Ramayana · Book III · Araṇya Kāṇḍa
Ramayana, Book III, Canto 66: Lakshman’s Speechअरण्यकाण्डम्
Ralph T. H. Griffith’s English verse (1870–74), beside the Sanskrit of sarga 3.65.
Sanskrit
लोकानामभवे युक्तं सांवर्तकमिवानलम्॥ १॥
वीक्षमाणं धनुः सज्यं निःश्वसन्तं पुनः पुनः।
दग्धुकामं जगत् सर्वं युगान्ते च यथा हरम्॥ २॥
अदृष्टपूर्वं संक्रुद्धं दृष्ट्वा रामं स लक्ष्मणः।
अब्रवीत् प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यं मुखेन परिशुष्यता॥ ३॥
पुरा भूत्वा मृदुर्दान्तः सर्वभूतहिते रतः।
न क्रोधवशमापन्नः प्रकृतिं हातुमर्हसि॥ ४॥
चन्द्रे लक्ष्मीः प्रभा सूर्ये गतिर्वायौ भुवि क्षमा।
एतच्च नियतं नित्यं त्वयि चानुत्तमं यशः॥ ५॥
एकस्य नापराधेन लोकान् हन्तुं त्वमर्हसि।
ननु जानामि कस्यायं भग्नः सांग्रामिको रथः॥ ६॥
केन वा कस्य वा हेतोः सयुगः सपरिच्छदः।
खुरनेमिक्षतश्चायं सिक्तो रुधिरबिन्दुभिः॥ ७॥
देशो निर्वृत्तसंग्रामः सुघोरः पार्थिवात्मज।
एकस्य तु विमर्दोऽयं न द्वयोर्वदतां वर॥ ८॥
नहि वृत्तं हि पश्यामि बलस्य महतः पदम्।
नैकस्य तु कृते लोकान् विनाशयितुमर्हसि॥ ९॥
युक्तदण्डा हि मृदवः प्रशान्ता वसुधाधिपाः।
सदा त्वं सर्वभूतानां शरण्यः परमा गतिः॥ १०॥
को नु दारप्रणाशं ते साधु मन्येत राघव।
सरितः सागराः शैला देवगन्धर्वदानवाः॥ ११॥
नालं ते विप्रियं कर्तुं दीक्षितस्येव साधवः।
येन राजन् हृता सीता तमन्वेषितुमर्हसि॥ १२॥
मद्द्वितीयो धनुष्पाणिः सहायैः परमर्षिभिः।
समुद्रं वा विचेष्यामः पर्वतांश्च वनानि च॥ १३॥
गुहाश्च विविधा घोराः पद्मिन्यो विविधास्तथा।
देवगन्धर्वलोकांश्च विचेष्यामः समाहिताः॥ १४॥
यावन्नाधिगमिष्यामस्तव भार्यापहारिणम्।
न चेत् साम्ना प्रदास्यन्ति पत्नीं ते त्रिदशेश्वराः।
कोसलेन्द्र ततः पश्चात् प्राप्तकालं करिष्यसि॥ १५॥
शीलेन साम्ना विनयेन सीतां
नयेन न प्राप्स्यसि चेन्नरेन्द्र।
ततः समुत्सादय हेमपुङ्खै-
र्महेन्द्रवज्रप्रतिमैः शरौघैः॥ १६॥
English Griffith
He stood incensed with eyes of flame,
Still mourning for his ravished dame,
Determined, like the fire of Fate,
To leave the wide world desolate.
His ready bow the hero eyed,
And as again, again he sighed,
The triple world would fain consume
Like Hara510 in the day of doom.
Then Lakshmaṇ moved with sorrow viewed
His brother in unwonted mood,
And reverent palm to palm applied,
Thus spoke with lips which terror dried
“Thy heart was ever soft and kind,
To every creature’s good inclined.
Cast not thy tender mood away,
Nor yield to anger’s mastering sway.
The moon for gentle grace is known,
The sun has splendour all his own,
The restless wind is free and fast,
And earth in patience unsurpassed.
So glory with her noble fruit
Is thine eternal attribute.
O, let not, for the sin of one,
The triple world be all undone.
I know not whose this car that lies
In fragments here before our eyes,
Nor who the chiefs who met and fought,
Nor what the prize the foemen sought;
Who marked the ground with hoof and wheel,
Or whose the hand that plied the steel
Which left this spot, the battle o’er,
Thus sadly dyed with drops of gore.
Searching with utmost care I view
The signs of one and not of two.
Where’er I turn mine eyes I trace
No mighty host about the place.
Then mete not out for one offence
This all-involving recompense.
For kings should use the sword they bear,
But mild in time should learn to spare,
Thou, ever moved by misery’s call,
Wast the great hope and stay of all.
Throughout this world who would not blame
This outrage on thy ravished dame?
Gandharvas, Dánavs, Gods, the trees,
The rocks, the rivers, and the seas,
Can ne’er in aught thy soul offend,
As one whom holiest rites befriend.
But him who dared to steal the dame
Pursue, O King, with ceaseless aim,
With me, the hermits’ holy band,
And thy great bow to arm thy hand
By every mighty flood we’ll seek,
Each wood, each hill from base to peak.
To the fair homes of Gods we’ll fly,
And bright Gandharvas in the sky,
Until we reach, where’er he be,
The wretch who stole thy spouse from thee.
Then if the Gods will not restore
Thy Sítá when the search is o’er,
Then, royal lord of Kośal’s land,
No longer hold thy vengeful hand.
If meekness, prayer, and right be weak
To bring thee back the dame we seek,
Up, brother, with a deadly shower
Of gold-bright shafts thy foes o’erpower,
Fierce as the flashing levin sent
From King Mahendra’s firmament.
Griffith’s notes (1)
- Śiva.