Aranya Kanda · Sarga 6 of 76 · 26 verses
The Sages Ask for Protection
When Sharabhanga has gone to heaven, the companies of sages gather and come to Kakutstha Rama of blazing splendour: Vaikhanasas, Valakhilyas, Samprakshalas, Marichipas, many Ashmakuttas and leaf-eating ascetics, those who use their teeth as mortars, those who bathe constantly, those who use their bodies as beds and those who have no beds, those who never rest, sages living on water, others on air, those who live under the open sky and those who sleep on bare ground, those who live on high places, self-controlled, those who wear wet garments, those devoted to prayer and austerity, those who practise the five fires. All, endowed with the splendour of brahman, firm in yoga, come to Rama at Sharabhanga’s hermitage. The companies of seers say to Rama, best of those who uphold dharma: “You are the great chariot-warrior and lord of the Ikshvaku family and of the earth, as Maghavan is of the gods, famed in the three worlds for glory and valour. Devotion to your father, truth and abundant dharma are in you. Having come to you, great soul, knower and lover of dharma, we will speak as petitioners, lord; please forgive us. Great adharma falls on a king who takes a sixth of the produce as tax and does not protect his people like sons. One who protects all who live in his realm, always attentive, as he would his own life or his dear sons, gains eternal fame for many years, Rama, and is honoured in Brahma’s world. Of the supreme dharma practised by a sage living on roots and fruit, a quarter belongs to the king who protects his subjects by dharma. This great company of forest-dwellers, mostly brahmanas, though you are their protector, is being killed by rakshasas as if it had none. Come and see the bodies of the sages of perfected self, killed in many ways by terrible rakshasas in the forest. Great slaughter is being done among those who live by the Pampa river, along the Mandakini, and on Chitrakuta. We cannot bear this terrible harm done to ascetics in the forest by rakshasas of dreadful deeds. So we have come to you for refuge, you who are a refuge. Protect us, Rama, being killed by night-rangers. There is no higher refuge than you on earth, hero. Protect us all from the rakshasas, prince.”
Hearing this from the ascetics, righteous Kakutstha says to all of them: “You should not speak to me so; I am at the command of ascetics. I have to enter the forest only for my own purpose, carrying out my father’s command, and to remove this harm done to you by the rakshasas. I have come by chance, to accomplish your purpose; this forest life of mine will bear great fruit. I wish to kill in battle the rakshasas, enemies of the ascetics. Let the seers rich in austerity see the valour of me and my brother.” Having given this promise to the ascetics, firm in dharma, the hero, with Lakshmana, honoured by the ascetics, goes to Sutikshna.
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शरभङ्गे दिवं प्राप्ते मुनिसङ्घाः समागताः । अभ्यगच्छन्त काकुत्स्थं रामं ज्वलिततेजसम् ॥ १ ॥
When Sharabhanga had reached heaven, the companies of sages gathered and came to Kakutstha Rama of blazing splendour:
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वैखानसा वालखिल्याः सम्प्रक्षाला मरीचिपाः । अश्मकुट्टाश्च बहवः पत्राहाराश्च तापसाः ॥ २ ॥
Vaikhanasas, Valakhilyas, Samprakshalas, Marichipas, many Ashmakuttas, and leaf-eating ascetics,
दन्तोलूखलिनश्चैव तथैवोन्मज्जकाः परे । गात्रशय्या अशय्याश्च तथैवानवकाशिकाः ॥ ३ ॥
those who use their teeth as mortars, and others who bathe constantly, those who lie on their own bodies and those without beds, and those who never take rest,
मुनयः सलिलाहारा वायुभक्षास्तथापरे । आकाशनिलयाश्चैव तथा स्थण्डिलशायिनः ॥ ४ ॥
sages who live on water, and others who eat air, and those who live under the open sky, and those who sleep on bare ground,
तथोर्ध्ववासिनो दान्तास्तथाऽऽर्द्रपटवाससः । सजपाश्च तपोनिष्ठास्तथा पञ्चतपोऽन्विताः ॥ ५ ॥
and those who live in high places, self-controlled, and those who wear wet garments, those given to prayer and devoted to austerity, and those practising the five fires:
सर्वे ब्राह्म्या श्रिया युक्ता दृढयोगसमाहिताः । शरभङ्गाश्रमे राममभिजग्मुश्च तापसाः ॥ ६ ॥
all endowed with the splendour of brahman, composed in firm yoga, the ascetics came to Rama at Sharabhanga’s hermitage.
अभिगम्य च धर्मज्ञा रामं धर्मभृतां वरम् । ऊचुः परमधर्मज्ञमृषिसङ्घाः समागताः ॥ ७ ॥
Coming to Rama, best of those who uphold dharma, the gathered companies of seers, knowing dharma, said to him, the supreme knower of dharma:
त्वमिक्ष्वाकुकुलस्यास्य पृथिव्याश्च महारथः । प्रधानश्चापि नाथश्च देवानां मघवानिव ॥ ८ ॥
“You are the great chariot-warrior of this Ikshvaku family and of the earth, its chief and its protector, as Maghavan is of the gods,
विश्रुतस्त्रिषु लोकेषु यशसा विक्रमेण च । पितृव्रतत्वं सत्यं च त्वयि धर्मश्च पुष्कलः ॥ ९ ॥
“famed in the three worlds for glory and valour. Devotion to your father, truth and abundant dharma are in you.
त्वामासाद्य महात्मानं धर्मज्ञं धर्मवत्सलम् । अर्थित्वान्नाथ वक्ष्यामस्तच्च नः क्षन्तुमर्हसि ॥ १० ॥
“Having come to you, a great soul, knowing dharma, loving dharma, we will speak out of need, lord; and you should forgive us.
अधर्मः सुमहान् नाथ भवेत् तस्य तु भूपतेः । यो हरेद् बलिषड्भागं न च रक्षति पुत्रवत् ॥ ११ ॥
“Very great adharma would belong to the lord of the earth, lord, who takes the sixth part as tax and does not protect like sons.
युञ्जानः स्वानिव प्राणान् प्राणैरिष्टान् सुतानिव । नित्ययुक्तः सदा रक्षन् सर्वान् विषयवासिनः ॥ १२ ॥
प्राप्नोति शाश्वतीं राम कीर्तिं स बहुवार्षिकीम् । ब्रह्मणः स्थानमासाद्य तत्र चापि महीयते ॥ १३ ॥
“He who, attentive as with his own life, as with dear sons, always devoted, constantly protects all who live in his realm, gains eternal fame, Rama, for many years; having reached Brahma’s place, he is honoured there too.
यत् करोति परं धर्मं मुनिर्मूलफलाशनः । तत्र राज्ञश्चतुर्भागः प्रजा धर्मेण रक्षतः ॥ १४ ॥
“Of the supreme dharma that a sage living on roots and fruits performs, a fourth part belongs to the king who protects his subjects by dharma.
सोऽयं ब्राह्मणभूयिष्ठो वानप्रस्थगणो महान् । त्वन्नाथोऽनाथवद् राम राक्षसैर्हन्यते भृशम् ॥ १५ ॥
“This great company of forest-dwellers, mostly brahmanas, with you as protector, Rama, is being badly killed by rakshasas as if without a protector.
एहि पश्य शरीराणि मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम् । हतानां राक्षसैर्घोरैर्बहूनां बहुधा वने ॥ १६ ॥
“Come and see the bodies of many sages of perfected self, killed in many ways by terrible rakshasas in the forest.
पम्पानदीनिवासानामनुमन्दाकिनीमपि । चित्रकूटालयानां च क्रियते कदनं महत् ॥ १७ ॥
“Great slaughter is being done of those who live by the river Pampa, and along the Mandakini, and of those dwelling on Chitrakuta.
एवं वयं न मृष्यामो विप्रकारं तपस्विनाम् । क्रियमाणं वने घोरं रक्षोभिर्भीमकर्मभिः ॥ १८ ॥
“So we cannot bear the terrible harm being done to ascetics in the forest by rakshasas of dreadful deeds.
ततस्त्वां शरणार्थं च शरण्यं समुपस्थिताः । परिपालय नो राम वध्यमानान् निशाचरैः ॥ १९ ॥
“Therefore, for refuge, we have come to you who are a refuge. Protect us, Rama, who are being killed by night-rangers.
परा त्वत्तो गतिर्वीर पृथिव्यां नोपपद्यते । परिपालय नः सर्वान् राक्षसेभ्यो नृपात्मज ॥ २० ॥
“No higher refuge than you is found on earth, hero. Protect us all from the rakshasas, prince.”
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु काकुत्स्थस्तापसानां तपस्विनाम् । इदं प्रोवाच धर्मात्मा सर्वानेव तपस्विनः ॥ २१ ॥
Hearing this from the ascetics rich in austerity, righteous Kakutstha said this to all those ascetics:
नैवमर्हथ मां वक्तुमाज्ञाप्योऽहं तपस्विनाम् । केवलेन स्वकार्येण प्रवेष्टव्यं वनं मया ॥ २२ ॥
“You should not speak to me so; I am to be commanded by ascetics. I must enter the forest only for my own purpose.
विप्रकारमपाक्रष्टुं राक्षसैर्भवतामिमम् । पितुस्तु निर्देशकरः प्रविष्टोऽहमिदं वनम् ॥ २३ ॥
“To remove this harm done to you by the rakshasas, and carrying out my father’s command, I have entered this forest.
भवतामर्थसिद्ध्यर्थमागतोऽहं यदृच्छया । तस्य मेऽयं वने वासो भविष्यति महाफलः ॥ २४ ॥
“I have come by chance for the accomplishment of your purpose; this forest life of mine will be of great fruit.
तपस्विनां रणे शत्रून् हन्तुमिच्छामि राक्षसान् । पश्यन्तु वीर्यमृषयः सभ्रातुर्मे तपोधनाः ॥ २५ ॥
“I wish to kill the rakshasas, enemies of the ascetics, in battle. Let the seers rich in austerity see the valour of me and my brother.”
दत्त्वा वरं चापि तपोधनानां धर्मे धृतात्मा सह लक्ष्मणेन । तपोधनैश्चापि सहार्यदत्तः सुतीक्ष्णमेवाभिजगाम वीरः ॥ २६ ॥
Having given a promise to those rich in austerity, firm in dharma, together with Lakshmana, honoured by the ascetics too, the hero went to Sutikshna.