---
title: "Aranya Kanda, Sarga 35"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/aranya-kanda/sarga-35"
lang: "en"
---

# Aranya Kanda, Sarga 35

> ततः शूर्पणखावाक्यं तच्छ्रुत्वा रोमहर्षणम्।  
> सचिवानभ्यनुज्ञाय कार्यं बुद्ध्वा जगाम ह॥ १॥

Hearing that nerve-racking report of Śūrpaṇakhā, nay, determining his duty and granting leave to disperse to his ministers, Rāvaṇa forthwith departed from his palace : so it is said. (1)

> तत् कार्यमनुगम्यान्तर्यथावदुपलभ्य च।  
> दोषाणां च गुणानां च सम्प्रधार्य बलाबलम्॥ २॥  
> इति कर्तव्यमित्येव कृत्वा निश्चयमात्मनः।  
> स्थिरबुद्धिस्ततो रम्यां यानशालां जगाम ह॥ ३॥

Pursuing that object in mind and viewing it properly, nay, fully weighing the merits and demerits of the question and ascertaining his own strength and weakness and finally making up his mind to launch on that undertaking of abducting Sītā positively, Rāvaṇa with a resolute mind next proceeded to his charming carriage-shed : so the tradition goes. (2-3)

> यानशालां ततो गत्वा प्रच्छन्नं राक्षसाधिपः।  
> सूतं संचोदयामास रथः संयुज्यतामिति॥ ४॥

Covertly reaching the carriage-shed, Rāvaṇa, the ruler of ogres, commanded the charioteer in the following words : “Let my chariot be got ready.” (4)

> एवमुक्तः क्षणेनैव सारथिर्लघुविक्रमः।  
> रथं संयोजयामास तस्याभिमतमुत्तमम्॥ ५॥

Commanded thus, the charioteer, who took quick strides, got fully ready in a trice an excellent chariot liked by him. (5)

> कामगं रथमास्थाय काञ्चनं रत्नभूषितम्।  
> पिशाचवदनैर्युक्तं खरैः कनकभूषणैः॥ ६॥  
> मेघप्रतिमनादेन स तेन धनदानुजः।  
> राक्षसाधिपतिः श्रीमान् ययौ नदनदीपतिम्॥ ७॥

Mounting the golden car decked with jewels, which could go wherever one liked and was drawn by mules with heads resembling those of fiends, adorned with ornaments of gold and the glorious Rāvaṇa, a younger (half)-brother of Kubera, the lord of riches, and the suzerain lord of ogres, drove in that chariot, which made a sound like thunder towards the ocean (the lord of rivers and streams). (6-7)

> स श्वेतवालव्यजनः श्वेतच्छत्रो दशाननः।  
> स्निग्धवैदूर्यसंकाशस्तप्तकाञ्चनभूषणः ॥ ८॥  
> दशग्रीवो विंशतिभुजो दर्शनीयपरिच्छदः।  
> त्रिदशारिर्मुनीन्द्रघ्नो दशशीर्ष इवाद्रिराट्॥ ९॥  
> कामगं रथमास्थाय शुशुभे राक्षसाधिपः।  
> विद्युन्मण्डलवान् मेघः सबलाक इवाम्बरे॥ १०॥

Having taken his seat in that chariot, which could go wherever one liked, the ten-headed Rāvaṇa, the suzerain ruler of ogres, the avowed enemy of gods and the slayer of the foremost among ascetics—who was being fanned with a white whisk, and had a white canopy spread over him, who shone brightly like a glossy cat’s-eye gem and was adorned with ornaments of refined gold, and who was distinguished by ten necks and twenty arms and attractive parapharnalia and looked like a great mountain with ten peaks—cast his splendour like a cloud in the sky encircled with lightning and accompanied by a flock of herons. (8—10)

> सशैलसागरानूपं वीर्यवानवलोकयन्।  
> नानापुष्पफलैर्वृक्षैरनुकीर्णं सहस्रशः॥ ११॥

The mighty ogre moved on surveying the sea-coast crested with mountains and crowded with trees, thousands in number, bearing varieties of flowers and fruits. (11)

> शीतमङ्गलतोयाभिः पद्मिनीभिः समन्ततः।  
> विशालैराश्रमपदैर्वेदिमद्भिरलंकृतम् ॥ १२॥

The coast-line was adorned on all sides with lotus-ponds full of cool and auspicious water and with spacious grounds of hermitages scattered with sacrificial altars. (12)

> कदल्यटविसंशोभं नारिकेलोपशोभितम्।  
> सालैस्तालैस्तमालैश्च तरुभिश्च सुपुष्पितैः॥ १३॥

It looked most charming with its plantain groves and was embellished with coconut, sāl, palmyra and Tamāla trees as also with other trees in full blossom. (13)

> अत्यन्तनियताहारैः शोभितं परमर्षिभिः।  
> नागैः सुपणैर्गन्धर्वैः किंनरैश्च सहस्रशः॥ १४॥

It was graced with foremost Ṛṣis (seers of Vedic Mantras), living on an exceedingly restricted diet, Nāgas (a species of semi-divine being having the head and trunk of a human being and the lower extremities of a serpent), Suparṇas (a class of bird-like beings of a semi divine character), Gandharvas and Kinnaras (another species of semi-divine beings having a human figure with the head of a horse) in thousands. (14)

> जितकामैश्च सिद्धैश्च चारणैश्चोपशोभितम्।  
> आजैर्वैखानसैर्माषैर्वालखिल्यैर्मरीचिपैः ॥ १५॥

The coast-line was further graced by the presence of Siddhas, who had subdued their passion, and Cāraṇas, as well as by the mind born sons of Brahmā (the creator), Vaikhānasas (an order of ascetics born of Brahmā’s nails and endowed with the mystic power of assuming many forms), Māṣas (another class of ascetics), Vālakhilyas (a special order of ascetics born of the hair of Brahmā and possessing the size of a human thumb), and Marīcipas (another order of ascetics living on the sun’s rays alone). (15)

> दिव्याभरणमाल्याभिर्दिव्यरूपाभिरावृतम्।  
> क्रीडारतविधिज्ञाभिरप्सरोभिः सहस्रशः॥ १६॥

It was thronged in thousands with celestial nymphs adorned with heavenly jewels and garlands and endowed with ethereal forms and conversant with the technique of amorous sports and sexual enjoyment. (16)

> सेवितं देवपत्नीभिः श्रीमतीभिरुपासितम्।  
> देवदानवसङ्घैश्च चरितं त्वमृताशिभिः॥ १७॥

Again it was resorted to and visited by graceful consorts of heavenly beings and frequented by hosts of gods and demons subsisting on nectar (the drink of heavenly beings). (17)

> हंसक्रौञ्चप्लवाकीर्णं सारसैः सम्प्रसादितम्।  
> वैदूर्यप्रस्तरं स्निग्धं सान्द्रं सागरतेजसा॥ १८॥

The coast-line was crowded with swans, herons and frogs and graced with cranes. It was strewn with Vaidūrya-like stones of a dark hue and was alluvial and cool due to the softening influence of the ocean. (18)

> पाण्डुराणि विशालानि दिव्यमाल्ययुतानि च।  
> तूर्यगीताभिजुष्टानि विमानानि समन्ततः॥ १९॥  
> तपसा जितलोकानां कामगान्यभिसम्पतन्।  
> गन्धर्वाप्सरसश्चैव ददर्श धनदानुजः॥ २०॥

Driving at full speed through the air, Rāvaṇa (the younger half-brother of Kubera, the lord of riches) beheld on all sides spacious aerial cars of a whitish colour, festooned with celestial wreaths and enlivened by both instrumental and vocal music, belonging to those who had won the higher worlds by virtue of their austerities and coursing according to one’s will, and also beheld Gandharvas and celestial nymphs. (19-20)

> निर्यासरसमूलानां चन्दनानां सहस्रशः।  
> वनानि पश्यन् सौम्यानि घ्राणतृप्तिकराणि च॥ २१॥  
> अगुरूणां च मुख्यानां वनान्युपवनानि च।  
> तक्कोलानां च जात्यानां फलिनां च सुगन्धिनाम्॥ २२॥  
> पुष्पाणि च तमालस्य गुल्मानि मरिचस्य च।  
> मुक्तानां च समूहानि शुष्यमाणानि तीरतः॥ २३॥  
> शैलानि प्रवरांश्चैव प्रवालनिचयांस्तथा।  
> काञ्चनानि च शृङ्गाणि राजतानि तथैव च॥ २४॥  
> प्रस्रवाणि मनोज्ञानि प्रसन्नान्यद्भुतानि च।  
> धनधान्योपपन्नानि स्त्रीरत्नैरावृतानि च॥ २५॥  
> हस्त्यश्वरथगाढानि नगराणि विलोकयन्।  
> तं समं सर्वतः स्निग्धं मृदुसंस्पर्शमारुतम्॥ २६॥  
> अनूपे सिन्धुराजस्य ददर्श त्रिदिवोपमम्।  
> तत्रापश्यत् स मेघाभं न्यग्रोधं मुनिभिर्वृतम्॥ २७॥  
> समन्ताद् यस्य ताः शाखाः शतयोजनमायताः।  
> यस्य हस्तिनमादाय महाकायं च कच्छपम्॥ २८॥  
> भक्षार्थं गरुडः शाखामाजगाम महाबलः।  
> तस्य तां सहसा शाखां भारेण पतगोत्तमः॥ २९॥  
> सुपर्णः पर्णबहुलां बभञ्जाथ महाबलः।  
> तत्र वैखानसा माषा वालखिल्या मरीचिपाः॥ ३०॥  
> आजा बभूवुर्धूम्राश्च संगताः परमर्षयः।  
> तेषां दयार्थं गरुडस्तां शाखां शतयोजनाम्॥ ३१॥  
> भग्नामादाय वेगेन तौ चोभौ गजकच्छपौ।  
> एकपादेन धर्मात्मा भक्षयित्वा तदामिषम्॥ ३२॥  
> निषादविषयं हत्वा शाखया पतगोत्तमः।  
> प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे मोक्षयित्वा महामुनीन्॥ ३३॥

Nay, he proceeded further beholding delightful forests pleasing to the olfactory sense, of sandal-trees, whose roots exuded a sap in the form of resin, and also surveying forests of excellent Aguru trees and groves of fragrant Takkola trees of superior quality and laden with fruits, also the flowers of Tamāla trees and shrubs of pepper, nay, heaps of pearls getting dried up on the shore, rocks as also heaps of excellent coral and similarly peaks of gold as well as of silver, charming, crystal and wonderful caskets as also cities provided with wealth and food-grains, crowded with jewels of womanhood and thick with elephants, horses and chariots. He saw on the shore of the ocean a level piece of ground smooth on every side, fanned by breezes which were soft to the touch, and delightful as heaven. There he saw a banyan tree looking like a cloud and resorted to on all sides by ascetics, whose prominent branches extended up to a hundred Yojanas (800 miles) all round. It was to a bough of this tree that Garuḍa (the king of birds and the carrier of Lord Viṣṇu), who was possessed of extraordinary might, flew taking (in his claws) an elephant and a gigantic tortoise for repast. With his enormous weight the very mighty Garuḍa, the foremost of birds, forthwith broke all of a sudden the bough which was thick with leaves. There, under that tree, were assembled foremost Ṛṣis (seers of Vedic Mantras) belonging to the categories of Vaikhānasas, Māṣas, Vālakhilyas, Marīcipas and Dhūmras (who inhaled smoke while remaining suspended from the boughs of trees head downwards). Carrying with speed that broken bough, a hundred Yojanas long, as also the elephant and the tortoise both in one claw and eating up their flesh (in the air itself), nay, destroying with the bough the territory of the Niṣādas (who lived by hunting and fishery etc.) and delivering the eminent ascetics, Garuḍa (the foremost of birds), whose mind was set on righteousness, derived excessive joy beyond comparison. (21—33)

> स तु तेन प्रहर्षेण द्विगुणीकृतविक्रमः।  
> अमृतानयनार्थं वै चकार मतिमान् मतिम्॥ ३४॥

Finding his prowess redoubled by that excessive joy, the talented Garuḍa for his part actually made up his mind to fetch nectar from heaven. (34)

> अयोजालानि निर्मथ्य भित्त्वा रत्नगृहं वरम्।  
> महेन्द्रभवनाद् गुप्तमाजहारामृतं ततः॥ ३५॥

Crushing the iron lattice-work and demolishing the excellent jewelled safe, kept protected by that lattice-work, he then secretly bore away the nectar from the palace of the mighty Indra. (35)

> तं महर्षिगणैर्जुष्टं सुपर्णकृतलक्षणम्।  
> नाम्ना सुभद्रं न्यग्रोधं ददर्श धनदानुजः॥ ३६॥

Rāvaṇa (a younger half-brother of Kubera) beheld that banyan tree, Subhadra by name, resorted to by hosts of eminent Ṛṣis (the seers of Vedic Mantras), and which retained a vestige of the havoc in the shape of destruction of a gigantic bough wrought by Garuḍa. (36)

> तं तु गत्वा परं पारं समुद्रस्य नदीपतेः।  
> ददर्शाश्रममेकान्ते पुण्ये रम्ये वनान्तरे॥ ३७॥

Reaching that other shore of the ocean, the lord of rivers, Rāvaṇa beheld a hermitage in a lonely, holy and charming part of the forest. (37)

> तत्र कृष्णाजिनधरं जटामण्डलधारिणम्।  
> ददर्श नियताहारं मारीचं नाम राक्षसम्॥ ३८॥

There he saw an ogre, Mārīca by name, clad in a black antelope-skin and wearing a coil of matted locks and living on a restricted diet. (38)

> स रावणः समागम्य विधिवत् तेन रक्षसा।  
> मारीचेनार्चितो राजा सर्वकामैरमानुषैः॥ ३९॥

Meeting that ogre with due ceremony, the said King Rāvaṇa was entertained by Mārīca with all luxuries unknown to man. (39)

> तं स्वयं पूजयित्वा च भोजनेनोदकेन च।  
> अर्थोपहितया वाचा मारीचो वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥ ४०॥

Entertaining him personally with food and water, Mārīca spoke to him in the following meaningful words : (40)

> कच्चित्ते कुशलं राजन् लङ्कायां राक्षसेश्वर।  
> केनार्थेन पुनस्त्वं वै तूर्णमेव इहागतः॥ ४१॥

“I hope, O king, all is well in your Laṅkā, O ruler of ogres ! With what object have you called here so quickly again?” (41)

> एवमुक्तो महातेजा मारीचेन स रावणः।  
> ततः पश्चादिदं वाक्यमब्रवीद् वाक्यकोविदः॥ ४२॥

Questioned in these words by Mārīca, the celebrated Rāvaṇa, who was invested with extraordinary glory, and was a master of expression, then replied as follows : (42)

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