Aranya Kanda, Sarga 3

Meaning

Then, Virādha again said filling the forest with his voice, “While I am asking you, tell me, who are you two and where will you go?” (1)

Meaning

Then, Rāma of extraordinary lustre spoke of his own Ikṣwāku dynasty to that demon of flaming mouth, who was inquiring, “Know us two to be Kṣatriyas of character, who have come to the forest. For our part, we want to know you—who are you wandering in the Daṇḍaka forest?” (2-3)

Meaning

Virādha for his part said to Rāma of unfailing valour : “Ah ! O king ! I shall tell you. Listen to me, O scion of Raghu ! (4)

Meaning

“They say that I am the son of Java; my mother is Śatahradā; all the ogres on earth call me ‘Virādha’. (5)

Meaning

“I have attained, through penance, protection from being killed in the world by a weapon, from being cut or broken, by the grace of Lord Brahmā. (6)

Meaning

“Run away with haste as you have come, giving up this lady without any expectation; I shall not take your life.” (7)

Meaning

Rāma, with his eyes blood-red from anger, replied thus to that ogre, Virādha, of ugly form and sinful mind : (8)

Meaning

“O petty fellow, fie upon you of vile purpose ! You are certainly seeking death. Wait, you will get it on the battlefield. You will not be left alive by me.” (9)

Meaning

Then promptly stringing his bow and fitting very sharp arrows to it, Rāma struck at the ogre. (10)

Meaning

He discharged, they say, seven arrows with golden feathers, of terrific speed, equal to that of Garuḍa and the wind, with his bow fitted with the string. (11)

Meaning

Decorated with peacock feathers, they pierced the body of Virādha who fell on the earth drenched with blood and looking like fire. (12)

Meaning

When hurt, that ogre put down the princess of the Videha territory and, then, holding up the lance, ran in great fury towards Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. (13)

Meaning

Making a great roar and holding the lance resembling the banner of Indra, he then appeared like the god of Death with open mouth. (14)

Meaning

Then, those two brothers rained a shining shower of arrows on that ogre, Virādha, who looked like the Time-Spirit, death and Yama. (15)

Meaning

That most terrible ogre laughed, stopped and yawned. While he was yawning, those speedy arrows fell down from his body. (16)

Meaning

By virtue of the boon, the ogre Virādha held up the vital airs and, lifting up the lance, attacked the two scions of Raghu. (17)

Meaning

Rāma, the foremost of warriors, broke with two arrows that lance looking like the thunderbolt and a fire while still in the air.(18)

Meaning

That lance of his, broken by the arrows of Rāma, fell on the earth like the rocky ledge of Mount Meru split by the thunderbolt. (19)

Meaning

They two raised their swords like two black snakes getting up, and quickly fell upon him and then struck him with force. (20)

Meaning

That terrible one, being violently hurt, took those two unshakable tiger-men by the arms and wanted to move. (21)

Meaning

Reading his mind, Rāma said to Lakṣmaṇa—“Let this ogre gladly carry us by this way, O son of Sumitrā ! Let the ogre carry us as he will. Indeed this is the path of ours by which the night-wanderer is going.” (22-23)

Meaning

That night-wanderer, for his part, proud of his great strength, lifted them up by dint of his sturdiness and energy like two children and placed them on his shoulders. (24)

Meaning

Then placing those two scions of Raghu on his shoulders, that night-wanderer, Virādha, proceeded towards the forest roaring fiercely. (25)

Meaning

He entered the forest looking like a huge cloud, containing big trees of many species, adorned with flocks of birds of various kinds, having jackals and thronged with beasts of prey. (26)