Hari Om.
Let us begin the thirty ninth sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
After rebutting rAVaNa who came loaded with misinformation regarding rAma’s prowess and with an unrighteous desire to usurp his wife, mAricha continued to substantiate his points eranestly. It was indeed in the interest of his welfare and that of rAvaNa and the entire race of rAkshasas that mAricha spoke eloquently, sincerely and tried to impress upon him what a disastrous thing other than just unrighteous it would be to abduct sItA. Once bitten, twice shy, mAricha recalled the episode when rAma was just a boy without much training in warfare when he unleashed an unforgettable blow on mAricha in the hermitage of viSwAmitra. mAricha recalled that rAma seems to have decided then to not to kill him then. It must be his decision, for everyone else who accompanied him paid through their lives for the thoughtless unrighteous misadventure. Looking to build the case, mAricha seemed to argue if a boy rAma could accomplish so much, imagine what he can do now!! And he continued to try to impress upon rAvaNa, sometimes referring to the moral code and at other times to sheer prowess of rAma and what catastrophical consequences it can lead to for not just rAvaNa but the entire race. Onwards…
“Listen rAvaNa, having somehow spared by him during that battle, now I shall tell you of a more recent experience. You may listen without obstructing me. I took up courage to enter the danDaka forests in the form of a mighty wild beast with sharp teeth and a flaming red tongue, feeding at will on flesh along with two other demons who were in the form a deer. I began to wander around freely and went to the yajna vEdis, sacred spots and trees, desecrated those, tortured the sages, killed them, drank their blood and feasted on their flesh. I was intoxicated with their blood and went about frightening and killing the forest dwellers. Thus I tormented the righteous people in the danDaka forest and had a free run until rAma arrived there along with sItA and lakshmaNa.
Once I happened to see the trio led by rAma, ever engaged in well being of all, austere, observing restrictions of food intake, forgot for a moment his might and remembering the bitter enmity between him and me, with sharp horns I charged at him with a clear intention to kill him.
तापसं नियताहारं सर्वभूतहिते रतम्।
सोऽहं वनगतं रामं परिभूय महाबलम्।।3.39.8।।
तापसोऽयमिति ज्ञात्वा पूर्ववैरमनुस्मरन्।
अभ्यधावं हि संक्रुद्धस्तीक्ष्ण शृङ्गो मृगाकृतिः।।3.39.9।।
जिघांसुरकृतप्रज्ञस्तं प्रहारमनुस्मरन्।
He unleshed three arrows at me which were irrepressible, capable to vanquishing the enemy, they came hissing and whizzing like the garuDa! Knowing very well what they are capable of, I ran for my life while the two demons who accompanied me were not so lucky and fell right there. I survived one more time from the charge of rAma, just somehow! And here I am in this hermitage, practicing austerity and engaged in penance.
वृक्षे वृक्षे च पश्यामि चीरकृष्णाजिनाम्बरम्।
गृहीतधनुषं रामं पाशहस्तमिवान्तकम्।।3.39.14।।
O rAvaNa, I am so terrified of rAma, I see him in every tree, wielding his bow and looking verily like the god of death. So frightened I am rAvaNa that I see rAma in thousands everywhere and this forest looks full of rAma to me!
अपि रामसहस्राणि भीतः पश्यामि रावण।
रामभूतमिदं सर्वमरण्यं प्रतिभाति मे।।3.39.15।।
Even in my solitude I I see him O king of demons and when I see him in a dream I wake up in utter bewilderment and fear and lose my senses!
रकारादीनि नामानि रामत्रस्तस्य रावण।
रत्नानि च रथाश्चैव त्रासं संजनयन्ति मे।।3.39.17।।
O rAvaNa, my fear of him is so great, [having tasted his prowess] that any name that begins with the syllable Ra, for example ratna or ratha generates immense fright in me! I happen to know his abilities, having tasted it on a couple of occasions and hence I advise you that bringing him to battle will spell disaster for you. He is capable of vanquishing even demons bali or namuchi.
रणे रामेण युद्ध्यस्व क्षमां वा कुरु राक्षस ।
न ते रामकथा कार्या यदि मां द्रष्टुमिच्छसि ।।3.39.19 ।।
O rAvaNa, you may either fight or make peace with rAma, but never again bring his mention to me if you want to see me! There are many seekers in this world who lead a peaceful and pious life filled with dharma. They perish only because of their company and the mistakes of others. Therefore, spare me rAvaNa, do as you please but I shall not follow you.
rAma is mighty, radiant and immensely capable. If khara took up the case of SurpaNakha recklessly and committed excesses and perished with his entire ilk in the hands of rAma who is capable of accomplishing toughest of tasks with extreme ease, where was rAma’s fault in this?
I have spoken these words earnestly and out of affection for my kin and if you don’t pay heed to my advice, rAma’s unerring and swift arrows shall get not only you, your entire race. It is upto you to ensure that rAma is not the god of death for the demonic clan.
Here we conclude the the thirty ninth sarga of the araNya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 3.40. Between a rock and a hard place!
Previous: 3.38. Don’t mess with rAma, mAricha says
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
