Canto 3: Araṇya-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 10: Rāma Asserts His Unbreakable Resolution to Fulfill His PromisesText 3.10.12
Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 10: Rāma Asserts His Unbreakable Resolution to Fulfill His Promises
Text 3.10.12
होमकालेषु सम्प्राप्ताः पर्वकालेषु चानघ।
धर्षयन्ति सुदुर्घर्षा राक्षसाः पिशिताशनाः॥
homa-kāleṣu samprāptāḥ parva-kāleṣu cānagha
dharṣayanti sudurdharṣā rākṣasāḥ piśitāśanāḥ
homa-kāleṣu = at the time we offer oblations into the sacred fire; samprāptāḥ = they come; parva-kāleṣu = during periodical observances; ca = and; anagha = sinless Rāma; dharṣayanti = assail [our sacrifices]; sudurdharṣāḥ = they are very dangerous; rākṣasāḥ = rākṣasas; piśita-aśanāḥ = flesh-eating.
Sinless Rāma, flesh-eating rākṣasas assail [our sacrifices]. They are very dangerous. They come at the time we offer oblations unto the sacred fire and during periodical observances.
The sages stated that [the rākṣasas] not only tormented [them], but that they obstructed the sacrifices too. Thus Lord Rāma points out to Sītā-devī that [the rākṣasas] have disrupted His eating.1
“During periodical observances” refers to the times when [additional] sacrifices such as the Darśa-paurṇamāsa are performed.2