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.
राक्षसम् मृग रूपेण चरन्तम् काम रूपिणम् |
निहत्य रामो मारीचम् तूर्णम् पथि न्यवर्तत || ३-५७-१
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]
तस्य संत्वरमाणस्य द्रष्टु कामस्य मैथिलीम् |
क्रूर स्वरो अथ गोमायुः विननाद अस्य पृष्ठतः || ३-५७-२
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]
स तस्य स्वरम् आज्ञाय दारुणम् रोम हर्षणम् |
चिंतयामास गोमायोः स्वरेण परिशन्कितः || ३-५७-३
3. saH = he; tasya gomaayoH = of that, jackal's; daaruNam roma harSaNam svaram = threatening, hair, raising one, howl; aaGYaaya = 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]
अशुभम् बत मन्ये अहम् गोमायुः वाश्यते यथा |
स्वस्ति स्यात् अपि वैदेह्या राक्षसैः भक्षणम् विना || ३-५७-४
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]
मारीचेन तु विज्ञाय स्वरम् आलक्ष्य मामकम् |
विक्रुष्टम् मृग रूपेण लक्ष्मणः शृणुयात् यदि || ३-५७-५
स सौमित्रिः स्वरम् श्रुत्वा ताम् च हित्वा अथ मैथिलीम् |
तया एव प्रहितः क्षिप्रम् मत् सकाशम् इह एष्यति
|| ३-५७-६
5, 6. mR^iga ruupeNa maariicena = in deer's, semblance, by Maareecha; viGYaaya = 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]
राक्षसैः सहितैर् नूनम् सीताया ईप्सितो वधः |
कांचनः च मृगो भूत्वा व्यपनीय आश्रमात् तु माम् || ३-५७-७
दूरम् नीत्वा अथ मारीचो राक्षसो अभूत् शर आहतः |
हा लक्ष्मण हतो अस्मि इति यत् वाक्यम् व्यजहार ह ||
३-५७-८
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]
अपि स्वस्ति भवेत् द्वाभ्याम् रहिताभ्याम् मया वने |
जनस्थान निमित्तम् हि कृत वैरो अस्मि राक्षसैः ||
३-५७-९
निमित्तानि च घोराणि दृश्यन्ते अद्य बहूनि च |
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]
इति एवम् चिंतयन् रामः श्रुत्वा गोमायु निःस्वनम् || ३-५७-१०
निवर्तमानः त्वरितो जगाम आश्रमम् आत्मवान्
|
आत्मनः च अपनयनम् मृग रूपेण रक्षसा || ३-५७-११
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]
आजगाम जनस्थानम् राघवः परिशन्कितः |
तम् दीन मानसम् दीनम् आसेदुः मृग पक्षिणः || ३-५७-१२
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]
सव्यम् कृत्वा महात्मानम् घोराम् च ससृजुः स्वरान् |
तानि दृष्ट्वा निमित्तानि महाघोराणि राघवः |
न्यवर्तत अथ त्वरितो जवेन आश्रमम् आत्मनः || ३-५७-१३
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 mR^iga pakShiNaam apradakShiNa gamanam ashubhakaram iti uktyaa pradakShiNa gamanam shubhakaram iti suucitam - mR^igaa vihangaaH ca gataaH pradakShiNam mahiibhR^itaam kaankShita kaarya siddhaye | ratnamaala - dk
ततो लक्षणम् आयान्तम् ददर्श विगत प्रभम् |
ततो अविदूरे रामेण समीयाय स लक्ष्मणः || ३-५७-१४
विषण्णः
स विषण्णेन दुःखितो दुःख भागिना |
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]
संजगर्हे अथ तम् भ्राता दृष्टा लक्ष्मणम् आगतम् || ३-५७-१५
विहाय सीताम् विजने वने राक्षस सेविते |
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]
गृहीत्वा च करम् सव्यम् लक्ष्मणम् रघुनंदनः || ३-५७-१६
उवाच मधुर उदर्कम् इदम् परुषम् आर्तवत् |
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.
अहो लक्ष्मण गर्ह्यम् ते कृतम् यः त्वम् विहाय ताम् || ३-५७-१७
सीताम् इह आगतः सौम्य कच्चित् स्वस्ति
भवेत् इति |
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]
न मे अस्ति संशयो वीर सर्वथा जनकात्मजा || ३-५७-१८
विनष्टा भक्षिता वा अप राक्षसैः वन चारिभिः |
अशुभानि
एव भूयिष्ठम् यथा प्रादुर् भवन्ति मे || ३-५७-१९
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]
अपि लक्ष्मण सीतायाः सामग्र्यम् प्राप्नुयावहे |
जीवन्त्याः पुरुषव्याघ्र सुताया जनक्स्य वै || ३-५७-२०
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]
यथा वै मृग संघाःअ गोमायुः च भैरवम् |
वाश्यन्ते शकुनाः च अपि प्रदीप्ताम् अभितो दिशम् |
अपि स्वस्ति
भवेत् तस्या राज पुत्र्या महाबल || ३-५७-२१
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]
इदम् हि रक्षो मृग संनिकाशम्
प्रलोभ्य माम् दूरम् अनुप्रयातम् |
हतम् कथंचित् महता श्रमेण
स राक्षसो
अभूत् म्रियमाण एव || ३-५७-२२
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]
मनः च मे दीनम् इह अप्रहृष्टम्
चक्षुः च सव्यम् कुरुते विकारम् |
असंशयम् लक्ष्मण न अस्ति सीता
हृता मृता वा पथि वर्तते वा || ३-५७-२३
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 puruShasya manaso asantoSho vaama netra sphuraNam ashubha suucakam iti uktyaa dakShiNa netra sphuraNam manaH santoShaH ca shubha kara iti suucitam | tathaa ca raghu vamshe kaalidaasaH - tasyaam raghoH suunu rupaa sthitaayaam vR^iNiita vaa neti samaakulo aabhuut | vaametaraH samshayam asya baahuH keyuura bandhhocHravasito nunoda || - dk
- - - - -
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे सप्त पंचाशः सर्गः
© Jan, 2003, Desiraju Hanumanta Rao [Revised : December 04]
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