हस्त्यश्वरथगाढानि नगराणि विलोकयन्। तं समं सर्वतः स्निग्धं मृदुसंस्पर्शमारुतम्
Observing cities crowded with elephants, horses, and chariots, he saw that land everywhere level, lush, and caressed by gentle breezes.
अनूपे सिन्धुराजस्य ददर्श त्रिदिवोपमम्। तत्रापश्यत् स मेघाभं न्यग्रोधं मुनिभिर्वृतम्
In the marshes of the Sindhu king, he saw a place like heaven; there he beheld a banyan tree, dark as a cloud, surrounded by sages.
समन्ताद् यस्य ताः शाखाः शतयोजनमायताः। यस्य हस्तिनमादाय महाकायं च कच्छपम्
Its branches stretched a hundred yojanas in every direction; from it, an elephant and a great-bodied turtle were taken up.
भक्षार्थं गरुडः शाखामाजगाम महाबलः। तस्य तां सहसा शाखां भारेण पतगोत्तमः
For the sake of food, the mighty Garuḍa came to a branch; with his weight, that best of birds suddenly broke the branch.
सुपर्णः पर्णबहुलां बभञ्जाथ महाबलः। तत्र वैखानसा माषा वालखिल्या मरीचिपाः
The mighty Suparṇa broke a branch thick with leaves; there, the Vaikhānasas, Māṣas, Vālakhilyas, and Marīcipas were gathered.
आजा बभूवुर्धूम्राश्च संगताः परमर्षयः। तेषां दयार्थं गरुडस्तां शाखां शतयोजनाम्
There, the great sages, grey and assembled, appeared as goats; for their sake, Garuḍa took that branch, a hundred yojanas long.
भग्नामादाय वेगेन तौ चोभौ गजकच्छपौ। एकपादेन धर्मात्मा भक्षयित्वा तदामिषम्
Taking the broken branch swiftly, along with both the elephant and the tortoise, the righteous one, standing on one foot, ate that flesh.
निषादविषयं हत्वा शाखया पतगोत्तमः। प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे मोक्षयित्वा महामुनीन्
Having destroyed the territory of the Niṣādas with the branch, the foremost of birds attained incomparable joy, having freed the great sages.
स तु तेन प्रहर्षेण द्विगुणीकृतविक्रमः। अमृतानयनार्थं वै चकार मतिमान् मतिम्
Then, filled with that joy, his strength doubled; the wise one resolved in his mind to bring the nectar.
तं महर्षिगणैर्जुष्टं सुपर्णकृतलक्षणम्। नाम्ना सुभद्रं न्यग्रोधं ददर्श धनदानुजः
He, the brother of the Lord of Wealth, saw the banyan tree named Subhadra, marked by Suparṇa and frequented by hosts of great sages.
तं तु गत्वा परं पारं समुद्रस्य नदीपतेः। ददर्शाश्रममेकान्ते पुण्ये रम्ये वनान्तरे
Having crossed to the far shore of the ocean, lord of rivers, he saw a hermitage in a secluded, holy, and beautiful part of the forest.
तत्र कृष्णाजिनधरं जटामण्डलधारिणम्। ददर्श नियताहारं मारीचं नाम राक्षसम्
There he saw Mārīca, the rākṣasa, wearing black antelope skin and matted locks, disciplined in food.
स रावणः समागम्य विधिवत् तेन रक्षसा। मारीचेनार्चितो राजा सर्वकामैरमानुषैः
Rāvaṇa, having approached properly, was honored by Mārīca, the rākṣasa, with all kinds of human enjoyments.
तं स्वयं पूजयित्वा च भोजनेनोदकेन च। अर्थोपहितया वाचा मारीचो वाक्यमब्रवीत्
After personally welcoming him with food and water, Mārīca spoke words of purpose to him.
कच्चित्ते कुशलं राजन् लङ्कायां राक्षसेश्वर। केनार्थेन पुनस्त्वं वै तूर्णमेव इहागतः
"Is all well with you, O king, lord of the rākṣasas in Laṅkā? For what purpose have you come here so quickly again?"
एवमुक्तो महातेजा मारीचेन स रावणः। ततः पश्चादिदं वाक्यमब्रवीद् वाक्यकोविदः
Thus addressed by Mārīca, the radiant Rāvaṇa, skilled in speech, then spoke these words.
thumb|षट्त्रिंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अरण्यकाण्डे षट्त्रिंशः सर्गः ॥३-
Listen to the thirty-sixth sarga in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Araṇyakāṇḍa.
मारीच श्रूयतां तात वचनं मम भाषतः। आर्तोऽस्मि मम चार्तस्य भवान् हि परमा गतिः
"Mārīca, listen, dear one, to my words as I speak; I am afflicted, and for one in distress, you are the highest refuge."
जानीषे त्वं जनस्थानं भ्राता यत्र खरो मम। दूषणश्च महाबाहुः स्वसा शूर्पणखा च मे
"You know Janasthāna, where my brother Khara, the mighty Dūṣaṇa, and my sister Śūrpaṇakhā dwell."
त्रिशिराश्च महाबाहू राक्षसः पिशिताशनः। अन्ये च बहवः शूरा लब्धलक्षा निशाचराः
"There is also Triśiras, the mighty, flesh-eating rākṣasa, and many other valiant night-wanderers, skilled in their aim."
वसन्ति मन्नियोगेन अधिवासं च राक्षसाः। बाधमाना महारण्ये मुनीन् ये धर्मचारिणः
"By my command, the rākṣasas dwell there, harassing the sages who practice righteousness in the great forest."
चतुर्दश सहस्राणि रक्षसां भीमकर्मणाम्। शूराणां लब्धलक्षाणां खरचित्तानुवर्तिनाम्
"Fourteen thousand rākṣasas of terrible deeds, valiant and skilled in their aim, followers of Khara's will, reside there."
ते त्विदानीं जनस्थाने वसमाना महाबलाः। सङ्गताः परमायत्ता रामेण सह संयुगे
Now, those mighty ones dwelling in Janasthāna, gathered together and fully dependent, engaged in battle with Rāma.
नानाशस्त्रप्रहरणाः खरप्रमुखराक्षसाः। तेन संजातरोषेण रामेण रणमूर्धनि
The rākṣasas led by Khara, wielding various weapons, faced Rāma, who had become enraged in the midst of battle.
अनुक्त्वा परुषं किंचिच्छरैर्व्यापारितं धनुः। चतुर्दश सहस्राणि रक्षसामुग्रतेजसाम्
Without uttering a single harsh word, but with his bow set in motion by arrows, Rāma slew fourteen thousand fierce and powerful rākṣasas.
निहतानि शरैर्दीप्तैर्मानुषेण पदातिना। खरश्च निहतः संख्ये दूषणश्च निपातितः
Those were struck down by blazing arrows from the human warrior on foot; Khara was also slain in the fight, and Dūṣaṇa was brought down.
हत्वा त्रिशिरसं चापि निर्भया दण्डकाः कृताः। पित्रा निरस्तः क्रुद्धेन सभार्यः क्षीणजीवितः
Having killed Triśiras as well, he made the Daṇḍaka forest free from fear; exiled by his angry father, he lives with his wife, his life nearly spent.
स हन्ता तस्य सैन्यस्य रामः क्षत्रियपांसनः। अशीलः कर्कशस्तीक्ष्णो मूर्खो लुब्धोऽजितेन्द्रियः
That Rāma, the destroyer of that army, is a disgrace among kṣatriyas—unrighteous, harsh, cruel, foolish, greedy, and lacking self-control.
त्यक्तधर्मा त्वधर्मात्मा भूतानामहिते रतः। येन वैरं विनारण्ये सत्त्वमास्थाय केवलम्
He has abandoned righteousness, his mind set on unrighteousness, delighting in the harm of beings; without enmity, he has taken up violence in the forest.
कर्णनासापहारेण भगिनी मे विरूपिता। अस्य भार्यां जनस्थानात् सीतां सुरसुतोपमाम्
By cutting off the ears and nose, my sister was disfigured; I will seize his wife Sītā, equal to a daughter of the gods, from Janasthāna.