“Om Sri Lakshmi Narashimhan Nahama”
Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 74
Rama and Lakshmana Meet Shabari Summary
Shabari is emancipated from mortality after her showing Matanga hermitage to Rama. Both the brothers approach Shabari as said by Kabandha and she adores them on their seeking her presence. She honors them as visitant guests and expresses her desire to depart to the spheres where her teachers are. Rama gives consent to it, on which she offers herself into fire and emerges as a divine angel, to ascend to heaven.
Chapter [Sarga] 74 in Detail
tau kabandhena tam maargam pampaayaa darshitam vane |
aatasthatuh disham grihya pratiiciim nri vara aatmajau || 3-74-1
Both the sons of that best king Dasharatha, on taking up westerly path in that forest traveled on the passage to Pampa as shown by Kabandha. [3-74-1]
tau shailesu aacita anekaan ksaudra kalpa phala drumaan |
viiksantau jagmatuh drastum sugriivam raama laksmanau || 3-74-2
Those two, Rama and Lakshmana, while seeing several of the ticketed trees on mountains which have nectarous fruits on them moved forward to see Sugreeva. [3-74-2]
kritvaa ca shaila pristhe tu tau vaasam raghu nandanau |
pampaayaah pashcimam tiiram raaghavau upatasthatuh || 3-74-3
Those two legatees of Raghu on making a sojourn on the mountaintop, they the Raghava-s drew nigh of the moorland on the westward of Pampa Lake. [3-74-3]
tau puskarinyaah pampaayaah tiiram aasaadya pashcimam |
apashyataam tatah tatra shabaryaa ramyam aashramam || 3-74-4
Then on getting at the westward moorland of that lotus-lake Pampa, there those two have spotted the idyllic hermitage of Shabari. [3-74-4]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 74 tau tam aashramam aasaadya drumaih bahubhih aavritam |
su ramyam abhiviiksantau shabariim abhyupeyatuh || 3-74-5
On getting at that hermitage and on perusing at that picturesque environ that is wreathed round with several picturesque trees, those two came nigh of Shabari. [3-74-5]
tau dristvaa tu tadaa siddhaa samutthaaya kritaa.njalih |
paadau jagraaha raamasya laksmanasya ca dhiimatah || 3-74-6
On seeing them that sublimated yogi Shabari instinctively made palm-fold, got up imperatively, and then she braced the feet of Rama, and even that of sagacious Lakshmana, impressively. [3-74-6]
paadyam aacamaniiyam ca sarvam pradadaat yathaa vidhi |
taam uvaaca tato raamah shramaniim dharma sa.msthitaam || 3-74-7
She gave them water for feet-wash and mouthwash, and other viands customarily affordable to visitants, and then Rama asked after that anchoress who is unflinchingly abiding in her duty. [3-74-7]
kaccit te nirjitaa vighnaah kaccit te var.hdhate tapah |
kaccit te niyatah kopa aahaarah ca tapodhane || 3-74-8
"Oh, ascetically wealthy lady, perchance your deterrents in ascesis are completely overcome, somehow... your ascetic practices culminating, someway... your annoyances and ailments are adjusted, somewhat... isn't it! [3-74-8]
kaccit te niyamaah praaptaah kaccit te manasah sukham |
kaccit te guru shushruusaa saphalaa caaru bhaasini || 3-74-9
"Oh, suave speaker, mayhap your sacred commitments are achieved, anywise... appeased is your self, anyway... and your subservience to your mentors brought to fruition, perchance... isn't it!" Thus Rama enquired with Shabari. [3-74-9]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 74 raamena taapasii pristhaa saa siddhaa siddha sammataa |
shasha.msa shabarii vriddhaa raamaaya prati avasthitaa || 3-74-10
When Rama asked her in this way she that Shabari who is a senescent anchoress, sublimated yogin and an adherent to the sublimated yogis of higher rank, informed Rama remaining in his vis-à-vis. [3-74-10]
adya praaptaa tapah siddhih tava sa.mdarshanaat mayaa |
adya me saphalam janma guravah ca supuujitaah || 3-74-11
"Just now, on your pleasing manifestation before me my ascesis is accomplished, and now only my birth is fructified, and now only my subservience to my mentors is well hallowed... [3- 74-11]
adya me saphalam taptam svargah caiva bhavisyati |
tvayi deva vare raama puujite purusarsabha || 3-74-12
"Oh, best one among men, now all my ascesis is fructified when I personally worshiped you, who are none other than the best god among gods, thus the heaven will also be there for me... [3-74-12]
tava aham cakshusaa saumya puutaa saumyena maanada |
gamisyaamyakshayaa.nlokaa.nsvatprasaadaadarindama - yadvaa -
gamisyaami akshayaan lokaan tvat prasaadaat ari.ndama || 3-74-13
"Oh, kind one, your blessed sight has sanctified me... and oh, endower of respect, by your beneficence I wish to go to those return-less worlds because I have subjugated [conquered] those enemies of yours, viz., Ari Sad Vargas in me, and I think my prayer to you is justified because you are a subjugator of such enemies... [3-74-13]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 74 citrakuutam tvayi praapte vimaanaih atula prabhaih |
itah te divam aaruudhaa yaan aham paryacaarisam || 3-74-14
"Divine aircrafts of unequalled refulgence have lifted those disciples of Sage Matanga in whose tendance [watchful care] I was, to welkin on your arriving at Chitrakuta... [3-74-14]
taih ca aham uktaa dharma jnaih mahaabhaagaih maharsibhih |
aagamisyati te raamah su punyam imam aashramam || 3-74-15
sa te pratigrahiitavyah saumitri sahito atithih |
tam ca dristvaa varaan lokaan aksayaan tvam gamisyasi || 3-74-16
"Those knower of probity, highly providential, and eminent-saints have told me, 'Rama will come to this highly blest hermitage of yours along with Soumitri... and you have to cordially welcome them as your guests, and on your seeing him you will go to best worlds, where merit remains undiminished...' [3-74-15, 16]
evam uktaa mahaabhaagaih tadaa aham purusarsabha |
mayaa tu vividham vanyam sa.mcitam purusarsabha || 3-74-17
tava arthe purusavyaaghra pampaayaah tiira sa.mbhavam |
"Oh, best one among men Rama, thus I was told by those highly providential sages, oh, best one among men, oh, manly tiger, and I have gleaned various forest fruits and eatables that occur on the moorlands of Pampa Lake for your sake..." So said Shabari to Rama. [3-74-17]
evam uktah sa dharmaatmaa shabaryaa shabariim idam || 3-74-18
raaghavah praaha vijnaane taam nityam abahis.hkritaam |
When that graceful souled Rama is addressed thus by Shabari, he that Raghava enquiringly said this to that Shabari who is never ever debarred from esoteric knowledge and gnosis. [3-74-18b, 19a]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 74 danoh sakaashaat tattvena prabhaavam te mahaatmanah || 3-74-19
shrutam pratyaksam icchaami sa.mdrastum yadi manyase |
"Your and your preceptors' effectiveness is heard in effect from the wraith of the great souled Danu's son, Kabandha, and if you feel showing it like I wish to clearly see it, personally..." Thus Rama asked her to show hermitage. [3-74-19b, 20a]
etat tu vacanam shrutvaa raama vaktraat vinihsritam || 3-74-20
shabarii darshayaamaasa tau ubhau tat vanam mahat |
On hearing those words voiced by Rama, Shabari started to show that unique woodland to both of them. [3-74-20]
pashya megha ghana prakhyam mriga paksi samaakulam || 3-74-21
mata.nga vanam iti eva vishrutam raghuna.ndana |
iha te bhaavita aatmaano guravo me mahaadyute |
juhavaan cakrire niidam ma.ntravat ma.ntra puujitam || 3-74-22
"Oh, Rama the delight of Raghu's lineage... this one comparable to a crammed cloud that would be ever ready to yield much cherished cloudbursts, and compacted with animals and birds that are ever ready to enjoy seasonable rains, is that hermitage to which you have come, that way this woodland is well known as Matanga, meaning a cloud, or an elephant, or an elephantine cloud that showers blessings on all... and oh, highly resplendent Rama, you may see this nest, snuggery, where those contemplative souls, my teachers, used to conduct oblations into the Ritual-fires, orienting and worshipping them with Vedic hymns... [3-74-21b, 22]
iyam pratyak sthalii vedii yatra te me susatkritaah |
puspa upahaaram kur.hvanti shramaat ud vepibhih karaih || 3-74-23
"Where those great sages that are highly revered by me used to offer flowers with their extremely doddery hands in the worship the Altar of Fire, this alone is that Altar of Fire raised at western end... [3-74-23]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 74 tesaam tapah prabhaavena pashya adya api raghuuttama |
dyotayanti dishah sarvaah shriyaa vedyah atula prabhaah || 3-74-24
"Oh, best one from Raghu-s, by the efficacy of the ascesis of my teachers these Altars of Fire are with incomparable irradiance, and even now they are irradiating all of the directions with solemnity... see them... [3-74-24]
ashaknuvadbhistairgantumupavaasashramaalasaih - yadvaa -
ashak.hnuvadbhih taih gantum upavaasa shrama aalasaih |
cintite abhyaagataan pashya sametaan sapta saagaraan || 3-74-25
"Enervated by dieting and straining they were incapable to go for sea bathing, and just at their thought process all the seven seas came close by, in coalescence... see them... [3-74-25]
krita abhisekaih taih nyastaa valkalaah paadapesu iha |
adya api na vishusyanti pradeshe raghuna.ndana || 3-74-26
"On performing holy baths those sages have spread their jute cloths on those trees with their own doddering hands here at this place and oh, Raghu's legatee, those cloths did not dry even now by the touch of their hands... [3-74-26]
deva kaaryaani kurvadbhih yaani imaani kritaani vai |
puspaih kuvalayaih saartham mlaanatvam na tu yaanti vai || 3-74-27
"Which garlands they have knotted together with black-lotuses and other flowers while they were worshiping gods, these are really those garlands, and indeed there is no discoloration to them... [3-74-27]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 74 kritsnam vanam idam dristam shrotavyam ca shrutam tvayaa |
tat icchaami abhyanujnaataa tyakshyaami etat kalevaram || 3-74-28
"You have seen what is seeable and you have listened what is listenable of this woodland in its entirety... thereby I wish to become a permittee [authority] , where you alone are my permitter [authorizer], as I wish to castaway this sheathe of soul, called my body... to make that soul to move nigh of my teachers feet... [3-74-28]
tesaam icchaami aham gantum samiipam bhaavita aatmanaam |
muniinaam aashramo yesaam aham ca paricaarinii || 3-74-29
"Of which sages this hermitage is, and of which sages I am also a maidservant, I soulfully go the proximity of those contemplative souls..." Thus, she appealed to Rama. [3-74-29]
dharmistham tu vacah shrutvaa raaghavah saha laksmanah |
praharsam atulam lebhe aashcaryam idam ca abraviit || 3-74-30
Rama on hearing those duty-congruous words of Shabari along with Lakshmana, obtained a uniquely high rejoice and he also said, "astonishing is this..." [3-74-30]
taam uvaaca tato raamah shabarii sa.mshrita vrataam |
arcito aham tvayaa bhadre gaccha kaamam yathaa sukham || 3-74-31
Then Rama spoke to that Shabari who is firmed up in her faith towards her masters, "oh, saintly lady, you treated me with deference... thus may go to your cherished worlds, where you can solace yourself with your masters... [3-74-31]
iti evam uktaa jatilaa ciira krisna ajina a.mbaraa |
anujnaataa tu raamena hutvaa aatmaanam huta ashane || 3-74-32
jvalat paavaka samkaashaa svargam eva jagaama saa |
Thus that way said by Rama in consent, she who is wearing tufty-matted hair, jute-cloths, and deerskin as her clothing, she offered herself as an oblation into Ritual-fire, and then like a flaring fire, she went to heaven alone. [3-74-32, 33a]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 74 divyam aabharana sa.myuktaa divya maalya anulepanaa || 3-74-33
divya ambara dharaa tatra babhuuva priya darshana |
viraajayantii tam desham vidyut saudaaminii yathaa || 3-74-34
Now she appeared as an angle bejeweled with angelic ornaments, wearing angle's wraparound and angelical flowery tassels, and bedaubed with suchlike cosmetics, and as with the scintillations of electric sparks she scintillated that province. [3-74-33b, 34]
yatra te sukrita aatmaano viharanti maharsayah |
tat punyam shabarii sthaanam jagaama aatma samaadhinaa || 3-74-35
Shabari who is a perfect yogin with perfected meditative concentration, now went to that sanctum locus where the blest souls of those sublime sages, namely her masters, saunter. [3-74- 35]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye aranya kaande catuh saptatitamah sargah
Thus, this is the 74th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate
References
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao. (1998). Aranya Kanda - Forest track.
Merriam-Webster. (2007). At http://www.m-w.com.
Reference.com. (2007). At http://www.reference.com.
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