Sloka & Translation

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

tau tu tatra sthitau dṛṣṭvā bhrātarau rāmalakṣmaṇau.

bāhupāśaparikṣiptau kabandhō vākyamabravīt৷৷3.70.1৷৷


bāhupāśaparikṣiptau bound by the shackles of his arms, tatra sthitau both stood there, bhrātarau brothers, tau both, rāmalakṣmaṇau Rama and Lakshmana, dṛṣṭvā after seeing, kabandhaḥ Kabandha, vākyam these words, abravīt said.

Kabandha saw the brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, stand there bound by the shackles of his arms and said:
tiṣṭhataḥ kiṅ nu māṅ dṛṣṭvā kṣudhārtaṅ kṣatriyarṣabhau.

āhārārthaṅ tu sandiṣṭau daivēna gatacētasau৷৷3.70.2৷৷


kṣatriyarṣabhau two bulls among the kshatriyas, kṣudhārtam suffering from hunger, mām me, dṛṣṭvā after seeing, kiṅ nu why do you, tiṣṭhataḥ both stand here, gatacētasau with the senses lost, daivēna by god, āhārārtham for my food, sandiṣṭau 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 ?
tacchrutvā lakṣmaṇō vākyaṅ prāptakālaṅ hitaṅ tadā.

uvācā.rtiṅ samāpannō vikramē kṛtalakṣaṇaḥ৷৷3.70.3৷৷


lakṣmaṇaḥ Lakshmana, tat that, śrutvā having heard, tadā then, ārtim suffering, samāpannaḥ he underwent, vikramē to exhibit courage, kṛtalakṣaṇaḥ he has resorted to, prāptakālam appropriate time, hitam good, vākyam words, uvāca said.

Having heard this, Lakshmana, who was greatly suffering gathered courage at appropriate time and said these salutary words:
tvāṅ ca māṅ ca purā tūrṇamādattē rākṣasādhamaḥ.

tasmādasibhyāmasyāśu bāhū chindāvahai gurū৷৷3.70.4৷৷


rākṣasādhamaḥ this vile demon, tūrṇam quickly, tvāṅ ca your, māṅ ca and me, purā ādattē before he gulps, tasmāt therefore, asya his, gurū long, bāhū shoulders, asibhyām by our swords, chindāvahai cut off.

Before this vile demon gulps you and me let us cut off his long arms with our swords.
bhīṣaṇō.yaṅ mahākāyō rākṣasō bhujavikramaḥ.

lōkaṅ hyatijitaṅ kṛtvā hyāvāṅ hantumihēcchati৷৷3.70.5৷৷


bhīṣaṇaḥ horrible, mahākāyaḥ huge, bhujavikramaḥ having the strength of his arms, rākṣasaḥ demon, lōkam world, atijitam having conquered, kṛtvā after doing so, iha here, āvām us, hantum to kill, icchati intends.

This huge, horrible demon with the strength of his arms has conquered the world, and now intends to kill us here.
niścēṣṭānāṅ vadhō rājankutsitō jagatīpatēḥ.

kratumadhyōpanītānāṅ paśūnāmiva rāghava৷৷3.70.6৷৷


rājan king, rāghava of the Raghu race, niścēṣṭānām of harmless creatures, vadhaḥ killing, kratumadhyōpanītānām brought in the midst of a sacrifice, paśūnāmiva like animals, jagatīpatēḥ lord of the world, kutsitaḥ 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.
ētatsañjalpitaṅ śrutvā tayōḥ kruddhastu rākṣasaḥ.

vidāryā.syaṅ tadā raudrastau bhakṣayitumārabhat৷৷3.70.7৷৷


krūraḥ cruel, raudraḥ ferocious, rākṣasastu the demon, tadā then, tayōḥ them, sañjalpitam conversing, śrutvā having heard, āsyam mouth, vidārya widely opening, tau them, bhakṣayitum to eat, ārabhat made an effort.

The cruel, ferocious demon heard them talk. He opened his mouth and attempted to eat both of them.
tatastau dēśakālajñau khaḍgābhyāmēva rāghavau.

acchindatāṅ susaṅvignau bāhū tasyāṅsadēśataḥ৷৷3.70.8৷৷


tataḥ then, susaṅvignau became agitated, dēśakālajñau knowers of time and space, tau those two, rāghavau Raghavas, khaḍgābhyām with their swords, tasya his, bāhū two arms, aṅsadēśataḥ from the shoulders, acchindatām 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.
dakṣiṇō dakṣiṇaṅ bāhumasaktamasinā tataḥ.

cicchēda rāmō vēgēna savyaṅ vīrastu lakṣmaṇaḥ৷৷3.70.9৷৷


tataḥ then, dakṣiṇaḥ standing on the right, rāmaḥ Rama, asaktam severed, vēgēna quickly, dakṣiṇaṅ bāhum right arm, asinā with a sword, cicchēda cut off, vīraḥ hero, lakṣmaṇastu Lakshmana, savyam left arm.

While standing on the right, Rama cut off his right arm and the brave Lakshmana cut off the left.
sa papāta mahābāhuśchinnabāhurmahāsvanaḥ.

khaṅ ca gāṅ ca diśaścaiva nādayañjaladō yathā৷৷3.70.10৷৷


mahābāhuḥ with strong arms, saḥ that, chinnabāhuḥ with his arms severed, mahāsvanaḥ roaring, jaladaḥ yathā like a stormy cloud, khaṅ ca sky, gāṅ ca earth, diśaścaiva quarters, nādayan while resounding, papāta he fell down.

The strong-armed demon, his arms severed, rumbling like a rain-cloud filling the sky, the earth and the quarters, fell down.
sa nikṛttau bhujau dṛṣṭvā śōṇitaughapariplutaḥ.

dīnaḥ papraccha tau vīrau kau yuvāmiti dānavaḥ৷৷3.70.11৷৷


saḥ that, dānavaḥ demon, nikṛttau with amputated, bhūjau arms, dṛṣṭvā after seeing, śōṇitaughapariplutaḥ drenched in the flood of blood, dīnaḥ a pathetic one, yuvām you both, kau who are you, iti thus, tau vīrau those two heroes, papraccha asked.

The demon with his arms amputated, drenched in a pool of blood looked pathetic and asked them, Who are you?
iti tasya bruvāṇasya lakṣmaṇaśśubhalakṣaṇaḥ.

śaśaṅsa rāghavaṅ tasya kabandhasya mahātmanaḥ৷৷3.70.12৷৷


tasya his, iti thus, bruvāṇasya when he was speaking, śubhalakṣaṇaḥ a man of auspicious traits, saḥ lakṣmaṇaḥ Lakshmana, mahātmanaḥ of the great self, kabandhasya of Kabandha, rāghavam Raghava, śaśaṅsa revealed.

Imbued with auspicious signs, Lakshmana revealed the identity of Rama to great Kabandha.
ayamikṣvākudāyādō rāmō nāma janaiśśrutaḥ.

asyaivāvarajaṅ viddi bhrātaraṅ māṅ ca lakṣmaṇam৷৷3.70.13৷৷


ayam he, rāmō nāma by name Rama, janaiḥ by people, śrutaḥ famous, ikṣvākudāyādaḥ an heir of the Ikshvaku family, mām me, asya his, avarajaṅ bhrātaram as his younger brother, lakṣmaṇam Lakshmana, viddi 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.
asya dēvaprabhāvasya vasatō vijanē vanē.

rakṣasā.pahṛtā patnī yāmicchantāvihāgatau৷৷3.70.14৷৷


vijanē desolate, vanē in the forest, vasataḥ living, dēvaprabhāvasya as powerful as a god, asya his, patnī wife, rakṣasā by a demon, apahṛtā is carried off, yām whom, icchantau both wishing, iha here, āgatau 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.
tvaṅ tu kō vā kimarthaṅ vā kabandhasadṛśō vanē.

āsyēnōrasi dīptēna bhagnajaṅghō vicēṣṭasē৷৷3.70.15৷৷


tvaṅ tu you, kaḥ vā who are you, kabandhasadṛśaḥ appearing like a trunk, urasi in the chest, dīptēna by a glittering, āsyēna with a mouth, bhagnajaṅghaḥ with calf muscles broken, vanē in the forest, kimarthaṅ vā for what purpose, vicēṣṭasē 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?
ēvamuktaḥ kabandhastu lakṣmaṇēnōttaraṅ vacaḥ.

uvāca paramaprīta stadindravacanaṅ smaran৷৷3.70.16৷৷


lakṣmaṇēna by Lakshmana, ēvam in that way, uktaḥ having been told, kabandhastu the Kabandha, tat that, indravacanam Indra's words, smaran remembering, paramaprītaḥ very pleased, uttaram reply, vacaḥ words, uvāca said.

While hearing Lakshmana, Kabandha, reminded of Indra's words, replied to him in great joy :
svāgataṅ vāṅ naravyāghrau diṣṭyā paśyāmi cāpyaham.

diṣṭyā cēmau nikṛttau mē yuvābhyāṅ bāhubandhanau৷৷3.70.17৷৷


naravyāghrau two tigers among men, vām to you, svāgatam welcome, aham I, diṣṭyā luckily, paśyāmi I see, diṣṭyā by my luck, yuvābhyām by both of you, mē my, imau these, bāhubandhanau that arms which bound you, nikṛttau 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.
virūpaṅ yacca mē rūpaṅ prāptaṅ hyavinayādyathā.

tanmē śṛṇu naravyāghra tattvataśśaṅsatastava৷৷3.70.18৷৷


naravyāghra O best among men (Rama), mē my, virūpam deformity, yat such, rūpam form, yathā as, avinayāt due to haughtiness, prāptam is obtained, tava to your, tattvataḥ exactly, śaṅsataḥ as I narrate, mē from me, śṛṇu you may listen.

O best among men! hear how I have been deformed due to my haughtiness.
ityārṣa śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē araṇyakāṇḍē saptatitamassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the seventieth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.