Valmiki Ramayana 3.67.9

3.67.9

dīrgham āyur mayā prāptaṃ kiṃ me śakraḥ kariṣyati
ity evaṃ buddhim āsthāya raṇe śakram adharṣayam

Scarce might the sun and moon on high,
Scarce Sakra, with ray beauty vie.
Then for a time this form I took,
And the great world with trembling shook
The saints in forest shades who dwelt
The terror of my presence felt.
But once I stirred to furious rage
Great Sthúlas'nas, glorious sage.
Culling in woods his hermit food
My hideous shape with fear he viewed.
Then forth his words of anger burst
That bade me live a thing accursed:
'Thou, whose delight is others' pain,
This grisly form shalt still retain.'
Then when I prayed him to relent
And fix some term of punishment,--
Prayed that the curse at length might cease,
He bade me thus expect release:
'Let Ráma cleave thine arms away
And on the pyre thy body lay,
And then shalt thou, set free from doom,
Thine own fair shape once more assume.'
O Lakshman, hear my words: in me
The world-illustrious Danu see.
By Indra's curse, subdued in fight,
I wear this form which scares the sight.
By sternest penance long maintained
The mighty Father's grace I gained.
When length of days the God bestowed,
With foolish pride my bosom glowed.
My life, of lengthened years assured,
I deemed from Sakra's might secured.
Led by my senseless pride astray
I challenged Indra to the fray.
A flaming bolt with many a knot
With his terrific arm he shot.
And straight my head and thighs compressed
Were buried in my bulky chest.
Deaf to each prayer and piteous call
He sent me not to Yama's hall.
'These prayers and cries,' he said 'are vain.
The Father's word must true remain
But how my lengthened life be spent
By one the bolt has * and rent?
How can I live' I cried, 'unfed
With shattered face and thighs and head?'
As thus I spoke his grace to crave
Arms each a league in length he gave,
And opened in my chest beneath
This mouth supplied with fearful teeth.
So my huge arms I used to cast
Round woodland creatures as they passed,
And fed within the forest here
On lion, tiger, pard,* and deer.
Then Indra spake to soothe my grief:
'When Rama and his brother chief
From thy huge bulk those arms shall cleave,
Then shall the skies thy sould recieve.'
Disguised in this terrific shape