Aranya Kanda · Sarga 57 of 76 · 23 verses
Rama Meets Lakshmana on the Path
Having killed the rakshasa Maricha, who took any form and wandered as a deer, Rama hurries back along the path. As he hastens, longing to see Maithili, a jackal with a cruel cry howls behind him. Hearing its terrible, hair-raising cry, he grows anxious at the jackal’s voice: “Alas, I think it is a bad omen, the way the jackal howls. May Vaidehi be safe, not eaten by rakshasas. If Lakshmana heard the cry raised by Maricha in deer form, imitating my voice, then Saumitri, hearing the voice and leaving Maithili, sent by her, will quickly come here to me. Surely the rakshasas together want Sita’s death. Maricha became a golden deer, led me far from the hermitage, and then, struck by my arrow, became a rakshasa and cried, ‘Ha Lakshmana, I am killed!’ May the two be safe in the forest without me. I have made enemies of the rakshasas because of Janasthana, and many terrible omens are seen today.” Thinking so, hearing the jackal, self-possessed Rama hurries back toward the hermitage, suspecting that he himself had been led away by the rakshasa in deer form. Beasts and birds come to the downcast one, keep him on their left and utter terrible cries. Seeing those very terrible omens, Raghava hurries back to his hermitage with speed.
Then he sees Lakshmana coming, his radiance gone. Not far off, Lakshmana meets Rama, dejected meeting the dejected, grieving meeting the one who shares his grief. Seeing Lakshmana come, having left Sita in the lonely forest frequented by rakshasas, his brother rebukes him. Taking Lakshmana’s left hand, the delight of the Raghus speaks harsh words in distress, though their outcome is kind: “Ah, Lakshmana, you have done a blameworthy thing in leaving Sita and coming here, gentle one. Can she be safe? I have no doubt at all, hero, that Janaka’s daughter is lost or has been eaten by the rakshasas who roam the forest; so many bad omens appear to me. Will we find Sita, Janaka’s daughter, whole and alive, tiger among men? From the way the herds of deer and the jackal cry fearfully, and the birds toward the blazing quarter, may the princess be safe, mighty one? This rakshasa like a deer tempted me and drew me far away; killed with great effort, he became a rakshasa as he died. My mind is downcast and joyless here, and my left eye twitches. Without doubt, Lakshmana, Sita is gone: carried off, dead, or wandering on the road.”
Press › to begin with verse 1.
राक्षसं मृगरूपेण चरन्तं कामरूपिणम् । निहत्य रामो मारीचं तूर्णं पथि न्यवर्तत ॥ १ ॥
Having killed the rakshasa Maricha, who took any form and wandered in the form of a deer, Rama quickly turned back on the path.
Commentary on the whole sarga
Rama Meets Lakshmana on the Path 1 min read.
Read the commentary
तस्य संत्वरमाणस्य द्रष्टुकामस्य मैथिलीम् । क्रूरस्वनोऽथ गोमायुर्विननादास्य पृष्ठतः ॥ २ ॥
As he was hurrying, longing to see Maithili, a jackal with a cruel cry then howled behind him.
स तस्य स्वरमाज्ञाय दारुणं रोमहर्षणम् । चिन्तयामास गोमायोः स्वरेण परिशङ्कितः ॥ ३ ॥
Recognising its terrible, hair-raising cry, he, alarmed by the jackal’s voice, thought:
अशुभं बत मन्येऽहं गोमायुर्वाश्यते यथा । स्वस्ति स्यादपि वैदेह्या राक्षसैर्भक्षणं विना ॥ ४ ॥
“Alas, I think it is inauspicious, the way the jackal howls. May there be safety for Vaidehi, without being eaten by rakshasas.
मारीचेन तु विज्ञाय स्वरमालक्ष्य मामकम् । विक्रुष्टं मृगरूपेण लक्ष्मणः शृणुयाद् यदि ॥ ५ ॥
“If Lakshmana heard the cry raised by Maricha in the form of a deer, knowing and imitating my voice,
स सौमित्रिः स्वरं श्रुत्वा तां च हित्वाथ मैथिलीम् । तयैव प्रहितः क्षिप्रं मत्सकाशमिहैष्यति ॥ ६ ॥
“that Saumitri, hearing the voice and then leaving Maithili, sent by her, will quickly come here to my side.
राक्षसैः सहितैर्नूनं सीताया ईप्सितो वधः । काञ्चनश्च मृगो भूत्वा व्यपनीयाश्रमात्तु माम् ॥ ७ ॥
“Surely the killing of Sita is desired by the rakshasas together. Having become a golden deer and led me away from the hermitage,
दूरं नीत्वाथ मारीचो राक्षसोऽभूच्छराहतः । हा लक्ष्मण हतोऽस्मीति यद्वाक्यं व्याजहार ह ॥ ८ ॥
“having led me far, Maricha, struck by an arrow, became a rakshasa, and the words he spoke were, ‘Ha Lakshmana, I am killed!’
अपि स्वस्ति भवेद् द्वाभ्यां रहिताभ्यां मया वने । जनस्थाननिमित्तं हि कृतवैरोऽस्मि राक्षसैः ॥ ९ ॥
“May there be safety for the two in the forest, without me. For because of Janasthana I have made enemies of the rakshasas.
निमित्तानि च घोराणि दृश्यन्तेऽद्य बहूनि च । इत्येवं चिन्तयन् रामः श्रुत्वा गोमायुनिःस्वनम् ॥ १० ॥
“And many terrible omens are seen today.” Thinking so, Rama, having heard the jackal’s howl,
निवर्तमानस्त्वरितो जगामाश्रममात्मवान् । आत्मनश्चापनयनं मृगरूपेण रक्षसा ॥ ११ ॥
turning back in haste, self-possessed, went toward the hermitage. And suspecting that he himself had been led away by the rakshasa in deer form,
आजगाम जनस्थानं राघवः परिशङ्कितः । तं दीनमानसं दीनमासेदुर्मृगपक्षिणः ॥ १२ ॥
Raghava came to Janasthana, alarmed. Beasts and birds came to him, downcast and wretched,
सव्यं कृत्वा महात्मानं घोरांश्च ससृजुः स्वरान् । तानि दृष्ट्वा निमित्तानि महाघोराणि राघवः । न्यवर्तताथ त्वरितो जवेनाश्रममात्मनः ॥ १३ ॥
keeping the great soul on their left, and uttered terrible cries. Seeing those very terrible omens, Raghava then turned back swiftly, with speed, to his own hermitage.
ततो लक्ष्मणमायान्तं ददर्श विगतप्रभम् । ततोऽविदूरे रामेण समीयाय स लक्ष्मणः ॥ १४ ॥
Then he saw Lakshmana coming, his radiance gone. Then, not far off, that Lakshmana met Rama,
विषण्णः सन् विषण्णेन दुःखितो दुःखभागिना । स जगर्हेऽथ तं भ्राता दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मणमागतम् ॥ १५ ॥
dejected with the dejected, grieving with the sharer of grief. Then his brother, seeing Lakshmana come, rebuked him,
विहाय सीतां विजने वने राक्षससेविते । गृहीत्वा च करं सव्यं लक्ष्मणं रघुनन्दनः ॥ १६ ॥
for having left Sita in the lonely forest frequented by rakshasas. And taking Lakshmana’s left hand, the delight of the Raghus
उवाच मधुरोदर्कमिदं परुषमार्तवत् । अहो लक्ष्मण गर्ह्यं ते कृतं यत् त्वं विहाय ताम् ॥ १७ ॥
spoke these harsh words, as one in pain, though sweet in outcome: “Ah, Lakshmana, a blameworthy thing has been done by you, in that, leaving her,
सीतामिहागतः सौम्य कच्चित् स्वस्ति भवेदिति । न मेऽस्ति संशयो वीर सर्वथा जनकात्मजा ॥ १८ ॥
“Sita, you have come here, gentle one. May there be safety? I have no doubt, hero, that in every way Janaka’s daughter
विनष्टा भक्षिता वापि राक्षसैर्वनचारिभिः । अशुभान्येव भूयिष्ठं यथा प्रादुर्भवन्ति मे ॥ १९ ॥
“is lost, or eaten by the rakshasas roaming the forest; so many inauspicious things appear to me.
अपि लक्ष्मण सीतायाः सामग्र्यं प्राप्नुयामहे । जीवन्त्याः पुरुषव्याघ्र सुताया जनकस्य वै ॥ २० ॥
“Will we find Sita whole, Lakshmana, alive, tiger among men, the daughter of Janaka?
यथा वै मृगसंघाश्च गोमायुश्चैव भैरवम् । वाश्यन्ते शकुनाश्चापि प्रदीप्तामभितो दिशम् । अपि स्वस्ति भवेत् तस्या राजपुत्र्या महाबल ॥ २१ ॥
“From the way the herds of deer and the jackal howl fearfully, and the birds toward the blazing direction on every side, may there be safety for that princess, very mighty one?
इदं हि रक्षो मृगसंनिकाशं प्रलोभ्य मां दूरमनुप्रयातम् । हतं कथंचिन्महता श्रमेण स राक्षसोऽभून्म्रियमाण एव ॥ २२ ॥
“This rakshasa, like a deer, having tempted me, followed far, killed somehow with great effort, became that rakshasa as he was dying.
मनश्च मे दीनमिहाप्रहृष्टं चक्षुश्च सव्यं कुरुते विकारम् । असंशयं लक्ष्मण नास्ति सीता हृता मृता वा पथि वर्तते वा ॥ २३ ॥
“And my mind is downcast here and joyless, and my left eye makes a twitch. Without doubt, Lakshmana, Sita is not there; she has been carried off, or is dead, or is on the road.”