Chapter 57
Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest
राक्षसम् मृग रूपेण चरन्तम् काम रूपिणम्
निहत्य रामो मारीचम् तूर्णम् पथि न्यवर्तत
rākṣasam mṛga rūpeṇa carantam kāma rūpiṇam
nihatya rāmo mārīcam tūrṇam pathi nyavartata
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Rama on killing that demon Maareecha, who is a guise changer at his wish and who moved about in the guise of a deer, instantly started to return on the trail by which he trailed after that deer-demon. [3-57-1]
तस्य संत्वरमाणस्य द्रष्टु कामस्य मैथिलीम्
क्रूर स्वरो अथ गोमायुः विननाद अस्य पृष्ठतः
tasya saṃtvaramāṇasya draṣṭu kāmasya maithilīm
krūra svaro atha gomāyuḥ vinanāda asya pṛṣṭhataḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
While Rama is anxiously hurrying to see Maithili, then a brutish voiced jackal deafeningly howled at his behind. [3-57-2]
स तस्य स्वरम् आज्ञाय दारुणम् रोम हर्षणम्
चिंतयामास गोमायोः स्वरेण परिशन्कितः
sa tasya svaram ājñāya dāruṇam roma harṣaṇam
ciṃtayāmāsa gomāyoḥ svareṇa pariśankitaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On hearing that threatening and hair-raising howl of jackal Rama is overly threatened just by the tone of fox in which it is foreboding, inasmuch as the forbidding intoning of Maareecha. [3-57-3]
अशुभम् बत मन्ये अहम् गोमायुः वाश्यते यथा
स्वस्ति स्यात् अपि वैदेह्या राक्षसैः भक्षणम् विना
aśubham bata manye aham gomāyuḥ vāśyate yathā
svasti syāt api vaidehyā rākṣasaiḥ bhakṣaṇam vinā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Huh! As to how this jackal has howled I deem that as inauspicious. As yet undevoured by demons would Vaidehi be safe? [3-57-4]
मारीचेन तु विज्ञाय स्वरम् आलक्ष्य मामकम्
विक्रुष्टम् मृग रूपेण लक्ष्मणः शृणुयात् यदि
mārīcena tu vijñāya svaram ālakṣya māmakam
vikruṣṭam mṛga rūpeṇa lakṣmaṇaḥ śṛṇuyāt yadi
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"On knowing the nature of my voice Maareecha in the semblance of a deer yelled out mimicking my voice. If Lakshmana listens that voice, recognising it as my voice he will instantly rush to my near. Else if Maithili listens, she will hasten him to go over here and Soumitri instantly rushes here leaving her off. [3-57-5, 6]
राक्षसैः सहितैर् नूनम् सीताया ईप्सितो वधः
कांचनः च मृगो भूत्वा व्यपनीय आश्रमात् तु माम्
rākṣasaiḥ sahitair nūnam sītāyā īpsito vadhaḥ
kāṃcanaḥ ca mṛgo bhūtvā vyapanīya āśramāt tu mām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"As could be seen from Maareecha's becoming a Golden Deer only to sidetrack and take me away from hermitage, his becoming a demon when hit with an arrow, and his shouting words indeed like, 'ha, Lakshmana, ha, Seetha, I am killed,' the demons are collectively intending to do away with Seetha. It is certain. [3-57-7, 8]
अपि स्वस्ति भवेत् द्वाभ्याम् रहिताभ्याम् मया वने
जनस्थान निमित्तम् हि कृत वैरो अस्मि राक्षसैः
api svasti bhavet dvābhyām rahitābhyām mayā vane
janasthāna nimittam hi kṛta vairo asmi rākṣasaiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Whether there will be safety in forest for those two in my absence, or not, is my doubt. Owing to my devastating Janasthaana I have become a harboured grudge for demons, am not I! As such, foretokens are appearing now, severely and severally." Thus Rama's thoughts have sprinted. [3-57-9, 10a]
इति एवम् चिंतयन् रामः श्रुत्वा गोमायु निःस्वनम्
iti evam ciṃtayan rāmaḥ śrutvā gomāyu niḥsvanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When that soulful Rama has heard the whistle of jackal while returning, he persistently thought in this way about his detour caused by demon in the disguise of a deer, thus he speedily advanced towards his hermitage. [3-57-10b, 11]
आजगाम जनस्थानम् राघवः परिशन्कितः
तम् दीन मानसम् दीनम् आसेदुः मृग पक्षिणः
ājagāma janasthānam rāghavaḥ pariśankitaḥ
tam dīna mānasam dīnam āseduḥ mṛga pakṣiṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Raghava came to Janasthaana doubting overly, and the animals and birds of Janasthaana which look doleful have neared him whose heart has become doleful. [3-57-12]
सव्यम् कृत्वा महात्मानम् घोराम् च ससृजुः स्वरान्
तानि दृष्ट्वा निमित्तानि महाघोराणि राघवः
न्यवर्तत अथ त्वरितो जवेन आश्रमम् आत्मनः
savyam kṛtvā mahātmānam ghorām ca sasṛjuḥ svarān
tāni dṛṣṭvā nimittāni mahāghorāṇi rāghavaḥ
nyavartata atha tvarito javena āśramam ātmanaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Those doleful animals and birds moving in circumambulations from the left side to right of that noble-souled Rama they let off frightening shrieks, and then observing those highly forbidding foretokens Rama returned to his own hermitage hastily and hurriedly. [3-57-13]
PURPORT
ततो लक्षणम् आयान्तम् ददर्श विगत प्रभम्
ततो अविदूरे रामेण समीयाय स लक्ष्मणः
tato lakṣaṇam āyāntam dadarśa vigata prabham
tato avidūre rāmeṇa samīyāya sa lakṣmaṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then Rama saw Lakshmana coming towards him with a lacklustre face, and then Lakshmana, who is melancholic and anguishing in his divergence from Seetha, met Rama not a long-way-off, where Rama is a similar partaker in melancholy and anguishing by way of his convergence upon ill-omens. [3-57-14, 15a]
संजगर्हे अथ तम् भ्राता दृष्टा लक्ष्मणम् आगतम्
saṃjagarhe atha tam bhrātā dṛṣṭā lakṣmaṇam āgatam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On seeing Lakshmana who has arrived at this place leaving off Seetha in a forest that is desolate, more so an adorable forest for demons, Rama reproached him as his elder brother. [3-57-15b, 16a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Taking Lakshmana's left hand into his, Rama, the descendent of Raghu, alike a bewailer spoke this brusque speech that has a mellowly fruition in future. [3-57-16b, 17a]
PURPORT
अहो लक्ष्मण गर्ह्यम् ते कृतम् यः त्वम् विहाय ताम्
aho lakṣmaṇa garhyam te kṛtam yaḥ tvam vihāya tām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"You have done a deplorable deed in coming here forsaking Seetha. Now, oh, gentle Lakshmana, are we somewhat safe, or everything has already gone astray now itself, or what. [3-57-17b, 18a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, brave one, according to these many inauspicious forebodings that have manifested themselves to me, we might have lost Janaka's daughter Seetha, or the forest ranging demons might have devoured her, or else they might have kidnapped her, I am doubtless about it. [3-57-18b, 19]
अपि लक्ष्मण सीतायाः सामग्र्यम् प्राप्नुयावहे
जीवन्त्याः पुरुषव्याघ्र सुताया जनक्स्य वै
api lakṣmaṇa sītāyāḥ sāmagryam prāpnuyāvahe
jīvantyāḥ puruṣavyāghra sutāyā janaksya vai
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, tigerly-man Lakshmana, I wonder whether we can at least make out the daughter of Janaka Seetha in her intactness and aliveness. [3-57-20]
यथा वै मृग संघाःअ गोमायुः च भैरवम्
वाश्यन्ते शकुनाः च अपि प्रदीप्ताम् अभितो दिशम्
अपि स्वस्ति भवेत् तस्या राज पुत्र्या महाबल
yathā vai mṛga saṃghāḥa gomāyuḥ ca bhairavam
vāśyante śakunāḥ ca api pradīptām abhito diśam
api svasti bhavet tasyā rāja putryā mahābala
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"On observing these mobs of deer, this jackal, also even these birds which are voicing noisily facing the direction lit by the sun, oh, great-mighty Lakshmana, can we presume that there will be safety to that princes Seetha? [3-57-21]
इदम् हि रक्षो मृग संनिकाशम्
प्रलोभ्य माम् दूरम् अनुप्रयातम्
हतम् कथंचित् महता श्रमेण
स राक्षसो अभूत् म्रियमाण एव
idam hi rakṣo mṛga saṃnikāśam
pralobhya mām dūram anuprayātam
hatam kathaṃcit mahatā śrameṇa
sa rākṣaso abhūt mriyamāṇa eva
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"This very demon in his likeness to a deer led me on and led me off distantly as I was indeed following him, and by an intense effort somehow he was killed, and when dying he transfigured into a demon. [3-57-22]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे सप्त पंचाशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye araṇya kāṇḍe sapta paṃcāśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Now even my heart is woeful and I am woebegone, my left eye is also fluttering erratically, oh, Lakshmana, no doubt Seetha is not there in hermitage, maybe she is whisked away, or, wiped out, or, wandering around on a wrong way. [3-57-23]
PURPORT
