[Advaita-l] saMkShepa rAmAyaNa 5 - AraNyakANDam part 2

[jaldhar at braincells.com]

[Owing to wasting time on server issues, I did not post an installment 
yesterday.  I will try and do two tomorrow to catch up.)

प्रविश्य तु महारण्यं रामो राजीवलोचनः ।
विराधं राक्षसं हत्वा शरभंगं ददर्श ह ॥४१॥
सुतीक्ष्णं चाप्यगस्त्यं च अगस्त्यभ्रातरं तथा ।

“Having entered the dense forest, lotus-eyed rAma, slew the rAkShasa 
virAdha and visited the R^iShis sharabha~Nga, sutikShNa and Agastya and 
his brother.[1]”(41-42a)

[1] Who is this “brother of Agastya”?  The rAmAyana does not tell his 
name.  vasishTha is a brother of Agastya but he serves as the royal 
purohita in ayodhya so he cannot be the person living in an Ashrama in 
danDakAraNya.  A commentator supplies the name sudarshana but doesn’t give 
a reason why nor is anything further known about this sudarshana.

अगस्त्यवचनाच्चैव जग्राहैन्द्रं शरासनम् ॥४२॥
खड्गं च परम प्रीतस्तूणी चाक्षय सायकौ ।

“And as directed by sage Agastya, Rama received with extreme delight 
indras bow with an inexhaustible quiver of arrows and sword.”. (42b-43a)

वसतस्तस्य रामस्य वने वनचरैः सह ॥४३॥
ऋषयोऽभ्यागमन्सर्वे वधायासुररक्षसाम् ।

“When rAma was dwelling in that forest, the R^iShis accompanied by the 
forest creatures, all approached him asking for the destruction of the 
asuras and rAkShasas.[1]”(43b-44a)

[1] Commonly, asura and rAkShasa are used as synonyms but technically they 
are two separate species.  The asuras are the brothers of the devas and 
live in the naraka lokas such as pAtAla where as the rAkShasas are lesser 
devayonis (divine beings) the brothers of the yakShas and live on the 
earth.

स तेषां प्रतिशुश्राव राक्षसानां तदा वने ॥४४॥
प्रतिज्ञातश्च रामेण वधः संयति रक्षसाम् ।
ऋषीणामग्निकल्पानां दण्डकारण्यवासीनाम् ॥४५॥

“He, hearing the prayers of the R^iShis lustrous like fire who dwelled in 
danDakAraNya assented and rAma slew all the rAkShasas in battle as 
promised.”(44b-45)

तेन तत्रैव वसता जनस्थाननिवासिनी ।
विरूपिता शूर्पणखा राक्षसी कामरूपिणी ॥४६॥

“While he was living in that place[1], the rAkShasI[2] shUrpaNakhA from 
janasthAna[3] who had the power to assume any form she wished, was 
disfigured[4]”(46)
[1] i.e. danDakAraNya
[2] feminine of rAkShasa
[3] A city which is (or is near) the modern Nasik in Maharashtra.  It was 
the capital of the entire daNDakAraNya region and ruled as a province of 
ravaNas kingdom of lankA by his cousin khara (see next shloka.)
[4] This shUrpaNakhA attempted to seduce rAma by assuming a bewitching 
form but was rebuffed by him and then by lakShmaNa too.  Enraged, she 
resumed her demonic form and attacked sItA but was stopped by lakShmaNa 
who cut off her nose.

ततः शूर्पणखावाक्यादुद्युक्तान्सर्वराक्षसान् ।
खरं त्रिशिरसं चैव दूषणं चैव राक्षसम् ॥४७॥
निजघान रणे रामस्तेषां चैव पदानुगान् ।

“Then all the rAkShasas prepared for war instigated by the words of 
shUrpaNakhA.  The rAkShasas khara, trishira and duShaNa were killed in 
battle by rAma along with all their followers.”(47-48b)

वने तस्मिन्निवसता जनस्थाननिवासिनाम् ॥४८॥
रक्षसां निहतान्यासन्सहस्राणि चतुर्दश ।

“All the rAkShasas who dwelled in the forest and all who dwelled in 
janasthAna were slain, 14,000 in total.”(48b-49a)

ततो ज्ञातिवधम् श्रुत्वा रावणः क्रोधमूर्छितः ॥४९॥
सहायं वरयामास मारीचं नाम राक्षसम् ।

“On hearing of the slaughter of his kinsmen, rAvaNa became enraged and 
sought the help of a rAkShasa named mArIcha.”(49b-50a)

वार्यमाणः सुबहुशो मारीचेन स रावणः ॥५०॥
न विरोधो बलवता क्षमो रावण तेन ते ।

“mArIcha tried to dissuade him in many ways saying ‘O rAvaNa it is 
ill-advised for you to oppose the mighty rAma.’[1]”(50b-51a)

[1] mArIcha has already narrowly avoided being killed by rAma on different 
occasions so he is well aware of what rAvaNa will be up against.

अनादृत्य तु तद्वाक्यं रावणः कालचोदितः ॥५१॥
जगाम सहमारीचस्तस्याश्रमपदं तदा ।

“But rAvaNa under the influence of fate, disregarded that advice and, 
accompanied by mArIcha went to that Ashrama[1]”(51b-52a)

[1] i.e. to the place in the forest where rAma, sItA, and lakShMana dwelt.

तेन मायाविना दूरमपवाह्य नृपात्मजौ ॥५२॥
जहार भार्यां रामस्य गृध्रं हत्वा जटायुषम् ।
“The two princes were drawn far away by that master of illusion[1].  rAmas 
wife was kidnapped[2] after the vulture jaTAyu was killed.”(52b-53a)

[1] mArIcha.  Note the use of mAyA here.  First he assumed the form of a 
golden deer and
rAma and lakShmAna went after it to catch it for sItA but only after 
drawing a circle of protection around their hut so sItA would be safe from 
all enemies.
[2] Then mArIcha began imitating the voices of rAma and lakShmaNa until 
sItA against her better judgement stepped outside the circle whereupon she 
was caught by rAvaNa and carried away.
[3] jaTayu saw the kidnapping and attempted to stop it but was killed by 
rAvaNa.

गृध्रं च निहतं दृष्ट्वा हृतां श्रुत्वा च मैथिलीम् ॥५३॥
राघवः शोकसंतप्तो विललापाकुलेन्द्रियः ।

“Seeing the vulture struck down and having heard from him of the 
kidnapping of maithilI[1],
rAghava[2], distressed with grief, mourned with clouded senses.”(53b-54a)

[1] i.e. sItA
[2] i.e. rAma

ततस्तेनैव शोकेन गृध्रं दग्ध्वा जटायुषम् ॥५४॥
मार्गमाणो वने सीतां राक्षसम् संददर्श ह ।
कबंधं नाम रूपेण विकृतं घोरदर्शनम् ॥५५॥

“Filled with that sorrow, he cremated the vulture jaTAyu and went 
wandering through the forest looking for sItA.  He saw a rAkShasa of 
dreadful and misshapen appearance named kabaMdha.”(54b-55)
तं निहत्य महाबाहुर्ददाह स्वर्गतश्च सः ।
ततोऽस्य कथयामास शबरीं धर्मचारिणीम् ॥५६॥
श्रमणां धर्मनिपुणामभिगच्छेति राघव ।

“Mighty-armed Rama, having killed kabaMdha, cremated him. As he ascended 
to heaven[1] he said, 'O Raghava, there is a female ascetic named 
shabarI[2], devoted to dharma and proficient in the practice of dharma. 
You should visit her'.”(56-57a)

[1] kabaMdha had been cursed to take the form of a rAkShasa; a curse that 
could only be lifted by being slain at the hands of shrI rAma.

[2] shabarI is another so-called "low" person who is depicted with respect 
and admired for their piety thus demonstrating the baselessness of the 
slander against rAma and rAmAyaNa  by anti-Hindu forces.


सोऽभ्यगच्छन्महातेजाः शबरीं शत्रुसूदनः ॥५७॥
शबर्या पूजितः संयग्रामो दशरथात्मजः ।

“Rama son of Dasaratha, destroyer of enemies and possessing great splendor 
approached shabarI who duly worshiped him”(57b-58a)



-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>