एवमस्मि तदा मुक्तः कथंचित्तेन संयुगे।
इदानीमपि यद्वृत्तं तच्छृणुष्व निरुत्तरम्॥
evam asmi tadā muktaḥ kathañcit tena saṁyuge
idānīm api yad vṛttaṁ tac chṛṇuṣva niruttaram
evam = thus; asmi tadā muktaḥ = I was released; kathañcit = somehow; tena = by Him; saṁyuge = in battle; idānīm = at that time; api = even; yat = what; vṛttam = happened [to me]; tat = to; śṛṇuṣva = listen; niruttaram = without interrupting [me].
Thus I was somehow released by Him in battle. Without interrupting [me], listen to what happened [to me] even at that time.1
1 Idānīm literally means “now” but contextually means “at that time.”
1 “Even at that time” means “even in this developed state” while referring to Mārīca’s development over the years. Mārīca first encountered Lord Rāma when the latter was twelve years old. “At that time” means when Lord Rāma came to the forest. When He departed to the forest, He was twenty-four years of age. So, “even at that time” means “even after a span of more than twelve years.” Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: idānīm api prauḍhāvasthāyām api.
2 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: yat sarvāntottaraṁ tad-atiriktāsādhyaṁ tad api śṛṇv ity arthaḥ. Rāmāyaṇa-bhāva-dīpa: yad uttaram iti pāṭhe yad vṛttaṁ mad-anubhava-siddham uttaraṁ sarva-lokāsādhyatvenottamam. tac chṛṇuṣvety anvayaḥ.
I take shelter of Rāma who never attacks the offenseless and who is compassionate to all creatures.
“Even at that time” means “even after a long period.”1 Mārīca wanted Rāvaṇa to hear him without interrupting while he described what had happened to him.
In some manuscripts, yad uttaram appears [instead of niruttaram] indicating that Rāvaṇa should also listen to what happened to Mārīca, [for] it was absolutely extraordinary, that is, it was impossible for anyone other than Rāma to accomplish.2