Aranya Kanda · Sarga 35 of 76 · 42 verses
Ravana Flies to Maricha Again
Hearing Shurpanakha’s hair-raising words, Ravana dismisses his ministers, considers the matter and goes. Thinking it through inwardly, understanding it rightly, weighing the strength and weakness of its faults and merits, he makes up his mind, “This must be done,” and with a firm resolve goes to his lovely carriage-house. Going there secretly, the king of the rakshasas orders his charioteer: “Let the chariot be yoked.” In a moment the swift charioteer yokes the excellent chariot he likes. Mounting that golden chariot that goes where one wishes, adorned with jewels, yoked with goblin-faced donkeys decked in gold, the glorious king of the rakshasas, younger brother of Kubera, goes with a sound like thunder toward the lord of rivers, the ocean. With white yak-tail fans and a white umbrella, shining like glossy beryl, adorned with refined gold, ten-necked, twenty-armed, splendidly attired, enemy of the gods, killer of great sages, like a ten-peaked king of mountains, standing in his chariot the king of the rakshasas shines like a cloud in the sky with a ring of lightning and a line of cranes.
Mighty, he looks down on the sea-coast with its mountains, strewn with thousands of trees with flowers and fruit of many kinds; with lotus pools of cool, auspicious water everywhere; adorned with large hermitages with altars; lovely with plantain groves, adorned with coconut palms, sala, palmyra, tamala and flowering trees; graced by supreme seers of strictly controlled diet, by thousands of nagas, suparnas, gandharvas and kinnaras, by siddhas and charanas who have conquered desire, by Ajas, Vaikhanasas, Mashas, Valakhilyas and Marichipas; filled with thousands of apsarases of divine form, with divine ornaments and garlands, skilled in the ways of play and love; frequented by glorious wives of the gods; visited by companies of gods and danavas who feed on nectar; full of swans, curlews and plavas, gladdened by cranes; with smooth beryl stones, dense with the ocean’s splendour. All round he sees large white celestial chariots, with divine garlands, filled with the sound of music and song, going where they wish, of those who have won the worlds by austerity, and gandharvas and apsarases. He sees lovely forests of sandal by the thousand, with resinous roots, pleasing to the nose; forests and groves of the best aloe; of fragrant fruit-bearing takkola; flowers of tamala and bushes of pepper; heaps of pearls drying on the shore; the finest conch shells and heaps of coral; golden and silver peaks; lovely, clear, wonderful springs; cities rich in wealth and grain, filled with jewels among women, crowded with elephants, horses and chariots. On the shore of the king of rivers he sees a place level on every side, soft, with a breeze gentle to the touch, like heaven. There he sees a banyan like a cloud, surrounded by sages, whose branches spread a hundred yojanas on every side. Once mighty Garuda, carrying a huge elephant and a tortoise to eat, came to a branch of it; and with his weight the best of birds suddenly broke that leafy branch. On it were Vaikhanasas, Mashas, Valakhilyas, Marichipas, Ajas and Dhumras, supreme seers, gathered together. Out of compassion for them, righteous Garuda swiftly took the broken branch, a hundred yojanas long, and the elephant and tortoise with one foot, ate the meat, destroyed the land of the Nishadas with the branch, and, having saved the great sages, felt incomparable joy. With his valour doubled by that joy, the wise one made up his mind to bring the nectar: breaking the iron nets, splitting the excellent jewelled house, he carried off the nectar guarded in great Indra’s palace. That banyan, frequented by companies of great seers, bearing the marks made by Suparna, named Subhadra, Kubera’s younger brother sees. Going to the far shore of the ocean, lord of rivers, he sees a hermitage in a solitary, holy, lovely part of the forest. There he sees the rakshasa named Maricha, wearing black deerskin and a circle of matted hair, restrained in diet. Coming to him, King Ravana is honoured properly by the rakshasa Maricha with every enjoyment not of this world. Having himself honoured him with food and water, Maricha says with meaningful words: “Is all well with you in Lanka, king, lord of the rakshasas? For what purpose have you come here again so quickly?” Spoken to so by Maricha, Ravana of great splendour, skilled in speech, then says these words.
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ततः शूर्पणखावाक्यं तच्छ्रुत्वा रोमहर्षणम् । सचिवानभ्यनुज्ञाय कार्यं बुद्ध्वा जगाम ह ॥ १ ॥
Then, having heard Shurpanakha’s hair-raising words, he dismissed his ministers and, understanding the task, went.
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Ravana Flies to Maricha Again 1 min read.
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तत् कार्यमनुगम्यान्तर्यथावदुपलभ्य च । दोषाणां च गुणानां च सम्प्रधार्य बलाबलम् ॥ २ ॥
Following that task inwardly and grasping it properly, weighing the strength and weakness of faults and merits,
इति कर्तव्यमित्येव कृत्वा निश्चयमात्मनः । स्थिरबुद्धिस्ततो रम्यां यानशालां जगाम ह ॥ ३ ॥
having made his own decision, “This is to be done,” firm of mind, he then went to his lovely carriage-house.
यानशालां ततो गत्वा प्रच्छन्नं राक्षसाधिपः । सूतं संचोदयामास रथः संयुज्यतामिति ॥ ४ ॥
Going secretly to the carriage-house then, the king of the rakshasas ordered his charioteer: “Let the chariot be yoked.”
एवमुक्तः क्षणेनैव सारथिर्लघुविक्रमः । रथं संयोजयामास तस्याभिमतमुत्तमम् ॥ ५ ॥
Spoken to so, in a moment the charioteer, swift in action, yoked the excellent chariot that he liked.
कामगं रथमास्थाय काञ्चनं रत्नभूषितम् । पिशाचवदनैर्युक्तं खरैः कनकभूषणैः ॥ ६ ॥
मेघप्रतिमनादेन स तेन धनदानुजः । राक्षसाधिपतिः श्रीमान् ययौ नदनदीपतिम् ॥ ७ ॥
Mounting the golden chariot that goes where one wishes, adorned with jewels, yoked with goblin-faced donkeys with golden ornaments, with a sound like a cloud, Kubera’s younger brother, the glorious king of the rakshasas, went toward the lord of rivers and streams.
स श्वेतवालव्यजनः श्वेतच्छत्रो दशाननः । स्निग्धवैदूर्यसंकाशस्तप्तकाञ्चनभूषणः ॥ ८ ॥
With white yak-tail fans and a white umbrella, ten-faced, like glossy beryl, adorned with refined gold,
दशग्रीवो विंशतिभुजो दर्शनीयपरिच्छदः । त्रिदशारिर्मुनीन्द्रघ्नो दशशीर्ष इवाद्रिराट् ॥ ९ ॥
ten-necked, twenty-armed, with splendid attire, enemy of the gods, killer of the lords of sages, like a ten-peaked king of mountains,
कामगं रथमास्थाय शुशुभे राक्षसाधिपः । विद्युन्मण्डलवान् मेघः सबलाक इवाम्बरे ॥ १० ॥
standing in the chariot that goes where one wishes, the king of the rakshasas shone like a cloud in the sky with a ring of lightning and a line of cranes.
सशैलसागरानूपं वीर्यवानवलोकयन् । नानापुष्पफलैर्वृक्षैरनुकीर्णं सहस्रशः ॥ ११ ॥
The mighty one looked down on the sea-coast with its mountains, strewn with thousands of trees with flowers and fruits of many kinds,
शीतमङ्गलतोयाभिः पद्मिनीभिः समन्ततः । विशालैराश्रमपदैर्वेदिमद्भिरलंकृतम् ॥ १२ ॥
with lotus pools of cool, auspicious water all round, adorned with large hermitage sites with altars,
कदल्यटविसंशोभं नारिकेलोपशोभितम् । सालैस्तालैस्तमालैश्च तरुभिश्च सुपुष्पितैः ॥ १३ ॥
lovely with plantain groves, adorned with coconut palms, with sala, palmyra and tamala, and with well-flowering trees,
अत्यन्तनियताहारैः शोभितं परमर्षिभिः । नागैः सुपर्णैर्गन्धर्वैः किंनरैश्च सहस्रशः ॥ १४ ॥
graced by supreme seers of utterly restrained diet, by thousands of nagas, suparnas, gandharvas and kinnaras,
जितकामैश्च सिद्धैश्च चारणैश्चोपशोभितम् । आजैर्वैखानसैर्माषैर्वालखिल्यैर्मरीचिपैः ॥ १५ ॥
adorned with siddhas who had conquered desire and with charanas, with Ajas, Vaikhanasas, Mashas, Valakhilyas and Marichipas,
दिव्याभरणमाल्याभिर्दिव्यरूपाभिरावृतम् । क्रीडारतविधिज्ञाभिरप्सरोभिः सहस्रशः ॥ १६ ॥
filled with thousands of apsarases with divine ornaments and garlands, of divine form, skilled in the rites of play and love,
सेवितं देवपत्नीभिः श्रीमतीभिरुपासितम् । देवदानवसङ्घैश्च चरितं त्वमृताशिभिः ॥ १७ ॥
served by the wives of the gods, attended by glorious ones, frequented by companies of gods and danavas who feed on nectar,
हंसक्रौञ्चप्लवाकीर्णं सारसैः सम्प्रसादितम् । वैदूर्यप्रस्तरं स्निग्धं सान्द्रं सागरतेजसा ॥ १८ ॥
strewn with swans, curlews and plavas, gladdened by cranes, with smooth beryl stones, dense with the splendour of the ocean.
पाण्डुराणि विशालानि दिव्यमाल्ययुतानि च । तूर्यगीताभिजुष्टानि विमानानि समन्ततः ॥ १९ ॥
तपसा जितलोकानां कामगान्यभिसम्पतन् । गन्धर्वाप्सरसश्चैव ददर्श धनदानुजः ॥ २० ॥
All round he saw white, large celestial chariots with divine garlands, filled with music and song, going where they wished, of those who had won the worlds by austerity; and the younger brother of Kubera saw gandharvas and apsarases.
निर्यासरसमूलानां चन्दनानां सहस्रशः । वनानि पश्यन् सौम्यानि घ्राणतृप्तिकराणि च ॥ २१ ॥
Seeing gentle forests of sandal trees by the thousand, with resinous juices and roots, pleasing to the nose,
अगुरूणां च मुख्यानां वनान्युपवनानि च । तक्कोलानां च जात्यानां फलिनां च सुगन्धिनाम् ॥ २२ ॥
and forests and groves of the best aloe, and of fine fruit-bearing fragrant takkolas,
पुष्पाणि च तमालस्य गुल्मानि मरिचस्य च । मुक्तानां च समूहानि शुष्यमाणानि तीरतः ॥ २३ ॥
and flowers of tamala and bushes of pepper, and heaps of pearls drying on the shore,
शैलानि प्रवरांश्चैव प्रवालनिचयांस्तथा । काञ्चनानि च शृङ्गाणि राजतानि तथैव च ॥ २४ ॥
and the best conch shells, and heaps of coral, and golden peaks and silver ones too,
प्रस्रवाणि मनोज्ञानि प्रसन्नान्यद्भुतानि च । धनधान्योपपन्नानि स्त्रीरत्नैरावृतानि च ॥ २५ ॥
हस्त्यश्वरथगाढानि नगराणि विलोकयन् । तं समं सर्वतः स्निग्धं मृदुसंस्पर्शमारुतम् ॥ २६ ॥
and lovely springs, clear and wonderful, looking at cities rich in wealth and grain, filled with jewels among women, crowded with elephants, horses and chariots, he saw on the shore of the king of rivers a place level on every side, smooth, with a wind soft to the touch,
अनूपे सिन्धुराजस्य ददर्श त्रिदिवोपमम् । तत्रापश्यत् स मेघाभं न्यग्रोधं मुनिभिर्वृतम् ॥ २७ ॥
like heaven. There he saw a banyan like a cloud, surrounded by sages,
समन्ताद् यस्य ताः शाखाः शतयोजनमायताः । यस्य हस्तिनमादाय महाकायं च कच्छपम् ॥ २८ ॥
whose branches spread a hundred yojanas on every side; to whose branch, carrying an elephant and a huge tortoise
भक्षार्थं गरुडः शाखामाजगाम महाबलः । तस्य तां सहसा शाखां भारेण पतगोत्तमः ॥ २९ ॥
to eat, mighty Garuda came. The best of birds, by his weight, suddenly broke that branch of it,
सुपर्णः पर्णबहुलां बभञ्जाथ महाबलः । तत्र वैखानसा माषा वालखिल्या मरीचिपाः ॥ ३० ॥
full of leaves, Suparna, the very mighty one. On it Vaikhanasas, Mashas, Valakhilyas, Marichipas,
आजा बभूवुर्धूम्राश्च संगताः परमर्षयः । तेषां दयार्थं गरुडस्तां शाखां शतयोजनाम् ॥ ३१ ॥
Ajas and Dhumras were gathered, supreme seers. Out of compassion for them, Garuda, taking that branch a hundred yojanas long,
भग्नामादाय वेगेन तौ चोभौ गजकच्छपौ । एकपादेन धर्मात्मा भक्षयित्वा तदामिषम् ॥ ३२ ॥
broken, with speed, and those two, the elephant and the tortoise, with one foot, the righteous one, having eaten that meat,
निषादविषयं हत्वा शाखया पतगोत्तमः । प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे मोक्षयित्वा महामुनीन् ॥ ३३ ॥
having destroyed the land of the Nishadas with the branch, the best of birds felt incomparable joy at having freed the great sages.
स तु तेन प्रहर्षेण द्विगुणीकृतविक्रमः । अमृतानयनार्थं वै चकार मतिमान् मतिम् ॥ ३४ ॥
With his valour doubled by that joy, the wise one made up his mind to bring the nectar.
अयोजालानि निर्मथ्य भित्त्वा रत्नगृहं वरम् । महेन्द्रभवनाद् गुप्तमाजहारामृतं ततः ॥ ३५ ॥
Breaking the iron nets and splitting the excellent jewelled house, he then carried off the nectar guarded in great Indra’s palace.
तं महर्षिगणैर्जुष्टं सुपर्णकृतलक्षणम् । नाम्ना सुभद्रं न्यग्रोधं ददर्श धनदानुजः ॥ ३६ ॥
That banyan, frequented by companies of great seers, bearing the marks made by Suparna, named Subhadra, the younger brother of Kubera saw.
तं तु गत्वा परं पारं समुद्रस्य नदीपतेः । ददर्शाश्रममेकान्ते पुण्ये रम्ये वनान्तरे ॥ ३७ ॥
Going to the far shore of the ocean, lord of rivers, he saw a hermitage in a solitary, holy, lovely part of the forest.
तत्र कृष्णाजिनधरं जटामण्डलधारिणम् । ददर्श नियताहारं मारीचं नाम राक्षसम् ॥ ३८ ॥
There he saw the rakshasa named Maricha, wearing black deerskin, wearing a circle of matted hair, restrained in diet.
स रावणः समागम्य विधिवत् तेन रक्षसा । मारीचेनार्चितो राजा सर्वकामैरमानुषैः ॥ ३९ ॥
That Ravana, coming to him, the king, was honoured properly by that rakshasa Maricha with every enjoyment not human.
तं स्वयं पूजयित्वा च भोजनेनोदकेन च । अर्थोपहितया वाचा मारीचो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ ४० ॥
Having himself honoured him with food and water, Maricha said these words, with speech full of meaning:
कच्चित्ते कुशलं राजन् लङ्कायां राक्षसेश्वर । केनार्थेन पुनस्त्वं वै तूर्णमेव इहागतः ॥ ४१ ॥
“Is all well with you in Lanka, king, lord of the rakshasas? For what purpose have you come here again so quickly?”
एवमुक्तो महातेजा मारीचेन स रावणः । ततः पश्चादिदं वाक्यमब्रवीद् वाक्यकोविदः ॥ ४२ ॥
Spoken to so by Maricha, that Ravana of great splendour, skilled in speech, then afterwards said these words.