Aranya Kanda
Narration
Thirteenth Chapter – Sage Agastya’s Joy and His Blessing to Rama
Sage Agastya, pleased with Lord Rama, expressed his delight and praised Sita.
“May you be blessed, Rama,” said the sage. “I am deeply pleased with you. And Lakshmana, I am also very satisfied with you. Both of you, coming here with Sita to pay your respects to me, have filled my heart with joy. The journey must have been tiring, and the effort of walking has surely wearied you. Princess Janaki of Mithila also seems eager to rest. It is evident that she has never before faced such hardships, being delicate and gentle by nature.
Still, inspired by her love for you, Rama, she has chosen to endure these difficulties and accompany you into the forest. Take care that she feels at ease here and remains happy. Her coming here is a great act of devotion.
O Rama, since the beginning of creation, it has been seen that women, in general, love their husbands when they live in comfort, wealth, and health—but when their husbands fall into misfortune or sickness, they often abandon them. Women are said to be as fickle as lightning, as sharp as weapons, and as swift as the wind and Garuda. But your noble wife Sita is free from all such faults. Among devoted wives, she stands as high as Arundhati among the divine women.
O subduer of enemies, Rama, from this day, this land becomes blessed where you, along with Lakshmana and the daughter of Videha, Sita, will dwell.”
Hearing this, Rama, radiant like blazing fire, folded his hands and said humbly:
“O revered sage, if you, my guru, are pleased with me—along with my brother and wife—then I am truly blessed. You have shown me great kindness. Now, kindly tell me of a place where there are many trees and plenty of water, where I can build a hermitage and live peacefully.”
The sage thought for a while and then spoke:
“About two yojanas from here lies a beautiful place called Panchavati. It abounds with fruits, flowers, and herds of deer, and water is plentiful. Go there, build your hermitage with Lakshmana, and dwell happily, following your father’s command.
By the power of my penance and my affection for you, I already know your story and the vow you made to protect the sages by destroying the demons. Since no demons come here, your promise can only be fulfilled elsewhere. Therefore, go to Panchavati. It is a lovely forest near the river Godavari. Princess Sita’s heart will find great joy there.
O mighty one, that place is rich with fruits and roots, filled with birds, peaceful, and sacred. Take the northern path through the mahua forest. You will find a banyan tree, then an open plain, and beyond it, a mountain. Just a little past that mountain lies the beautiful forest of Panchavati, always blooming with flowers.”
Having received the sage’s command, Rama and Lakshmana honored him, bowed at his feet, and departed with Sita. With bows in hand and quivers on their backs, the two fearless brothers set out carefully along the path described by the sage.
Thus ends the thirteenth chapter of the Aranya Kanda in the great epic composed by Valmiki.
Fourteenth Chapter – The Meeting with Jatayu
On their way to Panchavati, Rama and Lakshmana came upon a gigantic bird, fierce in appearance and powerful in might. Mistaking it for a demon, they asked, “Who are you?”
The bird replied in a gentle, soothing voice, “My sons, consider me a friend of your father.”
Hearing this, Rama greeted the bird respectfully and asked his name and lineage. The bird then spoke, narrating the story of creation and his ancestry:
“In the beginning, there were many Prajapatis—lords of creation. Among them, the seventeenth was the mighty Kasyapa. He married eight daughters of Daksha—Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kalka, Tamra, Krodhavasa, Manu, and Anila. From them came the many races of beings—gods, demons, serpents, birds, beasts, and men.
From Aditi came the thirty-three gods; from Diti came the powerful daityas; from Danu, Ashvagriva; from Kalka, the asuras Naraka and Kalka.
Tamra gave birth to five daughters—Krounchi, Bhasi, Syeni, Dhritarashtri, and Shuki. Krounchi’s line produced owls, Bhasi’s produced hawks, Syeni’s produced eagles and vultures, and Dhritarashtri’s line produced swans.
Among them, Shuki had a daughter Nata, whose daughter was Vinata. From Vinata were born Garuda and Aruna. From Aruna came two sons—Sampati and myself. I am Jatayu, son of Syeni. If you wish, I shall live here and help you. Whenever you go away from your hut, I will guard Sita.”
Hearing this, Rama embraced Jatayu with affection and bowed before him, remembering his father’s friendship with the great bird. Entrusting Sita to his care, Rama and Lakshmana continued toward Panchavati, ready to destroy the demons who troubled the sages.
Thus ends the fourteenth chapter of the Aranya Kanda.
Fifteenth Chapter – Building the Hermitage at Panchavati
Reaching the beautiful forest of Panchavati, filled with serpents, beasts, and deer, Rama said to Lakshmana:
“Dear brother, this must be the place the sage described to us. Look around carefully and decide where we should build our hermitage—a spot near water, pleasant for Sita, and peaceful for us both.”
With folded hands, Lakshmana replied, “My lord, while you are here, I remain forever under your command. Please choose the spot yourself and instruct me where to build.”
Rama smiled and pointed to a level, shaded area surrounded by blooming trees. “Here, my brother, is a beautiful, even piece of land near the Godavari river. You can build our hermitage here.”
Lakshmana immediately set to work. He cleared the ground, built walls from earth, set strong wooden posts, and laid bamboo rafters across the top. Over these, he spread branches of the shami tree, tied them with creepers, and thatched the roof with grass, reeds, and leaves. Leveling the floor, he made it smooth and shining.
When it was complete, he bathed in the river, gathered flowers and fruits, and performed the proper rituals to sanctify the dwelling. Then he showed the newly built hermitage to Rama.
Seeing it, Rama’s heart filled with joy. He embraced Lakshmana and said lovingly,
“Lakshmana, I am deeply pleased with you. I have nothing more precious to offer than this embrace. You understand my thoughts even before I speak. Because of you, my righteous father still lives through your devotion.”
Thereafter, Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana dwelt happily in that lovely hermitage at Panchavati, cared for by the noble bird Jatayu—just as the gods dwell joyfully in heaven.
Thus ends the fifteenth chapter of the Aranya Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana.