Aranya Kanda — Sarga 50

तं शब्दमवसुप्तस्तु जटायुरथ शुश्रुवे। निरैक्षद् रावणं क्षिप्रं वैदेहीं च ददर्श सः॥

Hearing these words Jațāyu, who lay buried in a deep slumber, awoke and beheld both Rāvana and Janaki.

Aranya Kanda 50.1

ततः पर्वतशृङ्गाभस्तीक्ष्णतुण्डः खगोत्तमः। वनस्पतिगतः श्रीमान् व्याजहार शुभां गिरम्॥

There-at the lord of birds resting on the tree, having a big sharp beak like to the summit of a hill, addressed these soft words to Rāvana,

Aranya Kanda 50.2

दशग्रीव स्थितो धर्मे पुराणे सत्यसंश्रयः। भ्रातस्त्वं निन्दितं कर्म कर्तुं नार्हसि साम्प्रतम्॥ जटायुर्नाम नाम्नाहं गृध्रराजो महाबलः।

O brother Ten-necked one, I am conversant with Purāņas, of truthful vows and abide by religion. It does not behove you to perpetrate such an iniquitous deed before me. I am Jātayu, the mighty lord of vultures.

Aranya Kanda 50.3

राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य महेन्द्रवरुणोपमः॥ लोकानां च हिते युक्तो रामो दशरथात्मजः।

Daśaratha's son Rāma is the lord of all men like to Mahendra and Varuņa. He is ever engaged in the welfare of all men.

Aranya Kanda 50.4

तस्यैषा लोकनाथस्य धर्मपत्नी यशस्विनी॥ सीता नाम वरारोहा यां त्वं हर्तुमिच्छसि।

This exquisitely beautiful and far-famed Sītā whom you are about to steal away, is the married wife of that lord of men.

Aranya Kanda 50.5

कथं राजा स्थितो धर्मे परदारान् परामशेत्॥ रक्षणीया विशेषेण राजदारा महाबल। निवर्तय गतिं नीचां परदाराभिमर्शनात्॥ न तत् समाचरेद् धीरो यत् परोऽस्य विगर्हयेत्। यथाऽऽत्मनस्तथोन्येषां दारा रक्ष्या विमर्शनात्॥

How do you yourself being a monarch and engaged in the royal office of maintaining subjects, carry away by stealth another's wife? O you of mighty prowess, you should specially protect the wives of kings. Do you therefore control your base inclination of oppressing another's wife. A hero does never perform what bring calumny upon himself. It becometh every individual to save another's wife from the touch of a second man like to his own wife.

Aranya Kanda 50.6

अर्थं वा यदि वा कामं शिष्टाः शास्त्रेष्वनागतम्। व्यवस्यन्त्यनु राजानं धर्मं पौलस्त्यनन्दन॥

O son of Paulastya, at the instance of the king mild subjects perform many an action conducing to virtue, wealth and desire, though not mentioned in the Šāstras.

Aranya Kanda 50.7

राजा धर्मश्च कामश्च द्रव्याणां चोत्तमो निधिः। धर्मः शुभं वा पापं वा राजमूलं प्रवर्तते॥

The king is the virtue, the king is the desire and the king is the prime jewel of all subjects. Virtue, desire or sin-every thing ariseth from the king.

Aranya Kanda 50.8

पापस्वभावश्चपल: कथं त्वं रक्षसां वर। ऐश्वर्यमभिसम्प्राप्तो विमानमिव दुष्कृती॥

O you the best of Rākṣasas, you are vicious and unsteady; how have you come by riches like to a sinner attaining to the abode of celestials?

Aranya Kanda 50.9

कामस्वभावोयः सोऽसौ न शक्यस्तं प्रमार्जितुम्। नहि दुष्टात्मनामार्यमावसत्यालये जिरम्॥

A vicious person can never relinquish his sinful habits—virtue does never reside in the abodes of impious persons.

Aranya Kanda 50.10

विषये वा पुरे वा ते यदा रामो महाबलः। नापराध्यति धर्मात्मा कथं तस्यापराध्यसि ॥

The mighty and the virtuous-souled Rāma has committed nothing wrong in your city or your dominions. Why do you then commit wrong by him?

Aranya Kanda 50.11

यदि शूर्पणखाहेतोर्जनस्थानगतः खरः। अतिवृत्तो हतः पूर्वं रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा॥ अत्र ब्रूहि यथातत्वं का रामस्य व्यतिक्रमः। यस्य त्वं लोकनाथस्य हृत्वा भार्यां गमिष्यसि॥

Khara of Janasthāna is highly wicked and if Rāma of blameless actions has killed him on Surpanakha's account how is he to blame? Why do you then carry away the wife of that lord of men?

Aranya Kanda 50.12

क्षिप्रं विसृज वैदेहीं मा त्वा घोरेण चक्षुषा। दहेद् दहनभूतेन वृत्रमिन्द्राशनिर्यथा॥

Do you soon leave off Vaidehī. Like to Indra burning down Vịtrāsura, Rāma, looking with his terrible eyes like flaming fire, shall reduce you to ashes.

Aranya Kanda 50.13

सर्पमाशीविषं बद्ध्वा वस्त्रान्ते नावबुध्यसे। ग्रीवायां प्रतिमुक्तं च कालपाशं न पश्यसि॥

Do you not understand that you have tied with cloth a virulent serpent? Do you not see that you have placed around your neck the noose of death?

Aranya Kanda 50.14

स भारः सौम्य भर्तव्यो यो नरं नावसादयेत्। तदन्नमपि भोक्तव्यं जीर्यते यदनामयम्॥

It is always proper to carry such a weight as does not exhaust (him who carries); it is always proper to take such a food as does not cause illness.

Aranya Kanda 50.15

यत् कृत्वा न भवेद् धर्मो न कीर्तिर्न यशो ध्रुवम्। शरीरस्य भवेत् खेदः कस्तत् कर्म समाचरेत्॥

Who engageth himself in such an action as does not confer virtue, fame or glory, but bring about physical affliction only?

Aranya Kanda 50.16

षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि जातस्य मम रावण। पितृपैतामहं राज्यं यथावदनुतिष्ठतः॥

O Rāvana, I am sixty thousand years old and have been administering regularly my ancestral kingdom.

Aranya Kanda 50.17

वृद्धोऽहं त्वं युवा धन्वी सरथः कवची शरी। न चाप्यादाय कुशली वैदेहीं मे गमिष्यसि ॥

Old though I am, you shall not be able to carry away with safety Jānakī in my presence, young, accoutred in mails as you are with bow and arrows in your hands and ascending a car.

Aranya Kanda 50.18

न शक्तस्त्वं बलाद्धर्तुं वैदेहीं मम पश्यतः। हेतुभिर्यायसंयुक्तैर्बुवां वेदश्रुतीमिव॥

As it is not easy to destroy, by the reasonings of Logic, Vedas and Śrutis containing eternal and immutable truths, so you shall not be able to carry away Vaidehi by force before me.

Aranya Kanda 50.19

युध्यस्व यदि शूरोऽसि मुहूर्तं तिष्ठ रावण। शयिष्यसे हतो भूमौ यथा पूर्वं खरस्तथा॥

If you are a hero do you fight. Or do you wait for a moment, O Rāvana, you shall also embrace the earth like to Khara.

Aranya Kanda 50.20

असकृतसंयुगे येन निहता दैत्यदानवाः। न चिराच्चीरवासास्त्वां रामो युधि वधिष्यति॥

Soon shall Rāma clad in bark destroy you in the battle field, who had many a time and oft destroyed in conflict the celestials and Dānavas.

Aranya Kanda 50.21

किं नु शक्यं मया कर्तुं गतौ दूरं नृपात्मजौ। क्षिप्रं त्वं नश्यसे नीच तयोर्भीतो न संशयः॥

These two princes Rāma and Lakşmaņa are at a distance, what shall I do now? O vile being, undoubtedly shall you, terrified, be destroyed by thein.

Aranya Kanda 50.22

नहि मे जीवमानस्य नयिष्यसि शुभामिमाम्। सीतां कमलपत्राक्षी रामस्य महिषीं प्रियाम्॥

Myself drawing my breath you shall not be able to carry away this beloved queen of Rāma, the pure-natured Sitä having eyes resembling lotuses.

Aranya Kanda 50.23

अवश्यं तु मया कार्यं प्रियं तस्य महात्मनः। जीवितेनापि रामस्य तथा दशरथस्य च॥ तिष्ठ तिष्ठ दशग्रीव मुहूर्तं पश्य रावण।

It is my duty to do good to the high-souled Rāma and Dasaratha even at the sacrifice of my life.

Aranya Kanda 50.24

वृन्तादिव फलं त्वं तु पातयेयं रथोत्तमाम्। युद्धातिथ्यं प्रदास्यामि यथाप्राणं निशाचर॥

Do you stand, O ten-necked one. Behold for a moment. O Ravana, I shall throw you headlong from this car, like to a fruit from its stalk. O ranger of the night, even to my utmost might I will render you hospitality in encounter.

Aranya Kanda 50.25