अरण्यकाण्डम्Araṇya Kāṇḍa

agrataḥ prayayau rāmaḥ sītā madhye suśobhanā ।
pṛṣṭhataḥ tu dhanuṣpāṇiḥ lakṣmaṇaḥ anujagāma ha ॥

tau paśyamānau vividhān śaila prasthān vanāni ca ।
nadīḥ ca vividhā ramyā jagmatuḥ saha sītayā ॥

sārasān cakravākāṁ ca nadī pulina cāriṇaḥ ।
sarāṁsi ca sapadmāni yutāni jalajaiḥ khagaiḥ ॥

yūtha baddhām ca pṛṣatān mada unmattān viṣāṇinaḥ ।
mahiṣām ca varāhām ca gajām ca druma vairiṇaḥ ॥

te gatvā dūram adhvānam laṁbamāne divākare ।
dadṛśuḥ sahitā raṁyam taṭākam yojana āyutam ॥

padma puṣkara saṁbādham gaja yūthaiḥ alaṁkṛtam ।
sārasaiḥ haṁsa kādambaiḥ saṁkulam jala jātibhiḥ ॥

prasanna salile ramye tasmin sarasi śuśruve ।
gīta vāditra nirghoṣo na tu kaścana dṛśyate ॥

tataḥ kautūhalāt rāmo lakṣmaṇaḥ ca mahārathaḥ ।
munim dharmabhṛtam nāma praṣṭum samupacakrame ॥

idam atyadbhutam śrutvā sarveṣām no mahāmune ।
kautūhalam mahat jātam kim idam sādhu kathyatām ॥

tena evam ukto dharmātmā rāghaveṇa muniḥ tadā ।
prabhāvam sarasaḥ kṣipram ākhyātum upacakrame ॥

idam paṁca apsaro nāma taṭākam sārva kālikam ।
nirmitam tapasā rāma muninā māṇḍakarṇinā ॥

sa hi tepe tapaḥ tīvram māṇḍakarṇiḥ mahāmuniḥ ।
daśa varṣa sahasrāṇi vāyu bhakṣo jalāśaye ॥

tataḥ pravyathitāḥ sarve devāḥ sa agni purogamāḥ ।
abruvan vacanam sarve paraspara samāgatāḥ ॥

asmakam kasyacit sthānam eṣa prārthayate muniḥ ।
iti saṁvigna manasaḥ sarve tatra divaukasaḥ ॥

tataḥ kartum tapo vighnam sarva devaiḥ niyojitāḥ ।
pradhāna apsarasaḥ paṁca vidyut calita varcasaḥ ॥

apsarobhiḥ tataḥ tābhiḥ muniḥ dṛṣṭa parāvaraḥ ।
nīto madana vaśyatvam devānām kārya siddhaye ॥

tāḥ caiva apsarasaḥ paṁca muneḥ patnītvam āgatāḥ ।
taṭāke nirmitam tāsām tasmin antarhitam gṛham ॥

tatra eva apsarasaḥ paṁca nivasantyo yathā sukham ।
ramayanti tapoyogāt munim yauvanam āsthitam ॥

tāsām saṁkrīḍa mānānām eṣa vāditra niḥsvanaḥ ।
śrūyate bhūṣaṇa unmiśraḥ gīta śabdaḥ manoharaḥ ॥

āścaryam iti tasya etad vacanam bhāvitātmanaḥ ।
rāghavaḥ pratijagrāha saha bhrātrā mahā yaśāḥ ॥

evam kathayamānaḥ sa dadarśa āśrama maṇḍalam ।
kuśa cīra parikṣiptam brāhmyā lakṣmyā samāvṛtam ॥

praviśya saha vaidehyā lakṣmaṇena ca rāghavaḥ ।
tadā tasmin sa kākutsthaḥ śrīmati āśrama maṇḍale ॥

uṣitvā sa sukham tatra pūrjyamāno maharṣibhiḥ ।
jagāma ca āśramān teṣām paryāyeṇa tapasvinām ॥

yeṣām uṣitavān pūrvam sakāśe sa mahāstravit ।
kvacit paridaśān māsān eka saṁvatsaram kvacit ॥

kvacit ca caturo māsān paṁca ṣaṭ ca parān kvacit ।
aparatra adhikān māsān adhyardham adhikam kvacit ॥

trīn māsān aṣṭa māsān ca rāghavo nyavasat sukham ।
tatra saṁvasataḥ tasya munīnām āśrameṣu vai ॥

ramataḥ ca ānukūlyena yayuḥ saṁvatsarā daśa ।
parisṛtya ca dharmajñaḥ rāghavaḥ saha sītayā ॥

sutīkṣṇasya āśramam śrīmān punar eva ājagāma ha ।
sa tam āśramam āgamya munibhiḥ paripūjitaḥ ॥

tatra api nyavasat rāmaḥ kaṁcit kālam arindamaḥ ।
atha āśramastho vinayāt kadācit tam mahāmunim ॥

upāsīnaḥ sa kākutsthaḥ sutīkṣṇam idam abravīt ।
asmin araṇye bhagavan agastyo munisattamaḥ ॥

vasati iti mayā nityam kathāḥ kathayatām śrutam ।
na tu jānāmi tam deśam vanasya asya mahattayā ॥

kutra āśrama padam puṇyam maharṣeḥ tasya dhīmataḥ ।
prasāda artham bhagavataḥ sānujaḥ saha sītayā ॥

agastyam abhigaccheyam abhivādayitum munim ।
manoratho mahān eṣa hṛdi parivartate ॥

yadi aham tam munivaram śuśrūṣeyam api svayam ।
iti rāmasya sa muniḥ śrutvā dharmātmano vacaḥ ॥

sutīkṣṇaḥ pratyuvāca idam prīto daśarathātmajam ।
aham api etad eva tvām vaktu kāmaḥ sa lakṣmaṇam ॥

agastyam abhigaccha iti sītayā saha rāghava ।
diṣṭyā tu idānīm arthe asmin svayam eva bravīṣi mām ॥

ayam ākhyāmi te rāma yatra agastyo mahāmuniḥ ।
yojanāni āśramāt tāta yāhi catvāri vai tataḥ ।
dakṣiṇena mahān śrīmān agastya bhrātur āśramaḥ ॥

sthalī prāya vanoddeśe pippalī vana śobhite ।
bahu puṣpa phale ramye nānā vihaga nādite ॥

padminyo vividhāḥ tatra prasanna salila āśayāḥ ।
haṁsa kāraṇḍava ākīrṇāḥ cakravāka upaśobhitāḥ ॥

tatra ekām rajanīm vyuṣya prabhāte rāma gamyatām ।
dakṣiṇām diśam āsthāya vana ṣaṇḍasya pārśvataḥ ॥

tatra agastya āśrama padam gatvā yojanam antaram ।
ramaṇīye vanoddeśe bahu pādapa śobhite ॥

raṁsyate tatra vaidehī lakṣmaṇaḥ ca tvayā saha ।
sa hi ramyo vanouddeśo bahu pādapa saṁyutaḥ ॥

yadi buddhiḥ kṛtā draṣṭum agastyam tam mahāmunim ।
adya eva gamane buddhim rocayasva mahāmate ॥

iti rāmo muneḥ śrutvā saha bhrātrā abhivādya ca ।
pratasthe agastyam uddiśya sānugaḥ saha sītayā ॥

paśyan vanāni citrāṇi parvatāṁ ca abhra saṁnibhān ।
sarāṁsi saritaḥ caiva pathi mārga vaśa anugatān ॥

sutīkṣṇena upadiṣṭena gatvā tena pathā sukham ।
idam parama saṁhṛṣṭo vākyam lakṣmaṇam abravīt ॥

etad eva āśrama padam nūnam tasya mahātmanaḥ ।
agastyasya muner bhrātur dṛśyate puṇya karmaṇaḥ ॥

yathā hi ime vanasya asya jñātāḥ pathi sahasraśaḥ ।
saṁnatāḥ phala bhareṇa puṣpa bhāreṇa ca drumāḥ ॥

pippalīnām ca pakvānām vanād asmād upāgataḥ ।
gandho ayam pavana utkṣiptaḥ sahasā kaṭukodayaḥ ॥

tatra tatra ca dṛśyante saṁkṣiptāḥ kāṣṭha saṁcayāḥ ।
lūnāḥ ca paridṛśyante darbhā vaidūrya varcasaḥ ॥

etat ca vana madhyastham kṛṣṇa abhra śikhara upamam ।
pāvakasya āśramasthasya dhūmāgram saṁpradṛśyate ॥

vivikteṣu ca tīrtheṣu kṛta snānā dvijātayaḥ ।
puṣpa upahāram kurvanti kusumaiḥ svayam ārjitaiḥ ॥

tataḥ sutīkṣṇasya vacanam yathā saumya mayā śrutam ।
agastyasya āśramo bhrātur nūnam eṣa bhaviṣyati ॥

nigṛhya tarasā mṛtyum lokānām hita kāmyayā ।
yasya bhrātrā kṛtā iyam dik śaraṇyā puṇya karmaṇā ॥

iha ekadā kila krūro vātāpiḥ api ca ilvalaḥ ।
bhrātarau sahitau āstām brāhmaṇaghnau mahā asurau ॥

dhārayan brāhmaṇam rūpam ilvalaḥ saṁskṛtam vadan ।
āmaṁtrayati viprān sa śrāddham uddiśya nirghṛṇaḥ ॥

bhrātaram saṁskṛtam kṛtvā tataḥ tam meṣa rūpiṇam ।
tān dvijān bhojayāmāsa śrāddha dṛṣṭena karmaṇā ॥

tato bhuktavatām teṣām viprāṇām ilvalo abravīt ।
vātāpe niṣkramasva iti svareṇa mahatā vadan ॥

tato bhrātur vacaḥ śrutvā vātāpiḥ meṣavat nadan ।
bhittvā bhitvā śarīrāṇi brāhmaṇānām viniṣpatat ॥

brāhmaṇānām sahasrāṇi taiḥ evam kāma rūpibhiḥ ।
vināśitāni saṁhatya nityaśaḥ piśita aśanaiḥ ॥

agastyena tadā devaiḥ prārthitena maharṣiṇā ।
anubhūya kila śrāddhe bhakṣitaḥ sa mahā asuraḥ ॥

tataḥ saṁpannam iti uktvā dattvā haste avanejanam ।
bhrātaram niṣkramasva iti ca ilvalaḥ samabhāṣata ॥

sa tadā bhāṣamāṇam tu bhrātaram vipra ghātinam ।
abravīt prahasan dhīmān agastyo muni sattamaḥ ॥

kuto niṣkramitum śaktir mayā jīrṇasya rakṣasaḥ ।
bhrātuḥ te meṣa rūpasya gatasya yama sādanam ॥

atha tasya vacaḥ śrutvā bhrātur nidhana saṁśritam ।
pradharṣayitum ārebhe munim krodhāt niśā caraḥ ॥

so abhyadravat dvijeṁdram tam muninā dīpta tejasā ।
cakṣuṣā anala kalpena nirdagdho nidhanam gataḥ ॥

tasya ayam āśramo bhrātuḥ taṭāka vana śobhitaḥ ।
vipra anukampayā yena karma idam duṣkaram kṛtam ॥

evam kathayamānasya tasya saumitriṇā saha ।
rāmasya astam gataḥ sūryaḥ saṁdhyā kālo abhyavartata ॥

upāsya paścimām saṁdhyām saha bhrātrā yathā vidhi ।
praviveśa āśrama padam tam ṛṣim ca abhyavādayat ॥

samyak pratigṛhītaḥ tu muninā tena rāghavaḥ ।
nyavasat tām niśām ekām prāśya mūla phalāni ca ॥

tasyām rātryām vyatītāyām udite ravi maṇḍale ।
bhrātaram tam agastyasya āmaṁtrayata rāghavaḥ ॥

abhivādaye tvām bhagavan sukham sma uṣyato niśām ।
āmaṁtraye tvām gacchāmi gurum te draṣṭum agrajam ॥

gamyatām iti tena ukto jagāma raghu nandanaḥ ।
yathā uddiṣṭena mārgeṇa vanam tat ca avalokayan ॥

nīvārān panasān sālān vanjulān tiniśān tathā ।
ciri bilvān madhūkān ca bilvān atha ca tindukān ॥

puṣpitān puṣpita agrābhir latābhir upaśobhitān ।
dadarśa rāmaḥ śataśaḥ tatra kāntāra pādapān ॥

hasti hastaiḥ vimṛditān vānaraiḥ upaśobhitān ।
mattaiḥ śakuni saṁghaiḥ ca śataśaḥ prati nāditān ॥

tato abravīt samīpastham rāmo rājīva locanaḥ ।
pṛṣṭhato anugatam vīram lakṣmaṇam lakṣmivardhanam ॥

snigdha patrā yathā vṛkṣā yathā kṣāntā mṛga dvijāḥ ।
āśramo na atidūrastho maharṣer bhāvita ātmanaḥ ॥

agastya iti vikhyāto loke svena eva karmaṇā ।
āśramo dṛśyate tasya pariśrānta śrama apahaḥ ॥

prājya dhūma ākula vanaḥ cīra mālā pariṣkṛtaḥ ।
praśānta mṛga yūthaḥ ca nānā śakuni nāditaḥ ॥

nigṛhya tarasā mṛtyum lokānām hita kāmyayā ।
dakṣiṇā dik kṛtā yena śaraṇyā puṇya karmaṇā ॥

tasya idam āśrama padam prabhāvād yasya rākṣasaiḥ ।
dik iyam dakṣiṇā trāsād dṛśyate na upabhujyate ॥

yadā prabhṛti ca ākrāntā dig iyam puṇya karmaṇā ।
tadā prabhṛti nir vairāḥ praśāntā rajanī carāḥ ॥

nāmnā ca iyam bhagavato dakṣiṇā dik pradakṣiṇā ।
prathitā triṣu lokeṣu durdharṣā krūra karmabhiḥ ॥

mārgam niroddhum satatam bhāskarasya acala uttamaḥ ।
saṁdeśam pālayan tasya viṁdhya śailo na vardhate ॥

ayam dīrgha āyuṣaḥ tasya loke viśruta karmaṇaḥ ।
agastyasya āśramaḥ śrīmān vinīta mṛga sevitaḥ ॥

eṣa loka arcitaḥ sādhuḥ hite nityam rataḥ satām ।
asmān adhigatān eṣa śreyasā yojayiṣyati ॥

ārādhayiṣyāmi atra aham agastyam tam mahāmunim ।
śeṣam ca vana vāsasya saumya vatsyāmi aham prabho ॥

atra devāḥ sagandharvāḥ siddhāḥ ca parama ṛṣayaḥ ।
agastyam niyata āhārāḥ satatam paryupāsate ॥

na atra jīvet mṛṣāvādī krūro vā yadi vā śaṭhaḥ ।
nṛśaṁsaḥ pāpa vṛtto vā muniḥ eṣa tathā vidhaḥ ॥

atra devāḥ ca yakṣāḥ ca nāgāḥ ca patagaiḥ saha ।
vasanti niyata āhārā dharmam ārādhayiṣṇavaḥ ॥

atra siddhā mahātmāno vimānaiḥ sūrya sannibhaiḥ ।
tyaktvā dehān navair dehaiḥ svar yātāḥ parama ṛṣayaḥ ॥

yakṣatvam amaratvam ca rājyāni vividhāni ca ।
atra devāḥ prayacchanti bhūtaiḥ ārādhitāḥ śubhaiḥ ॥

āgatāḥ sma āśrama padam saumitre praviśa agrataḥ ।
nivedaya iha mām prāptam ṛṣaye saha sītayā ॥