बुद्धिश्च ते महाप्राज्ञ देवैरपि दुरन्वया। शोकेनाभिप्रसुप्तं ते ज्ञानं सम्बोधयाम्यहम्
Your intellect, O great wise one, is difficult even for the gods to grasp; but as your knowledge is overcome by grief, I am awakening it.
दिव्यं च मानुषं चैवमात्मनश्च पराक्रमम्। इक्ष्वाकुवृषभावेक्ष्य यतस्व द्विषतां वधे
Beholding your divine and human prowess, and your own valor, O bull among the Ikṣvākus, strive for the destruction of your enemies.
किं ते सर्वविनाशेन कृतेन पुरुषर्षभ। तमेव तु रिपुं पापं विज्ञायोद्धर्तुमर्हसि
What is the use, O best of men, in destroying all? You should recognize and eliminate only that wicked enemy.
thumb|सप्तषष्ठितमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अरण्यकाण्डे सप्तषष्ठितमः सर्गः ॥३-
In the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Aranya Kanda, the sixty-seventh sarga (chapter).
पूर्वजोऽप्युक्तमात्रस्तु लक्ष्मणेन सुभाषितम्। सारग्राही महासारं प्रतिजग्राह राघवः
Hearing Lakṣmaṇa’s well-spoken words, the eldest, Rāghava, who discerns the essence, accepted his profound counsel.
स निगृह्य महाबाहुः प्रवृद्धं रोषमात्मनः। अवष्टभ्य धनुश्चित्रं रामो लक्ष्मणमब्रवीत्
That mighty-armed one, restraining his swelling anger, grasped his splendid bow and spoke to Lakṣmaṇa.
किं करिष्यावहे वत्स क्व वा गच्छाव लक्ष्मण। केनोपायेन पश्यावः सीतामिह विचिन्तय
What shall we do, dear child? Where shall we go, Lakṣmaṇa? By what means shall we find Sītā here? Consider this.
तं तथा परितापार्तं लक्ष्मणो वाक्यमब्रवीत्। इदमेव जनस्थानं त्वमन्वेषितुमर्हसि
To him, thus tormented by grief, Lakṣmaṇa spoke these words: You should search this very Janasthāna.
राक्षसैर्बहुभिः कीर्णं नानाद्रुमलतायुतम्। सन्तीह गिरिदुर्गाणि निर्दराः कन्दराणि च
It is filled with many Rākṣasas and entwined with various trees and creepers; here are mountain strongholds, ravines, and caves.
गुहाश्च विविधा घोरा नानामृगगणाकुलाः। आवासाः किंनराणां च गन्धर्वभवनानि च
There are also many dreadful caves, teeming with various wild beasts, dwellings of Kinnaras, and abodes of Gandharvas.
तानि युक्तो मया सार्धं समन्वेषितुमर्हसि। त्वद्विधा बुद्धिसम्पन्ना महात्मानो नरर्षभाः
You ought to search those places thoroughly with me; great souls like you, endowed with wisdom, O best of men, do so.
आपत्सु न प्रकम्पन्ते वायुवेगैरिवाचलाः। इत्युक्तस्तद् वनं सर्वं विचचार सलक्ष्मणः
In calamities, they do not waver, like mountains unshaken by the force of the wind. Thus addressed, he searched the entire forest with Lakṣmaṇa.
क्रुद्धो रामः शरं घोरं संधाय धनुषि क्षुरम्। ततः पर्वतकूटाभं महाभागं द्विजोत्तमम्
Enraged, Rāma fitted a terrible, razor-sharp arrow to his bow; then he saw the illustrious king of birds, resembling a mountain peak, fallen to the ground.
ददर्श पतितं भूमौ क्षतजार्द्रं जटायुषम्। तं दृष्ट्वा गिरिशृङ्गाभं रामो लक्ष्मणमब्रवीत्
He saw Jaṭāyu, drenched in blood, lying on the earth like a mountain summit; seeing him, Rāma spoke to Lakṣmaṇa.
अनेन सीता वैदेही भक्षिता नात्र संशयः। गृध्ररूपमिदं व्यक्तं रक्षो भ्रमति काननम्
By this one, Sītā, the daughter of Videha, has been devoured—there is no doubt. Clearly, this vulture-shaped demon roams the forest.
भक्षयित्वा विशालाक्षीमास्ते सीतां यथासुखम्। एनं वधिष्ये दीप्ताग्रैः शरैर्घोरैरजिह्मगैः
Having eaten the wide-eyed Sītā, he now rests at ease; I will slay him with blazing, deadly, straight-flying arrows.
इत्युक्त्वाभ्यपतद् द्रष्टुं संधाय धनुषि क्षुरम्। क्रुद्धो रामः समुद्रान्तां चालयन्निव मेदिनीम्
So saying, Rāma, furious as if shaking the earth to its ocean-boundaries, rushed forward to see, fitting a razor-sharp arrow to his bow.
तं दीनदीनया वाचा सफेनं रुधिरं वमन्। अभ्यभाषत पक्षी स रामं दशरथात्मजम्
That bird, vomiting frothy blood, spoke to Rāma, son of Daśaratha, in a voice faint and piteous.
यामोषधीमिवायुष्मन्नन्वेषसि महावने। सा देवी मम च प्राणा रावणेनोभयं हृतम्
O long-lived one, as you search for the goddess in this great forest, both she and my life have been taken by Rāvaṇa.
त्वया विरहिता देवी लक्ष्मणेन च राघव। ह्रियमाणा मया दृष्टा रावणेन बलीयसा
O Rāghava, with you and Lakṣmaṇa absent, I saw the lady seized by the mighty Rāvaṇa.
सीतामभ्यवपन्नोऽहं रावणश्च रणे प्रभो। विध्वंसितरथच्छत्रः पतितो धरणीतले
I confronted Rāvaṇa in battle for Sītā, O lord, and his chariot and parasol were destroyed, and he fell to the ground.
एतदस्य धनुर्भग्नमेते चास्य शरास्तथा। अयमस्य रणे राम भग्नः सांग्रामिको रथः
Here is his broken bow, and these are his arrows; and here, Rāma, is his shattered war-chariot from the fight.
अयं तु सारथिस्तस्य मत्पक्षनिहतो भुवि। परिश्रान्तस्य मे पक्षौ छित्त्वा खड्गेन रावणः
Here lies his charioteer, struck down by my wing, on the ground; and Rāvaṇa, when I was exhausted, cut off my wings with his sword.
सीतामादाय वैदेहीमुत्पपात विहायसम्। रक्षसा निहतं पूर्वं मां न हन्तुं त्वमर्हसि
Taking Sītā, the daughter of Videha, he soared into the sky; O Rāma, you should not kill me, for I was already struck down by the demon.
रामस्तस्य तु विज्ञाय सीतासक्तां प्रियां कथाम्। गृध्रराजं परिष्वज्य परित्यज्य महद् धनुः
Rāma, understanding the dear tale attached to Sītā, embraced the king of vultures, setting aside his great bow.
निपपातावशो भूमौ रुरोद सहलक्ष्मणः। द्विगुणीकृततापार्तो रामो धीरतरोऽपि सन्
He fell helplessly to the ground and wept with Lakṣmaṇa; though steadfast, Rāma was overcome by doubled sorrow.
एकमेकायने कृच्छ्रे निःश्वसन्तं मुहुर्मुहुः। समीक्ष्य दुःखितो रामः सौमित्रिमिदमब्रवीत्
Seeing him, alone on the lonely path, breathing heavily again and again, the distressed Rāma spoke to Saumitri as follows:
राज्यं भ्रष्टं वने वासः सीता नष्टा मृतो द्विजः। ईदृशीयं ममालक्ष्मीर्दहेदपि हि पावकम्
The kingdom lost, dwelling in the forest, Sītā gone, the bird slain—such misfortune of mine could even burn fire itself.
सम्पूर्णमपि चेदद्य प्रतरेयं महोदधिम्। सोऽपि नूनं ममालक्ष्म्या विशुष्येत् सरितां पतिः
Even if today I could cross the full great ocean, surely, by my misfortune, the lord of rivers would dry up.
नास्त्यभाग्यतरो लोके मत्तोऽस्मिन् स चराचरे। येनेयं महती प्राप्ता मया व्यसनवागुरा
There is no one in the world, among moving and unmoving beings, more unfortunate than I, who have fallen into this great snare of calamity.