Book III : Aranya Kanda - The Forest Trek
The fourteen demons arrive at Rama's cottage guided by Shuurpanakha and they wage a war with Rama in which Rama destructs all their weaponry and eliminates them all. Seeing this defeat Shuurpanakha rushes back to her brother to report the defeat. |
tataH shuurpaNakhaa ghoraa raaghava aashramam aagataa |
rakSasaan aacacakSe tau bhraatarau saha siitayaa || 3-20-1
1. tataH ghoraa shuurpaNakhaa = then, ghastly, Shuurpanakha; raaghava aashramam aagataa = Raghava's, hermitage, on arriving; rakSasaan= to [fourteen] demons; saha siitayaa= with, Seetha; bhraatarau tau aacacakSe= brothers, them two, said - has shown.
Then on arriving at Raghava's hermitage that ghastly Shuurpanakha has shown the brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, along with Seetha to the fourteen demons. [3-20-1]
te raamam parNa shaalaayaam upaviSTam mahaabalam |
dadR^ishuH siitayaa saardham lakSmaNena api sevitam || 3-20-2
2. te= they the demons; siitayaa saardham= with Seetha, along; lakSmaNena api sevitam= by Lakshmana, even, attended by; parNa shaalaayaam= in thatched leaf, cottage; upaviSTam mahaabalam = sitting, great mighty; raamam dadR^ishuH= Rama , they saw.
They have seen the great-mighty Rama seated in the thatched cottage along with Seetha and Lakshmana attending to him. [3-20-2]
taam dR^iSTvaa raaghavaH shriimaan aagataam taam ca raakSasiim |
abraviit bhraataram raamo lakSmaNam diipta tejasam || 3-20-3
3. shriimaan raaghavaH= magnificent one, of Raghava dynasty; aagataam taam= those demons, who arrived, them; taam raakSasiim ca = her, the demoness, also; dR^iSTvaa = on seeing; diipta tejasam bhraataram lakSmaNam = to radiantly, brilliant, brother, to Lakshmana; raamaH abraviit= Rama , said.
On seeing the arrival of the demons, and the demoness Shuurpanakha too, that magnificent Rama of Raghava dynasty said to the radiantly brilliant Lakshmana. [3-20-3]
muhuurtam bhava saumitre siitaayaaH pratyana.ntaraH |
imaan asyaa vadhiSyaami padaviim aagataan iha || 3-20-4
4. saumitre= oh, Soumitri; muhuurtam= for a moment; siitaayaaH= with Seetha; prati anantaraH= towards, non-distantly [close by]; bhava= you be; asyaaH= her [Shuurpanakha's]; padaviim= way - trailing her path; iha aagataan = here, those that have come; imaan vadhiSyaami= these [demons,] I wish to eliminate.
"Oh, Soumitri, briefly tarry at the close of Seetha as I wish to eliminate these demons who have trailed the path of that demoness to here. [3-20-4]
vaakyam etat tataH shrutvaa raamasya vidita aatmanaH |
tathaa iti lakSmaNo vaakyam raamasya pratyapuujayat || 3-20-5
5. tataH lakSmaNaH= then, Lakshmana; vidita aatmanaH = clearly knowing, souled - nimble-souled; raamasya etat vaakyam shrutvaa= Rama 's, that, word, on hearing; tathaa iti = so be it, thus; raamasya vaakyam prati apuujayat= Rama 's, sentence, in turn, adored - honoured.
On hearing that word of Rama, then the nimble-souled Lakshmana honoured the word of Rama saying "so be it." [3-20-5]
raaghavo api mahat caapam caamiikara vibhuuSitam |
cakaara sajyam dharmaatmaa taani rakSaa.msi ca abraviit || 3-20-6
6. dharmaatmaa raaghavaH api= virtue-souled, Raghava, even; caamiikara vibhuuSitam= gold, decorated with; mahat caapam= awful, bow; sa jyam cakaara = with, bowstring, made [stringed bowstring]; taani rakSaamsi abraviit ca = them, to demons, spoke [as forewarning,] even.
On taking up his awful bow that is decorated with gold Raghava stringed it with bowstring and even spoke the demons as a forewarning. [3-20-6]
putrau dasharathasya aavaam bhraatarau raama lakSmaNau |
praviSTau siitayaa saardham dushcaram daNDakaa vanam || 3-20-7
7. aavaam putrau dasharathasya = we are, sons, of Dasharatha; bhraatarau raama lakSmaNau= brothers, Rama, Lakshmana; siitayaa saardham= Seetha, along with; duH caram daNDakaa vanam praviSTa= not, passable, Dandaka, forest, we entered.
"We the sons of Dasharatha are brothers named Rama and Lakshmana, and we entered the impenetrable forests Dandaka along with Seetha. [3-20-7]
phala muula ashanau daa.ntau taapasau dharma caariNau |
vasantau daNDakaaraNye kim artham upahi.msatha || 3-20-8
8. phala muula ashanau= fruits, tubers, eaters; daantau= dispassionate; dharma caariNau= virtue, treaders in; daNDaka araNye vasantau = in Dandaka, forest, residents; taapasau= being sages; kim artham= what, for; upa himsatha = you outrage us.
"We the dispassionate subsist on fruits and tubers treading in the path of virtue, and we being the sages resident in Dandaka forest what for you outrage us. [3-20-8]
yuSmaan paapa aatmakaan ha.ntum viprakaaraan mahaahave |
R^iSiiNaam tu niyogena praapto aham sashara aasanaH || 3-20-9
9. paapa aatmakaan= evil, souled ones; vi prakaaraan= not, righteous ones; yuSmaan mahaa ahave hantum= you, in a crucial clash, to eliminate; sa shara aasanaH= with, arrows, bow; R^iSiiNaam tu niyogena= by sages, but, assigned; aham= I; praaptaH= chanced [here.]
"As assigned by the sages I chanced here with bow and arrows to decimate you evil-souled and unrighteous beings in a crucial clash. [3-20-9]
tiSThata eva atra sa.ntuSTaa na upavarititum arhatha |
yadi praaNaiH iha artho vo nivartadhvam nishaa caraaH || 3-20-10
10. nishaa caraaH= oh, night, walkers; santuSTaaH [samduSTaaH] atra eva tiSThata = be satisfied [very abominable ones,] there, only, stay; upaavarititum na arhatha= to return, not, fit - impossible to return; vaa yadi = else, if; praaNaiH arthaH= with lives, purpose [if you desire your lives]; iha nivartadhvam= now, return.
"Stay there obligingly or you should not be able to return, else if you desire your lives, oh, nightwalkers, you may return now. [3-20-10]
tasya tad vacanam shrutvaa raakSasaaH te caturdasha |
uucur vaacam susa.mkruddhaa brahmaghnaH shuula paaNayaH || 3-20-11
sa.mrak{}ta nayanaa ghoraa raamam rak{}taa.nta locanam |
paruSaa madhura aabhaaSam hR^iSTaaH adR^iSTa paraakramam || 3-20-12
11, 12. tasya tat vacanam shrutvaa= his [Rama's,] that, sentence, on hearing; brahma ghnaH= Brahman, slayers; shuula paaNayaH= spears, handlers; te catur dasha raakSasaaH= those, fourteen, demons; ghoraa= ghoulish ones; sam rakta nayanaa = highly, bloodshot, eyed; su sam kruddhaa= very, highly, infuriated; paruSaa= with harsh [words]; raamam rakta anta locanam= to Rama, blood streaks, at ends, eyed; madhura aabhaaSam= to sweet, talker; a + dR^iSTa paraakramam= un, seen, [whose] valour [is, of Rama]; hR^iSTaH= happily [self-confidently, demons]; vaacam uucuH= words, said.
On hearing that sentence of Rama they the fourteen ghoulish demons who are the slayers of Brahmans and handlers of spears have become highly infuriated, and they with their bloodshot eyes and with harsh words said these words to Rama, whose eyes are with blood streaks at their ends, and who also is a sweet talker, and whose valour is yet unseen by those fourteen demons. [3-20-11, 12]
krodham utpaadya no bhartuH kharasya sumahaatmanaH |
tvam eva haasyase praaNaan adya asmaabhir hato yudhi || 3-20-13
13. naH bhartuH= to our, lord; su maha aatmanaH kharasya= a very, highly, souled one, to Khara; krodham utpaadya= fury, on inciting; adya asmaabhiH yudhi hataH= now, by us, in war, when dead; tvam eva= you, alone; haasyase praaNaan= release, lives.
"Killed in conflict by us you alone will set your lives loose as an inciter of fury in our highly great souled lord Khara. [3-20-13]
kaa hi te shak{}tir ekasya bahuunaam raNa muurdhani |
asmaakam agrataH sthaatum kim punar yoddhum aahave || 3-20-14
14. bahuunaam asmaakam agrataH= many, of us, before; raNa muurdhani sthaatum= in forefront, of war, to stay; ekasya te kaa shaktiH hi= for lone one, to you, what, capability, indeed; aahave yoddhum kim punaH= in battle, [ability] to battle against, why, again.
"Indeed, what capability you have as a lone one to stand against many of us in the forefront of war, and why tell again about your battling ability in a given battle. [3-20-14]
ebhiH baahu prayuk{}taiH naH parighaiH shuula paTTishaiH |
praaNaam tyakSyasi viiryam ca dhanuH ca kara piiDitam || 3-20-15
15. ebhiH naH baahu prayuktaiH= by these, by our, arms, projected - launched by our might; parighaiH shuula paTTishaiH= by maces, spears, broad blade swords; praaNaam viiryam ca= lives, mettle, also; kara piiDitam dhanuH ca= by hand, clasped, bow, also; tyakSyasi= you will forgo.
"When we launch maces, spears and swords by our might you will forgo your lives, mettle, and even the bow now clasped in your hand." So said the demons to Rama. [3-20-15]
For the three verses the above meaning is the textual meaning. For them there is another import.
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su mahaatmanaH oh, Supreme Person; bhartR^iH kharasya our lord, to Khara; krodham utpaadya anger, infusing; asmaabhiH hataH tvam praaNaan na haasyase eva by us, killed, you, Spirits, not, leaves, thus...
"Oh! Supreme Person, we have come here because you incited anger in our lord Khara, and by us killed will you let go your lives, mettle and spirits? No. Never it will happen."
The reason for not happening of that event is explained: raNa muurdhan in war's, van; ekasya te agrataH sthaatum lone one, you, before, to stand; bahuunaam asmaakam api many, we are, though; kaa shaktiH where is, capability for us
"Though you are a lone being, and we are many, where is the capability for us to stand before you in the van of war?"
Thus they say that they have come only at the behest of their lord but not to kill Rama. baahuH yuktaiH parighaiH shuula paTTisaiH upalakshitaanaam though equipped with our paraphernalia like maces, spears, swords etc., adhyaahaara: asmaakam our; praaNaan viiryam tyakshasi lives, vitality, we loose; ehi come... give us salvation.
"Though we are equipped with much paraphernalia like maces, spears, swords etc., we lose our lives and vitality at your hand, so come on, take them away, and accord salvation and release from our curse. It is better to die at your hand than returning to Khara and dying a merciless death at the hand of Khara.
It may be remembered that these fourteen are the cursed Vedic-scholarly disciples of Chandrakanta, now in an accursed form namely Khara. Maheshvara Tiirtha.
iti evam uk{}tvaa sa.mrabdhaa raakSasaaH te caturdasha |
udyata aayudha nistri.mshaa raamam eva abhidudruvuH || 3-20-16
cikSipuH taani shuulaani raaghavam prati durjayam |
16, 17a. samrabdhaa te caturdasha raakSasaaH= clamorously, they, fourteen, demons; iti evam uktvaa = thus, that way, saying; nistrimshaa aayudha udyata = unhesitatingly, weapons, on upraising; raamam eva abhi dudruvuH= to, Rama, alone, towards, rushed; taani shuulaani= them, the spears; dur jayam= un, conquerable; raaghavam prati= Raghava, towards; cikSipuH= they hurled.
Thus saying that way clamorously they the fourteen demons, upraising their weapons they unhesitatingly rushed towards Rama alone, and they hurled lances towards that unconquerable Raghava. [3-20-16, 17a]
taani shuulaani kaakutsthaH samastaani caturdasha || 3-20-17
taavadbhiH eva cicCheda sharaiH kaa.ncana bhuuSitaiH |
17b, 18a. kaakutsthaH= Rama; caturdasha taani shuulaani= fourteen, those, lances; samastaani = all of them; taavadbhiH eva= as many of them, only; kaancana bhuuSitaiH= in gold, adorned; sharaiH= with arrows; cicCheda= shredded.
Rama in turn shredded all of those fourteen lances only with as many arrows that are adorned in gold. [3-20-17b, 18a]
tataH pashcaat mahaatejaa naaraacaan suurya sa.mnibhaan || 3-20-18
jagraaha parama kruddhaH caturdasha shila ashitaan |
18b, 19a. tataH pashcaat= there after; mahaatejaa= great resplendent Rama; parama kruddhaH= highly, wrathfully one; shila ashitaan= on stone, sharpened ones; suurya samnibhaan= sun, equalling in dazzle; caturdasha naaraacaan jagraaha= fourteen, iron bolts [like arrows,] took up.
Next that great resplendent Rama in high wrath took up fourteen iron bolt like arrows that are whetted on whetstone and equalling the sun in their dazzle. [3-20-18b, 19a]
gR^ihiitvaa dhanuH aayamya lakSyaan uddishya raakSasaan || 3-20-19
mumoca raaghavo baaNaan vajraan iva shatakratuH |
19b, 20a. raaghavaH dhanuH gR^ihiitvaa= Raghava, bow, on taking; aayamya= arched [the bow]; lakSyaan raakSasaan uddishya = targets, demons, aiming at; shatakratuH vajraan iva= Indra [releasing,] thunderbolt, like; baaNaan mumoca= arrows, released.
Then Raghava took up his bow, arched it, and aiming at the targeted demons released arrows as Indra would release his Thunderbolts. [3-20-19b, 20a]
te bhittvaa rakSasaam vegaat vakSaa.msi rudhira aaplutaaH || 3-20-20
viniSpetuH tadaa bhuumau valmiikaat iva pannagaaH |
20b, 21a. te vegaat= they, by the [force of] speed; rakSasaam vakSaamsi bhittvaa = demons, in chests, on goring; rudhira aaplutaaH= with blood, bedaubed; tadaa= then; viniSpetuH [vi niS petuH]= swiftly coming out; bhuumau= into earth [nyamajjanta= subsided, penetrated into earth]; pannagaaH valmiikaat iva = snakes, from snake pit, as with.
And by the force of their speed those arrows gored the chests of those demons, and then on coming out bedaubed with blood they swiftly penetrated into earth like snakes into snake pit. [3-20-20b, 21a]
taiH bhagna hR^idayaa buumau Chinna muulaa iva drumaaH || 3-20-21
nipetuH shoNita snaataa vikR^itaa vigata asavaH |
21b, 22a. taiH bhagna hR^idayaa= with them [arrows,] burst, hearts; shoNita snaataa= in blood, bathed; vi kR^itaa= verily, mangled; vi gata asavaH= verily, gone, lives; Chinna muulaa drumaaH iva= cut down, at base [rooted out], trees, like; buumau nipetuH= on earth, fell.
Those arrows bursting their hearts they are blood bathed, mangled, and utterly dead, and like the uprooted trees they fell onto the ground. [3-20-21b, 22a]
taan bhuumau patitaan dR^iSTvaa raakshasii krodha muurcChitaa || 3-20-22
upagamya kharam saa tu ki.mcit sa.mshuSka shoNitaa |
papaata punaH eva aartaa saniryaasaa iva vallarii || 3-20-23
22. bhuumau patitaan taan dR^iSTvaa= on ground, fallen, them, on seeing; raakshasii krodha muurcChitaa= demoness, in rage, convulsed; kimcit sam shuSka shoNitaa= a little, well, dried out, blood [blanched aspect]; sa niryaasaa= with, exuded - with resin; vallarii iva = creeper, like; saa tu= she, but; aartaa= agonised; kharam upagamya= to Khara, going nearby; punaH eva papaata = again, like that, fell [as before.]
On seeing the demons falling onto ground that demoness Shuurpanakha is convulsed in rage, and she with a blanched aspect returned to the near of Khara in an agonising manner like a creeper exuding resin on incision, and fell before him as before. [3-20-22b, 23]
bhraatuH samiipe shoka aartaa sasarja ninadam mahat |
sasvaram mumoca baaSpam vivarNa vadanaa tadaa || 3-20-24
24. tadaa shoka aartaa= then, by anguish, afflicted; bhraatuH samiipe = brother's, presence; sasarja ninadam mahat= discharged, outcry, great [outcry]; vi varNa vadanaa = without, colour, faced [bloodless face]; sa svaram= with, tune [attuning with the strains of a whiner]; baaSpam mumoca = tears, released.
Then she in the presence of her brother Khara discharged a great outcry, and with a bloodless face she spilled tears attuning the strains of a whiner. [3-20-24]
nipaatitaan prekSya raNe tu raakSasaan
pradhaavitaa shuurpaNakhaa punaH tataH |
vadham ca teSaam nikhilena rakSasaam
shasha.msa sarvam bhaginii kharasya saa || 3-20-25
25. shuurpaNakhaa raNe ni paatitaan= Shuurpanakha, in war, felled down; raakSasaan prekSya= demons, having seen; punaH tataH= again, from there; pra dhaavitaa= quickly, fled; bhaginii saa = sister, she [she being]; teSaam rakSasaam vadham= those, of demons, destruction; sarvam nikhilena= all about, in entirety; kharasya shashamsa= to Khara, reported.
Shuurpanakha having seen the fall of demons quickly fled from Panchavati of Rama to trikanTaka, the capital of Khara, and she being the sister of Khara she reported to Khara all about the destruction of those demons, in its entirety. [3-20-25]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye araNya kaaNDe vi.mshaH sargaH
Thus, this is the 20th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
© 2002, Desiraju Hanumanta Rao [Revised : May 04]