Chapter 27
Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest
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
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]
माम् नियोजय विक्रांतम् त्वम् निवर्तस्व साहसात्
पश्य रामम् महाबाहुम् संयुगे विनिपातितम्
mām niyojaya vikrāṃtam tvam nivartasva sāhasāt
paśya rāmam mahābāhum saṃyuge vinipātitam
SYNONYMS
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
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
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]
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
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
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
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
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
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]
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
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]
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
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]
आगच्छ्हंतम् त्रिशिरसम् राक्षसम् प्रेक्ष्य राघवः
धनुषा प्रतिजग्राह विधुन्वन् सायकान् शितान्
āgacchhaṃtam triśirasam rākṣasam prekṣya rāghavaḥ
dhanuṣā pratijagrāha vidhunvan sāyakān śitān
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On seeing the oncoming of that demon Trishira, Raghava welcomed him by speedily winnowing smarting arrows from his bow. [3-27-9]
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
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]
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
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]
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
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]
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
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]
SYNONYMS
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]
SYNONYMS
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]
SYNONYMS
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]
SYNONYMS
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]
SYNONYMS
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]
SYNONYMS
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]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे सप्त विंशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye araṇya kāṇḍe sapta viṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
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]