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Chapter 10

Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest

VERSE 1

वाक्यम् एतत् तु वैदेह्या व्याहृतम् भर्तृ भक्त्या
श्रुत्वा धर्मे स्थितो रामः प्रत्युवाच जानकीम्

vākyam etat tu vaidehyā vyāhṛtam bhartṛ bhaktyā
śrutvā dharme sthito rāmaḥ pratyuvāca jānakīm

SYNONYMS

bhartṛ bhaktyā: husband, in adoration of | vaidehyā vyāhṛtam: by Vaidehi, said | etat vākyam tu: all, words, but | śrutvā: on hearing | dharme sthitaḥ rāmaḥ: by virtue, abides, Rama | prati uvāca jānakīm: in turn, said [replied,] to Janaki. |

TRANSLATION

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]

VERSE 2

हितम् उक्तम् त्वया देवि स्निग्धया सदृशम् वचः
कुलम् व्यपदिशन्त्या च धर्मज्ञे जनक आत्मजे

hitam uktam tvayā devi snigdhayā sadṛśam vacaḥ
kulam vyapadiśantyā ca dharmajñe janaka ātmaje

SYNONYMS

devi: oh, lady | dharmajñe janaka ātmaje: oh, virtue-knower, Janaka's, daughter | kulam vyapadiśantyā [vi apa diś] ca: familial [greatness,] that speak of | snigdhayā tvayā hitam sadṛśam vacaḥ uktam: friendlily, by you, beneficial words, befitting to your [disposition] |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 3

किम् नु वक्ष्यामि अहम् देवि त्वया एव उक्तम् इदम् वचः
क्षत्रियैः धार्यते चापो न आर्त शब्दो
भवेद् इति

kim nu vakṣyāmi aham devi tvayā eva uktam idam vacaḥ
kṣatriyaiḥ dhāryate cāpo na ārta śabdo
bhaved iti

SYNONYMS

devi: o, lady | aham kim nu vakṣyāmi: I, what [more,] verily, can I say | ārta śabdaḥ na bhavet iti: wailer's, yowl, shall not, be there, thus [misery's tears shall cease to flow � Griffit] | kṣatriyaiḥ dhāryate cāpaḥ: Kshatriya-s, handle, bow | idam vacaḥ tvayā eva uktam: this, word, by you, alone [perhaps,] said [iterated.] |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 4

ते च आर्ता दण्डकारण्ये मुनयः संशित व्रताः
माम् सीते स्वयम् आगम्य शरण्याः शरणम् गताः

te ca ārtā daṇḍakāraṇye munayaḥ saṃśita vratāḥ
mām sīte svayam āgamya śaraṇyāḥ śaraṇam gatāḥ

SYNONYMS

sīte: oh! Seetha | samśita vratāḥ: sages, resolute, in practises | śaraṇyāḥ daṇḍakāraṇye te munayaḥ: those that are shelteable, in Dansaka forest, those sages | ārtā svayam āgamya: sombrely, on approaching | mām śaraṇam gatāḥ: my, refuge, they have gone in [came into.] |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 5

वसन्तः काल कालेषु वने मूल फल अशनाः
न लभन्ते सुखम् भीरु राक्षसैः क्रूर कर्मभिः

vasantaḥ kāla kāleṣu vane mūla phala aśanāḥ
na labhante sukham bhīru rākṣasaiḥ krūra karmabhiḥ

SYNONYMS

mūla phala aśanāḥ: tubers, fruits, eaters of | vasantaḥ kāla kāleṣu vane: living, time, after times [in all times,] in forest | krūra karmabhiḥ rākṣasaiḥ bhīru: with invidious, deeds, by demons, scared | sukham na labhante: quietude, not getting. |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 6

भक्ष्यन्ते राक्षसैः भीमैः नर मांसोपजीविभिः
ते भक्ष्यमाणा मुनयो दण्डकारण्य वासिनः

bhakṣyante rākṣasaiḥ bhīmaiḥ nara māṃsopajīvibhiḥ
te bhakṣyamāṇā munayo daṇḍakāraṇya vāsinaḥ

SYNONYMS

, 7a| munayaḥ daṇḍakāraṇya vāsinaḥ: sages, in Dandaka forest, dwellers | bhīmaiḥ nara māṃsopajīvibhiḥ: fiendish, on human, felsh, that subsist | rākṣasaiḥ bhakṣyante: by demons, are being eaten | te bhakṣyamāṇā: they, while being eaten | dvija sattamāḥ: Brahmans, the eminet ones | asmān abhyavapadya [abhi ava pad]: us, [to take possession of us] come to rescue | iti: thus as | mām ūcur: to me, said. |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 8

मया तु वचनम् श्रुत्वा तेषाम् एवम् मुखात् च्युतम्

mayā tu vacanam śrutvā teṣām evam mukhāt cyutam

SYNONYMS

b, 8, 9a| evam teṣām mukhāt cyutam vacanam śrutvā: this way, from their, mouth, fel, words, on hearing | mayā tu: by me, but | kṛtvā vacana śuśruṣām = on making, vocal, vassalage: comforting them verbally | vākyam etat udāhṛtam: sentence, this one, avouched | prasīdantu me bhavantaḥ: be gracious, to me, you all | aham yat [kāraṇāt]: I am, by which [reason] | upastheyaiḥ īdṛśaiḥ vipraiḥ: those that are to be served, this kind of, [eminent] Brahamnas | upasthitaḥ: they came to my fore | eṣā mama atulā hrīḥ hi: this, for me, immense, shame/dishonour, indeed. |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 9

किम् करोमि इति च मया व्याहृतम् द्विज संनिधौ

kim karomi iti ca mayā vyāhṛtam dvija saṃnidhau

SYNONYMS

b, 10a| kim karomi iti ca: what, I shall do, thus, also | mayā vyāhṛtam dvija sannidhau: by me, said, in Brahmins', in front of | sarvaiḥ eva samāgamya: all, thus, thronging | vāk iyam sam udāhṛtā: word, this, spoke out. |

TRANSLATION

"Then I said before the Brahmans, "what shall I do?" All of them thus thronged and spoke this word. [4-10-9b, 10a]

VERSE 10

राक्षसैः दण्डकारण्ये बहुभिः काम रूपिभिः

rākṣasaiḥ daṇḍakāraṇye bahubhiḥ kāma rūpibhiḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 11a| rāma: oh! Rama | daṇḍakāraṇye bahubhiḥ kāma rūpibhiḥ rākṣasaiḥ: in Dandaka forest, many of the, guise-changing, demons | bhṛśam arditāḥ sma: outrightly, tortured, we are | bhavān tatra rakśatu naḥ: you, us, there in that, context protect, us. |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 11

होम काले तु संप्राप्ते पर्व कालेषु च अनघ

homa kāle tu saṃprāpte parva kāleṣu ca anagha

SYNONYMS

b, 12a| anagha: oh, merited one Rama | su dur dharṣā: highly, resistless ones | piśita aśanāḥ: flesh, eating [carnivorous] | rākṣasāḥ: demons | homa kāle tu: at oblation, times, but | parva kāleṣu ca: on propitious, times, also | samprāpte: chancing, descend on | dharṣayanti: they will be persecuting. |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 12

राक्षसैः धर्षितानाम् च तापसानाम् तपस्विनाम्

rākṣasaiḥ dharṣitānām ca tāpasānām tapasvinām

SYNONYMS

b, 13a| rākṣasaiḥ dharṣitānām ca: by demons, being assaulted, too | tāpasānām tapasvinām: aggrieved, ascetics | gatim mṛgaya māṇānām: recourse, searching, those that are searching | bhavān: you are | naḥ: for us | paramā gatiḥ: ultimate, course [we chanced on you.] |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 13

कामम् तपः प्रभावेण शक्ता हन्तुम् निशाचरान्

kāmam tapaḥ prabhāveṇa śaktā hantum niśācarān

SYNONYMS

b, 14a| vayam tapaḥ prabhāveṇa: we are, by our ascesis, efficacy of | hantum niśācarān: kaamam shakaaH = to eradicate, demons, surely, we are capable of | tu: but | cira arjitam tapaḥ: for a long time, earned, ascesis [ the effect of] | na ca icchāmaḥ khaṇḍayitum: not, also, we wish, to cut short, waste |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 14

बहु विघ्नम् तपो नित्यम् दुःश्चरम् चैव राघव

bahu vighnam tapo nityam duḥścaram caiva rāghava

SYNONYMS

tapaḥ nityam bahu vighnam: ascesis, always, with many hurdles | duḥ caram ca eva: impracticable, also, like that | tena: by the reason of it | rākṣasaiḥ bhakṣyamāṇāḥ: though being eaten away, by demons | śāpam na muncāmaḥ: thus, curse, not, issued. |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 15

तद् अर्द्यमानान् रक्षोभिः दण्डकारण्य वासिभिः

tad ardyamānān rakṣobhiḥ daṇḍakāraṇya vāsibhiḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 16b| tat: thereby | daṇḍakāraṇya vāsibhiḥ rakṣobhiḥ: Dandaka forest, dwellers, by demons | ardyamānān: being persecuted | naḥ: us | saha bhrātrā tvam rakṣa: with, brother you, protect | vayam vane tvam nāthā hi: we, in forest, you, as protector, we have you isn't it. |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 16

मया च एतत् वचः श्रुत्वा कार्त्स्न्येन परिपालनम्

mayā ca etat vacaḥ śrutvā kārtsnyena paripālanam

SYNONYMS

b, 17a| janaka ātmaje = zanaka's, daughter: oh, Seetha | mayā ca etat vacaḥ śrutvā: by me, also, all these, words, on hearing | daṇḍakāraṇye ṛṣīṇām: in Dandaka forests, to sages | kārtsnyena paripālanam samśrutam: complete, protection, promised. |

TRANSLATION

"On hearing all those words, oh, Seetha, I promised complete protection to the sages of Dandaka forests... [4-10-16b, 17a]

VERSE 17

संश्रुत्य न च शक्ष्यामि जीवमानः प्रतिश्रवम्

saṃśrutya na ca śakṣyāmi jīvamānaḥ pratiśravam

SYNONYMS

b, 18a| samśrutya: having promised | jīvamānaḥ: while alive | munīnām prati śravam: to sages, what that is promised | anyathā kartum na śakṣyāmi: otherwise, to implement, not, capable of | me sadā satyam iṣṭam hi: always, truth, is dearer, to me, isn't it. |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 18

अपि अहम् जीवितम् जह्याम् त्वाम् वा सीते स लक्ष्मणाम्

api aham jīvitam jahyām tvām vā sīte sa lakṣmaṇām

SYNONYMS

b, 19a| sīte: Seetha | aham jīvitam api: I, life, even | sa lakṣmaṇām: with, Lakshmana | tvām vā: you, either | jahyām: I leave off | tu: but | pratijñām: promise | viśeṣataḥ brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: especially, to Brahmans | samśrutya: having promised | na tu: never [I will never go back.] |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 19

तत् अवश्यम् मया कार्यम् ऋषीणाम् परिपालनम्

tat avaśyam mayā kāryam ṛṣīṇām paripālanam

SYNONYMS

b, 20a| vaidehi: oh, Vaidehi | tat: by that reason | an uktena api: not, asked [by sages,] even if | ṛṣīṇām pari pālanam: of sages', safeguarding | mayā avaśyam kāryam: by me, definitely, to be done | pratijñāya katham punaḥ: having, how, then [to not to do.] |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 20

मम स्नेहात् च सौहार्दात् इदम् उक्तम् त्वया वचः

mama snehāt ca sauhārdāt idam uktam tvayā vacaḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 21a| sīte: oh, Seetha | mama snehāt sauhārdāt ca: in my, friendship, good-heartedness, also | idam vacaḥ uktam tvayā: this, word, is said, by you | parituṣṭaḥ asmi aham: contented, I am | an iṣṭaḥ na anuśāsyate hi: uninterested ones, not, forewarns, indeed. |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 21

सदृशम् च अनुरूपम् च कुलस्य तव शोभने
सधर्म चारिणी मे त्वम् प्राणेभ्यो अपि गरीयसी

sadṛśam ca anurūpam ca kulasya tava śobhane
sadharma cāriṇī me tvam prāṇebhyo api garīyasī

SYNONYMS

b, c| tava kulasya ca, śobhane: for your, bloodline, oh, graceful one | sadṛśam anurūpam ca: appropriate, seemly, also | me sa dharma cāriṇī: with me, virtue, wife the pursuer | tvam prāṇebhyaḥ api garīyasī: you are, by [my] lives, even, loftier one. |

TRANSLATION

"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]

VERSE 22

इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे दशमः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye araṇya kāṇḍe daśamaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

mahātmā: exalted-soul | rāmaḥ: Rama | priyām maithila rāja putrīm sītām: to dear one, Mithila, king's, daughter, to Seetha | iti evam uktvā vacanam: thus, that way, on saying, words | dhanuṣmān: bow-wielder | saha lakṣmaṇena: with, Lakshmana | ramyāṇi tapo vanāni jagāma: to picturesque, hermits, woodlands, went to. |

TRANSLATION

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]