# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 2 — Virādha’s attack *The weapon-bearing man-eater seizes Sītā and claims her as his wife, Lakṣmaṇa steadies Rāma and vows to kill him* Portion: Entering Daṇḍaka and defeating Virādha · Verses: 24 · Ref format: 3.2. ## Sequence - At sunrise Rāma takes leave of the munis and enters a harsher stretch of forest, crowded with predators, damaged vegetation, and scarce water (2.1–3) - 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 (2.4–8) - he rushes at them, lifts Sītā against his body, and draws away (2.9–10) - 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 (2.11–13) - Sītā trembles with fear (2.14) - in his distress, Rāma tells Lakṣmaṇa that Kaikeyī's wish has now been fulfilled (2.15–18) - he says that seeing Sītā in another's grasp is more painful than his father's death or the loss of his Kingdom (2.19) - 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 (2.20–24). ## Verses **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. **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. **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. **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. **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. **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. **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 — **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, **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, **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 — **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? **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, **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." **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. **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: **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. **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. **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. **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. **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: **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? **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. **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. **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.