Valmiki Ramayana - Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest

दिवम् तु तस्याम् यातायाम् शबर्याम् स्वेन तेजसा
लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा चिन्तयामास राघवः

divam tu tasyām yātāyām śabaryām svena tejasā
lakṣmaṇena saha bhrātrā cintayāmāsa rāghavaḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

While Shabari ascended to heaven with her own divine self-resplendence, Raghava who is with Lakshmana started to cogitate over the magnificence of Matanga disciples. [3-75-1]

VERSE 2

चिंतयित्वा तु धर्मात्मा प्रभावम् तम् महात्मनाम्
हित कारिणम् एक अग्रम् लक्ष्मणम् राघवो अब्रवीत्

ciṃtayitvā tu dharmātmā prabhāvam tam mahātmanām
hita kāriṇam eka agram lakṣmaṇam rāghavo abravīt

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

That noble-souled Raghava on thinking about the efficacy of the disciples of Matanga, said to Lakshmana, who is the maintainer of Rama's well being, and who is thinking single-mindedly. [3-75-2]

PURPORT

Rama's thinking is that 'I happened to see a lady of unswerving loyalty to her teachers, by which adoration alone she is going to her desired worlds, and seeing such pious people will definitely yield good results from now on... hence some good shall betide us for we could have a glimpse of pious place and person puNya sthala, puNya purusa, puNya aatma sandarshana...' and Lakshmana thinking is 'this lady has served her teachers with such a devotion by which she is going to the heavens she desired, where placements in heavens will usually be determined by their relative merits... am I serving my brother, teacher, god, and the like... namely Rama, to have an iota of Shabari's merit... or, all the problems to Rama have chanced by my neglect of my duty...'

VERSE 3

दृष्टो मया आश्रमः सौम्य बहु आश्चर्यः कृत आत्मनाम्
विश्वस्त मृग शार्दूलो नाना विहग सेवितः

dṛṣṭo mayā āśramaḥ saumya bahu āścaryaḥ kṛta ātmanām
viśvasta mṛga śārdūlo nānā vihaga sevitaḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"I have seen a highly astounding hermitage of self-controlled sages, oh, gentle Lakshmana, in which the deer and tigers are at home, and which is adored by divers birds... [3-75-3]

VERSE 4

सप्तानाम् च समुद्राणाम् तेषाम् तीर्थेषु लक्ष्मण
उपस्पृष्टम् च विधिवत् पितरः च अपि तर्पिताः

saptānām ca samudrāṇām teṣām tīrtheṣu lakṣmaṇa
upaspṛṣṭam ca vidhivat pitaraḥ ca api tarpitāḥ

SYNONYMS

lakṣmaṇa: oh, Lakshmana | teṣām saptānām samudrāṇām: of those, seven of the, seas | tīrtheṣu: [in this] holy lake [Pampa] | upa spṛṣṭam = closely, touced: we took a holy bath in this lake] | pitaraḥ ca api vidhivat tarpitāḥ: manes, also, even, dutifully [holier,] we have oblated. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh, Lakshmana, holy is our taking a bath in this holy Pampa Lake, for it is formed by the waters of seven seas, and even holier is our oblation of this holy waters to manes... [3-75-4]

VERSE 5

प्रणष्टम् अशुभम् यत् नः कल्याणम् समुपस्थितम्
तेन तु एतत् प्रहृष्टम् मे मनो लक्ष्मण संप्रति

praṇaṣṭam aśubham yat naḥ kalyāṇam samupasthitam
tena tu etat prahṛṣṭam me mano lakṣmaṇa saṃprati

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"What that was unpropitious for us is completely abated by our holy bath and holy oblations, oh, Lakshmana, propitiousness is standing en face us, thereby presently this heart of mine is highly gladdening... oh, lion-like man, indeed, heart alone hatches hope... [3-75-5, 6a]

VERSE 6

तत् आगच्छ गमिष्यावः पंपाम् ताम् प्रिय दर्शनाम्

tat āgaccha gamiṣyāvaḥ paṃpām tām priya darśanām

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"Thereby, where Mt. Rishyamuka is beaming forth at its nearby, on which that right minded son of the Sun, Sugreeva, is living along with four other vanara-s, always frightened by the fear from Vali, we will go to her, to that spectacular Lake Pampa, come on, Lakshmana... [3-75-6b, 7, 8a]

VERSE 8

अहम् त्वरे च तम् द्रष्टुम् सुग्रीवम् वानरर्षभम्

aham tvare ca tam draṣṭum sugrīvam vānararṣabham

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"I am also hasty to see that best one among vanara-s, Sugreeva, for my enterprise called search for Seetha is under his aegis, isn't it... [3-75-8b, 9a]

VERSE 9

इति ब्रुवाणम् तम् वीरम् सौमित्रिः इदम् अब्रवीत्

iti bruvāṇam tam vīram saumitriḥ idam abravīt

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

To that brave Rama who is speaking thus, Soumitri said this, " my heart too is hastening me, let us go there promptly..." [3-75-9b, 10a]

VERSE 10

आश्रमात् तु ततः तस्मात् निष्क्रम्य स विशाम् पतिः

āśramāt tu tataḥ tasmāt niṣkramya sa viśām patiḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Then that Lord of People and Lord of Nature on exiting from that hermitage, he then came nigh of Lake Pampa along with Lakshmana. [3-75-10b, 11a]

VERSE 12

समीक्षमाणः पुष्प आढ्यम् सर्वतो विपुल द्रुमम्

samīkṣamāṇaḥ puṣpa āḍhyam sarvato vipula drumam

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Rama on scrutinising that rosy woodland in which everywhere there are outsized and diverse trees that are thickset with flowers, and different lakes loaded with the trilling birds like plovers, peacocks, waterfowls and suchlike, with which that woodland itself is trilling in much ado, became impassioned as he is instantly rendered thus by Love-god, and thus that Rama went towards that lovely Lake Pampa. [3-75-11b, 12, 13]

PURPORT

Vividly: The pronoun saH is continuously repeated word denoting 'such as he is...' when used as opening word in first foot, as used in next verse, until the first verse of next canto. This expression, 'such as he is' is to take us back to the olden days when Seetha was found missing and to remind us about his problems from then on. So the above verse is to be said like this: 'Rama who is so far accustomed to see only blood, wraiths, revenants, and souls is fed up and - such as he is, - he has seen a picturesque lake with a backdrop of pristine nature, and with the background music of trilling birds and rustling waters, then his innate need for visualising Seetha sprang up and he rushed towards lovely Lake of Pampa presuming her to be Lady Seetha...' but we usually take liberty to cut off other words and retain 'he' for pain of retyping.

VERSE 14

स ताम् आसाद्य वै रामो दूरात् पानीय वाहिनीम्
मतंग सरसम् नाम ह्रदम् समवगाहत

sa tām āsādya vai rāmo dūrāt pānīya vāhinīm
mataṃga sarasam nāma hradam samavagāhata

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Rama spotted Pampa Lake from a distance which is plethoric with water, but entered into a lake called Matanga Lake on his way to Pampa... [3-75-14]

PURPORT

From here the real confusion about the arrangement of verses occurs, which is ascribed to the wrong copying of copyists. No two versions agree on the placement of verses and some from the next canto Kishkindha are also brought in here. With the result parsing of verses also goes wrong. Yet, this goes on.

VERSE 15

तत्र जग्मतुः अव्यग्रौ राघवौ हि समाहितौ
स तु शोक समाविष्टो रामो दशरथात्मजः

tatra jagmatuḥ avyagrau rāghavau hi samāhitau
sa tu śoka samāviṣṭo rāmo daśarathātmajaḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Though both Raghava-s came there composedly and dispassionately, but Rama, the son of Dasharatha, is ensorcelled by anguish on seeing a ladylike lake Pampa. [3-75-15]

VERSE 16

विवेश नलिनीम् रम्याम् पंकजैः च समावृताम्
तिलकाशोकपुंनागबकुलोद्दालकाशिनीम् यद्वा
तिलक
अशोक पुन्नाग बकुल उद्दाल काशिनीम्

viveśa nalinīm ramyām paṃkajaiḥ ca samāvṛtām
tilakāśokapuṃnāgabakuloddālakāśinīm - yadvā -
tilaka
aśoka punnāga bakula uddāla kāśinīm

SYNONYMS

tilaka aśoka punnāga: Tilaka, Ashoka, Punnaga | bakula uddāla: Bakula, Uddala trees | kāśinīm: beaming forth [on banks] | ramyām nalinīm: beautiful, lake | pankajaiḥ sam ā vṛtām ca: with lotuses, hemmed in, also | viveśa = entered: entered the area of Pampa lake. |

TRANSLATION

Rama entered the area of that beautiful lake which is beaming forth with lotuses hemming in from inside, and trees like Tilaka, Ashoka, Punnaga, Bakula, Uddala, are hemming it from outside. [3-75-16]

VERSE 17

रम्य उपवन संबाधाम् पद्म संपीडित उदकाम्
स्फटिक उपम तोय आढ्याम् श्लक्ष्ण वालुक संतताम्

ramya upavana saṃbādhām padma saṃpīḍita udakām
sphaṭika upama toya āḍhyām ślakṣṇa vāluka saṃtatām

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

That lake is huddled with delightful fringe lands and lotuses squeeze it from within, and its water is plethoric and crystalline, and its sand is softish all over. [3-75-17]

VERSE 18

मत्स्य कच्छप संबाधाम् तीरस्थ द्रुम शोभिताम्
सखीभिः इव संयुक्ताम् लताभिः अनुवेष्टिताम्

matsya kacchapa saṃbādhām tīrastha druma śobhitām
sakhībhiḥ iva saṃyuktām latābhiḥ anuveṣṭitām

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

That lake is beautified with packs of fishes and tortoises, and packs of trees on its banks, on which climber plants are wraparound like the ladyloves of those trees. [3-75-18]

VERSE 19

किंनरोरगगन्धर्वयक्षराक्षससेविताम् यद्वा
किन्नर उरग गन्धर्व यक्ष राक्षस सेविताम्
नाना द्रुम लता आकीर्णाम् शीत वारि निधिम् शुभाम्

kiṃnaroragagandharvayakṣarākṣasasevitām -yadvā -
kinnara uraga gandharva yakṣa rākṣasa sevitām
nānā druma latā ākīrṇām śīta vāri nidhim śubhām

SYNONYMS

kinnara uraga gandharva yakṣa rākśasa: by sylvan beings, reptilian beings, celestials, georgic beings, elfish being | sevitām: adored by | nānā: divers | druma latā ākīrṇām: trees, tendrils, overcrowded with | śīta vāri nidhim śubhām: coldish, water, trove, fair one. |

TRANSLATION

And that is adored by the beings like sylvan, reptilian, celestial, georgic, and elfish beings, and it is overcrowded with trees and tendrils, and it is a trove for fairish and clodish water. [3-75-19]

VERSE 20

पद्म सौगन्धिकैः ताम्राम् शुक्लाम् कुमुद मण्डलैः
नीलाम् कुवलय उद् घाटैः बहु वर्णाम् कुथाम्
इव

padma saugandhikaiḥ tāmrām śuklām kumuda maṇḍalaiḥ
nīlām kuvalaya ud ghāṭaiḥ bahu varṇām kuthām
iva

SYNONYMS

, 21| padma sau gandhikaiḥ: lotuses, rich, in fragrance | tāmrām śuklām: reddish, whitish | kumuda maṇḍalaiḥ: lotus, clusters | nīlām kuvalaya: blackish, lotuses | ud ghāṭaiḥ: heaps of | bahu varṇām: divers, in colours | kuthām iva: a cloth painted or twilled with variegated colours, used to decorate an elephant, picturesquely painted canvas | aravinda utpalavatīm: pinkish, lotuses having | padma saugandhika āyutām: whitish lotuses, reddish lotuses, full with | puṣpita āmra vana upetām: flowered, mango, orchards, surrounded by | barhiṇa: peacocks | ud ghuṣṭa nāditām: up [highly,] screaming, sounded [much] by. |

TRANSLATION

The lotuses of the lake are rich in their fragrance, and with the heaps of clusters of reddish, whitish, and blackish lotuses, and with such pinkish, whitish, and reddish lotuses the sheet of water is like a picturesquely painted canvas and it is surrounded by the orchards of flowered mango trees and sounded much by the screams of peacocks. [3-75-20, 21]

PURPORT

Two words used in the verses here udghaaTa a heap of things, which now became 'a public speech or lecture' and the other kuthaa detailed as above are said to be rare Sanskrit words in the book: 'Apart from kutha the verse quoted above contains one more word which unlike kutha is not noticed by Monier Williams in the sense in which it is used in Ramayana. This word is udghaaTa . It means a heap samuuha . This meaning of the word is very rare...' according to the book - Ramayana - A Linguistic Study, by Pt. Satya Vrata.

VERSE 22

स ताम् दृष्ट्वा ततः पंपाम् रामः सौमित्रिणा सह
विललाप च तेजस्वी कामात् दशरथात्मजः

sa tām dṛṣṭvā tataḥ paṃpām rāmaḥ saumitriṇā saha
vilalāpa ca tejasvī kāmāt daśarathātmajaḥ

SYNONYMS

tataḥ tām pampām dṛṣṭvā: then, at her, at Pampa, on seeing | saḥ rāmaḥ saha saumitriṇā: he, that Rama, with, Soumitri | tejasvī daśaratha ātmajaḥ: self-refulgent, Dasharatha's son | vilalāpa ca kāmāt: whimpered over, also, owing to passion [passionate recollection of Seetha.] |

TRANSLATION

Then Rama along with Lakshmana on seeing at that Pampa Lake, that self-refulgent son of Dasharatha whimpered over, owing to his passionate recollection of Seetha. [3-75-22]

VERSE 23

तिलकैः बीज पूरैः च वटैः शुक्ल द्रुमैः तथा
पुष्पितैः करवीरैः च पुन्नागैः च सु पुष्पितैः

tilakaiḥ bīja pūraiḥ ca vaṭaiḥ śukla drumaiḥ tathā
puṣpitaiḥ karavīraiḥ ca punnāgaiḥ ca su puṣpitaiḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

That Pampa Lake is wraparound with the trees of Tilaka, Citron-fruits, Banyan, White-trees, likewise flowered are flowery trees like Red oleanders, Punnaaga, shrubs of Maalati and Kunda, likewise flowered are the trees of Madder, Nicula, Ashoka, and Seven-leaved banana plants, and plants of Mogra and climbers of Maadhavii Lata are also flowered, and with them she that Ladylike Pampa shone forth like a pulchritudinous lady. [3-75-23, 24]

PURPORT

From now until the end of first chapter of Kishkindha with a hundred couplets, we will be entering into the beauty of the nature. Poetics require romantic exaltation of nature, as usual, varNana aatmakam kavitvam . Rama as Mr. Green extols it with his own tongue. The commentators are very much enthused by this verbal picturing of Valmiki and they have rendered more complex and beautiful compounds for the same verses. Why commentators, Mahaakavi Kaalidas is tempted to rewrite Ramayana, but he refrained to do so, because he cannot possibly tell Ramayana in such a simple language of Valmiki. Hence, Kalidas gave it up and embarked on to write another master piece Raghu Vamsham , tradition says so. Let us touch Dharmaakuutam, which has many such complexly constructed compounds in Ch. 1 of Kishkindha, and one is brought here for this lady called Lake Pampa, for the reading pleasure our readers. tadanataram ramaNiiyagandhaphalikaakalikaam nikaayanikaamaabhiraamam tribhuvanavijayodyata kusumasharaasanaTa~Nkaarasa~NkaavahamadakalakaNThanikvaaNam adabhramadhusambhramdbhramarajha~Nkaaraa la~NkR^itamanjulama~njariipunjapi~njaritadi~NmaNDalavikasitakusumasamudayavilaasahaasamanoharaabhir lalanaabhi iva lataabhiH of which lalanaa iva 'a beautiful lady like...' is our concern.

VERSE 25

अस्याः तीरे तु पूर्व उक्तः पर्वतो धातु मण्डितः

asyāḥ tīre tu pūrva uktaḥ parvato dhātu maṇḍitaḥ

SYNONYMS

b-26a| pūrva uktaḥ: afore, said | dhātu maṇḍitaḥ parvataḥ: with [colourful] ores, abounding, mountain | citra puṣpita pādapaḥ: with amazingly, flowered, trees | ṛśyamūka iti khyātaḥ: Rishyamuka, thus, renowned | asyāḥ tīre tu [āsīt]: on its, bank, but [is there.] |

TRANSLATION

The aforesaid mountain renowned as Rishyamuka which is abounding with colourful ores and amazingly flowered trees is there on the bank of Pampa Lake. [3-75-25b, 26a]

VERSE 26

हरेः ऋक्षरजो नाम्नः पुत्रः तस्य महात्मनः

hareḥ ṛkṣarajo nāmnaḥ putraḥ tasya mahātmanaḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

A noble soul by his name Risharaja was there and that monkey's son is the highly valiant Sugreeva, thus he is renowned, and he presides over that mountain. [3-75-26b, 27b]

VERSE 27

सुग्रीवम् अभिगच्छ त्वम् वानरेन्द्रम् नरर्षभ

sugrīvam abhigaccha tvam vānarendram nararṣabha

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

That best one among men Rama, said this way, "oh, Lakshmana, you make a headway for that chief of monkeys, Sugreeva..." and further said this to Lakshmana whose valiance is truthfulness alone, "how can I possibly live without Seetha..." [3-75-27b, 28]

PURPORT

There is a filler foot in the above verses raajya bhraSTen diinena tasyaam aakskta cetasaa 'lorn of my kingdom, lorn is my heart to her, and a lorn one I am... how can then I possibly live...' In view of mishmashed editing of verses even the critical edition has no perfect order of verses, leave alone ancient copies.

VERSE 29

इति एवम् उक्त्वा मदन अभिपीडितः
स लक्ष्मणम् वाक्यम् अनन्य चेतनः
विवेश पंपाम् नलिनी मनो
रमाम्
तम् उत्तमम् शोकम् उदीरयाणः

iti evam uktvā madana abhipīḍitaḥ
sa lakṣmaṇam vākyam ananya cetanaḥ
viveśa paṃpām nalinī mano
ramām
tam uttamam śokam udīrayāṇaḥ

SYNONYMS

madana abhipīḍitaḥ: by Love-god, laying a stymie | saḥ: such as he is Rama | an anya cetanaḥ = not, othervise, hearted: one who is thinking on Seetha alone - Rama | lakśmaṇam: to Lakshmana | iti evam vākyam uktvā: thus, that way, sentence, on saying | śokam udīrayāṇaḥ: anguish, vocalising | manaḥ ramām = vhic is a: heart, delighting one | uttamam nalinī: to superb, lotus lake | tam papām viveśa: to her, into Pampa [area,] entered [neared.] |

TRANSLATION

Such as he is whose thinking is applying itself to Seetha alone, and who is vocalising his anguish for her, to whom aa stymie is laid by the Love-god just at the appearance that lake, that Rama on saying that sentence in that way to Lakshmana neared that superb and heart delighting lotus Lake Pampa. [3-75-29]

VERSE 30

इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे पंचः सप्ततितमः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye araṇya kāṇḍe paṃcaḥ saptatitamaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

On going step by step, and on going on seeing ardently and intently at that forest which has picturesque visuals of forestry, and which is with hurly-burly birds, not one, but numerous and divers are they, and then Rama along with Lakshmana on entering the area of that lake, has seen that Lake Pampa. [3-75-30]