उवाच च विषण्णः सन् राघवं राघवानुजः। पश्य मां विवशं वीर राक्षसस्य वशंगतम्
And, distressed, Lakṣmaṇa, the younger brother of Rāghava, spoke to Rāghava: "See me, helpless, O hero, fallen under the power of a Rākṣasa."
मयैकेन तु निर्युक्तः परिमुच्यस्व राघव। मां हि भूतबलिं दत्त्वा पलायस्व यथासुखम्
"You alone must escape, Rāghava; free yourself. Offer me as a sacrifice to the spirits and flee as you wish."
अधिगन्तासि वैदेहीमचिरेणेति मे मतिः। प्रतिलभ्य च काकुत्स्थ पितृपैतामहीं महीम्
"You will soon reach Vaidehī, this is my conviction; and, O descendant of Kakutstha, you will regain the kingdom of your fathers and grandfathers."
तत्र मां राम राज्यस्थः स्मर्तुमर्हसि सर्वदा। लक्ष्मणेनैवमुक्तस्तु रामः सौमित्रिमब्रवीत्
"There, O Rāma, established in the kingdom, you should always remember me." Thus addressed by Lakṣmaṇa, Rāma spoke to the son of Sumitrā:
मा स्म त्रासं वृथा वीर नहि त्वादृग् विषीदति। एतस्मिन्नन्तरे क्रूरो भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ
"Do not be afraid in vain, O hero; one such as you should not despair." Meanwhile, the cruel one approached the brothers Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.
तावुवाच महाबाहुः कबन्धो दानवोत्तमः। कौ युवां वृषभस्कन्धौ महाखड्गधनुर्धरौ
Then the mighty-armed Kabandha, foremost among Dānavas, spoke to them: "Who are you two, with shoulders like bulls, bearing great swords and bows?"
घोरं देशमिमं प्राप्तौ दैवेन मम चाक्षुषौ। वदतं कार्यमिह वां किमर्थं चागतौ युवाम्
"You have come to this dreadful place, destined by fate to fall under my gaze. Tell me, what is your purpose here, and why have you come?"
इमं देशमनुप्राप्तौ क्षुधार्तस्येह तिष्ठतः। सबाणचापखड्गौ च तीक्ष्णशृङ्गाविवर्षभौ
"You have entered this place where I, tormented by hunger, remain. With bows, arrows, and swords, you stand like bulls with sharp horns."
मां तूर्णमनुसम्प्राप्तौ दुर्लभं जीवितं हि वाम्। तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा कबन्धस्य दुरात्मनः
"You have come swiftly to me; for you, life is now hard to obtain." Hearing these words of the wicked Kabandha—
उवाच लक्ष्मणं रामो मुखेन परिशुष्यता। कृच्छ्रात् कृच्छ्रतरं प्राप्य दारुणं सत्यविक्रम
Rāma, his mouth parched, spoke to Lakṣmaṇa: "Having encountered this calamity, harsher than any before, O truly valiant one—"
व्यसनं जीवितान्ताय प्राप्तमप्राप्य तां प्रियाम्। कालस्य सुमहद् वीर्यं सर्वभूतेषु लक्ष्मण
"A disaster has come, bringing death, before I could recover my beloved. The power of Time is immense over all beings, O Lakṣmaṇa."
त्वां च मां च नरव्याघ्र व्यसनैः पश्य मोहितौ। नहि भारोऽस्ति दैवस्य सर्वभूतेषु लक्ष्मण
"See, O tiger among men, how you and I are bewildered by misfortune. There is no burden too great for fate among all beings, Lakṣmaṇa."
शूराश्च बलवन्तश्च कृतास्त्राश्च रणाजिरे। कालाभिपन्नाः सीदन्ति यथा वालुकसेतवः
"Even heroes, strong and skilled in weapons, fall in battle when struck by Time, just as sandbanks collapse."
इति ब्रुवाणो दृढसत्यविक्रमो महायशा दाशरथिः प्रतापवान्। अवेक्ष्य सौमित्रिमुदग्रविक्रमः स्थिरां तदा स्वां मतिमात्मनाकरोत्
Thus speaking, the steadfast and truly valiant son of Daśaratha, famed and powerful, looked at Saumitri, bold in action, and then composed his own mind firmly.
thumb|सप्ततितमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अरण्यकाण्डे सप्ततितमः सर्गः ॥३-
Here begins the seventieth sarga. Listen.
तौ तु तत्र स्थितौ दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ। बाहुपाशपरिक्षिप्तौ कबन्धो वाक्यमब्रवीत्
Then, seeing the two brothers Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa standing there, bound by the grip of his arms, Kabandha spoke these words:
तिष्ठतः किं नु मां दृष्ट्वा क्षुधार्तं क्षत्रियर्षभौ। आहारार्थं तु संदिष्टौ दैवेन हतचेतनौ
"Why do you stand still, having seen me, hungry as I am, O best of warriors? By fate you have been sent here, your senses destroyed, for my food."
तच्छ्रुत्वा लक्ष्मणो वाक्यं प्राप्तकालं हितं तदा। उवाचार्तिसमापन्नो विक्रमे कृतनिश्चयः
Hearing those timely and beneficial words, Lakshmana, afflicted by distress but resolute in action, then spoke.
त्वां च मां च पुरा तूर्णमादत्ते राक्षसाधमः। तस्मादसिभ्यामस्याशु बाहू छिन्दावहे गुरू
Very soon, that vile rakshasa will seize both you and me; therefore, let us swiftly cut off his mighty arms with our swords.
भीषणोऽयं महाकायो राक्षसा भुजविक्रमः। लोकं ह्यतिजितं कृत्वा ह्यावां हन्तुमिहेच्छति
This terrifying, huge-bodied rakshasa, with powerful arms, having conquered the world, now wishes to kill us both.
निश्चेष्टानां वधो राजन् कुत्सितो जगतीपतेः। क्रतुमध्योपनीतानां पशूनामिव राघव
O Raghava, for a king, the slaying of those who are helpless is disgraceful, like killing sacrificial animals brought to the midst of a ritual.
एतत् संजल्पितं श्रुत्वा तयोः क्रुद्धस्तु राक्षसः। विदार्यास्यं ततो रौद्रं तौ भक्षयितुमारभत्
Hearing their conversation, the enraged rakshasa, with a dreadful mouth agape, began to devour the two of them.
ततस्तौ देशकालज्ञौ खड्गाभ्यामेव राघवौ। अच्छिन्दन्तां सुसंहृष्टौ बाहू तस्यांसदेशतः
Then those two Raghavas, skilled in time and place, joyfully cut off his arms at the shoulder with their swords.
दक्षिणो दक्षिणं बाहुमसक्तमसिना ततः। चिच्छेद रामो वेगेन सव्यं वीरस्तु लक्ष्मणः
Thereupon, Rama swiftly severed the rakshasa's right arm with his sword, and the heroic Lakshmana cut off the left.
स पपात महाबाहुश्छिन्नबाहुर्महास्वनः। खं च गां च दिशश्चैव नादयञ्जलदो यथा
With his arms cut off, that mighty-armed one fell with a great roar, resounding through the sky, earth, and all directions like a thundercloud.
स निकृत्तौ भुजौ दृष्ट्वा शोणितौघपरिप्लुतः। दीनः पप्रच्छ तौ वीरौ कौ युवामिति दानवः
Seeing his arms severed and himself drenched in streams of blood, the demon, dejected, asked the two heroes, 'Who are you?'
इति तस्य ब्रुवाणस्य लक्ष्मणः शुभलक्षणः। शशंस तस्य काकुस्त्थं कबन्धस्य महाबलः
As he spoke thus, Lakshmana, of auspicious marks, told the mighty Kabandha about the Kakutstha lineage.
अयमिक्ष्वाकुदायादो रामो नाम जनैः श्रुतः। तस्यैवावरजं विद्धि भ्रातरं मां च लक्ष्मणम्
This is Rama, known among people as the descendant of Ikshvaku; know me as his younger brother, Lakshmana.
मात्रा प्रतिहते राज्ये रामः प्रव्राजितो वनम्। मया सह चरत्येष भार्यया च महद् वनम्
When the kingdom was denied to him by his mother, Rama was exiled to the forest; he now wanders this great forest with me and his wife.
अस्य देवप्रभावस्य वसतो विजने वने। रक्षसापहृता भार्या यामिच्छन्ताविहागतौ
While this divinely powerful one dwelt in the lonely forest, his wife was taken by a rakshasa; we are searching for her here.