--- title: "Aranya Kanda, Sarga 50" canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/aranya-kanda/sarga-50" lang: "en" --- # Aranya Kanda, Sarga 50 > तं शब्दमवसुप्तस्तु जटायुरथ शुश्रुवे। > निरैक्षद् रावणं क्षिप्रं वैदेहीं च ददर्श सः॥ १॥ Jaṭāyu, for his part, who was lying fast asleep at that time, presently heard that call. He forthwith perceived Rāvaṇa and also saw Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory. (1) > ततः पर्वतशृङ्गाभस्तीक्ष्णतुण्डः खगोत्तमः। > वनस्पतिगतः श्रीमान् व्याजहार शुभां गिरम्॥ २॥ Continuing on the tree, the glorious Jaṭāyu, the foremost of birds, who looked like a mountain-peak and had a sharp bill, thereupon addressed the following wholesome words to Rāvaṇa : (2) > दशग्रीव स्थितो धर्मे पुराणे सत्यसंश्रयः। > भ्रातस्त्वं निन्दितं कर्म कर्तुं नार्हसि साम्प्रतम्॥ ३॥ > जटायुर्नाम नाम्नाहं गृध्रराजो महाबलः। > राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य महेन्द्रवरुणोपमः॥ ४॥ > लोकानां च हिते युक्तो रामो दशरथात्मजः। > तस्यैषा लोकनाथस्य धर्मपत्नी यशस्विनी॥ ५॥ > सीता नाम वरारोहा यां त्वं हर्तुमिहेच्छसि। > कथं राजा स्थितो धर्मे परदारान् परामृशेत्॥ ६॥ “Rāvaṇa (who are endowed with ten heads), I am the well-known king of vultures, Jaṭāyu by name, possessed of great might, devoted to the eternal code of virtue and true to my promise. Brother, you ought not to perpetrate a reproachful act at least at this moment in my presence. Śrī Rāma, son of Daśaratha, is the ruler of the entire globe, vying with the mighty Indra and Varuṇa (the god presiding over the waters) and devoted to the welfare of all beings. This lady, whom you seek to bear away at this moment, is the illustrious and lawfully wedded wife of excellent limbs of the aforesaid protector of the world, Sītā by name. How dare a king, firm on virtue, lay his finger on another’s consort? (3—6) > रक्षणीया विशेषेण राजदारा महाबल। > निवर्तय गतिं नीचां परदाराभिमर्शनात्॥ ७॥ “The consorts of kings, O ogre of extraordinary might, are deserving of protection in a special degree. Therefore, avert a vile destiny which is sure to follow from the sin of laying one’s finger on another’s wife. (7) > न तत् समाचरेद् धीरो यत् परोऽस्य विगर्हयेत्। > यथाऽऽत्मनस्तथान्येषां दारा रक्ष्या विमर्शनात्॥ ८॥ “A wise man should not deliberately do that on account of which others may revile him. The consorts of others should be protected from another’s touch in the same way as one’s own wife. (8) > अर्थं वा यदि वा कामं शिष्टाः शास्त्रेष्वनागतम्। > व्यवस्यन्त्यनुराजानं धर्मं पौलस्त्यनन्दन॥ ९॥ “The cultured pursue wealth or sensuous enjoyment or even virtue not sanctioned in the scriptures following the example of a king, O delight of Pulastya’s race ! (9) > राजा धर्मश्च कामश्च द्रव्याणां चोत्तमो निधिः। > धर्मः शुभं वा पापं वा राजमूलं प्रवर्तते॥ १०॥ “A king embodies virtue and sensuous enjoyment and is an excellent repertory of riches in that virtue; right conduct or sin has its root in a king and proceeds from him. (10) > पापस्वभावश्चपलः कथं त्वं रक्षसां वर। > ऐश्वर्यमभिसम्प्राप्तो विमानमिव दुष्कृती॥ ११॥ “Though sinful of disposition and fickle, how have you stumbled upon lordship, O jewel among ogres, as a man of sinful deeds would come upon an aerial car (which as a rule is the lot of the virtuous alone)? (11) > कामस्वभावो यः सोऽसौ न शक्यस्तं प्रमार्जितुम्। > नहि दुष्टात्मनामार्यमावसत्यालये चिरम्॥ १२॥ “The man, who is licentious by nature, is not able to get rid of such nature; for eminence does not abide for long in the house of the evil-minded. (12) > विषये वा पुरे वा ते यदा रामो महाबलः। > नापराध्यति धर्मात्मा कथं तस्यापराध्यसि॥ १३॥ “When Śrī Rāma, who is possessed of extraordinary might and whose mind is set on virtue, does not commit any wrong in your territory or capital, why should you (take into your head to) wrong him? (13) > यदि शूर्पणखाहेतोर्जनस्थानगतः खरः। > अतिवृत्तो हतः पूर्वं रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा॥ १४॥ > अत्र ब्रूहि यथातत्त्वं को रामस्य व्यतिक्रमः। > यस्य त्वं लोकनाथस्य हृत्वा भार्यां गमिष्यसि॥ १५॥ “If Khara stationed in Janasthāna, who transgressed his limits in order to wipe the tears of Śūrpaṇakhā, was killed in action in the past by Śrī Rāma of unwearied action, tell me truly what the fault of Śrī Rāma was in this matter, for which you are bearing away the spouse of that ruler of the worlds? (14-15) > क्षिप्रं विसृज वैदेहीं मा त्वा घोरेण चक्षुषा। > दहेद् दहनभूतेन वृत्रमिन्द्राशनिर्यथा॥ १६॥ “Release Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, at once. Let not Śrī Rāma consume you with his fearful eye converted into fire, as the thunderbolt of Indra consumed the demon, Vṛtra. (16) > सर्पमाशीविषं बद्ध्वा वस्त्रान्ते नावबुध्यसे। > ग्रीवायां प्रतिमुक्तं च कालपाशं न पश्यसि॥ १७॥ “Though having tied a poisonous snake in the end of your cloth you are unconscious of it, and you do not perceive the noose of Death placed round your neck; (17) > स भारः सौम्य भर्तव्यो यो नरं नावसादयेत्। > तदन्नमपि भोक्तव्यं जीर्यते यदनामयम्॥ १८॥ “That load alone, O gentle one, should be borne by a man, which may not oppress him. And that food alone should be eaten, which may be digested without giving rise to an ailment. (18) > यत् कृत्वा न भवेद् धर्मो न कीर्तिर्न यशो ध्रुवम्। > शरीरस्य भवेत् खेदः कस्तत् कर्म समाचरेत्॥ १९॥ “Who will knowingly perform an act as a sequel to which follows neither religious merit, nor glory, nor lasting fame, but in whose wake ensues weariness of body? (19) > षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि जातस्य मम रावण। > पितृपैतामहं राज्यं यथावदनुतिष्ठतः॥ २०॥ “Sixty thousand years have elapsed, O Rāvaṇa, ever since I was born, during which I have duly carried on the hereditary rulership of birds. (20) > वृद्धोऽहं त्वं युवा धन्वी सरथः कवची शरी। > न चाप्यादाय कुशली वैदेहीं मे गमिष्यसि॥ २१॥ “I have grown old, while you are still young, and are armed with a bow and arrows, protected by an armour and mounted on a chariot. Nevertheless you shall not bear away Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, safely before my eyes. (21) > न शक्तस्त्वं बलाद्धर्तुं वैदेहीं मम पश्यतः। > हेतुभिर्न्यायसंयुक्तैर्ध्रुवां वेदश्रुतीमिव॥ २२॥ “You will not be able to carry away Sītā, a princess of the Videha kingdom, by force while I stand looking on, any more than one can alter an unalterable Vedic text by force of arguments consistent with logic. (22) > युध्यस्व यदि शूरोऽसि मुहूर्तं तिष्ठ रावण। > शयिष्यसे हतो भूमौ यथा पूर्वं खरस्तथा॥ २३॥ “Fight with me if you are a hero; halt awhile, O Rāvaṇa ! Struck dead by me, you will lie on the ground as Khara did in the past. (23) > असकृत्संयुगे येन निहता दैत्यदानवाः। > न चिराच्चीरवासास्त्वां रामो युधि वधिष्यति॥ २४॥ “Clad in the bark of trees, Śrī Rāma, by whom Daityas and Dānavas have been slain on the battlefield more than once, will make short work of you before long. (24) > किं नु शक्यं मया कर्तुं गतौ दूरं नृपात्मजौ। > क्षिप्रं त्वं नश्यसे नीच तयोर्भीतो न संशयः॥ २५॥ “What can be done by me when the two princes have gone afar? If I proceed to call them you will flee at once, afraid of them : there is no doubt about it, O vile ogre ! (25) > नहि मे जीवमानस्य नयिष्यसि शुभामिमाम्। > सीतां कमलपत्राक्षीं रामस्य महिषीं प्रियाम्॥ २६॥ “So long as I breathe, you can on no account carry away this blessed lady, Sītā, the beloved consort of Śrī Rāma, whose eyes resemble the petals of a lotus. (26) > अवश्यं तु मया कार्यं प्रियं तस्य महात्मनः। > जीवितेनापि रामस्य तथा दशरथस्य च॥ २७॥ “What is pleasing to him, the high-souled Śrī Rāma, as well as to the late King Daśaratha, needs must be done by me at all events even at the cost of my life. (27) > तिष्ठ तिष्ठ दशग्रीव मुहूर्तं पश्य रावण। > वृन्तादिव फलं त्वां तु पातयेयं रथोत्तमात्। > युद्धातिथ्यं प्रदास्यामि यथाप्राणं निशाचर॥ २८॥ “Tarry, tarry awhile, O ten-headed monster! See, O Rāvaṇa, how I knock you down from the foremost of chariots on which you are mounted as one would dash down a fruit from its stalk. I shall offer hospitality to you on the battlefield according to my strength, O prowler of the night !” (28) Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana --- Source: Gita Press, Gorakhpur editions. Buy the book: https://gitapress.org/product/sri-ramcharitmanas-special-edition Ramayana.com, a free, ad-free project of Ved Vyas Foundation.