Chapter 42
Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest
एवम् उक्त्वा तु परुषम् मारीचो रावणम् ततः
गच्छावः इति अब्रवीत् दीनो भयात् रात्रिम् चर प्रभोः
evam uktvā tu paruṣam mārīco rāvaṇam tataḥ
gacchāvaḥ iti abravīt dīno bhayāt rātrim cara prabhoḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Maareecha though curtly said in that way, then afraid of the king of night-walkers he became self-pitying, and said to Ravana, 'let us go.' [3-42-1]
दृष्टाः च अहम् पुनः तेन शर चाप असि धारिणा
मद्वधो उद्यत शस्त्रेण विनष्टम् जीवितम् च मे
dṛṣṭāḥ ca aham punaḥ tena śara cāpa asi dhāriṇā
madvadho udyata śastreṇa vinaṣṭam jīvitam ca me
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"If he who wields a bow, arrows and a sword, and who brandishes a weapon to only kill me happens to see me again, deem my life is verily lost, without his shooting any arrow. [3-42-2]
न हि रामम् पराक्रम्य जीवन् प्रति निवर्तते
वर्तते प्रति रूपो असौ यम दण्ड हतस्य ते
na hi rāmam parākramya jīvan prati nivartate
vartate prati rūpo asau yama daṇḍa hatasya te
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"None can really make so bold at Rama to reappear with life, isn't it. What is appearing before you is the reflected image of mine, as I am already slain by the wand of Yama, the Terminator, the moment I conceded to your demand.
किम् नु कर्तुम् मया शक्यम् एवम् त्वयि दुरात्मनि
एष गच्छामि अहम् तात स्वस्ति ते अस्तु निशाचरः
kim nu kartum mayā śakyam evam tvayi durātmani
eṣa gacchāmi aham tāta svasti te astu niśācaraḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"When you are spiteful, oh, boy, indeed what can I possibly do otherwise, oh, night-walker, thither I go, may good betide you." So said Maareecha to Ravana. [3-42-4]
प्रहृष्टः तु अभवत् तेन वचनेन स राक्षसः
परिष्वज्य सुसंश्लिष्टम् इदम् वचनम् अब्रवीत्
prahṛṣṭaḥ tu abhavat tena vacanena sa rākṣasaḥ
pariṣvajya susaṃśliṣṭam idam vacanam abravīt
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
By that word of Maareecha demon Ravana is very much gladdened and he spoke this sentence tightly hugging him. [3-42-5]
एतत् शौण्डीर्य चौत्तिर्य न्युक्तम् ते मत् च्छंद वश वर्तिनः
इदानीम् असि मारीचः पूर्वम् अन्यो निशाचरः
etat śauṇḍīrya - cauttirya -nyuktam te mat cchaṃda vaśa vartinaḥ
idānīm asi mārīcaḥ pūrvam anyo niśācaraḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"This word of yours shows your obduracy for you are abiding under the control of my dictate, and though you were a different night-walker earlier, henceforth you are really the good old Maareecha. [3-42-6]
PURPORT
आरुह्यताम् शीघ्रम् खगो रत्न विभूषितः
मया सह रथो युक्तः पिशाच वदनैः खरैः
āruhyatām śīghram khago ratna vibhūṣitaḥ
mayā saha ratho yuktaḥ piśāca vadanaiḥ kharaiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Then you promptly emplane this sky-flying chariot which is yoked with ghost-faced mules and adorned with gems along with me. [3-42-7]
PURPORT
प्रलोभयित्वा वैदेहीम् यथा इष्टम् गन्तुम् अर्हसि
ताम् शून्ये प्रसभम् सीताम् आनयिष्यामि मैथिलीम्
pralobhayitvā vaidehīm yathā iṣṭam gantum arhasi
tām śūnye prasabham sītām ānayiṣyāmi maithilīm
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"On deluding Vaidehi it is apt of you to go as you please, and I will bring that Seetha of Mithila, however defiant it might be." Thus Ravana said to Maareecha. [3-42-8]
PURPORT
तथा इति उवाच एनम् रावणम् ताटका सुतः
ततो रावण मारीचौ विमानम् इव तम् रथम्
tathā iti uvāca enam rāvaṇam tāṭakā sutaḥ
tato rāvaṇa mārīcau vimānam iva tam ratham
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Tataka's son Maareecha said "All right" to Ravana, and then both Ravana and Maareecha mounted the chariot as they would emplane an aircraft and swiftly journeyed from the surroundings of Maareecha's hermitage. [3-42-9, 10a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
While looking at the seaports and forests, also at all the mountains and rivers, even at the cities and provinces en route they proceeded. [3-42-10b, 11a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On reaching Dandaka forest along with Maareecha the king of demons Ravana has then seen the hermitage of Raghava. [3-42-11b, 12a]
PURPORT
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Alighting the chariot that is decorated with golden ornaments Ravana then spoke this sentence to Maareecha taking his hand into his. [3-42-12b, 13a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"This one which we are seeing and which is surrounded with banana plants is the threshold of Rama's hermitage, and -`----oh, friend, the purpose for which we came here let it be effectuated promptly." Thus Ravana hastened Maareecha. [3-42-13b, 14a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"And on hearing Ravana's words demon Maareecha then became a deer and indeed ambled freely in the frontage of Rama's hermitage. [3-42-14b, 15a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Adopting the form of a gorgeous deer which is superbly amazing just by its appearance, whose tips of antlers are in the hue of best sapphires, and whose face is whitish at some places and not so whitish at other in its look, he became a Golden Deer and moved thereabout. [3-42-15b, 16a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
One of its cheeks in the shade of a reddish-lotus while the other in the hue of a bluish-lotus, one of its ears is in the hue of bloomed blue-lotus while the other is in the shade of a sapphire, while the shine of its stomach is like that of a best blue-diamond, Indra-niila-maNi, and with a little upraised neck that deer has moved about there. [3-42-16b, 17a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
One flank is shining whitish like Madhuka flowers and the other is similar to the roseate fibrils of lotuses, while its hooves are similar to the gemstone lapis, calves thin, and thus with very well cohered limbs that deer moved about there. [3-42-17b, 18a]
इन्द्र आयुध सवर्णेन पुच्छेन ऊर्ध्वम् विराजितः
indra āyudha savarṇena pucchena ūrdhvam virājitaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
With an upraised tail that shone forth in a tinge equal to the weapon of Indra, namely Rainbow, and with a complexion that is lustrous and dappled with many diverse gemlike dapples, that deer moved thereabout with a heart-stealing aura. [3-42-18b, 19a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thus that demon Maareecha emerged like a highly splendorous and fascinating deer in a wink highly irradiating those woodlands, and the threshold of Rama's hermitage in particular. [3-42-19b, 20a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Adopting such an exquisite and heart-stealing form which is amazingly dappled with the colours of diverse ores, that demon ambled all over there freely with the bearing of a real deer in order that Vaidehi might be deluded, and he moved forward onto the pastures. [3-42-2b, 21]
रोप्यैः बिन्दु शतैः चित्रो भूत्वा च प्रिय दर्शनः
विटपीनाम् किसलयान् भक्षयन् विचचार ह
ropyaiḥ bindu śataiḥ citro bhūtvā ca priya darśanaḥ
viṭapīnām kisalayān bhakṣayan vicacāra ha
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
And with hundreds of silvery stipples of body he became an astonishing deer with pleasant looks and indeed moved chewing new grass-blades of trees. [3-42-22]
कदली गृहकम् गत्वा कर्णिकारानि ततः ततः
समाश्रयन् मंदगतिः सीता संदर्शनम् ततः
kadalī gṛhakam gatvā karṇikārāni tataḥ tataḥ
samāśrayan maṃdagatiḥ sītā saṃdarśanam tataḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
That Golden Deer has gone into the boscages of banana plants, and moved here and there around Karnikara trees, and then resorted to a place which is within the eyeshot of Seetha. [3-42-23]
राजीव चित्र पृष्ठः स विरराज महामृगः
राम आश्रम पद अभ्याशे विचचार यथा सुखम्
rājīva citra pṛṣṭhaḥ sa virarāja mahāmṛgaḥ
rāma āśrama pada abhyāśe vicacāra yathā sukham
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
With an odd lotus like hind-side that astounding deer is verily scintillating, and it milled around the surroundings in the threshold of Rama's hermitage according to its own delight. [3-42-24]
पुनर् गत्वा निवृत्तः च विचचार मृगोत्तमः
गत्वा मुहूर्तम् त्वरया पुनः प्रति निवर्तते
punar gatvā nivṛttaḥ ca vicacāra mṛgottamaḥ
gatvā muhūrtam tvarayā punaḥ prati nivartate
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
That excellent deer beats a retreat and again returns, and meanders thus time and again, and turns its tail for sometime only to return once again very playfully. [3-42-25]
विक्रीडन् च पुनर् भूमौ पुनर् एव निषीदति
आश्रम द्वारम् आगम्य मृग यूथानि गच्छति
vikrīḍan ca punar bhūmau punar eva niṣīdati
āśrama dvāram āgamya mṛga yūthāni gacchati
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Again gambolling everywhere it sits somewhere on the ground, then, on coming to the threshold of hermitage it goes towards herds of deer. [3-42-26]
मृग यूथैः अनुगतः पुनर् एव निवर्तते
सीता दर्शनम् आकांक्षन् राक्षसो मृगताम् गतः
mṛga yūthaiḥ anugataḥ punar eva nivartate
sītā darśanam ākāṃkṣan rākṣaso mṛgatām gataḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
That demon who has gone into the deer-hood has gone after some herd of deer. But he returned again though that herd followed him wanting to fraternise, in order that he shall remain perceptible to Seetha, and he whirligiged in amusing circles while leaping and bounding to and from that herd of deer. [3-42-27, 28a]
समुद्वीक्ष्य च सर्वे तम् मृगा ये अन्ये वनेचराः
samudvīkṣya ca sarve tam mṛgā ye anye vanecarāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
All the other animals moving in that forest on seeing this demon-deer with their necks up have come close to it, and on smelling it well they are running away to all the ten directions noticing it as a demon turned into a deer. [3-42-28b, 29a]
PURPORT
राक्षसः सो अपि तान् वन्यान् मृगान् मृगवधे रतः
rākṣasaḥ so api tān vanyān mṛgān mṛgavadhe rataḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Even that demon in the deer's semblance Maareecha, though indulged in killing those forest animals, and though the other animals are touching him, he is not killing and eating them indulgently, only for the reason of camouflaging his present nature of demon-hood. [3-42-29b, 30a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
What is more, Vaidehi with her felicitous eyes came towards trees yearning for plucking the flowers in the same instant. [3-42-30b, 31a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
And she with her inebriating glances and delightful visage moved there about while plucking flowers of Karnikaara, Ashoka, and of Mango trees. [3-42-31b, 32a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
That select lady who is unmeet for forest life beheld that deer which is completely gemlike and whose limbs are surprising as though studded with pearls and gems. [3-42-32b, 33a]
तम् वै रुचिर दंत ओष्ठम् रूप्य धातु तनू रुहम्
tam vai rucira daṃta oṣṭham rūpya dhātu tanū ruham
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
And she that Seetha goggled the Golden Deer with a wide-eyed astonishment, which deer has pretty lips and teeth, hair resembling silver and copper ores, and she indeed gazed at it with an affinity for wildlife. [3-42-33b, 34a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On seeing Rama's wife Seetha that highly phantasmal deer too then moved there about as though to scintillate that woodland. [3-42-34b, 35a]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे द्वि चत्वारिंशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye araṇya kāṇḍe dvi catvāriṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
To see such a deer which is hitherto unseen, and which is as though studded with numerous gems, the daughter of Janaka, Seetha, went in to an intense wonderment. [3-42-35b, c]
PURPORT
