Aranya Kanda, Sarga 75

Meaning

Taking up the route through the forest to the Pampā lake, as shown by Kabandha, the aforesaid two sons of Daśaratha (the foremost among men) proceeded towards the west. (1)

Meaning

Gazing on the numerous trees collected in the form of a cluster on the mountain rocks and laden with flowers and fruits and dripping honey, the two princes, Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, marched on their mission to see Sugrīva. (2)

Meaning

Staying for the night on a plateau, those two scions of Raghu, the delights of Raghu’s race, for their part approached the western edge of Pampā. (3)

Meaning

Having reached the western brink of the lotus pond, Pampā, the two princes then sighted the lovely hermitage of Śabarī on the aforesaid brink of Pampā. (4)

Meaning

Reaching that most delightful hermitage, hemmed in with many trees, and looking all-round, the two princes met Śabarī. (5)

Meaning

Rising respectfully with joined palms on seeing the two princes, Śabarī (who had attained perfection through Yoga or abstraction) for her part presently clasped the feet of Śrī Rāma and the prudent Lakṣmaṇa and offered her honoured guests with due ceremony water to bathe their feet and rinse their mouth with and every other form of hospitality. Śrī Rāma then spoke as follows to the aforesaid ascetic woman, who was intent upon virtue: (6-7)

Meaning

“Have all impediments to the practice of your austerities been thoroughly overcome by you? Is your asceticism steadily growing? Has anger been fully controlled by you as well as your diet, O lady ! with asceticism alone as your wealth? (8)

Meaning

“Are all your religious vows fully observed and has satisfaction come to your mind? Has your attendance on your preceptor borne fruit, O lady of pleasing speech?” (9)

Meaning

Stationed before Śrī Rāma when enquired as above by the latter, the aforesaid ascetic woman, the aged Śabarī, who had not only attained perfection through Yoga, but was esteemed by perfect souls, submitted as follows to Śrī Rāma : (10)

Meaning

“Today has the fruition of my austerities been attained by me through your blessed sight. Today my birth as a human being has borne fruit and my elders have been duly adored. (11)

Meaning

“My asceticism too has become fruitful today and the highest heaven too will definitely fall to my lot, now that you, the foremost of gods, have been worshipped by me, O Rāma, the flower of humanity. (12)

Meaning

“Hallowed by your gracious look, O gentle one, bestowing honour on others, I shall by your grace ascend to realms knowing no decay, O subduer of foes ! (13)

Meaning

“When you reached Citrakūṭa, the sages whom I served, viz., the pupils of Sage Mataṅga, ascended to heaven from this place in aerial cars of incomparable splendour. (14)

Meaning

“Nay, I was reassured in the following words by those eminent and highly blessed seers of Vedic Mantras, who knew what is right : ‘Śrī Rāma will visit this highly sacrosanct hermitage of yours. (15)

Meaning

“ ‘Alongwith Lakṣmaṇa (son of Sumitrā), Śrī Rāma should be hospitably received by you as a guest. Having seen him (before casting off your body) you will ascend to realms that know no decay.’ (16)

Meaning

“I was reassured by those highly blessed souls in these words on that occasion, O jewel among men ! Produce of the forest of every description growing on the brink of Pampā has, therefore, been gathered by me for you, O tiger among men, the flower of humanity !” Spoken to, as aforesaid, by Śabarī, the said Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu), whose mind was set on virtue, lovingly spoke as follows to Śabarī, who had been eternally admitted into the portals of divine wisdom : “If you deem fit, I wish to perceive with my own eyes the glory of your high-souled preceptors, heard of by me of its true character from the demon Kabandha.” Hearing these words issued from the lips of Śrī Rāma, Śabarī for her part showed both the brothers round that vast forest, saying: “Behold the forest dark as a rainy cloud and thronged with beasts and birds and widely known by the name of Mataṅgavana only, O joy of the House of Raghu !” She said : “Here the aforesaid preceptors of mine, who had purified the soul by meditating on God, sacrificed their body consecrated by repeating the holy text of Gāyatrī while uttering the Mantra which are recited at the time of pouring oblations into the sacred fire, O prince endowed with great splendour ! (17—22)

Meaning

“This is the altar known by the name of Pratyaksthalī, where the aforesaid Ṛṣis, highly adored by me, offered worship with flowers to the deities with their hands shaking due to exhaustion caused by old age, coupled with austerity of life. (23)

Meaning

“See how the altar retains its matchless effulgence even to this day, illumining all the quarters by its splendour through the power of their asceticism, O flower of Raghu’s race ! (24)

Meaning

“Behold all the seven oceans encircling the earth drawn in a collective form to this spot by the very thought of those sages when they had grown feeble due to exhaustion occasioned by fasting and were consequently unable to undertake a journey to the seven oceans. (25)

Meaning

“The barks of trees (clothes) spread by them on the trees in this region, after they had finished their ablutions, have not dried up till today, O delight of the Raghus ! (26)

Meaning

“The garlands which were actually made by them with flowers interspersed with blue water-lilies while going through rites undertaken to propitiate the gods have not really faded till now. (27)

Meaning

“The whole of this forest has been seen and what was worth hearing about it has been heard by you. I, therefore, wish that duly permitted by you, I may cast off this body. (28)

Meaning

“I long to approach those ascetics of purified mind to whom this hermitage belongs and whose servant I have been.” (29)

Meaning

Hearing the most pious submission of Śabarī, Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) for his part together with Lakṣmaṇa experienced incomparable exultation and said, “Wonderful !” (30)

Meaning

Śrī Rāma then replied to the said Śabarī of austere vows, “I have been duly honoured by you, O blessed lady ! Now depart happily at will.” (31)

Meaning

Casting herself into the fire when spoken to as aforesaid and granted leave by Śrī Rāma, Śabarī, who wore matted locks on her head and was clad in the bark of trees and black deerskin before she leapt into the fire, rose to the highest heaven alone, looking, as she did, like a blazing fire : so the tradition goes. Adorned with celestial jewels and celestial garlands, daubed with heavenly sandal-paste and clad in heavenly raiment, she wore a pleasing aspect in that ethereal form, illumining that region like a streak of lightning flashing from a cloud. (32—34)

Meaning

Through deep concentration of mind Śabarī attained that holy realm where those eminent Ṛṣis, whose mind was set on virtue, enjoyed life. (35)