भैरवैः श्वापदैः कीर्णं शकुन्तैर्दारुणारवैः । नानाप्रकारैः शकुनैर्वाश्यद्भिर्भैरवस्वनैः ॥१-२४-
'It is crowded with fearsome beasts and birds with harsh cries; with various kinds of birds, shrieking with dreadful sounds.'
सिंहव्याघ्रवराहैश्च वारणैश्चापि शोभितम् । धवाश्वकर्णककुभैर्बिल्वतिन्दुकपाटलैः ॥१-२४-
'Adorned with lions, tigers, boars, and elephants, and with dhava, ashvakarna, kakubha, bilva, tinduka, and patala trees.'
संकीर्णं बदरीभिश्च किं न्विदं दारुणं वनम् । तमुवाच महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः ॥१-२४-
'Mixed with jujube trees—why is this forest so dreadful?' The great sage Vishvamitra, possessed of immense energy, spoke to him.
श्रूयतां वत्स काकुत्स्थ यस्यैतद् दारुणं वनम् । एतौ जनपदौ स्फीतौ पूर्वमास्तां नरोत्तम ॥१-२४-
'Listen, child of Kakutstha, to the reason for this dreadful forest. These two prosperous regions once existed here, O best of men.'
मलदाश्च करूषाश्च देवनिर्माणनिर्मितौ । पुरा वृत्रवधे राम मलेन समभिप्लुतम् ॥१-२४-
'Malada and Karusha, created by the gods, were here. Long ago, after the slaying of Vritra, Rama, Indra was overwhelmed by impurity.'
क्षुधा चैव सहस्राक्षं ब्रह्महत्या समाविशत् । तमिन्द्रं मलिनं देवा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः ॥१-२४-
'And hunger, along with Brahma-hatya, entered the thousand-eyed one. That polluted Indra, the gods and ascetic sages—'
कलशैः स्नापयामासुर्मलं चास्य प्रमोचयन् । इह भूम्यां मलं दत्त्वा देवाः कारूषमेव च ॥१-२४-
'—bathed with vessels, removing his impurity. Here, upon the earth, they deposited the impurity and also Karusha.'
शरीरजं महेन्द्रस्य ततो हर्षं प्रपेदिरे । निर्मलो निष्करूषश्च शुद्ध इन्द्रो यथाभवत् ॥१-२४-
'Born from Indra's body, then they rejoiced; purified and freed from impurity, Indra became as he was.'
ददौ देशस्य सुप्रीतो वरं प्रादातनुत्तमम् । इमौ जनपदौ स्फीतौ ख्यातिं लोके गमिष्यतः ॥१-२४-
'Pleased, he granted the land a supreme boon; these two prosperous regions will attain renown in the world.'
मलदाश्च करूषाश्च ममाङ्गमलधारिणौ । साधु साध्विति तं देवाः पाकशासनमब्रुवन् ॥१-२४-
The Maladas and Karushas, bearing my bodily impurity, were praised by the gods, who said to the lord of the heavens, 'Well done, well done.'
मलदाश्च करूषाश्च मुदिता धनधान्यतः । कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य यक्षिणी कामरूपिणी ॥१-२४-
The Maladas and Karushas, joyful and rich in wealth and grain, after some time, were troubled by a yakshini of changing form.
बलं नागसहस्रस्य धारयन्ती तदा ह्यभूत् । ताटका नाम भद्रं ते भार्या सुन्दस्य धीमतः ॥१-२४-
She possessed the strength of a thousand elephants; her name was Tataka, the wife of the wise Sunda.
मारीचो राक्षसः पुत्रो यस्याः शक्रपराक्रमः । वृत्तबाहुर्महाशीर्षो विपुलास्यतनुर्महान् ॥१-२४-
Her son was Maricha, a rakshasa of Indra-like prowess, with rounded arms, a great head, a broad mouth, and a massive body.
राक्षसो भैरवाकारो नित्यं त्रासयते प्रजाः । इमौ जनपदौ नित्यं विनाशयति राघव ॥१-२४-
This rakshasa, terrifying in appearance, constantly frightens the people and destroys these two regions, O Raghava.
मलदांश्च करूषांश्च ताटका दुष्टचारिणी । सेयं पन्थानमावृत्य वसत्यत्यर्धयोजने ॥१-२४-
Tataka, wicked in conduct, devastates the Maladas and Karushas; she dwells blocking this path, at a distance of half a yojana.
अत एव च गन्तव्यं ताटकाया वनं यतः । स्वबाहुबलमाश्रित्य जहीमां दुष्टचारिणीम् ॥१-२४-
Therefore, you must go to Tataka's forest; relying on your own strength, destroy this wicked one.
मन्नियोगादिमं देशं कुरु निष्कण्टकं पुनः । नहि कश्चिदिमं देशं शक्तो ह्यागन्तुमीदृशम् ॥१-२४-
By my command, make this region free from thorns once more; for no one is able to come to this place as it is now.
यक्षिण्या घोरया राम उत्सादितमसह्यया । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथैतद् दारुणं वनम् । यक्ष्या चोत्सादितं सर्वमद्यापि न निवर्तते ॥१-२४-
Rama, this land has been devastated by a fierce and intolerable yakshini; all has been told to you about this dreadful forest, which remains ruined by the yakshini even now.
thumb|पञ्चविंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे पञ्चविंशः सर्गः ॥१-
The twenty-fifth sarga is to be heard. In the glorious Valmiki Ramayana, in the Bala Kanda, the twenty-fifth sarga.
अथ तस्याप्रमेयस्य मुनेर्वचनमुत्तमम्। श्रुत्वा पुरुषशार्दूलः प्रत्युवाच शुभां गिरम् ॥१-२५-
Then, having heard the excellent words of the immeasurable sage, the tiger among men replied with auspicious speech.
अल्पवीर्या यदा यक्षी श्रूयते मुनिपुङ्गव । कथं नागसहस्रस्य धारयत्यबला बलम् ॥१-२५-
O foremost among sages, it is said that the yakshini is of little strength; how does this weak one bear the power of a thousand elephants?
इत्युक्तं वचनं श्रुत्वा राघवस्यामितौजसः । हर्षयञ्श्लक्ष्णया वाचा सलक्ष्मणमरिन्दमम् ॥१-२५-
Having heard this speech of Raghava, of boundless energy, the sage, delighting, spoke gently to the destroyer of enemies, along with Lakshmana.
विश्वामित्रोऽब्रवीद् वाक्यं शृणु येन बलोत्कटा । वरदानकृतं वीर्यं धारयत्यबला बलम् ॥१-२५-
Vishvamitra spoke: 'Hear how she became so powerful; by the boon granted, she bears the strength though she is weak.'
पूर्वमासीन्महायक्षः सुकेतुर्नाम वीर्यवान् । अनपत्यः शुभाचारः स च तेपे महत्तपः ॥१-२५-
Once there was a great yaksha named Suketu, mighty and virtuous; he was childless and performed great austerities.
पितामहस्तु सुप्रीतस्तस्य यक्षपतेस्तदा । कन्यारत्नं ददौ राम ताटकां नाम नामतः ॥१-२५-
His father, the lord of the yakshas, being greatly pleased, gave him a jewel among daughters, named Tataka, O Rama.
ददौ नागसहस्रस्य बलं चास्याः पितामहः । न त्वेव पुत्रं यक्षाय ददौ चासौ महायशाः ॥१-२५-
He also gave her the strength of a thousand elephants, but did not grant a son to the yaksha, though he was renowned.
तां तु बालां विवर्धन्तीं रूपयौवनशालिनीम् । जम्भपुत्राय सुन्दाय ददौ भार्यां यशस्विनीम् ॥१-२५-
As she grew, possessing beauty and youth, she was given as wife to Sunda, the illustrious son of Jambha.
कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य यक्षी पुत्रं व्यजायत । मारीचं नाम दुर्धर्षं यः शापाद् राक्षसोऽभवत् ॥१-२५-
Then, after some time, a yakṣī gave birth to a son named Mārīca, who was formidable and, by a curse, became a rākṣasa.
सुन्दे तु निहते राम अगस्त्यमृषिसत्तमम् । ताटका सहपुत्रेण प्रधर्षयितुमिच्छति ॥१-२५-
When Sunda was slain, O Rāma, the eminent sage Agastya was attacked by Tāṭakā together with her son.
भक्षार्थं जातसंरम्भा गर्जन्ती साभ्यधावत । आपतन्तीं तु तां दृष्ट्वा अगस्त्यो भगवानृषिः ॥१-२५-
Driven by hunger and rage, she rushed forward, roaring; seeing her charging, the venerable sage Agastya—