Chapter 39 — Aranya Kanda, Sarga 39

Valmiki Ramayana — Aranya Kanda

Verse 39.3

दीप्तजिह्वो महादंष्ट्रस्तीक्ष्णशृङ्गो महाबलः। व्यचरन् दण्डकारण्यं मांसभक्षो महामृगः॥ अग्निहोत्रेषु तीर्थेषु चैत्यवृक्षेषु रावण। अत्यन्तघोरो व्यचरंस्तापसांस्तान् प्रधर्षयन्॥ निहत्य दण्डकारण्ये तापमान् धर्मचारिणः। रुधिराणि पिबंस्तेषां तन्मासानि च भक्षयन्॥

dīptajihvo mahādaṃṣṭrastīkṣṇaśṛṅgo mahābalaḥ| vyacaran daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ māṃsabhakṣo mahāmṛgaḥ|| agnihotreṣu tīrtheṣu caityavṛkṣeṣu rāvaṇa| atyantaghoro vyacaraṃstāpasāṃstān pradharṣayan|| nihatya daṇḍakāraṇye tāpamān dharmacāriṇaḥ| rudhirāṇi pibaṃsteṣāṃ tanmāsāni ca bhakṣayan||

English Meaning

I had a flaming tongue, huge teeth, sharpened horns and lived on the flesh of ascetics. Assuming such a terrible appearance I began to traverse with great vehemence the Tīrtha, Agnihotri and the place of worship; eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the ascetics after killing them I began to hinder all religious services.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)