Jayanta's Deceit and Its Consequence
Indra's son Jayanta takes the form of a crow and injures Sita. Terrified by Rama's unfailing arrow, he finally seeks refuge and bears the consequence of his offense.
Aranya Kand · Episode 2 / 18
Episode Text
उमा राम गुन गूढ़ पंडित मुनि पावहिं बिरति। पावहिं मोह बिमूढ़ जे हरि बिमुख न धर्म रति॥ ० ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
umā rāma guna gūḍha paṇḍita muni pāvahiṃ birati। pāvahiṃ moha bimūḍha je hari bimukha na dharma rati॥ 0 ॥
Meaning:
O Parvati, Rama's virtues are profound. The learned and the sages attain detachment by understanding them. But those who are turned away from Hari, and who have no love for dharma, become deluded and lost in confusion.
पुर नर भरत प्रीति मैं गाई। मति अनुरूप अनूप सुहाई॥ अब प्रभु चरित सुनहु अति पावन। करत जे बन सुर नर मुनि भावन॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
pura nara bharata prīti maiṃ gāī। mati anurūpa anūpa suhāī॥ aba prabhu carita sunahu ati pāvana। karata je bana sura nara muni bhāvana॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
I have sung, according to my understanding, of the incomparable and lovely love of the people of the city and of Bharata. Now hear the supremely holy deeds of the Lord, which delight gods, men, and sages even in the forest.
एक बार चुनि कुसुम सुहाए। निज कर भूषन राम बनाए॥ सीतहि पहिराए प्रभु सादर। बैठे फटिक सिला पर सुंदर॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
eka bāra cuni kusuma suhāe। nija kara bhūṣana rāma banāe॥ sītahi pahirāe prabhu sādara। baiṭhe phaṭika silā para sundara॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
Once, choosing lovely flowers, Shri Rama made ornaments with His own hands. With reverence, the Lord placed those ornaments on Sita, and He sat beautifully upon a crystal rock.
सुरपति सुत धरि बायस बेषा। सठ चाहत रघुपति बल देखा॥ जिमि पिपीलिका सागर थाहा। महा मंदमति पावन चाहा॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
surapati suta dhari bāyasa beṣā। saṭha cāhata raghupati bala dekhā॥ jimi pipīlikā sāgara thāhā। mahā mandamati pāvana cāhā॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
Indra's son, taking the form of a crow, wanted to test the strength of Lord Raghupati. It was like a great fool of an ant wanting to measure the depth of the ocean.
सीता चरन चोंच हति भागा। मूढ़ मंदमति कारन कागा॥ चला रुधिर रघुनायक जाना। सींक धनुष सायक संधाना॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sītā caran coṃca hati bhāgā। mūḍha mandamati kārana kāgā॥ calā rudhira raghunāyaka jānā। sīṃka dhanuṣa sāyaka saṃdhānā॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
That fool, that crow driven by deluded intent, struck Sita's feet with its beak and fled. When blood began to flow, Lord Raghunath noticed it and fitted a blade of kusa grass onto the bow as an arrow.
अति कृपाल रघुनायक सदा दीन पर नेह। ता सन आइ कीन्ह छलु मूरख अवगुन गेह॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ati kṛpāla raghunāyaka sadā dīna para neha। tā sana āi kīnhu chalu mūrakha avaguna geha॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Lord Raghunath is supremely compassionate and always affectionate toward the humble; yet that fool Jayanta, a dwelling of faults, came and used deceit even against Him.
प्रेरित मंत्र ब्रह्मसर धावा। चला भाजि बायस भय पावा॥ धरि निज रूप गयउ पितु पाहीं। राम बिमुख राखा तेहि नाहीं॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
prerita mantra brahmasara dhāvā। calā bhāji bāyasa bhaya pāvā॥ dhari nija rūpa gayau pitu pāhīṃ। rāma bimukha rākhā tehi nāhīṃ॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Urged on by the mantra, the Brahma-arrow flew forth. The crow, struck by fear, fled away. Taking his own form, he went to his father, but since he was an enemy of Rama, he was not kept there.
भा निरास उपजी मन त्रासा। जथा चक्र भय रिषि दुर्बासा॥ ब्रह्मधाम सिवपुर सब लोका। फिरा श्रमित ब्याकुल भय सोका॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhā nirāsa upajī mana trāsā। jathā cakra bhaya riṣi durbāsā॥ brahmadhāma sivapura saba lokā। phirā śramita byākula bhaya sokā॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
Then he lost all hope, and fear arose in his mind, just as sage Durvasa had been struck with fear by the discus. He wandered through Brahmaloka, Shiva's realm, and all the worlds, exhausted and distressed by fear and sorrow.
काहूँ बैठन कहा न ओही। राखि को सकइ राम कर द्रोही॥ मातु मृत्यु पितु समन समाना। सुधा होइ बिष सुनु हरिजाना॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kāhūṃ baiṭhana kahā na ohī। rākhi ko sakai rāma kara drohī॥ mātu mṛtyu pitu samana samānā। sudhā hoi biṣa sunu harijānā॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
No one even told him to sit down. Who can shelter one who is hostile to Rama? [Kakabhushundi says:] O Garuda, listen: for such a one, the mother becomes like Death itself, the father like Yama, and nectar becomes poison.
मित्र करइ सत रिपु कै करनी। ता कहँ बिबुधनदी बैतरनी॥ सब जगु ताहि अनलहु ते ताता। जो रघुबीर बिमुख सुनु भ्राता॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
mitra karai sata ripu kai karanī। tā kahaṃ bibudhanadī baitaranī॥ saba jagu tāhi analahu te tātā। jo raghubīra bimukha sunu bhrātā॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
Friends begin to act like a hundred enemies. For him, the divine river becomes the river Vaitarani. O brother, listen: whoever turns away from Raghubir finds the whole world hotter than fire itself.
नारद देखा बिकल जयंता। लागि दया कोमल चित संता॥ पठवा तुरत राम पहिं ताही। कहेसि पुकारि प्रनत हित पाही॥ ५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nārada dekhā bikala jayaṃtā। lāgi dayā komala cita saṃtā॥ paṭhavā turata rāma pahiṃ tāhī। kahesi pukāri pranata hita pāhī॥ 5 ॥
Meaning:
When Narada saw Jayanta in distress, compassion arose in his gentle heart. He sent him at once to Rama. There he cried out, 'O refuge of the surrendered, please protect me!'
आतुर सभय गहेसि पद जाई। त्राहि त्राहि दयाल रघुराई॥ अतुलित बल अतुलित प्रभुताई। मैं मतिमंद जानि नहिं पाई॥ ६ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ātura sabhaya gahesi pada jāī। trāhi trāhi dayāla raghurāī॥ atulita bala atulita prabhutāī। maiṃ matimaṃda jāni nahiṃ pāī॥ 6 ॥
Meaning:
Distressed and afraid, Jayanta went and clasped Rama's feet, saying, 'Save me, save me, O compassionate Raghurai!' I, dull-witted as I am, had not understood Your incomparable strength and unequalled lordship.
निज कृत कर्म जनित फल पायउँ। अब प्रभु पाहि सरन तकि आयउँ॥ सुनि कृपाल अति आरत बानी। एकनयन करि तजा भवानी॥ ७ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nija kṛta karma janita phala pāyauṃ। aba prabhu pāhi saran taki āyauṃ॥ suni kṛpāla ati ārata bānī। ekanayana kari tajā bhavānī॥ 7 ॥
Meaning:
I have received the fruit of my own deeds. Now, O Lord, I have come seeking Your refuge. [Shiva says:] O Parvati, when the merciful Shri Raghunath heard his deeply anguished plea, He let him go after leaving him one-eyed.
कीन्ह मोह बस द्रोह जद्यपि तेहि कर बध उचित। प्रभु छाड़ेउ करि छोह को कृपाल रघुबीर सम॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kīnhu moha basa droha jadyapi tehi kara badha ucita। prabhu chāḍeu kari choha ko kṛpāla raghubīra sama॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
Though he acted out of delusion and committed treachery, and though his death was justified, the Lord graciously spared him. Who can be as compassionate as Shri Rama?