Hari Om.
Let us begin the seventh sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The entry into the forest has been highly eventful! Beginning with a brief meeting with ascetics, the trio were pounced upon by virAdha. After some anxious moments, the brothers get the better of the demon and vanquish him. The demon who is actually a celestial singer accursed into an ogre then realized who rAma was and he returned to his celestial abode, he pointed rAma to meet sage Sarabhanga. Heading to the hermitage of Sarabhanga, the trio behold celestial and ever youthful gods there who were purportedly in procession as their lord indra was visiting the sage Sarabhanga. Sighting rAma indra hurries as it was no time yet to face up our protagonist! Then the trio enter the hermitage of Sarabhanga who had held onto his life just in anticipation of rAma. After offering the trio his hospitality, the sage leaves for the higher worlds through fire and attains salvation. Then the sages of various orders converge on the hermitage and meet rAma. They hail him as the king of the earth and remind him that it is unrighteous for a king to not cater to the welfare of his subjects. They seek protection in him from the demons. Ready to the task, rAma tells him that he is at their command and they ought not request him. He makes it clear that he is not just here on a personal mission, passingly hinting that there was a deeper meaning to his banishment! Onwards…
Then rAma along with sItA, lakshmaNa and other sages started for the hermitage of sage sutIkshNa. Traveling long, crossing many a thriving river, finally they came to behold a majestic mountain tall like the mEru. Then through the forest, the trio traveled witnessing a variety of trees in full bloom and laden with fruits. In the middle of that wooded forest, they witnessed a hermitage in a lonely spot identifiable by the hanging of the ascetic robes outside. There in that hermitage lived a repository of great penance, wearing matted locks, sage sutIkshNa. Paying due respect to him, rAma spoke to him – “O great sage, knower of dharma, I am rAma. I have come to meet you, could you please speak to me”. The great sage sutIkshNa beheld rAma, the best among the righteous and then warmly embraced him and said –
“O best among raghus, O truthful one, this hermitage has found a protector in you now by your advent here. I have heard that you have renounced your kingdom and lived in chitrakUTa. In anticipation of you, I didn’t leave my body and ascend the heavens despite having won all the exalted worlds by my penance as certified by lord indra to me. I grant that you three are free to roam the higher worlds earned by me and graced by divine sages”.
To that sage, repository of intense penance and embodiment of truth, rAma replied as if kaSyapa was addressing lord brahma – “O lord, I am capable of winning the higher worlds for myself. I only seek a place to stay in the forest. You may please grant me one.
अहमेवाहरिष्यामि सर्वान् लोकान्महामुने।
आवासं त्वहमिच्छामि प्रदिष्टमिह कानने।।3.7.14।।
भवान्सर्वत्र कुशलस्सर्वभूतहिते रतः।
आख्यातश्शरभङ्गेण गौतमेन महात्मना।।3.7.15।।
I have heard from sage Sarabhanga of the gautama clan that you are well versed with the forest and ever engaged in the welfare of all beings”.
Thus addressed by rAma, the world famous sage was extremely delighted and said –
“O rAma this hermitage is a fabulous place to stay. This is replete with fruits and roots and scores of ascetics live here practicing their penance. You may enjoy your stay here itself. Herds of wild beasts visit this hermitage and entice the inmates. They come here fearlessly and leave without harming anyone”.
Upon learning that there are no problems other than frequent incursions of the wild beasts into the hermitage, rAma pulled out his bow and arrow and said that he could deal with them in a jiffy by unleashing the thunderbolt like arrows upon them. But he also said that any harm caused to such animals in this way might pain the sage sutIkshNa. Hence rAma didn’t entertain thoughts of staying long in that hermitage. The evening dawned as the dialogue continued. Offering the evening oblations to the Sun god, the trio settled down for that evening in that hermitage of sage sutIkshNa.
The sage himself served the guests with food fit to be partaken by ascetics and showered due hospitality on them and the night fell.
Here we conclude the the seventh 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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Next: 3.8. Off to tour the hermitages
Previous: 3.6. The mission is not just personal
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
