Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच— त्यक्त्वागस्त्याश्रमं रामः सोत्कण्ठमुनिमण्डलम्। सीतानुजाभ्यां सहितो ययौ पश्यन् वनश्रियम्॥१॥
Brahmā said: Leaving Agastya's hermitage and its circle of yearning sages, Rāma journeyed on with Sītā and his younger brother, beholding the forest's splendor.
Passage 2
तस्य मार्गद्रुमा उच्चैः शुभमूचुर्महोन्नताः। विश्रान्तविहगश्रेणीकलकूजितकेतवः॥२॥
The lofty trees along his path proclaimed auspiciousness, their banners the gentle calls of rows of resting birds.
Passage 3
वने वनलतास्तस्य गच्छतोऽधिज्यधन्वनः। शशंसुर्विजयं मत्तभ्रमरीगुञ्जितच्छलात्॥३॥
As the bearer of the strung bow passed through the forest, its vines foretold his victory under cover of the humming of intoxicated bees.
Passage 4
कोकिलानां कला वाचो निशम्यामर्षसंयुतः। आलापयत्प्रियां भूयः कोकिलालापजित्वरीम्॥४॥
Hearing the sweet voices of the cuckoos, Rāma playfully urged his beloved to speak again, for her song surpassed theirs.
Passage 5
सीतानूपुरशिञ्जितानि सरसीष्वाकर्ण्य कर्णप्रियाण्यन्योन्यं तुलयेव हंसललना उच्चैश्चुकूजुस्तराम्। तद्गत्यापरिभूयमानगतयस्तास्तत्क्षणे पद्मिनीपत्रैरन्तरिता निलीय निभृतं तस्थुः सलज्जा इव॥५॥
Hearing the ear-pleasing ringing of Sītā's anklets beside the lakes, the female swans cried loudly as though comparing their own voices with it. But when her gait outshone theirs, they immediately hid among lotus leaves and stood silent as if ashamed.
Passage 6
सीताया मुखमण्डलं परिणतज्योत्स्नाप्रकाशं दिनेऽप्यालोक्य व्यमुमुहुर्विटपिषु स्तब्धाश्चकोरा वने। तेभ्यो नूनमसूयमानहृदयोऽप्यस्याः पतिर्धन्वनाधिज्येनापि न सायकान् द्विजधिया संधातुमेच्छत्तराम्॥६॥
Even by day the cakora birds in the trees gazed motionless and bewildered at Sītā's face, radiant like full moonlight. Her bow-bearing husband seemed jealous of them, yet would not set an arrow to his strung bow because he regarded the birds as “twice-born.”
Passage 7
दम्पत्योरुपरि प्रकामसुखदप्राणप्रियालोकयोः सानन्दं पथि गच्छतोर्वनलता माद्यन्मिलिन्देक्षणाः। अत्यर्थं ववृषुः सुमानि महतीं छायां तथैवात्मना चक्रुर्भूरि ददुर्मरन्दकणिकाः द्वन्द्वन्मुदे घ्राणयोः॥७॥
As the life-beloved couple walked joyfully along the road, the forest vines, whose eyes were intoxicated bees, rained abundant flowers over them, formed deep shade with their own bodies, and scattered drops of nectar to delight them with fragrance.
Passage 8
पुष्पाणां स्तबकेषु सौरभगुणस्तब्धद्विरेफेष्वलं वल्लीनां नवमञ्जरीषु रजसा छन्नासु माध्वीरसैः। आर्द्रासु द्रुमपल्लवेषु बहुभिर्वर्णैर्विचित्रेषु च क्रीडादत्तविलोचनोत्सवसुखौ तौ दम्पती जग्मतुः॥८॥
The couple traveled onward, delighting their eyes in play among flower clusters fragrant enough to arrest the bees, new vine shoots dusted with pollen and honey, and moist tree leaves variegated in many colors.
Passage 9
तयोरनुगतः श्रीमाँल्लक्ष्मणः शुभलक्षणः। अशोभततरां यद्वद्वसन्तो रतिकामयोः॥९॥
Following them, the auspicious and fortunate Lakṣmaṇa shone like spring attending Rati and Kāma.
Passage 10
घनवनतरुवल्लीवृन्दसुच्छायमार्गं प्रतिपदकृतविश्रान्तिः कृती रामचन्द्रः। सरभसवनभिल्लीवीक्षमाणाङ्गलक्ष्मीर्मदनशतदुरापप्रेष्ठरूपो जगाम॥१०॥
Rāmacandra traveled the deeply shaded path beneath dense groups of forest trees and vines, resting at every step. Forest women eagerly watched the beauty of his limbs, whose beloved form even a hundred gods of love could not equal. The Beauty of Pañcavaṭī
Passage 11
अतिक्रम्य वनं घोरसमुत्कण्ठितमृगीगणम्। आससाद शुभक्रीडः पुण्यं पञ्चवटीवनम्॥११॥
Crossing the fearsome forest with its excited herds of deer, the Lord of auspicious play reached the sacred forest of Pañcavaṭī.
Passage 12
फुल्लवृक्षलतापुष्पसौरभ्यपिशुनैः शुभैः। अत्यच्छसरसीवारिसंगिभिः पवनैर्युतम्॥१२॥
It was filled with auspicious breezes bearing the fragrance of flowering trees and vines and the water of exceedingly clear lakes.
Passage 13
दूरादुत्प्रेक्ष्य सुषमं विचित्रफलपाकिभिः। व्यालीढनवलीवृन्दैस्तरुभिर्निविडीकृतम्॥१३॥
Its beauty could be seen from afar: dense trees bore ripening fruits of many kinds and were entwined by clusters of fresh vines.
Passage 14
श्यामायमानं परित उन्नम्रजलदाकृति। अरण्यमहिषानीकचकितोद्भ्रान्तभूकरम्॥१४॥
Dark on every side like towering rainclouds, it held troops of wild buffalo and startled, darting boars.
Passage 15
अतिसान्द्रतरुस्तोमव्यालीनतिमिरोत्करम्। समूहं कृष्णरात्रीणामेकीभूतमिवाग्रतः॥१५॥
Masses of extremely dense trees enclosed heaps of darkness, as though a multitude of black nights had become one before them.
Passage 16
क्वचिदव्यग्रमृगीवृन्दकूर्दमानमृगेणकम्। क्वचित्प्रमत्तवाराहकृतमुस्तागणक्षति॥१६॥
In one place young deer leapt among untroubled herds of does; elsewhere intoxicated boars tore up beds of sedge.
Passage 17
क्वचिच्छृङ्गाशृङ्गयुद्धव्यासक्तवनसैरिभम्। क्वचित्प्रमत्तवेतण्डावगाढसरसीजलम्॥१७॥
Here wild buffaloes locked horn against horn in battle; there rutting elephants plunged deep into lake water.
Passage 18
क्वचिद्घनद्रुमलताविश्रान्तविहगव्रजम्। क्वचिद्गुञ्जदलिव्रातघातवञ्जुलमञ्जरि॥१८॥
In places flocks of birds rested among dense trees and vines; elsewhere swarms of humming bees struck the clusters of the vañjula tree.
Passage 19
क्वचिद्रक्तप्रभं फुल्लपलाशविपिनश्रिया। क्वचित्पीतायितं नव्यविकसच्चम्पकद्रुमैः॥१९॥
At times the forest glowed red with flowering palāśa groves; elsewhere newly blossoming campaka trees turned it yellow.
Passage 20
क्वचिन्नीलीजलाकारं फुल्लतापिच्छभूरुहैः। क्वचित्पूर्णशशिश्वेतं मुनिवृक्षप्रसूनकैः॥२०॥
In places blossoming tamāla trees made it resemble blue water; elsewhere flowers of the muni tree made it white as the full moon.
Passage 21
क्वचिच्चित्रायितं चारु नानानोकहराजिभिः। संफुल्लकमलारण्यं मनोहारिसरोजलम्॥२१॥
Rows of many kinds of trees painted it with lovely colors, while fully blooming lotus groves adorned its captivating lakes.
Passage 22
बहुकौतूहलोपेतमत्यर्थप्रियदर्शनम्। गोदावरीसरिद्वारिलहरीपूतमारुतम्॥२२॥
It inspired boundless wonder and was exceedingly lovely to behold; its breezes were purified by waves from the Godāvarī's waters. Rāma Restores the Hermitages
Passage 23
मनोज्ञमपि रक्षोभिः समन्तान्निर्जनीकृतम्। आश्रमेषु समापूर्णं भक्षितब्राह्मणास्थिभिः॥२३॥
Although enchanting, the forest had been emptied of people on every side by rākṣasas, and its hermitages were filled with the bones of devoured brāhmaṇas.
Passage 24
तत्राविशद्रघुवरो विराधवधमर्षितान्। कम्पयन् राक्षसान् सर्वान् धनुर्ज्याघोरनिःस्वनैः॥२४॥
The foremost Raghu entered, making every rākṣasa—already enraged by Virādha's death—tremble at the terrible resonance of his bowstring.
Passage 25
पुण्यं पञ्चवटीवनं रघुपतौ सम्प्राप्तमात्रे मुनिश्रेष्ठाः स्वानि वराश्रमाणि भयतस्त्यक्तानि यान्यलकाम्। तान्याजग्मुरमेयवीर्यमुदिता रक्षोगणाश्चोद्रयभ्रान्तास्तस्य धनुर्बलाभिगमनाद्गूढं पलाय्य स्थिताः॥२५॥
The moment Raghupati reached sacred Pañcavaṭī, the eminent sages joyfully returned to the excellent hermitages they had abandoned in fear, encouraged by his immeasurable valor. The rākṣasa bands, agitated by the approach of his bow's power, fled and remained hidden. Thus ends Chapter 138, “Entry into the Forest of Pañcavaṭī,” in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍi in the Dakṣiṇa-khaṇḍa of the glorious Ādi Rāmāyaṇa.