Aranya Kanda · Sarga 74 of 76 · 35 verses
Shabari
Taking the way to the Pampa shown by Kabandha in the forest, the two sons of the best of men set out westward. Looking at the many trees with honey, flowers and fruit covering the mountains, Rama and Lakshmana go to see Sugriva. Having spent a night on a mountain ridge, the two Raghavas reach the western shore of the Pampa. Coming to the western shore of the lotus lake Pampa, they see there Shabari’s lovely hermitage. Coming to that very lovely hermitage, surrounded by many trees, looking at it, they go up to Shabari. Seeing them, the perfected woman rises with joined palms and clasps the feet of Rama and of wise Lakshmana. She gives them water for the feet and water to sip, everything according to rule. Then Rama says to the ascetic woman, firm in dharma: “Have you conquered all obstacles? Does your austerity grow? Have you controlled your anger and your diet, rich in austerity? Have you kept your vows? Is your mind at ease? Has your service to your teachers borne fruit, sweet-spoken one?” Asked by Rama, the old ascetic Shabari, perfected, honoured by the perfected, standing before Rama, answers: “Today, by the sight of you, I have attained the perfection of austerity. Today my birth has borne fruit and my teachers are well honoured. Today my austerity has borne fruit, and heaven too will be mine, now that you, best of gods, have been honoured, Rama, bull among men. Purified by your gentle eye, gentle one, giver of honour, I will go to the imperishable worlds by your grace, tamer of foes. When you reached Chitrakuta, those I served rose from here to heaven in celestial chariots of matchless splendour. Those righteous, fortunate great seers told me: ‘Rama will come to this very holy hermitage of yours. You must receive him as a guest, with Saumitri; and having seen him, you will go to the best, imperishable worlds.’ So I was told by those fortunate ones then, bull among men. And I have gathered for you, tiger among men, forest food of many kinds that grows on the shore of the Pampa.”
Told this by Shabari, righteous Raghava says to Shabari, who was never excluded from knowledge: “I have heard truly from Danu’s son of the power of those great souls. If you think it fit, I want to see it with my own eyes.” Hearing these words from Rama’s mouth, Shabari shows the two that great forest: “See, like a mass of clouds, full of beasts and birds, the forest famous as Matanga’s forest, delight of the Raghus. Here my teachers, of perfected self, of great splendour, made their offerings at the sacred place with mantras, honoured with mantras. This is the western altar, where those I honoured offered flowers with hands trembling from fatigue. By the power of their austerity, best of the Raghus, see how the altar still today lights up all the directions with beauty of matchless radiance. When they could no longer go, weary from fasting, see: the seven oceans came together here at their thought. The bark garments they hung on the trees here after bathing have still not dried in this place, delight of the Raghus. The flowers and water-lilies with which they performed rites for the gods do not fade. You have seen this whole forest and heard what was to be heard. So now, with your leave, I wish to give up this body. I wish to go to the side of those sages of perfected self, whose hermitage this is and whose servant I was.” Hearing these most righteous words, Raghava with Lakshmana feels incomparable joy and says, “A wonder!” Rama says to Shabari of strict vows: “You have honoured me, good lady; go as you wish, at your ease.” Told so, with matted hair, wearing rags and black deerskin, given leave by Rama, she offers herself into the fire and, like a blazing fire, goes to heaven. Wearing divine ornaments, divine garlands and ointments, divine clothes, she becomes lovely to see there, lighting up that place like a flash of lightning. To that holy place where those great seers of perfected self delight, Shabari goes by her own concentration.
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तौ कबन्धेन तं मार्गं पम्पाया दर्शितं वने । आतस्थतुर्दिशं गृह्य प्रतीचीं नृवरात्मजौ ॥ १ ॥
Taking the path to the Pampa shown by Kabandha in the forest, the two sons of the best of men set out, keeping to the western direction.
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तौ शैलेष्वाचितानेकान् क्षौद्रपुष्पफलद्रुमान् । वीक्षन्तौ जग्मतुर्द्रष्टुं सुग्रीवं रामलक्ष्मणौ ॥ २ ॥
Looking at the many trees with honey, flowers and fruit heaped on the mountains, Rama and Lakshmana went to see Sugriva.
कृत्वा तु शैलपृष्ठे तु तौ वासं रघुनन्दनौ । पम्पायाः पश्चिमं तीरं राघवावुपतस्थतुः ॥ ३ ॥
Having made their dwelling on a mountain ridge, the two delights of the Raghus, the two Raghavas, reached the western shore of the Pampa.
तौ पुष्करिण्याः पम्पायास्तीरमासाद्य पश्चिमम् । अपश्यतां ततस्तत्र शबर्या रम्यमाश्रमम् ॥ ४ ॥
Having come to the western shore of the lotus lake Pampa, the two then saw there Shabari’s lovely hermitage.
तौ तमाश्रममासाद्य द्रुमैर्बहुभिरावृतम् । सुरम्यमभिवीक्षन्तौ शबरीमभ्युपेयतुः ॥ ५ ॥
Having come to that hermitage, surrounded by many trees, looking at it, very lovely, they approached Shabari.
तौ दृष्ट्वा तु तदा सिद्धा समुत्थाय कृताञ्जलिः । पादौ जग्राह रामस्य लक्ष्मणस्य च धीमतः ॥ ६ ॥
Seeing them, the perfected woman then rose with joined palms and clasped the feet of Rama and of wise Lakshmana.
पाद्यमाचमनीयं च सर्वं प्रादाद् यथाविधि । तामुवाच ततो रामः श्रमणीं धर्मसंस्थिताम् ॥ ७ ॥
She gave water for the feet and water for sipping, everything according to rule. Then Rama said to that ascetic woman, established in dharma:
कच्चित्ते निर्जिता विघ्नाः कच्चित्ते वर्धते तपः । कच्चित्ते नियतः कोप आहारश्च तपोधने ॥ ८ ॥
“Have your obstacles been conquered? Does your austerity grow? Has your anger been restrained, and your diet, rich in austerity?
कच्चित्ते नियमाः प्राप्ताः कच्चित्ते मनसः सुखम् । कच्चित्ते गुरुशुश्रूषा सफला चारुभाषिणि ॥ ९ ॥
“Have your vows been attained? Is there ease of mind for you? Has your service to your teachers been fruitful, lovely-spoken one?”
रामेण तापसी पृष्टा सा सिद्धा सिद्धसम्मता । शशंस शबरी वृद्धा रामाय प्रत्यवस्थिता ॥ १० ॥
Asked by Rama, that ascetic woman, perfected, honoured by the perfected, old Shabari, standing before him, told Rama:
अद्य प्राप्ता तपःसिद्धिस्तव संदर्शनान्मया । अद्य मे सफलं जन्म गुरवश्च सुपूजिताः ॥ ११ ॥
“Today the perfection of austerity has been attained by me through the sight of you. Today my birth is fruitful, and my teachers are well honoured.
अद्य मे सफलं तप्तं स्वर्गश्चैव भविष्यति । त्वयि देववरे राम पूजिते पुरुषर्षभ ॥ १२ ॥
“Today my austerity is fruitful, and heaven too will be mine, now that you, best of gods, Rama, bull among men, have been honoured.
तवाहं चक्षुषा सौम्य पूता सौम्येन मानद । गमिष्याम्यक्षयांल्लोकांस्त्वत्प्रसादादरिंदम ॥ १३ ॥
“Purified by your gentle eye, gentle one, giver of honour, I will go to the imperishable worlds by your grace, tamer of foes.
चित्रकूटं त्वयि प्राप्ते विमानैरतुलप्रभैः । इतस्ते दिवमारूढा यानहं पर्यचारिषम् ॥ १४ ॥
“When you reached Chitrakuta, those whom I served rose from here to heaven in celestial chariots of incomparable splendour.
तैश्चाहमुक्ता धर्मज्ञैर्महाभागैर्महर्षिभिः । आगमिष्यति ते रामः सुपुण्यमिममाश्रमम् ॥ १५ ॥
“And I was told by those righteous, fortunate great seers: ‘Rama will come to this very holy hermitage of yours.
स ते प्रतिग्रहीतव्यः सौमित्रिसहितोऽतिथिः । तं च दृष्ट्वा वरांल्लोकानक्षयांस्त्वं गमिष्यसि ॥ १६ ॥
“’He, with Saumitri, is to be received by you as a guest; and having seen him, you will go to the best imperishable worlds.’
एवमुक्ता महाभागैस्तदाहं पुरुषर्षभ । मया तु संचितं वन्यं विविधं पुरुषर्षभ ॥ १७ ॥
“So I was told then by those fortunate ones, bull among men. And forest food of many kinds has been gathered by me, bull among men,
तवार्थे पुरुषव्याघ्र पम्पायास्तीरसम्भवम् । एवमुक्तः स धर्मात्मा शबर्या शबरीमिदम् ॥ १८ ॥
“for your sake, tiger among men, grown on the shore of the Pampa.” Spoken to so by Shabari, the righteous one said this to Shabari,
राघवः प्राह विज्ञाने तां नित्यमबहिष्कृताम् । दनोः सकाशात् तत्त्वेन प्रभावं ते महात्मनाम् ॥ १९ ॥
Raghava, to her who was never excluded from knowledge: “The power of those great souls has been heard truly from the presence of Danu’s son.
श्रुतं प्रत्यक्षमिच्छामि संद्रष्टुं यदि मन्यसे । एतत्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा रामवक्त्रविनिःसृतम् ॥ २० ॥
“I wish to see it with my own eyes, if you think fit.” Hearing these words that came from Rama’s mouth,
शबरी दर्शयामास तावुभौ तद्वनं महत् । पश्य मेघघनप्रख्यं मृगपक्षिसमाकुलम् ॥ २१ ॥
Shabari showed those two that great forest: “See, like a mass of clouds, crowded with beasts and birds,
मतङ्गवनमित्येव विश्रुतं रघुनन्दन । इह ते भावितात्मानो गुरवो मे महाद्युते । जुहवांचक्रिरे नीडं मन्त्रवन्मन्त्रपूजितम् ॥ २२ ॥
“famed as Matanga’s forest, delight of the Raghus. Here my teachers of perfected self, of great radiance, made offerings at the nest, with mantras, honoured with mantras.
इयं प्रत्यक्स्थली वेदी यत्र ते मे सुसत्कृताः । पुष्पोपहारं कुर्वन्ति श्रमादुद्वेपिभिः करैः ॥ २३ ॥
“This is the western altar, where those well honoured by me make offerings of flowers with hands trembling from fatigue.
तेषां तपःप्रभावेण पश्याद्यापि रघूत्तम । द्योतयन्ती दिशः सर्वाः श्रिया वेद्यतुलप्रभा ॥ २४ ॥
“By the power of their austerity, best of the Raghus, see even today the altar of matchless radiance lighting up all the directions with beauty.
अशक्नुवद्भिस्तैर्गन्तुमुपवासश्रमालसैः । चिन्तितेनागतान् पश्य समेतान् सप्त सागरान् ॥ २५ ॥
“When they, sluggish from the weariness of fasting, could not go, see: the seven oceans came here together at their thought.
कृताभिषेकैस्तैर्न्यस्ता वल्कलाः पादपेष्विह । अद्यापि न विशुष्यन्ति प्रदेशे रघुनन्दन ॥ २६ ॥
“The bark garments put on the trees here by them after bathing do not dry even today in this place, delight of the Raghus.
देवकार्याणि कुर्वद्भिर्यानीमानि कृतानि वै । पुष्पैः कुवलयैः सार्धं म्लानत्वं न तु यान्ति वै ॥ २७ ॥
“Those things made by them as they did the work of the gods, with flowers and water-lilies, do not go to fading.
कृत्स्नं वनमिदं दृष्टं श्रोतव्यं च श्रुतं त्वया । तद् इच्छाम्य् अभ्यनुज्ञाता त्यक्ष्याम्य् एतत् कलेवरम् ॥ २८ ॥
“This whole forest has been seen, and what was to be heard has been heard by you. So, given leave, I wish to give up this body.
तेषामिच्छाम्यहं गन्तुं समीपं भावितात्मनाम् । मुनीनामाश्रमो येषामहं च परिचारिणी ॥ २९ ॥
“I wish to go to the side of those sages of perfected self, whose hermitage this is, and whose servant I am.”
धर्मिष्ठं तु वचः श्रुत्वा राघवः सहलक्ष्मणः । प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे आश्चर्यमिति चाब्रवीत् ॥ ३० ॥
Hearing these most righteous words, Raghava with Lakshmana felt incomparable joy and said, “A wonder!”
तामुवाच ततो रामः शबरीं संशितव्रताम् । अर्चितोऽहं त्वया भद्रे गच्छ कामं यथासुखम् ॥ ३१ ॥
Then Rama said to that Shabari of strict vows: “I have been honoured by you, good lady; go as you wish, at your ease.”
इत्येवमुक्ता जटिला चीरकृष्णाजिनाम्बरा । अनुज्ञाता तु रामेण हुत्वाऽऽत्मानं हुताशने ॥ ३२ ॥
Spoken to so, with matted hair, wearing rags and black deerskin, given leave by Rama, having offered herself into the fire,
ज्वलत्पावकसंकाशा स्वर्गमेव जगाम ह । दिव्याभरणसंयुक्ता दिव्यमाल्यानुलेपना ॥ ३३ ॥
like a blazing fire, she went to heaven itself. Joined with divine ornaments, with divine garlands and ointments,
दिव्याम्बरधरा तत्र बभूव प्रियदर्शना । विराजयन्ती तं देशं विद्युत्सौदामनी यथा ॥ ३४ ॥
wearing divine clothes, she became lovely to see there, lighting up that place like a flash of lightning.
यत्र ते सुकृतात्मानो विहरन्ति महर्षयः । तत् पुण्यं शबरी स्थानं जगामात्मसमाधिना ॥ ३५ ॥
To that holy place where those great seers of good deeds delight, Shabari went by her own concentration.