tathā tu tṃ samādiśya bhrātarṃ raghunandanḥ| babandhāsiṃ mahātejā jāmbūnadamayatsarum||3.44.1||
Translation
महातेजाः brilliant, रघुनन्दनः delight of the Raghu dynasty, भ्रातरम् brother, तम् to him, तथा in that way, समादिश्य instructed, जाम्बूनदमयत्सरुम् golden handle , असिम् the sword, बबन्ध tied.
Meaning
The brilliant Rama, delight of the Raghu dynasty, thus instructed his brother and fastened a sword with a golden handle to his waist.
tata stryavanatṃ cāpamādāyā'tmavibhūṣaṇam| ābadhya ca kalāpau dvau jagāmodagravikramḥ||3.44.2||
Translation
ततः then, उदग्रविक्रमः of indomitable prowess, त्र्यवनतम् bent in three places, आत्मविभूषणम् an ornament to him, चापम् bow, आदाय took, द्वौ both, कलापौ two quivers, आबद्ध्य tied at the back, जगाम went.
Meaning
A man of indomitable prowess, he took the bow with three curves that was like an ornament to him, tied two quivers at the back and left.
आपतन्तम् approaching, राजेन्द्रम् to the king, तम् him, निरीक्षय seeing, वञ्चयानः while deceiving, त्रासात् out of fear, अन्तर्हितः disappeared, बभूव became, पुनः again, सन्दर्शने within sight, अभवत् appeared, बद्धासिः held his sword, धनुः bow, आदाय lifting, मृगः deer, यतः wherever, प्रदुद्राव ran.
Meaning
On seeing Rama approaching him, the deer disappeared due to fear and again came within sight. With his sword and the bow, Rama chased wherever the deer ran.
धनुष्पाणिः wielder of the bow (Rama), अवेक्ष्य saw, महावने in the huge forest, धावन्तम् running, तम् him, रूपेण form, अग्रतः in front, पश्यति स्म saw, कदाचन sometimes, इषोः scared of the arrow, पातात् ran, अतिवृत्तम् went out of reach, लोभयानम् enticing, शङ्कितम् frightened, समुद्भ्रान्तम् bewildered, अम्बरे in the sky, उत्पतन्तमिव as if flying up, छिन्नाभ्रैः by the scattered clouds, संवीतम् surrounded, शारदम् autumnal,चन्द्रमण्डलम् इव like the orb of the Moon, केषुचित् in certain places, वनोद्देशेषु in the forest tract, दृश्यमानम् came within sight, अदृश्यं च again disappeared.
Meaning
Rama, wielder of the bow, saw that splendid animal ahead of him. Holding the bow he saw the deer running away, bewldered into the great forest looking at him again and again. The deer was getting out of the range of his arrow, while it enticed him now and then. Suspecting that he might be caught, the deer was, as though jumping into the sky. Now it came within sight and now out of sight in the huge forest. It looked like the autumnal moon surrounded by clouds. (The clouds muffle the Moon and reveal him now and then).
मृगताम् in the form of a deer, गतः transformed, सः मारीचः that Maricha, मुहूर्तादेव for a moment, ददृशे was seen, मुहुः again, (मुहूर्तात् another moment), दूरात् at a distance, प्रकाशते appeared, एवं as, दर्शनादर्शनात् appearing and disappearing, राघवम् Rama, उपाकर्षत pulled away.
Meaning
Maricha, transformed into a deer, was seen now near, now faroff. He pulled Rama away from the hermitage through his exits and entrances.
sa tamunmādayāmāsa mṛgarūpo niśācarḥ| mṛgaiḥ parivṛto vanyairadūrātpratyadṛśyata||3.44.10||
Translation
मृगरूपः assuming the form of a deer, सः निशाचरः that demon, तम् him, उन्मादयामास excited, वन्यैः with forest, मृगैः animals, परिवृतः surrounded by, अदूरात् not very far from him, अदृश्यत was seen.
Meaning
That demon transformed himself into a deer and, surrounded by the animals of the forest at close range, attracted his attention.
गृहीतुकामम् intending to catch him, एवम् in that way, दृष्ट्वा after seeing, पुनरेव once again, अभ्यधावत ran, तत्क्षणादेव in a moment, पुनरेव again, त्रासात् out of fear, अन्तर्हितः disappeared, अभवत् became.
Meaning
Seeing Rama's intention to catch him, the deer ran away once again out of fear and disappeared in a moment.
punareva tato dūrādvṛkṣaṣaṇḍādvinissṛtam| dṛṣṭvā rāmo mahātejāstṃ hantuṃ kṛtaniścayḥ||3.44.12||
Translation
ततः then, महातेजाः resplendent, रामः Rama , पुनरेव again, दूरात् from a distance, वृक्षषण्डात् from a group of trees, विनिस्सृतम् coming out, तम् him, दृष्ट्वा saw, हन्तुम् to kill, कृतनिश्चयः determined .
Meaning
Resplendent Rama saw the deer coming out of a cluster of trees at a distance and determined to kill him.
तत्र there, भूयः again, कुपितः enraged, अरिमर्दनः destroyer of foes, बली powerful,राघवः Rama, सूर्यरश्मिप्रतीकाशम् glowing like the rays of the Sun, ज्वलन्तम् blazing, शरम् dart, उद्धृत्य lifting, सुदृढे in a sturdy, चापे in bow, सन्धाय aiming, बलवत् with force, विकृष्य drew, श्वसन्तम् sighing, पन्नगम् इव like the serpent, ज्वलितम् burning, दीप्तम् shining, ब्रह्मनिर्मितम् created by Brahma, अस्त्रम् weapon, तम् him, मृगमेव on the deer, उद्दिश्य aiming, मुमोच released.
Meaning
Powerful Rama, destroyer of foes, lifted in a rage his arrow blazing like the light of the Sun, strung it to his sturdy bow and drew it with all his force. He then aimed at the deer and released the shining arrow created by Brahma which went hissing like a serpent.
अथ and then, सः Maricha, शरातुरः hurt by the dart, अल्पजीवितः very little life left, भैरवं नादम् frightening sound, विनदन् released, तालमात्रम् to the height of a palm tree, उत्प्लुत्य leaped up, धरण्याम् on earth, न्यपतत् dropped.
Meaning
And, hurt by the dart, Maricha roared frighteningly, leaped as high as a palm tree and dropped down on earth almost dead.
मारीचः Maricha, म्रियमाणः breathing his last, कृत्रिमाम् artificial, ताम् that, तनुम् body, जहौ gave up, रक्षः the demon, तद्वचनम् those words, स्मृत्वा remembering, दध्यौ thought, सीता Sita, केन by what means, लक्ष्मणम् Lakshmana, इह here, प्रस्थापयेत् she may send, शून्ये in seclusion, ताम् her, रावणः Ravana, हरेत् will abduct.
Meaning
Maricha gave up his false form of the deer and before breathing his last, remembered the words of Ravana. He thought over the means through which Sita could send Lakshmana to this spot so that Ravana would abduct her when she is alone.
sa prāptakālamājñāya cakāra ca tata svanam| sadṛśṃ rāghavasyeha hā sīte lakṣmaṇeti ca||3.44.19||
Translation
ततः then, सः Maricha, प्राप्तकालम् the right time, आज्ञाय having realised, राघवस्य Rama's, सदृशम् similar, हा सीते Alas, Sita, लक्ष्मण Lakshmana, इति च like that, स्वनम् a sound, चकार released.
Meaning
Then Maricha realised that the appropriate time had come. In a voice similar to Rama's, he shouted loudly 'Alas Sita, Alas Lakshmana '
tena marmaṇi nirviddhṃ śareṇānupamena hi| mṛgarūpṃ tu tattyaktvā rākṣasṃ rūpamāsthitḥ||3.44.20|| cakre sa sumahākāyṃ mārīco jīvitṃ tyajan|
Translation
सः मारीचः that, Maricha, तेन by that, अनुपमेन matchless, शरेण by the dart, मर्मणि in vital part, निर्विद्धम् struck, तत् then, मृगरूपम् form of a deer, त्वक्त्वा giving up, राक्षसं रूपम् form of a demon, आस्थितः assumed, जीवितम् life, त्यजन् while giving up, सुमहाकायम् that huge body, चक्रे attained.
Meaning
Struck in the vital part by Rama's matchless dart, Maricha gave up the form of the deer and assumed his huge body of the demon.
रामः Rama, भूमौ on the ground, पतितम् fallen down, घोरदर्शनम् terrific figure, रुधिरसिक्ताङ्गम् drenched in blood, महीतले on the ground, चेष्टमानम् moving his limbs, तं राक्षसम् that demon, दृष्ट्वा seen, लक्ष्मणस्य Lakshmana's, वचः words, स्मरन् remembered, मनसा by his mind, सीताम् Sita, जगाम went.
Meaning
Seeing that terrific demon fallen on the ground, drenched in blood, and strring his limbs, Rama thought of Lakshmana's words and reached Sita mentally (thought of her).
एषा this way, मारीचस्य Maricha's, माया magic, लक्ष्मणेन by Lakshmana, पूर्वोक्तम् told earlier, तत् that, तथा in the same way, अभवत् हि it happened, मया by me, हतः killed, अयम् that, मारीचः Maricha.
Meaning
This is an illusion created by Maricha. It happened exactly the way Lakshmana had said earlier. Maricha is now killed.
सः he, Maricha, अयं राक्षसः this demon, हा सीते Alas, Sita, लक्ष्मण (Alas,) Lakshmana, इत्येवम् in this manner, महास्वरम् loudly, आक्रुश्य screamed, ममार died, श्रुत्वा heard, सीता Sita, कथम् how, भवेत् will she be, महाबाहुः long armed, लक्ष्मणश्च Lakshmana too, काम् what, अवस्थाम् situation, गमिष्यति will reach, धर्मात्मा righteous , रामः Rama, इति like this, सञ्चिन्त्य on thinking, हृष्टतनूरूहः his hair stood on end.
Meaning
This demon Maricha screamed aloud saying, 'Alas, Sita, Alas, Lakshmana'. He is now dead. How would Sita react to this voice? What would be the condition of Lakshmana? While righteous Rama reflected on this, his hair stood on end.
tatra rāmṃ bhayṃ tīvramāviveśa viṣādajam| rākṣasṃ mṛgarūpṃ tṃ hatvā śrutvā ca tatsvaram||3.44.26||
Translation
मृगरूपम् in the form of a deer, राक्षसम् demon, हत्वा having killed, तत्स्वरम् that sound, श्रुत्वा च having heard, तत्र there, रामम् Rama, विषादजम् born of sadness, तीव्रम् intense, भयम् fear, आविवेश came over.
Meaning
After killing the demon in the figure of a deer and hearing his voice, Rama was overtaken by intense fear born of despair.
Then Rama killed another deer, collected the venison and hastened to Janasthana. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे चतुश्चत्वारिंशस्सर्गः। Thus ends the fortyfourth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.