Hari Om.
Let us begin the sixty ninth sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
As they stepped out to search in the janasthAna, a number of clues came up in sequence. First up, the flowers that sItA wore in her braid that streamed down as she was abducted through the skies. rAma remarked that the sun, the wind and the earth kept them fresh and undisturbed for him to recognize those and he did that instantly. Then a flock of deer, when asked by rAma, got up in unison and showing the sky with their face started running in the southern direction. lakshmaNa picked up that clue and they headed in that direction. Then there was the broken chariot with its paraphernalia, dead charioteer and the dead asses yoked to it. It was evident that sItA was taken away in this direction. Before long, they stumble upon jaTAyu, wounded, sighing heavily and about to breathe its last. This devastation was too much for rAma – to see someone else fatally wounded for his sake. The bigger grief somewhat lightened the grief experienced by the loss of sItA. The valiant vulture revealed the name of the demon who abducted her and in which direction he went in feeble and unintelligible words. As he tried to repeat and give more information of the perpetrator, the vulture breathed its last, alas! rAma was shattered. But, the dhArmic that he is, immediately cremated jaTAyu with honour due to his own father and declared that, the vulture was sure to get the exalted worlds inhabited by those who perform yajna and sacrificial fire everyday. It was a flash of divinity of rAma as he emphatically declared that he willed the higher worlds for jaTAyu, a vulture! Then having performed the last rites with due honor, the duo gathered themselves somewhat and resumed their search of sItA. Onwards…
Having offered their libations and tributes to jaTAyu, the brothers wielding their bows, arrows and swords, fully armed, began scanning the forest and moved in a western direction. Then they entered an untrodden path in a dense, difficult to tread forest filled with trees, creepers and shrubs having turned in the southern direction. Moving swiftly, the mighty duo crossed that scary forest. Having traveled three krOsas from janasthAna, the radiant duo entered another dense forest by name kraunchAraNya. Searching through the forest filled with blooms, beasts and birds, the duo halted here and there, saddened by the loss of sItA. Then, the duo traveled east from there and another went another three krOSas and were near to the hermitage of sage matanga by now. Along with the flora and fauna, the dense and dreadful forest housed a deep cave that looked bottomless and ever engulfed in darkness.
As they neared the cave, they saw there the terrifying figure of an ogress. She created fear in the weak-hearted, looked frightening, had an uncouth disposition, had a long and drooping belly, possessed sharp canines, had rough skin, looked crooked, gobbled giant animals and with an unbraided hair, she struck fear in the hearts of the beholder. Seeing the valiant duo, she accosted them and holding lakshmaNa who was walking ahead by his hand, she said – “hey, come along, I am ayOmukhI, fortunately found by you and am dear to you. O lord, throughout our life, we can sport in the hills, caves, river banks. Come, O valiant one, let’s have some fun”
saumitri was livid at what she said and he at once cut off her nose, ears and breasts. She wailed in agony at the loss of her ears and nose and ran away in the direction she had come. Then the valiant duo, who can ever repel the enemy went further in the forest.
Then the radiant lakshmaNa who always spoke the truth, was pure and had an excellent conduct folded his palms and said to the radiant brother rAma – “my arm is shaking wildly, my mind is agitated, I foresee some unpleasant omens. So, O honorable one, be alert, and do as I say, for these omens are foretelling something confusing is upon us. This bord by name vanjulaka is screaming wildly as if suggesting our victory in the battle”.
As they scanned through the forest thus, there broke out in the forest a frightening noise as if the forest had been broken into pieces! The noise of the wind filled the forest and the skies. As rAma looked around for the source of the noise, he beheld in front of him, a large trunk like appearance, purportedly a demon, with a big belly, had neither a face nor a neck, with mouth on its belly. The mountainous monster had prickly hair all over his body, resembling a dark cloud he thundered. His forehead glowed like flaming fire, his reddish eye brow was enlarged, he had one frightening eye on his chest, he was licking his lips menacingly while gobbling up frightening bears, lions, deer and birds! He had two arms that extended a complete one yOjana each, with the help of which he caught hold of various birds and beats and kept feeding on them.
Now the two brothers, as they moved forward, came into the fold of the trunk like demon kabandha with long hands and he caught hold of them and tortured them. Wielding swords, mighty bows and mighty armed, the duo of fiery splendor were besieged and dragged towards his mouth by the long armed demon kabandha. The brave and valiant rAghava, rAma was not scared, however being the younger one and not as much strong in spirit, lakshmaNa was a tad scared and he said –
“Being depressed, the younger brother said to rAghava, look, O valiant one, I have been sieged by the demon and am helpless. Please offer me as sacrifice to the demon and escape from his clutches. You will soon reunite with sItA, will rule over the kingdom of our ancestors. Do remember me there always”.
As lakshmaNa desperately spoke thus, rAma reminded him of his valour and asked him not to be desperate thus in vain. In the meantime, the cruel but good-natured demon kabandha addressed the valiant duo and asked –
“Who are you young men, possessing mighty arms, great sword and robust bows. How did you both happen to come to this treacherous land and by my fortune have fallen in my sight. What work have you got here and I must tell you that you have come in a timely manner when I am both hungry and thirsty. Having reached me, it is impossible to get back you lives”.
Upon hearing the words of kabandha, rAma’s mouth dried up and he said to lakshmaNa – “O truthful lakshmaNa, we have been hurtling from one calamity to another and seem to have entered this life-ending situation without quite getting dear sItA. O best among men, time is mighty indeed, even you and me are not spared by it and engulfed by it. Time and destiny indeed is all powerful and no one – not the warrior, not the mighty, not the one who can wield weapons in war – all those whose time has come will collapse like a sandy bridge”.
Having lamented thus, rAma, the mighty and truthful son of daSaratha, looked at lakshmaNa who had gathered his courage and was determined. Seeing him rAma also was determined to face the situation.
Here we conclude the sixty 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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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 