Book VI : Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
Rama explains to Lakshmana the various portents, he observes around him, that signal a destructive war fare. He orders for formation of battalions in the army and surges forth together with the battalions towards Lanka. |
nimittaani nimittajJNo dR^iSTvaa lakshmaNapuurvajaH |
saumitrim sampariSvajya idam vacanambraviit || 6-23-1
1. lakshhmaNa puurvajaH= Rama; nimittaj^NaH= who was acquainted with omens; dR^IshhTNaa= on seeing; nimittaani= the omens; samparishhvajya= embraced; soumitrim= Lakshmana; abraviit= and spoke; idam= these; vachanam= words.
Rama, who was well acquainted with portents, on seeing the portents around, embraced Lakshmana and spoke as follows:
parigR^ihyodakam shiitam vanaani phalavanti ca |
balau gham samvibhajyemam vyuuhya tiSThema lakshmaNa || 6-23-2
2. lakshhmaNa= O, Lakshmana; parigR^ihya= acquiring (this region provided with); shiitam= cold; udakam= water; vanaanicha= and woods; phalavanti= abounding in fruit; samvibhajya= let us speedily divide; idam= this; balougham= multitude of forces; (into battalions); vyuuhya= and drawing it up in battle array; tishhThema= we shall remain stand at attention.
“O, Lakshmana! Acquiring this region endowed with cold water and woods abounding in fruits, let us speedily divide this multitude of forces into battalions and drawing it up in battle array, we shall stand attentive."
lokakshayakaram bhiimam bhayam pashyaamyupasthitam |
prabarhaNam praviiraaNaamR^ikshavaanararakshasaam || 6-23-3
3. pashyaami= I see; upasthitam= an impending;; bhayam= danger; bhiimam= which is terrific; lokakshhayakaram= causing destruction to the world; prabarhaNam= and torture; praviiraaNaam= the eminent heroes; R^ikshha vaanara raakshhasaam= among bears, monkeys and demons.
“I perceive an impending danger which will be terrific, causing destruction to the world, and torture to the eminent heroes among bears monkeys and demons."
vaataashca kaluSaa vaanti kampate ca vasundharaa |
parvataagraaNi vepante patanti ca mahiiruHaaH || 6-23-4
4. vaataaH= winds; vaanti= are blowing; kalushhaH= with dust; vasundharaacha= and earth; kampate= is trembling; parvataagraaNi= mountain-tops; vepanti= are quivering; mahiiruhaaH= trees; patanticha= are falling down.
“Winds are blowing with dust and earth is trembling. Mountain- tops are quivering and trees are falling down."
meghaaH kravyaadasamkaashaaH paruSaaH paruSasvanaaH |
kruuraaH kruuram pravarSanti mishram shoNitabindubhiH || 6-23-5
5. kruuraH= ferocious; meghaaH= clouds; kravyaada samkaashaH= resembling wild beasts; parushhaaH= dirty colored; parushha svanaaH= with harsh sound; pravarshhanti= are raining; kruuram= cruelly; mishram= mixed; shoNitabindubhiH= with drops of blood.
“Ferocious clouds resembling wild beasts were dirty colored and emit a terrific roaring and let loose dreadful showers mingled with drops of blood.”
raktacandanasamkaashaa samdhyaa paramadaaruNaa |
jvalataH prapatatyetadaadityaadagnimaNDalam || 6-23-6
6. samdhyaa= evening twilight; raktachandana samkaashaah= resembling red sandalwood; paramadaaruNaa=is very much dreadful; jvalatah= from the blazing; aadityaat= sun; etat= this; agnimaN^Dalam= ball of fire; patanticha= falls.
“Evening twilight resembling red sandal wood is very much dreadful. From the blazing sun, balls of fire fall.”
diinaa diinasvaraaH kruuraaH sarvato mR^igapakshiNaH |
pratyaadityam vinardanti janayanto mahadbhayam || 6-23-7
7. kruura mR^iga pakshhiNaH= wild animals and birds; vinardanti= are roaring; diinaaH= pitiably; diinasvaraaH= with melancholic sound; pratyaadityam= facing towards the sun; mahat= in great; bhayam= fear.
“Wild animals and birds from all sides are roaring pitiably with melancholic sound, facing towards the sun in great fear.”
rajanyaamaprakaashastu samtaapayati candramaaH |
kR^iSNaraktaamshuparyanto lokakshaya ivoditaH || 6-23-8
8. chandramaah= the moon, uditaiva= as though rising; lokakshhaye= at the time of universal dissolution;kR^ishhNa raktaamshu paryantaH= invested with a black and red halo; samtaapayati= is tormenting(the mind); aprakaashaH= splendourless; rajanyaam= at night.
“The splendorous moon as though rising at the time of universal dissolution, invested with a black and red halo is tormenting the mind this night.”
hrasvo ruuksho.aprashastashca pariveSastu lohitaH |
aaditye vimale viilam lakshma lakshmaNa dR^ishyate || 6-23-9
9. lakshhmaNa= O, Lakshmana! Niilam= a dark; lakshhma= stain; dR^ishyate=appears; vimale aaditye pariveshhaH=on the colorless solar disc; hrasvaH= which is diminished; ruukshhaH= dreary; aprashastah=inauspicious; lohitaH= and coppery.
“O, Lakshmana! A dark stain appears on the cloudless solar disc, which is diminished, dreary, inauspicious and coppery.”
rajasaa mahataa caapi nakshatraaNi hataani ca |
yugaantamiva lokaanaam pashya shasanti lakshmaNa || 6-23-10
10. O, lakshhmaNa= O, Lakshmana! Pashya=look! Nakshhatraani= stars; hataani= enveloped; mohataa= in enormous; rajasaa= dust; shamsantiiva= appear to announce; yugaantam =a dissolution; lokaanaam= of the worlds.
“O, Lakshmana! Look! Stars enveloped in enormous dust, appear to announce a dissolution of the world.”
kaakaaH shyenaastathaa niicaa gR^idhraaH paripatanti ca |
shivaashcaapyashubhaannaadaannadanti sumahaabhayaan || 6-23-11
11. kaakaaH= crows; shyenaaH= eagles; tathaa= and; gR^iddhaaH= vultures; paripatanti= are flying; niichaaH= low; shivaashchaapi=jackals also; nadanti= are howling; sumahaabhayaan= very dreadful; ashubhaan= and inauspicious; naadaan= sounds.
“Crows, eagles and vultures are flying low. Jackals too are howling very dreadful and inauspicious sounds.”
shailaiH shuulaishcha khaDgaishca vimukaiH kapiraakshasaiH |
bhaviSyatyaavR^itaa bhuumirmaamsashoNitakardamaa || 6-23-12
12. bhuumiH= earth; bhavishhyati= will become; aavR^itaaH= covered by; shailaiH=rocks; shuulaiH= spears; khadgaishcha= and swords; vimuktaiH= hurled; kapiraakshhsaiH= by monkeys and demons; maamsa shoNita kardamaa= and a quagmire of flesh and blood.
“Earth will become a quagmire of flesh and blood, covered with rocks spears and swords hurled by monkeys and demons.”
kshipramadyaiva durdharSaam puriim raavaNapaalitaam |
abhiyaama javenaiva sarvairharibhiraavR^itaaH || 6-23-13
13. aavR^itaaH= abounding with; sarvaiH= all; haribhiH= monkeys; abhiyaama= we shall attack; puriim= the city; raavaNaHpaalitaam= ruled by Ravana; adyaiva= now itself; kshhipram= quickly; javenaiva= with a speed.
“Abounding with all the monkeys we shall attack the city ruled by Ravana, now itself at a quick pace.”
ityevamuktvaa dhanvii sa raamaH samgraamadharSaNaH |
pratasthe purato raamo laN^kaamabhimukho vibhuH || 6-23-14
14. raamaH= Rama; vibhuH= the Lord; samgraama dharshhaNaH=the conqueror of enemies in battle; raamaH= and a charming man; ityevam= thus; uktvaa= speaking; dhanvii= wielding a bow; pratasthe=and traveled; purataH= in front; abhimukhaH= facing; laNkaam= towards Lanka.
Rama the lord, the conqueror of enemies and a charming man thus speaking, wielded a bow and sallied forth in front, facing towards Lanka.
savibhiiSaNasugriivaaH sarve te vaanararSabhaaH |
pratasthire vinardanto dhR^itaanaam dviSataam vadhe || 6-23-15
15. sarve-= all; te= those; vaanarshhabhaaH= excellent monkeys; savibhiishhaNasugrivaaH= together with Vibhishana and Sugriva; vinardantaH= making roaring sounds; pratasthire= surged forth; vadhe= for thedestruction; dvishhataam= of enemies; dhR^itaanaam= the audacious.
All those excellent monkeys, together with Vibhishana and Sugriva making roaring sounds surged forth for the destruction of the audacious enemies.
raaghavasya priyaartham tu sutaraam viiryashaalinaam |
hariiNaam karmaceSTaabhistutoSa raghunandanaH || 6-23-16
16. raghunandanaH= Rama; tutoshha= was pleased; karmacheshhTaabhiH= by the acts and gestures; sutaraam= of very; viirya shaalinaam= strong; hariiNaam= monkeys; priyaartham=for the sake of their beloved; raaghavasya= Rama.
Rama on his part was pleased by the act and gestures of those very strong monkeys, with their intention to gratify him.
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye yuddhakaaNDe trayovimshaH sargaH
Thus completes 23rd Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
© February 2004, K. M. K. Murthy