महाबाहो longarmed, महाबलपराक्रम strong and powerful, राम O Rama, पुरा in the past, सोमस्य the Moon's, शक्रस्य Indra's, यथा as, सूर्यस्य च the Sun's, वपुः body, यथा like that, मम my,रूपम् form, अचिन्त्यम् inconceivable, त्रिषु लोकेषु in the three worlds, विश्रुतम् renowned, आसीत् it was.
Meaning
O longarmed, mighty and powerful Rama in the past I was handsome like the Moon or Indra or the Sun inconceivable to all the three worlds.
राम Rama, सः that, अहम् I, लोकवित्रासनम् a great terror in the world, महत् great, इदं रूपम् this form, कृत्वा after creating, ततस्ततः eventually, वनगतान् those men in the forests, ऋषीन् seers, त्रासयामि used to terrorise.
Meaning
With my appearance, I was a great nuisance to the world and used to terrorise the sages living in the forest.
ततः then, विविधम् different, वन्यम् forest material, सञ्चिन्वन् while collecting, स्थूलशिराः नाम by name Sthulasira, महर्षिः seer, अनेन by this, रूपेण form, धर्षितः was assaulted, मया by me, कोपितः was enraged.
Meaning
With my appearance I invited the wrath of Sthulasira who I assaulted among the many seers, while he was collecting food in the forest.
tenāhamuktḥ prekṣyaivṃ ghoraśāpābhidhāyinā||3.71.4|| etadeva nṛśṃsṃ te rūpamastu vigarhitam|
Translation
प्रेक्ष्य seeing me, घोरशापाभिधायिना pronounced a dreadful curse, तेन by him, अहम् I, एवम् in that way, उक्तः said, ते you, नृशंसम् mean, विगर्हितम् dispising, एतत् this, रूपमेव form only, अस्तु it may be.
Meaning
Seeing me he pronounced a dreadful curse on me saying, 'You will get a cruel, despicable form.'
sa mayā yācitḥ kruddhaśśāpasyonto bhavediti||3.71.5|| abhiśāpakṛtasyeti tenedṃ bhāṣitṃ vacḥ|
Translation
क्रुद्धः angry, सः he, अभिशापकृतस्य pronounced on, शापस्य curse's, अन्तः end of it, भवेत् may be, इति thus, मया by me, प्रार्थितः begged, तेन by him, इदम् this, वचः words, भाषितम् spoke.
Meaning
When I sought to know how the curse angrily pronounced on me would come to an end, he said:
रामः Rama, भुजौ two arms, छित्त्वा cutting, त्वाम् you, यदा when, विजने in a desolate, वने in forest, दहेत् cremate, तदा then, स्वमेव your own, विपुलम् शुभम् greatly auspicious, रूपम् form, प्राप्स्यसे you will obtain.
Meaning
'When Rama gets your arms in a desolate forest amputated and your body cremated, you would get back your gloriously auspicious form.'
लक्ष्मण Lakshmana, दनोः Danu's family, श्रिया by prosperity, विराजितम् shining, पुत्रम् son, त्वम् you, विद्धि know, इन्द्रकोपात् by the wrath of Indra, रणाजिरे in the battlefield, एवम् this, इदं रूपम् this form, प्राप्तम् is obtained.
Meaning
O Lakshmana know that I was the prosperous son of demon Danu. By the wrath of Indra in the battlefeild I obtained this form.
ahṃ hi tapasogreṇa pitāmahamatoṣayam||3.71.8|| dīrghamāyussa me prādāttato māṃ vibhramo'spṛśat|
Translation
अहम् I, उग्रेण by intense, तपसा by penance, पितामहम् the creator Brahma, आतोषयम् I made him happy, सः he, मे my, दीर्घम् long, आयुः life, प्रादात् graced, ततः then, माम् me, विभ्रमः confusion, अस्पृशत् overtook me.
Meaning
I pleased the creator Brahma with great penance. He blessed me with long life. Then this pride and confusion overtook me.
dīrghamāyurmayā prāptṃ kiṃ me śakrḥ kariṣyati||3.71.9|| ityevṃ buddhimāsthāya raṇe śakramadharṣayam|
Translation
मया by me, दीर्घम् long, आयुः life, प्राप्तम् has been attained, शक्रः Indra, मे to me, किं करिष्यति what can he do, इत्येवम् in that manner, बुद्धिम् in mind, आस्थाय considering, रणे in battle, शक्रम् Indra, अधर्षयम् I attacked .
Meaning
Having been blessed with long life and thinking, what can Indra do to me?, I attacked him.
tasya bāhuprayuktena vajreṇa śataparvaṇā||3.71.10|| sakthinī caiva mūrdhā ca śarīre sampraveśitam|
Translation
तस्य his, बाहुप्रयुक्तेन deployed from his arm, शतपर्वणा by a weapon of hundred nodes, वज्रेण with the thunderbolt, सक्थिनी चैव both my lower limbs, मूर्धा च head also, शरीरे into the body, सम्प्रवेशितम् entered.
Meaning
The thunderbolt having a hundred nodes deployed by Indra pierced my thighs and my head.
sa mayā yācyamānassannānayadyamasādanam||3.71.11|| pitāmahavacassatyṃ tadastviti mamābravīt|
Translation
सः he, मया by me, याच्यमानः सन् being begged of him, यमसादनम् to the abode of Yama, न आनयत् did not take me, तत् that, पितामहवचः word of the creator, सत्यम् true, अस्तु इति should become true, मम to me, अब्रवीत् said.
Meaning
Entreated, he did not send me to the abode of Yama ( lord of death) and said, 'Let the words of the creator be true' .
वज्रेण by the thunderbolt, अभिहतः struck by, भग्नसक्थिशिरोमुखः with thigh bones, head and face broken, अनाहारः starving, सुदीर्घं कालम् for a long time, जीवितुमपि to live, कथम् somehow, शक्तः was possible.
Meaning
Hit by the thunderbolt, my thighbones, head and face were broken. Somehow I could manage to live for a long time without food.
evamuktastu me śakro bāhū yojanamāyatau||3.71.13|| prādādāsyṃ ca me kukṣau tīkṣṇadṃṣṭramakalpayat|
Translation
एवम् in that way, उक्तः having been entreated, शक्रः Indra, मे to me, योजनम् one yojana, आयतौ long, बाहू two arms, प्रादात् he gave, मे to me, कुक्षौ in the stomach, तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रम् with sharp teeth, आस्यं च mouth also, अकल्पयत् created.
Meaning
Having been entreated, Indra created in me two long arms extending upto a yojana and set my mouth with sharp teeth in the stomach.
सः अहम् with that I, अस्मिन् in this, वने in the forest, दीर्घाभ्याम् with long, भुजाभ्याम् with arms, अस्मिन् in this, वने in the forest, समन्ततः all over, चरान् moving creatures, सिंहव्दिपमृगव्याघ्रान् lions, tigers, elephants and deer, संकृष्य after pulling, भक्षयामि I eat.
Meaning
Stretching the long arms in the forest, I dragged creatures like lions, tigers, elephants and deer moving in the forest and ate them.
sa tu māmabravīdindro yadā rāmassalakṣmaṇḥ||3.71.15|| chetsyate samare bāhū tadā svargṃ gamiṣyasi|
Translation
सः that, इन्द्रः तु Indra too, माम् to me, अब्रवीत् said, यदा when, सलक्ष्मणः along with Lakshmana, रामः Rama, समरे in the fight, बाहू छेत्स्यते cuts off the arms, तदा then, स्वर्गम् heaven, गमिष्यसि you will go.
Meaning
Indra too had said, 'When Rama along with Lakshmana cuts off your arms in a fight, you would reach heaven.'
राजसत्तम best of kings, राम Rama, अस्मिन् वने in this forest, अनेन वपुषा with this body, यद्यत् whatever, पश्यामि I see, सर्वस्य of all, ग्रहणम् catch, साधु proper, रोचये I like.
Meaning
O Rama, the best of kings I thought it was only proper in this forest and with this body to catch whatever creature I saw.
रामः Rama, अवश्यम् certainly, ग्रहणम् into the hold, समुपैष्यति will come, अहम् I, मन्ये thinking, इमाम् this, बुद्धिम् thought, पुरस्कृत्य depending on, देहन्यासकृतश्रमः I am struggling to preserve my body.
Meaning
O Rama, I was struggling to preserve my body all the time thinking that some day you would certainly come into my arms.
sa tvṃ rāmo'si bhadrṃ te nāhamanyena rāghava||3.71.18|| śakyo hantuṃ yathātattvamevamuktṃ maharṣiṇā|
Translation
राघव Rama, त्वम् you, सः रामः that Rama, असि you are, ते भद्रम् be blessed, महर्षिणा by the seer, तत्त्वम् truly, एवम् in that way, यथा as, उक्तम् stated, अहम् I, अन्येन by others, हन्तुम् be attacked, शक्यः possible, न not.
Meaning
You are that Rama. Be blessed. As stated by the seer I cannot be really killed by any one except you.
ahṃ hi matisācivyṃ kariṣyāmi nararṣabha||3.71.19|| mitrṃ caivopadekṣyāmi yuvābhyāṃ sṃskṛto'gninā|
Translation
नरर्षभ O best of men, अहम् I, अग्निना by fire, संस्कृतः purified man, युवाभ्याम् by you both, मतिसाचिव्यम् help you with my wisdom, करिष्यामि I will do, मित्रं चैव as a friend also, उपदेक्ष्यामि I will advise you.
Meaning
O best among men I will help you with my wisdom and give you friendly advice when I am purified by you both through cremation on the funeral pyre.
evamuktastu dharmātmā danunā tena rāghavḥ||3.71.20|| idṃ jagāda vacanṃ lakṣmaṇasyopaśṛṇvatḥ|
Translation
तेन by him, दनुना by Danu, एवम् in that way, उक्तः having been told, धर्मात्मा righteous, राघवः Rama, लक्ष्मणस्य to Lakshmana, उपशृण्वतः listening, इदम् these, वचनम् words, जगाद spoke.
Meaning
Rigteous Rama spoke the following words in response to the story of Danu within Lakshmana's earshot:
rāvaṇena hṛtā bhāryā mama sītā yaśassvinī||3.71.21|| niṣkrāntasya janasthānātsahabhrātrā yathāsukham|
Translation
जनस्थानात् from Janasthana, सह भ्रात्रा along with my brother, निष्क्रान्तस्य when I had gone out, मम my, भार्या wife, यशस्स्विनी famed lady, सीता Sita, रावणेन by Ravana, यथासुखम् happily, हृता carried off.
Meaning
My illlustrious wife Sita was carried away by Ravana comfortably when I was away from Janasthana along with my brother.
nāmamātrṃ tu jānāmi na rūpṃ tasya rakṣasḥ||3.71.22|| nivāsṃ vā prabhāvṃ vā vayṃ tasya na vidmahe|
Translation
तस्य his, नाममात्रम् only the name, जानामि I know, रूपम् form, न do not know, तस्य his, निवासं वा residence not known, प्रभावं वा or his power, वयम् we, न विद्महे we do not know.
Meaning
I only know his name. We do not know how he looks, where he lives and what influence he has.
śokārtānāmanāthānāmevṃ viparidhāvatām||3.71.23|| kāruṇyṃ sadṛśṃ kartumupakāre ca vartatām|
Translation
शोकार्तानाम् striken by sorrow, अनाथानाम् of orphans, एवम् that way, विपरिधावताम् of those running all over, उपकारे help, वर्ततां च do to others, कारुण्यम् kindness, कर्तुम् do show, सदृशम् worthy of your compasssion.
Meaning
Creatures like you may help those who, like orphans, run here and there, stricken with sorrow.
वीर hero, काले in the proper season, कुञ्जरैः by elephants, भग्नानि broken, शुष्काणि dried, काष्ठानि logs of wood, आदाय after getting, कल्पिते in a place set, महति in a large one, श्वभ्रे in a pit, त्वाम् you, धक्ष्यामः we will cremate you.
Meaning
O hero we will cremate you in a huge pit to be prepared for this occasion, collecting dry logs of wood broken by elephants.
sa tvṃ sītāṃ samācakṣva yena vā yatra vā hṛtā||3.71.25|| kuru kalyāṇamatyarthṃ yadi jānāsi tattvatḥ|
Translation
सः he, त्वम् you, तत्त्वतः truly, जानासि यदि if you know, सीताम् about Sita, येन वा by whom, यत्र वा of wherever, हृता carried, समाचक्ष्व tell me, अत्यर्थम् very much, कल्याणम् wellbeing, कुरु you may do.
Meaning
If you really know where SIta has been kidnapped and by whom, tell me. You will be doing a great service.
रामेण by Rama, एवम् in that way, उक्तः having been asked, वक्तुम् telling, कुशलः one who can speak well, दनुः Danu, वक्तारम् addressing one who can speak, राघवम् to Rama, अनुत्तमम् best, वाक्यम् word, प्रोवाच spoke.
Meaning
Danu who was proficient in speech spoke with chosen words to Rama who was a great speaker himself:
divyamasti na me jñānṃ nābhijānāmi maithilīm||3.71.27|| yastāṃ jñāsyati tṃ vakṣye dagdhassvṃ rūpamāsthitḥ|
Translation
मे to me, दिव्यम् divine, ज्ञानम् wisdom, नास्ति I do not have, मैथिलीम् Maithili, नाभिजानामि I do not know, दग्धः burnt one, स्वं रूम् my original form, आस्थितः getting, ताम् her, यः whoever, ज्ञास्यति know of her, तम् him, वक्ष्ये I will reveal.
Meaning
I do not have divine wisdom (now). Nor do I know Sita. When you cremate me, I shall assume my original form and will tell you the name of the person who knows it.
adagdhasya tu vijñātuṃ śaktirasti na me prabho||3.71.28|| rākṣasṃ tṃ mahāvīryṃ sītā yena hṛtā tava|
Translation
प्रभो O lord, येन by whom, तव your, सीता Sita, हृता is taken away, तम् him, महावीर्यम् very powerful, राक्षसम् rakshasa, विज्ञातुम् to know, अदग्धस्य without being burnt, मे to me, शक्तिः ability, नास्ति is not there.
Meaning
O lord before I am cremated, I do not have the ability to know about that powerful demon by whom Sita has been abducted.
vijñānṃ hi mama bhraṣṭṃ śāpadoṣeṇa rāghava||3.71.29|| svakṛtena mayā prāptṃ rūpṃ lokavigarhitam|
Translation
राघव Rama, शापदोषेण due to the curse, मम my, विज्ञानम् wisdom, भ्रष्टं हि is indeed lost, मया by me, स्वकृतेन by my own deed, लोकविगर्हितम् a form despised by the world, रूपम् this form, प्राप्तम् is attained.
Meaning
O Rama due to the curse I have lost my wisdom. By my own deed, I have attained this form despicable to the world.
kiṃ tu yāvanna yātyastṃ savitā śrāntavāhanḥ||3.71.30|| tāvanmāmavaṭe kṣiptvā daha rāma yathāvidhi|
Translation
राम Rama, किं तु but, सविता Sun, श्रान्तवाहनः with his vehicle (horses) tired, अस्तम् (याति) setting, यावत् before, तावत् by then, माम् me, अवटे in a pit, क्षिप्त्वा dropping, यथाविधि in accordance with tradition, दह you may cremate.
Meaning
Before the Sun disappears with his tired horses drop me into a pit and cremate me in accordance with tradition, O Rama
वीर O hero, रघुनन्धन O delight of the Raghus, अहम् I, त्वया by you, न्यायेन as per custom, अवटे in a pit, दग्धः cremated, यः whoever, तं राक्षसम् to that demon, ज्ञास्यति knows, तम् about him, वक्ष्यामि I will let you know.
Meaning
O heroic Rama, delight of the Raghus, if you drop me in a pit and cremate me as per custom, I will tell you about him who knows the demon.
tena sakhyṃ ca kartavyṃ nyāyyavṛttena rāghava||3.71.32|| kalpayiṣyati te prītassāhāyyṃ laghuvikramḥ|
Translation
राघव Rama, न्याय्यवृत्तेन rightfully conducting, तेन with him, सख्यं च friendship, कर्तव्यम् you should establish, लघुविक्रमः a warrior of swift action, प्रीतः a pleased one, ते to you, साहाय्यम् help, कल्पयिष्यति he will do.
Meaning
O Rama you should establish friendship with him in a just manner. That hero of swift action will help you when he is pleased.
na hi tasyāstyavijñātṃ triṣu lekeṣu rāghava||3.71.33|| sarvānparisṛto lokānpurāsau kāraṇāntare|
Translation
राघव Rama, त्रिषु in the three, लोकेषु worlds, तस्य for him, अविज्ञातम् unknown to him, नास्ति is not there, हि do, असौ he, पुरा in the past, कारणान्तरे for a different cause, सर्वान् all, लोकान् worlds, परिसृतः has roamed about.
Meaning
O Rama, there is nothing that he does not know in the three worlds. In the past for a different reason he roamed all the (three) worlds. इत्यार्ष श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे एकसप्ततितमस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the seventyfirst sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.