Hari Om.
Let us begin the seventy third sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The brave brothers cremated kabandha and there rose from the pyre a glorious and celestial kabandha shrugging off his cursed demonic body and assuming his original divine body and took to the sky. Levitating in the sky in a lovely chariot, dressed in spotless whites and bedecked with garlands, the celestial being, son of danu advised rAma about the way forward. He reminded rAma of the six ways to meet an adversary and adversity, viz. truce, war, waiting for the opportunity, going on the offensive, creating differences in the enemy ranks and finding an able ally. He suggested that in the given situation, it was best for rAma to find an ally who can empathize with him. kabandha didn’t stop by merely giving theoretical advice, he told rAma, in the current situation, he should find sugrIva who is in the forest of RShyamUka, having been banished by his brother vAlI. sugrIva, the son the Sun god was humble, just, mighty, truthful and needed help. kabandha said, this would be a friendship among two facing similar adversity and therefore can be mutually beneficial. He encouraged rAma to hasten at once and befriend sugrIva with agni (fire) as the witness. Onwards…
Having told rAma how to go about finding sItA, the articulate and eloquent kabandha continued to speak meaningfully –
“O rAma, this delightful westward way filled with trees in full bloom is indeed an auspicious one. On the way you will find trees and vines of berries, grapes, jackfruit and mangoes. Also you will find sacred banyan trees, aSwathha, aSoka trees and variety of other trees fully bloomed and bearing fruits. Both of you may either pluck the nectarine fruits or eat those ripe ones fallen on the ground and move forward. Crossing that beautiful and well endowed forest, you will reach another forest that is equal in beauty to the nandana gardens of kubEra and similar in prosperity to the northern kuru state. You will find fruits in this forest ripe and oozing nectar and all the seasons are glorious in this forest like in the nandana gardens of kubEra. There are gigantic trees there with low hanging branches resembling dense clouds and mountains and bearing ripe juicy fruits which lakshmaNa shall fetch for you. As you both cross these forests and hills and move in that direction, you will come reach the lake of pampa.
The lake of pampa is large and there a variety of birds like the swans, ducks, krauncha birds and cranes are found they make nice cooing sounds. There are some really large and meaty birds which you can hunt and eat. The lake hosts a variety of fish – prawns, fish of single bone, fish with crooked face, fish without scales – lakshmaNa can hunt these for you, make barbeques of them and offer to you. The lake is full of lotuses. As you have the fish, lakshmaNa shall fetch thirst quenching, sweet and crystal clear waters carrying the lotus aroma from the lake for you in the lotus leaves. Large wild boars that roam in the forests come to pampa to quench their thirst.
As you take a walk on the banks of pampa in the evening, the trees in full bloom and the lotus laden pond will make you forget your grief. O rAma, you will find tilaka trees and night jasmines in full bloom. No one wears those flowers and never do they wither or wilt. The legend is that, the disciples of sage matanga used fetch the forest produce for their guru. They did that with so much of devotion that, the sweat that fell on the ground when they carried these for their guru turned into these flowers by the grace of their guru.
Although the guru, sage matanga and his disciples are long gone, even today the ascetic and servitor of sage matanga, Sabari still dwells there.
तेषां गतानामद्यापि दृश्यते परिचारिणी।।3.73.25।।
श्रमणी शबरी नाम काकुत्स्थ चिरजीविनी।
Sabari is established in dharma, and is hailed by all beings. After beholding and serving thee, she shall attain the heavens.
Upon reaching the western banks of pampa, you will behold a hermitage in a remote location on that hill, the RShyamUka which was created by lord brahma in the past. By the influence of sage matanga, the elephants stay clear of this hermitage although they roam freely in the forests below. Smitten with pride, the pachyderms ooze ichor and enjoy in the forests and often goto the pampa lake to quench their thirst. You will also behold a variety of animals there along with the elephants – tigers, antelopes and others who know no defeat. Watching them your sorrow shall be won over.
On top of the hill of pampa, you will hear the trumpeting of calves (baby elephants). The hill is a bit steep and difficult to climb. This hill created by lord brahma in the yore is a sacred one. If one dreams of a certain wealth while on this hill, he surely gets it upon waking. There is no place for sinners and conceited people on top of this mountain. They are thrown own the mountain in their sleep by demons!
O kakutstha, on the top of mountain, in a certain difficult-to-enter cave covered by a stone lives the vAnara by name sugrIva along with four other vAnaras. In the eastern side of that cave, there is a nice, large lake with cool and sweet waters where a number of animals flock. You can find sugrIva there in that cave and at times along with his four mates on top of the mountain.
Having elaborately instructed rAma and lakshmaNa about the path to pampa and how to find sugrIva, kabandha glorious with a garland round his neck, levitating in the skies said, go rAma, go lakshmaNa, be successful. The duo went near the radiant kabandha and permitted him to leave. Having been permitted, he once again reminded the duo of the need to befriend sugrIva and wishing them well from the skies, the radiant kabandha left for his heavenly abode.
गम्यतां कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थमिति तावब्रवीत्स च।
सुप्रीतौ तावनुज्ञाप्य कबन्धः प्रस्थितस्तदा।।3.73.44।।
Here we conclude the seventy third 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: 3.74. SabarI’s penance ripens
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 