# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 70 — Śabarī’s welcome and ascent *She shows the seven seas gathered for her teachers’ bath, receives Rāma’s permission and enters fire to rejoin them* Portion: Śabarī and the approach to Pampā · Verses: 27 · Ref format: 3.70. ## Sequence - Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa follow Kabandha's westward route, passing fruit-laden trees and spending a night on a mountain ridge (70.1–3) - on Pampā's western shore they reach the śramaṇī Śabarī’s hermitage (70.4–5) - she rises, joins her palms, and bows at both brothers' feet (70.6) - Rāma asks whether her austerities and observances prosper, whether she has mastered anger and appetite, and whether her service to her teachers has borne fruit (70.7–8) - she explains that her teachers left for heaven when Rāma reached Citrakūṭa, instructing her to wait for his visit and receive him with Lakṣmaṇa before joining them (70.9–12) - she says she has gathered a variety of forest produce from Pampā's shores for him (70.13) - Rāma recalls Kabandha's description of the hermitage's spiritual power and asks to see it (70.14–15). - Śabarī shows them Mataṅga's Wood, the sacred ford, and the places where her teachers worshipped (70.16–19) - she points out altars that still shine through their tapas (70.20) - she explains that the seven seas gathered there when the weakened, fasting munis wished to bathe but could not travel → their wet bark garments still hang on the trees without drying (70.21–22) - having shown the brothers the hermitage, she asks Rāma's permission to leave her body and rejoin her teachers (70.23–24) - Rāma, with Lakṣmaṇa beside him, gladly gives her leave (70.25) - she enters the sacrificial fire and, through her spiritual discipline, reaches the blessed realm of those maharṣis (70.26–27). ## Verses **3.70.1** tau kabandhena taṃ mārgaṃ pampāyā darśitaṃ vane ātasthatur diśaṃ gṛhya pratīcīṃ nṛvarātmajau Those two sons of the best of men, taking the western direction, set out along that path to Pampā shown by Kabandha in the forest. **3.70.2** tau śaileṣv ācitānekān kṣaudrakalpaphaladrumān vīkṣantau jagmatur draṣṭuṃ sugrīvaṃ rāmalakṣmaṇau Gazing at the many trees on the mountains laden with fruit sweet as honey, those two, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, went on to see Sugrīva. **3.70.3** kṛtvā ca śailapṛṣṭhe tu tau vāsaṃ raghunandanau pampāyāḥ paścimaṃ tīraṃ rāghavāv upatasthatuḥ And having made their lodging on the mountain-ridge, those two joys of the Raghus, the two Rāghavas, came to the western shore of Pampā. **3.70.4** tau puṣkariṇyāḥ pampāyās tīram āsādya paścimam apaśyatāṃ tatas tatra śabaryā ramyam āśramam The two, reaching the western shore of the lotus-pond Pampā, then saw there the lovely hermitage of Śabarī. **3.70.5** tau tam āśramam āsādya drumair bahubhir āvṛtam suramyam abhivīkṣantau śabarīm abhyupeyatuḥ Reaching that hermitage, ringed by many trees and most lovely, and gazing upon it, the two approached Śabarī. **3.70.6** tau tu dṛṣṭvā tadā siddhā samutthāya kṛtāñjaliḥ pādau jagrāha rāmasya lakṣmaṇasya ca dhīmataḥ Then that perfected woman, seeing the two, rose up with palms joined and clasped the feet of Rāma and of wise Lakṣmaṇa. **3.70.7** tām uvāca tato rāmaḥ śramaṇīṃ saṃśitavratām kaccit te nirjitā vighnāḥ kaccit te vardhate tapaḥ Then Rāma said to that ascetic woman of firm vows: 'Have your obstacles been overcome? Does your austerity flourish?' **3.70.8** kaccit te niyataḥ kopa āhāraś ca tapodhane kaccit te niyamāḥ prāptāḥ kaccit te manasaḥ sukham kaccit te guruśuśrūṣā saphalā cārubhāṣiṇi Are your anger and your food held in check, O rich in austerity? Have your observances been fulfilled, and has your mind found happiness? Has your service to your teachers borne fruit, O sweet-spoken one? **3.70.9** rāmeṇa tāpasī pṛṣṭhā sā siddhā siddhasaṃmatā śaśaṃsa śabarī vṛddhā rāmāya pratyupasthitā Questioned by Rāma, that ascetic, perfected and esteemed by the perfected ones, old Śabarī, standing before him, made reply to Rāma. **3.70.10** citrakūṭaṃ tvayi prāpte vimānair atulaprabhaiḥ itas te divam ārūḍhā yān ahaṃ paryacāriṣam When you had reached Citrakūṭa, those whom I served rose from here to heaven in celestial cars of matchless splendor. **3.70.11** taiś cāham uktā dharmajñair mahābhāgair maharṣibhiḥ āgamiṣyati te rāmaḥ supuṇyam imam āśramam And I was told by those righteous, illustrious great sages: 'Rāma will come to this most holy hermitage of yours. **3.70.12** sa te pratigrahītavyaḥ saumitrisahito 'tithiḥ taṃ ca dṛṣṭvā varāṃl lokān akṣayāṃs tvaṃ gamiṣyasi He, accompanied by Saumitri, is to be received by you as a guest; and having beheld him, you will go to the excellent, imperishable worlds.' **3.70.13** mayā tu vividhaṃ vanyaṃ saṃcitaṃ puruṣarṣabha tavārthe puruṣavyāghra pampāyās tīrasaṃbhavam Various forest-fare has been gathered by me, O bull among men, for your sake, O tiger among men — produce grown on the shore of Pampā. **3.70.14** evam uktaḥ sa dharmātmā śabaryā śabarīm idam rāghavaḥ prāha vijñāne tāṃ nityam abahiṣkṛtām Thus addressed by Śabarī, that righteous Rāghava said this to Śabarī, who was never shut out from (spiritual) knowledge: **3.70.15** danoḥ sakāśāt tattvena prabhāvaṃ te mahātmanaḥ śrutaṃ pratyakṣam icchāmi saṃdraṣṭuṃ yadi manyase From Danu I have truly heard of the power of you great ones; I wish to behold it with my own eyes, if you think fit. **3.70.16** etat tu vacanaṃ śrutvā rāmavaktrād viniḥsṛtam śabarī darśayām āsa tāv ubhau tad vanaṃ mahat Hearing this speech issuing from Rāma's mouth, Śabarī showed both of them that great forest. **3.70.17** paśya meghaghanaprakhyaṃ mṛgapakṣisamākulam mataṅgavanam ity eva viśrutaṃ raghunandana 'Behold this forest, dark as a mass of clouds, teeming with beasts and birds, renowned by the very name of Mataṅga's Wood, O joy of the Raghus. **3.70.18** iha te bhāvitātmāno guravo me mahādyute juhavāṃś cakrire tīrthaṃ mantravan mantrapūjitam Here, O greatly radiant one, those my teachers of disciplined souls, offering oblations, consecrated the sacred ford with mantras, worshipped with mantras. **3.70.19** iyaṃ pratyak sthalī vedī yatra te me susatkṛtāḥ puṣpopahāraṃ kurvanti śramād udvepibhiḥ karaiḥ This, to the west, is the raised altar-ground where those, well honored by me, make their flower-offering with hands trembling from toil. **3.70.20** teṣāṃ tapaḥ prabhāvena paśyādyāpi raghūttama dyotayanti diśaḥ sarvāḥ śriyā vedyo 'tulaprabhāḥ By the power of their austerity, behold — even today, O best of the Raghus — the altars of matchless radiance illumine all the quarters with their splendor. **3.70.21** aśaknuvadbhis tair gantum upavāsaśramālasaiḥ cintite 'bhyāgatān paśya sametān sapta sāgarān When those sages, unable to go, languid from the toil of fasting, but wished it, behold — the seven seas that came and gathered here together. **3.70.22** kṛtābhiṣekais tair nyastā valkalāḥ pādapeṣv iha adyāpi na viśuṣyanti pradeśe raghunandana The bark-garments laid on the trees here by them when they had bathed do not dry out even now, in this spot, O joy of the Raghus. **3.70.23** kṛtsnaṃ vanam idaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ śrotavyaṃ ca śrutaṃ tvayā tad icchāmy abhyanujñātā tyaktum etat kalevaram This whole forest has been seen by you, and what was to be heard has been heard; so, with your leave, I wish to give up this body. **3.70.24** teṣām icchāmy ahaṃ gantuṃ samīpaṃ bhāvitātmanām munīnām āśraṃmo yeṣām ahaṃ ca paricāriṇī I wish to go to the presence of those sages of purified souls, whose hermitage this is and whose attendant I am. **3.70.25** dharmiṣṭhaṃ tu vacaḥ śrutvā rāghavaḥ sahalakṣmaṇaḥ anujānāmi gaccheti prahṛṣṭavadano 'bravīt Hearing that most righteous speech, Rāghava, together with Lakṣmaṇa, with gladdened face said: 'I give you leave; go.' **3.70.26** anujñātā tu rāmeṇa hutvātmānaṃ hutāśane jvalatpāvakasaṃkāśā svargam eva jagāma sā Granted leave by Rāma, offering herself into the sacrificial fire, blazing like kindled flame, she went straight to heaven. **3.70.27** yatra te sukṛtātmāno viharanti maharṣayaḥ tat puṇyaṃ śabarīsthānaṃ jagāmātmasamādhinā To that holy place of Śabarī, where those great sages of virtuous souls dwell, she went by the concentration of her spirit.