Chapter 44
Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest
तथा तु तम् समादिश्य भ्रातरम् रघुनंदनः
बबन्ध असिम् महातेजा जांबूनदमयः त्सरुम्
tathā tu tam samādiśya bhrātaram raghunaṃdanaḥ
babandha asim mahātejā jāṃbūnadamayaḥ tsarum
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Rama, the great-resplendent scion of Raghu, on instructing his brother Lakshmana in that way securely fastened his sword with golden handle to his waist. [3-44-1]
ततः त्रि विनतम् चापम् आदाय आत्म विभूषणम्
आबध्य च कलापौ द्वौ जगाम उदग्र विक्रमः
tataḥ tri vinatam cāpam ādāya ātma vibhūṣaṇam
ābadhya ca kalāpau dvau jagāma udagra vikramaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Rama whose valour is escalating then took his own insignia, the three-way arched bow called kodanDa , and fastened two quivers and proceeded. [3-44-2]
तम् वंचयानो राजेन्द्रम् आपतन्तम् निरीक्ष्य वै
बभूव अंतर्हितः त्रासात् पुनः संदर्शने अभवत्
tam vaṃcayāno rājendram āpatantam nirīkṣya vai
babhūva aṃtarhitaḥ trāsāt punaḥ saṃdarśane abhavat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On peering at the peerless one among kings, namely Rama, who is indeed coming down on him, that Golden Deer disappeared as if with fear and even to beguile him, and again it came into clear visibility. And Rama speedily spurted to that place from where the Golden Deer has firstly disappeared with securely grit sword and firmly handled bow. [3-44-3]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Rama the wielder of bow kept on beholding that Golden Deer which is observing him over and over and running away into deep of the forest. In the next moment he has seen it right in front of him as though effulgent with its marvellous form. At times he has seen it running away as though to circumvent the fall of arrow, and at times stopping only to tantalise him. Sometimes it appeared to be springing as though to skies in very highly perplexity of wariness. It is disappearing somewhere in the thickets of forest, and it is putting in an appearance elsewhere in those thickets, like the autumnal orb of the moon under the fly front of splintered clouds. [3-44-4b, 5, 6, 7a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
In a wink Rama could proximately see that Maareecha who transformed himself into the Golden Deer, and again in a flash he appeared distantly. Thus that deer/demon has drawn off Raghava very far from his hermitage in this hide and seek game. [3-44-7b, 8]
आसीत् क्रुद्धः तु काकुत्स्थो विवशः तेन मोहितः
अथ अवतस्थे सुश्रान्तः च्छायाम् आश्रित्य शाद्वले
āsīt kruddhaḥ tu kākutstho vivaśaḥ tena mohitaḥ
atha avatasthe suśrāntaḥ cchāyām āśritya śādvale
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Rama of Kakutstha is incensed as its form is spellbinding but its capture slippery, and then verily tired as he is he stayed on a pasture taking shelter of a tree shade. [3-44-9]
स तम् उन्मादयामास मृगरूपो निशाचर
मृगैः परिवृतो अथ वन्यैः अदूरात् प्रत्यदृश्यत
sa tam unmādayāmāsa mṛgarūpo niśācara
mṛgaiḥ parivṛto atha vanyaiḥ adūrāt pratyadṛśyata
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Nightwalker Maareecha has further maddened Rama in the guise of Golden Deer by reappearing in his close-by, surrounded with other animals of the forest. [3-44-10]
ग्रहीतु कामम् दृष्ट्वा तम् पुनः एव अभ्यधावत
तत् क्षणात् एव संत्रासात् पुनर् अंतर्हितो अभवत्
grahītu kāmam dṛṣṭvā tam punaḥ eva abhyadhāvata
tat kṣaṇāt eva saṃtrāsāt punar aṃtarhito abhavat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Again on seeing Rama who is stalking his catch that deer ran towards him as though to impress with its guilelessness, and just at that moment it vanished again as if with extreme fear. [3-44-11]
पुनर् एव ततो दूरात् वृक्ष खण्डात् विनिःसृतः
दृष्ट्वा रामो महातेजाः तम् हन्तुम् कृत निश्चयः
punar eva tato dūrāt vṛkṣa khaṇḍāt viniḥsṛtaḥ
dṛṣṭvā rāmo mahātejāḥ tam hantum kṛta niścayaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then that deer has again emerged out of the thick of trees, and on spotting it the great-resplendent Rama has firmed up his decision to fell it. [3-44-12]
भूयः तु शरम् उद्धृत्य कुपितः तत्र राघवः
सूर्य रश्मि प्रतीकाशम् ज्वलंतम् अरि मर्दनम्
bhūyaḥ tu śaram uddhṛtya kupitaḥ tatra rāghavaḥ
sūrya raśmi pratīkāśam jvalaṃtam ari mardanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
At that instant Raghava became highly infuriated and unholstered a holocaustic, enemy-subjugating arrow that is similar to the flare of the sun, tautening it on his very sturdy bow that forceful Rama forcefully outstretched the bowstring with arrow targeting the Golden Deer alone, and released that fierily blazing arrow-missile which is carefully created by Brahma and which is hissing like a snake. [3-44-13, 14, 15a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On very profoundly impaling the body of deer's form that superb arrow which is similar to a thunderbolt has severed the heart of Maareecha in the core of deer's body. [3-44-15b, 16a]
ताल मात्रम् अथ उत्प्लुत्य न्यपतत् स भृश आतुरः
tāla mātram atha utplutya nyapatat sa bhṛśa āturaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then Maareecha is highly frenzied as his lifespan is minimised, blared a blaring shriek, vaulted up to a height of palm-tree, and fell down onto the ground. [3-44-16b, 17a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Maareecha on his part abandoned the body of Golden Deer when he is dying. But remembering the words of Ravana that demon gave a thought, 'how best will Seetha hasten Lakshmana to this place, and how best Ravana can abduct Seetha in a place void of people.' [3-44-17b, 18]
PURPORT
स प्राप्त कालम् अज्ञाय चकार च ततः स्वरम्
सदृशम् राघवस्य एव हा सीते लक्ष्मण इति च
sa prāpta kālam ajñāya cakāra ca tataḥ svaram
sadṛśam rāghavasya eva hā sīte lakṣmaṇa iti ca
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Perceptive of the time that chanced bearing his death, and wishful of the death of Ravana too, then made a voice that is a soundalike to Raghava's voice and yelled 'ha, Seetha...' also thus 'ha Lakshmana...' [3-44-19]
तेन मर्मणि निर्विद्धम् शरेण अनुपमेन हि
मृग रूपम् तु तत् त्यक्त्वा राक्षसम् रूपम् आस्थितः
tena marmaṇi nirviddham śareṇa anupamena hi
mṛga rūpam tu tat tyaktvā rākṣasam rūpam āsthitaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When Rama's incomparable arrow has indeed shattered his crucial organ, namely the heart, in a downright manner, then Maareecha assumed a very massive physique of a demon, abandoning the form of Golden Deer. [3-44-20, 21a]
PURPORT
तम् दृष्ट्वा पतितम् भूमौ राक्षसम् भीम दर्शनम्
tam dṛṣṭvā patitam bhūmau rākṣasam bhīma darśanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On seeing that demon with a fiendish look, who has fallen to earth with limbs steeped in blood, and who is weltering on the surface of earth, Rama emotionally took flight to Seetha reminiscing Lakshmana's words. [3-44-21b, 22]
मारीचस्य तु माय एषा पूर्व उक्तम् लक्ष्मणेन तु
तत् तदा हि अभवत् च अद्य मारीचो अयम् मया हतः
mārīcasya tu māya eṣā pūrva uktam lakṣmaṇena tu
tat tadā hi abhavat ca adya mārīco ayam mayā hataḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"This is the trickery of Maareecha which Lakshmana vouchsafed earlier, that has indeed happened in that way alone, and the one whom I have killed now is none other than Maareecha. [3-44-23]
हा सीते लक्ष्मण इति एवम् आक्रुश्य तु महा स्वनम्
ममार राक्षसः सो अयम् श्रुत्वा सीता कथम् भवेत्
hā sīte lakṣmaṇa iti evam ākruśya tu mahā svanam
mamāra rākṣasaḥ so ayam śrutvā sītā katham bhavet
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"This demon died while crying out with a blatant voice 'ha, Seetha... ha, Lakshmana...' And on hearing this how Seetha will be? And what will be the plight of dextrous Lakshmana?" Thus on thinking over them that righteous-souled Rama remained in a hair-raising predicament. [3-44-24]
तत्र रामम् भयम् तीव्रम् आविवेश विषादजम्
राक्षसम् मृग रूपम् तम् हत्वा श्रुत्वा च तत् स्वनम्
tatra rāmam bhayam tīvram āviveśa viṣādajam
rākṣasam mṛga rūpam tam hatvā śrutvā ca tat svanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On killing that demon in the form of Golden Deer, and also on hearing his yelling, Rama is ensorcelled with a frantic fear caused by his own gloom. [3-44-26]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे चतुः चत्वारिंशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye araṇya kāṇḍe catuḥ catvāriṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Raghava then on killing another spotted deer and on taking its flesh, he hurried himself towards Janasthaana. [3-44-27]