Book III : Aranya Kanda - The Forest Trek
Rama meets Lakshmana while returning to hermitage after killing the deer demon Maareecha. He also confronts some ill omens and worries why Lakshmana left Seetha alone and came to him, sad facedly. |
raakSasam mR^iga ruupeNa carantam kaama ruupiNam |
nihatya raamo maariicam tuurNam pathi nyavartata || 3-57-1
1. raamaH= Rama; mR^iga ruupeNa carantam= in deer's, guise, one who is moving about; kaama ruupiNam= by wish, guise-changer; raakSasam maariicam= demon, Maareecha; nihatya= on killing; tuurNam pathi nyavartata= quickly, on trail, started to return.
Rama on killing that demon Maareecha, who is a guise changer at his wish and who moved about in the guise of a deer, instantly started to return on the trail by which he trailed after that deer-demon. [3-57-1]
tasya sa.mtvaramaaNasya draSTu kaamasya maithiliim |
kruura svaro atha gomaayuH vinanaada asya pR^iSThataH || 3-57-2
2. maithiliim= at Maithili; draSTu kaamasya tasya= to see, anxious, that Rama; sam tvaramaaNasya= to verily, hurrying one; atha= then; kruura svaraH gomaayuH= brutish, voiced, jackal; asya pR^iSThataH= at his, behind; vi nanaada= deafeningly, howled.
While Rama is anxiously hurrying to see Maithili, then a brutish voiced jackal deafeningly howled at his behind. [3-57-2]
sa tasya svaram aaj~naaya daaruNam roma harSaNam |
ci.ntayaamaasa gomaayoH svareNa parishankitaH || 3-57-3
3. saH= he; tasya gomaayoH= of that, jackal's; daaruNam roma harSaNam svaram= threatening, hair, raising one, howl; aaj~naaya= on listening; svareNa pari shankitaH= of fox's, by tone, overly, doubtful [threatened]; cintayaamaasa= started to think.
On hearing that threatening and hair-raising howl of jackal Rama is overly threatened just by the tone of fox in which it is foreboding, inasmuch as the forbidding intoning of Maareecha. [3-57-3]
ashubham bata manye aham gomaayuH vaashyate yathaa |
svasti syaat api vaidehyaa raakSasaiH bhakSaNam vinaa || 3-57-4
4. bata= huh!; gomaayuH yathaa vaashyate= jackal, as to how, voicing - howling; thereby; aham a+shubham manye= I, not, auspicious, I deem; raakSasaiH bhakSaNam vinaa= by demons, devoured, without - undevoured; vaidehyaa= of Vaidehi; svasti syaat api= safe, will be, albeit - is she safe?
"Huh! As to how this jackal has howled I deem that as inauspicious. As yet undevoured by demons would Vaidehi be safe? [3-57-4]
maariicena tu vij~naaya svaram aalakSya maamakam |
vikruSTam mR^iga ruupeNa lakSmaNaH shR^iNuyaat yadi || 3-57-5
sa saumitriH svaram shrutvaa taam ca hitvaa atha maithiliim |
tayaa eva prahitaH kSipram mat sakaasham iha eSyati || 3-57-6
5, 6. mR^iga ruupeNa maariicena= in deer's, semblance, by Maareecha; vij~naaya= on knowing - the nature of my voice; maamakam svaram= pertaining to me, voice; aalakSya [aalambya]= taking hold of - imitating; vikruSTam= yelling - crying; lakSmaNaH shR^iNuyaat yadi= Lakshmana, listens, if; saH saumitriH svaram shrutvaa= he, that Soumitri, [my] voice, on hearing [on recognising]; atha= or else - if Seetha hears; tayaa eva iha prahitaH= by her [by Seetha,] only, to here, hastened up; taam maithiliim hitvaa= her, Maithili, on leaving; kSipram mat sakaasham eSyati= instantly, to my, near, he rushes.
"On knowing the nature of my voice Maareecha in the semblance of a deer yelled out mimicking my voice. If Lakshmana listens that voice, recognising it as my voice he will instantly rush to my near. Else if Maithili listens, she will hasten him to go over here and Soumitri instantly rushes here leaving her off. [3-57-5, 6]
raakSasaiH sahitair nuunam siitaayaa iipsito vadhaH |
kaa.ncanaH ca mR^igo bhuutvaa vyapaniiya aashramaat tu maam || 3-57-7
duuram niitvaa atha maariico raakSaso abhuut shara aahataH |
haa lakSmaNa hato asmi iti yat vaakyam vyajahaara ha || 3-57-8
7, 8. yat maariicaH= which, Maareecha; kaancanaH mR^igaH bhuutvaa= golden, deer, on becoming; maam aashramaat vyapaniiya= me, from hermitage, on sidetracking; duuram niitva= distantly, took away; atha= then; shara aahataH= by arrow, hit; raakSasaH abhuut= demon, as to how he became; haa lakSmaNa hataH asmi= ha, Lakshmana, killed, I am; iti= thus; vaakyam vyajahaara ha= sentence, as to how he uttered - shouted, indeed; gauging by these happenings; sahitaiH raakSasaiH= collectively, by demons; siitaayaa vadhaH iipsitaH= Seetha's, killing, intended; nuunam= defiantly.
"As could be seen from Maareecha's becoming a Golden Deer only to sidetrack and take me away from hermitage, his becoming a demon when hit with an arrow, and his shouting words indeed like, 'ha, Lakshmana, ha, Seetha, I am killed,' the demons are collectively intending to do away with Seetha. It is certain. [3-57-7, 8]
api svasti bhavet dvaabhyaam rahitaabhyaam mayaa vane |
janasthaana nimittam hi kR^ita vairo asmi raakSasaiH || 3-57-9
nimittaani ca ghoraaNi dR^ishyante adya bahuuni ca |
9, 10a: mayaa vane= with me, in forest; rahitaabhyaam dvaabhyaam= without [me,] for those two; svasti api bhavet= safety, whether, will be; janasthaana nimittam= Janasthaana, for the sake of; raakSasaiH kR^ita vairaH asmi hi= by demons, made [harbours,] grudge [against me,] I am, am not I; adya ghoraaNi bahuuni ca= now, severe, several, even; nimittaani ca dR^ishyante= foretokens, also, are appearing.
"Whether there will be safety in forest for those two in my absence, or not, is my doubt. Owing to my devastating Janasthaana I have become a harboured grudge for demons, am not I! As such, foretokens are appearing now, severely and severally." Thus Rama's thoughts have sprinted. [3-57-9, 10a]
iti evam ci.ntayan raamaH shrutvaa gomaayu niHsvanam || 3-57-10
nivartamaanaH tvarito jagaama aashramam aatmavaan |
aatmanaH ca apanayanam mR^iga ruupeNa rakSasaa || 3-57-11
10b, 11. aatmavaan= soulful one; raamaH= Rama; gomaayu niHsvanam shrutvaa= jackal's, howling, on hearing; mR^iga ruupeNa rakSasaa= in deer's, disguise, by demon; aatmanaH apanayanam= [about] his own, detour; nivartamaanaH= while returning; iti evam cintayan= thus, in that way, persistently thought; aashramam tvaritaH jagaama= to hermitage, speedily, advanced.
When that soulful Rama has heard the whistle of jackal while returning, he persistently thought in this way about his detour caused by demon in the disguise of a deer, thus he speedily advanced towards his hermitage. [3-57-10b, 11]
aajagaama janasthaanam raaghavaH parishankitaH |
tam diina maanasam diinam aaseduH mR^iga pakSiNaH || 3-57-12
12. raaghavaH pari shankitaH= Raghava, overly, doubting; aajagaama janasthaanam= came to, Janasthaana; mR^iga pakSiNaH= animals, birds; tam diina maanasam= to him, doleful, hearted one; diinam aaseduH= dolefully, neared; [or, diina manasaH= dole, hearted; mR^iga pakSiNaH= animals, birds; diinam aaseduH= at doleful Raghava, neared - the dole-hearted animals and birds neared that doleful Raghava.]
Raghava came to Janasthaana doubting overly, and the animals and birds of Janasthaana which look doleful have neared him whose heart has become doleful. [3-57-12]
savyam kR^itvaa mahaatmaanam ghoraam ca sasR^ijuH svaraan |
taani dR^iSTvaa nimittaani mahaaghoraaNi raaghavaH |
nyavartata atha tvarito javena aashramam aatmanaH || 3-57-13
13. [mR^iga pakSiNaH= animals, birds]; mahaatmaanam= of noble-souled one Rama; savyam kR^itvaa= on to left, making - moving on to left; [tam aaseduH= him, they on nearing]; ghoraam svaraan sasR^ijuH ca= frightening, shrieks, they let off, also; raaghavaH= Raghava; mahaa ghoraaNi= highly, forbidding ones; taani nimittaani dR^iSTvaa= those, foretokens, on observing; atha= then; tvaritaH= hastily; javena= hurriedly; aatmanaH aashramam nyavartata= to his own, to hermitage, returned.
Those doleful animals and birds moving in circumambulations from the left side to right of that noble-souled Rama they let off frightening shrieks, and then observing those highly forbidding foretokens Rama returned to his own hermitage hastily and hurriedly. [3-57-13]
It is ill-omened if the animals or birds move round from one's left to right side. anena m®ga pakÿiõ˜m apradakÿiõa gamanam aþubhakaram iti ukty˜ pradakÿiõa gamanam þubhakaram iti s¨citam - m®g˜ vihang˜× ca gat˜× pradakÿiõam mahŸbh®t˜m k˜nkÿita k˜rya siddhaye | ratnam˜la - dk
tato lakSaNam aayaantam dadarsha vigata prabham |
tato aviduure raameNa samiiyaaya sa lakSmaNaH || 3-57-14
viSaNNaH sa viSaNNena duHkhito duHkha bhaaginaa |
14, 15a. tataH aayaantam= then, coming towards [Rama]; vi gata prabham= verily, gone [lacking,] lustre - with a lacklustre face; lakSaNam= at Lakshmana; dadarsha= saw; tataH= then; viSaNNaH duHkhitaH= melancholic, anguishing; saH lakSmaNaH= he, Lakshmana; viSaNNena duHkha bhaaginaa= melancholic, in anguish, partaker; saH raameNa= with him, that Rama; a +vi+ duure= not, very, far-off; samiiyaaya= met with.
Then Rama saw Lakshmana coming towards him with a lacklustre face, and then Lakshmana, who is melancholic and anguishing in his divergence from Seetha, met Rama not a long-way-off, where Rama is a similar partaker in melancholy and anguishing by way of his convergence upon ill-omens. [3-57-14, 15a]
sa.mjagarhe atha tam bhraataa dR^iSTaa lakSmaNam aagatam || 3-57-15
vihaaya siitaam vijane vane raakSasa sevite |
15b, 16a. atha= then; [jyeSTha] bhraataa= [elder] brother [Rama]; raakSasa sevite= by demons, adored; vi jane vane= without, people [desolate,] in forest; siitaam vihaaya aagatam= Seetha, leaving off, who has come; tam lakSmaNam= him, at Lakshmana; dR^iSTaa= on seeing; sam ja garhe= reproached.
On seeing Lakshmana who has arrived at this place leaving off Seetha in a forest that is desolate, more so an adorable forest for demons, Rama reproached him as his elder brother. [3-57-15b, 16a]
gR^ihiitvaa ca karam savyam lakSmaNam raghuna.ndanaH || 3-57-16
uvaaca madhura udarkam idam paruSam aartavat |
16b, 17a. raghu nandanaH= Raghu's, descendent [Rama]; aarta vat= an anguished one, alike; savyam karam gR^ihiitvaa= left, hand [of Lakshmana,] on taking [into his]; madhura udarkam= mellowly, futurity - words that have a maturity in future; paruSam idam= brusque [speech,] this one; lakSmaNam uvaaca= to Lakshmana, said.
Taking Lakshmana's left hand into his, Rama, the descendent of Raghu, alike a bewailer spoke this brusque speech that has a mellowly fruition in future. [3-57-16b, 17a]
This statement obtains two shades of meaning. One, the speech of Rama in reproaching Lakshmana though appear to be brusque, latently it is congratulatory to Lakshmana, to make happen the abduction of Seetha firstly, and thereby the ultimate elimination of Ravana. Two, he scolded Lakshmana prima facie for leaving Seetha, but on realising that he is not at fault, his speech is softened.
aho lakSmaNa garhyam te kR^itam yaH tvam vihaaya taam || 3-57-17
siitaam iha aagataH saumya kaccit svasti bhavet iti |
17b, 18a. yaH tvam= which, you; taam siitaam vihaaya= her, Seetha, forsaking; iha aagataH= to here, you came; such as you are; te= by you; garhyam [karma] kR^itam= deplorable, [deed,] is done by you; saumya lakSmaNa= gentle, Lakshmana; iti [iha]= thus [now]; svasti bhavet kaccit= safeness, will there be, somewhat; aho= alas.
"You have done a deplorable deed in coming here forsaking Seetha. Now, oh, gentle Lakshmana, are we somewhat safe, or everything has already gone astray now itself, or what. [3-57-17b, 18a]
na me asti sa.mshayo viira sarvathaa janakaatmajaa || 3-57-18
vinaSTaa bhakSitaa vaa apa raakSasaiH vana caaribhiH |
ashubhaani eva bhuuyiSTham yathaa praadur bhavanti me || 3-57-19
18b, 19. viira= oh, brave one; me bhuuyiSTham= to me, many; a + shubhaani eva= not, auspicious [forebodings,] only - confronting me; yathaa praadubhavanti= according to, their manifestion; janaka aatmajaa= Janaka's, daughter; sarvathaa= anywise; vi + naSTaa= completely lost / dead; or else; vana caaribhiH raakSasaiH= forest, ranging, by demons; bhakSitaa= devoured; vaa api [apahR^itaa]= or, else, [kidnapped]; me samshayaH na asti= to me, doubt, not, is there.
"Oh, brave one, according to these many inauspicious forebodings that have manifested themselves to me, we might have lost Janaka's daughter Seetha, or the forest ranging demons might have devoured her, or else they might have kidnapped her, I am doubtless about it. [3-57-18b, 19]
api lakSmaNa siitaayaaH saamagryam praapnuyaavahe |
jiivantyaaH puruSavyaaghra sutaayaa janaksya vai || 3-57-20
20. puruSa vyaaghra lakSmaNa= manly, tiger, Lakshmana; jiivantyaaH= in aliveness; janaksya sutaayaa siitaayaaH= Janaka's, daughter, of Seetha; saamagryam= in intactness; api praapnuyaavahe vai= at least, can we make out, really - I wonder.
"Oh, tigerly-man Lakshmana, I wonder whether we can at least make out the daughter of Janaka Seetha in her intactness and aliveness. [3-57-20]
yathaa vai mR^iga sa.nghaaHa gomaayuH ca bhairavam |
vaashyante shakunaaH ca api pradiiptaam abhito disham |
api svasti bhavet tasyaa raaja putryaa mahaabala || 3-57-21
21. mahaabala= oh, great-mighty Lakshmana; mR^iga sanghaaH ca= deer, mobs of, also; gomaayuH ca= jackal, also; shakunaaH ca api= birds, also, even; pradiiptaam disham abhitaH= radiant [sunshiny,] direction, facing; yathaa bhairavam vaashyante= as to how, noisily, voicing; gauging by it; raaja putryaa tasyaa= king's, daughter, hers; svasti api bhavet vai= safety, even, will be there [or not,] really.
"On observing these mobs of deer, this jackal, also even these birds which are voicing noisily facing the direction lit by the sun, oh, great-mighty Lakshmana, can we presume that there will be safety to that princes Seetha? [3-57-21]
idam hi rakSo mR^iga sa.mnikaasham
pralobhya maam duuram anuprayaatam |
hatam katha.mcit mahataa shrameNa
sa raakSaso abhuut mriyamaaNa eva || 3-57-22
22. mR^iga samnikaasham= deer, in likeness; idam rakSaH= this, demon; anu prayaatam hi= after, following, indeed; maam= me; duuram pralobhya= distantly, on beguiling; [niitvaa= led on and led off]; mahataa shrameNa= intense, by effort; kathamcit hatam= somehow, killed; saH mriyamaaNa eva= he, when dying, only; raakSasaH abhuut= demon, became [transfigured.]
"This very demon in his likeness to a deer led me on and led me off distantly as I was indeed following him, and by an intense effort somehow he was killed, and when dying he transfigured into a demon. [3-57-22]
manaH ca me diinam iha aprahR^iSTam
cakSuH ca savyam kurute vikaaram |
asa.mshayam lakSmaNa na asti siitaa
hR^itaa mR^itaa vaa pathi var.htate vaa || 3-57-23
23. iha= now; diinam me manaH ca= woeful, my, heart, even; a+ pra hR^iSTam= not, really, gladdened [woebegone]; savyam cakSuH ca= left, eye, also; vikaaram kurute= erratically, doing [fluttering]; lakSmaNa= oh, Lakshmana; a+ samshayam= without, doubt; siitaa na asti= Seetha, not, is there [in hermitage]; hR^itaa= whisked away; mR^itaa vaa= wiped out, or; pathi vartate vaa= on [a wrong] way, wandering around, or.
"Now even my heart is woeful and I am woebegone, my left eye is also fluttering erratically, oh, Lakshmana, no doubt Seetha is not there in hermitage, maybe she is whisked away, or, wiped out, or, wandering around on a wrong way. [3-57-23]
The flutter of the left eye to males is ill-omened. anena puruÿasya manaso asantoÿo v˜ma netra sphuraõam aþubha s¨cakam iti ukty˜ dakÿiõa netra sphuraõam mana× santoÿa× ca þubha kara iti s¨citam | tath˜ ca raghu vamþe k˜lid˜sa× - tasy˜m ragho× s¨nu rup˜ sthit˜y˜m v®õŸta v˜ neti sam˜kulo ˜bh¨t | v˜metara× samþayam asya b˜hu× key¨ra bandhhoc×ravasito nunoda || - dk
iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye araNya kaaNDe sapta pa.ncaashaH sargaH
Thus, this is the 57th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
© Jan, 2003, Desiraju Hanumanta Rao [Revised : December 04]