Sources

Shabari; spring sharpens the grief

Valmiki · Aranya Kanda
3.74.1–3.75.30; 4.1.1–130 (CrEd 3.70.1–3.71.26; 4.1.1–49)

Rama and Lakshmana reach the hermitage of the ascetic Shabari, who has waited for them as her teachers foretold. She shows them Matanga's forest and, with Rama's leave, gives up her body to join the sages she served. Rama turns toward Rishyamukha and Sugriva, but the spring at Lake Pampa only sharpens his grief for Sita.

Sanskrit · English·Translation: Raam Leela

Show

Part 1

Shabari; spring sharpens the grief

Valmiki 3.74.1–3.75.30; 4.1.1–130 (CrEd 3.70.1–3.71.26; 4.1.1–49)

॥ 3.74.4–5 ॥

CrEd 3.70.4–5

silent moment

॥ 3.74.6 ॥

CrEd 3.70.6

silent moment

॥ 3.74.8–9 ॥

CrEd 3.70.7–8

condensed from 3.74.8–9

Rama

Sanskrit

ताम् उवाच ततो रामः श्रमणीं संशितव्रताम् ।
कच्चित् ते निर्जिता विघ्नाः कच्चित् ते वर्धते तपः ।
कच्चित् ते नियतः कोप आहारश् च तपोधने ।
कच्चित् ते नियमाः प्राप्ताः कच्चित् ते मनसः सुखम् ।
कच्चित् ते गुरुशुश्रूषा सफला चारुभाषिणि ॥

tām uvāca tato rāmaḥ śramaṇīṃ saṃśitavratām
kaccit te nirjitā vighnāḥ kaccit te vardhate tapaḥ
kaccit te niyataḥ kopa āhāraś ca tapodhane
kaccit te niyamāḥ prāptāḥ kaccit te manasaḥ sukham
kaccit te guruśuśrūṣā saphalā cārubhāṣiṇi

English

Then Rama said to her,
the ascetic woman firm in her vows:
“Have you overcome all hindrances?
Does your penance grow?
Have you held in check your anger
and your food, lady rich in penance?
Have you kept your observances?
Is there ease in your mind?
Has your service to your teachers
borne fruit, sweet-spoken one?”

॥ 3.74.14 ॥

CrEd 3.70.10

3.74.11–13: popular text only · not in the CrEd

Shabari

Sanskrit

चित्रकूटं त्वयि प्राप्ते विमानैर् अतुलप्रभैः ।
इतस् ते दिवम् आरूढा यान् अहं पर्यचारिषम् ॥

citrakūṭaṃ tvayi prāpte vimānair atulaprabhaiḥ
itas te divam ārūḍhā yān ahaṃ paryacāriṣam

English

When you came to Chitrakuta,
in chariots of matchless splendour
they rose from here to heaven,
those whom I served.

॥ 3.74.15–16 ॥

CrEd 3.70.11–12

Shabari

Sanskrit

तैश् चाहम् उक्ता धर्मज्ञैर् महाभागैर् महर्षिभिः ।
आगमिष्यति ते रामः सुपुण्यम् इमम् आश्रमम् ।
स ते प्रतिग्रहीतव्यः सौमित्रिसहितोऽतिथिः ।
तं च दृष्ट्वा वरांल् लोकान् अक्षयांस् त्वं गमिष्यसि ॥

taiś cāham uktā dharmajñair mahābhāgair maharṣibhiḥ
āgamiṣyati te rāmaḥ supuṇyam imam āśramam
sa te pratigrahītavyaḥ saumitrisahito 'tithiḥ
taṃ ca dṛṣṭvā varāṃl lokān akṣayāṃs tvaṃ gamiṣyasi

English

And those great sages, knowing dharma,
most blessed, said to me:
“Rama will come to you,
to this most holy hermitage.
You must receive him as your guest,
with Saumitri at his side;
and when you have seen him, you will go
to the highest worlds, that never fade.”

॥ 3.74.17–18a ॥

CrEd 3.70.13

Shabari

Sanskrit

मया तु विविधं वन्यं संचितं पुरुषर्षभ ।
तवार्थे पुरुषव्याघ्र पम्पायास् तीरसंभवम् ॥

mayā tu vividhaṃ vanyaṃ saṃcitaṃ puruṣarṣabha
tavārthe puruṣavyāghra pampāyās tīrasaṃbhavam

English

And I, bull among men,
have gathered forest food of many kinds
for your sake, tiger among men,
grown on the banks of the Pampa.

॥ 3.74.19–20a ॥

CrEd 3.70.15

Rama

Sanskrit

दनोः सकाशात् तत्त्वेन प्रभावं ते महात्मनः ।
श्रुतं प्रत्यक्षम् इच्छामि संद्रष्टुं यदि मन्यसे ॥

danoḥ sakāśāt tattvena prabhāvaṃ te mahātmanaḥ
śrutaṃ pratyakṣam icchāmi saṃdraṣṭuṃ yadi manyase

English

From Danu I have heard in truth
of the power of your great-souled ones;
I wish to see it with my own eyes,
if you think it right.

॥ 3.74.20b ॥

CrEd 3.70.16

silent moment

॥ 3.74.21–22 ॥

CrEd 3.70.17–18

Shabari

Sanskrit

पश्य मेघघनप्रख्यं मृगपक्षिसमाकुलम् ।
मतङ्गवनम् इत्य् एव विश्रुतं रघुनन्दन ।
इह ते भावितात्मानो गुरवो मे महाद्युते ।
जुहवांश् चक्रिरे तीर्थं मन्त्रवन् मन्त्रपूजितम् ॥

paśya meghaghanaprakhyaṃ mṛgapakṣisamākulam
mataṅgavanam ity eva viśrutaṃ raghunandana
iha te bhāvitātmāno guravo me mahādyute
juhavāṃś cakrire tīrthaṃ mantravan mantrapūjitam

English

See, like a dense mass of cloud,
teeming with deer and birds,
this forest, famed by the name
of Matanga’s forest, joy of the Raghus.
Here, radiant one, my teachers,
whose souls were made pure,
made offerings with mantras
at this sacred place, hallowed by mantras.

॥ 3.74.23 ॥

CrEd 3.70.19

Shabari

Sanskrit

इयं प्रत्यक् स्थली वेदी यत्र ते मे सुसत्कृताः ।
पुष्पोपहारं कुर्वन्ति श्रमाद् उद्वेपिभिः करैः ॥

iyaṃ pratyak sthalī vedī yatra te me susatkṛtāḥ
puṣpopahāraṃ kurvanti śramād udvepibhiḥ karaiḥ

English

This is the altar on the western ground,
where they, so honoured by me,
made offerings of flowers
with hands that trembled from their toil.

॥ 3.74.24 ॥

CrEd 3.70.20

silent moment

॥ 3.74.25 ॥

CrEd 3.70.21

Shabari

Sanskrit

अशक्नुवद्भिस् तैर् गन्तुम् उपवासश्रमालसैः ।
चिन्तितेऽभ्यागतान् पश्य समेतान् सप्त सागरान् ॥

aśaknuvadbhis tair gantum upavāsaśramālasaiḥ
cintite 'bhyāgatān paśya sametān sapta sāgarān

English

When they, made weary by fasting,
could no longer go to them,
they thought of them, and see: they came,
the seven seas, gathered here.

॥ 3.74.26 ॥

CrEd 3.70.22

silent moment

॥ 3.74.28–29 ॥

CrEd 3.70.23–24

Shabari

Sanskrit

कृत्स्नं वनम् इदं दृष्टं श्रोतव्यं च श्रुतं त्वया ।
तद् इच्छाम्य् अभ्यनुज्ञाता त्यक्तुम् एतत् कलेवरम् ।
तेषाम् इच्छाम्य् अहं गन्तुं समीपं भावितात्मनाम् ।
मुनीनाम् आश्रमो येषाम् अहं च परिचारिणी ॥

kṛtsnaṃ vanam idaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ śrotavyaṃ ca śrutaṃ tvayā
tad icchāmy abhyanujñātā tyaktum etat kalevaram
teṣām icchāmy ahaṃ gantuṃ samīpaṃ bhāvitātmanām
munīnām āśramo yeṣām ahaṃ ca paricāriṇī

English

You have seen this whole forest,
and heard what there was to hear;
so, with your leave, I wish
to give up this body.
I wish to go and be near them,
those sages, pure of soul,
whose hermitage this is,
and whom I served.

॥ 3.74.30–31 ॥

CrEd 3.70.25

Rama

Sanskrit

धर्मिष्ठं तु वचः श्रुत्वा राघवः सहलक्ष्मणः ।
अनुजानामि गच्छेति प्रहृष्टवदनोऽब्रवीत् ॥

dharmiṣṭhaṃ tu vacaḥ śrutvā rāghavaḥ sahalakṣmaṇaḥ
anujānāmi gaccheti prahṛṣṭavadano 'bravīt

English

Hearing her words, so steeped in dharma,
Raghava, with Lakshmana,
said, with a glad face:
“I give you leave. Go.”

॥ 3.74.32–33 ॥

CrEd 3.70.26

silent moment

॥ 3.74.35 ॥

CrEd 3.70.27

silent moment

॥ 3.75.1–2 ॥

CrEd 3.71.1–2

silent moment

॥ 3.75.5–6 ॥

CrEd 3.71.5–6

condensed from 3.75.5–6

Rama

Sanskrit

प्रनष्टम् अशुभं यत् तत् कल्याणं समुपस्थितम् ।
तेन त्व् एतत् प्रहृष्टं मे मनो लक्ष्मण संप्रति ।
हृदये हि नरव्याघ्र शुभम् आविर्भविष्यति ।
तद् आगच्छ गमिष्यावः पम्पां तां प्रियदर्शनाम् ॥

pranaṣṭam aśubhaṃ yat tat kalyāṇaṃ samupasthitam
tena tv etat prahṛṣṭaṃ me mano lakṣmaṇa saṃprati
hṛdaye hi naravyāghra śubham āvirbhaviṣyati
tad āgaccha gamiṣyāvaḥ pampāṃ tāṃ priyadarśanām

English

The ill that was ours has vanished,
and good fortune has come near;
that is why my mind, Lakshmana,
is glad now.
For in my heart, tiger among men,
something good will come to light.
So come, we will go
to that Pampa, lovely to see.

॥ 3.75.7–8 ॥

CrEd 3.71.7–8

condensed from 3.75.7–8

Rama

Sanskrit

ऋश्यमूको गिरिर् यत्र नातिदूरे प्रकाशते ।
यस्मिन् वसति धर्मात्मा सुग्रीवोऽंशुमतः सुतः ।
नित्यं वालिभयात् त्रस्तश् चतुर्भिः सह वानरैः ।
अभित्वरे च तं द्रष्टुं सुग्रीवं वानरर्षभम् ।
तदधीनं हि मे सौम्य सीतायाः परिमार्गणम् ॥

ṛśyamūko girir yatra nātidūre prakāśate
yasmin vasati dharmātmā sugrīvo 'ṃśumataḥ sutaḥ
nityaṃ vālibhayāt trastaś caturbhiḥ saha vānaraiḥ
abhitvare ca taṃ draṣṭuṃ sugrīvaṃ vānararṣabham
tadadhīnaṃ hi me saumya sītāyāḥ parimārgaṇam

English

There, not far off, the hill
Rishyamukha shines,
where righteous Sugriva lives,
son of the radiant Sun,
ever in fear of Vali,
with four monkeys at his side.
And I am eager to see him,
Sugriva, bull among monkeys,
for on him, gentle one,
rests the search for Sita.

॥ 3.75.9 ॥

CrEd 3.71.9

Lakshmana

Sanskrit

इति ब्रुवाणं तं रामं सौमित्रिर् इदम् अब्रवीत् ।
गच्छावस् त्वरितं तत्र ममापि त्वरते मनः ॥

iti bruvāṇaṃ taṃ rāmaṃ saumitrir idam abravīt
gacchāvas tvaritaṃ tatra mamāpi tvarate manaḥ

English

As Rama spoke so,
Saumitri said to him:
“Let us go there quickly;
my heart too is in haste.”

॥ 4.1.1–3 ॥

CrEd 4.1.1–2

silent moment

॥ 4.1.4–5 ॥

CrEd 4.1.3–4

condensed from 4.1.4–5

Rama

Sanskrit

सौमित्रे पश्य पम्पायाः काननं शुभदर्शनम् ।
यत्र राजन्ति शैलाभा द्रुमाः सशिखरा इव ।
मां तु शोकाभिसंतप्तम् आधयः पीडयन्ति वै ।
भरतस्य च दुःखेन वैदेह्या हरणेन च ॥

saumitre paśya pampāyāḥ kānanaṃ śubhadarśanam
yatra rājanti śailābhā drumāḥ saśikharā iva
māṃ tu śokābhisaṃtaptam ādhayaḥ pīḍayanti vai
bharatasya ca duḥkhena vaidehyā haraṇena ca

English

Saumitri, see the woods of Pampa,
so lovely to behold,
where trees like hills stand splendid,
as though crowned with peaks.
But sorrows torment me,
burning as I am with grief,
for Bharata’s pain
and for Vaidehi carried off.

॥ 4.1.22–23 ॥

CrEd 4.1.12–13

Rama

Sanskrit

अयं वसन्तः सौमित्रे नानाविहगनादितः ।
सीतया विप्रहीणस्य शोकसंदीपनो मम ।
मां हि शोकसमाक्रान्तं संतापयति मन्मथः ।
हृष्टः प्रवदमानश् च समाह्वयति कोकिलः ॥

ayaṃ vasantaḥ saumitre nānāvihaganāditaḥ
sītayā viprahīṇasya śokasaṃdīpano mama
māṃ hi śokasamākrāntaṃ saṃtāpayati manmathaḥ
hṛṣṭaḥ pravadamānaś ca samāhvayati kokilaḥ

English

This spring, Saumitri,
loud with many birds,
sets my grief ablaze,
parted as I am from Sita.
For love torments me,
overwhelmed with grief;
the kokila, glad and calling,
challenges me.

॥ 4.1.38 ॥

CrEd 4.1.18

silent moment

॥ 4.1.38–40 ॥

CrEd 4.1.18–19

condensed from 4.1.38–40

Rama

Sanskrit

पश्य लक्ष्मण नृत्यन्तं मयूरम् उपनृत्यति ।
शिखिनी मन्मथार्तैषा भर्तारं गिरिसानुषु ।
मयूरस्य वने नूनं रक्षसा न हृता प्रिया ।
मम त्व् अयं विना वासः पुष्पमासे सुदुःसहः ॥

paśya lakṣmaṇa nṛtyantaṃ mayūram upanṛtyati
śikhinī manmathārtaiṣā bhartāraṃ girisānuṣu
mayūrasya vane nūnaṃ rakṣasā na hṛtā priyā
mama tv ayaṃ vinā vāsaḥ puṣpamāse suduḥsahaḥ

English

Look, Lakshmana: as the peacock dances,
the peahen, struck by love,
dances beside her mate
on the slopes of the hills.
Surely no rakshasa in the forest
has carried off the peacock’s love;
but for me, this life without her
in the month of flowers is hard to bear.

॥ 4.1.40 ॥

CrEd 4.1.19

silent moment

॥ 4.1.47b, 50a ॥

CrEd 4.1.22

Rama

Sanskrit

नूनं परवशा सीता सापि शोचत्य् अहं यथा ।
श्यामा पद्मपलाशाक्षी मृदुभाषा च मे प्रिया ॥

nūnaṃ paravaśā sītā sāpi śocaty ahaṃ yathā
śyāmā padmapalāśākṣī mṛdubhāṣā ca me priyā

English

Surely Sita, in another’s power,
grieves too, as I do:
dark, with eyes like lotus petals,
gentle of speech, my love.

॥ 4.1.71–72 ॥

CrEd 4.1.30–31

Rama

Sanskrit

पद्मकोशपलाशानि द्रष्टुं दृष्टिर् हि मन्यते ।
सीताया नेत्रकोशाभ्यां सदृशानीति लक्ष्मण ।
पद्मकेसरसंसृष्टो वृक्षान्तरविनिःसृतः ।
निःश्वास इव सीताया वाति वायुर् मनोहरः ॥

padmakośapalāśāni draṣṭuṃ dṛṣṭir hi manyate
sītāyā netrakośābhyāṃ sadṛśānīti lakṣmaṇa
padmakesarasaṃsṛṣṭo vṛkṣāntaraviniḥsṛtaḥ
niḥśvāsa iva sītāyā vāti vāyur manoharaḥ

English

My eyes long to look
on the petals of the lotus bud,
for they are like Sita’s eyes,
Lakshmana.
Mingled with lotus pollen,
slipping out from among the trees,
the charming wind blows
like Sita’s breath.

॥ 4.1.72 ॥

CrEd 4.1.31

silent moment

॥ 4.1 (the sarga's end) ॥

CrEd 4.1.48

silent moment