Book III : Aranya Kanda - The Forest Trek
Rama replies Seetha's enquiry as to why he should wage war to eliminate the demons. He says that it is only to protect the land from the atrocities of demons, and for safeguarding the decrepit sages under his scheme of protecting the helpless. |
vaakyam etat tu vaidehyaa vyaahR^itam bhartR^i bhaktyaa |
shrutvaa dharme sthito raamaH pratyuvaaca jaanakiim || 4-10-1
1. bhartR^i bhaktyaa= husband, in adoration of; vaidehyaa vyaahR^itam= by Vaidehi, said; etat vaakyam tu= all, words, but; shrutvaa= on hearing; dharme sthitaH raamaH= by virtue, abides, Rama; prati uvaaca jaanakiim= in turn, said [replied,] to Janaki.
On hearing all of the words said by Vaidehi, in adoration of her husband, he who abides by virtue alone that Rama replied Janaki. [4-10-1]
hitam uktam tvayaa devi snigdhayaa sadR^isham vacaH |
kulam vyapadishantyaa ca dharmaj~ne janaka aatmaje || 4-10-2
2. devi= oh, lady; dharmaj~ne janaka aatmaje= oh, virtue-knower, Janaka's, daughter; kulam vyapadishantyaa [vi apa dish] ca= familial [greatness,] that speak of; snigdhayaa tvayaa hitam sadR^isham vacaH uktam= friendlily, by you, beneficial words, befitting to your [disposition]; is said.
"You have said beneficial, friendlily words that are seemlier to your disposition, oh, lady, which are apt to speak of your familial brought up, for you are the daughter of virtue-knowing Janaka. [4-10-2]
kim nu vakSyaami aham devi tvayaa eva uk{}tam idam vacaH |
kSatriyaiH dhaaryate caapo na aarta shabdo bhaved iti || 4-10-3
3. devi= o, lady; aham kim nu vakSyaami= I, what [more,] verily, can I say; aarta shabdaH na bhavet iti= wailer's, yowl, shall not, be there, thus [misery's tears shall cease to flow – Griffit]; kSatriyaiH dhaaryate caapaH= Kshatriya-s, handle, bow; idam vacaH tvayaa eva uktam= this, word, by you, alone [perhaps,] said [iterated.]
"What more shall I say, oh, lady, since it is said that 'a warrior handles a bow so that misery's tears cease to flow...' and this saying is iterated even by you... [4-10-3]
te ca aartaa daNDakaaraNye munayaH sa.mshita vrataaH |
maam siite svayam aagamya sharaNyaaH sharaNam gataaH || 4-10-4
4. siite= oh! Seetha; samshita vrataaH= sages, resolute, in practises; sharaNyaaH daNDakaaraNye te munayaH= those that are shelteable, in Dansaka forest, those sages; aartaa svayam aagamya= sombrely, on approaching; maam sharaNam gataaH = my, refuge, they have gone in [came into.]
"Oh! Seetha, those shleterable sages of Dandaka forest have approached me sombrely on their own, and thus they came into my refuge... [4-10-4]
vasantaH kaala kaaleSu vane muula phala ashanaaH |
na labhante sukham bhiiru raakSasaiH kruura karmabhiH || 4-10-5
5. muula phala ashanaaH= tubers, fruits, eaters of; vasantaH kaala kaaleSu vane= living, time, after times [in all times,] in forest; kruura karmabhiH raakSasaiH bhiiru= with invidious, deeds, by demons, scared; sukham na labhante= quietude, not getting.
"Subsisting on fruits and tubers, living at all the time in forests those sages are not getting quietude, as they are scared by the demons with invidious deeds... [4-10-5]
bhakSyante raakSasaiH bhiimaiH nara maa.msopajiivibhiH |
te bhakSyamaaNaa munayo daNDakaaraNya vaasinaH || 4-10-6
asmaan abhyavapadya iti maam uucur dvija sattamaaH |
6, 7a. munayaH daNDakaaraNya vaasinaH= sages, in Dandaka forest, dwellers; bhiimaiH nara maa.msopajiivibhiH= fiendish, on human, felsh, that subsist; raakSasaiH bhakSyante= by demons, are being eaten; te bhakSyamaaNaa= they, while being eaten; dvija sattamaaH= Brahmans, the eminet ones; asmaan abhyavapadya [abhi ava pad]= us, [to take possession of us] come to rescue; iti= thus as; maam uucur= to me, said.
"The sages dwelling in Dandaka forest are being eaten away by fiendish demons that subsist on human flesh, and while being eaten away like that those eminent Brahmans have said to me, "please come to our rescue..." [4-10-6,7a]
mayaa tu vacanam shrutvaa teSaam evam mukhaat cyutam || 4-10-7
kR^itvaa vacana shushruSaam vaakyam etat udaahR^itam |
prasiidantu bhavanto me hriiH eSaa tu mama atulaa || 4-10-8
yad iidR^ishaiH aham vipraiH upastheyaiH upasthitaH |
7b, 8, 9a. evam teSaam mukhaat cyutam vacanam shrutvaa= this way, from their, mouth, fel, words, on hearing; mayaa tu= by me, but; kR^itvaa vacana shushruSaam= on making, vocal, vassalage – comforting them verbally; vaakyam etat udaahR^itam= sentence, this one, avouched; prasiidantu me bhavantaH= be gracious, to me, you all; aham yat [kaaraNaat] = I am, by which [reason]; upastheyaiH iidR^ishaiH vipraiH= those that are to be served, this kind of, [eminent] Brahamnas; upasthitaH= they came to my fore; eSaa mama atulaa hriiH hi= this, for me, immense, shame/dishonour, indeed.
"This way when I have heard the words voiced by them, I comforted them verbally and avouched this way, "Be gracious to me... you all... by which reason I am being addressed this way by this kind of eminent Brahmans, whom I should have actually addressed my self, this indeed is a dishonour for me... [4-10-7b, 8, 9a]
kim karomi iti ca mayaa vyaahR^itam dvija sa.mnidhau || 4-10-9
sarvaiH eva samaagamya vaak iyam samudaahR^itaa |
9b, 10a. kim karomi iti ca= what, I shall do, thus, also; mayaa vyaahR^itam dvija sannidhau= by me, said, in Brahmins', in front of; sarvaiH eva samaagamya= all, thus, thronging; vaak iyam sam udaahR^itaa= word, this, spoke out.
"Then I said before the Brahmans, "what shall I do?" All of them thus thronged and spoke this word. [4-10-9b, 10a]
raakSasaiH daNDakaaraNye bahubhiH kaama ruupibhiH || 4-20-10
arditaaH sma bhR^isham raama bhavaan naH tatra rakshatu |
10b, 11a. raama= oh! Rama; daNDakaaraNye bahubhiH kaama ruupibhiH raakSasaiH = in Dandaka forest, many of the, guise-changing, demons; bhR^isham arditaaH sma = outrightly, tortured, we are; bhavaan tatra rakshatu naH = you, us, there in that, context protect, us.
"Many of the guise changing demons are outrightly torturing us in Dandaka forest, hence in that context you shall protect us... [4-10-10b, 11a]
homa kaale tu sa.mpraapte parva kaaleSu ca anagha || 4-10-11
dharSayanti sudurdharSaa raakSasaaH pishita ashanaaH |
11b, 12a. anagha= oh, merited one Rama; su dur dharSaa= highly, resistless ones; pishita ashanaaH= flesh, eating [carnivorous]; raakSasaaH= demons; homa kaale tu= at oblation, times, but; parva kaaleSu ca= on propitious, times, also; sampraapte= chancing, descend on; dharSayanti= they will be persecuting.
"Those resistless carnivorous demons, oh, merited Rama, will descend exactly at the time of fire oblations, or on propitious times like full or new moons to persecute us... [4-10-11b, 12a]
raakSasaiH dharSitaanaam ca taapasaanaam tapasvinaam || 4-10-12
gatim mR^igayamaaNaanaam bhavaan naH paramaa gatiH |
12b, 13a. raakSasaiH dharSitaanaam ca= by demons, being assaulted, too; taapasaanaam tapasvinaam= aggrieved, ascetics; gatim mR^igaya maaNaanaam= recourse, searching, those that are searching; bhavaan= you are; naH= for us; paramaa gatiH= ultimate, course [we chanced on you.]
"We the ascetics being assaulted thus are aggrieved, and when we searched for a recourse you chanced as our ultimate course... [4-10-12b, 13a]
kaamam tapaH prabhaaveNa shak{}taa hantum nishaacaraan || 4-10-13
ciraarjitam na ca icChaamaH tapaH khaNDayitum vayam |
13b, 14a. vayam tapaH prabhaaveNa= we are, by our ascesis, efficacy of; hantum nishaacaraan= kaamam shakaaH= to eradicate, demons, surely, we are capable of; tu= but; cira arjitam tapaH= for a long time, earned, ascesis [ the effect of]; na ca icChaamaH khaNDayitum= not, also, we wish, to cut short, waste;
"We by the efficacy of our ascesis are surely capable to eradicate those demons, but we do not wish to shorten the effect of our long earned merit of ascesis... [4-10-13b, 14a]
bahu vighnam tapo nityam duHshcaram caiva raaghava || 4-10-14
tena shaapam na mu.ncaamo bhakSyamaaNaaH ca raakSasaiH |
14b, 15a. Raghava; tapaH nityam bahu vighnam= ascesis, always, with many hurdles; duH caram ca eva = impracticable, also, like that; tena= by the reason of it; raakSasaiH bhakSyamaaNaaH= though being eaten away, by demons; shaapam na muncaamaH= thus, curse, not, issued.
"Many hurdles are always there in our practice of ascesis, and even the ascesis have become impracticable, oh, Raghava, thus though being eaten away by the demons we are not issuing any curse... [4-10-14b, 15a]
tad ardyamaanaan rakSobhiH daNDakaaraNya vaasibhiH || 4-10-15
rakSa naH tvam saha bhraatraa tvam naathaa hi vayam vane |
15b, 16b. tat= thereby; daNDakaaraNya vaasibhiH rakSobhiH = Dandaka forest, dwellers, by demons; ardyamaanaan= being persecuted; naH= us; saha bhraatraa tvam rakSa= with, brother you, protect; vayam vane tvam naathaa hi= we, in forest, you, as protector, we have you isn't it.
"Thereby, you along with your brother protect us that are being persecuted by the demons dwelling in Dandaka forest as you alone are the protector of ours in these forests...'so said sages to me... [4-10-15b, 16a]
mayaa ca etat vacaH shrutvaa kaartsnyena paripaalanam || 4-10-16
R^iSiiNaam daNDakaaraNye sa.mshrutam janakaaatmaje |
16b, 17a. janaka aatmaje= Janaka's, daughter – oh, Seetha; mayaa ca etat vacaH shrutvaa= by me, also, all these, words, on hearing; daNDakaaraNye R^iSiiNaam= in Dandaka forests, to sages; kaartsnyena paripaalanam samshrutam= complete, protection, promised.
"On hearing all those words, oh, Seetha, I promised complete protection to the sages of Dandaka forests... [4-10-16b, 17a]
sa.mshrutya na ca shakSyaami jiivamaanaH pratishravam || 4-10-17
muniinaam anyathaa kartum satyam iSTam hi me sadaa |
17b, 18a. samshrutya= having promised; jiivamaanaH= while alive; muniinaam prati shravam= to sages, what that is promised; anyathaa kartum na shakSyaami= otherwise, to implement, not, capable of; me sadaa satyam iSTam hi= always, truth, is dearer, to me, isn't it.
"Having promised to the sages it is incapable of me to implement it otherwise while I am alive... truth is dearer to me, isn't it... [4-10-17b, 18a]
api aham jiivitam jahyaam tvaam vaa siite sa lakSmaNaam || 4-10-18
na tu pratij~naam sa.mshrutya braahmaNebhyo visheSataH |
18b, 19a. siite= Seetha; aham jiivitam api= I, life, even; sa lakSmaNaam= with, Lakshmana; tvaam vaa= you, either; jahyaam= I leave off; tu= but; pratij~naam= promise; visheSataH braahmaNebhyaH= especially, to Brahmans; samshrutya= having promised; na tu= never [I will never go back.]
"I may forfeit my life, forgo Lakshmana, or even forsake you but not a promise, that too especially made to Brahmans, and having promised I can never go back... [4-10-18b, 19a]
tat avashyam mayaa kaaryam R^iSiiNaam paripaalanam || 4-10-19
anuk{}tena api vaidehi pratij~naaya katham punaH |
19b, 20a. vaidehi= oh, Vaidehi; tat= by that reason; an + uktena api= not, asked [by sages,] even if; R^iSiiNaam pari paalanam= of sages', safeguarding; mayaa avashyam kaaryam= by me, definitely, to be done; pratij~naaya katham punaH= having, how, then [to not to do.]
"By that reason, oh, Seetha, even if I am unasked, safeguarding sages is definitely to be done by me, how then it is undone when given a promise... [4-10-19b, 20a]
mama snehaat ca sauhaardaat idam uk{}tam tvayaa vacaH || 4-10-20
parituSTo asmi aham siite na hi aniSTo anushaasyate |
20b, 21a. siite= oh, Seetha; mama snehaat sauhaardaat ca = in my, friendship, good-heartedness, also; idam vacaH uktam tvayaa= this, word, is said, by you; parituSTaH asmi aham= contented, I am; an + iSTaH na anushaasyate hi= uninterested ones, not, forewarns, indeed.
"With your friendship and good-heartedness you say these words, oh, Seetha, I am contended... uninterested ones do not forewarn, indeed... [4-10-20b, 21a]
sadR^isham ca anuruupam ca kulasya tava shobhane |
sadharma caariNii me tvam praaNebhyo api gariiyasii || 4-10-21
21b, c. tava kulasya ca, shobhane= for your, bloodline, oh, graceful one; sadR^isham anuruupam ca= appropriate, seemly, also; me sa dharma caariNii= with me, virtue, wife the pursuer; tvam praaNebhyaH api gariiyasii= you are, by [my] lives, even, loftier one.
"Appropriate and seemly is your word of caution to your bloodline, oh, graceful Seetha, you are the co-pursuer in dharma with me, hence you are loftier to me than my own lives..." So said Rama to Seetha. [4-10-21b, c]
iti evam uk{}tvaa vacanam mahaatmaa
siitaam priyaam maithila raaja putriim |
raamo dhanuSmaan saha lakSmaNena
jagaama ramyaaNi tapo vanaani || 4-10-22
22. mahaatmaa= exalted-soul; raamaH= Rama; priyaam maithila raaja putriim siitaam= to dear one, Mithila, king's, daughter, to Seetha; iti evam uktvaa vacanam= thus, that way, on saying, words; dhanuSmaan= bow-wielder; saha lakSmaNena= with, Lakshmana; ramyaaNi tapo vanaani jagaama= to picturesque, hermits, woodlands, went to.
That exalted soul Rama on saying those words to Seetha, his dear wife and the daughter of Janaka, wielding his bow proceeded further with Lakshmana to the picturesque woodlands of hermits. [4-10-22]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye araNya kaaNDe dashamaH sargaH
Thus, this is the 10th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
© 2001, Desiraju Hanumanta Rao, [Revised : March 04]