Chapter 2

Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest

VERSE 1

कृत आतिथ्यो।अथ रामस्तु सूर्यस्य उदयनम् प्रति
आमंत्र्य स मुनीम् तत् सर्वान् वनम् एव अन्वगाहत

kṛta ātithyo|atha rāmastu sūryasya udayanam prati
āmaṃtrya sa munīm tat sarvān vanam eva anvagāhata

SYNONYMS

atha: then | kṛta ātithyaḥ: on receiving, hospitality | saḥ rāmaḥ tu: he, that Rama | sūryasya udayanam prati: sun, rise, before | sarvān munīn āmantrya: all, sages, bade farewell | vanam eva anvagāhataḥ: into forests, thus, entered [the deep of forest.] |

TRANSLATION

Then, on receiving the hospitality in that hermitage for that day, and on the next day before sunrise, Rama bade farewell to all of the sages, and thus entered the deep forests. [3-2-1]

VERSE 2

नाना मृग गण आकीर्णम् ऋक्ष शार्दूल सेवितम्
ध्वस्त वृक्ष लता गुल्मम् दुर्दर्श सलिलाशयम्

nānā mṛga gaṇa ākīrṇam ṛkṣa śārdūla sevitam
dhvasta vṛkṣa latā gulmam durdarśa salilāśayam

SYNONYMS

-3| lakśmana anucaraḥ: Lakshmana, following | rāmaḥ: Rama | nānā mṛga gaṇa ākīrṇam: very many, animal, herds of, filled with | ṛkśa śārdūla sevitam: bears, tigers, adored by [frequented by] | dhastva: ruined are | vṛkśa lathā gulmam: trees, creepers, bushes | dur darśa: unsightly | salila āśayam: water, ponds | nisḥ kūjamāna śakuni: not, singing, birds | jhillikā gaṇa nāditam: crickets, swarms, whistling [deafeningly] | vana madhyam: forest's, midst of | dadarśa ha: has seen, indeed. |

TRANSLATION

Rama followed by Lakshmana has indeed seen that midst of the forest which is filled with very many animal herds, where the bears and tigers are frequenting, and whose trees, creepers, bushes are ruined, water ponds rendered unsightly, birds song-less, but where the swarms of crickets are whistling deafeningly. [3-3-2, 3]

VERSE 4

सीताया सह काकुत्स्थः तस्मिन् घोर मृग आयुते
ददर्श गिरि शृङ्ग आभम् पुरुषादम् महास्वनम्

sītāyā saha kākutsthaḥ tasmin ghora mṛga āyute
dadarśa giri śṛṅga ābham puruṣādam mahāsvanam

SYNONYMS

tasmin: in there | sīthāyā saha kākuthsa: Seetha, along with, Rama | dadarśa: saw | ghora mṛga āyute: horrendous, animals, among | giri sṛṅga ābham: mountain, peak, akin to | puruṣa ādam: man-eater | mahā svanam: lurid, voiced one. |

TRANSLATION

Therein Rama has seen along with Seetha, a lurid voiced man-eater who is akin to a mountain-peak, among horrendous animals. [3-2-4]

VERSE 5

गम्भीर अक्षम् महावक्त्रम् विकटम् विकटोदरम्
बीभत्सम् विषमम् दीर्घम् विकृतम् घोर दर्शनम्

gambhīra akṣam mahāvaktram vikaṭam vikaṭodaram
bībhatsam viṣamam dīrgham vikṛtam ghora darśanam

SYNONYMS

gabhīra akśam: deep, eyed | mahā vaktram: large, mouthed | vikaṭam: horrible | vikaṭa udaram: monstrous, bellied | bībhatsam: hideous | viṣamam: misshapen | dīrgham: very soaring | vikṛtam: ugly | ghora darśanam: horrendous, look. |

TRANSLATION

Deep eyed, huge mouthed, horrible with a monstrous belly, hideously misshapen, and a very soaring one that demon is, an ugly one with a horrendous look. [3-2-5]

VERSE 6

वसानम् चर्म वैयाघ्रम् वस आर्द्रम् रुधिरोक्षितम्
त्रासनम् सर्व भूतानाम् व्यादितास्यम् इव अन्तकम्

vasānam carma vaiyāghram vasa ārdram rudhirokṣitam
trāsanam sarva bhūtānām vyāditāsyam iva antakam

SYNONYMS

vasānam carma vaiyāghram: wearing, skin, of tiger | vasa ārdram: fat, wetted | rudhiraḥ ukśitam: blood, dampened | trāsanam sarva bhūtānāam: frightening, to all, beings | vyādita āsyam iva antakam: wide-open, mouth, like, Death. |

TRANSLATION

Wearing tiger's skin that is wetted with fat and dampened with blood, he is frightening to all beings like the wide-open mouth of Death. [3-2-6]

VERSE 7

त्रीन् सिंहान् चतुरो व्याघ्रान् द्वौ वृकौ पृषतान् दश
सविषाणम् वसादिग्धम् गजस्य च शिरो महत्

trīn siṃhān caturo vyāghrān dvau vṛkau pṛṣatān daśa
saviṣāṇam vasādigdham gajasya ca śiro mahat

SYNONYMS

-8a| trīn simhān: three, lions | caruraḥ vyāghrān: four, tigers | dvāu vṛkau: two, wolves | pṛṣṭān daśa: spotted deer, ten | sa viṣāṇam: with, tusks | vasā digdhām: with fat, fouled | mahat śiraḥ gajasya ca: a big, head, of elephant, also | avasajya āyase śūle: skewered onto, iron, spear | vi nadantam: verily, yelling | mahā svanam: with blaring voice. |

TRANSLATION

He skewered three lions, four tigers, two wolves, ten spotted deer, and a big head of an elephant with tusks and fouled with fat on an iron spear, and he is yelling with his deafening voice. [3-2-7-8a]

VERSE 8

स रामम् लक्ष्मणम् चैव सीताम् दृष्ट्वा च मैथिलीम्

sa rāmam lakṣmaṇam caiva sītām dṛṣṭvā ca maithilīm

SYNONYMS

b-9a| saḥ: he that demon | rāmam lakśmanam ca eva sīthām ca maithilīm: at Rama, Lakshmana, also, thus Seetha, the Maithili | dṛṣṭvā: on seeing | abhya dhāvat: towards, ran | su samkruddhaḥ: very, angrily | prajāḥ kāla iva antakaḥ: of people, Time, like, eliminator. |

TRANSLATION

He that demon on seeing Rama, Lakshmana and Seetha ran towards them very angrily, like the Time, the Eliminator of people. [3-2-8b-9a]

VERSE 9

स कृत्वा भैरवम् नादम् चालयन् इव मेदिनीम्

sa kṛtvā bhairavam nādam cālayan iva medinīm

SYNONYMS

b-10a| saḥ kṛtvā bhairava nādam: he, shouting, tremulous, blare | cālayan iva medinīm: to tremor, as though, the earth | ankena ādāya vaidehīm: by arms, seizing, Vaidehi | apa kramya: afar, gone | tadā abravīt: then, said [this way.] |

TRANSLATION

He shouted a tremulous blare, as though to tremor the earth, and seized Vaidehi with his arms and gone afar, and then said this way. [9b-10a]

VERSE 10

युवाम् जटा चीर धरौ सभार्यौ क्षीण जीवितौ

yuvām jaṭā cīra dharau sabhāryau kṣīṇa jīvitau

SYNONYMS

yuvām: you two | jata cīra dharau: jute, cloths, wearers [like hermits] | kśīṇa jīvitau: with dwindled, lives | sa bhharyau: with, wife | śara cāpa asi dhāriṇau: arrow, bow, sword, wielding [like warriors] | dandaka aranyam praviṣṭau: Dandaka forests entered. |

TRANSLATION

"You two wear jute cloths like hermits, but handle arrows, bows and swords like warriors, yet entered Dandaka forest with your wife... your lives are on the wane... [3-2-10b-11a]

VERSE 11

कथम् तापसयोः युवाम् च वासः प्रमदया सह

katham tāpasayoḥ yuvām ca vāsaḥ pramadayā saha

SYNONYMS

b-12a| katham tāpasayoḥ yuvām ca: how, saintly, you are, also | vāsa pramadāya saha: living, with wife, withal | a dharma cāriṇau: dishonest, you ways, are | pāpau: sinful ones | kau yuvām muni dūṣakau: who [you are], you two, sainthood, insulters of. |

TRANSLATION

"How saintly are you while living with your wife? You sinful fellows dishonest are you ways... who are you... you insulters of sainthood? [3-2-11b-12a]

PURPORT

This demon Viradha could not comprehend their identity prima facie. By their physique and carrying the bows and arrows, knives etc., they look like warriors. By their dress, hairdo, pendants etc., they look like sages. He has so far not seen a warring sage, like Bhargava Rama or Parashu Rama. These two men dressed like sages but look like warriors and are moving in the deadly forests with a wife. vi raadha , means without, love, a loveless one, and in another context it means that vi = verily, raadha adoring Krishna like Raadha. He is said to adore Goddess Lakshmi before he is cursed to become a demon, and finding that goddess in Seetha, he lifts her into his arms, like a baby. This demon while admonishing Rama and Lakshmana for flaunting the sainthood, for they are moving with weapons and a wife, he narrates about himself in next verses.
VERSE 12

अहम् वनम् इदम् दुर्गम् विराघो नाम राक्षसः

aham vanam idam durgam virāgho nāma rākṣasaḥ

SYNONYMS

b-13a| aham: I am | virādha nāma rākśasaḥ: Viradha, named, demon | sa āyudhaḥ: with, weapon | nityam ṛṣi māmsa bhakśayan: always, sage's, flesh, eating | dur gam idam vanam carāmi: impassable, this, in forest, I rove. |

TRANSLATION

"I am a demon named Viradha and I will be on the rove in this impassable forest with weapon, always eating the flesh of sages... [3-2-12b-13a]

VERSE 13

इयम् नारी वरारोहा मम भार्या भविष्यति

iyam nārī varārohā mama bhāryā bhaviṣyati

SYNONYMS

b-14a| varārohā: well waisted one | iyam nārī: this, woman | mama bhāryā bhaviśyati: my, wife, she becomes | aham mṛdhe: I will, in fight | pāpayoḥ: sinful ones | yuvayoḥ rudhiram pāsyāmi: your, blood, I will drink. |

TRANSLATION

"This best waisted woman will be my wife, and I will drink your blood of you two sinful one in a fight with you... [3-2-13b-14a]

VERSE 14

तस्य एवम् ब्रुवतो दुष्टम् विराधस्य दुरात्मनः

tasya evam bruvato duṣṭam virādhasya durātmanaḥ

SYNONYMS

b-15a| evam: that way | bruvataḥ: speaking | durātmanaḥ: eveil minded one | tasya virādhasya: his, that Viradha's | sa garvitam: with, pride | duṣṭam: in bad intent | vākyam: words | śrutvā: on hearing | janaka ātmaja sambhrāntā: Janaka's daughter, is much panicked. |

TRANSLATION

On listening those arrogant words spoken in bad intent by that evil minded Viradha, Seetha, the daughter of Janaka, is much panicked. [3-2-14b-15a.]

PURPORT

Here Viradha said that Seetha would become his bhaaryaa which would translate into a 'wife' in routine manner. It is said that Viradha is a devotee of Goddess Lakshmi and it is not congruous for a devotee to say like that. Here, aascharya ramayana , another version of Ramayana, defines bhaarya as: bhaa luminous one; aryaaH adorable. Hence his word should mean, "this luminary is my adorable one." Further he handles Seetha like a baby, as in 3-2-16, she is said to be viraadha anka gata , gone into the arm-fold of Viradha as babies would. The peevish ones like Viradha or Ravana grab her very quickly for she is Goddess Lakshmi, the presiding deity of wealth.
VERSE 15

सीता प्रावेपिता उद्वेगात् प्रवाते कदली यथा

sītā prāvepitā udvegāt pravāte kadalī yathā

SYNONYMS

b-16| sītā udvegāt: in fear, pravaate kadalii yathaa = in whirlwind, plantain tree, like | pravepita: verily wiggled | rāghavaḥ: Rama | virādha anka gatām śubhām: into Viradha's, arms, gone in, auspicious lady | tām dṛṣṭvā sīthām: her, on seeing, at Seetha | abravīt lakśmanam vākyam: spoke, to Lakshmana, sentence | mukhena pari ṣuśyatā: with his face, fully, turning to pale. |

TRANSLATION

Seetha in fear wiggled like a plantain tree in a whirlwind, and on seeing at the auspicious lady gone into the arms of Viradha, Raghava spoke this sentence to Lakshmana, with his face fully turning to pale. [3-2-15b-16]

VERSE 17

पश्य सौंय नरेन्द्रस्य जनकस्य अत्म संभवाम्
मम भार्याम् शुभाचाराम् विराधाङ्के प्रवेशिताम्

paśya sauṃya narendrasya janakasya atma saṃbhavām
mama bhāryām śubhācārām virādhāṅke praveśitām

SYNONYMS

-18a| paśya soumya: see, oh gentle one [Lakshmana] | narendrasya janakasya ātma sambhavām: emperor's, of Janaka, soul, born [daughter] | mama bhāryām: my, wife | śubha ācārām: auspiciously, traditional | virādha anke praveśitām: Viraadha's, arm-fold, entered atyanta sukha samvR^idhaam = immense, in comfort, comfortably brought up | rāja putrīm yaśasvinīm: king's, daughter, illustrious one. |

TRANSLATION

"See! Gentle Lakshmana, see that illustrious princes Seetha, the daughter of emperor Janaka, one who is brought up comfortably in immense comfort, and my auspiciously traditional wife... now gone into the wretched hands of a demon... [3-2-17-18a]

VERSE 18

यत् अभिप्रेतम् अस्मासु प्रियम् वर वृतम् च यत्

yat abhipretam asmāsu priyam vara vṛtam ca yat

SYNONYMS

asmāsu yat abhipretam: in our respect, which is, desired [to befall on us] | yat vara vṛtam ca: which is, by boons, happened [concomitant to] | kaikeyyaḥ priyam: for Kaikeyi, choicest | adya eva kśipram susamvṛttam: today, only quickly, came to pass. |

TRANSLATION

"That which is desired to befall on us, and that which is the choicest desire of Kaikeyi, and that which is concomitant to her boons, oh, Lakshmana, that has come to pass quickly, and today only Lakshmana... [3-2-18b-19a]

VERSE 19

या न तुष्यति राज्येन पुत्रार्थे दीर्घ दर्शिनी

yā na tuṣyati rājyena putrārthe dīrgha darśinī

SYNONYMS

b-20| yā: she who is diirgha darshanii = fore, sighted lady | putrārthe: for her son | rājyena na tuṣyati: by kingdom, not, happy | yayā: by whom | aham sarva bhūtānā priyaḥ: I am, for all, beings, dear one | prasthāpitaḥ vanam: sent forth, to forest | yā mama mātā madhyamā: she, who is, my, mother, middle one | : such she | adya idānīm: today, now | sa kāmā: with fulfilled, desire. |

TRANSLATION

"She who is a foresighted lady, she who is not happy with the kingdom for her son, she by whom I, a dear one to all beings, am sent to forests, and she is my middle mother, her desire is fulfilled today, nay now itself... [3-2-19b-20]

VERSE 21

पर स्पर्शात् तु वैदेह्या न दुःखतरम् अस्ति मे
पितुर् विनाशात् सौमित्रे स्व राज्य हरणात् तथा

para sparśāt tu vaidehyā na duḥkhataram asti me
pitur vināśāt saumitre sva rājya haraṇāt tathā

SYNONYMS

pitur vināśāt: father's, by demise | tathā: like that | sva rājya haraṇāt: my, kingdom, than grabbing away | para sparśāt vaidehyā: others, touching, Seetha | na duḥkha taram asti me: no, grief, higher, is, to me. |

TRANSLATION

"To me, oh, Soumitri, the grief of others touching Seetha is more, than father's demise or grabbing away my kingdom... [3-2-21]

PURPORT

Here Rama says that 'my' kingdom is grabbed away, and now the grabbing away of Seetha is more painful, even somebody touching Seetha, the most. Rama did not loose heart to regain his kingdom. He underwent the course of what his father ordered and is definite of return to Ayodhya to rule back his empire. In the next canto Kishkindha, Vali the monkey hero questions Rama, as who he is to enter Kishkindha. To that Rama replies, "All the Bharata continent belongs to us, the Ikshwaku-s, and presently the emperor is Bharata, and hence on behalf of my emperor Bharata I slay you." There he is again confident of returning to capital after completing his exile. Hence claiming this kingdom as 'my' kingdom does not alter his status of emperor, though not now, but after the completion of exile he is to become one. Again Rama weighed the agony in terms of his father's death and grabbing away of his kingdom. Raajya Lakshmi, Kingdom Wealth is nothing before his wife, Wealth of Fortune, i.e. Bhaagya Lakshmi. Hence Rama is more bothered about his fortune wife than the retrievable kingdom, or the death of an aged father.
VERSE 22

इति ब्रुवति काकुत्स्थे बाष्प शोक परिप्लुतः
अब्रवीत् लक्ष्मणः क्रुद्धो रुद्धो नाग इव श्वसन्

iti bruvati kākutsthe bāṣpa śoka pariplutaḥ
abravīt lakṣmaṇaḥ kruddho ruddho nāga iva śvasan

SYNONYMS

iti bruvati kākuthse: thus, when said, by Rama | lakśmanaḥ: Lakshmana | bāśpa śoka pari pluta: tears, in lament, over, flooding | kruddhaḥ: in anger | ruddhaḥ nāga iva śvasan: forestalled, snake, like, hissing | abravīt: said. |

TRANSLATION

When said thus by Rama, Lakshmana said this with flooding tears of lament, and in his anger hissing like a forestalled snake. [3-2-22]

PURPORT

Such portrayal of Lakshmana as a fundamentally angry person, like a hissing snake, and a sharp tongued one etc., are attributed in mythology to the serpentine character of aadi SheSa , the thousand headed serpent on which Vishnu reclines. The mythological derivation is that Lakshmana is the incarnation of that serpent, while Bharata and Shatrughna are the incarnations of the conch shell and disc that adorn the two upper hands of Vishnu.
VERSE 23

अनाथ इव भूतानाम् नाथः त्वम् वासवोपमः
मया प्रेष्येण काकुत्स्थः किम् अर्थम् परितप्यसे

anātha iva bhūtānām nāthaḥ tvam vāsavopamaḥ
mayā preṣyeṇa kākutsthaḥ kim artham paritapyase

SYNONYMS

kākuthsa: oh, Rama | bhūtānām nāthaḥ: for all beings, lord | vāsava upama: Indra, in similitude | tvam anātha iva: you, derelict, like | preṣyena mayā: adherent, I am [with you] | kim artham paritapyase: what for, you, worry yourself. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh, Rama, you being the Indra like lord of all beings, and while you are being attended by an adherent like me, what for you worry yourself like a derelict? [3-2-23]

VERSE 24

शरेण निहतस्य अद्य मया क्रुद्धेन रक्षसः
विराधस्य गत असोः हि मही पास्यति शोणितम्

śareṇa nihatasya adya mayā kruddhena rakṣasaḥ
virādhasya gata asoḥ hi mahī pāsyati śoṇitam

SYNONYMS

kruddhena maya: an enraged one, by me | adya śreṇa nihatasya: now, by arrow, felled | gata aśuḥ: gone are, his lives | rakśasaḥ virādhasya śoṇitam: demon, Viradha's, blood | mahī pāsyati hi: earth, drinks, indeed. |

TRANSLATION

"He will now be felled with my arrow as I am enraged at him, and gone are his lives now, and indeed the earth shall drink his blood... [3-2-24]

VERSE 25

राज्य कामे मम क्रोधो भरते यो बभूव ह
तम् विराधे विमोक्ष्यामि वज्री वज्रम् इव अचले

rājya kāme mama krodho bharate yo babhūva ha
tam virādhe vimokṣyāmi vajrī vajram iva acale

SYNONYMS

rājya kāme bharate: kingdom, in desiring, on Bharata | mama yaḥ krodhaḥ babhūva ha: my, which, anger, was there, indeed | tam: that, anger | vajrī vajram acale iva: Indra, Thunderbolt [released,] on the mountain, as with | virādhe vi mokśyāmi: on Viradha, I will release. |

TRANSLATION

"Indeed, that which anger was there to me on Bharata when he desired kingdom, that anger I will now release on Viradha, as Indra released his Thunderbolt on the mountain... [3-2-25]

VERSE 26

इति वाल्मीकि रामयणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे द्वितीयः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmayaṇe ādi kāvye araṇya kāṇḍe dvitīyaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

mama bhuja bala: by my, shoulder, strength | vega vegitaḥ: by speed, accelerated | mahān śaraḥ: ruinous, arrow | asya mahā uraśi patatu: on his, massive chest, shall fall | tanoḥ jīvitam vyapanayatu: from body, life, shall decamp | tataḥ vighūrṇitaḥ mahīm patatu: then, whirling, on earth, shall fall. |

TRANSLATION

"Accelerated by my shoulder strength this ruinous arrow shall fall on his massive chest, thus life from his body shall decamp, and then he shall whirlingly fall onto the earth..." So said Lakshmana. [3-2-26] The forest Dandaka Forest wherein Rama is trekking is a dominion of their kingdom, but a deserted forest. One named Danda, the last son of Ikshvaku, was performing all demonic activities in their kingdom. His father Ikshvaku received many a complaint about Danda's deeds from his subjects, and angered at his erring son Danda and banishes him from the kingdom. Danda took refuge in Vindhya mountain range and built a kingdom and a beautiful capital for himself called Madhumanta. He rubbed shoulders with all the demons thereabout and thus became a disciple of Sage Shukraachaarya, the guru of demons. One day when Sage Shukraachaarya is not in hermitage, Danda reaches there, and sees Araja, the elder daughter of the sage Shukra, and molests her, in spite of her repeated protests. Later when Sage Shukraachaarya comes to know about it, gets enraged and curses Danda, to fall down along with his entire kingdom under a mud storm around that Madhumanta capital for a period of seven consecutive days. Then there is a mud storm for seven days and entire kingdom went under mud, later to become a forest called Dandaka. The place to where the curse fearing people fled from that Madhunata to further south is called Jansthaana. At later time, when Rama's peregrination started, these two places, Dandaka forest and Janasthaana, are under the domain of Ravana, and Ravana made one demon named Khara, as the protector of this dominion Jansthaana. This is the place where Rama built his hermitage Panchavati, at which Demoness Surpanakha arrives, and from where Ravana abducts Seetha. When Rama asks the forest dwelling sages for a quiet place to live on, the sages in Dandaka forest, will make Rama constantly move southward, till he reaches Janasthana, indirectly directing Rama to eradicate the demonic influence over these places, which once belonged to Rama's kingdom.