Chapter 39
Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest
एवम् अस्मि तदा मुक्तः कथंचित् तेन संयुगे
इदानीम् अपि यत् वृत्तम् तत् शृउणुष्व यत् उत्तरम्
evam asmi tadā muktaḥ kathaṃcit tena saṃyuge
idānīm api yat vṛttam tat śṛuṇuṣva yat uttaram
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Thus I was somehow released by him in a confrontation then in his teens. Now you may also listen to what has happened later in his adulthood." Thus Maareecha continued his advise to Ravana. [4-39-1]
राक्षाभ्याम् अहम् द्वाभ्याम् अनिर्विण्णः तथा कृतः
सहितो मृग रूपाभ्याम् प्रविष्टो द।न्डका वने
rākṣābhyām aham dvābhyām anirviṇṇaḥ tathā kṛtaḥ
sahito mṛga rūpābhyām praviṣṭo da|nḍakā vane
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Though Rama hit me previously in such a way, I unabashedly entered Dandaka forest together with two more demons who were in the guise of animals. [4-39-2]
दीप्त जिह्वो महादंष्ट्रः तीक्ष्ण शृंगो महाबलः
व्यचरन् द।न्डाकारण्यम् मांस भक्षो महामृगः
dīpta jihvo mahādaṃṣṭraḥ tīkṣṇa śṛṃgo mahābalaḥ
vyacaran da|nḍākāraṇyam māṃsa bhakṣo mahāmṛgaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"On becoming a gigantic carnivorous animal with a torching tongue, incisive teeth and excruciating horns, and with an extraordinary energy, I was on the rove in Dandaka forest while getting at Rama. [4-39-3]
अग्निहोत्रेषु तीर्थेषु चैत्य वृक्षेषु रावण
अत्यन्त घोरो व्यचरन् तापसान् संप्रधर्षयन्
agnihotreṣu tīrtheṣu caitya vṛkṣeṣu rāvaṇa
atyanta ghoro vyacaran tāpasān saṃpradharṣayan
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I moved about Dandaka forest, oh, Ravana, in an extremely horrible aspect of animal, utterly brutalising the sages at ritual-altars, holy bathing places and under the trees of religious sanctuaries while reaching Rama. [4-39-4]
निहत्य द।न्डकारण्ये तापसान् धर्मचरिणः
रुधिराणि पिबन्तः तेषाम् तन् मांसानि च भक्षयन्
nihatya da|nḍakāraṇye tāpasān dharmacariṇaḥ
rudhirāṇi pibantaḥ teṣām tan māṃsāni ca bhakṣayan
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I have proceeded to Rama killing saints in Dandaka forest who are the treaders in saintliness, and drinking off their blood and feasting on their flesh. [4-39-5]
ऋषि माअंस अशनः क्रूरः त्रासयन् वनगोचरान्
तदा रुधिर मत्तो अहम् व्यचरन् द।न्डका वनम्
ṛṣi māaṃsa aśanaḥ krūraḥ trāsayan vanagocarān
tadā rudhira matto aham vyacaran da|nḍakā vanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"On becoming such a brutal animal I have been eating the flesh of sages, frightening the forest dwellers, and in that way I rambled in Dandaka forest besotted with blood-drinking while reaching Rama. [4-39-6]
तदा अहम् द।न्डकारण्ये विचरन् धर्म दूषकः
आसादयम् तदा रामम् तापसम् धर्मम् आश्रितम्
tadā aham da|nḍakāraṇye vicaran dharma dūṣakaḥ
āsādayam tadā rāmam tāpasam dharmam āśritam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"While I was wandering in Dandaka forest as an abuser of virtue, then I reached Rama who by then has assumed the rectitude befitting to a saint, and I even reached the great-fortunate Vaidehi and top-speeded-chariot-rider Lakshmana. [4-39-7, 8a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I was in the shape of an animal with incisive horns. Such as I was I recollected my earlier grudge against that great mighty Rama who takes delight in the welfare of all being, who by then was santlike on a regulated diet and abiding in the forest, whereby I presumed him to be mere hermit. In that way, I was very extremely infuriated to recollect his earlier assault on me, and I indiscriminately dashed towards him, only to kill him, completely disregarding his other faculties. [4-39-8b, 9, 10]
तेन त्यक्ताः त्रयो बाणाः शिताः शत्रु निबर्हणाः
विकृष्य सुमहत् चापम् सुपर्ण अनिल तुल्य गाः
tena tyaktāḥ trayo bāṇāḥ śitāḥ śatru nibarhaṇāḥ
vikṛṣya sumahat cāpam suparṇa anila tulya gāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Stringing out his highly magnificent bow Rama then released three excruciating and enemy eliminating arrows which in their egress match the Air-god and the Divine-Eagle Garuda. [4-39-11]
ते बाणा वज्र संकाशाः सुघोरा रक्त भोजनाः
आजग्मुः सहिताः सर्वे त्रयः संनतपर्वणः
te bāṇā vajra saṃkāśāḥ sughorā rakta bhojanāḥ
ājagmuḥ sahitāḥ sarve trayaḥ saṃnataparvaṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"All those three thunderbolt like arrows that have only blood for their board, acutely bent at barbs, and that are highly horrendous have come at us in a coordinated manner. [4-39-12]
पराक्रमज्ञो रामस्य शठो दृष्ट भयः पुरा
समुत्क्रांतः ततः मुक्तः तौ उभौ राक्षसौ हतौ
parākramajño rāmasya śaṭho dṛṣṭa bhayaḥ purā
samutkrāṃtaḥ tataḥ muktaḥ tau ubhau rākṣasau hatau
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"As I have earlier seen the fear caused by his arrow I am in the know of Rama's valour, hence I retreated from there trickily and gingerly, but the other two demons were killed. [4-39-13]
PURPORT
शरेण मुक्तो रामस्य कथंचित् प्राप्यजीवितम्
इह प्रव्राजितो युक्तः तापसो अहम् समाहितः
śareṇa mukto rāmasya kathaṃcit prāpyajīvitam
iha pravrājito yuktaḥ tāpaso aham samāhitaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"When I was somehow exempted by the arrow of Rama I regained lifespan, and when that arrow made me to renounce everything like a monk and fled me to this place, the other side of ocean to where you came by your aircraft, here I am living here in a yogic way, self-collectedly like an ascetic. [4-39-14]
वृक्षे वृक्षे हि पश्यामि चीर कृष्ण अजिन अंबरम्
गृहीत धनुषम् रामम् पाश हस्तम् इव अंतकम्
vṛkṣe vṛkṣe hi paśyāmi cīra kṛṣṇa ajina aṃbaram
gṛhīta dhanuṣam rāmam pāśa hastam iva aṃtakam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"From then on wards, I am indeed descrying Rama at this tree and at that tree, dressed in jute-cloths and black deerskin, and handling his bow like the Terminator handling a tether. [4-39-15]
अपि राम सहस्राणि भीतः पश्यामि रावण
राम भूतम् इदम् सर्वम् अरण्यम् प्रतिभाति मे
api rāma sahasrāṇi bhītaḥ paśyāmi rāvaṇa
rāma bhūtam idam sarvam araṇyam pratibhāti me
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Given to fright I even visualise thousands Rama-s, and whole this forest is reflecting to me as one entity of Rama. [4-39-16]
रामम् एव हि पश्यामि रहिते राक्षसेश्वर
दृष्ट्वा स्वप्न गतम् रामम् उद् भ्रमामि विचेतनः
rāmam eva hi paśyāmi rahite rākṣaseśvara
dṛṣṭvā svapna gatam rāmam ud bhramāmi vicetanaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Even at a place void of people I am envisaging Rama alone, and oh, king of demons, even if he enters my dream, in fact, I am jolting up and swooning. [4-39-17]
र कार अदीनि नामानि राम त्रस्तस्य रवण
रत्नानि च रथाः च एव वित्रासम् जनयन्ति मे
ra kāra adīni nāmāni rāma trastasya ravaṇa
ratnāni ca rathāḥ ca eva vitrāsam janayanti me
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, Ravana, appalled of Rama the names starting with the syllable ' ra ' like ratna -s, ratha -s, viz., gemstones, chariots are appalling to me, including your name, that starts with a ' ra ....' [4-39-18]
PURPORT
अहम् तस्य प्रभावज्ञो न युद्धम् तेन ते क्षमम्
बलिम् वा नमुचिं वा अपि हन्यद्धि रघुन्ंअंदन
aham tasya prabhāvajño na yuddham tena te kṣamam
balim vā namuciṃ vā api hanyaddhi raghunṃaṃdana
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I am well-acquainted with his efficacy, and a war with him will be an unfair thing for you, for that Raghu's descendant can in fact kill either Emperor Bali or Namuchi, the demon. [4-39-19]
PURPORT
रणे रामेण युद्ध्स्व क्षमाम् वा कुरु रावण
न ते राम कथा कार्या यदि माम् द्रष्टुम् इच्छसि
raṇe rāmeṇa yuddhsva kṣamām vā kuru rāvaṇa
na te rāma kathā kāryā yadi mām draṣṭum icchasi
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"You may either wage a war with Rama if you wish to avenge the killings of Khara and others, or forgive and forget that Rama agreeing to my suggestions, but do not broach the topic of Rama with me if you wish to see me alive. [4-39-20]
बहवः साधवो लोके युक्ता धर्मम् अनुष्टिताः
परेषाम् अपराधेन विनष्टाः स परिच्छदाः
bahavaḥ sādhavo loke yuktā dharmam anuṣṭitāḥ
pareṣām aparādhena vinaṣṭāḥ sa paricchadāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"In the world many of the sagacious and reasonable people that are the practisers of righteousness are utterly ruined along with their kith and kin, just by the misdeeds of others. [4-39-21]
सः अहम् पर अपराधेन विनाशेयम् निशाचर
कुरु यत् ते क्षमम् तत् त्वम् अहम् त्वाम् न अनुयामि वै
saḥ aham para aparādhena vināśeyam niśācara
kuru yat te kṣamam tat tvam aham tvām na anuyāmi vai
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Such a saintly one as I am, I am bound to ruin by other's misdeeds, hence you do whatever that is fair to you, but I am not the one to simply take after you. [4-39-22]
रामः च हि महातेजा महासत्त्वो महाबलः
अपि राक्षस लोकस्य भवेत् अन्तकरो अपि हि
rāmaḥ ca hi mahātejā mahāsattvo mahābalaḥ
api rākṣasa lokasya bhavet antakaro api hi
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Definitely Rama is the one with exceptional resplendence, exemplary courage and extraordinary power, and for sure, he becomes an eradicator of the world of demons. [4-39-23]
यदि शूर्पणखा हेतोः जनस्थान गत खरः
अति वृत्तो हतः पूर्वम् रामेण अक्लिष्ट कर्मणा
अत्र ब्रूहि यथावत् त्वम् को रामस्य व्यतिक्रमः
yadi śūrpaṇakhā hetoḥ janasthāna gata kharaḥ
ati vṛtto hataḥ pūrvam rāmeṇa akliṣṭa karmaṇā
atra brūhi yathāvat tvam ko rāmasya vyatikramaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"If Khara positioned in Janasthaana has firstly overstepped his bounds and attacked Rama, that too owing to Shuurpanakha, and if Rama of uncomplicated actions has eliminated Khara in self-defence, what really is the transgression of Rama in that matter, you tell of that in the final analysis. [4-39-24]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे एकोन चत्वारिंशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye araṇya kāṇḍe ekona catvāriṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I am saying this word of advise as I am ambitious of the wellbeing of my kinsmen through you, and if this is disagreeable to you, you will have to deliver up your life in a confrontation with Rama along with the lives of your kinsmen, perishing at the linearly accelerating arrows of Rama. [4-39-25]