Aranya Kanda · Sarga 38 of 76 · 33 verses
Maricha Remembers His First Meeting with Rama
“Once, proud of my valour, I roamed this earth with the strength of a thousand elephants, like a mountain, dark as a blue cloud, wearing earrings of refined gold, crowned, armed with an iron bar, bringing fear to the world, wandering the Dandaka forest eating the flesh of seers. Then the righteous great sage Vishvamitra, terrified of me, went himself to King Dasharatha and said: ‘Let this Rama, attentive, protect me at the time of the sacrifice. A terrible fear of Maricha has come upon me, lord of men.’ Righteous King Dasharatha answered the fortunate great sage: ‘This Raghava is not yet twelve years old and untrained in weapons. My whole army will go with me if you wish; with an army of four divisions I will come myself and kill the night-ranger, your enemy, as you wish, best of sages.’ The sage said to the king: ‘There is no force in the world sufficient for that rakshasa except Rama. You were once the protector of the gods in their battles; your deeds are known in the three worlds. Let your great army stay here, scorcher of foes; this boy of great splendour is able to subdue him. I will go, taking Rama; blessings on you.’ Saying this, the sage Vishvamitra took the prince and went, very pleased, to his own hermitage. As he was consecrated for the sacrifice in the Dandaka forest, Rama stood by, twanging his wonderful bow: a boy, his beard not yet grown, glorious, dark, with lovely eyes, in a single garment, bow in hand, his hair in a crest, with a golden garland, lighting up the Dandaka forest with his own blazing splendour, Rama looked then like the young moon risen. Then I, like a cloud, with earrings of refined gold, mighty, proud of the boon I had been given, came into the hermitage. As soon as I entered, weapon raised, he saw me; seeing me, unflustered, he strung his bow. Despising Raghava in my folly, thinking ‘This is a boy,’ I rushed at Vishvamitra’s altar in haste. Then he released a sharp arrow, destroyer of enemies; struck by it, I was hurled a hundred yojanas into the ocean. Not wishing to kill me then, dear one, the hero spared me; flung by the force of Rama’s arrow, my senses reeling, I was thrown into the deep water of the sea. Recovering after a long time, I went to the city of Lanka. So I was released then, while my companions were brought down, by Rama, a boy untrained in weapons, of unwearied deeds.
“So if, though I warn you, you make war on Rama, you will soon meet terrible calamity and will not survive. You will bring suffering and ruin to the rakshasas, who know the ways of play and pleasure and love to watch gatherings and festivals. You will see the city of Lanka, crowded with mansions and palaces, adorned with every kind of jewel, destroyed because of Maithili. Even the pure, who do no evil, perish through the sins of others because they shelter with the wicked, like fish in a lake where a serpent lives. You will see the rakshasas, their limbs smeared with divine sandal, adorned with divine ornaments, struck down on the ground through your fault. You will see the night-rangers who survive, with wives taken or with wives, fleeing in the ten directions without refuge. You will see Lanka, covered with nets of arrows, surrounded by flames of fire, its houses burned, without doubt. There is no greater sin than touching another man’s wife. You have thousands of women in your household, king. Be devoted to your own wives; protect your family and the rakshasas. If you wish to enjoy for long your honour, prosperity, kingdom and dear life, your gentle wives and your circle of friends, do nothing to displease Rama. If, though strongly warned by me, your friend, you violate Sita by force, you will go, your strength gone, with your kinsmen, to Yama’s abode, your life taken by Rama’s arrows.”
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कदाचिदप्यहं वीर्यात् पर्यटन् पृथिवीमिमाम् । बलं नागसहस्रस्य धारयन् पर्वतोपमः ॥ १ ॥
“Once I, proud of my valour, wandering over this earth, bearing the strength of a thousand elephants, like a mountain,
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Maricha Remembers His First Meeting with Rama 1 min read.
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नीलजीमूतसंकाशस्तप्तकाञ्चनकुण्डलः । भयं लोकस्य जनयन् किरीटी परिघायुधः ॥ २ ॥
“the colour of a dark-blue cloud, with earrings of refined gold, crowned, armed with an iron bar, creating fear in the world,
व्यचरन् दण्डकारण्यमृषिमांसानि भक्षयन् । विश्वामित्रोऽथ धर्मात्मा मद्वित्रस्तो महामुनिः ॥ ३ ॥
“roamed the Dandaka forest eating the flesh of seers. Then the righteous great sage Vishvamitra, terrified of me,
स्वयं गत्वा दशरथं नरेन्द्रमिदमब्रवीत् । अयं रक्षतु मां रामः पर्वकाले समाहितः ॥ ४ ॥
“going himself to King Dasharatha, said this: ‘Let this Rama, attentive, protect me at the time of the sacrifice.
मारीचान्मे भयं घोरं समुत्पन्नं नरेश्वर । इत्येवमुक्तो धर्मात्मा राजा दशरथस्तदा ॥ ५ ॥
“’A terrible fear has arisen for me from Maricha, lord of men.’ Spoken to so, the righteous King Dasharatha then
प्रत्युवाच महाभागं विश्वामित्रं महामुनिम् । ऊनद्वादशवर्षोऽयमकृतास्त्रश्च राघवः ॥ ६ ॥
“replied to the fortunate great sage Vishvamitra: ‘This Raghava is less than twelve years old and untrained in weapons.
कामं तु मम तत् सैन्यं मया सह गमिष्यति । बलेन चतुरङ्गेण स्वयमेत्य निशाचरम् ॥ ७ ॥
“’If you wish, that army of mine will go with me. With an army of four divisions, coming myself, the night-ranger
वधिष्यामि मुनिश्रेष्ठ शत्रुं तव यथेप्सितम् । एवमुक्तः स तु मुनी राजानमिदमब्रवीत् ॥ ८ ॥
“’I will kill, best of sages, your enemy, as you wish.’ Spoken to so, the sage said this to the king:
रामान्नान्यद् बलं लोके पर्याप्तं तस्य रक्षसः । देवतानामपि भवान् समरेष्वभिपालकः ॥ ९ ॥
“’No force in the world except Rama is sufficient for that rakshasa. You have been the protector even of the gods in battles;
आसीत् तव कृतं कर्म त्रिलोकविदितं नृप । काममस्ति महत् सैन्यं तिष्ठत्विह परंतप ॥ १० ॥
“’your deed is known in the three worlds, king. Certainly you have a great army; let it stay here, scorcher of foes.
बालोऽप्येष महातेजाः समर्थस्तस्य निग्रहे । गमिष्ये राममादाय स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु परंतप ॥ ११ ॥
“’This one, though a boy, of great splendour, is able to subdue him. I will go, taking Rama; blessings on you, scorcher of foes.’
इत्येवमुक्त्वा स मुनिस्तमादाय नृपात्मजम् । जगाम परमप्रीतो विश्वामित्रः स्वमाश्रमम् ॥ १२ ॥
“Having said this, the sage, taking that prince, Vishvamitra, very pleased, went to his own hermitage.
तं तथा दण्डकारण्ये यज्ञमुद्दिश्य दीक्षितम् । बभूवोपस्थितो रामश्चित्रं विस्फारयन् धनुः ॥ १३ ॥
“As he was consecrated for the sacrifice in the Dandaka forest, Rama stood by him, twanging his wonderful bow,
अजातव्यञ्जनः श्रीमान् बालः श्यामः शुभेक्षणः । एकवस्त्रधरो धन्वी शिखी कनकमालया ॥ १४ ॥
“his beard not grown, glorious, a boy, dark, with lovely eyes, wearing a single garment, a bowman, with a crest of hair, with a golden garland,
शोभयन् दण्डकारण्यं दीप्तेन स्वेन तेजसा । अदृश्यत तदा रामो बालचन्द्र इवोदितः ॥ १५ ॥
“lighting up the Dandaka forest with his own blazing splendour, Rama was then seen like the young moon risen.
ततोऽहं मेघसंकाशस्तप्तकाञ्चनकुण्डलः । बली दत्तवरो दर्पादाजगामाश्रमान्तरम् ॥ १६ ॥
“Then I, like a cloud, with earrings of refined gold, mighty, having been given a boon, out of pride came into the hermitage.
तेन दृष्टः प्रविष्टोऽहं सहसैवोद्यतायुधः । मां तु दृष्ट्वा धनुः सज्यमसम्भ्रान्तश्चकार ह ॥ १७ ॥
“As soon as I entered, with weapon raised, I was seen by him; and seeing me, unflustered, he strung his bow.
अवजानन्नहं मोहाद् बालोऽयमिति राघवम् । विश्वामित्रस्य तां वेदिमभ्यधावं कृतत्वरः ॥ १८ ॥
“Despising Raghava in my folly, thinking ‘This is a boy,’ I rushed in haste at that altar of Vishvamitra.
तेन मुक्तस्ततो बाणः शितः शत्रुनिबर्हणः । तेनाहं ताडितः क्षिप्तः समुद्रे शतयोजने ॥ १९ ॥
“Then a sharp arrow was released by him, destroyer of enemies; struck by it, I was hurled into the ocean a hundred yojanas away.
नेच्छता तात मां हन्तुं तदा वीरेण रक्षितः । रामस्य शरवेगेन निरस्तो भ्रान्तचेतनः ॥ २० ॥
“Not wishing to kill me then, dear one, I was spared by the hero; thrown by the force of Rama’s arrow, my senses reeling,
पातितोऽहं तदा तेन गम्भीरे सागराम्भसि । प्राप्य संज्ञां चिरात् तात लङ्कां प्रति गतः पुरीम् ॥ २१ ॥
“I was then brought down by him into the deep water of the sea. Regaining consciousness after a long time, dear one, I went to the city of Lanka.
एवमस्मि तदा मुक्तः सहायास्ते निपातिताः । अकृतास्त्रेण रामेण बालेनाक्लिष्टकर्मणा ॥ २२ ॥
“So I was released then, and my companions were brought down, by Rama, a boy untrained in weapons, of unwearied deeds.
तन्मया वार्यमाणस्तु यदि रामेण विग्रहम् । करिष्यस्यापदां घोरां क्षिप्रं प्राप्य न शिष्यसि ॥ २३ ॥
“So if, though warned by me, you make war with Rama, having quickly met a terrible calamity, you will not survive.
क्रीडारतिविधिज्ञानां समाजोत्सवदर्शिनाम् । रक्षसां चैव संतापमनर्थं चाहरिष्यसि ॥ २४ ॥
“You will bring suffering and ruin to the rakshasas, skilled in the ways of play and pleasure, watchers of gatherings and festivals.
हर्म्यप्रासादसम्बाधां नानारत्नविभूषिताम् । द्रक्ष्यसि त्वं पुरीं लङ्कां विनष्टां मैथिलीकृते ॥ २५ ॥
“You will see the city of Lanka, crowded with mansions and palaces, adorned with many kinds of jewels, destroyed because of Maithili.
अकुर्वन्तोऽपि पापानि शुचयः पापसंश्रयात् । परपापैर्विनश्यन्ति मत्स्या नागह्रदे यथा ॥ २६ ॥
“Even those who do no evil, the pure, perish through the sins of others by sheltering with the wicked, like fish in a serpent’s lake.
दिव्यचन्दनदिग्धाङ्गान् दिव्याभरणभूषितान् । द्रक्ष्यस्यभिहतान् भूमौ तव दोषात् तु राक्षसान् ॥ २७ ॥
“You will see the rakshasas, their limbs smeared with divine sandal, adorned with divine ornaments, struck down on the ground through your fault.
हृतदारान् सदारांश्च दश विद्रवतो दिशः । हतशेषानशरणान् द्रक्ष्यसि त्वं निशाचरान् ॥ २८ ॥
“You will see the night-rangers left from the slaughter, with wives taken and with wives, fleeing in the ten directions, without refuge.
शरजालपरिक्षिप्तामग्निज्वालासमावृताम् । प्रदग्धभवनां लङ्कां द्रक्ष्यसि त्वमसंशयम् ॥ २९ ॥
“You will see Lanka, covered by nets of arrows, enveloped in flames of fire, its houses burned, without doubt.
परदाराभिमर्शात् तु नान्यत् पापतरं महत् । प्रमदानां सहस्राणि तव राजन् परिग्रहे ॥ ३० ॥
“There is no other sin greater than touching the wife of another. You have thousands of young women in your household, king.
भव स्वदारनिरतः स्वकुलं रक्ष राक्षसान् । मानं वृद्धिं च राज्यं च जीवितं चेष्टमात्मनः ॥ ३१ ॥
“Be devoted to your own wives; protect your own family and the rakshasas. Your honour, prosperity and kingdom, and your own dear life,
कलत्राणि च सौम्यानि मित्रवर्गं तथैव च । यदीच्छसि चिरं भोक्तुं मा कृथा रामविप्रियम् ॥ ३२ ॥
“your gentle wives and your circle of friends: if you wish to enjoy them long, do not do what displeases Rama.
निवार्यमाणः सुहृदा मया भृशं प्रसह्य सीतां यदि धर्षयिष्यसि । गमिष्यसि क्षीणबलः सबान्धवो यमक्षयं रामशरास्तजीवितः ॥ ३३ ॥
“If, being strongly warned by me, your friend, you violate Sita by force, you will go, your strength wasted, with your kinsmen, to Yama’s abode, your life cast off by Rama’s arrows.”