Aranya Kanda, Sarga 70

तौ तु तत्र स्थितौ दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ। बाहुपाशपरिक्षिप्तौ कबन्धो वाक्यमब्रवीत्।।3.70.1।।

tau tu tatra sthitau dṛṣṭvā bhrātarau rāmalakṣmaṇau| bāhupāśaparikṣiptau kabandho vākyamabravīt

Kabandha saw the brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, stand there bound by the shackles of his arms and said:

तिष्ठतः किं नु मां दृष्ट्वा क्षुधार्तं क्षत्रियर्षभौ। आहारार्थं तु सन्दिष्टौ दैवेन गतचेतसौ।।3.70.2।।

tiṣṭhataḥ kiṃ nu māṃ dṛṣṭvā kṣudhārtaṃ kṣatriyarṣabhau| āhārārthaṃ tu sandiṣṭau daivena gatacetasau

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 ?

तच्छ्रुत्वा लक्ष्मणो वाक्यं प्राप्तकालं हितं तदा। उवाचाऽर्तिं समापन्नो विक्रमे कृतलक्षणः।।3.70.3।।

tacchrutvā lakṣmaṇo vākyaṃ prāptakālaṃ hitaṃ tadā| uvācā'rtiṃ samāpanno vikrame kṛtalakṣaṇaḥ

Having heard this, Lakshmana, who was greatly suffering gathered courage at appropriate time and said these salutary words:

त्वां च मां च पुरा तूर्णमादत्ते राक्षसाधमः। तस्मादसिभ्यामस्याशु बाहू छिन्दावहै गुरू।।3.70.4।।

tvāṃ ca māṃ ca purā tūrṇamādatte rākṣasādhamaḥ| tasmādasibhyāmasyāśu bāhū chindāvahai gurū

Before this vile demon gulps you and me let us cut off his long arms with our swords.

भीषणोऽयं महाकायो राक्षसो भुजविक्रमः। लोकं ह्यतिजितं कृत्वा ह्यावां हन्तुमिहेच्छति।।3.70.5।।

bhīṣaṇo'yaṃ mahākāyo rākṣaso bhujavikramaḥ| lokaṃ hyatijitaṃ kṛtvā hyāvāṃ hantumihecchati

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

निश्चेष्टानां वधो राजन्कुत्सितो जगतीपतेः। क्रतुमध्योपनीतानां पशूनामिव राघव।।3.70.6।।

niśceṣṭānāṃ vadho rājankutsito jagatīpateḥ| kratumadhyopanītānāṃ paśūnāmiva rāghava

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.

एतत्सञ्जल्पितं श्रुत्वा तयोः क्रुद्धस्तु राक्षसः। विदार्याऽस्यं तदा रौद्रस्तौ भक्षयितुमारभत्।।3.70.7।।

etatsañjalpitaṃ śrutvā tayoḥ kruddhastu rākṣasaḥ| vidāryā'syaṃ tadā raudrastau bhakṣayitumārabhat

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

ततस्तौ देशकालज्ञौ खड्गाभ्यामेव राघवौ। अच्छिन्दतां सुसंविग्नौ बाहू तस्यांसदेशतः।।3.70.8।।

tatastau deśakālajñau khaḍgābhyāmeva rāghavau| acchindatāṃ susaṃvignau bāhū tasyāṃsadeśataḥ

Then the agitated brothers, aware of time and space, quickly pulled out their swords and cut off both his arms from the shoulders.

दक्षिणो दक्षिणं बाहुमसक्तमसिना ततः। चिच्छेद रामो वेगेन सव्यं वीरस्तु लक्ष्मणः।।3.70.9।।

dakṣiṇo dakṣiṇaṃ bāhumasaktamasinā tataḥ| ciccheda rāmo vegena savyaṃ vīrastu lakṣmaṇaḥ

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

स पपात महाबाहुश्छिन्नबाहुर्महास्वनः। खं च गां च दिशश्चैव नादयञ्जलदो यथा।।3.70.10।।

sa papāta mahābāhuśchinnabāhurmahāsvanaḥ| khaṃ ca gāṃ ca diśaścaiva nādayañjalado yathā

The strongarmed demon, his arms severed, rumbling like a raincloud filling the sky, the earth and the quarters, fell down.

स निकृत्तौ भुजौ दृष्ट्वा शोणितौघपरिप्लुतः। दीनः पप्रच्छ तौ वीरौ कौ युवामिति दानवः।।3.70.11।।

sa nikṛttau bhujau dṛṣṭvā śoṇitaughapariplutaḥ| dīnaḥ papraccha tau vīrau kau yuvāmiti dānavaḥ

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

इति तस्य ब्रुवाणस्य लक्ष्मणश्शुभलक्षणः। शशंस राघवं तस्य कबन्धस्य महात्मनः।।3.70.12।।

iti tasya bruvāṇasya lakṣmaṇaśśubhalakṣaṇaḥ| śaśaṃsa rāghavaṃ tasya kabandhasya mahātmanaḥ

Imbued with auspicious signs, Lakshmana revealed the identity of Rama to great Kabandha.

अयमिक्ष्वाकुदायादो रामो नाम जनैश्श्रुतः। अस्यैवावरजं विद्दि भ्रातरं मां च लक्ष्मणम्।।3.70.13।।

ayamikṣvākudāyādo rāmo nāma janaiśśrutaḥ| asyaivāvarajaṃ viddi bhrātaraṃ māṃ ca lakṣmaṇam

Here is Rama, an heir of the Ikshvaku family, known to the people and I am his younger brother Lakshmana for your information.

अस्य देवप्रभावस्य वसतो विजने वने। रक्षसाऽपहृता पत्नी यामिच्छन्ताविहागतौ।।3.70.14।।

asya devaprabhāvasya vasato vijane vane| rakṣasā'pahṛtā patnī yāmicchantāvihāgatau

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.

त्वं तु को वा किमर्थं वा कबन्धसदृशो वने। आस्येनोरसि दीप्तेन भग्नजङ्घो विचेष्टसे।।3.70.15।।

tvaṃ tu ko vā kimarthaṃ vā kabandhasadṛśo vane| āsyenorasi dīptena bhagnajaṅgho viceṣṭase

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?

एवमुक्तः कबन्धस्तु लक्ष्मणेनोत्तरं वचः। उवाच परमप्रीत स्तदिन्द्रवचनं स्मरन्।।3.70.16।।

evamuktaḥ kabandhastu lakṣmaṇenottaraṃ vacaḥ| uvāca paramaprīta stadindravacanaṃ smaran

While hearing Lakshmana, Kabandha, reminded of Indra's words, replied to him in great joy :

स्वागतं वां नरव्याघ्रौ दिष्ट्या पश्यामि चाप्यहम्। दिष्ट्या चेमौ निकृत्तौ मे युवाभ्यां बाहुबन्धनौ।।3.70.17।।

svāgataṃ vāṃ naravyāghrau diṣṭyā paśyāmi cāpyaham| diṣṭyā cemau nikṛttau me yuvābhyāṃ bāhubandhanau

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.

विरूपं यच्च मे रूपं प्राप्तं ह्यविनयाद्यथा। तन्मे शृणु नरव्याघ्र तत्त्वतश्शंसतस्तव।।3.70.18।।

virūpaṃ yacca me rūpaṃ prāptaṃ hyavinayādyathā| tanme śṛṇu naravyāghra tattvataśśaṃsatastava

O best among men hear how I have been deformed due to my haughtiness. इत्यार्ष श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे सप्ततितमस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the seventieth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.