Aranya Kanda · Sarga 39 of 76 · 25 verses
“I See Rama in Every Tree”
“So I escaped from him somehow in that battle. Now hear what happened afterwards. Not discouraged by what had been done to me, I entered the Dandaka forest with two other rakshasas in the form of deer. With a blazing tongue, great fangs and sharp horns, very mighty, a huge flesh-eating deer, I roamed the Dandaka forest, Ravana, utterly terrible, at fire-offerings, bathing places and sacred trees, attacking the ascetics. Having killed ascetics walking in dharma in the Dandaka forest, drinking their blood and eating their flesh, eating the flesh of seers, cruel, terrifying the forest-dwellers, drunk with blood, I roamed the Dandaka forest. Then, roaming the Dandaka forest, a defiler of dharma, I came upon Rama, an ascetic devoted to dharma, with fortunate Vaidehi and Lakshmana the great chariot-warrior, an ascetic of restrained diet, devoted to the good of all beings. Despising mighty Rama, now in the forest, thinking ‘This is an ascetic’, remembering my old enmity, I rushed at him, very angry, a sharp-horned deer, wanting to kill him, my judgement unformed, remembering that blow. He drew his great bow and released three sharp arrows, destroyers of enemies, swift as Garuda and the wind. Those three arrows like thunderbolts, very terrible, drinking blood, with smooth joints, came all together. Knowing Rama’s valour and having seen danger before, I, cunning, leapt away and was spared; the two rakshasas were killed. Released from Rama’s arrow, having somehow kept my life, I have since become an ascetic here, disciplined and composed. In tree after tree I see Rama, in bark and black deerskin, bow in hand, like Death with the noose in his hand. In my fear I see thousands of Ramas, Ravana; this whole forest seems to me to have become Rama. Even in empty places, lord of the rakshasas, I see only Rama. Seeing Rama in my dreams, I start up, senseless. Terrified of Rama, Ravana, I am frightened by every name that begins with ‘ra’: even ratna (jewels) and ratha (chariots) frighten me.
“I know his power; battle with him is not fitting for you. The delight of the Raghus could kill even Bali or Namuci. Fight Rama in battle, or forgive, Ravana; but do not speak of Rama to me if you wish to see me. Many good people in the world, devoted to dharma, have perished with their households through the wrongs of others. I might perish through another’s wrong, night-ranger. Do what is fitting for you; I will not follow you. Rama of great splendour, great courage and great strength could even put an end to the world of the rakshasas. If Khara, gone to Janasthana for Shurpanakha’s sake, went too far and was killed by Rama of unwearied deeds, tell me truly, what wrong has Rama done here? If you do not accept these words, spoken by me who wish the good of my kin, you will lose your life in battle with your kinsmen, killed today by Rama’s straight-flying arrows.”
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एवमस्मि तदा मुक्तः कथंचित् तेन संयुगे । इदानीमपि यद् वृत्तं तच्छृणुष्व यदुत्तरम् ॥ १ ॥
“So I was released then somehow by him in battle. Now hear what happened afterwards.
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राक्षसाभ्यामहं द्वाभ्यामनिर्विण्णस्तथाकृतः । सहितो मृगरूपाभ्यां प्रविष्टो दण्डकावने ॥ २ ॥
“Not discouraged though treated so, together with two rakshasas in the form of deer, I entered the Dandaka forest.
दीप्तजिह्वो महादंष्ट्रस्तीक्ष्णशृङ्गो महाबलः । व्यचरन् दण्डकारण्यं मांसभक्षो महामृगः ॥ ३ ॥
“With a blazing tongue, great fangs, sharp horns, very mighty, a huge flesh-eating deer, I roamed the Dandaka forest,
अग्निहोत्रेषु तीर्थेषु चैत्यवृक्षेषु रावण । अत्यन्तघोरो व्यचरंस्तापसांस्तान् प्रधर्षयन् ॥ ४ ॥
“at fire-offerings, bathing places and sacred trees, Ravana, very terrible, roaming, attacking those ascetics.
निहत्य दण्डकारण्ये तापसान् धर्मचारिणः । रुधिराणि पिबंस्तेषां तन्मांसानि च भक्षयन् ॥ ५ ॥
“Having killed ascetics walking in dharma in the Dandaka forest, drinking their blood and eating their flesh,
ऋषिमांसाशनः क्रूरस्त्रासयन् वनगोचरान् । तदा रुधिरमत्तोऽहं व्यचरं दण्डकावनम् ॥ ६ ॥
“eating the flesh of seers, cruel, terrifying the forest-dwellers, then, drunk with blood, I roamed the Dandaka forest.
तदाहं दण्डकारण्ये विचरन् धर्मदूषकः । आसादयं तदा रामं तापसं धर्ममाश्रितम् ॥ ७ ॥
“Then, roaming the Dandaka forest, a defiler of dharma, I then came upon Rama, an ascetic who had taken refuge in dharma,
वैदेहीं च महाभागां लक्ष्मणं च महारथम् । तापसं नियताहारं सर्वभूतहिते रतम् ॥ ८ ॥
“and fortunate Vaidehi and Lakshmana the great chariot-warrior, an ascetic of restrained diet, devoted to the good of all beings.
सोऽहं वनगतं रामं परिभूय महाबलम् । तापसोऽयमिति ज्ञात्वा पूर्ववैरमनुस्मरन् ॥ ९ ॥
“I, despising mighty Rama gone to the forest, knowing ‘This is an ascetic’, remembering the old enmity,
अभ्यधावं सुसंक्रुद्धस्तीक्ष्णशृङ्गो मृगाकृतिः । जिघांसुरकृतप्रज्ञस्तं प्रहारमनुस्मरन् ॥ १० ॥
“rushed at him, very angry, in the shape of a sharp-horned deer, wishing to kill him, of unformed judgement, remembering that blow.
तेन त्यक्तास्त्रयो बाणाः शिताः शत्रुनिबर्हणाः । विकृष्य सुमहच्चापं सुपर्णानिलतुल्यगाः ॥ ११ ॥
“Three sharp arrows, destroyers of enemies, were released by him, drawing his very great bow, going like Suparna and the wind.
ते बाणा वज्रसंकाशाः सुघोरा रक्तभोजनाः । आजग्मुः सहिताः सर्वे त्रयः संनतपर्वणः ॥ १२ ॥
“Those arrows like thunderbolts, very terrible, feeding on blood, all three with smooth joints, came together.
पराक्रमज्ञो रामस्य शठो दृष्टभयः पुरा । समुत्क्रान्तस्ततो मुक्तस्तावुभौ राक्षसौ हतौ ॥ १३ ॥
“Knowing Rama’s valour, having seen fear before, I, cunning, leapt away and was released; those two rakshasas were killed.
शरेण मुक्तो रामस्य कथंचित् प्राप्य जीवितम् । इह प्रव्राजितो युक्तस्तापसोऽहं समाहितः ॥ १४ ॥
“Released from Rama’s arrow, having somehow kept my life, I have gone forth here, an ascetic, disciplined and composed.
वृक्षे वृक्षे हि पश्यामि चीरकृष्णाजिनाम्बरम् । गृहीतधनुषं रामं पाशहस्तमिवान्तकम् ॥ १५ ॥
“In tree after tree I see Rama, wearing bark and black deerskin, bow in hand, like Death with the noose in his hand.
अपि रामसहस्राणि भीतः पश्यामि रावण । रामभूतमिदं सर्वमरण्यं प्रतिभाति मे ॥ १६ ॥
“Frightened, I see even thousands of Ramas, Ravana. This whole forest seems to me to have become Rama.
राममेव हि पश्यामि रहिते राक्षसेश्वर । दृष्ट्वा स्वप्नगतं राममुद्भ्रमामि विचेतनः ॥ १७ ॥
“I see only Rama even in empty places, lord of the rakshasas. Seeing Rama in my dreams, I start up, senseless.
रकारादीनि नामानि रामत्रस्तस्य रावण । रत्नानि च रथाश्चैव वित्रासं जनयन्ति मे ॥ १८ ॥
“To me, terrified of Rama, Ravana, names beginning with ‘ra’, and jewels and chariots too, bring fright.
अहं तस्य प्रभावज्ञो न युद्धं तेन ते क्षमम् । बलिं वा नमुचिं वापि हन्याद्धि रघुनन्दनः ॥ १९ ॥
“I know his power; battle with him is not fitting for you. For the delight of the Raghus could kill even Bali or Namuci.
रणे रामेण युद्धस्व क्षमां वा कुरु रावण । न ते रामकथा कार्या यदि मां द्रष्टुमिच्छसि ॥ २० ॥
“Fight with Rama in battle, or forgive, Ravana; but no talk of Rama is to be made by you if you wish to see me.
बहवः साधवो लोके युक्ता धर्ममनुष्ठिताः । परेषामपराधेन विनष्टाः सपरिच्छदाः ॥ २१ ॥
“Many good people in the world, devoted, practising dharma, have perished with their households through the offences of others.
सोऽहं परापराधेन विनशेयं निशाचर । कुरु यत् ते क्षमं तत्त्वमहं त्वां नानुयामि वै ॥ २२ ॥
“I might perish through another’s offence, night-ranger. Do what is truly fitting for you; I will not follow you.
रामश्च हि महातेजा महासत्त्वो महाबलः । अपि राक्षसलोकस्य भवेदन्तकरोऽपि हि ॥ २३ ॥
“For Rama, of great splendour, great courage and great strength, could be the end-maker even of the world of the rakshasas.
यदि शूर्पणखाहेतोर्जनस्थानगतः खरः । अतिवृत्तो हतः पूर्वं रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा । अत्र ब्रूहि यथातत्त्वं को रामस्य व्यतिक्रमः ॥ २४ ॥
“If Khara, gone to Janasthana for Shurpanakha’s sake, overstepping, was killed before by Rama of unwearied deeds, tell me truly here: what is Rama’s transgression?
इदं वचो बन्धुहितार्थिना मया यथोच्यमानं यदि नाभिपत्स्यसे । सबान्धवस्त्यक्ष्यसि जीवितं रणे हतोऽद्य रामेण शरैरजिह्मगैः ॥ २५ ॥
“If you do not accept these words spoken by me as one who wishes the good of my kin, you will give up your life in battle with your kinsmen, killed today by Rama with straight-going arrows.”