Aranya Kanda · Sarga 71 of 76 · 34 verses
Kabandha’s Story
“Long ago, mighty-armed Rama, my form was of great strength and valour, inconceivable, famous in the three worlds, like the body of the sun, the moon and Shakra. Then, taking this great form that terrifies the world, I frightened the seers in the forest here and there, Rama. Then I angered a great seer named Sthulashiras; as he was gathering forest food of many kinds, he was assaulted by me in this form. Seeing me, he uttered a terrible curse: ‘Let this cruel, loathsome form be yours.’ When I begged him, angry as he was, for an end to the curse, he said: ‘When Rama cuts off your arms and burns you in the lonely forest, then you will regain your own great, auspicious form.’ Know me, Lakshmana, as a son of Danu, shining with beauty. This form came to me in battle through Indra’s anger. By fierce austerity I pleased the Grandfather, and he gave me long life; then confusion touched me: ‘I have won long life; what can Shakra do to me?’ With this thought I attacked Shakra in battle. With his hundred-jointed thunderbolt, hurled from his arm, my thighs and my head were driven into my body. Though I begged him, he did not send me to Yama’s abode: ‘Let the Grandfather’s word be true,’ he said. ‘How can I live a very long time without food, my thighs, head and mouth broken, struck by the thunderbolt?’ At this, Shakra made my arms a yojana long and made a sharp-fanged mouth in my belly. So, gathering forest creatures with these long arms, I eat lions, leopards, deer and tigers on every side. Indra told me: ‘When Rama with Lakshmana cuts off your arms in battle, then you will go to heaven.’ With this body, dear one, best of kings, in this forest, whatever I see, I like to seize all of it, thinking Rama would surely come into my grasp. With this thought, I have been struggling to lay down this body. You are that Rama, bless you; I could not be killed by anyone else, Raghava, as the great seer truly said. I will help you with counsel, bull among men, and point out a friend to you both, once I have been purified by fire.”
Spoken to so by that son of Danu, righteous Raghava says, as Lakshmana watches: “My glorious wife Sita has been carried off by Ravana while I had gone out from Janasthana with my brother. I know only the rakshasa’s name, not his form; we do not know his dwelling or his power. To us, grief-stricken, without protection, running about like this, you should show fitting compassion by helping us. Bringing wood broken and dried in time by elephants, we will burn you, hero, in a great pit we make. Tell us of Sita, by whom she was carried off or where; do us this great good, if you truly know.” Spoken to so by Rama, the son of Danu, a skilled speaker, says to Raghava, himself skilled in speech, these unsurpassed words: “I have no divine knowledge; I do not know Maithili. Burned, and having taken my own form, I will tell you of one who will tell you of her, who knows that rakshasa, Rama. Until I am burned I have no power to know, lord, the mighty rakshasa who took your Sita. My great knowledge has been lost through the fault of the curse, Raghava; by my own deeds I came to this form, condemned by the world. But before the sun, its horses tired, has set, throw me into the pit and burn me by rule, Rama. When I have been properly burned by you in the pit, delight of the Raghus, I will tell you, great hero, of the one who will know that rakshasa. You must make friendship with him, who acts justly, Raghava; he will give you help, hero of swift valour. Nothing in the three worlds is unknown to him, Raghava; once, for a certain reason, he went round all the worlds.”
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पुरा राम महाबाहो महाबलपराक्रमम् । रूपमासीन्ममाचिन्त्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् ॥ १ ॥
“Long ago, mighty-armed Rama, my form was of great strength and valour, inconceivable, famed in the three worlds,
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Kabandha’s Story 1 min read.
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यथा सूर्यस्य सोमस्य शक्रस्य च यथा वपुः । सोऽहं रूपमिदं कृत्वा लोकवित्रासनं महत् ॥ २ ॥
“as is the body of the sun, of the moon and of Shakra. Then, having made this great form that terrifies the world,
ऋषीन् वनगतान् राम त्रासयामि ततस्ततः । ततः स्थूलशिरा नाम महर्षिः कोपितो मया ॥ ३ ॥
“I frightened the seers gone to the forest, Rama, here and there. Then a great seer named Sthulashiras was angered by me.
स चिन्वन् विविधं वन्यं रूपेणानेन धर्षितः । तेनाहमुक्तः प्रेक्ष्यैवं घोरशापाभिधायिना ॥ ४ ॥
“Gathering forest food of many kinds, he was assaulted by me in this form. Seeing me so, he, pronouncing a terrible curse, said to me:
एतदेवं नृशंसं ते रूपमस्तु विगर्हितम् । स मया याचितः क्रुद्धः शापस्यान्तो भवेदिति ॥ ५ ॥
“’Let this cruel, condemned form be yours just so.’ He, angry, was begged by me: ‘Let there be an end to the curse.’
अभिशापकृतस्येति तेनेदं भाषितं वचः । यदा छित्त्वा भुजौ रामस्त्वां दहेद् विजने वने ॥ ६ ॥
तदा त्वं प्राप्स्यसे रूपं स्वमेव विपुलं शुभम् । श्रिया विराजितं पुत्रं दनोस्त्वं विद्धि लक्ष्मण ॥ ७ ॥
“These words were spoken by him concerning what the curse had done: ‘When Rama, having cut off your arms, burns you in the lonely forest, then you will regain your own form, vast and auspicious.’ Know me, Lakshmana, as a son of Danu, shining with beauty.
इन्द्रकोपादिदं रूपं प्राप्तमेवं रणाजिरे । अहं हि तपसोग्रेण पितामहमतोषयम् ॥ ८ ॥
“This form was gained in battle through Indra’s anger, so. For I pleased the Grandfather with fierce austerity.
दीर्घमायुः स मे प्रादात् ततो मां विभ्रमोऽस्पृशत् । दीर्घमायुर्मया प्राप्तं किं मां शक्रः करिष्यति ॥ ९ ॥
“He gave me long life; then confusion touched me: ‘Long life has been won by me; what will Shakra do to me?’
इत्येवं बुद्धिमास्थाय रणे शक्रमधर्षयम् । तस्य बाहुप्रमुक्तेन वज्रेण शतपर्वणा ॥ १० ॥
“Taking up this thought, I attacked Shakra in battle. By the hundred-jointed thunderbolt released from his arm,
सक्थिनी च शिरश्चैव शरीरे सम्प्रवेशितम् । स मया याच्यमानः सन् नानयद् यमसादनम् ॥ ११ ॥
“my thighs and head were driven into my body. Though I begged him, he did not lead me to Yama’s abode.
पितामहवचः सत्यं तदस्त्विति ममाब्रवीत् । अनाहारः कथं शक्तो भग्नसक्थिशिरोमुखः ॥ १२ ॥
“’Let the Grandfather’s word be true,’ he said to me. ‘Without food, how can I, my thighs, head and mouth broken,
वज्रेणाभिहतः कालं सुदीर्घमपि जीवितुम् । स एवमुक्तः शक्रो मे बाहू योजनमायतौ ॥ १३ ॥
“’struck by the thunderbolt, be able to live even a very long time?’ Spoken to so by me, Shakra made my arms a yojana long,
तदा चास्यं च मे कुक्षौ तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रमकल्पयत् । सोऽहं भुजाभ्यां दीर्घाभ्यां संक्षिप्यास्मिन् वनेचरान् ॥ १४ ॥
“and then made a sharp-fanged mouth in my belly. So I, gathering forest creatures in this place with my long arms,
सिंहद्वीपिमृगव्याघ्रान् भक्षयामि समन्ततः । स तु मामब्रवीदिन्द्रो यदा रामः सलक्ष्मणः ॥ १५ ॥
“eat lions, leopards, deer and tigers on every side. But Indra said to me: ‘When Rama with Lakshmana
छेत्स्यते समरे बाहू तदा स्वर्गं गमिष्यसि । अनेन वपुषा तात वनेऽस्मिन् राजसत्तम ॥ १६ ॥
“’cuts off your arms in battle, then you will go to heaven.’ With this body, dear one, in this forest, best of kings,
यद् यत् पश्यामि सर्वस्य ग्रहणं साधु रोचये । अवश्यं ग्रहणं रामो मन्येऽहं समुपैष्यति ॥ १७ ॥
“whatever I see, I like the seizing of it all well. I thought Rama would surely come into my grasp.
इमां बुद्धिं पुरस्कृत्य देहन्यासकृतश्रमः । स त्वं रामोऽसि भद्रं ते नाहमन्येन राघव ॥ १८ ॥
“Setting this thought before me, I have toiled at laying down my body. You are that Rama, bless you; I by no other, Raghava,
शक्यो हन्तुं यथा तत्त्वमेवमुक्तं महर्षिणा । अहं हि मतिसाचिव्यं करिष्यामि नरर्षभ ॥ १९ ॥
“could be killed, as was truly said by the great seer. For I will give you the help of counsel, bull among men,
मित्रं चैवोपदेक्ष्यामि युवाभ्यां संस्कृतोऽग्निना । एवमुक्तस्तु धर्मात्मा दनुना तेन राघवः ॥ २० ॥
“and point out a friend to you both, purified by fire.” Spoken to so by that son of Danu, righteous Raghava
इदं जगाद वचनं लक्ष्मणस्य च पश्यतः । रावणेन हृता भार्या सीता मम यशस्विनी ॥ २१ ॥
said these words, as Lakshmana looked on: “My glorious wife Sita has been carried off by Ravana,
निष्क्रान्तस्य जनस्थानात् सह भ्रात्रा यथासुखम् । नाममात्रं तु जानामि न रूपं तस्य रक्षसः ॥ २२ ॥
“while I had gone out from Janasthana at ease with my brother. I know only the name of that rakshasa, not his form.
निवासं वा प्रभावं वा वयं तस्य न विद्महे । शोकार्तानामनाथानामेवं विपरिधावताम् ॥ २३ ॥
“His dwelling or his power we do not know. To us, stricken with grief, without protection, running about like this,
कारुण्यं सदृशं कर्तुमुपकारेण वर्तताम् । काष्ठान्यानीय भग्नानि काले शुष्काणि कुञ्जरैः ॥ २४ ॥
“let you act with fitting compassion by helping. Bringing pieces of wood broken in time and dried by elephants,
धक्ष्यामस्त्वां वयं वीर श्वभ्रे महति कल्पिते । स त्वं सीतां समाचक्ष्व येन वा यत्र वा हृता ॥ २५ ॥
“we will burn you, hero, in a great pit made ready. So tell us of Sita, by whom or where she was carried off.
कुरु कल्याणमत्यर्थं यदि जानासि तत्त्वतः । एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण वाक्यं दनुरनुत्तमम् ॥ २६ ॥
“Do us great good, if you know truly.” Spoken to so by Rama, the son of Danu, skilled speaker, said unsurpassed words
प्रोवाच कुशलो वक्ता वक्तारमपि राघवम् । दिव्यमस्ति न मे ज्ञानं नाभिजानामि मैथिलीम् ॥ २७ ॥
to Raghava, himself a speaker: “I have no divine knowledge; I do not know Maithili.
यस्तां वक्ष्यति तं वक्ष्ये दग्धः स्वं रूपमास्थितः । योऽभिजानाति तद्रक्षस्तद् वक्ष्ये राम तत्परम् ॥ २८ ॥
“Burned, having taken my own form, I will tell you of him who will tell of her, who knows that rakshasa; that I will tell you then, Rama.
अदग्धस्य हि विज्ञातुं शक्तिरस्ति न मे प्रभो । राक्षसं तु महावीर्यं सीता येन हृता तव ॥ २९ ॥
“For until I am burned I have no power to know, lord, the very mighty rakshasa by whom your Sita was carried off.
विज्ञानं हि महद् भ्रष्टं शापदोषेण राघव । स्वकृतेन मया प्राप्तं रूपं लोकविगर्हितम् ॥ ३० ॥
“For my great knowledge has been lost through the fault of the curse, Raghava. By my own deeds this form, condemned by the world, was gained.
किं तु यावन्न यात्यस्तं सविता श्रान्तवाहनः । तावन्मामवटे क्षिप्त्वा दह राम यथाविधि ॥ ३१ ॥
“But before the sun, its horses tired, goes to setting, throw me into the pit and burn me according to rule, Rama.
दग्धस्त्वयाहमवटे न्यायेन रघुनन्दन । वक्ष्यामि तं महावीर यस्तं वेत्स्यति राक्षसम् ॥ ३२ ॥
“Burned properly by you in the pit, delight of the Raghus, I will tell you, great hero, of him who will know that rakshasa.
तेन सख्यं च कर्तव्यं न्याय्यवृत्तेन राघव । कल्पयिष्यति ते वीर साहाय्यं लघुविक्रम ॥ ३३ ॥
“And friendship must be made with him, of just conduct, Raghava. He will provide you help, hero of swift valour.
नहि तस्यास्त्यविज्ञातं त्रिषु लोकेषु राघव । सर्वान् परिवृतो लोकान् पुरा वै कारणान्तरे ॥ ३४ ॥
“For there is nothing in the three worlds unknown to him, Raghava. Long ago, for a certain reason, he went round all the worlds.”