Passage 1
कदाचिद् भ्रातृभिः सार्धं मृगयार्थं विनिर्गतः। रामः कुवलयश्यामः कौतुकी सेनया वृतः॥१॥
Once Rāma, blue-black as a water lily, set out to hunt together with his brothers, eager for the sport and surrounded by an army.
Passage 2
दन्तिनो वाजिनश्चैव स्यन्दनानि च पत्तयः। सज्जिताः पत्तयो रेजुर्नृपसूनोर्महात्मनः॥२॥
Elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry were made ready. The arrayed troops of the great king’s son shone splendidly.
Passage 3
तत्र रामः स्वयं दिव्यरथोपस्थे विराजितः। शारदाभ्रोपरि राजन् पूर्णचन्द्र इवाभवत्॥३॥
There Rāma himself, resplendent upon the platform of his celestial chariot, appeared, O king, like the full moon above an autumn cloud.
Passage 4
आवद्धरत्नकनकेषुधिरात्तचापः सन्नाहवान् कनकवस्त्रशिरस्त्रधारी। मूर्तः स वीर इव सच्चतुरङ्गिणीषु रेजे महोज्ज्वलवपुर्नृपतेः कुमारः॥४॥
His jewel-and-gold quiver fastened on and his bow in hand, armored, clothed in gold, and wearing a helmet, the king’s brilliantly radiant son shone amid the true fourfold armies like valor embodied.
Passage 5
महत्या सेनया युक्तः पुरलोचनसौख्यदः। अगमत् काननं घोरं सरयूतटभूमिषु॥५॥
Accompanied by that mighty army and delighting the eyes of the city’s people, he entered a fearsome forest in the lands along the Sarayū.
Passage 6
भ्राम्यत्प्रसूतकरिणीकरभं समन्तान्मत्तेभवृंहितदरीप्रतिनादभीमम्। विक्रान्तकेसरिकुलं विलुल्लुलायं वाराहखातवनमुस्तलसन्मयूरम्॥६॥
Newborn elephant calves roamed everywhere; the caves’ echoes of rutting elephants’ trumpeting made the forest formidable. It held bold prides of lions, restless wild buffaloes, ground and woodland roots dug up by boars, and splendid peacocks.
Passage 7
घनभूरुहराजीभिः समन्ताद् दुर्गमं महत्। कूर्दमानमृगीपोतं मत्तश्वापदभीषणम्॥७॥
Vast and impassable on every side because of its dense rows of trees, it was filled with leaping fawns and terrifying rut-maddened beasts.
Passage 8
व्यालोलकरवाक्रान्तं शललीकुलदुर्गमम्। मत्तर्क्षतरक्षुशरभं शार्दूलगणनादितम्॥८॥
It was overrun by restlessly moving elephants and made difficult by bands of porcupines; maddened bears, hyenas, and śarabhas filled it, while companies of tigers made it resound.
Passage 9
संभ्राम्यदुन्मदानीकदैत्यदानवराक्षसम्। लसद्वनलताकुञ्जलीनकेसरिपोतकम्॥९॥
Hosts of frenzied Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas wandered through it, and lion cubs lay hidden in its lovely bowers of forest vines.
Passage 10
कूजत्कोकिलकीराढ्यं प्रमत्तभ्रमरीकुलम्। करालोच्छूनभल्लूकपूर्णमानदरीविलम्॥१०॥
It abounded in calling cuckoos and parrots and in swarms of intoxicated bees; its mountain hollows and caves were full of dreadful, swollen bears.
Passage 11
प्रविष्ट एव रामस्तु धनुर्मुक्तमहेषुभिः। त्रासयामास दुर्जीवान् क्रूरान् स्वकुलघातकान्॥११॥
As soon as Rāma entered, he terrified with mighty arrows released from his bow the cruel creatures that were hard to subdue and destroyed their own kind.
Passage 12
एक एव बली रामः संजहे भीषणान् हरीन्। शार्दूलांश्च तरक्षूंश्च महिषांश्चातिभीषणान्॥१२॥
Powerful Rāma alone slew the fearsome lions, tigers, hyenas, and exceedingly terrible buffaloes.
Passage 13
दुष्टानि सर्वसत्त्वानि घातयामास कानने। रामश्च लक्ष्मणश्चैव भरतश्चैव शत्रुहा॥१३॥
In the forest Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Bharata the enemy-slayer killed all the malignant creatures.
Passage 14
मृगेषु मोचयामास मृगयासुपदान् शुनः। तरक्षूंश्च विमुक्ताक्षान् श्येनांश्च मृगयोत्कटान्॥१४॥
He loosed upon the game hounds whose steps were well trained for the hunt, as well as sharp-eyed hyena-hounds and hawks fierce in the chase.
Passage 15
वृषाकं इव संरेजे प्रतापी राघवोत्तमः। तीक्ष्णैर्वाणांशुसंदोहैः प्रतपन् सर्वतो दिशम्॥१५॥
The majestic chief of the Rāghavas shone like the blazing sun, irradiating every direction with masses of rays from his sharp arrows.
Passage 16
वीररौद्ररसोदारो रामः संततमुज्ज्वलः। चञ्चलं हयमारूढो मृगयायां रराज सः॥१६॥
Ever radiant and noble in the heroic and furious sentiments, Rāma shone during the hunt as he rode a spirited horse.
Passage 17
दैतेयान् दानवांश्चैव राक्षसान् यक्षदुर्भटान्। निजघान शरैर्घोरैरसंख्यान् राघवोत्तमः॥१७॥
With terrible arrows the chief of the Rāghavas killed countless sons of Diti, Dānavas, Rākṣasas, and formidable Yakṣas.
Passage 18
दुर्गमं काननं चक्रे सुगमं रघुनायकः। संजगुस्तद्यशो देव्यः प्रसभं वनदेवताः॥१८॥
The lord of the Raghus made the impassable forest passable, and the goddesses who guarded the woodland spontaneously sang his glory.
Passage 19
अथ कुर्वन् वनक्रीडां रामः कमललोचनः। सरयूतीरमभ्येत्य चक्रे विश्राममाप्लुतः॥१९॥
After enjoying his sport in the forest, lotus-eyed Rāma came to the bank of the Sarayū, bathed, and took his rest.
Passage 20
सरयूतटकुञ्जेषु कृत्वा माध्याह्निकीं क्रियाम्। भुक्त्वा प्रत्यग्रवसनरत्नालङ्कारभूषितः॥२०॥
In the bowers on the Sarayū’s bank he performed his midday observance, ate, and adorned himself with fresh garments, jewels, and ornaments.
Passage 21
देवगङ्गां समुत्तीर्य द्राक्षीं सरयुसंगमे। अपश्यत् स वनं रम्यं प्रमोदवनपार्श्वतः॥२१॥
Crossing the divine Gaṅgā and the Drākṣī at the Sarayū confluence, he saw a lovely wood beside the Pramoda forest.
Passage 22
रसालवनमत्यर्थं वनानामुत्तमं वनम्। कूजत्कोकिलसंघुष्टं मत्तभ्रमरनादितम्॥२२॥
It was a mango grove, surpassingly the finest of forests, resounding with calling cuckoos and the humming of intoxicated bees.
Passage 23
केकिकेकामनोज्ञं तन्मयूरीगणनादितम्। तुङ्गप्रतानिनीपुञ्जपरिरब्धमहाद्रुमम्॥२३॥
The cries of peacocks made it delightful, and companies of peahens filled it with sound. Clusters of lofty, spreading nīpa trees embraced its great trees.
Passage 24
लतावृक्षफलाक्रान्तं पुष्पवृक्षनिषेवितम्। सरःसु हंसचक्राह्वकलहंसकुलाकुलम्॥२४॥
Creepers and fruit crowded its trees, and flowering trees adorned it. Its lakes teemed with flocks of swans, cakrāhvas, and royal swans.
Passage 25
देवगङ्गाजलकणस्पर्शशीतलमारुतम्। द्राक्षीतरङ्गकल्लोलशीतलानिलचालितम्॥२५॥
Its breeze was cooled by contact with droplets from the divine Gaṅgā, and chilled air stirred there from the surging waves of the Drākṣī.
Passage 26
रसालतरुभिर्व्याप्तं नित्यं फलप्रसूनकैः। तत्र गत्वा मनोहारि रसालवनमद्भुतम्॥२६॥
That wondrous and enchanting mango grove was always filled with mango trees, fruit, and blossoms. Rāma entered it.
Passage 27
मया निरूपितं स्थानं नारदेन मनीषिणा। लतामण्डपमभ्येत्य तत्तथा संददर्श सः॥२७॥
He reached the bower of vines at the place appointed by me and by wise Nārada, and saw it exactly as it had been described.
Passage 28
श्रीरामचन्द्रचरणाम्बुजधूलिपुञ्ज- स्पर्शान्निवृत्तविधिशापविपाकतायाः। सद्यो विहाय लतिकात्वममूः सुमाक्ष्यः प्राग्जन्मदेहरुचिरूपविशेषमापुः॥२८॥
The consequence of Brahmā’s curse ended when they touched the gathered dust from Śrī Rāmacandra’s lotus feet. At once those beautiful-eyed women abandoned their condition as vines and regained the distinctive beauty and forms of their bodies from the previous birth.
Passage 29
सर्वास्ता मदिराकाराः शरज्ज्योत्स्नातडित्त्विषः। पूर्णेन्दुवदना रेजुः साक्षात्प्राप्ता इव श्रियः॥२९॥
All of them possessed intoxicating beauty and shone like lightning in autumn moonlight. Their faces were full moons, and they appeared like Lakṣmīs visibly manifest.
Passage 30
तासां रूपविलासेन राघवश्चकितोऽभवत्। अहो अपूर्वसौन्दर्यं दुर्लभं नरजन्मनि॥३०॥
Rāghava was astonished by the play of their beauty. “Ah! Such unprecedented loveliness is rare in human birth.”
Passage 31
एता हि देवताः काश्चित्प्रभामण्डलमण्डिताः। इति प्रपेदे वैचित्र्यं दृष्ट्वापूर्वां तनुप्रभाम्॥३१॥
Seeing the unprecedented radiance of their bodies, he marveled and concluded, “Surely these are some deities adorned with halos of light.” Rāma said:
Passage 32
का वै भवत्यस्त्रिदशाङ्गना वा नागाङ्गनाः किंपुरुषाङ्गना वा। शच्यः श्रियो वा रतयोऽप्सरा वा रम्भावृता वा प्रमुखाः श्रियो वा॥३२॥
“Who indeed are you? Are you women of heaven, Nāga women, or Kimpuruṣa women? Are you Śacīs, Lakṣmīs, Ratis, or Apsarases—or foremost beauties from the company surrounding Rambhā?
Passage 33
अहो इदं रूपमपूर्वदृष्टं तडित्प्रकाशं शरदिन्दुकाम्यम्। सुधाप्रवर्षं प्रमुदां निधानं कृतार्थयिष्यन् पुरुभागधेयान्॥३३॥
“Ah, this beauty, never seen before, flashes like lightning and is as lovely as the autumn moon. It showers nectar, is a treasury of delight, and could fulfill the destiny of those blessed with abundant good fortune.
Passage 34
के वा वरा वस्तडिदाकृतीनां सुजन्मभाजो मनुजापि देवाः। यैरर्चितः पूर्वभवे विरञ्चिस्त एव पाणिग्रहणोचिता वः॥३४॥
“Who can be worthy bridegrooms for you whose forms are lightning—fortunate humans, perhaps, or gods? Only those who worshiped Brahmā in a former birth are fit to take your hands in marriage.
Passage 35
सितासिताम्बुद्वयसंगमे वै सरस्वतीतोयमध्ये प्रविश्य। त्यक्त्वा तनुर्वापि त एव युष्मत्पाणिग्रहाणामुचिता सुभाग्याः॥३५॥
“Or only those fortunate ones who entered the waters of Sarasvatī amid the confluence of the two waters, white and dark, and cast off their bodies are fit to take your hands in marriage.”
Passage 36
इत्युक्त्वा विरते रामे विहस्य तनुमध्यमाः। विधिमानसजाः कन्या ऊचिरे मधुरं वचः॥३६॥
When Rāma had spoken and fallen silent, the slender-waisted maidens born from Brahmā’s mind smiled and replied in sweet words. Thus ends Chapter Eighty-two, called “The account of the creepers’ liberation,” in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍi in the glorious Ādi Rāmāyaṇa. Source note This chapter is transcribed directly from printed pages 347–350 of the 1975 Pūrva-khaṇḍa witness (source leaves 478–481). The archival pages are authoritative; OCR was used only as a locating aid. The edition’s dense forest compounds in verses 6–10, the irregular phrase mṛgayāsupadān śunaḥ and syntax of verse 14, the separated reading vṛṣākaṃ iva in verse 15, the river name Drākṣī in verses 21 and 25, and the compact Prayāga description in verse 35 are preserved rather than silently replaced with easier readings. The English follows their immediate narrative sense while retaining the named animals, rivers, and ritual geography supplied by the printed text.