Araṇya Kāṇḍa 65: Kabandha’s grasp · 3.65.2 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.65.1

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 65: Kabandha’s grasp. A headless being with a chest-eye, belly-mouth and two long arms seizes both brothers as they search the forest

In the sequence: After the funeral offerings, the brothers set out again in search of Sītā; the opening verse names a westward departure, while the following verses describe their progress south along a difficult path

3.65.1

kṛtvaivam udakaṃ tasmai prasthitau rāghavau tadā
avekṣantau vane sītāṃ paścimāṃ jagmatur diśam

Having thus made the water-offering for him, the two Rāghavas then set out, and, looking for Sītā in the forest, went toward the western quarter.

Words: kṛtvaivam — having thus made; udakaṃ — the water(-offering); tasmai — for him; prasthitau — the two set out; rāghavau — the two Rāghavas; tadā — then; avekṣantau — the two looking for, watching; vane — in the forest; sītāṃ — Sītā; paścimāṃ — western; jagmatur — the two went; diśam — the quarter, direction

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.