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Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 2: Virādha’s attack

Summary. The weapon-bearing man-eater seizes Sītā and claims her as his wife, Lakṣmaṇa steadies Rāma and vows to kill him

Sequence

  1. At sunrise Rāma takes leave of the munis and enters a harsher stretch of forest, crowded with predators, damaged vegetation, and scarce water (3.2.1–3)
  2. the travelers encounter a huge, misshapen man-eater wearing a bloodstained tiger skin and carrying an iron spike loaded with lions, tigers, wolves, deer, and an elephant's head (3.2.4–8)
  3. he rushes at them, lifts Sītā against his body, and draws away (3.2.9–10)
  4. he challenges the brothers for wearing the clothing of a tapasvin while carrying weapons and traveling with a woman → identifying himself as Virādha, a rākṣasa who eats ṛṣis, he declares that Sītā will become his wife and that he will drink the brothers' blood (3.2.11–13)
  5. Sītā trembles with fear (3.2.14)
  6. in his distress, Rāma tells Lakṣmaṇa that Kaikeyī's wish has now been fulfilled (3.2.15–18)
  7. he says that seeing Sītā in another's grasp is more painful than his father's death or the loss of his Kingdom (3.2.19)
  8. Lakṣmaṇa urges him not to despair while he is there to help → he vows to kill Virādha and says he will release against him the anger he formerly felt toward Bharata. (3.2.20–24)

Verses 3.2.1–24

3.2.1

kṛtātithyo 'tha rāmas tu sūryasyodayanaṃ prati
āmantrya sa munīn sarvān vanam evānvagāhata

Then Rāma, having received hospitality, took leave of all the sages at sunrise and plunged into the forest itself.

Words: kṛtātithyo — having received hospitality; 'tha — then; rāmas — Rāma; tu — and; sūryasyodayanaṃ — the rising of the sun; prati — toward, at; āmantrya — having taken leave, bidden farewell; sa — he; munīn — the sages; sarvān — all; vanam — the forest; evānvagāhata — indeed plunged into

3.2.2

nānāmṛgagaṇākīrṇaṃ śārdūlavṛkasevitam
dhvastavṛkṣalatāgulmaṃ durdarśa salilāśayam

It was crowded with herds of various beasts, haunted by tigers and wolves, its trees, creepers, and shrubs shattered, its pools of water hard to find.

Words: nānāmṛgagaṇākīrṇaṃ — crowded with herds of various beasts; śārdūlavṛkasevitam — haunted by tigers and wolves; dhvastavṛkṣalatāgulmaṃ — with trees, creepers and shrubs shattered; durdarśa — hard to see into; salilāśayam — with pools of water

3.2.3

niṣkūjanānāśakuni jhillikā gaṇanāditam
lakṣmaṇānugato rāmo vanamadhyaṃ dadarśa ha

Ringing with the shrill din of swarms of crickets and the cries of various birds, that heart of the forest Rāma, followed by Lakṣmaṇa, beheld.

Words: niṣkūjanānāśakuni — with the cries of various birds; jhillikā — crickets; gaṇanāditam — resounding with swarms; lakṣmaṇānugato — followed by Lakṣmaṇa; rāmo — Rāma; vanamadhyaṃ — the middle of the forest; dadarśa — beheld, saw; ha — indeed

3.2.4

vanamadhye tu kākutsthas tasmin ghoramṛgāyute
dadarśa giriśṛṅgābhaṃ puruṣādaṃ mahāsvanam

In the middle of that forest teeming with dreadful beasts, Kākutstha (Rāma) saw a man-eater, huge as a mountain peak and loud-voiced.

Words: vanamadhye — in the middle of the forest; tu — and; kākutsthas — Kākutstha (Rāma); tasmin — in that; ghoramṛgāyute — teeming with dreadful beasts; dadarśa — saw; giriśṛṅgābhaṃ — resembling a mountain peak; puruṣādaṃ — a man-eater; mahāsvanam — loud-voiced

3.2.5

gabhīrākṣaṃ mahāvaktraṃ vikaṭaṃ viṣamodaram
bībhatsaṃ viṣamaṃ dīrghaṃ vikṛtaṃ ghoradarśanam

He was deep-eyed and huge-mouthed, monstrous, with a misshapen belly; loathsome, ill-formed, tall, deformed, and dreadful to look upon.

Words: gabhīrākṣaṃ — deep-eyed; mahāvaktraṃ — huge-mouthed; vikaṭaṃ — monstrous, huge; viṣamodaram — with a misshapen belly; bībhatsaṃ — loathsome, disgusting; viṣamaṃ — ill-formed, uneven; dīrghaṃ — tall, long; vikṛtaṃ — deformed; ghoradarśanam — dreadful to look upon

3.2.6

vasānaṃ carmavaiyāghraṃ vasārdraṃ rudhirokṣitam
trāsanaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ vyāditāsyam ivāntakam

He was clad in a tiger's skin, wet with fat and sprinkled with blood, a terror to all beings, like Death with gaping mouth.

Words: vasānaṃ — clothed, wearing; carmavaiyāghraṃ — a tiger-skin garment; vasārdraṃ — wet with fat; rudhirokṣitam — sprinkled with blood; trāsanaṃ — a terror, frightening; sarvabhūtānāṃ — to all beings; vyāditāsyam — with gaping mouth; ivāntakam — like Death

3.2.7

trīn siṃhāṃś caturo vyāghrān dvau vṛkau pṛṣatān daśa
saviṣāṇaṃ vasādigdhaṃ gajasya ca śiro mahat

Three lions, four tigers, two wolves, ten spotted deer, and a great tusked elephant's head smeared with fat —

Words: trīn — three; siṃhāṃś — lions; caturo — four; vyāghrān — tigers; dvau — two; vṛkau — wolves; pṛṣatān — spotted antelopes; daśa — ten; saviṣāṇaṃ — with tusks; vasādigdhaṃ — smeared with fat; gajasya — of an elephant; ca — and; śiro — head; mahat — great

3.2.8

avasajyāyase śūle vinadantaṃ mahāsvanam
sa rāmo lakṣmaṇaṃ caiva sītāṃ dṛṣṭvā ca maithilīm

— all impaled upon an iron spike, as he bellowed loudly; and that Rāma, seeing Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā of Mithilā,

Words: avasajyāyase — having hung upon iron; śūle — on a spike, stake; vinadantaṃ — bellowing, roaring; mahāsvanam — loudly, with great sound; sa — that; rāmo — Rāma; lakṣmaṇaṃ — Lakṣmaṇa; caiva — and; sītāṃ — Sītā; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; ca — and; maithilīm — the princess of Mithilā

3.2.9

abhyadhāvat susaṃkruddhaḥ prajāḥ kāla ivāntakaḥ
sa kṛtvā bhairavaṃ nādaṃ cālayann iva medinīm

— that rākṣasa, greatly enraged, rushed at them like all-destroying Time at living creatures; and, uttering a terrifying roar as though shaking the earth,

Words: abhyadhāvat — rushed at, charged; susaṃkruddhaḥ — greatly enraged; prajāḥ — at living creatures; kāla — Time; ivāntakaḥ — like the ender (Death); sa — he; kṛtvā — having made; bhairavaṃ — terrifying; nādaṃ — roar, cry; cālayann — shaking, making tremble; iva — as if; medinīm — the earth

3.2.10

aṅgenādāya vaidehīm apakramya tato 'bravīt
yuvāṃ jaṭācīradharau sabhāryau kṣīṇajīvitau

having taken up Vaidehī against his body and withdrawn a little, he then said: "You two, wearing matted locks and bark, with a wife, your lives now spent —

Words: aṅgenādāya — having taken up against his body; vaidehīm — Vaidehī (Sītā); apakramya — having withdrawn, stepped aside; tato — then; 'bravīt — said; yuvāṃ — you two; jaṭācīradharau — wearing matted locks and bark; sabhāryau — with a wife; kṣīṇajīvitau — your lives spent

3.2.11

praviṣṭau daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ śaracāpāsidhāriṇau
kathaṃ tāpasayor vāṃ ca vāsaḥ pramadayā saha

— you have entered the Daṇḍaka forest bearing arrows, bows, and swords. How, being ascetics, do you two dwell here together with a woman?

Words: praviṣṭau — (you two) having entered; daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ — the Daṇḍaka forest; śaracāpāsidhāriṇau — bearing arrows, bows and swords; kathaṃ — how; tāpasayor — of you two ascetics; vāṃ — of you two; ca — and; vāsaḥ — dwelling, residence; pramadayā — with a woman; saha — together with

3.2.12

adharmacāriṇau pāpau kau yuvāṃ munidūṣakau
ahaṃ vanam idaṃ durgaṃ virāgho nāma rākṣasaḥ

Doers of unrighteousness, evildoers, defilers of sages — who are you two? I am a rākṣasa named Virādha, who haunts this impassable forest,

Words: adharmacāriṇau — doers of unrighteousness; pāpau — two evildoers; kau — who; yuvāṃ — you two; munidūṣakau — defilers of sages; ahaṃ — I; vanam — forest; idaṃ — this; durgaṃ — impassable; virāgho — Virādha (var. Virāgha); nāma — by name; rākṣasaḥ — a rākṣasa

3.2.13

carāmi sāyudho nityam ṛṣimāṃsāni bhakṣayan
iyaṃ nārī varārohā mama bharyā bhaviṣyati
yuvayoḥ pāpayoś cāhaṃ pāsyāmi rudhiraṃ mṛdhe

roaming ever armed, feeding on the flesh of sages. This fair-hipped woman shall become my wife, and I shall drink the blood of you two evildoers in battle."

Words: carāmi — I roam; sāyudho — armed; nityam — ever, always; ṛṣimāṃsāni — the flesh of seers; bhakṣayan — feeding on, devouring; iyaṃ — this; nārī — woman; varārohā — fair-hipped, shapely; mama — my; bharyā — wife; bhaviṣyati — shall become; yuvayoḥ — of you two; pāpayoś — evil; cāhaṃ — and I; pāsyāmi — I shall drink; rudhiraṃ — blood; mṛdhe — in battle

3.2.14

tasyaivaṃ bruvato dhṛṣṭaṃ virādhasya durātmanaḥ
śrutvā sagarvitaṃ vākyaṃ saṃbhrāntā janakātmajā
sītā prāvepatodvegāt pravāte kadalī yathā

Hearing the insolent, arrogant speech thus spoken by the evil-souled Virādha, the daughter of Janaka was terrified; Sītā trembled with agitation like a plantain in the wind.

Words: tasyaivaṃ — of him thus; bruvato — speaking; dhṛṣṭaṃ — insolent, brazen; virādhasya — of Virādha; durātmanaḥ — evil-souled; śrutvā — having heard; sagarvitaṃ — arrogant, boastful; vākyaṃ — speech, words; saṃbhrāntā — terrified, alarmed; janakātmajā — the daughter of Janaka; sītā — Sītā; prāvepatodvegāt — trembled from agitation; pravāte — in the wind; kadalī — a plantain, banana-tree; yathā — like, as

3.2.15

tāṃ dṛṣṭvā rāghavaḥ sītāṃ virādhāṅkagatāṃ śubhām
abravīl lakṣmaṇaṃ vākyaṃ mukhena pariśuṣyatā

Seeing that lovely Sītā held in Virādha's grasp, Rāghava spoke to Lakṣmaṇa, his face going dry with grief:

Words: tāṃ — her; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; rāghavaḥ — Rāghava; sītāṃ — Sītā; virādhāṅkagatāṃ — held in Virādha's lap/grasp; śubhām — the lovely one; abravīl — said, spoke; lakṣmaṇaṃ — to Lakṣmaṇa; vākyaṃ — words; mukhena — with his face; pariśuṣyatā — going dry, withering

3.2.16

paśya saumya narendrasya janakasyātmasaṃbhavām
mama bhāryāṃ śubhācārāṃ virādhāṅke praveśitām
atyanta sukhasaṃvṛddhāṃ rājaputrīṃ yaśasvinīm

"Look, gentle brother, at the daughter of King Janaka, my wife of pure conduct, borne into Virādha's grasp — a princess reared in utmost comfort, an illustrious one.

Words: paśya — look, behold; saumya — O gentle one; narendrasya — of the king; janakasyātmasaṃbhavām — the daughter of Janaka; mama — my; bhāryāṃ — wife; śubhācārāṃ — of pure conduct; virādhāṅke — in Virādha's lap; praveśitām — brought into, made to enter; atyanta — utterly, exceedingly; sukhasaṃvṛddhāṃ — reared in comfort; rājaputrīṃ — the princess; yaśasvinīm — the illustrious one

3.2.17

yad abhipretam asmāsu priyaṃ vara vṛtaṃ ca yat
kaikeyyās tu susaṃvṛttaṃ kṣipram adyaiva lakṣmaṇa

That dear boon Kaikeyī longed for regarding us, and the wish she craved — that, O Lakṣmaṇa, has now this very day at once been fully accomplished.

Words: yad — which; abhipretam — intended, desired; asmāsu — regarding us; priyaṃ — dear, pleasing; vara — boon; vṛtaṃ — chosen, craved; ca — and; yat — which; kaikeyyās — of Kaikeyī; tu — indeed; susaṃvṛttaṃ — fully come about, accomplished; kṣipram — quickly, at once; adyaiva — this very day; lakṣmaṇa — O Lakṣmaṇa

3.2.18

yā na tuṣyati rājyena putrārthe dīrghadarśinī
yayāhaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ hitaḥ prasthāpito vanam
adyedānīṃ sakāmā sā yā mātā mama madhyamā

She, far-sighted, who was not content with the kingdom for her son's sake, by whom I, dear to all beings, was sent forth to the forest — she, my middle mother, has now this day had her wish fulfilled.

Words: yā — she who; na — not; tuṣyati — is content; rājyena — with the kingdom; putrārthe — for her son's sake; dīrghadarśinī — the far-sighted one; yayāhaṃ — by whom I; sarvabhūtānāṃ — to all beings; hitaḥ — dear, beneficial; prasthāpito — was sent forth; vanam — to the forest; adyedānīṃ — now this day; sakāmā — with her wish fulfilled; sā — she; yā — who; mātā — mother; mama — my; madhyamā — the middle one

3.2.19

parasparśāt tu vaidehyā na duḥkhataram asti me
pitur vināśāt saumitre svarājyaharaṇāt tathā

There is nothing more painful to me, Saumitri, than the touch of Vaidehī by a stranger — worse even than the death of our father or the seizure of my own kingdom.

Words: parasparśāt — from the touch of a stranger; tu — but; vaidehyā — of Vaidehī; na — not; duḥkhataram — more painful; asti — is; me — to me; pitur — of the father; vināśāt — than the death, destruction; saumitre — O Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa); svarājyaharaṇāt — than the seizure of my own kingdom; tathā — and, likewise

3.2.20

iti bruvati kākutsthe bāṣpaśokapariplute
abravīl lakṣmaṇaḥ kruddho ruddho nāga iva śvasan

As Kākutstha (Rāma), overcome with tears and grief, was speaking thus, Lakṣmaṇa, enraged, spoke, hissing like a cornered serpent:

Words: iti — thus; bruvati — (as he) was speaking; kākutsthe — Kākutstha (Rāma); bāṣpaśokapariplute — overwhelmed with tears and grief; abravīl — said; lakṣmaṇaḥ — Lakṣmaṇa; kruddho — enraged; ruddho — cornered, confined; nāga — serpent, elephant; iva — like; śvasan — hissing, breathing hard

3.2.21

anātha iva bhūtānāṃ nāthas tvaṃ vāsavopamaḥ
mayā preṣyeṇa kākutstha kimarthaṃ paritapsyase

You, the lord of beings, the equal of Vāsava (Indra), grieve as though helpless! With me as your servant, Kākutstha, why do you torment yourself?

Words: anātha — helpless, without protector; iva — as though; bhūtānāṃ — of beings; nāthas — the lord, protector; tvaṃ — you; vāsavopamaḥ — the equal of Vāsava (Indra); mayā — by/with me; preṣyeṇa — as servant; kākutstha — O Kākutstha; kimarthaṃ — why, for what reason; paritapsyase — will you torment yourself, grieve

3.2.22

śareṇa nihatasyādya mayā kruddhena rakṣasaḥ
virādhasya gatāsor hi mahī pāsyati śoṇitam

Today the earth shall drink the blood of the rākṣasa Virādha, struck down and lifeless by an arrow of mine loosed in anger.

Words: śareṇa — with an arrow; nihatasyādya — of one struck down today; mayā — by me; kruddhena — enraged; rakṣasaḥ — of the rākṣasa; virādhasya — of Virādha; gatāsor — of the lifeless one; hi — indeed; mahī — the earth; pāsyati — shall drink; śoṇitam — blood

3.2.23

rājyakāme mama krodho bharate yo babhūva ha
taṃ virādhe vimokṣyāmi vajrī vajram ivācale

The anger that arose in me against Bharata, who coveted the kingdom, that I shall now release upon Virādha, as the wielder of the thunderbolt hurls it at a mountain.

Words: rājyakāme — against the coveter of the kingdom; mama — my; krodho — anger; bharate — against Bharata; yo — which; babhūva — arose, was; ha — indeed; taṃ — that; virādhe — upon Virādha; vimokṣyāmi — I shall release, let loose; vajrī — the wielder of the thunderbolt (Indra); vajram — the thunderbolt; ivācale — as at a mountain

3.2.24

mama bhujabalavegavegitaḥ patatu śaro 'sya mahān mahorasi
vyapanayatu tanoś ca jīvitaṃ patatu tataś ca mahīṃ vighūrṇitaḥ

Sped by the force of my arm's might, let my great arrow fall upon his broad chest, let it drive the life from his body, and then let him, reeling, fall to the ground.

Words: mama — my; bhujabalavegavegitaḥ — sped by the force of my arm's might; patatu — let it fall; śaro — the arrow; 'sya — of him, his; mahān — great; mahorasi — upon the broad chest; vyapanayatu — let it take away, remove; tanoś — of the body; ca — and; jīvitaṃ — life; patatu — let (him) fall; tataś — then; ca — and; mahīṃ — to the ground, earth; vighūrṇitaḥ — reeling, whirling

← 3.1 Daṇḍaka’s tapasvins seek protection · Araṇya Kāṇḍa · 3.3 Virādha’s defeat and release →

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.

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