# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 66 — Kabandha’s arms severed *Lakṣmaṇa proposes cutting their captor’s arms, the brothers strike together and Kabandha recognizes the foretold means of his release* Portion: Kabandha and the proposed alliance · Verses: 15 · Ref format: 3.66. ## Sequence - Holding both brothers, Kabandha impatiently demands why they stand helpless while he is hungry (66.1–2) - Lakṣmaṇa proposes that they use their swords to cut his arms before he can finish drawing them in (66.3–4) - acting together, Rāma severs the right arm at the shoulder and Lakṣmaṇa the left (66.5–6) - Kabandha falls with a tremendous roar and again asks who they are (66.7–8) - Lakṣmaṇa names himself and Rāma and explains that they are searching for Rāma's abducted wife (66.9–11) - he asks how Kabandha came to have this distorted body (66.12) - remembering Indra's words, Kabandha welcomes them with relief and begins to explain the misconduct that caused his condition (66.13–15). ## Verses **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: **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. **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: **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. **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. **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. **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. **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?” **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): **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. **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. **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?” **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: **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. **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.”