Aranya Kanda · Sarga 75 of 76 · 30 verses
Rama at the Pampa
When Shabari has gone to heaven by her own radiance, Raghava, with his brother Lakshmana, reflects. Having thought about the power of those great souls, righteous Raghava says to Lakshmana, attentive and devoted to his good: “I have seen the hermitage of those perfected souls, gentle one, full of wonders, where deer and tigers trust one another, frequented by many kinds of birds. And at the bathing places of the seven oceans, Lakshmana, I have bathed by rule and satisfied the ancestors. Whatever was inauspicious for us has vanished, and good fortune has come; so my mind is glad now, Lakshmana. Something good will appear in my heart, tiger among men. Come, let us go to that lovely Pampa, where, not far off, Mount Rishyamuka shines, on which righteous Sugriva, son of the radiant sun, lives with four monkeys, always terrified of Valin. I am in a hurry to see Sugriva, the bull among monkeys; for my work of searching for Sita depends on him.” As the hero speaks so, Saumitri says: “Let us go quickly; my mind too is in a hurry.” Leaving that hermitage, the lord of the people goes with Lakshmana to the Pampa, looking on every side at the great trees full of flowers. That great forest echoes with koyashti birds, arjunakas, shatapatras and kirakas, and many others. Looking at many kinds of trees and lakes, Rama, burning with love, goes to the supreme lake. Reaching from afar that bearer of water, he plunges into the lake named Matanga’s Lake. The two Raghavas go there, calm and composed. But Rama, son of Dasharatha, filled with grief, enters the lovely lotus lake, covered with lotuses, bright with tilaka, ashoka, punnaga, bakula and uddalaka, crowded with lovely groves, its water pressed with lotuses, its water like crystal, spread with fine sand, crowded with fish and tortoises, adorned with trees on its banks, wound round with creepers as if by friends, frequented by kinnaras, serpents, gandharvas, yakshas and rakshasas, full of many trees and creepers, a lovely store of cool water: red with padma and saugandhika lotuses, white with circles of kumuda, blue with opening kuvalayas, many-coloured like a blanket, with aravinda and utpala, with padma and saugandhika, joined with groves of flowering mango, resounding with the cries of peacocks.
Seeing that Pampa with Saumitri, the splendid Rama, son of Dasharatha, laments. Adorned like a young woman with tilakas, citrons, banyans and white trees, with flowering karaviras and well-flowering punnagas, with clusters of malati and kunda, with bhandiras and nicula, with ashokas, saptaparnas, katakas and atimuktakas and many other trees: on its shore is the mountain mentioned before, adorned with minerals, famed as Rishyamuka, with trees in wonderful flower. The son of the great soul named Riksharajas, the monkey famed as Sugriva, very mighty, lives there. “Go to Sugriva, lord of the monkeys, bull among men,” Rama of true valour says again to Lakshmana. “How can I live without Sita, Lakshmana?” Having said this to Lakshmana, tormented by love, his mind on nothing else, he enters the lovely lotus lake Pampa, voicing that supreme grief. Going on step by step, looking at the forest, Rama sees the Pampa with its auspicious woods, crowded with birds of many kinds, and enters it with Lakshmana.
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दिवं तु तस्यां यातायां शबर्यां स्वेन तेजसा । लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा चिन्तयामास राघवः ॥ १ ॥
When that Shabari had gone to heaven by her own radiance, Raghava, with his brother Lakshmana, reflected.
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Rama at the Pampa 1 min read.
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चिन्तयित्वा तु धर्मात्मा प्रभावं तं महात्मनाम् । हितकारिणमेकाग्रं लक्ष्मणं राघवोऽब्रवीत् ॥ २ ॥
Having reflected on that power of the great souls, righteous Raghava said to Lakshmana, devoted to his good, single-minded:
दृष्टो मयाऽऽश्रमः सौम्य बह्वाश्चर्यः कृतात्मनाम् । विश्वस्तमृगशार्दूलो नानाविहगसेवितः ॥ ३ ॥
“I have seen the hermitage of those of perfected self, gentle one, full of wonders, with deer and tigers trusting, frequented by many kinds of birds.
सप्तानां च समुद्राणां तेषां तीर्थेषु लक्ष्मण । उपस्पृष्टं च विधिवत् पितरश्चापि तर्पिताः ॥ ४ ॥
“And at the bathing places of those seven oceans, Lakshmana, I have touched water according to rule, and the ancestors too have been satisfied.
प्रणष्टमशुभं यन्नः कल्याणं समुपस्थितम् । तेन त्वेतत् प्रहृष्टं मे मनो लक्ष्मण सम्प्रति ॥ ५ ॥
“Whatever was inauspicious for us has vanished; good fortune has come. By that this mind of mine is now glad, Lakshmana.
हृदये मे नरव्याघ्र शुभमाविर्भविष्यति । तदागच्छ गमिष्यावः पम्पां तां प्रियदर्शनाम् ॥ ६ ॥
“Something auspicious will appear in my heart, tiger among men. So come, let us go to that lovely-looking Pampa,
ऋष्यमूको गिरिर्यत्र नातिदूरे प्रकाशते । यस्मिन् वसति धर्मात्मा सुग्रीवोंऽशुमतः सुतः ॥ ७ ॥
“where, not far off, the mountain Rishyamuka shines, on which lives righteous Sugriva, son of the radiant one,
नित्यं वालिभयात् त्रस्तश्चतुर्भिः सह वानरैः । अहं त्वरे च तं द्रष्टुं सुग्रीवं वानरर्षभम् ॥ ८ ॥
“always terrified through fear of Valin, with four monkeys. And I am hurrying to see that Sugriva, bull among monkeys.
तदधीनं हि मे कार्यं सीतायाः परिमार्गणम् । इति ब्रुवाणं तं वीरं सौमित्रिरिदमब्रवीत् ॥ ९ ॥
“For my work, the searching for Sita, depends on him.” As that hero spoke so, Saumitri said this:
गच्छावस्त्वरितं तत्र ममापि त्वरते मनः । आश्रमात्तु ततस्तस्मान्निष्क्रम्य स विशाम्पतिः ॥ १० ॥
“Let us go quickly there; my mind too is hurrying.” Then, going out from that hermitage, that lord of the people,
आजगाम ततः पम्पां लक्ष्मणेन सह प्रभुः । समीक्षमाणः पुष्पाढ्यं सर्वतो विपुलद्रुमम् ॥ ११ ॥
the lord, came to the Pampa with Lakshmana, looking on every side at the great trees full of flowers.
कोयष्टिभिश्चार्जुनकैः शतपत्रैश्च कीरकैः । एतैश्चान्यैश्च बहुभिर्नादितं तद् वनं महत् ॥ १२ ॥
With koyashtis and arjunakas, shatapatras and kirakas, and with these and many others, that great forest was resounding.
स रामो विविधान् वृक्षान् सरांसि विविधानि च । पश्यन् कामाभिसंतप्तो जगाम परमं ह्रदम् ॥ १३ ॥
That Rama, looking at trees of many kinds and lakes of many kinds, burning with love, went to the supreme lake.
स तामासाद्य वै रामो दूरात् पानीयवाहिनीम् । मतङ्गसरसं नाम ह्रदं समवगाहत ॥ १४ ॥
That Rama, coming from afar to that bearer of water, plunged into the lake named Matanga’s Lake.
तत्र जग्मतुरव्यग्रौ राघवौ हि समाहितौ । स तु शोकसमाविष्टो रामो दशरथात्मजः ॥ १५ ॥
The two Raghavas went there, calm, composed. But that Rama, son of Dasharatha, filled with grief,
विवेश नलिनीं रम्यां पंकजैश्च समावृताम् । तिलकाशोकपुंनागबकुलोद्दालकाशिनीम् ॥ १६ ॥
entered the lovely lotus lake, covered with lotuses, bright with tilaka, ashoka, punnaga, bakula and uddalaka,
रम्योपवनसम्बाधां पद्मसम्पीडितोदकाम् । स्फटिकोपमतोयां तां श्लक्ष्णवालुकसंतताम् ॥ १७ ॥
crowded with lovely groves, its water pressed with lotuses, its water like crystal, spread with smooth sand,
मत्स्यकच्छपसम्बाधां तीरस्थद्रुमशोभिताम् । सखीभिरिव संयुक्तां लताभिरनुवेष्टिताम् ॥ १८ ॥
crowded with fish and tortoises, adorned with trees standing on its banks, wound round with creepers as if joined with friends,
किंनरोरगगन्धर्वयक्षराक्षससेविताम् । नानाद्रुमलताकीर्णां शीतवारिनिधिं शुभाम् ॥ १९ ॥
frequented by kinnaras, serpents, gandharvas, yakshas and rakshasas, strewn with trees and creepers of many kinds, an auspicious store of cool water,
पद्मसौगन्धिकैस्ताम्रां शुक्लां कुमुदमण्डलैः । नीलां कुवलयोद्घाटैर्बहुवर्णां कुथामिव ॥ २० ॥
red with padmas and saugandhikas, white with circles of kumudas, blue with the opening of kuvalayas, many-coloured like a blanket,
अरविन्दोत्पलवतीं पद्मसौगन्धिकायुताम् । पुष्पिताम्रवणोपेतां बर्हिणोद्घुष्टनादिताम् ॥ २१ ॥
with aravindas and utpalas, joined with padmas and saugandhikas, joined with groves of flowering mangoes, resounding with the cries of peacocks.
स तां दृष्ट्वा ततः पम्पां रामः सौमित्रिणा सह । विललाप च तेजस्वी रामो दशरथात्मजः ॥ २२ ॥
Seeing that Pampa then, with Saumitri, the splendid Rama, son of Dasharatha, lamented.
तिलकैर्बीजपूरैश्च वटैः शुक्लद्रुमैस्तथा । पुष्पितैः करवीरैश्च पुंनागैश्च सुपुष्पितैः ॥ २३ ॥
मालतीकुन्दगुल्मैश्च भण्डीरैर्निचुलैस्तथा । अशोकैः सप्तपर्णैश्च कतकैरतिमुक्तकैः ॥ २४ ॥
अन्यैश्च विविधैर्वृक्षैः प्रमदामिव शोभिताम् । अस्यास्तीरे तु पूर्वोक्तः पर्वतो धातुमण्डितः ॥ २५ ॥
With tilakas and citrons, with banyans and white trees, with flowering karaviras and well-flowering punnagas, with clusters of malati and kunda, with bhandiras and niculas, with ashokas and saptaparnas, katakas and atimuktakas, and with other trees of many kinds, adorned like a young woman: on its shore is the mountain mentioned before, adorned with minerals,
ऋष्यमूक इति ख्यातश्चित्रपुष्पितपादपः । हरिर्ऋक्षरजोनाम्नः पुत्रस्तस्य महात्मनः ॥ २६ ॥
famed as Rishyamuka, with trees in wonderful flower. The monkey, son of the great soul named Riksharajas,
अध्यास्ते तु महावीर्यः सुग्रीव इति विश्रुतः । सुग्रीवमभिगच्छ त्वं वानरेन्द्रं नरर्षभ ॥ २७ ॥
very mighty, famed as Sugriva, dwells there. “Go to Sugriva, lord of the monkeys, bull among men,”
इत्युवाच पुनर्वाक्यं लक्ष्मणं सत्यविक्रमः । कथं मया विना सीतां शक्यं लक्ष्मण जीवितुम् ॥ २८ ॥
so Rama of true valour said again these words to Lakshmana. “How is it possible to live without Sita, Lakshmana?”
इत्येवमुक्त्वा मदनाभिपीडितः स लक्ष्मणं वाक्यमनन्यचेतनः । विवेश पम्पां नलिनीमनोरमां तमुत्तमं शोकमुदीरयाणः ॥ २९ ॥
Having said these words so to Lakshmana, tormented by love, his mind on nothing else, he entered the lotus lake Pampa, lovely, voicing that supreme grief.
क्रमेण गत्वा प्रविलोकयन् वनं ददर्श पम्पां शुभदर्शकाननाम् । अनेकनानाविधपक्षिसंकुलां विवेश रामः सह लक्ष्मणेन ॥ ३० ॥
Going on step by step, looking at the forest, Rama saw the Pampa with its auspicious-looking woods, crowded with many kinds of birds, and entered it with Lakshmana.