Book VI : Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
Ravana reprimands Shuka and Sarana, asking them to leave the assembly. He again sends some spies to the place of Rama and Lakshmana. Those spies were got caught by Vibhishana and the monkeys start harassing them. But the compassionate Rama gets them released and the spies reach back Lanka. |
shukena tu samaakhyaataams taan dR^iSTvaa hari yuuthapaan |
lakSmaNam ca mahaaviiryam bhujam raamasya dakSiNam || 2-29-1
samiipastham ca raamasya bhraataram svam vibhiiSaNam |
sarva vaanara raajam ca sugriivam bhiima vikramam || 2-29-2
aN^gadam caapi balinam vajrahastaatmajaatmajam |
hanuumantam ca vikraantam jaambavantam ca durjayam || 2-29-3
suSeNam kumudam niilam nalam ca plavagarSabham |
gajam gavaaksham sharabham vaindam ca dvividam tathaa || 2-29-4
kimcid aavigna hR^idayo jaata krodhaH ca raavaNaH |
bhartsayaam aasa tau viirau kathaa ante shuka saaraNau || 2-29-5
1, 2, 3, 4, 5. dR^iSTvaa= beholding; hariyuuthapaan= those foremost of monkey-leaders; samaadiSTaan= shown; shukena= Shuka; mahaaviiryam= the most valiant; lakshmaNamcha= Lakshmana; raamasya= Rama’s; dakSiNambhujam= right arm; bhraataram= his own brother; vibhiiSaNam= Vibhishana; samiipastham= standing close; raamasya= to Rama; bhiimavikramam= the terribly powerful; sugriivamcha= Sugreeva; sarvavaanararaajam= the king of all monkeys; balinam= the strong; aN^gadam chaapi= Angada; vajra hastaatmajaatmajam= grand son of Indra, the Bearer of the Thunder bolt; vikraantam= the powerful; hanuumantam= Hanuman; durjayam= the invincible; jaambavantam= Jambavan; suSeNam= Sushena; kumudam= Kumuda; niilam= Nila; nalamcha= Nala; plavagarSabham= the excellent of monkeys; gajam= Gaja; gavaakSam= Gavaksha; sharabham= Sharabha; maindam= Mainda; tathaa= and; dvividam= Divivida; saHraavaNaH= that Ravana; aavigna hR^idayaH= his heart agitated; kimchit= a little; jaatakrodhashcha= became enraged; bhartsayaamaasa= abused; tau= those two; viirau= heroes; shuka saaraNau= Shika and Sarana; kathaante= who had completed their report.
Beholding those foremost of monkey leaders pointed out by Shuka- the most valiant Lakshmana; Rama’s right arm, his own brother Vibhishana standing close to Rama, the terribly powerful Sugreeva the king of all monkeys, the strong Angada grandson of Indra the wielder of thunderbolt, the powerful Hanuman, the imincible Jambavan, Sushena, Kumuda, Nila, Nala the excellent of monkeys, Gaja, Gavaksha, Sharabha, Mainda and Dvivida- that Ravana – his heart became agitated a little, was enraged and then abused those two heroes Shuka and Sarana who had completed their report.
adho mukhau tau praNataav abraviit shuka saaraNau |
roSa gadgadayaa vaacaa samrabdhaH paruSam vacaH || 2-29-6
6. (Ravana) abraviit= spoke; tau= to those; shuka saaraNau= Shuka and Sarana; praNatau= who saluted; adhomukhau= with their faces bent donw; vaachaa= in a voice; roSagadgadayaa= choked in anger; samrabdham= excited; tathaa= and paruSam= and harsh.
Ravana spoke (the following) excited and harsh words, in a voice choked in anger to Shuka and Sarana who stood saluting with their faces bent down.
na taavat sadR^isham naama sacivair upajiivibhiH |
vipriyam nR^ipater vaktum nigraha pragrahe vibhoH || 2-29-7
7. na taavatnaama= It is not; sadR^isham= befitting; vaktum= to utter; vipriyam= unpleasant words; upajivibhiH= by dependent; sachivaiH= ministers; nR^ipate= to their king; prabhoH= who has the power; nigrahe= to mete out punishment; pragrahe= or reward.
“It is not befitting to utter unpleasant words by dependent ministers to their king who has the power to mete out any punishment or reward.”
ripuuNaam pratikuulaanaam yuddha artham abhivartataam |
ubhaabhyaam sadR^isham naama vaktum aprastave stavam || 2-29-8
8. sadR^isham naama= Is it proper; vaktum= to utter; stavam= praise; vipuuNaam= of the enemies; pratikuulaanaam= who are adverse to us; abhivartataam= and who are coming; yuddhartham= for war; ubhaabhyaam= by both of you; aprastave= irrelevantly?
“Is it proper for both of you to shower irrelevant praise on our enemies who are adverse to us and are approaching for a war?”
aacaaryaa guravo vR^iddhaa vR^ithaa vaam paryupaasitaaH |
saaram yad raaja shaastraaNaam anujiivyam na gR^ihyate || 2-29-9
9. vR^ithaa= in vain; paryupaasitaaH= have you sat at the feet; aachaaryaaH= of your elders; guravaH= and your preceptors; vR^iddhaaH= and the aged; yat= since; saaram= the essence; anujiivyam= to be followed; raaja shastraaNaam= from political sciences; nagR^ihyate= has not been grasped; vaam= by both of you.
“In vain have you sat at the feet of your elders, your preceptors and the aged, since the essence to be followed from political sciences has not been grasped by both of you.”
gR^ihiito vaa na vij~naato bhaaro j~naanasya vaa uchyate |
iidR^ishaiH sacivair yukto muurkhair diSTyaa dharaami aham || 2-29-10
10. grahitaH= or if you have imbibed them; na vijJNaato raa= you have not remembered them; vaahyate vaa bhaaraH= you are over-burdened; ajJNaanasya= with ignorance; yuktaH= being associated; iidR^ishaiH= with such; sachiraiH= ministers; murkhaiH= who are fools; diSTyaa= it is a miracle; aham (that) I; dharaami= I am able to retain my sovereignity.
“Or if you have imbibed them, you have not remembered them. You are over-burdened with ignorance! Being associated with such foolish ministers, it is a miracle that I am still able to retain my sovereignty.”
kim nu mR^ityor bhayam na asti maam vaktum paruSam vacaH |
yasya me shaasato jihvaa prayacchati shubha ashubham || 2-29-11
11. naasti kimnu= have you no; bhayam= fear; mR^ityoH= of death; vaktum= to speak; paruSam= (such) rude; vachaH= words; maam= to me; prayachchhati= who dispenses; shubhaashubham= good and evil; yasyame= by my; jihvaa= tongue; shaasataH= which commands.
“Have you no fear of death that you dare address me thus rudely, I whose tongue that you dare tongue dispenses good and evil?”
api eva dahanam spR^iSTvaa vane tiSThanti paadapaaH |
raaja doSa paraamR^iSTaas tiSThante na aparaadhinaH || 2-29-12
12. paadapaaH= trees; tiSThanti= survive; vane= in the forest; spR^iSTvaa apyaiva= even if disturbed; dahanam= by fire; (But); aparaadhinaH= the guilty; na tiSThante= cannot survive; raja daN^DaparaamR^iSTaaH= if touched by the royal scepter.
“Trees may survive in the forest, even if disturbed by fire. But the guilty cannot survive, if touched by the royal scepter.”
hanyaam aham imau paapau shatru pakSa prashamsakau |
yadi puurva upakaarair me na krodho mR^idutaam vrajet || 2-29-13
13. yadi= If; me= my; krodhaH= anger; na vrajet mR^idutaam= is not softened; puurvopakaaraiH= by the services they rendered earlier; aham= I; hanyaam= would have killed; imau paapau= these two miscreants; satrupakSaprashamsinau= who are praising the band of enemies.
“If my anger is not softened by the services they rendered earlier, I would have killed thse two miscreants who are praising the band of enemies.”
apadhvamsata gacchadhvam samnikarSaad ito mama |
na hi vaam hantum icchaami smarann upakR^itaani vaam || 2-29-14
hataav eva kR^itaghnau tau mayi sneha paraan mukhau |
14. apadhvamsata= keep away; mama= from my; itaH= this; samnikarSaat= neighbourhood; na shyadhvam= do not be seen anywhere here; smaraani= I am recollectin; vaam= your; upakR^itaani= services; na ichchhaami= I do not wish; hantum= to kill; vaam= you; dvau= both of you; kR^itaghnau= who are ungrateful; snehaparaaN^mukhau= and affection-less; mayi= towards me; hataaveva= are just as dead.
“Keep away from my neighbourhood. Do not be seen anywhere here. I am recollecting your past services and hence do not wish to kill you. Both of you, who are ungrateful and unfaithful towards me, are just as dead to me.”
evam uktau tu savriiDau taav ubhau shuka saaraNau || 2-29-15
raavaNam jaya shabdena pratinandya abhinihsR^itau |
15. tau shukasaariNau= those Shuka and Sarana; evam= thus; uktau= told; savriidau= they were ashamed; dR^iSTvaa= having seen; raavaNam= Ravana; niHsR^itau= and went away; pratinandya= having enlogised; jayashabdena= with words of victory.
Hearing Ravana’s words, Shuka and Sarana felt ashamed to see Ravana paid obeisance to him saying, “Be thou victorious!” and went away.
abraviit sa dashagriivaH samiipastham mahaaudaram || 2-29-16
upasthaapaya shiighram me caaraan niiti vishaaradaan |
16. nishaacharaH= the deomon; dashagriivaH= Ravana; abraviit= spoke; mahodaram= to Mahodara; samipastham= who was standing nearby (as follows):- upasthaaya= bring; me= me; chaaraan= spies; shiighram= quickly.
The demon Ravana spoke to Mahodara who was standing nearby as follows: “Bring me the spies here quickly.”
mahodarastathoktastu shiighramaajJNaapayaccharaan || 2-29-17
tatashcaaraaH samtvaritaaH praaptaaH paarthivashaasanaat |
upasthithaaH praaJNjalayo vardhayitvaa jayaashiSaH || 2-29-18
17, 18. mehodaraH= Mahodara; tathaa= thus; uktaH= spoken; shiighram= quickly; aajJNaapayat= ordered; charaan= for the spies; tataH= then; chaaraaH= the spies; praaptaaH= who came; samtvaritaaH= hurriedly; paarthiva shaasanat= as per the order of the king; praaJNjalayaH= paid obeisance by joining their palms; upasthitaaH= and approached; vadhayitvaa= having felicitated (Ravana); jayaashiSaH= expressing their desire to see him victorious.
Hearing those words, Mahodara immediately ordered for the spies. The spies came hurriedly as per the orders of the king, paid obeisance to him by joining their palms and approached him, having made a complement expressing their desire to see him victorious.
taan abraviit tato vaakyam raavaNo raakSasa adhipaH || 2-29-19
caaraan pratyayikaan shuuraan bhaktaan vigata saadhvasaan |
19. tataH= then; raavaNaH= Ravana; raakshasaadhipaH= the king of demons; abraviit= spoke; vaakyam= (these) words; taan charaan= to those spies; praatyayikam= who were faithful; shuuraan= brave; dhiiraan= energetic; vigata saadhvasaan= and free from fear.
Then, Ravana the king of demons spoke the following words to those spies, who were faithful, brave, energetic and free from fear:
ito gacchata raamasya vyavasaayam pariikSatha || 2-29-20
mantreSv abhyantaraa ye asya priityaa tena samaagataaH |
20. gachchhata= you go; itaH= from here; pariikshitum= to investigate; vyavasaayam= about the first impression; raamasya= about Rama; ye= (as regards) who; abhyantaraaH= are the intimate friends; asya= to him; samaagataaH= and those who joined; tena= with him; priityaa= in affection.
“You go from here to investigate about the first impression concerning Rama, as regards who are his intimate friends and in respect of those who joined on his side with a liking towards him.”
katham svapiti jaagarti kim anyac ca kariSyati || 2-29-21
vij~naaya nipuNam sarvam aagantavyam asheSataH |
21. katham= how; (is he); svapiti= sleeping? Jaagarti= and waking up? Kim= what; kariSyati= will he do; adya= now? Aagantavyam= you ought to come; vijJNaaya= after acquainting with; sarvam= all this; asheSaaH= completely; nipuNam= and skillfully.
“Find out what are his hours of sleeping and waking and what he intends to do next. You ought to come here, after acquainting with all this information completely and skillfully.”
caareNa viditaH shatruH paNDitair vasudhaa adhipaiH || 2-29-22
yuddhe svalpena yatnena samaasaadya nirasyate |
22. vasudhaadhipaiH= by kings; paNDitaiH= who are shrewd; shatruH= an enemy; yuddhe= in battle; samaasaadhya= who is got; chaareNa= through spies; nirasyate= will be defeated; svalpena= with a little; yatnena= of effort.
“An enemy in battle, got known through spies by kings, will be defeated with only a little of effort.”
caaraas tu te tathaa iti uktvaa prahR^iSTaa raakSasa iishvaram || 2-29-23
shaarduulamagrataH kR^itvaa tatashcakruH pradakshiNam |
23. te= those; chaaraastu= spies on their part; prahR^iSTaaH= were delighted; uktvaa= spoke; tatheti= “May it be so”; kR^itvaa= kept; shaarduulam= Shardula; agrataH= in front; chakruH= and made; pradakshiNam= clockwise circumambulation; raakshasesvaram= around Ravana.
Those spies on their part delightfully replied, “May it be so”, kept Shardula in their front and made their circumambulation clockwise around Ravana.
tatastam tu mahaatmaanam caaraa raakshasasattamam || 2-29-24
kR^itvaa pradakSiNam jagmur yatra raamaH salakshmaNaH |
24. tataH= then; chaaraaH= the spies; pradakSiNam kR^itvaa= having made the circumambulation; (around); tam= that; raakSasa sattamam= excellent demon; mahaatmaanam= the distinguished; jagmuH= and went; yatra= to the place where; raamaH= Rama; salakSmaNaH= along with Lakshmana (were there).
Having thus made circumambulation to Ravana the excellent and the distinguished demon, the spies went to the place where Rama along with Lakshmana were there.
te suvelasya shailasya samiipe raama lakSmaNau || 2-29-25
pracchannaa dadR^ishur gatvaa sasugriiva vibhiiSaNau |
25. gatvaa= having gone; prachchhannaaH= in a disguised manner; te= they; dadR^ishuH= saw; raamalakshmaNau= Rama and Lakshman; sa sugriiva vibhiiSaNau= together with Sugreeva and Vibhishana; saniipe= in the vicinity; suvelasya shailasya= of mountain Suvela.
Having gone in a disguised manner, those spies saw Rama and Lakshman together with Sugreeva and Vibhishana in the neighbourhood of Mountain Suvela.
prekshamaaNaashcamuum taam ca babhuuvurbhayavihvalaaH || 2-29-26
te tu dharma aatmanaa dR^iSTaa raakSasa indreNa raakSasaaH |
26. prekshamaaNaaH= seeing; taam chamuum= that army; te raakshasaaH= those demons; babhuuvuH= became; bhayavihvalaaH= overwhelmed with fear; dR^iSTaaH= and were observed; raakshasendreNa= by Vibhishana the Lord of demons; dharmaatmanaa= the high-souled.
Seeing that army, those demons became overwhelmed with fear. However, they were observed by the high-souled Vibhishana the Lord of demons.
vibhiiSaNena tatrasthaa nigR^ihiitaa yadR^icchayaa || 2-29-27
shaarduulo graahitastvekaH paapo.ayamiti raakshasaH |
27. yard^ichchhayaa= accidentally; tatrasthaaH= the demons there; nigR^ihiitaaH= were caught; vibhiiSaNena= by Vibhishana; iti= saying that; ayam= this; raakSasaH= demon; paapaH= was a wicked person; shaarduulaH tu= Shardula; ekaH= alone; graahitaH= was got seized.
Accidentally, the deomons there were caught by Vibhishana, who said that the demon Shardula among them was wicked and got him alone seized.
mokshitaH so.api raameNa vadhyamaanaH plavaN^gamaiH || 2-29-28
anR^ishamsena raameNa mokshitaa raakshasaaH sare |
28. so.api= that Shardula also; vadhyamaanaH= who was about to be killed; plavaN^gamaiH= by the monkeys; mochitaH= was got released; raameNa= by Rama; pare= the other; raakSasaaH= demons; mokSitaaH= wee got released; raameNa= by Rama; anR^ishamsena= the kind man.
That Shardula also, who was going to be killed by the monkeys, was got released by Rama. The other demons also were got released by Rama, the kind man.
vaanarair arditaas te tu vikraantair laghu vikramaiH || 2-29-29
punar la.nkaam anupraaptaaH shvasanto naSTa cetasaH |
29. te= those demons; arditaaH= harassed; vaanaraiH= by the monkeys; vikraantaiH= the courageous; laghuvikramaiH= and the quick-footed; naSTachetasaH= became insensible; shvasantaH= heaved a sigh; anupraaptaaH= and reached; laN^kaam= Lanka; punaH= again.
Those demons, harassed by the courageous and the quick-paced monkeys, became insensible, heaved a sigh and reached back Lanka.
tato dashagriivam upasthitaas te |
caaraa bahir nitya caraa nishaa caraaH |
gireH suvelasya samiipa vaasinam |
nyavedayan bhiima balam mahaabalaaH || 2-29-30
30. chaaraaH= (those) spies; nityacharaaH= mahaabalaaH= valiant; nishaacharaaH= rangers of the night; tataH= thereafter; upasthitaaH= approached; dashagriivam= Ravana; nyavedayan= and informed him; raama balam= that Rama’s army; samiipavaasinam= was camping in the vicinity; suvelasya= of the Suvela mountain.
Those spies, who always wander outside and who were valiant rangers of the night, thereafter approached Ravana and informed him that Rama’s army was camping in the vicinity of the Suvela mountain.
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye yuddhakaaNDe ekonatrimshaH sargaH
Thus completes 29th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
© May 2004, K. M. K. Murthy