Chapter 27

Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest

VERSE 1

खरम् तु राम अभिमुखम् प्रयांतम् वाहिनी पतिः
राक्षसः त्रिशिरा नाम संनिपत्य इदम् अब्रवीत्

kharam tu rāma abhimukham prayāṃtam vāhinī patiḥ
rākṣasaḥ triśirā nāma saṃnipatya idam abravīt

SYNONYMS

rāma abhimukham pra yāntam = tovards ṟama's, forefront, verily, journeying: lunging at | kharam tu: to Khara, but | vāhinī patiḥ: forces, commander | triśirā nāma rākṣasaḥ: Trishira, named demons | sam nipatya: on nearing / on saluting | idam abravīt: this, said. |

TRANSLATION

But when Khara is about to lunge to the forefront of Rama, nearing him the commander of demonic forces named Trishira spoke this to him. [3-27-1]

VERSE 2

माम् नियोजय विक्रांतम् त्वम् निवर्तस्व साहसात्
पश्य रामम् महाबाहुम् संयुगे विनिपातितम्

mām niyojaya vikrāṃtam tvam nivartasva sāhasāt
paśya rāmam mahābāhum saṃyuge vinipātitam

SYNONYMS

vikrāntam mām niyojaya: invader [such as I am,] me, enjoin | sāhasāt tvam ni vartasva = from adventure, you, return: desist from | samyuge: in combat | vi ni pātitam: verily, down, felled | mahābāhum rāmam paśya: mighty-armed, Rama, you [are certain to] see. |

TRANSLATION

"Desisting from your personal adventure you enjoin me for I am an invader, and then you are certain to see me felling that mighty-armed Rama in combat. [3-27-2]

PURPORT

The spirit of soldiery is explained in this verse. When junior rankers are available, they are not supposed to allow higher ups to lunge forward in the first instance. Dharmaakuutam puts it thus, in Maha Bharata war, when Duryodhana himself wanted to deal with Arjuna, Ashvatthaama holds him back saying: mayi jiivati gaandhaare na yuddham kartum arhasi ... aham aavaara iSyaami paartham tiSTa suyodhana... 'when I am alive you are not supposed to combat, I will take over Arjuna, you stay back, oh, Suyodhana...' But the same Suyodhana does not show this much war-nicety when killing the lone Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna.
VERSE 3

प्रतिजानामि ते सत्यम् आयुधम् च अहम् आलभे
यथा रामम् वधिष्यामि वधार्हम् सर्व रक्षसाम्

pratijānāmi te satyam āyudham ca aham ālabhe
yathā rāmam vadhiṣyāmi vadhārham sarva rakṣasām

SYNONYMS

aham te: I, to you | satyam prati jānāmi: truly, promising | āyudham ca ālabhe = veapon, ī am, on toucing: oath on my weapon, too | yathā: as to how | sarva rakṣasām: for all, demons | vadha arham = kill, meant to: deserves to be killed, killable by all demons | rāmam vadhiṣyāmi: Rama, I wish to kill. |

TRANSLATION

"Taking oath on my weapon I promise to you that I truly wish to kill this Rama, as he deserves ill of all the demons by killing. [3-27-3]

VERSE 4

अहम् वा अस्य रणे मृत्युः एष वा समरे मम
विनिवर्त्य रण उत्साहम् मुहूर्तम् प्राश्निको भव

aham vā asya raṇe mṛtyuḥ eṣa vā samare mama
vinivartya raṇa utsāham muhūrtam prāśniko bhava

SYNONYMS

raṇa utsāham vinivartya [vi ni vartya]: combat, adventurism, hold back | raṇe aham asya mṛtyuḥ vā: in conflict, I [will become,] his, death, whether | samare eṣa mama vā: in combat, he, mine, or | muhūrtam prāśnikaḥ bhava: for a while, examiner, you become. |

TRANSLATION

"Hold back your combative-adventurism and become an examiner to decide whether I am going to become his god of death in this combat, or he becomes mine. [3-27-4]

PURPORT

The word praashnikaH is said to a rare expression meaning 'one who asks questions, an examiner, a judge...' in its fine sense. Secondarily, it is 'a witness' 'a spectator.' [After Prof. Satya Vrat.]
VERSE 5

प्रहृष्टो वा हते रामे जनस्थानम् प्रयास्यसि
मयि वा निहते रामम् संयुगाय प्रयास्यसि

prahṛṣṭo vā hate rāme janasthānam prayāsyasi
mayi vā nihate rāmam saṃyugāya prayāsyasi

SYNONYMS

rāme hate: while Rama, is killed | pra hṛṣṭaḥ janasthānam pra yāsyasi: very gladly, to Janasthaana, you may proceed | : else if | mayi nihate: when I am, killed | samyugāya rāmam prayāsyasi [upa yāsyasi]: to combat, towards Rama, you can proceed. |

TRANSLATION

"If I were to kill Rama you may gladly proceed to Janasthaana, else if Rama kills me then you can adventurously proceed against him for a combat." Thus Trishira spoke to Khara. [3-27-5]

PURPORT

These verses have commentary in depth. sarva raakshasaam vadhaa artham 'he who is meant to kill all the demons...' raamam 'about that Rama...' yathaa - yathaa vat 'as it is, in his true form; aham prati jaanaami ' I am in the full know of him...' 'I know fully well that this Rama has come to eliminate all the demons...' These are the same words told by Sage Vishvamitra to Dasharatha when he came to take Rama and Lakshmana. tam vadhiSyaami ' him, I shall kill...' for that only sarvam aayudham aalabhe... 'all weaponry I am handling...' 'However, knowing him well I am handling these weapons for sake of show, only entice him to accord salvation to me firstly...' because aham vaa raNe mR^ityuH? 'can I be his death in war? No I cannot... eSa vaa samre mama mR^ityuH 'he is my death in combat...' muhur praasniko bhava for a while you become an examiner, and examine and know it yourself; raame a + hate sati, mayi ca nihate sati 'if Rama is not killed by me, or if I am killed by Rama, then you can adventurously proceed to him, and have your turn to get salvation at Rama's arrows...'
VERSE 6

खरः त्रिशिरसा तेन मृत्यु लोभात् प्रसादितः
गच्छ्ह युध्य इति अनुज्ञातो राघव अभिमुखो ययौ

kharaḥ triśirasā tena mṛtyu lobhāt prasāditaḥ
gacchha yudhya iti anujñāto rāghava abhimukho yayau

SYNONYMS

kharaḥ: Khara | tena triśirasā: by him, that Trishira | mṛtyu lobhāt: death, greedy demon | prasāditaḥ: manoeuvred | gaccha yudhya: go, combat | iti anujñātaḥ: thus, when permitted | rāghava abhimukhaḥ yayau: to Raghava's, forefront, proceeded. |

TRANSLATION

By that death-greedy demon Trishira, Khara is manoeuvred and Khara to him said 'begone... combat...' and thus permitted, Trishira proceeded to the forefront of Rama. [3-27-6]

VERSE 7

त्रिशिराः तु रथेन एव वाजि युक्तेन भास्वता
अभ्यद्रवत् रणे रामम् त्रि शृंग इव पर्वतः

triśirāḥ tu rathena eva vāji yuktena bhāsvatā
abhyadravat raṇe rāmam tri śṛṃga iva parvataḥ

SYNONYMS

triśirāḥ tu: Trishira, on his part | vāji yuktena: horses, yoked | bhāsvatā rathena eva: with lustrous, chariot, thus | tri śṛnga parvataḥ iva: tri, peaked, mountain, as if | raṇe rāmam abhyadravat: in war, to Rama, hurried. |

TRANSLATION

Trishira with a lustrous chariot that is yoked with equally lustrous horses hurried towards Rama in that war, like a tri-peaked mountain, for they say, he is a tri-headed demon. [3-27-7]

VERSE 8

शर धारा समूहान् स महामेघ इव उत्सृजन्
व्यसृजत् सदृशम् नादम् जल आर्द्रस्य इव दुन्दुभेः

śara dhārā samūhān sa mahāmegha iva utsṛjan
vyasṛjat sadṛśam nādam jala ārdrasya iva dundubheḥ

SYNONYMS

saḥ mahā megha iva: he, hefty, cloud, as with | śara dhārā samūhān: arrow, torrents, hosts of | utsṛjan: while discharging | jala ārdrasya dundubheḥ sadṛśam iva: with water, wet, war-drum, in similarity, like | nādam vyasṛjat [vi ava sṛjat]: sound, readily discharged. |

TRANSLATION

Discharging hosts of arrow-torrents like a hefty-arrow-cloud, he readily discharged a noise similar to the thudding drumbeat when a water-wet war-drum is beaten, rather than a blast from a heated drum. [3-27-8]

VERSE 9

आगच्छ्हंतम् त्रिशिरसम् राक्षसम् प्रेक्ष्य राघवः
धनुषा प्रतिजग्राह विधुन्वन् सायकान् शितान्

āgacchhaṃtam triśirasam rākṣasam prekṣya rāghavaḥ
dhanuṣā pratijagrāha vidhunvan sāyakān śitān

SYNONYMS

rāghavaḥ: Raghava | āgacchantam rākṣasam triśirasam: oncoming, demon, of Trishira | prekṣya: on seeing | śitān sāyakān: smarting, arrows | dhanuṣā vi dhunvan = vith bov, spīdily, śoving: winnowing | prati jagrāha: in turn received -welcomed him. |

TRANSLATION

On seeing the oncoming of that demon Trishira, Raghava welcomed him by speedily winnowing smarting arrows from his bow. [3-27-9]

VERSE 10

स संप्रहारः तुमुलो राम त्रिशिरसोः तदा
संबभूव अतीव बलिनोः सिंह कुंँजरयोः इव

sa saṃprahāraḥ tumulo rāma triśirasoḥ tadā
saṃbabhūva atīva balinoḥ siṃha kuṃ~jarayoḥ iva

SYNONYMS

rāma triśirasoḥ: of Rama, of Trishira | tumulaḥ: tumultuous one | saḥ sam prahāraḥ: that, grave, encounter | atīva balinoḥ: extremely, forceful ones | simha kun'jarayoḥ iva: lion, elephant, like that of | tadā: then | sam babhūva: chanced. |

TRANSLATION

That grave and tumultuous encounter chanced between Rama and Trishira is like the extremely forceful encounter between a loin and an elephant. [3-27-10]

VERSE 11

ततः त्रिशिरसा बाणैः ललाटे ताडितः त्रिभिः
अमर्षी कुपितो रामः संरब्धम् इदम् अब्रवीत्

tataḥ triśirasā bāṇaiḥ lalāṭe tāḍitaḥ tribhiḥ
amarṣī kupito rāmaḥ saṃrabdham idam abravīt

SYNONYMS

, 14a| mama cāpa guṇa cyutān = mine, bov's, from bovstring, falling: plunging | śarān api: arrows, even | prati gṛhṇīṣva = in return, you acknovledge: accept - withstand | evam uktvā: thus, saying | su sam rabdhaḥ = one vho has very, high: alacritous, swiftness | kruddhaḥ: infuriated | āśīviṣa upamān: with venomous snakes, like | triśiraḥ vakṣasi: Trishira's, on chest | nijaghāna: hit | [nicakhāna: staved in.] |

TRANSLATION

Later when Trishira smote on the forehead of highly enraged Rama with three arrows, Rama's ire is intensified and he franticly said this to that demon. [3-27-11]

VERSE 12

अहो विक्रम शूरस्य राक्षसस्य ईदृशम् बलम्
पुष्पैः इव शरैः यस्य ललाटे अस्मि परिक्षतः

aho vikrama śūrasya rākṣasasya īdṛśam balam
puṣpaiḥ iva śaraiḥ yasya lalāṭe asmi parikṣataḥ

SYNONYMS

aho: oho | vikrama śūrasya: triumphing, of adventurer | rākṣasasya balam: demon's, energy | īdṛśam!: just this? | yasya śaraiḥ: whose, with arrows | puṣpaiḥ iva lalāṭe: with flowers, as if, on forehead | pari kṣataḥ asmi = peripherally, struck: rap, I am. |

TRANSLATION

"Oho! What an energy of a triumphing adventurer is this! A demon with this sort of energy is adventuring me, whose arrows rap my forehead peripherally, like flowers! [3-27-12]

VERSE 13

मम अपि प्रतिगृह्णीष्व शरान् चाप गुण च्युतान्
एवम् उक्त्वा सुसंरब्धः शरान् आशीविष उपमान्

mama api pratigṛhṇīṣva śarān cāpa guṇa cyutān
evam uktvā susaṃrabdhaḥ śarān āśīviṣa upamān

SYNONYMS

, 14a| mama cāpa guṇa cyutān = mine, bov's, from bovstring, falling: plunging | śarān api: arrows, even | prati gṛhṇīṣva = in return, you acknovledge: accept - withstand | evam uktvā: thus, saying | su sam rabdhaḥ = one vho has very, high: alacritous, swiftness | kruddhaḥ: infuriated | āśīviṣa upamān: with venomous snakes, like | triśiraḥ vakṣasi: Trishira's, on chest | nijaghāna: hit | [nicakhāna: staved in.] |

TRANSLATION

"Now you accept arrows plunging from the string of my bow..." saying thus, that infuriated Rama with his alacritous swiftness hit the chest of Trishira with fourteen arrows similar to venomous snakes. [3-27-13, 14a]

VERSE 14

चतुर्भिः तुरगान् अस्य शरैः संनत पर्वाभिः

caturbhiḥ turagān asya śaraiḥ saṃnata parvābhiḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 15a| tejasvī: resplendent [Rama] | sam nata parvābhiḥ: hook, barbed, straight-shooting ones | caturbhiḥ śaraiḥ: with four, arrows | tasya: such [kind of arrows] | asya: his [Trishira's] | turagān: speedy going | caturaḥ vājinaḥ = four, horses: of chariot | nyapātayata = fell dovn: hewed down. |

TRANSLATION

With four of his straight shooting arrows that have hook-like barbs, that resplendent Rama hewed down four of the speedy horses of Trishira's chariot. [3-27-14b, 15a]

VERSE 15

अष्टभिः सायकैः सूतम् रथ उपस्थे न्यपातयत्

aṣṭabhiḥ sāyakaiḥ sūtam ratha upasthe nyapātayat

SYNONYMS

b, 16a| rāmaḥ aṣṭabhiḥ sāyakaiḥ: Rama, with eight, arrows | sūtam: charioteer is | ratha upasthe nyapātayat: from chariot's, seat, fell down | bāṇena: with one arrow | asya: his [Trishira's] | sam ucchritam: hoisted high | dhvajam ca: flag, also | ciccheda: ripped off. |

TRANSLATION

With eight arrows Rama felled the charioteer from his settle on the chariot, and with one arrow ripped off the high flying flag on that chariot. [3-27-15b, 16a]

VERSE 16

ततो हत रथात् तस्मात् उत्पतंतम् निशाचरम्

tato hata rathāt tasmāt utpataṃtam niśācaram

SYNONYMS

b, 17a| tataḥ: then | rāmaḥ: Rama | tasmāt hata rathāt: from that, smashed, chariot | ut patantam = up, falling: vaulting | tam niśācaram: that, nightwalker is | bāṇaiḥ hṛdaye ciccheda: with arrows, at heart's place, tore to shreds | saḥ jaḍaḥ abhavat: he [Trishira,] became, inert. |

TRANSLATION

When that nightwalker is vaulting from that smashed chariot Rama with his arrows tore his chest to shreds and he that Trishira became inert. [3-27-16b, 17a]

VERSE 17

सायकैः च अप्रमेय आत्मा सामर्षः तस्य रक्षसः

sāyakaiḥ ca aprameya ātmā sāmarṣaḥ tasya rakṣasaḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 18a| a prameya ātmā = not, estimable, vith aptitude: Rama | sa amarṣaḥ: with, exasperation | vegavadbhiḥ tribhiḥ: rapid ones, wit three | śaraiḥ: arrows | as in other mms: shitaiH = sharp ones | sāyakaiḥ: with arrows | tasya rakṣasaḥ: of that, demon | trīṇi śirāmsi apātayat = thrī, heads, made to fall: rolled. |

TRANSLATION

And with three sharp and rapid arrows, and even with his own exasperation, Rama of inestimable aptitude rolled the three heads that demon. [3-27-17b, 18a]

VERSE 18

स धूम शोणित उद्गारी राम बाण अभिपीडितः

sa dhūma śoṇita udgārī rāma bāṇa abhipīḍitaḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 19a| rāma bāṇa abhi pīḍitaḥ: Rama's, arrow, highly, tortured | saḥ niśācaraḥ: that, nightwalker | dhūma śoṇita udgārī: fumes, blood, spewing | pūrvam patitaiḥ = earlier: just now, fallen | samara sthaḥ: in war, standing | nyapatat: fell down. |

TRANSLATION

When that nightwalker is highly tortured with Rama's arrows he collapsed spewing blood with fumes, whereat he is standing in war, at where his three heads rolled just now. [3-27-18b, 19a]

VERSE 19

हत शेषाः ततो भग्ना राक्षसाः खर संश्रयाः

hata śeṣāḥ tato bhagnā rākṣasāḥ khara saṃśrayāḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 20a| tataḥ: then | khara samśrayāḥ: by Khara, so far protected | hata śeṣāḥ rākṣasāḥ = on killing: liquidation, remaining ones, demons | bhagnā: with shattered [confidence] | vyāghra trastā mṛgāḥ iva: by tiger, alarmed, deer, as with | dravanti sma: running away | na tiṣṭhanti = they are, not, standing: defecting Khara. |

TRANSLATION

As with the fleeing of deer alarmed by a tiger, the demons remaining after liquidation, whom Khara has protected so far and whose confidence is now shattered, are running away, and they gave Khara the run-around. [3-27-19b, 20a]

VERSE 20

इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे सप्त विंशः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye araṇya kāṇḍe sapta viṃśaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

b, c| ruṣitaḥ kharaḥ: piqued Khara | dravataḥ tān dṛṣṭvā = runners: deserters, them, on seeing | tvaran nivartya: quickly, bringing them back | rāhuḥ candramasam yathā: planet Rahu, to Moon, as with | rāmam eva abhi dudrāva: to Rama, alone, towards, scurried. |

TRANSLATION

On seeing at those deserters Khara is piqued and quickly brought them back to his control, and then as with the scampering of eclipsing planet Rahu towards moon during lunar-eclipse, he scurried towards Rama alone. [3-27-20b, c]