“Om Sri Lakshmi Narashimhan Nahama”

Valmiki – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 3

Rama and Attack Viradha Summary

Rama and Lakshmana enter into a dialogue with Viradha, the demon and shower arrows on him. Later, Viradha, the demon carries Rama and Lakshmana away from Seetha.

Chapter [Sarga] 3 in Detail

atha uvaacha punar vaakyam viraadhah puurayan vanam |

pricchato mama hi bruutam kau yuvaam kva gamishyathah || 3-3-1

Then in his turn that demon Viradha said this sentence filling the forest with his gruesome voice, "I am asking you, really... tell me who you are and whereto you wish to go?” [3-3-1]

tam uvaacha tato raamo raakshasam jwalita aananam |

pricchantam sumahaatejaa ikshvaaku kulam aatmanah || 3-3-2

Then that highly resplendent Rama said about his Ikshvaku dynasty to the blazing faced demon who is insistent. [3-3-2]

kshatriyau vritta sa.mpannau viddhi nau vanagocharau |

tvaam tu veditum ichchhaavah kah tvam charasi dandakaan || 3-3-3

"Know us as Kshatriya-s with ennobled bearing, and we are trekking the forest...but we wish to know about you, who are you that move about in Dandaka forest? [3-3-3]

tam uvaacha viraadhah tu raamam satya paraakramam |

hanta vakshyaami te raajan nibodha mama raaghava || 3-3-4

Viradha said to that truly valiant Rama, "Ah! I’ll tell you, oh king, be informed of me, oh Raghava... [3-3-4]

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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 3 putrah kila javasya aham maataa mama shatahradaa |

viraadha iti maam aahuh prithivyaam sarva raakshasaah || 3-3-5

"I am the son of Java indeed... my mother is Shatahradaa, and all the demons on earth call me ‘Viradha...’[3-3-5]

tapasaa cha abhi sa.mpraaptaa brahmano hi prasaadajaa |

shastrena avadhyataa loke achchhedya abhedyatvam eva cha || 3-3-6

"On my undertaking ascesis I derived a boon from the beneficence of , by which I will neither be cut, nor slit, nor killed with a weapon in this world...”[3-3-6]

utsrijya pramadaam enaam anapekshau yathaa aagatam |

tvaramaanau palaayethaam na vaam jiivitam aadade || 3-3-7

"Leave off this lady without any yearning for her, and you expeditiously flee-away as you have come, then your lives will not be snatched away... [3-3-7]

tam raamah prati uvaacha idam kopa sa.mrakta lochanah |

raakshasam vikrita aakaaram viraadham paapa chetasam || 3-3-8

Rama in reply said this to that ogre Viradha, whose eyes are fully bloodshot in anger, who is monstrous in his body, and evil in intent... [3-3-8]

kshudra dhiktvaam tu hiinaartham mrityum anveshase dhruvam |

rane praapsyasi sa.mtishtha na me jiivan vimokshyase || 3-3-9

"You knave, fie upon you... you are in quest of you own death for your meanly measures, and definitely you will get it in this confrontation. Stay! I will not let you to live... [3-3-9]

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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 3 tatah sajyam dhanuh kritvaa raamah sunishitaan sharaan |

su shiighram abhisa.ndhaaya raakshasam nijaghaana ha || 3-3-10

Then, stringing his bow Rama indeed darted very sharp arrows, very quickly and well aiming the demon... [3-3-10]

dhanushaa jyaa gunavataa sapta baanaan mumocha ha |

rukma pu.nkhaan mahaavegaan suparna anila tulya gaan || 3-3-11

Indeed seven arrows are let off with perfectly stringed bow, which have golden vanes, and very fast ones that equal the flights of Garuda, the Divine Eagle and the Air-god. [3-3-11]

te shariiram viraadhasya bhittvaa barhina vaasasah |

nipetuh shonitaa digdhaa dharanyaam paavakopamaah || 3-3-12

But, they the arrows that are akin to infernos and dressed with peacock feathers as their fins, on piercing the body of Viradha they fell onto the ground besmirched with blood. [3-3-12]

sa viddho nyasya vaidehiim shuulam udyamya raakshasah |

abhyadravat susa.mkruddhah tadaa raamam sa lakshmanam || 3-3-13

When that demon is thus struck, then he placed Vaidehi down from his arms, hauled up his spear, and very angrily rushed towards Rama and Lakshmana. [3-3-13]

sa vinadya mahaanaadam shuulam shakra dhvaja upamam |

pragrihya ashobhata tadaa vyaattaanana iva a.ntakah || 3-3-14

And holding fast his spear that is similar to the Indra's Flagstaff he blaringly yelled a ghastly shriek, and thus he shone forth like the wide-mouthed Death, ready-to-gulp. [3-3-14]

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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 3 atha tau bhraatarau diiptam shara varsam vavarsatuh |

viraadhe raakshase tasmin kaalaa.ntaka ayam upame || 3-3-15

Then with an effulgent arrow-rain those two brothers incessantly rained on demon Viradha, who is similar to the terminator of lifetime. [3-3-15]

sa prahasya mahaa raudrah sthitvaa ajrimbhata raakshasah |

jri.mbhamaanasya te baanaah kaayaat nispetur ashugaah || 3-3-16

He that highly horrendous demon laughed at that arrow-shower, and standing for a while he yawned, and on his yawning and stretching his limbs in fatigue those arrows that earlier have gone speedily, spilled out from his body that speedily. [3-3-16]

sparshaat tu vara daanena praanaan sa.mrodhya raakshasah |

viraadhah shuulam udyamya raaghavau abhyadhaavata || 3-3-17

Demon Viradha held back his lives by the touch of boon, and rising up the spear he ran quickly at Rama and Lakshmana. [3-3-17]

tat shuulam vajra sa.mkaasham gagane jvalana upamam |

dvaabhyaam sharaabhyaam chichchheda raamah shastrabhritaam varah || 3-3-18

The best wielder of weaponry Rama ripped that spear apart, which is akin to the Thunderbolt of Indra, and that which is like a blaze in the sky, with two arrows in the sky itself. [3- 3-18]

tat raama vishikhaih chinnam shuulam tasya aapatat bhuvih |

papaata ashaninaa chinnam meror iva shilaa talam || 3-3-19

Shattered by Rama’s blazing shafts that spear fallen on ground like the boulder mass of Mt. Meru when it is shattered by Indra’s Thunderbolt. [3-3-19]

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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 3 tau khadgau kshipram udyamya krisna sarpau iva udyatau |

tuurnam aapetatuh tasya tadaa prahaarataam balaat || 3-3-20

They quickly upraised their swords and like a pair of up-swinging black-cobras they rapidly crashed on him, and then battered him mightily. [3-3-20]

sa vadhyamaana subhrisham bhujaabhyaam parigrihya tau |

apraka.mpyau naravyaaghrau raudrah prasthaatum aicchata || 3-3-21

He that demon thus beaten very firmly by Rama and Lakshmana, then on grabbing those unwavering ones and manly tigers with his arms, that furious demon wished to carry them away. [3-3-21]

tasya abhipraayam ajnaaya raamo lakshmanam abraviit |

vahatu ayam alam taavat pathaanena tu raakshasah || 3-3-22

Knowing the thinking of the demon for sure, Rama spoke to Lakshmana, "Let him easily carry us anywhere on his way... [3-3-22]

yathaa cha icchati soumitre tathaa vahatu raakshasah |

ayam eva hi nah panthaa yena yaati nishaacharah || 3-3-23

"Let this demon carry us as he wishes, and Saumitri, by which way this night-walker goes, that alone will be our way... [3-3-23]

sa tu sva bala viiryena samutkshipya nishaacharah |

baalaah iva skandha gatau chakaara ati baloddhatah || 3-3-24

But he that night-walker arrogant as he is by his might has uplifted Rama and Lakshmana like babies by that might and courage alone, and placed them on his shoulders as one would place babies. [3-3-24]

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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 3 tau aaropya tatah skandham raaghavo rajanii charah |

viraadho vinadan ghoram jagaama abhimukho vanam || 3-3-25

That nightwalker Viradha on placing those two Raghava-s on his shoulders gone towards deeper forest yelling very luridly. [3-3-25]

vanam mahaa megha nibham pravisto

drumaih mahadbhih vividhaih upetam |

naanaa vidhaih pakshi kulaih vichitram

shiva aayutam vyaala mrigaih vikiirnam || 3-3-26

That demon entered into a baffling forest that is like a very dark cloud in its sheen, where a variety of massive trees are contained in, numerous flocks of vulturine birds are overspreading, and where wild jackals and other predaceous animals are sprawling around, along with Rama and Lakshmana. [3-3-26]

iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye aranya kaande tritiiyah sargah

Thus, this is the 3rd 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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