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.
त्वं तु को वा किमर्थं वा कबन्धसदृशो वने। आस्येनोरसि दीप्तेन भग्नजङ्घो विचेष्टसे
But who are you, and for what reason do you, resembling Kabandha, wander in the forest, moving about with a shining mouth on your chest and your legs broken?
एवमुक्तः कबन्धस्तु लक्ष्मणेनोत्तरं वचः। उवाच वचनं प्रीतस्तदिन्द्रवचनं स्मरन्
Thus addressed by Lakshmana, Kabandha, recalling Indra's words, gladly replied to him.
स्वागतं वां नरव्याघ्रौ दिष्ट्या पश्यामि वामहम्। दिष्ट्या चेमौ निकृत्तौ मे युवाभ्यां बाहुबन्धनौ
Welcome to you, tigers among men; by fortune I see you both, and by fortune my arms, which bound you, have been cut off by you.
विरूपं यच्च मे रूपं प्राप्तं ह्यविनयाद् यथा। तन्मे शृणु नरव्याघ्र तत्त्वतः शंसतस्तव
Hear from me, O tiger among men, how I came by this deformed appearance due to my own misconduct, as I truthfully recount it to you.
thumb|एकसप्ततितमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अरण्यकाण्डे एकसप्ततितमः सर्गः ॥३-
Here ends the seventy-first sarga. Listen.
पुरा राम महाबाहो महाबलपराक्रमम्। रूपमासीन्ममाचिन्त्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्
Long ago, O Rama of mighty arms, I possessed a form of immense strength and valor—an inconceivable form, renowned throughout the three worlds.
यथा सूर्यस्य सोमस्य शक्रस्य च यथा वपुः। सोऽहं रूपमिदं कृत्वा लोकवित्रासनं महत्
Just as the radiance of the sun, the moon, and Indra, so was my form; having assumed this appearance, I became a great terror to the worlds.
ऋषीन् वनगतान् राम त्रासयामि ततस्ततः। ततः स्थूलशिरा नाम महर्षिः कोपितो मया
O Rama, I would terrify the sages dwelling in the forest, here and there; then, a great sage named Sthūlaśiras was angered by me.
स चिन्वन् विविधं वन्यं रूपेणानेन धर्षितः। तेनाहमुक्तः प्रेक्ष्यैवं घोरशापाभिधायिना
While he was gathering various forest produce, he was harassed by me in this form; seeing this, he pronounced upon me a dreadful curse.
एतदेवं नृशंसं ते रूपमस्तु विगर्हितम्। स मया याचितः क्रुद्धः शापस्यान्तो भवेदिति
He said, 'Let this cruel form of yours be condemned!' Angered, I begged him that there might be an end to the curse.
अभिशापकृतस्येति तेनेदं भाषितं वचः। यदा छित्त्वा भुजौ रामस्त्वां दहेद् विजने वने
He, the author of the curse, spoke these words to me: 'When Rama, having cut off your arms, burns you in a lonely forest—'
तदा त्वं प्राप्स्यसे रूपं स्वमेव विपुलं शुभम्। श्रिया विराजितं पुत्रं दनोस्त्वं विद्धि लक्ष्मण
'—then you will regain your own vast and splendid form, adorned with glory. Know, O Lakshmana, that you are the son of Danu.'
इन्द्रकोपादिदं रूपं प्राप्तमेवं रणाजिरे। अहं हि तपसोग्रेण पितामहमतोषयम्
Through Indra's wrath, I obtained this form on the battlefield; for by severe austerity I had pleased the Grandsire.
दीर्घमायुः स मे प्रादात् ततो मां विभ्रमोऽस्पृशत् । दीर्घमायुर्मया प्राप्तं किं मां शक्रः करिष्यति
He granted me long life, and thus confusion did not touch me. Having obtained long life, what could Indra do to me?
इत्येवं बुद्धिमास्थाय रणे शक्रमधर्षयम्। तस्य बाहुप्रमुक्तेन वज्रेण शतपर्वणा
Thinking thus, I challenged Indra in battle; with his hundred-spoked thunderbolt, he struck my thighs and head.
सक्थिनी च शिरश्चैव शरीरे सम्प्रवेशितम्। स मया याच्यमानः सन् नानयद् यमसादनम्
My thighs and head were pierced into my body; though I begged him, he did not send me to the abode of Yama.
पितामहवचः सत्यं तदस्त्विति ममाब्रवीत्। अनाहारः कथं शक्तो भग्नसक्थिशिरोमुखः
He said to me, 'Let the Grandsire's word be fulfilled.' How could I, unfed and with broken thighs, head, and mouth—
वज्रेणाभिहतः कालं सुदीर्घमपि जीवितुम्। स एवमुक्तः शक्रो मे बाहू योजनमायतौ
—struck by the thunderbolt, live for a very long time? Thus addressed, Indra made my arms a yojana long—
तदा चास्यं च मे कुक्षौ तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रमकल्पयत् । सोऽहं भुजाभ्यां दीर्घाभ्यां संक्षिप्यास्मिन् वनेचरान्
—and fashioned my mouth in my belly with sharp fangs. With these long arms, I seize the forest-dwellers here—
सिंहद्वीपिमृगव्याघ्रान् भक्षयामि समन्ततः। स तु मामब्रवीदिन्द्रो यदा रामः सलक्ष्मणः
—and devour lions, elephants, deer, and tigers all around. Then Indra said to me, 'When Rama, together with Lakshmana—'