mithyaa vaakyam na te bhuutam na bhavisyati raaghava || 3-9-4

kuto abhilasanam striinaam paresaam dharma naashanam |

"The habit of telling specious words is not there with you in the past nor it will be there in future, oh, Raghava, then wherefrom the virtue-ruining desire for other's women can be there... [3-9-4b, 5a]

tava naasti manusyendra na ca aabhuut te kadaacana || 3-9-5

manasyapi tathaa raama na ca etat vidyate kvachit |

sva daara niratah ca eva nityam eva nripaatmaja || 3-9-6

"Oh, king, earlier this vile desire for other's women is absent in you, nor it is there now, unobserved is such a desire in any corner of your heart oh, prince, for you are always interested in your own wife... [3-9-5, 6]

dharmistah satya sandhah ca pituh nirdesha kaarakah |

tvayi dharmah cha satyam ca tvayi sarvam pratistitam ||3-9-7

"You are conscientious, adherent of truth, and obliging father's orders, and in you virtue and truth, nay everything is established in you... [3-9-7]

tacca sarvam mahaabaaho shakyam vodhum jiteindriyaih |

tava vashya indriyatvam ca jaanaami shubhadarshana || 3-9-8

"Oh, dexterous one, all this can possibly be shouldered by one with controlled senses, and oh, graceful one for a gaze, I am also aware of your sense control... [3-9-8]

tritiiyam yad idam raudram para praana abhihi.msanam |

nir.hvairam kriyate mohaat tat ca te samupasthitam || 3-9-9

"That third tendency to torture others' lives without enmity, that which will usually be effectuated unwarily, has now suddenly chanced before you... [3-9-9]

pratijnaatah tvayaa viira dandakaaranya vaasinaam |

risiinaam raksanaarthaaya vadhah sa.myati raksasaam || 3-9-10

"Intending to safeguard the sages you have promised the dwellers in Dandaka forest, oh, valiant one, that you would eliminate demons in a fight... [3-9-10]

etan nimittam ca vanam dandakaa iti vishrutam |

prasthitah tvam saha bhraatraa dhrita baana sharaaasanah || 3-9-11

"Only in this respect you have started towards the well-known Dandaka forest along with your brother, and wielding bow and arrows...[3-9-11]

tatah tvaam prasthitam dristvaa mama cinta aakulam manah |

tvat vrittam cintayantyaa vai bhavet nihshreyasam hitam || 3-9-12

"Then on seeing your starting my mind is apprehensively upset, on verily reflecting about your bearing there appears to be no beneficial good for you... [3-9-12]

na hi me rocate viirah gamanam dandakaan prati |

kaaranam tatra vaksyaami vadantyaah shruuyataam mama || 3-9-13

"Oh, brave one, your going towards Dandaka forest is not delightful to me, I tell the cause for that and listen to it as I tell...[3-9-13]

tvam hi baana dhanuspaanih bhraatraa saha vanam gatah |

dristvaa vana caraan sarvaan kaccit kuryaah shara vyayam || 3-9-14

"Indeed on entering the forest along with your brother, and wielding bow and arrows, seeing the forest ramblers there, won't you deplete arrows on all of them... [3-9-14]

ksatriyaanaam iha dhanur hutaashasya indhanaani ca |

samiipatah sthitam tejo balam ucchrayate bhrisham || 3-9-15

"The bow of warrior and the fuel of a burning fire if available within their reach; they immensely enhance their strength... [3-9-15]

puraa kila mahaabaaho tapasvii satya vaak shucih |

kasmin cit abhavat punye vane rata mriga dvije || 3-9-16

"Once upon a time, oh, dexterous one, there was a pious and true worded hermit in some merited forest that was wonted by animals and birds... [3-9-16]

tasya eva tapaso vighnam kartum indrah shaciipatih |

khadga paanih atha aagacchat aashramam bhata ruupa dhrik || 3-9-17

"Then Indra came to that hermitage handling a sword, and donning a soldier's guise, to cause hindrance to that hermit's ascesis... [3-9-17]

tasmin tat aashrama pade nihitah khadga uttamah |

sa nyaasa vidhinaa dattah punye tapasi tisthatah || 3-9-18

"Indra gave that best sword to store, there in that hermitage to that sage who is lasting in his ascesis, on a redeemable basis... [3-9-18]

sa tat shastram anupraapya nyaasa raksana tatparah |

vane tu vicarati eva raksan pratyayam aatmanah || 3-9-19

"On receiving that sword, he who is duteous in guarding the entrustment, moved about in the forest always handling the sword, to safeguard the confidence reposed in him... [3-9-19]

yatra gacchati upaadaatum muulaani ca phalaani ca |

na vinaa yaati tam khadgam nyaasa raksana tatparah || 3-9-20

"Wherever that dedicated guardian of that entrustment goes, even to obtain tubers or fruits, he did not go without that sword... [3-9-20]

nityam shastram parivahan kramena sa tapodhanah |

cakaara raudriim svaam buddhim tyaktvaa tapasi nishcayam || 3-9-21

"Carrying that sword always, that hermit slowly made his own faculty infuriated, loosing determination in ascesis... [3-9-21]

tatah sa raudra abhiratah pramatto adharma karsitah |

tasya shastrasya samvaasaat jagaama narakam munih || 3-9-22

"Then with the constant association of that weapon that sage gradually became inadvertent, and smitten by vice he went to hell... [3-9-22]

evam etat puraa vrittam shastra sa.myoga kaaranam |

agni sa.myogavat hetuh shastra sa.myoga ucyate || 3-9-23

"Thus, all this happened earlier, only owing the reason of associating with a weapon constantly, and the sequel of constant association with weapon is as good as constant association with fire... [3-9-23]

snehaat ca bahumaanaat ca smaaraye tvaam na shiksaye |

na katha.mcana saa kaaryaa grihiita dhanusaa tvayaa || 3-9-24

buddhih vairam vinaa hantum raaksasaan dandaka aashritaan |

aparaadham vinaa hantum loko viira na kaamaye || 3-9-25

"In affinity and in respect I am reminding but not tutoring you, and in anyway improper is that thought of yours to wield your bow to kill the demons dwelling in Dandaka without any enmity, oh, brave one, undesirable is the killing of offence-less... [3-9-24, 25]

ksatriyaanaam tu viiraanaam vanesu niyataatmanaam |

dhanusaa kaaryam etaavat aartaanaam abhiraksanam || 3-9-26

"For the valiant Kshatriya-s who are inclined in forests heartily, the purpose of the bow is this much 'safeguarding the sufferers...' [3-9-26]

kva ca shastram kva ca vanam kva ca ksaatram tapah kva ca |

vyaaviddham idam asmaabhih desha dharmah tu puujyataam || 3-9-27

"Where that weapon? Where this forest? Where the principles of Kshatriya? And where is sage-ness? All this is inconsistent... let us esteem the laws of the land... [3-9-27]

tadaarya kalusaa buddhih jaayate shastra sevanaat |

punar gatvaat tat ayodhyaayaam ksatra dharmam carisyasi || 3-9-28

"Weapon admiring mind becomes maligned with avariciousness, you may therefore follow the tenet of Kshatriya-s on going to Ayodhya again... [3-9-28]

aksayaa tu bhavet priitih shvashruu shvashurayoh mama |

yadi raajyam hi sannyasya bhavet tvam nirato munih || 3-9-29

"Everlasting satisfaction will be there to my father-in-law and mothers-in-laws, on your becoming a devout sage even after forfeiture of kingdom... [3-9-29]

dharmaat arthah prabhavati dharmaat prabhavate sukham |

dharmena labhate sarvam dharma saaram idam jagat || 3-9-30

"From virtuousness prosperity emanates, from righteousness happiness, and by honorableness all are achieved, and this universe is the essence of probity... [3-9-30]

aatmaanam niyamaih taih taih karsayitvaa prayatnatah |

praapyate nipunaih dharmo na sukhaat labhate sukham || 3-9-31

"Experts will make efforts to exhaust their own selves with those and those principles, thus they realize sublimity [the quality or state of being elevate or exalt especially in dignity or honor]... unachievable is pleasure by pleasuring alone... [3-9-31]

nityam shuci matih saumya cara dharmam tapo vane |

sarvam hi viditam tubhyam trailokyam api tattvatah || 3-9-32

"Always tread along the righteousness with a pure mind, oh, gentle one, and especially in these sagely forests... you know everything in all the three worlds, in all its nuances... [3-9-32]

strii caapalaat etat udaahritam me

dharmam ca vaktum tava kah samarthah |

vicaarya buddhyaa tu saha anujena

yat rocate tat kuru ma acirena || 3-9-33

"I cite all this with my womanly waver, and who is capable to talk to you about dharma? Ponder mindfully along with your brother, and what that is appropriate, you do it...but not belatedly... [3-9-33]

iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye aranya kaande navamah sargah

Thus, this is the 9th 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.