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Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 66: Kabandha’s arms severed

Summary. Lakṣmaṇa proposes cutting their captor’s arms, the brothers strike together and Kabandha recognizes the foretold means of his release

Sequence

  1. Holding both brothers, Kabandha impatiently demands why they stand helpless while he is hungry (3.66.1–2)
  2. Lakṣmaṇa proposes that they use their swords to cut his arms before he can finish drawing them in (3.66.3–4)
  3. acting together, Rāma severs the right arm at the shoulder and Lakṣmaṇa the left (3.66.5–6)
  4. Kabandha falls with a tremendous roar and again asks who they are (3.66.7–8)
  5. Lakṣmaṇa names himself and Rāma and explains that they are searching for Rāma's abducted wife (3.66.9–11)
  6. he asks how Kabandha came to have this distorted body (3.66.12)
  7. remembering Indra's words, Kabandha welcomes them with relief and begins to explain the misconduct that caused his condition. (3.66.13–15)

Verses 3.66.1–15

3.66.1

tau tu tatra sthitau dṛṣṭvā bhrātarau rāmalakṣmaṇau
bāhupāśaparikṣiptau kabandho vākyam abravīt

Seeing the two brothers, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, standing there caught in the snare of his arms, Kabandha spoke these words:

Words: tau — the two; tu — and; tatra — there; sthitau — standing (dual); dṛṣṭvā — having seen; bhrātarau — the two brothers; rāmalakṣmaṇau — Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa; bāhupāśaparikṣiptau — caught in the snare of his arms (dual); kabandho — Kabandha; vākyam — words; abravīt — spoke

3.66.2

tiṣṭhataḥ kiṃ nu māṃ dṛṣṭvā kṣudhārtaṃ kṣatriyarṣabhau
āhārārthaṃ tu saṃdiṣṭau daivena gatacetasau

“Why do you two stand, O bulls among kṣatriyas, seeing me tormented by hunger? Assigned by fate to be my food, you have lost your wits.

Words: tiṣṭhataḥ — you two stand; kiṃ — why; nu — indeed; māṃ — me; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; kṣudhārtaṃ — tormented by hunger; kṣatriyarṣabhau — O bulls among kṣatriyas (dual); āhārārthaṃ — for the purpose of food; tu — and; saṃdiṣṭau — assigned, ordained (dual); daivena — by fate; gatacetasau — with wits gone (dual)

3.66.3

tac chrutvā lakṣmaṇo vākyaṃ prāptakālaṃ hitaṃ tadā
uvācārtisamāpanno vikrame kṛtaniścayaḥ

Hearing that, Lakṣmaṇa then, fallen into distress but resolved on bold action, spoke timely and salutary words:

Words: tac — that; chrutvā — having heard; lakṣmaṇo — Lakṣmaṇa; vākyaṃ — words; prāptakālaṃ — timely, suited to the moment; hitaṃ — salutary, beneficial; tadā — then; uvācārtisamāpanno — spoke, fallen into distress; vikrame — in valor, bold action; kṛtaniścayaḥ — resolved, decided

3.66.4

tvāṃ ca māṃ ca purā tūrṇam ādatte rākṣasādhamaḥ
tasmād asibhyām asyāśu bāhū chindāvahe gurū

“Before this vilest of rākṣasas quickly seizes you and me, let us two swiftly cut off his massive arms with our swords.

Words: tvāṃ — you; ca — and; māṃ — me; ca — and; purā — before, ere; tūrṇam — quickly; ādatte — seizes, takes; rākṣasādhamaḥ — vilest of rākṣasas; tasmād — therefore; asibhyām — with the two swords; asyāśu — of him, quickly; bāhū — the two arms; chindāvahe — let us two cut off; gurū — massive, heavy (dual)

3.66.5

tatas tau deśakālajñau khaḍgābhyām eva rāghavau
acchindatāṃ susaṃhṛṣṭau bāhū tasyāṃsadeśayoḥ

Then the two Rāghavas, knowing time and place, most eager, cut off his two arms at the shoulder-joints with their swords.

Words: tatas — then; tau — the two; deśakālajñau — knowing place and time (dual); khaḍgābhyām — with the two swords; eva — indeed; rāghavau — the two Rāghavas; acchindatāṃ — the two cut off; susaṃhṛṣṭau — most eager (dual); bāhū — the two arms; tasyāṃsadeśayoḥ — at the region of his two shoulders

3.66.6

dakṣiṇo dakṣiṇaṃ bāhum asaktam asinā tataḥ
ciccheda rāmo vegena savyaṃ vīras tu lakṣmaṇaḥ

Then Rāma, on the right, cut off the right arm cleanly with his sword by force, and the hero Lakṣmaṇa the left.

Words: dakṣiṇo — the one on the right; dakṣiṇaṃ — the right; bāhum — arm; asaktam — unhindered, cleanly; asinā — with the sword; tataḥ — then; ciccheda — cut off; rāmo — Rāma; vegena — with force, swiftly; savyaṃ — the left (arm); vīras — the hero; tu — and; lakṣmaṇaḥ — Lakṣmaṇa

3.66.7

sa papāta mahābāhuś chinnabāhur mahāsvanaḥ
khaṃ ca gāṃ ca diśaś caiva nādayañ jalado yathā

He, the mighty-armed one, his arms severed, fell with a great crash, making sky, earth, and the quarters resound like a thundercloud.

Words: sa — he; papāta — fell; mahābāhuś — the mighty-armed one; chinnabāhur — with severed arms; mahāsvanaḥ — with a great roar; khaṃ — the sky; ca — and; gāṃ — the earth; ca — and; diśaś — the quarters, directions; caiva — and too; nādayañ — making resound; jalado — a raincloud; yathā — like

3.66.8

sa nikṛttau bhujau dṛṣṭvā śoṇitaughapariplutaḥ
dīnaḥ papraccha tau vīrau kau yuvām iti dānavaḥ

Seeing his two arms severed, drenched in a flood of blood, the dānava, wretched, asked the two heroes, “Who are you two?”

Words: sa — he; nikṛttau — severed (dual); bhujau — arms (dual); dṛṣṭvā — having seen; śoṇitaughapariplutaḥ — drenched in a flood of blood; dīnaḥ — wretched; papraccha — asked; tau — the two; vīrau — heroes (dual); kau — who (dual); yuvām — you two; iti — thus; dānavaḥ — the dānava

3.66.9

iti tasya bruvāṇasya lakṣmaṇaḥ śubhalakṣaṇaḥ
śaśaṃsa tasya kākutsthaṃ kabandhasya mahābalaḥ

As he spoke thus, Lakṣmaṇa of auspicious marks, of great might, told him, Kabandha, about Kākutstha (Rāma):

Words: iti — thus; tasya — of him; bruvāṇasya — speaking (gen.); lakṣmaṇaḥ — Lakṣmaṇa; śubhalakṣaṇaḥ — of auspicious marks; śaśaṃsa — told, announced; tasya — to him; kākutsthaṃ — about Kākutstha (Rāma); kabandhasya — of Kabandha; mahābalaḥ — of great might

3.66.10

ayam ikṣvākudāyādo rāmo nāma janaiḥ śrutaḥ
asyaivāvarajaṃ viddhi bhrātaraṃ māṃ ca lakṣmaṇam

“This is the heir of the Ikṣvākus, known among people by the name of Rāma; and know me to be his younger brother, Lakṣmaṇa.

Words: ayam — this; ikṣvākudāyādo — the heir of the Ikṣvākus; rāmo — Rāma; nāma — by name; janaiḥ — by people; śrutaḥ — heard of, known; asyaivāvarajaṃ — his very younger brother; viddhi — know!; bhrātaraṃ — brother; māṃ — me; ca — and; lakṣmaṇam — Lakṣmaṇa

3.66.11

asya devaprabhāvasya vasato vijane vane
rakṣasāpahṛtā bhāryā yām icchantāv ihāgatau

“As he, of divine power, was dwelling in a lonely forest, his wife was carried off by a rākṣasa; seeking her, we two have come here.

Words: asya — his, of him; devaprabhāvasya — of divine power; vasato — dwelling (gen.); vijane — in a lonely place; vane — in the forest; rakṣasāpahṛtā — carried off by a rākṣasa; bhāryā — the wife; yām — whom; icchantāv — the two seeking; ihāgatau — have come here (dual)

3.66.12

tvaṃ tu ko vā kimarthaṃ vā kabandha sadṛśo vane
āsyenorasi dīptena bhagnajaṅgho viceṣṭase

“But who are you, or for what purpose, resembling a headless trunk in the forest, writhing with a blazing mouth in your chest and your legs broken?”

Words: tvaṃ — you; tu — but; ko — who; vā — or; kimarthaṃ — for what purpose; vā — or; kabandha — a headless trunk; sadṛśo — resembling; vane — in the forest; āsyenorasi — with a mouth in the chest; dīptena — blazing; bhagnajaṅgho — with broken legs; viceṣṭase — you writhe, move about

3.66.13

evam uktaḥ kabandhas tu lakṣmaṇenottaraṃ vacaḥ
uvāca paramaprītas tad indravacanaṃ smaran

Addressed thus by Lakṣmaṇa, Kabandha, greatly delighted and recalling those words of Indra, spoke this reply:

Words: evam — thus; uktaḥ — addressed; kabandhas — Kabandha; tu — but, and; lakṣmaṇenottaraṃ — by Lakṣmaṇa, a reply; vacaḥ — words; uvāca — spoke; paramaprītas — greatly delighted; tad — that; indravacanaṃ — the words of Indra; smaran — recalling

3.66.14

svāgataṃ vāṃ naravyāghrau diṣṭyā paśyāmi cāpy aham
diṣṭyā cemau nikṛttau me yuvābhyāṃ bāhubandhanau

“Welcome to you two, O tigers among men; and by good fortune I behold you; and by good fortune these two fettering arms of mine have been severed by you both.

Words: svāgataṃ — welcome; vāṃ — to you two; naravyāghrau — O tigers among men (dual); diṣṭyā — by good fortune, thank heaven; paśyāmi — I behold; cāpy — and even; aham — I; diṣṭyā — by good fortune; cemau — and these two; nikṛttau — severed (dual); me — my; yuvābhyāṃ — by you two; bāhubandhanau — the two arms that fettered me

3.66.15

virūpaṃ yac ca me rūpaṃ prāptaṃ hy avinayād yathā
tan me śṛṇu naravyāghra tattvataḥ śaṃsatas tava

“And how this misshapen form of mine was acquired through misconduct — hear that from me, O tiger among men, as I truly relate it to you.”

Words: virūpaṃ — misshapen, deformed; yac — which; ca — and; me — my; rūpaṃ — form; prāptaṃ — obtained, acquired; hy — indeed; avinayād — through misconduct; yathā — how, in what way; tan — that; me — from me; śṛṇu — hear!; naravyāghra — O tiger among men; tattvataḥ — truly, in truth; śaṃsatas — as I relate (gen.); tava — to you

← 3.65 Kabandha’s grasp · Araṇya Kāṇḍa · 3.67 Story of Kabandha →

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.

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