved pure in the midst of the world.

॥ 7.97.6–9, 12–13 ॥

CrEd 7.88.5–8

silent moment

॥ 7.97.14 ॥

CrEd 7.88.9

silent moment

॥ 7.97.15 ॥

CrEd 7.88.10

Uttara · later layer

Sita

Sanskrit

यथाहं राघवाद् अन्यं मनसापि न चिन्तये ।
तथा मे माधवी देवी विवरं दातुम् अर्हति ॥

yathāhaṃ rāghavād anyaṃ manasāpi na cintaye
tathā me mādhavī devī vivaraṃ dātum arhati

English

As I think of no one
but Raghava, not even in my mind,
so may the goddess Madhavi
open a place for me.

॥ 7.97.16 ॥

popular text only · not in the CrEdUttara · later layer

Sita

Sanskrit

मनसा कर्मणा वाचा यथा रामं समर्चये ।
तथा मे माधवी देवी विवरं दातुम् अर्हति ॥

manasā karmaṇā vācā yathā rāmaṃ samarcaye
tathā me mādhavī devī vivaraṃ dātum arhati

English

As in mind, in deed and in word
I worship Rama,
so may the goddess Madhavi
open a place for me.

॥ 7.97.17 ॥

popular text only · not in the CrEdUttara · later layer

Sita

Sanskrit

यथैतत् सत्यम् उक्तं मे वेद्मि रामात् परं न च ।
तथा मे माधवी देवी विवरं दातुम् अर्हति ॥

yathaitat satyam uktaṃ me vedmi rāmāt paraṃ na ca
tathā me mādhavī devī vivaraṃ dātum arhati

English

As this I speak is true,
that I know no one beyond Rama,
so may the goddess Madhavi
open a place for me.

॥ 7.97.18 ॥

CrEd 7.88.11

silent moment

॥ 7.97.18–21 ॥

CrEd 7.88.11–14

silent moment

॥ 7.97.22 ॥

CrEd 7.88.15

Uttara · later layer

Gods

Sanskrit

साधुकारश् च सुमहान् देवानां सहसोत्थितः ।
साधु साध्व् इति वै सीते यस्यास् ते शीलम् ईदृशम् ॥

sādhukāraś ca sumahān devānāṃ sahasotthitaḥ
sādhu sādhv iti vai sīte yasyās te śīlam īdṛśam

English

And a mighty cry of praise
rose at once from the gods:
“Well done, well done, Sita,
you whose character is such!”

॥ 7.97.24–27 ॥

CrEd 7.88.16–20

silent moment

॥ 7.98.2 ॥

silent moment