Sarga 1: Narada's Summary
Narada Samvada
Seed Ramayana — Narada narrates entire epic to Valmiki in 100 shlokas
Jump to a shloka · 89 in this sarga
रामोऽपि परमोदारस्सुमुखस्सुमहायशा: । न चैच्छत्पितुरादेशाद्राज्यं रामो महाबल: ।।1.1.36।।
Meaning
But generous, gracious, and mighty though he was, Rama would not take the throne against his father's express command.
पादुके चास्य राज्याय न्यासं दत्वा पुन:पुन: । निवर्तयामास ततो भरतं भरताग्रज: ।।1.1.37।।
Meaning
So Rama placed his own sandals in Bharata's hands as a token that he ruled in his place, and again and again urged him back to the capital.
स काममनवाप्यैव रामपादावुपस्पृशन् ।।1.1.38।। नन्दिग्रामेऽकरोद्राज्यं रामागमनकाङ्क्षया ।
Meaning
His plea unanswered, Bharata touched Rama's feet in submission and, awaiting his return, governed not from Ayodhya but from the village of Nandigrama.
गते तु भरते श्रीमान् सत्यसन्धो जितेन्द्रिय: ।।1.1.39।। रामस्तु पुनरालक्ष्य नागरस्य जनस्य च । तत्रागमनमेकाग्रो दण्डकान्प्रविवेश ह ।।1.1.40।।
Meaning
Once Bharata had gone, Rama -- true to his word, master of his own senses -- foresaw that people would keep making the journey to see him at Chitrakuta, and so, seeking solitude, pressed on into the Dandaka forest.
प्रविश्य तु महारण्यं रामो राजीवलोचनः । विराधं राक्षसं हत्वा शरभङ्गं ददर्श ह ।।1.1.41।। सुतीक्ष्णं चाप्यगस्त्यं च अगस्त्यभ्रातरं तथा ।
Meaning
Lotus-eyed Rama, entering that vast wilderness, killed the demon Viradha, and there met the sages Sharabhanga, Sutikshna, Agastya, and Agastya's own brother.
अगस्त्यवचनाच्चैव जग्राहैन्द्रं शरासनम् ।।1.1.42।। खड्गं च परमप्रीतस्तूणी चाक्षयसायकौ ।
Meaning
On Agastya's counsel he gladly accepted Indra's bow, a sword, and two quivers whose arrows would never be spent.
वसतस्तस्य रामस्य वने वनचरैस्सह । ऋषयोऽभ्यागमन्सर्वे वधायासुररक्षसाम् ।।1.1.43।।
Meaning
While Rama dwelt in that forest, its sages and other forest-dwellers came to him in a body, begging that the demons preying on them be destroyed.
स तेषां प्रतिशुश्राव राक्षसानां तथा वने ।।1.1.44।। प्रतिज्ञातश्च रामेण वधस्संयति रक्षसाम् । ऋषीणामग्निकल्पानां दण्डकारण्यवासिनाम् ।।1.1.45।।
Meaning
Rama agreed, and there among those fire-bright ascetics of Dandaka gave his word that he would kill the demons in open battle.
तेन तत्रैव वसता जनस्थाननिवासिनी । विरूपिता शूर्पणखा राक्षसी कामरूपिणी ।।1.1.46।।
Meaning
While he lived there, the shape-shifting demoness Shurpanakha, who dwelt in Janasthana, was disfigured on his account.
ततश्शूर्पणखावाक्यादुद्युक्तान्सर्वराक्षसान् । खरं त्रिशिरसं चैव दूषणं चैव राक्षसम् ।।1.1.47।। निजघान वने रामस्तेषां चैव पदानुगान् ।
Meaning
Then, in the battle her provocation set off, Rama killed all the demons roused by her words -- Khara, Trishira, and Dushana -- together with their followers.