Aranya Kanda — Sarga 42

एवमुक्ता तु परुषं मारीचो रावणं ततः। गच्छावेत्यब्रवीत् दीनो भयाद् रात्रिंचरप्रभोः॥

Speaking these harsh words to Rāvana, Mārīca being afraid of him said, We shall both go.

Aranya Kanda 42.1

दृष्टश्चाहं पुनस्तेन शरचापासिधारिणा। मद्धोद्यतशस्त्रेण निहतं जीवितं च मे॥

Surely shall I be deprived of my life b, (Rāma) taking up his scimitar and having a bow and arrows in his hands, if I go before hiin again.

Aranya Kanda 42.2

नहि रामं पराक्रम्य जीवन् प्रतिनिवर्तते। वर्तते प्रतिरूपोऽसौ यमदण्डहतस्य ते॥

Meeting with his prowess you shall never return with your life; he is like the noose of Death to you though you had baffled its power.

Aranya Kanda 42.3

किं नु कर्तुं मया शक्यमेवं त्वयि दुरात्मनि। एव गच्छाम्यहं तात स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु निशाचर॥

You are vicious-souled, what can I do for you? be you crowned with success O ranger of the night, I shall go.

Aranya Kanda 42.4

प्रहृष्टस्त्वभवत्तेन वचनेन स राक्षसः। परिष्वज्य सुसंश्लिष्टमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥

The Lord of Rākşasas being pleased with Mārīca's words embraced him warmly and said,

Aranya Kanda 42.5

एतच्छौटीर्ययुक्तं ते मच्छन्दवशवर्तिनः। इदानीमसि मारीचः पूर्वमन्यो हि राक्षसः॥

This is worthy of your heroism that you have addressed yourself to act after my desire. You were another Raksasa before and have now become true Mārīca.

Aranya Kanda 42.6

आरुह्यतामयं शीघ्रं खगो रत्नविभूषितः। मया सह रथो युक्त : पिशाचवदनैः खरैः॥

Do you now with me ascend this chariot coursing in the air, crested with jewels and driven by asses having faces of a demon.

Aranya Kanda 42.7

प्रलोभयित्वा वैदेहीं यथेष्टं गन्तुमर्हसि । तां शून्ये प्रसभं सीतामानयिष्यामि मैथिलीम्॥

Enchanting Vaidehī you shall wend your way and away shall I carry the daughter of the king of Mithilā by force (when there shall be neither Rāma nor Laksmana by her.)

Aranya Kanda 42.8

ततस्तथेत्युवाचैनं रावणं ताटकासुतः। ततो रावणमारीचौ विमानमिव तं रथम्॥ आरुह्याययतुः शीघ्रं तस्मादाश्रममण्डलात्।

Thereupon Tārakā's son assented to Rāvana's words, and both of them ascending the chariot like to a heavenly car set out for the hermitage.

Aranya Kanda 42.9

तथैव तत्र पश्यन्तौ पत्तनानि वनानि च॥ गिरीश्च सरितः सर्वा राष्ट्राणि नगराणि च। समेत्य दण्डकारण्यं राघवस्याश्रमं ततः॥ ददर्श सहमारीचो रावणो राक्षसाधिपः।

And beholding diverse towns, forests, mountains, rivers, kingdoms and cities they reached the forest of Dandaka and the asylum of Rāma.

Aranya Kanda 42.10

अवतीर्य रथात् तस्मात् ततः काञ्चनभूषणात्॥ हस्ते गृहीत्वा मारीचं रावणो वाक्यमब्रवीत्।।

And descending now from the golden car the lord of Rākşasas together with Mārīca beheld Răma's asylum. Taking him (Mārīca) by the hand Ravana spoke.

Aranya Kanda 42.11

एतद् रामाश्रमपदं दृश्यते कदलीवृतम्॥ क्रियतां तत् सखे शीघ्रं यदर्थे वयमागताः।

There stands the asylum of Rāma surrounded by palm trees. Do you do that for which we have come here.

Aranya Kanda 42.12

स रावणवचः श्रुत्वा मारीचो राक्षसस्तदा॥ मृगो भूत्वाऽऽश्रमद्वारि रामस्य विचचार ह।

Hearing the words of Rāvaņa, the Rāksasa Mārīca assuming the wonderful shape of a (golden) deer began to range at large before Rama's hermitage.

Aranya Kanda 42.13

स तु रूपं समास्थाय महदद्भुतदर्शनम्॥ मणिप्रवरशृङ्गाग्रः सितासितमुखाकृतिः। रक्तपद्मोत्पलमुख इन्द्रनीलोत्पलश्रवाः॥ किंचिदत्युनतग्रीव इन्द्रनीलनिभोदरः। मधूकनिभपार्श्वश्च कञ्जकिञ्जल्कसंनिभः॥ वैदूर्यसंकाशखुरस्तनुजङ्घः सुसंहतः। इन्द्रायुधसवर्णेन पुच्छेनोर्ध्वं विराजितः॥ मनोहरस्निग्धवर्णो रत्नैर्नानाविधैर्वृतः। क्षणेन राक्षसो जातो मृगः परमशोभनः॥

The points of its horns were like to (two) excellent jewels, its countenance was diversified with white and black colour, its face was like a red lotus, its cars were like to two blue lotuses, its neck was little raised, its bclly was like a sapphire, its sides were like to Madhūka flowers, its colour was like that of a filament of a lotus, its hoops were like to Vaidurayas (a gem of a dark colour); of lean thighs; of firm joints; its tail having the diversified colour of a rainbow was upraised. It was of a pleasant and cool hue and crested with various jewels.

Aranya Kanda 42.14

वनं प्रज्वलयन् रम्यं रामाश्रमपदं च तत्। मनोहरं दर्शनीयं रूपं कृत्वा स राक्षसः॥ प्रलोभनार्थं वैदेह्या नानाधातुविचित्रितम्। विचरन् गच्छते सम्यक् शाद्वलानि समन्ततः॥

And in no time the Rākşasa assumed the shape of a beautiful deer. To tempt Vaidehī that ranger of the night, assuming a beautiful countenance painted with diverse metals, illumining the beautiful forest and Rāma's asylum with its beauty, and ranging at large on the green field and living on grass, began to

Aranya Kanda 42.15

रौप्यैर्बिन्दुशतैश्चित्रं भूत्वा च प्रियदर्शनः। विटपीनां किसलयान् भक्षयन् विचचार ह॥

That one of lively presence having its body painted with hundreds of silver drops and living on twigs of trees began to range in the forest.

Aranya Kanda 42.16

कदलीगृहकं गत्वा कर्णिकारानितस्ततः। तमाश्रमं मन्दगतिं सीतासंदर्शनं ततः॥

Sometimes walking into the plantain house, sometimes walking around the forest of Karņikā, sometimes coming within the compass of Sītā's vision, that best of deer having its back painted with gold began to range slowly around the hermitage.

Aranya Kanda 42.17

राजीवचित्रपृष्टः स विरराज महामृगः। रामाश्रमपदाभ्याशे विचचार यथासुखम्॥ पुनर्गत्वा निवृत्तश्च विचचार मृगोत्तमः। गत्वा मुहूर्तं त्वरया पुनः प्रतिनिवर्तते॥

It began to walk at pleasure near Rāma's asylum. Sometimes going, sometimes stopping, at one time running very swiftly and receding the next moment, that best of deer began to range at large.

Aranya Kanda 42.18

विक्रीडंश्च क्वचिद् भूमौ पुनरेव निषीदति। आश्रमद्वारमागम्य मृगयूथानि गच्छति॥ मृगयूथैरनुगतः पुनरेव निवर्तते। सीतादर्शनमाकाङ्क्षन् राक्षसो मृगतां गतः॥

Sometimes playing around, sometimes lying on earth and sometimes following the deer-herd having come within the thresh hold of the asylum and then followed again by them that Rākṣasa assuming the form of a deer came back to see Sītā.

Aranya Kanda 42.19

परिभ्रमति चित्राणि मण्डलानि विनिष्पतन्। • समुद्वीक्ष्य च सर्वे तं मृगा येऽन्ये वोचराः॥

He then began to range at large in the beautiful forest (extending far and wide). Seeing him other forest-deer came (by hiin) and smelling him fled away into different quarters.

Aranya Kanda 42.20

उपगम्य समाघ्राय विद्रवन्ति दिशो दश। राक्षसः सोऽपि तान् वन्यान् मृगान् मृगवधे रतः॥

That Raksasa, though expert in killing deer, did not eat them up, though touching, in order to hide his real self.

Aranya Kanda 42.21

प्रच्छादनार्थं भावस्य न भक्षयति संस्पृशन्। तस्मिन्नेव ततः काले वैदेही शुभलोचना॥ कुसुमापचये व्यग्रा पादपानत्यवर्तत। कर्णिकारानशोकांश्च चूतांश्च मदिरेक्षणा॥

In the meantime Vaidehī, of auspicious looks whose eyes inebriate like wine, being engaged in plucking flowers, was going sometimes to the Karņikā grove and sometimes to the mango grove.

Aranya Kanda 42.22

कुसुमान्यपचिन्वन्ती चचार रुचिरानना। अनर्हा वनवासस्य सा तं रत्नमयं मृगम्॥ मुक्तामणिविचित्राङ्गं ददर्श परमाङ्गना।

That best of women, ever inured to living in the forest and possessed of a graceful countenance, walking and plucking flowers, saw that jewelled deer, having its body diversified with pearls and diamonds,

Aranya Kanda 42.23

तं वै रुचिरदन्तोष्ठं रूप्यधातुतनूरुहम्॥ विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयना सस्नेहं समुदैक्षत।

It had beautiful teeth and lips and had its down resembling silver. She began to behold with affection and with her eyes expanded with surprise.

Aranya Kanda 42.24

स च तां रामदयितां पश्यन् मायामयो मृगः॥ विचचार ततस्तत्र दीपयन्निव तद् वनम्।

That illusive deer seeing Rāma's wife began to inove around as if lighting up that forest (with the fire of its beauty).

Aranya Kanda 42.25

अदृष्टपूर्वं दृष्ट्वा तं नानारत्नमयं मृगम्। विस्मयं परमं सीता जगाम जनकात्मजा॥

Beholding that deer ornamented with diverse jewels, and the like of which she had never seen before, the daughter of Janaka was struck with immense wonder. Beholding that deer ornamented with diverse jewels, and the like of which she had never seen before, the daughter of Janaka was struck with immense wonder.

Aranya Kanda 42.26