Chapter 17
Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest
कृत अभिषेको रामः तु सीता सौमित्रिर् एव च
तस्मात् गोदावरी तीरात् ततो जग्मुः स्वम् आश्रमम्
kṛta abhiṣeko rāmaḥ tu sītā saumitrir eva ca
tasmāt godāvarī tīrāt tato jagmuḥ svam āśramam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On taking bath Rama with Seetha and Soumitri, then went to his own hermitage from that bank of River Godavari. [3-17-1]
आश्रमम् तम् उपागम्य राघवः सह लक्ष्मणः
कृत्वा पौर्वाह्णिकम् कर्म पर्णशालाम् उपागमत्
āśramam tam upāgamya rāghavaḥ saha lakṣmaṇaḥ
kṛtvā paurvāhṇikam karma parṇaśālām upāgamat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Nearing that hermitage Raghava along with Lakshmana performed early morning rituals and then reached the cottage. [3-17-2]
उवास सुखितः तत्र पूज्यमानो महर्षभः
स रामः पर्ण शालायाम् आसीनः सह सीतया
uvāsa sukhitaḥ tatra pūjyamāno maharṣabhaḥ
sa rāmaḥ parṇa śālāyām āsīnaḥ saha sītayā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
There Rama comfortably spent time while being adored by eminent sages when he is with them, and narrating many a narrative while sitting in hermitage along with Seetha and his brother Lakshmana, thus he shone forth like the moon when with Chitra constellation. [3-1-7-3, 4]
PURPORT
तदा आसीनस्य रामस्य कथा संसक्त चेतसः
तम् देशम् राक्षसी काचिद् आजगाम यदृच्छ्हया
tadā āsīnasya rāmasya kathā saṃsakta cetasaḥ
tam deśam rākṣasī kācid ājagāma yadṛcchhayā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
At one time when Rama is sitting in hermitage and heartily absorbed in telling narratives some demoness arrived at that place, fortuitously. [3-17-5]
सा तु शूर्पणखा नाम दशग्रीवस्य रक्षसः
भगिनी रामम् आसाद्य ददर्श त्रिदश उपमम्
sā tu śūrpaṇakhā nāma daśagrīvasya rakṣasaḥ
bhaginī rāmam āsādya dadarśa tridaśa upamam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
She is but the sister of ten-faced demon Ravana, Shuurpanakha by her name and she has seen him on reaching the paradisiacal being like Rama. [3-17-6]
दीप्तास्यम् च महाबाहुम् पद्म पत्रायत ईक्षणम्
गज विक्रांत गमनम् जटा मण्दल धारिणम्
dīptāsyam ca mahābāhum padma patrāyata īkṣaṇam
gaja vikrāṃta gamanam jaṭā maṇdala dhāriṇam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
He whose face is radiant, arms lengthy, eyes large like lotus petals, stride like that of an elephant, wearing bunches of hair-tufts, delicate yet greatly vigorous, possessor of all kingly aspects, complexion deep-blue like blue lotus, similar to Love-god in brilliance and in simile to Indra, the demoness has seen such a Rama and became lovesick. [3-17-7, 8, 9a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
She that demoness who is facially unpleasant one with that pleasant faced one, pot bellied one with the slim-waisted one, wry-eyed one with the broad-eyed one, coppery-haired one with the neatly tressed one, ugly featured one with the charming featured one, brassy voiced one with the gentle voiced one, deplorably oldish one with the youngish one, crooked talker with the pleasant talker, ill-mannered one with the well-mannered one, uncouth one with couth, abominable one with amiable Rama spoke, besieged by Love-god. [3-17-9b, 11, 12a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"You are an ascetic yet with a wife, handling bow and arrows yet in the appearance of a sage what for you have come to this province frequented by demons it will be apt of you to tell the purpose of your coming here, in actuality " [3-17-12b, 13]
एवम् उक्तः तु राक्षस्या शूर्पणख्या परंतपः
ऋजु बुद्धितया सर्वम् आख्यातुम् उपचक्रमे
evam uktaḥ tu rākṣasyā śūrpaṇakhyā paraṃtapaḥ
ṛju buddhitayā sarvam ākhyātum upacakrame
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thus asked by demoness Shuurpanakha that enemy-scorcher Rama started to inform all about it, straightforwardly. [3-17-14]
आसीत् दशरथो नाम राजा त्रिदश विक्रमः
तस्य अहम् अग्रजः पुत्रो रामो नाम जनैः श्रुतः
āsīt daśaratho nāma rājā tridaśa vikramaḥ
tasya aham agrajaḥ putro rāmo nāma janaiḥ śrutaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"A king named Dasharatha was there with his godlike valour, I am his eldest son, and people hear of me by name Rama. [3-17-15]
भ्राता अयम् लक्ष्मणो नाम यवीयान् माम् अनुव्रतः
इयम् भार्या च वैदेही मम सीतेति विश्रुता
bhrātā ayam lakṣmaṇo nāma yavīyān mām anuvrataḥ
iyam bhāryā ca vaidehī mama sīteti viśrutā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"He is Lakshmana by his name, my younger brother and a devoted follower of mine, and she is my wife, daughter of Videha's king, well-known as Seetha. [3-17-16]
नियोगात् तु नरेन्द्रस्य पितुर् मातुः च यंत्रितः
धर्मार्थम् धर्मकांक्षी च वनम् वस्तुम् इह आगतः
niyogāt tu narendrasya pitur mātuḥ ca yaṃtritaḥ
dharmārtham dharmakāṃkṣī ca vanam vastum iha āgataḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Desiring to implement the probity in following father's orders and for the sake of establishing probity in living an ascetic's life I have come here to forests to dwell, as enjoined by the directives of the king and my father, and by my mother, as well. [3-17-17]
त्वाम् तु वेदितुम् इच्छ्हामि कस्य त्वम् का असि कस्य वा
त्वम् हि तावन्मनोज्ञा।ंगी राक्षसी प्रतिभासि
मे
tvām tu veditum icchhāmi kasya tvam kā asi kasya vā
tvam hi tāvanmanojñā|ṃgī rākṣasī pratibhāsi
me
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I too wish to know about you. Whose wife are you? What is your name? Or, whose daughter are you? By the way, you are with a most enthralling personality, and then you must be a demoness. [3-17-18]
PURPORT
इह वा किम् निमित्तम् त्वम् आगता ब्रूहि तत्त्वतः
सा अब्रवीत् वचनम् श्रुत्वा राक्षसी मदन अर्दिता
iha vā kim nimittam tvam āgatā brūhi tattvataḥ
sā abravīt vacanam śrutvā rākṣasī madana arditā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"What for you have come, either, you tell in actuality..." Thus Rama asked her. On hearing the words of Rama she that demoness wetted with love said these words. [3-17-19]
श्रूयताम् राम वक्ष्यामि तत्त्वार्थम् वचनम् मम
अहम् शूर्पणखा नाम राक्षसी कामरूपिणी
śrūyatām rāma vakṣyāmi tattvārtham vacanam mama
aham śūrpaṇakhā nāma rākṣasī kāmarūpiṇī
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I will tell you truth, Rama, nothing but truth, I am a guise-changing demoness named Shuurpanakha, and I will be freely moving in this forest in a solitary manner and unnerving all. [3-17-20, 21a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"My brother is valorous and mighty Ravana, the king of demons and the son of Vishravasa, if ever you have heard of him. [3-17-21b, 22a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"And the mighty Kumbhakarna who will always be in profound sleep is my brother, and the virtue-souled Vibheeshana too is my brother, but he does not behave like a demon, and two more bothers of mine are Khara and Duushana who are renowned for their bravery in war. [3-17-22b, 23
तान् अहम् समतिक्रान्ता राम त्वा पूर्व दर्शनात्
समुपेता अस्मि भावेन भर्तारम् पुरुषोत्तमम्
tān aham samatikrāntā rāma tvā pūrva darśanāt
samupetā asmi bhāvena bhartāram puruṣottamam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I can excel all of them by my bravery, oh, Rama, and on seeing you for the first time I had a notion that you being the choicest among men you alone are my husband, hence I neared you. [3-17-24]
अहम् प्रभाव संपन्ना स्वच्छ्हंद बल गामिनी
चिराय भव भर्ता मे सीतया किम् करिष्यसि
aham prabhāva saṃpannā svacchhaṃda bala gāminī
cirāya bhava bhartā me sītayā kim kariṣyasi
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I am endowed with such preponderances and I can operate with my independent might, as such you become my everlasting husband by the way, what can you bring off with Seetha. [3-17-25]
विकृता च विरूपा च न सा इयम् सदृशी तव
अहम् एव अनुरूपा ते भार्या रूपेण पश्य माम्
vikṛtā ca virūpā ca na sā iyam sadṛśī tava
aham eva anurūpā te bhāryā rūpeṇa paśya mām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Unlovely and unshapely is this one, such as she is, this Seetha is unworthy to be your wife, and I am the lone one worthy to be your wife, hence treat me as your wife. [3-17-26]
इमाम् विरूपाम् असतीम् करालाम् निर्णत उदरीम्
अनेन सह ते भ्रात्रा भक्षयिष्यामि मानुषीम्
imām virūpām asatīm karālām nirṇata udarīm
anena saha te bhrātrā bhakṣayiṣyāmi mānuṣīm
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Shall I eat up this disfigured, dishonest, diabolical human female with a hallow stomach along with him, that brother of yours to make you free.
PURPORT
ततः पर्वत शृ।ंगाणि वनानि विविधानि च
पश्यन्सहमयाकामीदण्डकान्विचरिष्यसि यद्वा
पश्यन्
सह मया कामी दण्डकान् विचरिष्यसि
tataḥ parvata śṛ|ṃgāṇi vanāni vividhāni ca
paśyansahamayākāmīdaṇḍakānvicariṣyasi - yadvā -
paśyan
saha mayā kāmī daṇḍakān vicariṣyasi
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Afterwards, you can lustily ramble about Dandaka forest along with me while enjoying yourself on various mountaintops in the sky and in forests on the earth." So Shuurpanakha said to Rama. [3-17-28]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे सप्तदशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye araṇya kāṇḍe saptadaśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When he is said that way Rama chuckled and that wordsmith started to reply her who eyes are besotted in lovesickness with this sentence. [3-17-29]