← 3.47 Sītā’s abduction · Araṇya Kāṇḍa · 3.49 Jaṭāyu’s battle and fall →

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 48: Jaṭāyu confronts Rāvaṇa

Summary. The aged vulture condemns the abduction, demands Sītā’s release and challenges the armed ruler despite his own disadvantage

Sequence

  1. Sītā's cries wake Jaṭāyu → from a tree he sees Rāvaṇa carrying her and identifies himself as the vulture King (3.48.1–3)
  2. he names Rāma as her husband and condemns a ruler who takes another man's wife instead of protecting her (3.48.4–7)
  3. he reminds Rāvaṇa that subjects follow their King's example and that power cannot endure through wrongdoing (3.48.8–11)
  4. he argues that Rāma has not injured Rāvaṇa's city or Kingdom: Khara brought his defeat upon himself by attacking for Śūrpaṇakhā's sake (3.48.12–14)
  5. he urges Rāvaṇa to release Sītā before bringing fatal consequences upon himself (3.48.15–18)
  6. Jaṭāyu says he is sixty thousand years old and acknowledges Rāvaṇa's youth, armor, weapons, and chariot, but refuses to let the abduction proceed unopposed (3.48.19–21)
  7. he challenges Rāvaṇa to fight rather than flee while the brothers are absent → he vows to serve Rāma and Daśaratha even at the cost of his life. (3.48.22–27)

Verses 3.48.1–27

3.48.1

taṃ śabdam avasuptasya jaṭāyur atha śuśruve
niraikṣad rāvaṇaṃ kṣipraṃ vaidehīṃ ca dadarśa saḥ

Then Jaṭāyus, roused from sleep, heard that cry; at once he looked upon Rāvaṇa and saw Vaidehī.

Words: taṃ — that; śabdam — cry, sound; avasuptasya — (who had been) asleep; jaṭāyur — Jaṭāyus; atha — then; śuśruve — heard; niraikṣad — looked at; rāvaṇaṃ — Rāvaṇa; kṣipraṃ — quickly; vaidehīṃ — Vaidehī; ca — and; dadarśa — saw; saḥ — he

3.48.2

tataḥ parvatakūṭābhas tīkṣṇatuṇḍaḥ khagottamaḥ
vanaspatigataḥ śrīmān vyājahāra śubhāṃ giram

Then that glorious best of birds, huge as a mountain peak and sharp of beak, perched upon a great tree, uttered these noble words:

Words: tataḥ — then; parvatakūṭābhas — resembling a mountain peak; tīkṣṇatuṇḍaḥ — sharp-beaked; khagottamaḥ — best of birds; vanaspatigataḥ — perched on a tree; śrīmān — glorious; vyājahāra — uttered, spoke; śubhāṃ — auspicious, fair; giram — speech

3.48.3

daśagrīvasthito dharme purāṇe satyasaṃśrayaḥ
jaṭāyur nāma nāmnāhaṃ gṛdhrarājo mahābalaḥ

'O ten-necked one, I stand firm in the ancient dharma, a refuge of truth; Jaṭāyus by name am I, the mighty king of vultures.'

Words: daśagrīvasthito — O ten-necked one, (I am) established; dharme — in dharma; purāṇe — ancient; satyasaṃśrayaḥ — a refuge of truth; jaṭāyur — Jaṭāyus; nāma — by name; nāmnāhaṃ — by name I; gṛdhrarājo — king of vultures; mahābalaḥ — the mighty

3.48.4

rājā sarvasya lokasya mahendravaruṇopamaḥ
lokānāṃ ca hite yukto rāmo daśarathātmajaḥ

'Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, is king of all the world, the equal of great Indra and Varuṇa, ever devoted to the welfare of all people.'

Words: rājā — king; sarvasya — of all; lokasya — the world; mahendravaruṇopamaḥ — like great Indra and Varuṇa; lokānāṃ — of the people, worlds; ca — and; hite — in the welfare; yukto — engaged, devoted; rāmo — Rāma; daśarathātmajaḥ — son of Daśaratha

3.48.5

tasyaiṣā lokanāthasya dharmapatnī yaśasvinī
sītā nāma varārohā yāṃ tvaṃ hartum ihecchasi

'This is the illustrious lawful wife of that lord of the world — Sītā by name, the fair-hipped one, whom you here seek to carry off.'

Words: tasyaiṣā — his, this; lokanāthasya — of the lord of the world; dharmapatnī — lawful wife; yaśasvinī — illustrious; sītā — Sītā; nāma — by name; varārohā — the fair-hipped one; yāṃ — whom; tvaṃ — you; hartum — to carry off; ihecchasi — here desire

3.48.6

kathaṃ rājā sthito dharme paradārān parāmṛśet
rakṣaṇīyā viśeṣeṇa rājadārā mahābalaḥ
nivartaya matiṃ nīcāṃ paradārābhimarśanam

'How could a king established in dharma lay hands on another man's wife? A king's wife above all must be protected, O mighty one. Turn back your base intent to touch another's wife.'

Words: kathaṃ — how; rājā — a king; sthito — established; dharme — in dharma; paradārān — another's wife; parāmṛśet — would lay hands on, touch; rakṣaṇīyā — to be protected; viśeṣeṇa — especially; rājadārā — a king's wife; mahābalaḥ — O mighty one; nivartaya — turn back, give up; matiṃ — the intention; nīcāṃ — base, low; paradārābhimarśanam — the touching of another's wife

3.48.7

na tat samācared dhīro yat paro 'sya vigarhayet
yathātmanas tathānyeṣāṃ dārā rakṣyā vimarśanāt

'A wise man would not do what another might condemn in him; as one guards one's own wife, so must the wives of others be guarded from violation.'

Words: na — not; tat — that; samācared — would do; dhīro — the wise one; yat — which; paro — another; 'sya — of him; vigarhayet — would censure; yathātmanas — just as one's own; tathānyeṣāṃ — so of others; dārā — wives; rakṣyā — to be protected; vimarśanāt — from molestation, violation

3.48.8

arthaṃ vā yadi vā kāmaṃ śiṣṭāḥ śāstreṣv anāgatam
vyavasyanty anu rājānaṃ dharmaṃ paurastyanandana

'In matters of profit or of pleasure not laid down in the scriptures, O scion of Pulastya, the wise determine what is right by following the king's example.'

Words: arthaṃ — profit, wealth; vā — or; yadi — if; vā — or; kāmaṃ — pleasure, desire; śiṣṭāḥ — the wise, learned; śāstreṣv — in the scriptures; anāgatam — not found, not laid down; vyavasyanty — they determine; anu — following, after; rājānaṃ — the king; dharmaṃ — dharma, what is right; paurastyanandana — O scion of Pulastya

3.48.9

rājā dharmaś ca kāmaś ca dravyāṇāṃ cottamo nidhiḥ
dharmaḥ śubhaṃ vā pāpaṃ vā rājamūlaṃ pravartate

'The king is dharma, he is desire, and he is the supreme repository of wealth; dharma itself, and whatever good or evil arises, has its root in the king.'

Words: rājā — the king; dharmaś — dharma; ca — and; kāmaś — desire; ca — and; dravyāṇāṃ — of goods, wealth; cottamo — and the highest; nidhiḥ — treasury, repository; dharmaḥ — dharma; śubhaṃ — good; vā — or; pāpaṃ — evil; vā — or; rājamūlaṃ — rooted in the king; pravartate — proceeds, arises

3.48.10

pāpasvabhāvaś capalaḥ kathaṃ tvaṃ rakṣasāṃ vara
aiśvaryam abhisaṃprāpto vimānam iva duṣkṛtī

'O best of rākṣasas, evil-natured and fickle as you are, how have you come by such sovereignty — like some sinner who has gained a celestial car he never earned?'

Words: pāpasvabhāvaś — of evil nature; capalaḥ — fickle, unsteady; kathaṃ — how; tvaṃ — you; rakṣasāṃ — of the rākṣasas; vara — O best; aiśvaryam — sovereignty, lordship; abhisaṃprāpto — have attained; vimānam — a celestial car; iva — like; duṣkṛtī — an evildoer

3.48.11

kāmasvabhāvo yo yasya na sa śakyaḥ pramārjitum
na hi duṣṭātmanām ārya mā vasaty ālaye ciram

'A man's inborn disposition cannot be wiped away. Yet mark this, noble sir: Fortune does not abide for long in the house of the wicked.'

Words: kāmasvabhāvo — inborn disposition; yo — which; yasya — of whom; na — not; sa — it; śakyaḥ — able (to be); pramārjitum — to be wiped away, effaced; na — not; hi — indeed; duṣṭātmanām — of the evil-souled; ārya — O noble one; mā — Fortune (Lakṣmī); vasaty — dwells; ālaye — in the abode; ciram — for long

3.48.12

viṣaye vā pure vā te yadā rāmo mahābalaḥ
nāparādhyati dharmātmā kathaṃ tasyāparādhyasi

'When the mighty, righteous Rāma does no wrong to your realm or your city, why do you wrong him?'

Words: viṣaye — in the realm, territory; vā — or; pure — in the city; vā — or; te — your; yadā — when; rāmo — Rāma; mahābalaḥ — the mighty; nāparādhyati — does not offend, wrong; dharmātmā — the righteous-souled; kathaṃ — how, why; tasyāparādhyasi — you offend against him

3.48.13

yadi śūrpaṇakhāhetor janasthānagataḥ kharaḥ
ativṛtto hataḥ pūrvaṃ rāmeṇākliṣṭakarmaṇā

'If Khara, stationed at Janasthāna, overstepped all bounds for Śūrpaṇakhā's sake and was earlier slain by Rāma of tireless deeds—'

Words: yadi — if; śūrpaṇakhāhetor — for the sake of Śūrpaṇakhā; janasthānagataḥ — who was at Janasthāna; kharaḥ — Khara; ativṛtto — transgressing, overstepping; hataḥ — was slain; pūrvaṃ — formerly, before; rāmeṇākliṣṭakarmaṇā — by Rāma of untiring deeds

3.48.14

atra brūhi yathāsatyaṃ ko rāmasya vyatikramaḥ
yasya tvaṃ lokanāthasya hṛtvā bhāryāṃ gamiṣyasi

'—then tell me truly: what wrong has Rāma done, that you should carry off the wife of this lord of the world and make away with her?'

Words: atra — here, on this; brūhi — tell; yathāsatyaṃ — truthfully; ko — what; rāmasya — of Rāma; vyatikramaḥ — transgression, offense; yasya — whose; tvaṃ — you; lokanāthasya — of the lord of the world; hṛtvā — having carried off; bhāryāṃ — wife; gamiṣyasi — you will go away

3.48.15

kṣipraṃ visṛja vaidehīṃ mā tvā ghoreṇa cakṣuṣā
dahed dahana bhūtena vṛtram indrāśanir yathā

'Release Vaidehī at once, lest with his terrible, fire-become gaze he burn you up, as Indra's thunderbolt burned Vṛtra.'

Words: kṣipraṃ — quickly; visṛja — release; vaidehīṃ — Vaidehī; mā — lest; tvā — you; ghoreṇa — with (his) terrible; cakṣuṣā — eye, gaze; dahed — would burn; dahana — fire; bhūtena — become (with); vṛtram — Vṛtra; indrāśanir — Indra's thunderbolt; yathā — as

3.48.16

sarpam āśīviṣaṃ baddhvā vastrānte nāvabudhyase
grīvāyāṃ pratimuktaṃ ca kālapāśaṃ na paśyasi

'You have tied a venomous serpent to the hem of your robe and do not know it; you do not see the noose of Death already fastened round your neck.'

Words: sarpam — a serpent; āśīviṣaṃ — venomous; baddhvā — having bound, tied; vastrānte — at the hem of the garment; nāvabudhyase — you do not notice; grīvāyāṃ — around (your) neck; pratimuktaṃ — fastened, slipped on; ca — and; kālapāśaṃ — the noose of Death; na — not; paśyasi — you see

3.48.17

sa bhāraḥ saumya bhartavyo yo naraṃ nāvasādayet
tad annam upabhoktavyaṃ jīryate yad anāmayam

'That burden alone should be borne, gentle one, which does not crush a man; that food alone should be eaten which digests without harm.'

Words: sa — that; bhāraḥ — burden; saumya — O gentle one; bhartavyo — should be borne; yo — which; naraṃ — a man; nāvasādayet — would not overwhelm, crush; tad — that; annam — food; upabhoktavyaṃ — should be eaten; jīryate — is digested; yad — which; anāmayam — without sickness, wholesomely

3.48.18

yat kṛtvā na bhaved dharmo na kīrtir na yaśo bhuvi
śarīrasya bhavet khedaḥ kas tat karma samācaret

'A deed by which no merit, no fame, no glory on earth is won, but only weariness of body results — who would ever undertake such a deed?'

Words: yat — which; kṛtvā — having done; na — not; bhaved — would there be; dharmo — merit, dharma; na — not; kīrtir — fame; na — not; yaśo — glory; bhuvi — on earth; śarīrasya — of the body; bhavet — would be; khedaḥ — weariness, distress; kas — who; tat — that; karma — deed; samācaret — would perform

3.48.19

ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi mama jātasya rāvaṇa
pitṛpaitāmahaṃ rājyaṃ yathāvad anutiṣṭhataḥ

'Sixty thousand years have passed since my birth, O Rāvaṇa, while I have duly ruled the kingdom of my fathers and forefathers.'

Words: ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi — sixty thousand years; mama — my, of me; jātasya — (since I was) born; rāvaṇa — O Rāvaṇa; pitṛpaitāmahaṃ — ancestral (of father and grandfather); rājyaṃ — kingdom, kingship; yathāvad — duly, properly; anutiṣṭhataḥ — (of me) governing, administering

3.48.20

vṛddho 'haṃ tvaṃ yuvā dhanvī sarathaḥ kavacī śarī
tathāpy ādāya vaidehīṃ kuśalī na gamiṣyasi

'I am old, and you are young, armed with bow, chariot, armor, and arrows; yet even so, you shall not carry Vaidehī off and go your way unscathed.'

Words: vṛddho — old; 'haṃ — I; tvaṃ — you; yuvā — young; dhanvī — armed with a bow; sarathaḥ — with a chariot; kavacī — armored; śarī — armed with arrows; tathāpy — even so; ādāya — taking; vaidehīṃ — Vaidehī; kuśalī — safe, unharmed; na — not; gamiṣyasi — you will go

3.48.21

na śaktas tvaṃ balād dhartuṃ vaidehīṃ mama paśyataḥ
hetubhir nyāyasaṃyuktair dhruvāṃ vedaśrutīm iva

'You cannot carry Vaidehī off by force while I look on — no more than one could overturn the firm truth of Vedic revelation with well-reasoned arguments.'

Words: na — not; śaktas — able; tvaṃ — you; balād — by force; dhartuṃ — to carry off; vaidehīṃ — Vaidehī; mama — while I (look on); paśyataḥ — (of me) looking on; hetubhir — with arguments; nyāyasaṃyuktair — sound in logic; dhruvāṃ — firm, established; vedaśrutīm — the Vedic revelation; iva — like

3.48.22

yudhyasva yadi śūro 'si muhūrtaṃ tiṣṭha rāvaṇa
śayiṣyase hato bhūmau yathāpūrvaṃ kharas tathā

'Fight, if you are a hero! Halt a moment, Rāvaṇa. You will lie slain upon the earth, just as Khara did before you.'

Words: yudhyasva — fight; yadi — if; śūro — a hero; 'si — you are; muhūrtaṃ — for a moment; tiṣṭha — stand, wait; rāvaṇa — O Rāvaṇa; śayiṣyase — you will lie; hato — slain; bhūmau — on the ground; yathāpūrvaṃ — as before; kharas — Khara; tathā — so

3.48.23

asakṛt saṃyuge yena nihatā daityadānavāḥ
nacirāc cīravāsās tvāṃ rāmo yudhi vadhiṣyati

'Rāma, by whom the Daityas and Dānavas have been struck down again and again in battle, will before long slay you in combat, though he wears but bark garments.'

Words: asakṛt — repeatedly, more than once; saṃyuge — in battle; yena — by whom; nihatā — slain; daityadānavāḥ — the Daityas and Dānavas; nacirāc — before long; cīravāsās — clad in bark garments; tvāṃ — you; rāmo — Rāma; yudhi — in battle; vadhiṣyati — will slay

3.48.24

kiṃ nu śakyaṃ mayā kartuṃ gatau dūraṃ nṛpātmajau
kṣipraṃ tvaṃ naśyase nīca tayor bhīto na saṃśayaḥ

'Yet what can I do, now that the two princes have gone far away? You slink off in haste, base creature, in fear of them both — of that there is no doubt.'

Words: kiṃ — what; nu — indeed; śakyaṃ — possible; mayā — by me; kartuṃ — to do; gatau — (the two) have gone; dūraṃ — far; nṛpātmajau — the two king's sons; kṣipraṃ — quickly; tvaṃ — you; naśyase — slink off, make away; nīca — O base one; tayor — of those two; bhīto — afraid; na — no; saṃśayaḥ — doubt

3.48.25

na hi me jīvamānasya nayiṣyasi śubhām imām
sītāṃ kamalapatrākṣīṃ rāmasya mahaṣīṃ priyām

'For while I yet live, you shall not lead away this lovely Sītā, the lotus-eyed, beloved queen of Rāma.'

Words: na — not; hi — indeed; me — while I (live); jīvamānasya — (of me) living; nayiṣyasi — you will lead away; śubhām — the fair; imām — this; sītāṃ — Sītā; kamalapatrākṣīṃ — lotus-petal-eyed; rāmasya — of Rāma; mahaṣīṃ — queen (mahiṣī); priyām — beloved

3.48.26

avaśyaṃ tu mayā kāryaṃ priyaṃ tasya mahātmanaḥ
jīvitenāpi rāmasya tathā daśarathasya ca

'Come what may, I must do a service to that great-souled Rāma — and to Daśaratha too — even at the cost of my life.'

Words: avaśyaṃ — certainly, without fail; tu — indeed; mayā — by me; kāryaṃ — should be done; priyaṃ — a kindness, service; tasya — for him; mahātmanaḥ — the great-souled; jīvitenāpi — even with (my) life; rāmasya — of Rāma; tathā — and, likewise; daśarathasya — of Daśaratha; ca — and

3.48.27

tiṣṭha tiṣṭha daśagrīva muhūrtaṃ paśya rāvaṇa
yuddhātithyaṃ pradāsyāmi yathāprāṇaṃ niśācara
vṛntād iva phalaṃ tvāṃ tu pātayeyaṃ rathottamāt

'Halt, halt, O ten-necked Rāvaṇa! Wait but a moment and look. I shall offer you the hospitality of battle with all my strength, night-roamer, and cast you down from your splendid chariot like a ripe fruit from its stalk.'

Words: tiṣṭha — halt; tiṣṭha — halt; daśagrīva — O ten-necked one; muhūrtaṃ — for a moment; paśya — look; rāvaṇa — O Rāvaṇa; yuddhātithyaṃ — the hospitality of battle; pradāsyāmi — I will offer; yathāprāṇaṃ — to the best of my strength; niśācara — O night-roamer; vṛntād — from the stalk; iva — like; phalaṃ — a fruit; tvāṃ — you; tu — indeed; pātayeyaṃ — I would fell, cast down; rathottamāt — from (your) excellent chariot

← 3.47 Sītā’s abduction · Araṇya Kāṇḍa · 3.49 Jaṭāyu’s battle and fall →

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. 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.

Plain text: /text/3/48.md · JSON: /data/3/48.json