Summary
Rama meets Lakshmana while returning to hermitage after killing the deer demon Maareecha. He also confronts some ill omens and worries why Lakshmana left Seetha alone and came to him, sad facedly.
Chapter [Sarga] 57 in Detail
raaksasam mriga ruupena carantam kaama ruupinam |
nihatya raamo maariicam tuurnam pathi nyavartata || 3-57-1
Rama on killing that demon Maareecha, who is a guise changer at his wish and who moved about in the guise of a deer, instantly started to return on the trail by which he trailed after that deer-demon. [3-57-1]
tasya sa.mtvaramaanasya drastu kaamasya maithiliim |
kruura svaro atha gomaayuh vinanaada asya pristhatah || 3-57-2
While Rama is anxiously hurrying to see Maithili, then a brutish voiced jackal deafeningly howled at his behind. [3-57-2]
sa tasya svaram aajnaaya daarunam roma harsanam |
ci.ntayaamaasa gomaayoh svarena parishankitah || 3-57-3
On hearing that threatening and hair-raising howl of jackal Rama is overly threatened just by the tone of fox in which it is foreboding, inasmuch as the forbidding intoning of Maareecha. [3-57-3]
ashubham bata manye aham gomaayuh vaashyate yathaa |
svasti syaat api vaidehyaa raaksasaih bhaksanam vinaa || 3-57-4
"Huh! As to how this jackal has howled I deem that as inauspicious. As yet not devoured [eaten] by demons would Vaidehi be safe? [3-57-4]
maariicena tu vijnaaya svaram aalaksya maamakam |
vikrustam mriga ruupena laksmanah shrinuyaat yadi || 3-57-5
sa saumitrih svaram shrutvaa taam ca hitvaa atha maithiliim |
tayaa eva prahitah ksipram mat sakaasham iha esyati || 3-57-6
"On knowing the nature of my voice Maareecha in the semblance of a deer yelled out mimicking my voice. If Lakshmana listens that voice, recognizing it as my voice he will instantly rush to my near. Else if Maithili listens, she will hasten him to go over here and Soumitri instantly rushes here leaving her off. [3-57-5, 6]
raaksasaih sahitair nuunam siitaayaa iipsito vadhah |
kaa.ncanah ca mrigo bhuutvaa vyapaniiya aashramaat tu maam || 3-57-7
duuram niitvaa atha maariico raaksaso abhuut shara aahatah |
haa laksmana hato asmi iti yat vaakyam vyajahaara ha || 3-57-8
"As could be seen from Maareecha's becoming a Golden Deer only to sidetrack and take me away from hermitage, his becoming a demon when hit with an arrow, and his shouting words indeed like, 'ha, Lakshmana, ha, Seetha, I am killed,' the demons are collectively intending to do away with Seetha. It is certain. [3-57-7, 8]
api svasti bhavet dvaabhyaam rahitaabhyaam mayaa vane |
janasthaana nimittam hi krita vairo asmi raaksasaih || 3-57-9
nimittaani ca ghoraani drishyante adya bahuuni ca |
"Whether there will be safety in forest for those two in my absence, or not, is my doubt. Owing to my devastating Janasthaana I have become a harbored grudge for demons, am not I! As such, foretokens are appearing now, severely and severally." Thus Rama's thoughts have sprinted. [3-57-9, 10a]
iti evam ci.ntayan raamah shrutvaa gomaayu nihsvanam || 3-57-10
nivartamaanah tvarito jagaama aashramam aatmavaan |
aatmanah ca apanayanam mriga ruupena raksasaa || 3-57-11
When that soulful Rama has heard the whistle of jackal while returning, he persistently thought in this way about his detour caused by demon in the disguise of a deer, thus he speedily advanced towards his hermitage. [3-57-10b, 11]
aajagaama janasthaanam raaghavah parishankitah |
tam diina maanasam diinam aaseduh mriga paksinah || 3-57-12
Raghava came to Janasthaana doubting overly, and the animals and birds of Janasthaana which look doleful have neared him whose heart has become doleful. [3-57-12]
savyam kritvaa mahaatmaanam ghoraam ca sasrijuh svaraan |
taani dristvaa nimittaani mahaaghoraani raaghavah |
nyavartata atha tvarito javena aashramam aatmanah || 3-57-13
Those doleful animals and birds moving in circumambulations from the left side to right of that noble-souled Rama they let off frightening shrieks, and then observing those highly forbidding foretokens Rama returned to his own hermitage hastily and hurriedly. [3-57-13]
tato laksanam aayaantam dadarsha vigata prabham |
tato aviduure raamena samiiyaaya sa laksmanah || 3-57-14
visannah sa visannena duhkhito duhkha bhaaginaa |
Then Rama saw Lakshmana coming towards him with a lackluster [dull] face, and then Lakshmana, who is melancholic [depressed] and anguishing in his divergence [disagreement] from Seetha, met Rama not a long-way-off, where Rama is a similar partaker in melancholy and anguishing by way of his convergence upon ill-omens. [3-57-14, 15a]
sa.mjagarhe atha tam bhraataa dristaa laksmanam aagatam || 3-57-15
vihaaya siitaam vijane vane raaksasa sevite |
On seeing Lakshmana who has arrived at this place leaving off Seetha in a forest that is desolate, more so an adorable forest for demons, Rama reproached him as his elder brother. [3-57-15b, 16a]
grihiitvaa ca karam savyam laksmanam raghuna.ndanah || 3-57-16
uvaaca madhura udarkam idam parusam aartavat |
Taking Lakshmana's left hand into his, Rama, the descendent of Raghu, alike a bewailer spoke this brusque [short] speech that has a mellowly [pleasant] fruition [enjoyment] in future. [3-57-16b, 17a]
aho laksmana garhyam te kritam yah tvam vihaaya taam || 3-57-17
siitaam iha aagatah saumya kaccit svasti bhavet iti |
"You have done a deplorable [that is to be regretted] deed in coming here forsaking Seetha. Now, oh, gentle Lakshmana, are we somewhat safe, or everything has already gone astray now itself, or what. [3-57-17b, 18a]
na me asti sa.mshayo viira sarvathaa janakaatmajaa || 3-57-18
vinastaa bhaksitaa vaa apa raaksasaih vana caaribhih |
ashubhaani eva bhuuyistham yathaa praadur bhavanti me || 3-57-19
"Oh, brave one, according to these many inauspicious forebodings that have manifested themselves to me, we might have lost Janaka's daughter Seetha, or the forest ranging demons might have devoured her, or else they might have kidnapped her, I am doubtless about it. [3-57-18b, 19]
api laksmana siitaayaah saamagryam praapnuyaavahe |
jiivantyaah purusavyaaghra sutaayaa janaksya vai || 3-57-20
"Oh, tigerly-man Lakshmana, I wonder whether we can at least make out the daughter of Janaka Seetha in her intactness and aliveness. [3-57-20]
yathaa vai mriga sa.nghaaha gomaayuh ca bhairavam |
vaashyante shakunaah ca api pradiiptaam abhito disham |
api svasti bhavet tasyaa raaja putryaa mahaabala || 3-57-21
"On observing these mobs of deer, this jackal, also even these birds which are voicing noisily facing the direction lit by the sun, oh, great-mighty Lakshmana, can we presume that there will be safety to that princes Seetha? [3-57-21]
idam hi rakso mriga sa.mnikaasham
pralobhya maam duuram anuprayaatam |
hatam katha.mcit mahataa shramena
sa raaksaso abhuut mriyamaana eva || 3-57-22
"This very demon in his likeness to a deer led me on and led me off distantly as I was indeed following him, and by an intense effort somehow he was killed, and when dying he transfigured into a demon. [3-57-22]
manah ca me diinam iha aprahristam
caksuh ca savyam kurute vikaaram |
asa.mshayam laksmana na asti siitaa
hritaa mritaa vaa pathi var.htate vaa || 3-57-23
"Now even my heart is woeful and I am woebegone, my left eye is also fluttering erratically, oh, Lakshmana, no doubt Seetha is not there in hermitage, maybe she is whisked away, or, wiped out, or, wandering around on a wrong way. [3-57-23]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye aranya kaande sapta pa.ncaashah sargah
Thus, this is the 57th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate