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The Song of Urmila's Separation
Andhra Women's Song Spotlights
Ramayana's Neglected Urmila
Urmila Devi's Nidra
King Rama on the throne, the court is held in glory.
Bharata, Shatrughna and Lakshmana were in attendance to serve him.
Hanuman pressed Rama's feet. Sugriva stood by humbly.
Tumbura and Narada sang and Rambha and her troop danced.
Sanaka and other great sages discoursed on high disciplines.
All the gods were pleased and flowers rained from the sky.
Sita took a look at all the people present.
She looked at her husband and joined her hands in prayer.
"God of gods, listen, I have an appeal to make to you.
When we were going to the forest, when your brother Lakshmana followed us,
Urmila was ready to go with him, but he said she should not go.
The woman went to sleep beginning from that very day.
Now Lakshmana should go to her. You should ask him to go to her."
When Rama heard what Sita said, he felt sad for Urmila.
He called Lakshmana close, and said: "Is it proper to leave
your wife alone? Go to your dear wife. And talk
lovingly to her, and make her forget her grief."
Lakshmana was pleased and quickly left the court.
He went past many doors and many wide courtyards.
He went to his own palace, where Urmila was sleeping,
He entered his room and saw the woman in deep sleep.
He bent over the bed and fixed her sari and sash,
He sat by her side and talked to her, she was
dearer to him than his own life: "Woman," he said,
"The moon is nothing before your face, and betel misses your lips,
Speak your words, sweet like nectar, and cool my parched soul.
Your feet are soft like lotuses, wake up and wear gold on them."
Urmila shivered in her sleep and said, "Who are you, sir? And why are you here?
You dared to be so brash, you dared to commit a wrong.
Prowling through alleys and lanes, you came to grab me alone.
If my father Janaka hears of this, he will punish you, count on it.
If king Rama hears of this, your life will be in severe danger.
If my sister's brother-in-law hears of this, he will not let you live.
My great family's name is tarnished now, helpless me, what can I do?
The family of my birth is blemished now, helpless me, what can I do?
Because he went after another man's wife, Indra has an ugly body.
Because he went after another man's wife, Ravana was killed and his kingdom was lost.
You know these well-known stories, and still you are intent on this.
Don't you have a sister like me, and aren't you born of a mother?"
As Urmila went on talking, Lakshmana said to her in grief.
"I am Rama's brother."
"Never heard of that name."
"I am Janaka's son-in-law."
"Who on earth is he?"
"You are like my goddess of wealth, I am Sita's brother-in-law."
"What are you talking about, and who is Sita, anyway?"
"You are Urmila, aren't you? Don't you tell me a lie.
Aren't I Sita's brother-in-law? Kindly wake up from sleep.
And know something else, Sita was taken away.
She was separated from us; we had to fight a battle for her.
We had to kill Ravana to bring the woman back.
If you don't accept me, my beauty, people will speak badly of me.
From the day I left you in the city, I have neither eaten nor slept.
If you do not accept me, I will not live any longer."
Lakshmana took the sword from his sheath. He was ready to kill himself.
As he spoke with tears in his eyes, Urmila was startled and woke up scared.
She saw it was her husband, and her mind became clear.
She fell on his feet and bowed to him. He picked her up in love
and wiped the tears from her face.
"My father was naive in giving me to you," she said,
"He didn't know the truth. He thought you were a proud man
and was blissfully happy for you. But in fact,
you have your mind elsewhere, you belittle your own wife."
Lakshmana knew her mind and felt sad.
"I've barely survived without you all these fourteen years.
I neither ate nor slept, it's true, I'll take an oath on you.
We probably separated a good couple in some past life.
And we have suffered for that now. No point in worrying.
What we did in the past has to be paid for in this life."
Kaushalya saw the distressed couple and gave them a relaxing bath.
She dressed Urmila in a soft silk sari and a shining golden blouse.
She gave her jewels and ornaments and dressed Lakshmana too.
She made a white and orange mark on Lakshmana's handsome face.
When they saw themselves in a mirror, Urmila bent her head and smiled.
Prince Lakshmana sat like the king of gods on a seat of pearls.
Shanta led Urmila to his side and she came walking gently.
Her face was bent in shyness while the bells on her feet jingled.
Sumitra made her sit next to Lakshmana and she served them on golden plates
five delicious dishes and gave them ghee from silver bowls.
Shanta said to Lakshmana, "Eat well my brother, in the company of your wife,
free from the fatigue of the forest, where you neither ate nor slept.
Enjoy the delicious dishes specially made for you,
and curds and buttermilk, as much as you want."
They ate their fill, and washed their hands, and sat chewing betel.
"Some one here has slept for fourteen years in a row,"
Shanta teased Urmila, calling on Sita to listen.
"We don't know where she had stashed away this golden glow of her face.
We should make a dark offering to the gods to ward off the evil eye."
"It's your handsome brothers," said Sita, "that need such an offering, not us."
"They rule the whole world, and their moon-like faces
make the world fall in love with them."
"You are like my goddess of wealth, I am Sita's brother-in-law."
"What are you talking about, and who is Sita, anyway?"
"You are Urmila, aren't you? Don't you tell me a lie.
Aren't I Sita's brother-in-law? Kindly wake up from sleep.
And know something else, Sita was taken away.
She was separated from us; we had to fight a battle for her.
We had to kill Ravana to bring the woman back.
If you don't accept me, my beauty, people will speak badly of me.
From the day I left you in the city, I have neither eaten nor slept.
If you do not accept me, I will not live any longer."
Lakshmana took the sword from his sheath. He was ready to kill himself.
As he spoke with tears in his eyes, Urmila was startled and woke up scared.
She saw it was her husband, and her mind became clear.
She fell on his feet and bowed to him. He picked her up in love
and wiped the tears from her face.
"My father was naive in giving me to you," she said,
"He didn't know the truth. He thought you were a proud man
and was blissfully happy for you. But in fact,
you have your mind elsewhere, you belittle your own wife."
Lakshmana knew her mind and felt sad.
"I've barely survived without you all these fourteen years.
I neither ate nor slept, it's true, I'll take an oath on you.
We probably separated a good couple in some past life.
And we have suffered for that now. No point in worrying.
What we did in the past has to be paid for in this life."
Kaushalya saw the distressed couple and gave them a relaxing bath.
She dressed Urmila in a soft silk sari and a shining golden blouse.
She gave her jewels and ornaments and dressed Lakshmana too.
She made a white and orange mark on Lakshmana's handsome face.
When they saw themselves in a mirror, Urmila bent her head and smiled.
Prince Lakshmana sat like the king of gods on a seat of pearls.
Shanta led Urmila to his side and she came walking gently.
Her face was bent in shyness while the bells on her feet jingled.
Sumitra made her sit next to Lakshmana and she served them on golden plates
five delicious dishes and gave them ghee from silver bowls.
Shanta said to Lakshmana, "Eat well my brother, in the company of your wife,
free from the fatigue of the forest, where you neither ate nor slept.
Enjoy the delicious dishes specially made for you,
and curds and buttermilk, as much as you want."
They ate their fill, and washed their hands, and sat chewing betel.
"Some one here has slept for fourteen years in a row,"
Shanta teased Urmila, calling on Sita to listen.
"We don't know where she had stashed away this golden glow of her face.
We should make a dark offering to the gods to ward off the evil eye."
"It's your handsome brothers," said Sita, "that need such an offering, not us."
"They rule the whole world, and their moon-like faces
make the world fall in love with them."
Rama opened the gifts and saw Sita's jewels among them.
Brother Lakshmana, come,' he said and showed the jewels to me.
I had never seen those jewels, but I recognized her anklets.
I saw them every day when I bowed to her at sunrise.
Rama called Hanuman and gave his ring to him.
He told him how Sita looks and sent him to search for her.
Hanuman crossed the ocean, searched the Ashoka garden.
He gave Sita the ring.
He talked to her.
He took her crest-jewel
and came back fast and stood before Rama.
How could I bring your wife? Tell me.
Her hair is all matted and a bamboo grows in her belly.
I couldn't bear to see her, nor think of her condition now.'
When Hanuman said this grieving, Rama fell unconscious.
Rama invaded Lanka and destroyed Ravana and his army.
He asked Sita to be brought to his presence,
beautifully dressed.
When she was brought to him, he said,
She lived in captivity for ten months, I cannot talk to her.'
What good are words of truth, make a fire for me,' said Sita.
From a fire blazing high as the sky, my sister-in-law talked.
The fire was cool to her, like she was bathing in a lake.
Because she was chaste, my sister-in-law came back.
Sita and Rama are now on
the throne of Ayodhya."
Thus, Lakshmana told the story of all the troubles they had suffered.
Then the sisters talked of Sita's hardships in captivity.
"Now you have heard what kind of a mind our Man with the Wheel has?"
"Look," they said to each other, "Our sister had to live
away from her handsome husband in that horrible forest
imprisoned by that sinful demon
for ten months in Lanka."
They all agreed that there is no point
in regretting what had happened.
They praised Rama and Sita,
who were installed on the throne.
This is the song of Urmila's separation.
Anyone who sings or hears it
Lakshmana gives them the world of God.
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I Just copy pasted this , This is very famous in Telugu , So What I posted here is a translation of it , I owe no credits .
Those who want to read a in depth writeup of this can go through this link
http://www.manushi-india.org/pdfs_issues/PDF%20Files%20153/Urmila%20pg.pdf
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I Just copy pasted this , This is very famous in Telugu , So What I posted here is a translation of it , I owe no credits .
Those who want to read a in depth writeup of this can go through this link
http://www.manushi-india.org/pdfs_issues/PDF%20Files%20153/Urmila%20pg.pdf
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