Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच— अथैकदा रघुवर्यो व्रजस्थैरनुव्रतैर्विचरन् भूधरेन्द्रे। धनुर्धरः शरतूणीरबन्धमनोहरो मृगयामास्थितोऽभूत्॥१॥
Brahmā said: Once, the best of the Raghus roamed upon the great mountain with his devoted companions from Vraja. Beautiful with bow, arrows, and fastened quiver, he set out to hunt.
Passage 2
सानुजो जानकीयुक्तः पशुपालकुलान्वितः। चिक्रीड स्वेच्छया तत्र भिन्दन् दृष्टमृगाञ्छरैः॥२॥
Accompanied by his younger brother, Janakī, and the community of cowherds, he sported there at will, striking the deer he saw with arrows.
Passage 3
वयस्यास्तस्य सर्वेऽपि व्रजवासिधनुर्धराः। स्वां स्वां निर्भेदपटुतां दर्शयन्तो विजह्रिरे॥३॥
All his bow-bearing friends from Vraja joined the sport, each displaying his own skill in piercing a target.
Passage 4
तेषां सार्थगतः साक्षाल्लक्ष्मणः शुभलक्षणः। प्रभोरिच्छां प्रविज्ञाय विचचार धनुर्धरः॥४॥
The auspiciously marked Lakṣmaṇa himself moved among their company with bow in hand, fully understanding his Lord's desire.
Passage 5
इदं विद्धमिदं विद्धमित्याखेटकमध्यगाः। गिरिं कोलाहलीचक्रुर्वयस्याः सर्व एव ते॥५॥
“Shoot this! Shoot that!” cried all the friends amid the hunt, filling the mountain with their clamor.
Passage 6
तेषां विक्रमतामुच्चैः पश्यन्ती भेदपाटवम्। तत्रास्त जानकीदेवी गोपीमण्डलमध्यगा॥६॥
Goddess Janakī remained there amid the circle of cowherd women, watching the bold hunters display their skill in striking targets. The Three Arrows
Passage 7
अथो रघूणां पतिरात्तशायकः सुपुङ्खबाणावलिमुक्तिदक्षिणः। क्रीडन् गिरीन्द्रे मृगयां रसोत्तरां त्रीन् सायकान् संहितवान् धनुर्गुणे॥७॥
Then the lord of the Raghus, arrow in hand and expert at releasing flights of well-feathered shafts, continued the delightful hunt upon the mountain and placed three arrows upon his bowstring.
Passage 8
तेष्वात्मनश्च सौमित्रेर्जानक्याश्चापि तत्क्षणे। संदधौ निस्तुलं तेज आत्मयोगेश्वरः स्वयम्॥८॥
At that very moment, the Lord of inner yoga himself infused those arrows with the incomparable radiance of himself, Saumitri, and Janakī.
Passage 9
दक्षिणं लक्ष्मणं कृत्वा वामे जनकभूपजाम्। मध्ये स्वयं बभूवैष आत्मचैतन्यभासुरः॥९॥
He placed Lakṣmaṇa to the right and the daughter of King Janaka to the left, while he himself remained between them, radiant with the consciousness of the Self.
Passage 10
अथ त्रयस्ते विशिखा विशाला विद्योतयन्तो हरितश्चतस्रः। साक्षात् स्वयं रामकरातिकृष्टधनुर्गुणान्मुक्तिमवाप्य रेजुः॥१०॥
Then those three great arrows shone forth, illuminating all four quarters. Released from the bowstring drawn by Rāma's own hand, they blazed in splendor.
Passage 11
तेजस्विनो जविनः शब्दवन्तः क्षमां द्यां च संव्याप्य महोवितानैः। चेरुः शरा रामधनुर्गुणोत्था अभूतपूर्वाः श्रियमावहन्तः॥११॥
Brilliant, swift, and resounding, the unprecedented arrows sprung from Rāma's bowstring coursed onward, filling earth and heaven with canopies of light and bearing wondrous beauty.
Passage 12
प्रथमं तु धनुर्मुक्तैस्तैः शरैस्तिग्मराविभिः। कोटिविद्युत्प्रकाशेन व्यापिताः पश्यतां दृशः॥१२॥
As those keenly roaring arrows first left the bow, the eyes of all who watched were flooded with the brilliance of ten million flashes of lightning.
Passage 13
दिविस्था गगनस्थाश्च शरनिर्मोचनक्षणे। चक्षूंषि पिदधुर्भीताः श्रुतीश्च बधिरायिताः॥१३॥
At the instant the arrows were released, the heaven-dwellers in the sky shut their eyes in fear, and their ears were deafened.
Passage 14
तत्तादृक् तेजसां वृन्दं ध्वनिं च विशिखास्त्रयः। धनुर्मुक्ताः समसृजंस्तत्कौतुकमिवाभवत्॥१४॥
The three shafts released from the bow produced such a mass of radiance and such a sound that the event seemed a marvel.
Passage 15
पूर्वं विद्युद्दीधितिव्याप्तकृत्स्नदिग्भूव्योमोद्भूतभूरिप्रकाशाः। पश्चाददूरं किञ्चिदेते प्रयाताः प्रातःकालोदितसूर्योपभानाः॥१५॥
At first their abundant brilliance arose like lightning and pervaded every quarter, the earth, and the sky. After traveling some distance, they shone like suns rising at dawn. The Arrows Reach Virādha's Country
Passage 16
ततश्च ते तरुणार्कप्रकाशा गताः सुदूरं विशिखाः पौरुषेण। वीर्येण युक्ताः सहसावतेरुर्महीतलं यत्र विराधदेशः॥१६॥
Then, shining like the young sun, those arrows traveled very far through their heroic power. Filled with might, they suddenly descended to earth in Virādha's country.
Passage 17
द्वौ सायकौ व्योमपथे प्रयान्तौ दृष्टौ सुरैः प्रावृषेष्याभ्रनीलौ। परस्तयोर्वामतो द्योतमानस्तडित्समूहः प्रभया समेतः॥१७॥
The gods saw two arrows traveling through the sky, dark as rain clouds in the monsoon. To their left the other shone like a mass of lightning, suffused with radiance.
Passage 18
तान् वीक्षमाणा विशिखान् महार्चिषः सुरा विमानाग्रजुषः प्रभाभरैः। प्रधर्षिताक्षा इव किञ्चिदूर्ध्वके बभूवुराश्चर्यपराश्च तत्क्षणे॥१८॥
As the gods stationed atop their celestial cars watched those immensely radiant shafts, the flood of brilliance overwhelmed their eyes. They drew somewhat upward and at once became wholly astonished.
Passage 19
अथो देशे विराधस्य दण्डकावनमध्यगे। नद्यामपीपतन् बाणास्तत्क्षणात्सुभगत्विषः॥१९॥
The beautifully radiant arrows then fell into a river in Virādha's country, in the midst of Daṇḍaka forest. Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa Manifest
Passage 20
दक्षिणो लक्ष्मणः सोऽभूद्वामस्तु जनकात्मजा। मध्ये स्वयं दाशरथी रामचन्द्रो रघूद्वहः॥२०॥
The arrow on the right became Lakṣmaṇa, and the one on the left became Janaka's daughter. In the middle was Daśaratha's son Rāmacandra himself, the scion of Raghu.
Passage 21
ते यथा भूषणोपेता यथा विमलवाससः। यथा स्वभावसुभगा यथा सौन्दर्यरोचिषः॥२१॥
They appeared just as they were adorned with ornaments and spotless garments, naturally gracious and radiant with beauty.
Passage 22
यथाऽऽयुधौ तौ नरदेवदेवौ नरेन्द्रसूनू नवमेघनीलौ। गुञ्जास्रजौ केकिकलावतंसौ सुविभ्रतौ पीतजटाभिरामौ॥२२॥
The two godlike princes appeared armed, dark as new rain clouds, beautifully wearing garlands of guñjā berries and peacock-feather ornaments, and lovely with yellow matted locks.
Passage 23
तापसोचितवेषाढ्यौ भूतिपाण्डुरविग्रहौ। आजानुलम्बितभुजौ सुमुखौ कमलेक्षणौ॥२३॥
They were richly arrayed in garments suited to ascetics, their forms pale with sacred ash, their arms reaching to their knees, their faces handsome, and their eyes like lotuses.
Passage 24
सुशीलौ सुन्दरतरौ सिंहविक्रान्तिशालिनौ। नद्याः सरसि खेलन्तौ नवराजीवराजिभिः॥२४॥
Noble in character, exceedingly beautiful, and endowed with a lion's prowess, the two played in the river's pool among rows of fresh lotuses.
Passage 25
सापि नैमिनरेन्द्रस्य तनया तरुणीवरा। यथा भूषापटरुचिस्तथा सर्वात्मनाभवत्॥२५॥
The lovely young daughter of the king in Nimi's line likewise appeared exactly as she was, resplendent in ornaments and garments.
Passage 26
शृङ्गारिता सा मुनेर्धर्मपत्न्यानसूयया भूषणैरङ्गरागैः। प्रादुर्बभूवेह विराधरक्षोदेशे तटिन्यास्तटभूमियुग्मम्॥२६॥
Adorned by the sage's virtuous wife Anasūyā with ornaments and fragrant cosmetics, Sītā manifested there upon the riverbanks in the land of the Rākṣasa Virādha.
Passage 27
प्रकाशयन्ती तडितां महोभिस्तनुप्रभासम्भवदीप्तिदीपैः। शारन्महाचन्द्रविम्बाभिरामैः सुधास्रवैः पश्यतां लोचनेषु॥२७॥
With the lightning-like splendor born from her body's radiance, she illuminated the scene, pouring streams of nectar into the eyes of those who beheld her, lovely as the great full moon of autumn.
Passage 28
अहो दूरं देशमिता इदानीमिति वाक्यं समुदीरयन्तः। त्रयोऽपि ते देवसमानरूपा वमज्ज्य सद्यः सरितो निरेयुः॥२८॥
Saying, “Ah, we have now come to a distant country,” all three, whose forms resembled the gods, plunged in and at once emerged from the river.
Passage 29
रघूद्वहो मैथिलराजकन्यां करे दधन्नव्यसरोजभूषाम्। स्वदक्षिणे लक्ष्मणं वीक्षमाणो मुमोद माधुर्यमहाम्बुराशिः॥२९॥
The scion of Raghu held the daughter of the king of Mithilā by the hand, she who was adorned like a fresh lotus. Looking toward Lakṣmaṇa on his right, that great ocean of sweetness rejoiced. Thus ends Chapter 125, “Śrī Rāma's Joining of the Arrows,” in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍi in the Dakṣiṇa-khaṇḍa of the glorious Ādi Rāmāyaṇa.