Agni Purana

कैकेय्यां भरतः पुत्रः सुमित्रायाञ्च लक्ष्मणः। शत्रुघ्नः ऋष्यश्रृङ्गेण तासु सन्दत्तपायसात्

To Kaikeyi was born the son Bharata, and to Sumitra, Lakshmana; Shatrughna also, from the consecrated payasa given by Rishyasringa to those queens.

प्राशिताद्यज्ञसंसिद्धाद्राद्रामाद्याश्च समाः पितुः। यज्ञविध्नविनाशाय विश्वामित्रार्थितो नृपः

After partaking of the oblation sanctified by the sacrifice, those sons, beginning with Rama, spent their years with their father; at the request of Vishvamitra, the king sent them to destroy the obstacles to the sacrifice.

रामं सम्प्रेषयामास लक्ष्मणं मुनिना सह। रामो गतोऽस्त्रशस्त्राणि शिक्षितस्ताडकान्तकृत

He sent Rama, together with Lakshmana and the sage; Rama, having gone, learned the use of weapons and missiles, and slew Tadaka.

मारीचं मानवास्त्रेण मोहितं दूरतोऽनयत्। सुबाहुं यज्ञहन्तारं सबलञ्चावधीद् बली

He bewildered Maricha from afar with the Manava missile; the mighty one slew Subahu, the destroyer of sacrifices, along with his forces.

सिद्धाश्रमनिवासी च विश्वामित्रादिभिः सह। गतः क्रतुं मैथिलस्य द्रष्टुञ्चापंसहानुजः

Dwelling at Siddhashrama with Vishvamitra and others, he went to the sacrifice of the king of Mithila, to see the bow, accompanied by his brother.

शतानन्दनिमित्तेन विश्वामित्रप्रभावतः। रामाय कथितो राज्ञा समुनिः पूजितः क्रतौ

By the arrangement of Shatananda and the power of Vishvamitra, the sage, honored at the sacrifice, told the story to Rama, the king.

धनुरापूरयामास लीलया स बभञ्ज तत् । वीर्यशुल्कञ्च जनकः सीतां कन्यान्त्वयोनिजाम्

He effortlessly strung the bow and broke it; Janaka, as the bride-price for valor, gave Sita, the daughter not born from a womb.

ददौ रामाय रामोऽपि पित्रादौ हि समागते। उपयेमे जानकीन्तामुर्मिलां लक्ष्मणस्तथा

He gave her to Rama; and when his father and others had assembled, Rama married Janaki, and likewise Lakshmana married Urmila.

श्रुतकीर्त्तिं माण्डवीञ्च कुशध्वजसुते तथा। जनकस्यानुजस्यैते शत्रुघ्नभरतावुभौ

Shrutakirti and Mandavi, the daughters of Kushadhvaja, the younger brother of Janaka, were married to Shatrughna and Bharata, both of them.

कन्ये द्वे उपयेमाते जनकेन सुपूजितः। रामोऽगात्सवशिष्ठाद्यैर्जामदगन्यं विजित्य च

Those two maidens were married by them, honored by Janaka; Rama, having conquered Jamadagnya, departed with Vashishtha and others.

नारद उवाच रामो वशिष्ठं मातॄश्च नत्वाऽत्रिञ्च प्रणम्य सः। अनसूयाञ्च तत्पत्नीं शरभङ्गं सुतीक्ष्णकम्

Narada said: Rama, having bowed to Vashishtha, his mothers, and also to Atri, and having saluted Anasuya, his wife, Sharabhanga, and Sutikshna—

अगस्त्य भ्रातरं नत्वा अगस्त्यन्तत्प्रसादतः। धनुः खङ्गञ्च सम्प्राप्य दण्डकारण्यमागतः

Having bowed to his brother Agastya, and by Agastya’s favor obtaining a bow and a sword, he entered the Dandaka forest.

जनस्थाने पञ्चवट्यां स्थितो गोदावरीं तटे। तत्र सूर्पणखायाता भक्षितुं तान् भयङ्करी

Dwelling at Janasthana, in Panchavati, on the bank of the Godavari, there came Surpanakha, the terrifying one, to devour them.

रामं सुरूपं दृष्ट्वा सा कामिनी वाक्यमब्रवीत्। कस्त्वं कस्मात्समायातो भर्त्ता मे भव चार्थितः

Seeing Rama, handsome in form, that desiring woman spoke these words: 'Who are you? For what reason have you come? Become my husband as I request.'

एतौ च भक्षयिष्यामि इत्युक्त्वा तं समुद्यता । तस्या नासाञ्च कर्णौ च रामोक्तो लक्ष्मणोऽच्छिनत्

And saying, 'I will devour these two,' she rushed at them; but at Rama’s command, Lakshmana cut off her nose and ears.

रक्तं क्षरन्ती प्रययौ खरं भ्रातरमब्रवीत्। मरीष्यामि विनासाऽहं खर जीवामि वै तदा

Bleeding, she went to her brother Khara and said: 'I will die without a nose, Khara; I live only thus.'

रामस्य भार्य्या सीताऽसौ तस्यासील्लक्ष्मणोऽनुजः। तेषां यद्रुधिरं सोष्णं पाययिष्यसि मां यदि

'Sita is Rama’s wife, and Lakshmana is his younger brother; if you make me drink their warm blood, then I shall live.'

खरस्तथेति तामुक्त्वा यतुर्दृशसहस्त्रकैः। रक्षसां दूषणेनागाद्योद्धु त्रिशिरसा सह

Khara, saying 'So be it,' set out with thousands of fierce-eyed rakshasas, accompanied by Dushana and Trishira, to fight.

रामं रामोऽपि युयुधे शरैर्विव्याध राक्षसान्। हस्त्यश्वरथपादातं बलं निन्ये यमक्षयम्

Rama fought them; with arrows he struck the rakshasas, and sent their army of elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers to the abode of Yama.

त्रिशीर्षाणं खरं रौद्रं युध्यन्तञ्चौव दूषणम्। ययौ सूर्पणखा लङ्कां रावणाग्रेपतद् भुवि

Trishira, Khara the fierce, and Dushana, all fighting, Surpanakha went to Lanka and fell before Ravana on the ground.

अब्रवीद्रावणं क्रुद्धा न त्वं राजा न रक्षकः। खरादिहन्तू रामस्य सीतां भार्यां हरस्व च

Angry, she spoke to Ravana: 'You are not a king, nor a protector; come here and kill Rama, and seize Sita, his wife.'

रामलक्ष्मणरक्तस्य पानाज्जीवामि नान्यथा। तथेत्याह च तच्छ्रुत्वा मारीचं प्राह वै व्रज

'I live only by drinking the blood of Rama and Lakshmana, not otherwise.' Hearing this, Ravana said, 'So be it,' and then addressed Maricha: 'Go!'

स्वर्णचित्रमृगो भूत्वा रामलक्ष्मणकर्षकः। सीताग्रे तां हरिष्यामि अन्यथा मरणं तव

'Become a golden, spotted deer, and draw away Rama and Lakshmana; in Sita’s presence I will seize her, otherwise your death is certain.'

मारीचो रावणं प्राह रामो मृत्युर्धनुर्धरः। रावणादपि मर्त्तव्यं मर्त्तव्यं राघवादपि

Maricha said to Ravana: 'Rama, the wielder of the bow, is death itself; it is better to die at Ravana’s hand, but one must die at Raghava’s hand.'

अवश्यं यदि मर्त्तव्यं वरं रामो न रावणः। इति मत्वा मृगो भूत्वा सीताग्रे व्यचरन्मुहुः

'If I must certainly die, it is better by Rama than by Ravana.' Thinking thus, he became a deer and wandered again and again before Sita.

सीतया प्रेरितो रामः शरेणाथावधीच्च तम्। म्रियमाणो मृगः प्राह हा सीते लक्ष्मणेति च

Urged by Sita, Rama killed him with an arrow; as he was dying, the deer cried out, 'Ha, Sita! Ha, Lakshmana!'

सौमित्रिः सीतयोक्तोऽथ विरुद्धं राममागतः। रावणोऽप्यहरत् सीतां हत्वा गृध्रं जटायुषम्

Then Saumitri, at Sita’s urging, went to Rama, who was in distress; and Ravana seized Sita, having slain the vulture Jatayu.

जटायुषा स भिन्नाङ्गः अङ्केनादाय जानकीम्। गतो लङ्कामशोकाख्ये धारयामास चाब्रवीत्

Having his limbs wounded by Jatayu, he took Janaki on his lap, went to Lanka, to the place called Ashoka, kept her there, and spoke.

भव भार्य्या ममाग्र्या त्वं राक्षस्यो रक्ष्यतामियम् । रामो हत्वा तु मारीचं दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मणमब्रवीत्

'Become my chief wife; let this rakshasi guard you.' Rama, having slain Maricha, saw Lakshmana and spoke.