Sloka & Translation

[Rama and Lakshmana sever the arms of Kabandha-- reveal their identity to him-- Kabandha welcomes Rama and Lakshmana-- his lamentation.]

तौ तु तत्र स्थितौ दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ।

बाहुपाशपरिक्षिप्तौ कबन्धो वाक्यमब्रवीत्।।3.70.1।।


बाहुपाशपरिक्षिप्तौ bound by the shackles of his arms, तत्र स्थितौ both stood there, भ्रातरौ brothers, तौ both, रामलक्ष्मणौ Rama and Lakshmana, दृष्ट्वा after seeing, कबन्धः Kabandha, वाक्यम् these words, अब्रवीत् said.

Kabandha saw the brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, stand there bound by the shackles of his arms and said:
तिष्ठतः किं नु मां दृष्ट्वा क्षुधार्तं क्षत्रियर्षभौ।

आहारार्थं तु सन्दिष्टौ दैवेन गतचेतसौ।।3.70.2।।


क्षत्रियर्षभौ two bulls among the kshatriyas, क्षुधार्तम् suffering from hunger, माम् me, दृष्ट्वा after seeing, किं नु why do you, तिष्ठतः both stand here, गतचेतसौ with the senses lost, दैवेन by god, आहारार्थम् for my food, सन्दिष्टौ are sent.

O bulls among the kshatriyas You are sent by destiny as food to appease my hunger. Seeing me hungry, why do you stand there with your senses switched off ?
तच्छ्रुत्वा लक्ष्मणो वाक्यं प्राप्तकालं हितं तदा।

उवाचाऽर्तिं समापन्नो विक्रमे कृतलक्षणः।।3.70.3।।


लक्ष्मणः Lakshmana, तत् that, श्रुत्वा having heard, तदा then, आर्तिम् suffering, समापन्नः he underwent, विक्रमे to exhibit courage, कृतलक्षणः he has resorted to, प्राप्तकालम् appropriate time, हितम् good, वाक्यम् words, उवाच said.

Having heard this, Lakshmana, who was greatly suffering gathered courage at appropriate time and said these salutary words:
त्वां च मां च पुरा तूर्णमादत्ते राक्षसाधमः।

तस्मादसिभ्यामस्याशु बाहू छिन्दावहै गुरू।।3.70.4।।


राक्षसाधमः this vile demon, तूर्णम् quickly, त्वां च your, मां च and me, पुरा आदत्ते before he gulps, तस्मात् therefore, अस्य his, गुरू long, बाहू shoulders, असिभ्याम् by our swords, छिन्दावहै cut off.

Before this vile demon gulps you and me let us cut off his long arms with our swords.
भीषणोऽयं महाकायो राक्षसो भुजविक्रमः।

लोकं ह्यतिजितं कृत्वा ह्यावां हन्तुमिहेच्छति।।3.70.5।।


भीषणः horrible, महाकायः huge, भुजविक्रमः having the strength of his arms, राक्षसः demon, लोकम् world, अतिजितम् having conquered, कृत्वा after doing so, इह here, आवाम् us, हन्तुम् to kill, इच्छति intends.

This huge, horrible demon with the strength of his arms has conquered the world, and now intends to kill us here.
निश्चेष्टानां वधो राजन्कुत्सितो जगतीपतेः।

क्रतुमध्योपनीतानां पशूनामिव राघव।।3.70.6।।


राजन् king, राघव of the Raghu race, निश्चेष्टानाम् of harmless creatures, वधः killing, क्रतुमध्योपनीतानाम् brought in the midst of a sacrifice, पशूनामिव like animals, जगतीपतेः lord of the world, कुत्सितः censurable.

O prince of the Raghu race just as the animal brought in the midst of a sacrifice should not be killed, so also for a king to kill any harmless creature is despicable.
एतत्सञ्जल्पितं श्रुत्वा तयोः क्रुद्धस्तु राक्षसः।

विदार्याऽस्यं तदा रौद्रस्तौ भक्षयितुमारभत्।।3.70.7।।


क्रूरः cruel, रौद्रः ferocious, राक्षसस्तु the demon, तदा then, तयोः them, सञ्जल्पितम् conversing, श्रुत्वा having heard, आस्यम् mouth, विदार्य widely opening, तौ them, भक्षयितुम् to eat, आरभत् made an effort.

The cruel, ferocious demon heard them talk. He opened his mouth and attempted to eat both of them.
ततस्तौ देशकालज्ञौ खड्गाभ्यामेव राघवौ।

अच्छिन्दतां सुसंविग्नौ बाहू तस्यांसदेशतः।।3.70.8।।


ततः then, सुसंविग्नौ became agitated, देशकालज्ञौ knowers of time and space, तौ those two, राघवौ Raghavas, खड्गाभ्याम् with their swords, तस्य his, बाहू two arms, अंसदेशतः from the shoulders, अच्छिन्दताम् cut off.

Then the agitated brothers, aware of time and space, quickly pulled out their swords and cut off both his arms from the shoulders.
दक्षिणो दक्षिणं बाहुमसक्तमसिना ततः।

चिच्छेद रामो वेगेन सव्यं वीरस्तु लक्ष्मणः।।3.70.9।।


ततः then, दक्षिणः standing on the right, रामः Rama, असक्तम् severed, वेगेन quickly, दक्षिणं बाहुम् right arm, असिना with a sword, चिच्छेद cut off, वीरः hero, लक्ष्मणस्तु Lakshmana, सव्यम् left arm.

While standing on the right, Rama cut off his right arm and the brave Lakshmana cut off the left.
स पपात महाबाहुश्छिन्नबाहुर्महास्वनः।

खं च गां च दिशश्चैव नादयञ्जलदो यथा।।3.70.10।।


महाबाहुः with strong arms, सः that, छिन्नबाहुः with his arms severed, महास्वनः roaring, जलदः यथा like a stormy cloud, खं च sky, गां च earth, दिशश्चैव quarters, नादयन् while resounding, पपात he fell down.

The strongarmed demon, his arms severed, rumbling like a raincloud filling the sky, the earth and the quarters, fell down.
स निकृत्तौ भुजौ दृष्ट्वा शोणितौघपरिप्लुतः।

दीनः पप्रच्छ तौ वीरौ कौ युवामिति दानवः।।3.70.11।।


सः that, दानवः demon, निकृत्तौ with amputated, भूजौ arms, दृष्ट्वा after seeing, शोणितौघपरिप्लुतः drenched in the flood of blood, दीनः a pathetic one, युवाम् you both, कौ who are you, इति thus, तौ वीरौ those two heroes, पप्रच्छ asked.

The demon with his arms amputated, drenched in a pool of blood looked pathetic and asked them, Who are you?
इति तस्य ब्रुवाणस्य लक्ष्मणश्शुभलक्षणः।

शशंस राघवं तस्य कबन्धस्य महात्मनः।।3.70.12।।


तस्य his, इति thus, ब्रुवाणस्य when he was speaking, शुभलक्षणः a man of auspicious traits, सः लक्ष्मणः Lakshmana, महात्मनः of the great self, कबन्धस्य of Kabandha, राघवम् Raghava, शशंस revealed.

Imbued with auspicious signs, Lakshmana revealed the identity of Rama to great Kabandha.
अयमिक्ष्वाकुदायादो रामो नाम जनैश्श्रुतः।

अस्यैवावरजं विद्दि भ्रातरं मां च लक्ष्मणम्।।3.70.13।।


अयम् he, रामो नाम by name Rama, जनैः by people, श्रुतः famous, इक्ष्वाकुदायादः an heir of the Ikshvaku family, माम् me, अस्य his, अवरजं भ्रातरम् as his younger brother, लक्ष्मणम् Lakshmana, विद्दि you may know me,

Here is Rama, an heir of the Ikshvaku family, known to the people and I am his younger brother Lakshmana for your information.
अस्य देवप्रभावस्य वसतो विजने वने।

रक्षसाऽपहृता पत्नी यामिच्छन्ताविहागतौ।।3.70.14।।


विजने desolate, वने in the forest, वसतः living, देवप्रभावस्य as powerful as a god, अस्य his, पत्नी wife, रक्षसा by a demon, अपहृता is carried off, याम् whom, इच्छन्तौ both wishing, इह here, आगतौ came.

He is equal to a god in prowess. While living in this desolate forest his wife has been carried off by a demon. We both came here searching for her.
त्वं तु को वा किमर्थं वा कबन्धसदृशो वने।

आस्येनोरसि दीप्तेन भग्नजङ्घो विचेष्टसे।।3.70.15।।


त्वं तु you, कः वा who are you, कबन्धसदृशः appearing like a trunk, उरसि in the chest, दीप्तेन by a glittering, आस्येन with a mouth, भग्नजङ्घः with calf muscles broken, वने in the forest, किमर्थं वा for what purpose, विचेष्टसे you are rolling down?

Who are you with only the trunk of the body, and a glittering mouth in the chest with your calf muscles broken rolling down in the forest?
एवमुक्तः कबन्धस्तु लक्ष्मणेनोत्तरं वचः।

उवाच परमप्रीत स्तदिन्द्रवचनं स्मरन्।।3.70.16।।


लक्ष्मणेन by Lakshmana, एवम् in that way, उक्तः having been told, कबन्धस्तु the Kabandha, तत् that, इन्द्रवचनम् Indra's words, स्मरन् remembering, परमप्रीतः very pleased, उत्तरम् reply, वचः words, उवाच said.

While hearing Lakshmana, Kabandha, reminded of Indra's words, replied to him in great joy :
स्वागतं वां नरव्याघ्रौ दिष्ट्या पश्यामि चाप्यहम्।

दिष्ट्या चेमौ निकृत्तौ मे युवाभ्यां बाहुबन्धनौ।।3.70.17।।


नरव्याघ्रौ two tigers among men, वाम् to you, स्वागतम् welcome, अहम् I, दिष्ट्या luckily, पश्यामि I see, दिष्ट्या by my luck, युवाभ्याम् by both of you, मे my, इमौ these, बाहुबन्धनौ that arms which bound you, निकृत्तौ are cut off.

O tigers among men you are welcome. It is my good luck that I am able to see you. It is my good luck also that the arms that bound you have been amputated.
विरूपं यच्च मे रूपं प्राप्तं ह्यविनयाद्यथा।

तन्मे शृणु नरव्याघ्र तत्त्वतश्शंसतस्तव।।3.70.18।।


नरव्याघ्र O best among men (Rama), मे my, विरूपम् deformity, यत् such, रूपम् form, यथा as, अविनयात् due to haughtiness, प्राप्तम् is obtained, तव to your, तत्त्वतः exactly, शंसतः as I narrate, मे from me, शृणु you may listen.

O best among men hear how I have been deformed due to my haughtiness.
इत्यार्ष श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे सप्ततितमस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the seventieth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.