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title: "Aranya Kanda, Sarga 72"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/aranya-kanda/sarga-72"
lang: "en"
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# Aranya Kanda, Sarga 72

> पुरा राम महाबाहो महाबलपराक्रमम्।  
> रूपमासीन्ममाचिन्त्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्॥ १॥  
> यथा सूर्यस्य सोमस्य शक्रस्य च यथा वपुः।  
> सोऽहं रूपमिदं कृत्वा लोकवित्रासनं महत्॥ २॥  
> ऋषीन् वनगतान् राम त्रासयामि ततस्ततः।  
> ततः स्थूलशिरा नाम महर्षिः कोपितो मया॥ ३॥

“In my former existence, O mighty-armed Rāma, my form was endowed with extraordinary might and prowess, possessed of inconceivable splendour and well-known through all the three worlds, resembled as it did the forms of the sun-god, the moon-god and Indra, the ruler of gods. Assuming this gigantic form of an ogre, which was a source of terror to the people, I used even then to move from place to place and frighten the Ṛṣis inhabiting the forest, O Rāma ! During that period an eminent Ṛṣi (a seer of Vedic Mantras), Sthūlaśirā by name, was provoked to anger by me. (1—3)

> स चिन्वन् विविधं वन्यं रूपेणानेन धर्षितः।  
> तेनाहमुक्तः प्रेक्ष्यैवं घोरशापाभिधायिना॥ ४॥

“While gathering the produce of various kinds of the forest, he was on one occasion assailed by me in this very form. By the aforesaid Ṛṣi, who pronounced a terrible curse on me on perceiving me, I was spoken to in the following words : (4)

> एतदेवं नृशंसं ते रूपमस्तु विगर्हितम्।  
> स मया याचितः क्रुद्धः शापस्यान्तो भवेदिति॥ ५॥  
> अभिशापकृतस्येति तेनेदं भाषितं वचः।  
> यदा छित्त्वा भुजौ रामस्त्वां दहेद् विजने वने॥ ६॥  
> तदा त्वं प्राप्स्यसे रूपं स्वमेव विपुलं शुभम्।  
> श्रिया विराजितं पुत्रं दनोस्त्वं विद्धि लक्ष्मण॥ ७॥

‘Let this very form, cruel and reprehensible as it is, be retained by you (forever).’ When the angry Ṛṣi was requested by me in following words: ‘Let there be an end to this curse called forth by my accursed behaviour’, the following reply was made by him to this request of mine: ‘When, having severed both your arms, Śrī Rāma cremates you in a lonely forest, then alone you will regain your own enormous and charming form adorned with splendour.’ Therefore, know me originally to be a son of Danu, O Lakṣmaṇa ! (5—7)

> इन्द्रकोपादिदं रूपं प्राप्तमेवं रणाजिरे।  
> अहं हि तपसोग्रेण पितामहमतोषयम्॥ ८॥

“This monstrous form was acquired by me through the wrath of Indra (the ruler of gods) on a field of battle in the following way : “When endowed with the form of an ogre, I actually propitiated Brahmā (the progenitor of the entire creation) through my rigorous austerities, (8)

> दीर्घमायुः स मे प्रादात् ततो मां विभ्रमोऽस्पृशत्।  
> दीर्घमायुर्मया प्राप्तं किं मां शक्रः करिष्यति॥ ९॥  
> इत्येवं बुद्धिमास्थाय रणे शक्रमधर्षयम्।  
> तस्य बाहुप्रमुक्तेन वज्रेण शतपर्वणा॥ १०॥  
> सक्थिनी च शिरश्चैव शरीरे सम्प्रवेशितम्।  
> स मया याच्यमानः सन् नानयद् यमसादनम्॥ ११॥

“The latter in his turn vouchsafed a long life to me. As a result of the aforesaid boon of longevity granted by Brahmā, pride took possession of me. I said to myself, ‘A long life has been secured by me, what harm will Indra (the avowed enemy of my race) do to me?’ Banking on this conviction I assailed Indra on a field of battle. By the thunderbolt of one hundred edges hurled by him, my thighs as well as my head was thrust into my body. Though as requested by me, he did not despatch me to the abode of Yama, the god of death. (9—11)

> पितामहवचः सत्यं तदस्त्विति ममाब्रवीत्।  
> अनाहारः कथं शक्तो भग्नसक्थिशिरोमुखः॥ १२॥  
> वज्रेणाभिहतः कालं सुदीर्घमपि जीवितुम्।  
> स एवमुक्तः शक्रो मे बाहू योजनमायतौ॥ १३॥  
> तदा चास्यं च मे कुक्षौ तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रमकल्पयत्।  
> सोऽहं भुजाभ्यां दीर्घाभ्यां संक्षिप्यास्मिन् वनेचरान्॥ १४॥  
> सिंहद्वीपिमृगव्याघ्रान् भक्षयामि समन्ततः।  
> स तु मामब्रवीदिन्द्रो यदा रामः सलक्ष्मणः॥ १५॥  
> छेत्स्यते समरे बाहू तदा स्वर्गं गमिष्यसि।  
> अनेन वपुषा तात वनेऽस्मिन् राजसत्तम॥ १६॥  
> यद् यत् पश्यामि सर्वस्य ग्रहणं साधु रोचये।  
> अवश्यं ग्रहणं रामो मन्येऽहं समुपैष्यति॥ १७॥

“He replied as follows to me, ‘Let that boon of Brahmā (granting you long life) prove true.’ ‘Struck by your thunderbolt I have been deprived of my thighs, head and mouth which have disappeared into my trunk; how then shall I be able to servive for a very long time even without subsistence?’ Questioned thus, Indra forthwith made my arms eight miles long and placed a mouth provided with sharp teeth in my belly. Throwing into my mouth with my exceptionally long arms, lions, leopards, deer and tigers roaming in the forest all around, I eat them up. The aforesaid Indra also said to me. ‘When Śrī Rāma, in conjunction with Lakṣmaṇa, severs your arms in an encounter, you will forthwith ascend to heaven’ I prefer to lay hold of with this body of every creature that I behold in this forest, O beloved Rāma, the foremost of kings; for I thought within myself: ‘Rāma will surely fall within my grip.’ (12—17)

> इमां बुद्धिं पुरस्कृत्य देहन्यासकृतश्रमः।  
> स त्वं रामोऽसि भद्रं ते नाहमन्येन राघव॥ १८॥  
> शक्यो हन्तुं यथा तत्त्वमेवमुक्तं महर्षिणा।  
> अहं हि मतिसाचिव्यं करिष्यामि नरर्षभ॥ १९॥  
> मित्रं चैवोपदेक्ष्यामि युवाभ्यां संस्कृतोऽग्निना।  
> एवमुक्तस्तु धर्मात्मा दनुना तेन राघवः॥ २०॥  
> इदं जगाद वचनं लक्ष्मणस्य च पश्यतः।  
> रावणेन हृता भार्या सीता मम यशस्विनी॥ २१॥  
> निष्क्रान्तस्य जनस्थानात् सह भ्रात्रा यथासुखम्।  
> नाममात्रं तु जानामि न रूपं तस्य रक्षसः॥ २२॥

“Keeping this thought before me I have all along striven to cast off my unwieldy body by laying my hands on every living being in the hope that it might turn out to be Rāma. I am now convinced that you are the aforesaid Rāma. May prosperity attend on you ! For, I am not capable of being slain by anyone other than you, O scion of Raghu: this was truthfully declared by the great sage, Sthūlaśirā. When going to be consecrated with fire by you both, I will surely render help to you through my counsel and will also point out to you an ally, O jewel among men !” Spoken to as aforesaid by the demon, Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, for his part, whose mind was set on virtue, replied to him as follows, while Lakṣmaṇa stood looking on : “Sītā, my illustrious spouse, was borne away at ease by Rāvaṇa at a time when I had gone out of Janasthāna with my younger brother, Lakṣmaṇa. I know the name only but not the look of the ogre. (18—22)

> निवासं वा प्रभावं वा वयं तस्य न विद्महे।  
> शोकार्तानामनाथानामेवं विपरिधावताम्॥ २३॥  
> कारुण्यं सदृशं कर्तुमुपकारेण वर्तताम्।  
> काष्ठान्यानीय भग्नानि काले शुष्काणि कुञ्जरैः॥ २४॥  
> धक्ष्यामस्त्वां वयं वीर श्वभ्रे महति कल्पिते।  
> स त्वं सीतां समाचक्ष्व येन वा यत्र वा हृता॥ २५॥

“Nor are we aware of his home or even of his might. It is but becoming of you to show compassion to us, who are helplessly knocking about here and there in this way, stricken as we are with grief at the loss of Sītā, and behaving with benevolence towards all. Fetching dry logs of wood broken by elephants, we shall in course of time cremate you, o valiant ogre, after throwing you in an extensive pit dug by us. While being cremated by us as aforesaid, furnish to us detailed information about Sītā as to by whom she has been borne away and where she has been kept. (23—25)

> कुरु कल्याणमत्यर्थं यदि जानासि तत्त्वतः।  
> एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण वाक्यं दनुरनुत्तमम्॥ २६॥  
> प्रोवाच कुशलो वक्ता वक्तारमपि राघवम्।  
> दिव्यमस्ति न मे ज्ञानं नाभिजानामि मैथिलीम्॥ २७॥

“Render this great service to us if you know the thing correctly.” Requested in these words by Śrī Rāma, the demon for his part, who was an eloquent speaker, addressed the following most excellent reply to Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu), who too was an orator : “I have no divine knowledge, nor am I aware of Sītā, the princess of Mithilā. (26-27)

> यस्तां वक्ष्यति तं वक्ष्ये दग्धः स्वं रूपमास्थितः।  
> योऽभिजानाति तद्रक्षस्तद् वक्ष्ये राम तत्परम्॥ २८॥

“Having got back my native form when cremated by you I shall point out to you him who will be able to give correct information about Sītā. After that alone I shall point out who is aware of that ogre, O Rāma ! (28)

> अदग्धस्य हि विज्ञातुं शक्तिरस्ति न मे प्रभो।  
> राक्षसं तु महावीर्यं सीता येन हृता तव॥ २९॥

“The power does not lie in me, so long as I am not cremated, to know definitely anything about the ogre, possessed of great prowess, by whom your Sītā, has been borne away, my lord ! (29)

> विज्ञानं हि महद् भ्रष्टं शापदोषेण राघव।  
> स्वकृतेन मया प्राप्तं रूपं लोकविगर्हितम्॥ ३०॥

“My extraordinary supersensuous knowledge has indeed been interrupted by the detrimental effect of the curse pronounced on me, O scion of Raghu ! Because of my own doing again, has this form, condemned by the people, attained by me. (30)

> किं तु यावन्न यात्यस्तं सविता श्रान्तवाहनः।  
> तावन्मामवटे क्षिप्त्वा दह राम यथाविधि॥ ३१॥

“But, throwing me into a pit, cremate me, O Rāma, in accordance with the scriptural ordinance before the sun sinks below horizon, his horses exhausted. (31)

> दग्धस्त्वयाहमवटे न्यायेन रघुनन्दन।  
> वक्ष्यामि तं महावीर यस्तं वेत्स्यति राक्षसम्॥ ३२॥

“Cremated by you in a pit with due ceremony, O joy of the Raghus, I shall point out to you the individual, O great hero, who will know the whereabouts of the ogre. (32)

> तेन सख्यं च कर्तव्यं न्याय्यवृत्तेन राघव।  
> कल्पयिष्यति ते वीर साहाय्यं लघुविक्रम॥ ३३॥

“An alliance should be made by you with that individual of righteous conduct, O scion of Raghu ! He will render help to you, O hero of quick steps ! (33)

> नहि तस्यास्त्यविज्ञातं त्रिषु लोकेषु राघव।  
> सर्वान् परिवृतो लोकान् पुरा वै कारणान्तरे॥ ३४॥

“Nothing is really unknown to him in all the three worlds, O scion of Raghu; for, due to some reason he has actually travelled through all the worlds in the past.” (34)

Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana

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