Chapter 8
Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest
रामः तु सह सौमित्रिः सुतीक्ष्णेन अभिपूजितः
परिणांय निशाम् तत्र प्रभाते प्रत्यबुध्यत
rāmaḥ tu saha saumitriḥ sutīkṣṇena abhipūjitaḥ
pariṇāṃya niśām tatra prabhāte pratyabudhyata
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Rama along with Soumitri is well revered by Sage Suteekhsna, spent that night there and awoken in the morning. [3-8-1]
उत्थाय च यथा कालम् राघवः सह सीतया
उपस्पृश्य सु शीतेन तोयेन उत्पल गंधिना
utthāya ca yathā kālam rāghavaḥ saha sītayā
upaspṛśya su śītena toyena utpala gaṃdhinā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Rama got up according to time along with Seetha and touched finely cool water with lotus-fragrance for morning bath. [3-8-2]
अथ ते अग्निम् सुराम् च एव वैदेही राम लक्ष्मणौ
काल्यम् विधिवत् अभ्यर्च्य तपस्वि शरणे वने
atha te agnim surām ca eva vaidehī rāma lakṣmaṇau
kālyam vidhivat abhyarcya tapasvi śaraṇe vane
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then they all, Vaidehi, Rama and Lakshmana, on worshipping sacred fire and deities dutifully in the shelter of the sages in that forest and on seeing the dawning sun, they are reft of their blemishes, and then they approached Sage Suteekshna speaking this sentence gently. [3-8-3, 4]
सुखोषिताः स्म भगवन् त्वया पूज्येन पूजिताः
आपृच्छामः प्रयास्यामो मुनयः त्वरयन्ति नः
sukhoṣitāḥ sma bhagavan tvayā pūjyena pūjitāḥ
āpṛcchāmaḥ prayāsyāmo munayaḥ tvarayanti naḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"We stayed here happily, oh, god, venerated by a venerable one like you, and here we come to ask your permission as we wish to journey on, as the sages are hastening us... [3-8-5]
त्वरामहे वयम् द्रष्टुम् कृत्स्नम् आश्रम मण्डलम्
ऋषीणाम् पुण्य शीलानाम् दण्डकारण्य वासिनाम्
tvarāmahe vayam draṣṭum kṛtsnam āśrama maṇḍalam
ṛṣīṇām puṇya śīlānām daṇḍakāraṇya vāsinām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"We make haste to see the habitats of hermitages in their entirety, and even wish to see the sages with meritorious selves living in Dandaka forest... [3-8-6]
अभ्यनुज्ञातुम् इच्छामः सह एभिः मुनिपुङ्गवैः
धर्म नित्यैः तपो दान्तैः विशिखैः इव पावकैः
abhyanujñātum icchāmaḥ saha ebhiḥ munipuṅgavaiḥ
dharma nityaiḥ tapo dāntaiḥ viśikhaiḥ iva pāvakaiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"We wish to have your permission, and that of these eminent sages, who are ever virtuous, self-controlled by their ascesis, and who look like the veritable tongues of sacred fire... [3-8-7]
अविषह्य आतपो यावत् सूर्यो न अति विराजते
अमार्गेण आगताम् लक्ष्मीम् प्राप्य इव अन्वय वर्जितः
aviṣahya ātapo yāvat sūryo na ati virājate
amārgeṇa āgatām lakṣmīm prāpya iva anvaya varjitaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"We wish to proceed before sun attains an intolerable glare, like an unworthy person of unworthy lineage attains wealth in an improper way with much glare..." saying so Rama with Seetha and Lakshmana venerated at the feet of that sage Suteekshna. [3-8-8, 9]
तौ सम् स्पृशंतौ चरणौ उत्थाप्य मुनिपुंगवः
गाढम् आश्लिष्य सस्नेहम् इदम् वचनम् अब्रवीत्
tau sam spṛśaṃtau caraṇau utthāpya munipuṃgavaḥ
gāḍham āśliṣya sasneham idam vacanam abravīt
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
That eminent sage lifted them that are touching his feet, embraced them tightly, and said this sentence in all his friendliness. [3-8-10]
अरिष्टम् गच्छ पन्थानम् राम सौमित्रिणा सह
सीतया च अनया सार्धम् छाय एव अनुवृत्तया
ariṣṭam gaccha panthānam rāma saumitriṇā saha
sītayā ca anayā sārdham chāya eva anuvṛttayā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Proceed in an invulnerable way, Rama, along with Lakshmana, and with this Seetha while she follows you closely like a shadow... [3-8-11]
पश्य आश्रम पदम् रंयम् दण्डकारण्य वासिनाम्
एषाम् तपस्विनाम् वीर तपसा भावित आत्मनाम्
paśya āśrama padam raṃyam daṇḍakāraṇya vāsinām
eṣām tapasvinām vīra tapasā bhāvita ātmanām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"See the pleasant thresholds of the hermitages of the dwellers in the forests of Dandaka, oh! Valiant one, whose souls are consecrated just by their ascesis... [3-8-2]
सुप्राज्य फल मूलानि पुष्पितानि वनानि च
प्रशस्त मृग यूथानि शान्त पक्षि गणानि च
suprājya phala mūlāni puṣpitāni vanāni ca
praśasta mṛga yūthāni śānta pakṣi gaṇāni ca
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"See the well-flowered woodlands with well-grown fruits and tubers, with herds of best animals and peaceful bird flocks... tranquil waters with spreading clusters of bloomed lotuses and water-birds in the pools and lakes... eye-pleasing rapids from mountains and you can see pleasant forests loaded with the hearty screams of precooks... [3-8-13, 14, 15]
गंयताम् वत्स सौमित्रे भवान् अपि च गच्छतु
आगन्तव्यम् च ते दृष्ट्वा पुनः एव आश्रमम् प्रति
gaṃyatām vatsa saumitre bhavān api ca gacchatu
āgantavyam ca te dṛṣṭvā punaḥ eva āśramam prati
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"My dear Rama, you may go and Soumitri you too also may go... but come again towards this hermitage after seeing all of them... [3-8-16]
एवम् उक्तः तथा इति उक्त्वा काकुत्स्थः सह लक्ष्मणः
प्रदक्षिणम् मुनिम् कृत्वा प्रस्थातुम् उपचक्रमे
evam uktaḥ tathā iti uktvā kākutsthaḥ saha lakṣmaṇaḥ
pradakṣiṇam munim kṛtvā prasthātum upacakrame
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thus said by the sage, Rama in his turn said to him, "so be it..." and having performed circumambulations around the sage he started to journey on. [3-8-17]
ततः शुभतरे तूणी धनुषी च आयतेक्षणा
ददौ सीता तयोः भ्रात्रोः खड्गौ च विमलौ ततः
tataḥ śubhatare tūṇī dhanuṣī ca āyatekṣaṇā
dadau sītā tayoḥ bhrātroḥ khaḍgau ca vimalau tataḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then the broad eyed Seetha gave auspicious quivers and bows to those brothers and then spotless swords too. [3-8-18]
आबध्य च शुभे तूणी चापे च आदाय सस्वने
निष्क्रान्तौ आश्रमात् गन्तुम् उभौ तौ राम लक्ष्मणौ
ābadhya ca śubhe tūṇī cāpe ca ādāya sasvane
niṣkrāntau āśramāt gantum ubhau tau rāma lakṣmaṇau
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Both of those two Rama and Lakshmana tied their beautiful quivers well on their backs, and took the twangy bows and exited from that hermitage to go on their way. [3-8-19]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदिकाव्ये अरण्य काण्डे अष्टमः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādikāvye araṇya kāṇḍe aṣṭamaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Those two Raghava-s, the handsome princes, have swiftly set out when permitted by that august sage, wielding bows and swords, and along with Seetha. [3-8-20]
