Bala Kanda - The Youthful Majesties
Chapter 24
The legend of demoness TaTaka
अहो वनम् इदम् दुर्गम् झिल्लिका गण संयुतम् || १-२४-१३
भैरवैः श्वापदैः कीर्णम् शकुनैः दारुण आरवैः |
भैरवैः श्वापदैः कीर्णम् शकुनैः दारुण आरवैः |
13b, 14a. aho = oh; jhillikaa gaNa samyutam = crickets, swarms, having; bhairavaiH shvaapadaiH = with brutish, predators; shakunaiH = with vultures;daaruNa aarutaiH = [all are] horribly, strident; puurNam = full of , fraught with; idam vanam dur gam = this, forest, difficult, to enter - impenetrable.
"Oh, impenetrable is this forest fraught with swarms of crickets, brutish predators, and vultures, which are all horribly strident. [1-24-13b, 14a]
नाना प्रकारैः शकुनैः वाश्यद्भिः भैरव स्वनैः || १-२४-१४
सिंह व्याघ्र वराहैः च वारणैः च अपि शोभितम् |
सिंह व्याघ्र वराहैः च वारणैः च अपि शोभितम् |
14b, 15a. vaasyadbhiH = screeching; bhairava swanaiH = with fierce, voices; naanaa prakaaraiH shakunaiH = with many, varieties, of vultures; simha vyaaghra varaahaiH cha = lions, tigers, wild boars, also; vaariNaiH cha api = with elephants, also, even; shobhitam = made to shine - atypical.
"Various vultures are screeching with fierce sonority, and tigers, wild boars, and elephants render this forest atypical. [1-24-14b, 15a]
धव अश्वकर्ण ककुभैः बिल्व तिन्दुक पाटलैः || १-२४-१५
संकीर्णम् बदरीभिः च किम् नु एतत् दारुणम् वनम् |
संकीर्णम् बदरीभिः च किम् नु एतत् दारुणम् वनम् |
15b, 16a. dhavaa = tree of Mimosa catechu family, Hindi: Khaira, khadira; ashvakarNa = trees of Pentapetra Arjuna; kakubhaiH = Arjuna trees; bilva = trees of Egle Marmelos; tinduka = trees of Diospyros glutinosa, Hindi: tamaala; paatalaiH = trees of Bignonia suave olens; badarii bhiH cha = with badarii trees of Zizyphus jujuba, also; samkiirNam = dense with; etat daaruNam vanam = this, wretched, forest; kim nu = what is, indeed.
"Indeed, what is this wretched forest that is dense with Dhava, Ashvakarna, Arjuna, Bilva, Tinduka, Patala, and Badari trees." Thus Rama asked Vishvamitra. [1-24-15b, 16a]
The botanical names of the trees mentioned in the text are Grislea Tormentosa, Shorea Robusta, Echites Antidysenterica, Bignonia Suaveolens, Aegle Marmelos, and Diospyrus Glutinosa. I have omitted the Kutaja (Echites) and the Tinduka (Diospyrus). Griffith.
तम् उवाच महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः || १-२४-१६
श्रूयताम् वत्स काकुत्स्थ यस्य एतत् दारुणम् वनम् |
श्रूयताम् वत्स काकुत्स्थ यस्य एतत् दारुणम् वनम् |
16b, 17a. mahaatejaa mahaamuniH vishvamitraH = great resplendent, great saint, Vishvamitra; tam uvaacha = to him [to Rama], said; shruuyataam vatsa = I will let you hear - I will tell you, my boy; kaakutstha = oh, Rama; etat daaruNam vanam yasya = this one, wretched, forest, whose is.
The resplendent and the great saint Vishvamitra then said to Rama, "I will tell you, oh, my boy Rama, whose is this wretched forest. [1-24-16b, 17a]
एतौ जनपदौ स्फीतौ पूर्वम् आस्ताम् नरौत्तम || १-२४-१७
मलदाः च करूषाः च देव निर्माण निर्मितौ |
मलदाः च करूषाः च देव निर्माण निर्मितौ |
17b, 18a. narottama = oh, best one among men, Rama; puurvam = once; deva nirmaaNa nirmitau = of gods, by construction, that are constructed - designed by gods; maladaaH cha karuuSaaH cha = [known as] Malada, and, Karuusha, also; janapadau sphiitau = provinces, vast ones; etau aastaam = these, were there.
"Once these were vast provinces, oh, best one among men, designed by gods and known as Malada and Karuusha. [1-24-17b, 18a]
The word mala da is malam dyati khaNDayati iti mala da that which abolishes excreta, but not filth itself. karusha is kaa ruusha remover of hunger. If mortal hunger is there excreta will be there and then mortality of Indra is at stake. Hence if hunger is eliminated there will be nothing filthy. Once these provinces were such hunger removers equalling to heaven, but deteriorated in their heaven-on-earth attributes, owing to demoness Tataka.
पुरा वृत्र वधे राम मलेन समभिप्लुतम् || १-२४-१८
क्षुधा चैव सहस्राक्षम् ब्रह्म हत्या सम् आविशत् |
क्षुधा चैव सहस्राक्षम् ब्रह्म हत्या सम् आविशत् |
18b, 19a. Rama; puraa vR^itra vadhe = once, demon Vritra, while eliminating; malena = with filth; eva = thus; kshudhaa cha = with hunger, also; sam abhiplutam = completely submersed - soaked, stained; sahasra aksham = thousand-eyed god [Indra]; brahma hatya samaavishat = Brahman killing [sin of,] befell upon.
"Once upon a time, oh, Rama, mortal impurities of filth and hunger completely stained Indra when he eliminated demon Vritra, as he committed the sin of killing of a Brahman, where the demon Vritra was incidentally a Brahman. [1-24-18b, 19a]
The content of this page has been taken from
www.valmikiramayan.net
www.valmikiramayan.net
No comments:
Post a Comment