Agni Purāṇa
7 - Manifestation of Vishnu as Rama (continued):
Närada said:
1-2. Rama bowed to Vasishtha, the mothers, (sage) Atri and his wife Anasuya, (sages) Śarabhanga1 and Sutikshana, the brother of Agastya and Agastya and reached the Dandaka forest having obtained the bow and sword by the grace of (Agastya).
1. Sarabhanga was a sage who entered the fire in the presence of Råma and ascended heavens with a glowing body by the merits of his austeritics. On his advice Ráma met another sage Sutikrishna. Ram. III. v. and vii.
3. He was staying at Panchavați in the Janasthåna on the banks of the (river) Godavari. The awful (demoness) Sūrpaņakhả2 came there to devour them all.
8. Khara said to her that he will do so and went there with
2. Sürpanakhå was the sister of Råvana, the king of Lanka and of Khara, the ruler of Janasthāna.
4-5. Seeing the beautiful form of Rama, that lustful (woman) said to him, “Who are you? Whence have you come? You become my husband being entreated by me. Ishall eat these two." So saying to himshe approached them. On the words of Rama, Lakshmana cut off her nose and ears.
6-7.she returned to her brother Khara with blood oozing out (and) said, "Ishall die without a nose. I would live, O Khara! only when you would make me drink the hot blood of Sita, the wife of Råma and Lakshmaņa, his brother.
8.Khara said to her that he will do so and went ther with Düshaņa, Trisiras and 14000 demons in order to fight (with Råma).
9-10. Råma also fought well and killed the demons with his arrows and led the army consisting of the elephants, cavalry, chariots and infantry together with the fighting Triśiras, Khara. and Düshana1 to death. Sūrpanakhả went to Lanka and fell down on the earth in front of Råvaņa.
1. Düsana and Trifiras were the commanders of Khara.
11-13. (And) said to Råvaņa angrily, “You are neither a king, nor a protector. You abduct Sità, the wife of Råma, the killer of Khara and others. I will live only after drinking the blood of Rama and Lakshmaņa and not by anything else.” Having heard her Råvaņa also said yes and said to Marica, "You move in front of Sità in the form of a golden deer drawing Råma and Lakshmaņa away. I will carry her away. Otherwise you will be dead."
14-15. Marica2 said to Råvaņa, “Råma with his bow is verily the god of death himself.” “Either I have to die at the hands of Rāvana or at the hands of Raghava (Rama). If I have to die, it is better (to die at the hands of) Råma than Ravana. Having thought so (Marica) became a deer and roamed in front of Sitä again and again.
2. Marica remembered his past miserable expericace at the sacrificial site of Visvamitra. See V. 8 above.
16. Being entreated by Sita, Rama (ran after that deer and) then killed that with an arrow. As it was dying, the deer said "O Sità and O Lakshmaņa."3
3. Mårica imitated the voice of Ráma while crying aloud.
17-20. Then Saumitri (Lakshmana) being told inconsistent (words) by Sitä went (in search) of Råma. Råvaņa also abducted Sītå, having wounded the vulture Jaţåyu,4 and being wounded by Jatayu, carrying Sitä on the lap reached Lanká, kept (her) guarded in the Ashoka (grove) and said (to her), "You become my wife. You will be kept as the foremost." Having killed Mårica, Råma saw Lakshmaņa and said (to him), “O Saumitri! this is a phantom deer. By the time you had come here, Sitä would have been taken away certainly." Then he did not find her as he returned (to that place).
4. Jatayu, the vulture was an intimate friend of king Dasaratha. He obstructed the path of Råvana on hearing the wails of Sith, and was fatally wounded and died after being seen by Rama and Lakshmana
21. He lamented with grief (and said), "Where have you (Sītā) gone discarding me?” Being comforted by Lakshmaņa, Rama began to search for Jänaki (Sità).
22. Having seen him, Jatãyu told that Rāvana had carried her away. He (Jațàyu) then died. (Ráma) performed his obsequies. He then killed (the demon) Kabandha.1 Getting free from a curse, he (Kabandha) said to Räma, “You go to Sugriva.”
1. Kabandha was a heavenly being at first and was later cursed by the sage Sthūlasiras and lndra to become an ugly-shaped demon as he tormented the other ascetics and was told that he would regain his original form after he met Råma and died at his hands. See Ram. III. lxxi. 1-16.
Summary of chapter 7 of the Agni Purāṇa is as follows:
Bhagavān descended as Paraśurāma, son of the sage Jamadagni and Reṇukā, to rid the earth of the ksatriya lineages who had become tyrannical and adharmic. The chapter narrates how the arrogant king Kārtavīryārjuna, possessing a thousand arms, stole the divine calf Kāmadhenu from Jamadagni's āśrama, and subsequently had the sage slain. Paraśurāma, returning from the forest, found his father's headless body and, grief-stricken and furious, vowed to exterminate the ksatriya class. He circumambulated the earth twenty-one times, annihilating the royal warriors, and filled five lakes with their blood. He then performed the horse sacrifice and granted the earth to Kaśyapa, thereafter retiring to the Mahendra mountain. The chapter frames this avatāra as the cosmic correction of an imbalance between the warrior and priestly orders.
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