Summary
Rama and others, having spent that night in the hermitage of Sage Suteekshna, start to go from there on the next day morning, duly taking permission from the sage. While bidding farewell to Rama and others, Sage Suteekshna explains concern about the forests, which are rich natural gifts to human kind and tranquil abodes of hermits, and implicitly suggests to Rama, to somehow safeguard them from the demonic activities in this Dandaka Aranya, by whom these forests are rendered into graveyards, not even honorable graveyards, but stockyards for heaps of dead bodies, bones and skulls, for no faulty reason of the saints and sages.
Chapter [Sarga] 8 in Detail
raamah tu saha saumitrih sutiiksnena abhipuujitah |
parinaamya nishaam tatra prabhaate pratyabudhyata || 3-8-1
Rama along with Saumitri is well revered by Sage Suteekshna, spent that night there and awoken in the morning. [3-8-1]
utthaaya ca yathaa kaalam raaghavah saha siitayaa |
upasprishya su shiitena toyena utpala ga.ndhinaa || 3-8-2
Rama got up according to time along with Seetha and touched finely cool water with lotus-fragrance for morning bath. [3-8-2]
atha te agnim suraam ca eva vaidehii raama lakshmanau |
kaalyam vidhivat abhyarcya tapasvi sharane vane || 3-8-3
udayantam dinakaram dristvaa vigata kalmasaah |
sutiikshnam abhigamya idam shlakshnam vacanam abruvan || 3-8-4
Then they all, Vaidehi, Rama and Lakshmana, on worshipping sacred fire and deities dutifully in the shelter of the sages in that forest and on seeing the dawning sun, they are reft of their blemishes, and then they approached Sage Suteekshna speaking this sentence gently. [3-8-3, 4]
sukhositaah sma bhagavan tvayaa puujyena puujitaah |
aapricchaamah prayaasyaamo munayah tvarayanti nah || 3-8-5
"We stayed here happily, oh, god, venerated by a venerable one like you, and here we come to ask your permission as we wish to journey on, as the sages are hastening us... [3-8-5]
tvaraamahe vayam drastum kritsnam aashrama mandalam |
risiinaam punya shiilaanaam dandakaaranya vaasinaam || 3-8-6
"We make haste to see the habitats of hermitages in their entirety, and even wish to see the sages with meritorious selves living in Dandaka forest... [3-8-6]
abhyanujnaatum icchaamah saha ebhih munipungavaih |
dharma nityaih tapo daantaih vishikhaih iva paavakaih || 3-8-7
"We wish to have your permission, and that of these eminent sages, who are ever virtuous, self-controlled by their ascesis, and who look like the veritable tongues of sacred fire... [3-8-7]
avisahya aatapo yaavat suuryo na ati viraajate |
amaargena aagataam lakshmiim praapya iva anvaya varjitah || 3-8-8
taavat icchaamahe gantum iti uktvaa caranau muneh |
vavande saha saumitrih siitayaa saha raaghavah || 3-8-9
"We wish to proceed before sun attains an intolerable glare, like an unworthy person of unworthy lineage attains wealth in an improper way with much glare..." saying so Rama with Seetha and Lakshmana venerated at the feet of that sage Suteekshna. [3-8-8, 9]
tau sam sprisha.ntau caranau utthaapya munipu.ngavah |
gaadham aashlisya sasneham idam vacanam abraviit || 3-8-10
That eminent sage lifted them that are touching his feet, embraced them tightly, and said this sentence in all his friendliness. [3-8-10]
aristam gaccha panthaanam raama saumitrinaa saha |
siitayaa ca anayaa saardham chaaya eva anuvrittayaa || 3-8-11
"Proceed in an invulnerable way, Rama, along with Lakshmana, and with this Seetha while she follows you closely like a shadow... [3-8-11]
pashya aashrama padam ramyam dandakaaranya vaasinaam |
esaam tapasvinaam viira tapasaa bhaavita aatmanaam || 3-8-12
"See the pleasant thresholds of the hermitages of the dwellers in the forests of Dandaka, oh! Valiant one, whose souls are consecrated just by their ascesis... [3-8-2]
supraajya phala muulaani puspitaani vanaani ca |
prashasta mriga yuuthaani shaanta paksi ganaani ca || 3-8-13
phulla pa.nkaja khandaani prasanna salilaani ca |
kaarandava vikiirnaani tataakaani saraa.msi ca || 3-8-14
draksyase dristi ramyaani giri prasravanaani ca |
ramaniiyaani aranyaani mayuura abhirutaani ca || 3-8-15
"See the well-flowered woodlands with well-grown fruits and tubers, with herds of best animals and peaceful bird flocks... tranquil waters with spreading clusters of bloomed lotuses and water-birds in the pools and lakes... eye-pleasing rapids from mountains and you can see pleasant forests loaded with the hearty screams of precooks... [3-8-13, 14, 15]
gamyataam vatsa saumitre bhavaan api ca gacchatu |
aagantavyam ca te dristvaa punah eva aashramam prati || 3-8-16
"My dear Rama, you may go and Saumitri you too also may go... but come again towards this hermitage after seeing all of them... [3-8-16]
evam uktah tathaa iti uktvaa kaakutsthah saha laksmanah |
pradaksinam munim kritvaa prasthaatum upacakrame || 3-8-17
Thus said by the sage, Rama in his turn said to him, "so be it..." and having performed circumambulations around the sage he started to journey on. [3-8-17]
tatah shubhatare tuunii dhanusii ca aayateksanaa |
dadau siitaa tayoh bhraatroh khadgau ca vimalau tatah || 3-8-18
Then the broad eyed Seetha gave auspicious quivers and bows to those brothers and then spotless swords too. [3-8-18]
aabadhya ca shubhe tuunii caape ca aadaaya sasvane |
niskraantau aashramaat gantum ubhau tau raama laksmanau || 3-8-19
Both of those two Rama and Lakshmana tied their beautiful quivers well on their backs, and took the twangy [one that makes a quick ringing sound when plucked] bows and exited from that hermitage to go on their way. [3-8-19]
shiighram tau ruupasa.mpannau anujnaatau maharsinaa |
prasthitau dhrita chaapaa asii siitayaa saha raaghavau || 3-8-20
Those two Raghava-s, the handsome princes, have swiftly set out when permitted by that august sage, wielding bows and swords, and along with Seetha. [3-8-20]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadikaavye aranya kaande astamah sargah
Thus, this is the 8th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate