Hari Om.
Let us begin the third sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Having received the hospitality of the sages, the trio moves deeper into the danDaka forests. The first danger was lurking there. Soon they encountered a gigantic, ferocious and monstrous demon virAdha whose very sight is so terrifying that the weak hearted would faint. He wielded a spear that sported his captures – many lions, tigers, wolves and a large fleshy elephant head. mahaRshi vAlmIki indicates the size and ferocity of this demon through this description. As soon as he saw the trio, he snatched sItA and roared at the duo. rAma was taken aback a bit at this sudden and unimaginable occurrence and was dejected. Brother lakshmaNa rose to the occasion both to pacify rAma and also declare that the pent up anger he had at the loss of kingdom had finally found a vent and he shall fully use it! Onwards…
Having pacified rAma, lakshmaNa asked virAdha smilingly as to who he was and why he was roaming the forests. The demon countered with a roaring voice and demanded to know who they were instead and what business they had in the forest! Then rAma introduced the ikshvAku clan and said they were accomplished kshatriyas of great lineage and yet were roaming the forests. He wanted to know who virAdha was. Then the demon replied –
“Know me to be virAdha, hailed by all demons, the son of mother Satahrada and father jaya. I have performed intense penance and won boons from lord brahma. I am unconquerable by any weapon and I cannot be slain. Therefore, save yourselves, leave this woman here with me and run away from here the way you came. I shall spare you”.
rAma was livid at virAdha and with his eyes turned red, hurled a mouthful –
क्षुद्र धिक्त्वां तु हीनार्थं मृत्युमन्वेषसे ध्रुवम्।
रणे प्राप्स्यसे सन्तिष्ठ न मे जीवन् गमिष्यासि।।3.3.10।।
“You mean and vile fellow, fie on you, surely you are in search of your death. You shall meet it right in this fight”
Having roared so, rAma tightened the string of his bow and shot seven sharp arrows laced with peacock feathers at the demon. The arrows flew at a tremendous speed and hit virAdha, pierced through his body and fell down on the ground blood soaked! Badly hurt, the demon virAdha released vaidEhi at once and with uplifted spear charged at rAma and lakshmaNa. As he ran towards the brothers thus, both brothers lifted their bows and rained arrows at the horrifying demon that verily looked like death flying in to them. The demon was pierced all over the body with the arrows shot at him by rAma and lakshmaNa.
And yet as he stood, roared and yawned, widely opening his mouth, all the pierced arrows fell off from his body. Stung by the arrows and angry, virAdha hurled his spear at the brothers and it flew menacingly and threateningly resembling the thunderbolt of indra with death written all over it. rAma shot two arrows and nullified the fire like spear that was flying into them. The demon was weaponless and yet charged at the brothers. The two warrior brothers took their sharp swords and apprehended the demon. Unable to match them, the demon just used his size and captured the two of them under his arm and began moving into the forest! rAma understood his intentions and told lakshmaNa that he is taking them in the path they desired to travel and so it is better to not obstruct him! The demon using his sheer size and might, carried the two princes like children under his arms and walked into the dense forests.
Thus carried by virAdha, the princes entered the dense forests that looked clouded with overgrown large trees, infested with jackals, wild beasts and large variety of chirping birds.
Here we conclude the the third sarga of the araNya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Click on the above link for word by word meaning from IITK website
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Previous: 3.2. Entering the forest treacherous!
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
