The Fire-god Appears in Person from the Burning Pyre

एतच्छ्रुत्वा शुभं वाक्यं पितामहसमीरितम् | अङ्केनादाय वैदेहीमुत्पपात विभावसुः || ६-११८-१

etachchhrutvaa shubhaM vaakyaM pitaamahasamiiritam | aN^kenaadaaya vaidehiimutpapaata vibhaavasuH || 6-118-1

Hearing the foregoing auspicious words of Brahma (the creator), the fire-god came up, taking Seetha in his arms.

विधूयाथ चितां तां तु विअदेहीं हव्यवाहनः | उत्तस्थौ मूर्तिमानाशु गृहीत्वा जनकात्मजाम् || ६-११८-२

vidhuuyaatha chitaaM taaM tu viadehiiM havyavaahanaH | uttasthau muurtimaanaashu gR^ihiitvaa janakaatmajaam || 6-118-2

Shaking off that funeral pile and taking that Seetha, the daughter of Janaka in his arms, the fire-god forthwith sprang up at once in a personified form.

तरुणादित्यसंकाशां तप्तकाञ्चनभूषणाम् | रक्ताम्बरधरां बालां नीलकुञ्चितमूर्धजाम् || ६-११८-३ अक्लिष्टमाल्याभरणां तथारूपामनिन्दिताम् | ददौ रामाय वैदेहीमङ्के कृत्वा विभावसुः || ६-११८-४

taruNaadityasaMkaashaaM taptakaaJNchanabhuuShaNaam | raktaambaradharaaM baalaaM niilakuJNchitamuurdhajaam || 6-118-3 akliShTamaalyaabharaNaaM tathaaruupaamaninditaam | dadau raamaaya vaidehiimaN^ke kR^itvaa vibhaavasuH || 6-118-4

Bearing in his arms the youthful Seetha, who was shining brightly as the rising sun, was decked in ornaments of refined gold, attired in a red robe and wore dark curly hair, who was further adorned with ornaments of flowers, which had not abraded (on her entering the fire and coming out of it), who was absolutely beyond reproach and looked just the same (as she did while entering the fire and coming out of it), who was absolutely beyond reproach and looked just the same (as she did while entering the flames), the fire-god restored her to Rama.

अब्रवीत्तु तदा रामं साक्षी लोकस्य पावकः | एषा ते राम वैदेही पापमस्यां न विद्यते || ६-११८-५

naiva vaachaa na manasaa naiva buddhyaa na chakShuShaa | suvR^ittaa vR^ittashauNDiiryaM na tvaamatyacharachchhubhaa || 6-118-6

Then, the fire-god, the witness of the whole world, spoke to Rama as follows "Here is your Seetha. No sin exists in her."

नैव वाचा न मनसा नैव बुद्ध्या न चक्षुषा | सुवृत्ता वृत्तशौण्डीर्यं न त्वामत्यचरच्छुभा || ६-११८-६

raavaNenaapaniitaiShaa viiryotsiktena rakShasaa | tvayaa virahitaa diinaa vivashaa nirjanaadvanaat || 6-118-7

"This auspicious lady, whose character has been good, has never been unfaithful to you who are endowed with strength of character either by word or by mind or even by intellect or by her glances."

रावणेनापनीतैषा वीर्योत्सिक्तेन रक्षसा | त्वया विरहिता दीना विवशा निर्जनाद्वनात् || ६-११८-७

ruddha chaantaHpure guptaa tvachchittaa tvatparaayaNaa | rakShitaa raakShasiibhishcha ghoraabhirghorabuddhibhiH || 6-118-8

"Separated from you, this miserable and helpless lady, was taken away by Ravana the demon, who was arrogant of his valour, from a lonely hermitage."

रुद्ध चान्तःपुरे गुप्ता त्वच्चित्ता त्वत्परायणा | रक्षिता राक्षसीभिश्च घोराभिर्घोरबुद्धिभिः || ६-११८-८

pralobhyamaanaa vividhaM tarjyamaanaa cha maithilii | naachintayata tadrakShastvadgatenaantaraatmanaa || 6-118-9

"This Seetha, who was fixing her mind upon you ad looking on you as her final attainment, was detained in the gynaecium and hidden there. She was guarded by rightful female-demons with horrible intellect."

प्रलोभ्यमाना विविधं तर्ज्यमाना च मैथिली | नाचिन्तयत तद्रक्षस्त्वद्गतेनान्तरात्मना || ६-११८-९

vishuddhabhaavaaM niShpaapaaM pratigR^ihNiiShva maithiliim | na kiMchirabhidhaatavyaa ahamaajJNaapayaami te || 6-118-10

"Seetha, whose mind was directed towards you, ignored that demon even though allured and frightened through various means."

विशुद्धभावां निष्पापां प्रतिगृह्णीष्व मैथिलीम् | न किंचिरभिधातव्या अहमाज्ञापयामि ते || ६-११८-१०

tataH priitamanaa raamaH shrutvaivaM vadataaM varaH | dadhyau muhuurtaM dharmaatmaa baaShpavyaakulalochanaH || 6-118-11

"Take back Seetha, who is sinless, with a pure character. She should not be told anything harsh. I hereby command you."

ततः प्रीतमना रामः श्रुत्वैवं वदतां वरः | दध्यौ मुहूर्तं धर्मात्मा बाष्पव्याकुललोचनः || ६-११८-११

evamukto mahaatejaa dhR^imaanuruvikramaH | uvaacha tridashashreShThaM raamo dharmabhR^itaaM varaH || 6-118-12

Rama, the excellent among the eloquent, whose mind was set on virtue, with a pleasant mind to hear the aforesaid speech, reflected for a while, his eyes, entirely filed with tears of joy.

एवमुक्तो महातेजा धृमानुरुविक्रमः | उवाच त्रिदशश्रेष्ठं रामो धर्मभृतां वरः || ६-११८-१२

avashyaM chaapi lokeShu siitaa paavanamarhati | diirghakaaloShitaa hiiyaM raavaNaantaHpure shubhaa || 6-118-13

Hearing those words, the courageous Rama of great prowess and the foremost of those upholding the virtue, replied to the fire-god, the best of gods.

अवश्यं चापि लोकेषु सीता पावनमर्हति | दीर्घकालोषिता हीयं रावणान्तःपुरे शुभा || ६-११८-१३

baalisho bata kaamaatma raamo dasharathaatmajaH | iti vakShyati maaM loko jaanakiimavishodhya hi || 6-118-14

"Seetha certainly deserves this pure factory ordeal in the eyes of the people in as much as this blessed woman had resided for a long time indeed in the gynaecium of Ravana.

बालिशो बत कामात्म रामो दशरथात्मजः | इति वक्ष्यति मां लोको जानकीमविशोध्य हि || ६-११८-१४

ananyahR^idayaaM bhaktaaM machattaparivartiniim | ahamapyavagachchhaami maithiliiM janakaatmajaam || 6-118-15

"The world would chatter against me, saying that Rama, the son of Dasaratha, was really foolish and that his mind was dominated by lust, if I accept Seetha without examining her with regard to her chastity."

अनन्यहृदयां भक्तां मचत्तपरिवर्तिनीम् | अहमप्यवगच्छामि मैथिलीं जनकात्मजाम् || ६-११८-१५

imaamapi vishaalaakShiiM rakShitaaM svena tejasaa | raavaNo naativarteta vela miva mahodadhiH || 6-118-16

"I also know that Seetha, the daughter of Janaka, who ever revolves in my mind, is undivided in her affection to me."

इमामपि विशालाक्षीं रक्षितां स्वेन तेजसा | रावणो नातिवर्तेत वेल मिव महोदधिः || ६-११८-१६

pratyayaarthaM tu lokaanaaM trayaaNaam satyasaMshrayaH | upekShe chaapi vaidehiiM pravishantiiM hutaashanam || 6-118-17

"Ravana could not violate this wide-eyed woman, protected as she was by her own splendour, any more than an ocean would transgress its bounds."

प्रत्ययार्थं तु लोकानां त्रयाणाम् सत्यसंश्रयः | उपेक्षे चापि वैदेहीं प्रविशन्तीं हुताशनम् || ६-११८-१७

na cha shaktaH suduShTatmaa manasaapi hi maithiliim | pradharShayitumapraapyaaM diiptaamagnishikhaamiva || 6-118-18

"In order to convince the three worlds, I, whose refugee is truth, ignored Seetha while she was entering the fire."

न च शक्तः सुदुष्टत्मा मनसापि हि मैथिलीम् | प्रधर्षयितुमप्राप्यां दीप्तामग्निशिखामिव || ६-११८-१८

neya marhati chaishvaryaM raavaNaantaHpure shubhaa | ananyaa hi mayaa siitaa bhaaskareNa prabhaa yathaa || 6-118-19

"The evil-minded Ravana was not able to lay his violent hands, even in thought, o the unobtainable Seetha, who was blazing like a flaming tongue of fire."

नेय मर्हति चैश्वर्यं रावणान्तःपुरे शुभा | अनन्या हि मया सीता भास्करेण प्रभा यथा || ६-११८-१९

vishuddhaa triShu lokeShu maithilii janakaatmajaa | na vihaatuM mayaa shakyaa kiirtiraatmavataa yathaa || 6-118-20

"This auspicious woman could not give way to the sovereignty, existing in the gynaecium of Ravana, in as much as Seetha is not different from me, even as sunlight is not different from the sun."

विशुद्धा त्रिषु लोकेषु मैथिली जनकात्मजा | न विहातुं मया शक्या कीर्तिरात्मवता यथा || ६-११८-२०

avashyaM cha mayaa kaaryaM sarveShaaM vo vacho hitam | snigdhaanaaM lokanaathaanaamevaM cha vadataaM hitam || 6-118-21

"Seetha, the daughter of Janaka, is completely pure in her character, in all the three worlds and can no longer be renounced by me, as a good name cannot be cast aside by a prudent man."

अवश्यं च मया कार्यं सर्वेषां वो वचो हितम् | स्निग्धानां लोकनाथानामेवं च वदतां हितम् || ६-११८-२१

ityevamuktvaa vijayii mahaabalaH | prashasyamaanah svakR^itena karmaNaa | sametya raamaH priyayaa mahaayashaaH | sukhaM sukhaarho.anubabhuuva raaghavaH || 6-118-22

The salutary advice of you all, the affectionate guardians of the world, who are saying what is conducive to our good, must be certainly carried out by me."

इत्येवमुक्त्वा विजयी महाबलः | प्रशस्यमानह् स्वकृतेन कर्मणा | समेत्य रामः प्रियया महायशाः | सुखं सुखार्होऽनुबभूव राघवः || ६-११८-२२

Saying thus and getting reunited with her beloved Seetha, the victorious and highly illustrious Rama, a scion of Raghu dynasty, who was endowed with a great strength and deserved happiness and was being glorified by his exploits, performed by his own self, experienced joy.