वनं महामेघनिभं प्रविष्टो द्रुमैर्महद्भिर्विविधैरुपेतम्।
नानाविधैः पक्षिशतैर्विचित्रं शिवायुतं व्यालमृगैर्विकीर्णम्॥
vanaṁ mahā-megha-nibhaṁ praviṣṭo
drumair mahadbhir vividhair upetam
nānā-vidhaiḥ pakṣi-śatair vicitraṁ
śivā-yutaṁ vyāla-mṛgair vikīrṇam
vanam = the forest; mahā-megha-nibham = that resembled a great cloud; praviṣṭaḥ = he entered; drumaiḥ = trees; mahadbhiḥ = great; vividhaiḥ = with many; upetam = it was filled; nānā-vidhaiḥ = of various kinds; pakṣi-śataiḥ = with hundreds of birds; vicitram = it was wonderful; śivā-yutam = there were śiva jackals there; vyāla-mṛgaiḥ = with fierce beasts 2; vikīrṇam = the forest was crowded.
He entered the forest that resembled a great cloud. It was filled with many great trees. It was wonderful with hundreds of birds of various kinds. There were śiva jackals there. The forest was crowded with fierce beasts.
[1] hana hiṁsāgatyoḥ.
[2] duṣṭe dvipe śvāpade ca vyālaḥ puṁsi śaṭhe ’pi ca. (Bāṇa)
The author then indicates that Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa also entered [the middle of] the forest that They liked very much.
In this chapter it is pointed out that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is self-dependent in all of His activities and that He is fearless even in the presence of a cause for great fear.1
GLOSS. It is implied that the forest resembled a great cloud because it obstructed sunlight.2