# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 69 — Kabandha’s directions to Pampā

*He describes food and cool water, Śabarī’s hermitage and unfading flowers, then Sugrīva’s refuge on Ṛṣyamūka*

Portion: Kabandha and the proposed alliance · Verses: 36 · Ref format: 3.69.<verse>

## Sequence

- Kabandha points out a westward route through flowering, fruit-bearing forests and over mountains toward Pampā (69.1–5)
- he describes its smooth banks, clear water, lotuses, and fearless waterbirds (69.6–7)
- he tells the brothers that birds and fish will supply food, and describes Lakṣmaṇa preparing fish and bringing lotus-scented water for Rāma → the lakeside's animals, trees, and cool water will give relief from grief (69.8–14)
- he explains that the unfading flowers there sprang from the sweat of Mataṅga's disciples as they carried forest produce for their teacher (69.15–18)
- their aged attendant Śabarī still lives there and will attain heaven after receiving Rāma (69.19–20)
- he directs them to the protected hermitage and grove on Pampā's western shore (69.21–23).

- Kabandha identifies Ṛṣyamūka to the east of Pampā, a steep mountain associated with Brahmā (69.24)
- he describes its protective marvels, the fulfillment of auspicious dreams there, and danger to wicked visitors (69.25–26)
- elephants frequent the lake and surrounding woods (69.27–29)
- Sugrīva and his four companions live in a difficult-to-enter cave closed by a stone slab, with a pool near its eastern entrance; sometimes they stay on the summit (69.30–32)
- the brothers take leave of the radiant Kabandha → as he departs through the sky, he gives them one final reminder to make the alliance (69.33–36).

## Verses

**3.69.1**  
nidarśayitvā rāmāya sītāyāḥ pratipādane  
vākyam anvartham arthajñaḥ kabandhaḥ punar abravīt  
Having pointed out to Rāma the means for recovering Sītā, Kabandha, knower of what things mean, again spoke apt words.

**3.69.2**  
eṣa rāma śivaḥ panthā yatraite puṣpitā drumāḥ  
pratīcīṃ diśam āśritya prakāśante manoramāḥ  
This, Rāma, is the auspicious path where these flowering trees, delightful, shine, keeping to the western quarter.

**3.69.3**  
jambūpriyālapanasāḥ plakṣanyagrodhatindukāḥ  
aśvatthāḥ karṇikārāś ca cūtāś cānye ca pādapāḥ  
Rose-apple, priyāla and jackfruit trees, plakṣa, banyan and tinduka trees, aśvatthas and karṇikāras, mangoes and yet other trees —

**3.69.4**  
tān āruhyāthavā bhūmau pātayitvā ca tān balāt  
phalāny amṛtakalpāni bhakṣayantau gamiṣyathaḥ  
Climbing them, or else forcibly bringing them down to the ground, you two will go on eating fruits like nectar.

**3.69.5**  
caṅkramantau varān deśāñ śailāc chailaṃ vanād vanam  
tataḥ puṣkariṇīṃ vīrau pampāṃ nāma gamiṣyathaḥ  
Roaming through fine regions, from mountain to mountain, from forest to forest, you two heroes will then come to a lotus-pond named Pampā.

**3.69.6**  
aśarkarām avibhraṃśāṃ samatīrtham aśaivalām  
rāma saṃjātavālūkāṃ kamalotpalaśobhitām  
Free of gravel, without crumbling banks, with even fords, free of moss, O Rāma, with fine sand formed, adorned with lotuses and lilies —

**3.69.7**  
tatra haṃsāḥ plavāḥ krauñcāḥ kurarāś caiva rāghava  
valgusvarā nikūjanti pampāsalilagocarāḥ  
There, O Rāghava, swans, waterfowl, krauñcas and ospreys, sweet-voiced, call out, dwelling in the waters of Pampā.

**3.69.8**  
nodvijante narān dṛṣṭvā vadhasyākovidāḥ śubhāḥ  
ghṛtapiṇḍopamān sthūlāṃs tān dvijān bhakṣayiṣyathaḥ  
They take no fright on seeing men, unacquainted with slaughter, those lovely birds; those plump birds, like lumps of ghee, you two will eat.

**3.69.9**  
rohitān vakratuṇḍāṃś ca nalamīnāṃś ca rāghava  
pampāyām iṣubhir matsyāṃs tatra rāma varān hatān  
Rohita fish and crook-mouthed fish and nala-fish, O Rāghava — the fine fish there in Pampā struck down with arrows, O Rāma —

**3.69.10**  
nistvakpakṣān ayastaptān akṛśān ekakaṇṭakān  
tava bhaktyā samāyukto lakṣmaṇaḥ saṃpradāsyati  
Skinned and finless, roasted on iron, not lean, single-boned — Lakṣmaṇa, devoted to you, will serve them up.

**3.69.11**  
bhṛśaṃ te khādato matsyān pampāyāḥ puṣpasaṃcaye  
padmagandhi śivaṃ vāri sukhaśītam anāmayam  
As you heartily eat the fish amid the heaped flowers of Pampā, (he will bring) water fragrant with lotus, auspicious, pleasantly cool and wholesome.

**3.69.12**  
uddhṛtya sa tadākliṣṭaṃ rūpyasphaṭikasaṃnibham  
atha puṣkaraparṇena lakṣmaṇaḥ pāyayiṣyati  
Drawing up that untroubled water, resembling silver and crystal, then in a lotus-leaf Lakṣmaṇa will give you to drink.

**3.69.13**  
sthūlān giriguhāśayyān varāhān vanacāriṇaḥ  
apāṃ lobhād upāvṛttān vṛṣabhān iva nardataḥ  
rūpānvitāṃś ca pampāyāṃ drakṣyasi tvaṃ narottama  
Fat boars, bedding in mountain-caves, roaming the forest, come out from craving for water, bellowing like bulls, and full of beauty — these you will see at Pampā, O best of men.

**3.69.14**  
sāyāhne vicaran rāma viṭapī mālyadhāriṇaḥ  
śītodakaṃ ca pampāyāṃ dṛṣṭvā śokaṃ vihāsyasi  
Wandering at evening, O Rāma, and seeing the garland-bearing trees and the cool water at Pampā, you will cast off your grief.

**3.69.15**  
sumanobhiś citāṃs tatra tilakān naktamālakān  
utpalāni ca phullāni paṅkajāni ca rāghava  
There tilaka and naktamāla trees heaped with blossoms, and blooming water-lilies and lotuses, O Rāghava —

**3.69.16**  
na tāni kaś cin mālyāni tatrāropayitā naraḥ  
mataṅgaśiṣyās tatrāsann ṛṣayaḥ susamāhitaḥ  
No man is the one who strung those garlands there; the sages there were disciples of Mataṅga, well-composed.

**3.69.17**  
teṣāṃ bhārābhitaptānāṃ vanyam āharatāṃ guroḥ  
ye prapetur mahīṃ tūrṇaṃ śarīrāt svedabindavaḥ  
Of those disciples, worn by their burden as they fetched forest-produce for their teacher, the drops of sweat that fell swiftly to the earth from their bodies —

**3.69.18**  
tāni mālyāni jātāni munīnāṃ tapasā tadā  
svedabindusamutthāni na vinaśyanti rāghava  
Those garlands, then born of the sages' austerity, springing from drops of sweat, do not wither, O Rāghava.

**3.69.19**  
teṣām adyāpi tatraiva dṛśyate paricāriṇī  
śramaṇī śabarī nāma kākutstha cirajīvinī  
Of them, even now there is seen right there an attendant, an ascetic woman named Śabarī, O Kākutstha, long of life.

**3.69.20**  
tvāṃ tu dharme sthitā nityaṃ sarvabhūtanamaskṛtam  
dṛṣṭvā devopamaṃ rāma svargalokaṃ gamiṣyati  
She, ever established in dharma, on beholding you — honored by all beings and godlike, O Rāma — will go to the world of heaven.

**3.69.21**  
tatas tad rāma pampāyās tīram āśritya paścimam  
āśramasthānam atulaṃ guhyaṃ kākutstha paśyasi  
Then, O Rāma, resorting to that western shore of Pampā, you will behold the incomparable, secret hermitage-site, O Kākutstha.

**3.69.22**  
na tatrākramituṃ nāgāḥ śaknuvanti tam āśramam  
ṛṣes tasya mataṅgasya vidhānāt tac ca kānanam  
There the elephants cannot trample that hermitage, nor that grove, by the ordinance of the sage Mataṅga.

**3.69.23**  
tasmin nandanasaṃkāśe devāraṇyopame vane  
nānāvihagasaṃkīrṇe raṃsyase rāma nirvṛtaḥ  
In that forest, like the Nandana garden, resembling the woods of the gods, thronged with birds of many kinds, you will take your delight, O Rāma, at peace.

**3.69.24**  
ṛṣyamūkas tu pampāyāḥ purastāt puṣpitadrumaḥ  
suduḥkhārohaṇo nāma śiśunāgābhirakṣitaḥ  
udāro brahmaṇā caiva pūrvakāle vinirmitaḥ  
And Ṛṣyamūka, east of Pampā, with flowering trees, called 'hard to climb,' guarded by young elephants, lofty, was fashioned by Brahmā in ancient times.

**3.69.25**  
śayānaḥ puruṣo rāma tasya śailasya mūrdhani  
yat svapne labhate vittaṃ tat prabuddho 'dhigacchati  
A man sleeping on the summit of that mountain, O Rāma — whatever wealth he obtains in a dream, that he finds when he awakes.

**3.69.26**  
na tv enaṃ viṣamācāraḥ pāpakarmādhirohati  
tatraiva praharanty enaṃ suptam ādāya rākṣasāḥ  
But no man of crooked conduct and evil deeds climbs it; the rākṣasas, seizing him as he sleeps, strike him down right there.

**3.69.27**  
tato 'pi śiśunāgānām ākrandaḥ śrūyate mahān  
krīḍatāṃ rāma pampāyāṃ mataṅgāraṇyavāsinām  
From there too is heard the great trumpeting of the young elephants sporting at Pampā, dwellers in Mataṅga's forest, O Rāma.

**3.69.28**  
siktā rudhiradhārābhiḥ saṃhatya paramadvipāḥ  
pracaranti pṛthak kīrṇā meghavarṇās tarasvinaḥ  
Sprinkled with streams of blood, the mighty elephants, having clashed together, roam apart, scattered, cloud-colored and swift.

**3.69.29**  
te tatra pītvā pānīyaṃ vimalaṃ śītam avyayam  
nivṛttāḥ saṃvigāhante vanāni vanagocarāḥ  
They, having drunk there the pure, cool, unfailing water, turn back and plunge into the woods, those forest-dwellers.

**3.69.30**  
rāma tasya tu śailasya mahatī śobhate guhā  
śilāpidhānā kākutstha duḥkhaṃ cāsyāḥ praveśanam  
O Rāma, a great cave shines on that mountain, closed by a stone slab, O Kākutstha, and entrance into it is hard.

**3.69.31**  
tasyā guhāyāḥ prāgdvāre mahāñ śītodako hradaḥ  
bahumūlaphalo ramyo nānānagasamāvṛtaḥ  
At the eastern door of that cave is a great pool of cool water, rich in roots and fruits, delightful, encircled by trees of many kinds.

**3.69.32**  
tasyāṃ vasati sugrīvaś caturbhiḥ saha vānaraiḥ  
kadā cic chikhare tasya parvatasyāvatiṣṭhate  
In it dwells Sugrīva with four monkeys; sometimes he takes his stand upon the peak of that mountain.

**3.69.33**  
kabandhas tv anuśāsyaivaṃ tāv ubhau rāmalakṣmaṇau  
sragvī bhāskaravarṇābhaḥ khe vyarocata vīryavān  
Kabandha, having thus counseled both Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, garlanded, radiant with the color of the sun, shone in the sky, mighty.

**3.69.34**  
taṃ tu khasthaṃ mahābhāgaṃ kabandhaṃ rāmalakṣmaṇau  
prasthitau tvaṃ vrajasveti vākyam ūcatur antikāt  
To that illustrious Kabandha standing in the sky, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, as they set out, spoke from close by the words, 'Now go your way.'

**3.69.35**  
gamyatāṃ kāryasiddhyartham iti tāv abravīc ca saḥ  
suprītau tāv anujñāpya kabandhaḥ prasthitas tadā  
'Go, for the accomplishment of your task,' he said to the two; and taking leave of the two well-pleased ones, Kabandha then set out.

**3.69.36**  
sa tat kabandhaḥ pratipadya rūpaṃ vṛtaḥ śriyā bhāskaratulyadehaḥ  
nidarśayan rāmam avekṣya khasthaḥ sakhyaṃ kuruṣveti tadābhyuvāca  
That Kabandha, having regained his form, invested with splendor, his body like the sun, pointing the way and looking upon Rāma from the sky, then said, 'Make a friendship.'