Rama and Lakshmana Find Jatayu Summary
“Om Sri Lakshmi Narashimhan Nahama”
Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 67
Rama and Lakshmana Find Jatayu Summary
Rama spots Jataayu, whose wings are hacked and who is breathless, and is in his last moments. On conceding to the suggestion of Lakshmana that they should search for Seetha, they start searching the forest and at certain place the mountainous Jataayu is seen. Mistaking him to be a demon Rama wants to kill and speedily approaches Jataayu, but on listening Jataayu's words, Rama recognizes and laments for his wretched situation.
Chapter [Sarga] 67 in Detail
puurvajo api ukta maatrah tu laksmanena subhaasitam |
saara graahii mahaasaaram pratijagraaha raaghavah || 3-67-1
Even though Rama is elder to Lakshmana he gleaned the ultimate tenor of Lakshmana's words when Lakshmana just said them expediently because Raghava is a best gleaner of the gist of advises. [3-67-1]
sa nigrihya mahaabaahuh pravriddham rosam aatmanah |
avastabhya dhanuh citram raamo laksmanam abraviit || 3-67-2
Such as he is that dexterous Rama on controlling his highly heightening fury, propping against his bedazzling bow spoke this to Lakshmana. [3-67-2]
kim karisyaavahe vatsa kva vaa gacchaava laksmana |
kena upaayena pashyeyam siitaam iha vicintaya || 3-67-3
"What is to be done by us, oh, dear boy... or, whereto we might go, or, by which device Seetha is discernable... Lakshmana, now you think of it, clearly... [3-67-3]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 67 tam tathaa paritaapa aartam laksmano raamam abraviit |
idam eva janasthaanam tvam anvesitum ar.hhasi || 3-67-4
raaksasaih bahubhih kiirnam naanaa druma lataa aayutam |
To such a Rama who is tormented by anguish, Lakshmana said, "it will be apt of you to search this Janasthaana alone which is rife with many demons and replete with manifold trees and climber-plants... [3-67-4]
santi iha giri dur.hgaani nirdaraah ka.ndaraani ca || 3-67-5
guhaah ca vividhaa ghoraa naanaa mriga gana aakulaah |
aavaasaah kinnaraanaam ca gandharva bhavanaani ca || 3-67-6
"Here there are mountains that cannot be climbed, glens [a secluded narrow valley] and glyphs [vertical groove] as well. There are divers and pernicious [deadly] caverns tumultuous [rioting] with diverse packs of predators, and here are the mansions of Kinnara-s and palaces of Gandharva-s, as well... [3-67-5b, 6]
taani yukto mayaa saardham samanvesitum ar.hhasi |
tvat vidhaa buddhi sa.mpannaa maahaatmaano nararsabha || 3-67-7
aapat.hsu na praka.mpante vaayu vegaih iva acalaah |
"It will be apt of you to steadfastly search in them along with me, and oh, best one among men, your sort of literati [the educated class] and clever-souls will be unfluctuating in calamities like the mountains unfluctuating in windstorms..." Lakshmana said so Rama. [3-67-6, 7, 8a]
iti uktah tat vanam sarvam vicacaara sa laksmanah || 3-67-8
kruddho raamah sharam ghoram sa.ndhaaya dhanusi ksuram |
When Lakshmana said in this way to that ireful Rama, he roved entire forest along with Lakshmana readying a crescent-shaped razor-sharp deadly arrow on his bow. [3-67-8b, 9a]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 67 tatah parvata kuuta aabham mahaa bhaagam dvija uttamam || 3-67-9
dadarsha patitam bhuumau ksataja aardram jataayusam |
Then Rama beheld Jataayu who is akin to a mountaintop in his gleam, and a best beatific brave bird among all the birds, but bloodstained and buckling on earth. [3-67-9b, 10a]
tam dristvaa giri shri.nga aabham raamo laksmanam abraviit || 3-67-10
anena siitaa vaidehii bhaksitaa na atra sa.mshayah |
On beholding him who is like a mountaintop in his gleam, Rama said to Lakshmana, "This one has gluttonized Seetha, the princess from Vaidehi; there is no doubt about it... [3-67- 10b, 11a]
gridhra ruupam idam vyaktam rakso bhramati kaananam || 3-67-11
bhaksayitvaa vishaalaaksiim aaste siitaam yathaa sukham |
enam vadhisye diipta agraih ghoraih baanaih ajihmagaih || 3-67-12
"It is apparent that this demon skulks in the forest in the semblance of an eagle, and having gluttonized that wide-eyed Seetha he is now reposing comfortably. I will eliminate him with deadly arrows, whose arrowheads blaze away and which shoot off straightly..." Thus Rama declared. [3-67-11b, 12]
iti uktvaa abhyapatat gridhram sandhaaya dhanusi ksuram |
kruddho raamah samudra antaam caalayan iva mediniim || 3-67-13
On saying thus and on readying a crescent-shaped razor-sharp deadly arrow on his bow, that ireful Rama rushed towards the eagle, as though to a-tremble the whole of the earth that which is within the perimeter of oceans. [3-67-13]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 67 tam diina diinayaa vaacaa sa phenam rudhiram vaman |
abhyabhaasata paksii tu raamam dasharatha aatmajam || 3-67-14
But that bird spewing up frothy blood pathetically appealed to such an ireful son of Dasharatha, namely Rama, in a pathetic tone. [3-67-14]
yaam osadhim iva aayusman anvesasi mahaa vane |
saa devii mama ca praanaa raavanena ubhayam hritam || 3-67-15
"Oh, boy Rama, blest [praise] is your eternality, for whom you are searching as with the search of a rejuvenescent [to make young or youthful again] herb in the vast of forest, Ravana stole that lady and my lives, too... [3-67-15]
tvayaa virahitaa devii laksmanena ca raaghava |
hriyamaanaa mayaa dristaa raavanena baliiyasaa || 3-67-16
"I have seen that lady while being stolen by brute-forced Ravana when you and even Lakshmana absented from her... [3-67-16]
siitaam abhyavapanno aham raavanah ca rane mayaa |
vidhva.nsita rathah ca atra paatito dharanii tale || 3-67-17
"I outreached to rescue Seetha... and in a combat Ravana is rendered as one with utterly battered chariot... and I felled him and that chariot there... onto earth's surface... [3-67-17]
etat asya dhanuh bhagnam etat asya sharaavaram |
ayam asya rane raama bhagnah saa.mgraamiko rathah || 3-67-18
"This one is his fragmented bow and this is his fragmented armor... oh, Rama, this is his combat-chariot... which, in combat shattered by me... [3-67-18]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 67 ayam tu saarathih tasya mat paksha nihato bhuvih |
parishraantasya me paksau chittvaa khadgena raavanah || 3-67-19
siitaam aadaaya vaidehiim utpapaata vihaayasam |
raksasaa nihatam puurvam na maam hantum tvam ar.hhasi || 3-67-20
"This is his charioteer drop dead onto earth by my wings... when I am overtired Ravana gashed my wings and flew skyward taking Seetha of Videha kingdom with him, and it will be inapt of you to kill me who am already killed by the demon..." Thus Jataayu appealed to Rama. [3-67- 19, 20]
raamah tasya tu vijnaaya siitaa saktaam priyaam kathaam |
gridhra raajam parisvajya parityajya mahat dhanuh || 3-67-21
Rama jettisoned his forceful bow when he heard the much desired news about Seetha while hugging that kingly eagle Jataayu. [3-67-21]
nipapaata avasho bhuumau ruroda saha lakshmana |
dviguniikrita taapa aarto raamo dhiirataro api san || 3-67-22
Even though Rama is comparatively a bold person he involuntarily fell down to ground, as the one-fold scorch of anguish for Seetha is doubled by this predicament of Jataayu, and he wept over Jataayu. [3-67-22]
ekam eka ayane kricchre nihshvasantam muhur muhuh |
samiiksya duhkhito raamah saumitrim idam abraviit || 3-67-23
Jataayu is supine on a single-strait passable for a single-person and he is suspiring for several times, and on seeing such Jataayu Rama became anguished and spoke this to Soumitri. [3-67-23]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 67 raajyam bhrastam vane vaasah siitaa nastaa mrite dvijah |
iidrishii iyam mama alaksmiih dahet api paavakam || 3-67-24
"Mislaid is my kingdom and I am dislocated into forests, Seetha is misplaced and now this mischance of death on this bird... this kind of misfortune of mine incinerates even Agni, the Divine-Incinerator... [3-67-24]
sampuurnam api cet adya pratareyam mahodadhim |
so api nuunam mama alaksmyaa vishusyet saritaam patih || 3-67-25
"Even if it were to be a plethoric and limitless ocean, and now if I were to enter it, or take a swim to the other shore of blissfulness, even that Lord of Rivers runs completely dry, owing to my misfortune, it is definite... [3-67-25]
na asti abhaagyataro loke matto asmin sa caraacare |
yena iyam mahatii praaptaa mayaa vyasana vaaguraa || 3-67-26
"There will not be any greater unfortunate being in this world than me, even if all the sessile and mobile beings are put together, by whom such a complicated catastrophic enmeshment as this is derived... [3-67-26]
ayam pitri vayasyo me gridhra raajo jaraa anvitah |
shete vinihato bhuumau mama bhaagya viparyayaat || 3-67-27
"This decrepit kingly eagle is the friend of my father who is terminally gashed and recumbent on the floor owing only to the backlash of my fortune..." So lamented Rama for the wounded eagle Jataayu. [3-67-27]
iti evam uktvaa bahusho raaghavah saha laksmanah |
jataayusam ca pasparsha pitri sneham nidarshayan || 3-67-28
Thus, lamenting in that way for many times Raghava patted the body of Jataayu along with Lakshmana instancing his parental regard. [3-67-28]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 67 nikritta paksam rudhira avasiktam
tam gridhra raajam parirabhya raamah |
kva maithili praana samaa mama iti
vimucya vaacam nipapaata bhuumau || 3-67-29
On hugging that kingly eagle whose wings are hacked off and who is bloodstained, and on uttering this much, "she who is identical with my lives,... where is that Maithili..." Rama collapsed to earth. [3-67-29]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye aranya kaande sapta sastitamah sargah
Thus, this is the 67th 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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