तरु पल्लव महँ रहा लुकाई । करइ विचार करउँ का भाई ॥
तेहि अवसर रावन तहँ आवा । सङ्ग नारि बहु किये बनावा ॥
taru pallava maham̐ rahā lukāī | karai vicāra karaum̐ kā bhāī ||
tehi avasara rāvana taham̐ āvā | saṅga nāri bahu kiye banāvā ||
Sundara Kanda
Chapter 9: Ravana woos Sita, she answers through grass
6 verses · 9 of 60
What happens in this chapter
Ravana woos Sita, she answers through grass
Hidden among the leaves, Hanuman wonders what to do. Ravana arrives with his finely dressed wives and tries every means on Sita: coaxing, bribing, threats, division. I vow to make Mandodari and all my queens your servants, he says; only look at me once. Vaidehi holds a blade of grass between them and, remembering the lord of Avadh, replies: does the lotus ever open to a firefly's glow? Fool, you have no thought of Raghubir's arrows. You stole me when He was away, shameless wretch. Called a firefly, with Rama named the sun, Ravana draws his sword in fury.
बहु बिधि खल सीतहि समुझावा । साम दाम भय भेद देखावा ॥
कह रावन सुनु सुमुखि सयानी । मन्दोदरी आदि सब रानी ॥
bahu bidhi khala sītahi samujhāvā | sāma dāma bhaya bheda dekhāvā ||
kaha rāvana sunu sumukhi sayānī | mandodarī ādi saba rānī ||
तव अनुचरीं करउँ पन मोरा । एक बार बिलोकु मम ओरा ॥
तृन धरि ओट कहति बैदेही । सुमिरि अवधपति परम-सनेही ॥
tava anucarīṃ karaum̐ pana morā | eka bāra biloku mama orā ||
tṛna dhari oṭa kahati baidehī | sumiri avadhapati parama-sanehī ||
सुनु दसमुख खद्योत प्रकासा । कबहुँ कि नलिनी करइ बिकासा ॥
अस मन समुझु कहति जानकी । खल सुधि नहिँ रघुबीर बान की ॥
sunu dasamukha khadyota prakāsā | kabahum̐ ki nalinī karai bikāsā ||
asa mana samujhu kahati jānakī | khala sudhi nahim̐ raghubīra bāna kī ||
सठ सूने हरि आनेहि मोही । अधम निलज्ज लाज नहिँ तोही ॥
saṭha sūne hari ānehi mohī | adhama nilajja lāja nahim̐ tohī ||
आपुहि सुनि खद्योत सम, रामहिँ भानु समान ।
परुष बचन सुनि काढि असि, बोला अति खिसिआन ॥
āpuhi suni khadyota sama, rāmahim̐ bhānu samāna |
paruṣa bacana suni kāḍhi asi, bolā ati khisiāna ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0