Book VI : Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
Dispatched by the king Ravana to ascertain the strength of the army in the opposition-camp, Shardula the demon-spy acquaints his master with the important leaders of the monkeys. |
tatastamakSobhya balam la.nkaa adhipataye caraaH |
suvele raaghavam shaile niviSTam pratyavedayan || 6-30-1
1. tataH= thereafter; charaaH= the spies; pratyavedayan= informed; laN^kaadhipate= Ravana; tam= about that; raaghavam= Rama; akshobhyabalam= with his unperturbable army; suvela shaile= on Suvela Mountain.
Thereafter, the spies informed Ravana about Rama, with his unperturbable army, having encamped on Suvela Mountain.
caaraaNaam raavaNaH shrutvaa praaptam raamam mahaabalam |
jaata udvego abhavat kimcit shaarduulam vaakyam abraviit || 6-30-2
2. shrutvaa= hearing; chaaraaNaam= from the spies; praaptam= about the arrival; mahaabalam= of the exceedingly strong; raamam= Rama; raavaNaH= Ravana; abhavat= became; kimchit= a little; jaatodvegaH= perturbed; abraviit= (and) spoke; vaakyam= (the following) words; sharduulam= to Shardula.
Hearing from the spies about the arrival of Rama, the exceedingly strong man, Ravana became a little perturbed and spoke to Shardula as follows:
ayathaavac ca te varNo diinaH ca asi nishaa cara |
na asi kaccid amitraaNaam kruddhaanaam vasham aagataH || 6-30-3
3. nishaachara= O, demon! Te= your; varNaH= complexion; ayathaavat cha= is not so as it should be; asi= you (look); diinashcha= miserable too; na aagataH kachchit= I hope that you have not fallen; vasham= a victim; kruddhaanaam= to the enraged; amitraaNaam= enemies.
O, demon! Your complexion is not so as it should be. You look miserable too. I hope that you have not fallen a victim to the enraged monkeys.”
iti tena anushiSTas tu vaacam mandam udiirayat |
tadaa raakSasa shaarduulam shaarduulo bhaya vihvalaH || 6-30-4
4. iti= thus; anushiSTaH= questioned; tena= by Ravana; shaarduulaH= Shardula; bhaya vihvalaH= afflicted with fear; tadaa= then; mandam= sluggishly; udiirayat= spoke; vaacham= (these) words; raakshasa shaarduulam= to Ravana the tiger among demons.
Thus questioned by Ravana, Shardula afflicted with fear, then sluggishly spoke the following words to Ravana the tiger among demons:
na te caarayitum shakyaa raajan vaanara pumgavaaH |
vikraantaa balavantaH ca raaghaveNa ca rakSitaaH || 6-30-5
5. raajan= O, king! Te= those; vaanara puNgavaaH= excellent monkeys; vikraantaaH= bold; balavantashcha= strong; rakSitaaH cha= and protected; raaghavaNa= by Rama; na shakyaaH= are not capable of being; chaarayitum= spied upon.
“O, king! Those strong, bold and excellent monkeys protected by Rama are not capable of being spied upon.”
na api sambhaaSitum shakyaaH samprashno atra na labhyate |
sarvato rakSyate panthaa vaanaraiH parvata upamaiH || 6-30-6
6. na shakyaaH= they are not capable of being; sambhaaSitumapi= talked with; na labhyate= nor can be found anything; samprashna= by interrogating; atra= with them; sarvataH= the entire; panthaaH= path; rakshyate= is being protected; vaanaraiH= by the monkeys; parvatopamaiH= looking like mountains.
“They are not capable of being talked with and nothing can be found in interrogating with them. The entire path is being protected by the monkeys looking like mountains.”
praviSTa maatre j~naato aham bale tasminn acaarite |
balaad gR^ihiito bahubhir bahudhaa asmi vidaaritaH || 6-30-7
7. aham= I; jJNaataH= was identified; (when); tasmin= that; bale= army; praviSTamaatre= was merely penetrated into (by me); achaarite= and began to be examined; gR^ihiitaH= I was seized; balata= forcibly; rakshobhiH= by the demons (forming the retinue of Vibhishana); asmi= I was; vichaaritaH= investigated (by them); babhudhaaH= in various ways.
“I was identified when that army was merely penetrated into (by me) and began to be examined. I was seized forcibly by the demons (forming the retinue of Vibhishana), who investigated me in various ways.”
jaanubhir muSTibhir dantais talaiH ca abhihato bhR^isham |
pariNiito asmi haribhir balavadbhir amarSaNaiH || 6-30-8
8. abhihataH= I was beaten; bhR^isham= very much; jaambhiH= with knees; muSTibhiH= fists; dantaiH= teeth; talaishcha= and palms; amarSaNaiH= by the enraged; haribhiH= monkeys; asmi= I was; pariNiitaH= paraded round; balamdhye= in the middle of the army.
“I was beaten on all sides with knees, fists, teeth and palms by the enraged monkeys. I was also paraded round in the midst of their army.”
pariNiiya ca sarvatra niito aham raama samsadam |
rudhira aadigdha sarva ango vihvalaH calita indriyaH || 6-30-9
9. pariNiiya= having been paraded; sarvatra= all around; aham= I; niitaH= was taken; raamasamsadi= to the court of Rama; rudhiraadidighdhasarvaaN^gaH= all my limbs was anointed with blood; vihvalaH= being trembled; chalitendriyaH= my senses were disturbed.
“Having been paraded all around thus, I was finally taken to the court of Rama. All my limbs were bleeding and Rama. All my limbs were bleeding and I was trembling, with my senses disturbed.”
haribhir vadhyamaanaH ca yaacamaanaH kR^ita anjaliH |
raaghaveNa paritraato jiivaami ha yadR^icchayaa || 6-30-10
10. vadhyamaanaH= while being plagmed; haribhiH= by the monkeys; yaachamaanaH= and asked for protection; kR^itaN^jaliH= with joined palms; paritraataH= I was saved; yard^ichchhayaa= fortunately; raaghaveNa= by Rama; maameti cha= saying “stay! Stay!”.
“While being plagued by the monkeys and asked for protection with joined palms, I was saved fortunately by Rama, saying ‘stay!stay!’
eSa shailaiH shilaabhiH ca puurayitvaa mahaaarNavam |
dvaaram aashritya la.nkaayaa raamas tiSThati saayudhaH || 6-30-11
11. eSaH= that; raamaH= Rama; puurayitvaa= has filled; mahaarNavam= the sea; shailaiH= with boulders; shilaabhishcha= and rocks; aashritya= taking up his position; dvaaram= at the gates; laN^kaayaaH= of Lanka; tiSThati= and stands there; saayndhaH= well equipped with weapon.
“Rama has filled the sea with boulders and rocks, taking up his position at the gates of Lanka and stands there, well-equipped with weapons.”
garuDa vyuuham aasthaaya sarvato haribhir vR^itaH |
maam visR^ijya mahaatejaa la.nkaam eva abhivartate || 6-30-12
12. visR^ijya= having released; maam= me; mahaatejajaaH= Rama of great splendour; aasthaaya= arranged; (the army); garuDa vyuuham= in the form of Garuda (an eagle); vR^itaH= (He is) encircled; sarvataH= on all sides; haribhiH= by monkeys; abhivartate= and is approaching; laN^kaameva= towards Lanka.
“Having released me, Rama of great splendour arranged the army in the form of Garuda (an eagle). He is encircled on all sides by the monkeys and is approaching towards Lanka.”
puraa praakaaram aayaati kSipram ekataram kuru |
siitaam ca asmai prayaccha aashu suyuddham vaa pradiiyataam || 6-30-13
13. puraa aayaati= he may reach; praakaaram= the ramparts; kuru= do; ekataram= one thing or the other; kshipram= quickly; vaa= or; prayaachchha= give away; siitaam= Seetha; aashu= immediately; pradiiyataam vaapi= or even give him; yuddham= a battle.
“Before he reaches the ramparts, do one thing or the other quickly or give away Seetha immediately or even offer him battle.”
manasaa samtataapa atha tat shrutvaa raakSasa adhipaH |
shaarduulasya mahad vaakyam atha uvaaca sa raavaNaH || 6-30-14
14. shrutvaa= having heard; tat= those words; saH= that; raavaNaH= Ravana; raakshasaadhipaH= the Lord of demons; tadaa= then; prekshya manasaa= reflected; tat= on it; atham= and thereafter; uvaacha= spoke; sumahat vaakyam= the significant words; shaarduulam= to shardula.
Having heard those words, Ravana the lord of demons reflected on it and thereafter spoke the following significant words to Shardula.
yadi maam pratiyudhyeran deva gandharva daanavaaH |
na eva siitaam pradaasyaami sarva loka bhayaad api || 6-30-15
15. naira pradaasyaami= I will not give away; siitaam= Seetha; yadi= even if; deva gandharva daanavaaH= the celestials or Gandharvas the celestial musicians or the demons; pratiyudhyerannapi= were to fight again; maam= me; sarva loka bhayaadapi= or even under danger from all beings.
“I will not give away Seetha even if the celestials or Gandharvas the celestial musicians or the demons were to fight against me or even under danger from all beings.”
evam uktvaa mahaatejaa raavaNaH punar abraviit |
caaritaa bhavataa senaa ke atra shuuraaH plavam gamaaH || 6-30-16
16. mahaatejaaH= the heroic; raavaNaH= Ravana; evam= thus; uktvaa= uttered; punaH= and again; abraviit= spoke (as follows); senaa= (has) the army; charitaa= been espied; bhavataa= by you? Ke= who; shuuraaH= are the valiant; plavaN^gamaaH= monkeys; atra= among them?
After uttering the aforesaid words, the heroic Ravana again spoke as follows: “Has the army been espied by you? Who are the valiant monkeys among them?”
kiidR^ishaaH kim prabhaavaaH ca vaanaraa ye duraasadaaH |
kasya putraaH ca pautraaH ca tattvam aakhyaahi raakSasa || 6-30-17
17. suurata= O, the virtuous; saumya= gentle man!; kimprabhaaH vaanaraaH= what radiance do the monkeys have; ye= who; duraasadaaH= an difficult to be conquered? kiidR^ishaaH= of what kind? Kasya= whose; putraaH= sons (are they?) pautrashcha= whose grandsons are they? Tvam= you; aakhyaahi= describe; tat= it.
“O, the virtuous gentle Shardula! What radiance do the monkeys, who are difficult to be conquered possess of? what kind? Whose sons and grandsons are they? You tell me that information.”
tathaatra pratipatsyaami j~naatvaa teSaam bala abalam |
avashyam bala samkhyaanam kartavyam yuddham icchataa || 6-30-18
18. jJNaatvaa= after knowing; teSaam= their; balaabalam= strength and weakness; pratipatsyaami= I will decide; atra= in this matter; tathaa= accordingly; kartavyam khalu= Is it not necessary; samkhyaanam= to count; avashyam= clearly; ichchhataam= those who are yearning; yuddham= for battle?
“After knowing their strengths and weakness, I will decide in this matter accordingly. Is it not necessary to count clearly those who are really yearning to fight the battle?”
atha evam uktaH shaarduulo raavaNena uttamaH caraH |
idam vacanam aarebhe vaktum raavaNa samnidhau || 6-30-19
19. evam= thus; uktaH= spoken; raavaNena= by Ravana; shaarduulaH= Shardula; uttamaH charaH= the excellent spy; atha= then; aarebhe= started; vaktum= to tell; idam= these; vachanam= words; raavaNa samvidhau= for Ravana’s clearance.
Hearing Ravana’s words, Shardula the excellent spy then started to narrate these words for Ravana’s information:
atha R^ikSa rajasaH putro yudhi raajan sudurjayaH |
gadgadasya atha putro atra jaambavaan iti vishrutaH || 6-30-20
20. atha= certainly; raajaa= king Sugreeva; putraH= the son; R^iksharajasaH= of Riksharajasa; duraasadaH= is difficult to be conquered; yudhi= in battle; atra= here; sutraH= is the so; gadgadasya= of Gadgada; vishrutaH= famously; jaambavaaniti= called as Jambavan.
“Certainly, king Sugreeva, the son of Riksharajasa, is difficult to be conquered in battle. Here is the son of Gadgada, famously called as Jambavan.”
gadgadasya eva putro anyo guru putraH shata kratoH |
kadanam yasya putreNa kR^itam ekena rakSasaam || 6-30-21
21. asyaH= the other one; putraH= is the son; gadgadasyaiva= of the same Gadagada. (another one); guruputraH= is the son of Brihaspati, the teacher; shatakratoH= of Indra the god of celestials; (called Kesari); yasya= by whose; putreNa= son (Hanuman); ekena= alone; kadanam= the destroyal; rakshasaam= of demons; kR^itam= was done.
“The other one is the son of the same Gadgada. Another one is the son of Brihaspati the teacher of Indra the lord of celestials, called Kesari by whose son Hanuman the demons were destroyed.”
suSeNaH ca api dharma aatmaa putro dharmasya viiryavaan |
saumyaH soma aatmajaH ca atra raajan dadhi mukhaH kapiH || 6-30-22
22. raajan= O, king! Atra= here is; suSeNashcha= Sushena; putraH= the son; dharmasya= of Yama the lord of Death; viiryavaan= who is valiant; dharmaatmaa= and virtuous minded; dadhimukhaH kapiH= and a monkey called Dadhimukha; somaatmajaH= who is the son of moon; saumyaH= and cool-minded.
“O, king! Here is Sushena the son of Yama the Lord of Death who is valiant and virtuous, as well as a monkey called Dadhimukha, the cool-minded, who is the son of moon.”
sumukho durmukhaH ca atra vega darshii ca vaanaraH |
mR^ityur vaanara ruupeNa nuunam sR^iSTaH svayambhuvaa || 6-30-23
23. sumukhaH= Sumukha; durmukhashchaiva= Durmukha; vaanaraH= and monkey called; vegadarshiicha= called Vegadarshi; nuunam= are surely; mR^ityuH= the death; sR^iSTaH= created; vaanara rapeNa= in the form of monkeys; svayambhuvaa= by Brahma the Lord of creation.
“Sumukha, Durmukha and a monkey called Vegadarshi are surely the personifications of death in the form of monkeys, created by Brahma, the Lord of creation.”
putro huta vahasya atha niilaH senaa patiH svayam |
anilasya ca putro atra hanuumaan iti vishrutaH || 6-30-24
24. atra= here is; niilaH= Nila; senaapatiH= the army-general; svayam= himself; putraH= the son; hutavahasya= of Agni the Lord of Fire; atra= here is; anilasya putraH= the son of Vayu the Lord of Wind; vishrutaH= well-know; hanumaaniti= as Hanuman.
“Here is Nila the army-general himself, the son of Agni the Lord of Fire. Here is the son of Vayu the Lord of Wind well- known as Hanuman.”
naptaa shakrasya durdharSo balavaan angado yuvaa |
maindaH ca dvividaH ca ubhau balinaav ashvi sambhavau || 6-30-25
putraa vaivasvatasya atra panca kaala antaka upamaaH |
gajo gava akSo gavayaH sharabho gandha maadanaH || 6-30-26
dasha vaanarakoTyashcha shuuraaNaam yuddhakaaN^gkshiNaam |
shriimataam devaputraaNaam sheSam naakhyaatumutsahe || 6-30-27
25, 26, 27. yuvaa= the young; an^gadaH= Angada; shakrasya= Indra’s; naptaa= grandson; balavaan= the stron; durdharSaH= and invincible; ubhau= both; balinau= the mighty; maindashacha= Mainda; dvividashcha= and Dvivida; ashvisambhavau= born of the two divinities of Ashvin*; atha= and; gaja= Gaja; gavaakSaH= Gavaksha; gavayaH= Gavaya; sharabhaH= Sharabha; gandhamaadhanaH= and Gandhamadhana; paN^cha= the five; putraaH= sons; vaivasvatasya= of Yama the God of Death; kaalaantkopamaa= resembling Yama at the time of dissolution of the world; dasha= ten; vaanarakoTyashcha= crores of monkeys; shuuraaNaam= the valiant ones; yuddhakaaNkshiNaam= who are yearning for battle (are here); na utsahe= I cannot venture; aakhyaatum= to tell; sheSaam= about remaining; devaputraaNaam= sons of god; shriimataam= the glorious.
“The young Angada, Indra’s grandson, the strong and invincible one, both the mighty Mainda and Dvinda born of the two divinties of Ashvin* as well as Gaja, Gavaksha, Gavaya, Sharabha and Gandhamadhana the five sons of Yama the God of Death all of them resembling Yama at the time of dissolution of the world, the valiant ten crores of monkeys who are yearning for battle are all here. I cannot venture to tell about the remaining glorious sons of god.”
The two divinities of Ashvin are said to appear in the sky before the dawn in a golden carriage drawn by horses or birds, they bring treasures to men and avert misfortune and sickness; they are considered as the physicians of heaven.
putro dasharathasyeSa simhasamhanano yuvaa |
duuSaNo nihato yena kharashca trishiraastathaa || 6-30-28
28. eSaH= this; yuvaa= young man; (is Rama); dasharathasya= Dasaratha’s; putraH= son; simha samhananaH= who is well-built like a lion; yena= by whom; duuSaNaH= Dushana; nihataH= was killed; tathaa= as also; kharashcha= Khara; trishiraaH= and Trishira.
“This young man is Rama, Dasartha’s son, who is well-built like a lion, by whom Dushana ws killed as also Khara and Trishana.
naasti raamasya sadR^isho vikrame bhuvi kashcana |
viraadho nihato yena kabandhashcaantakopamaH || 6-30-29
29. naasti kashchana= there is no one; bhuvi= on earth; sadR^ishaH= who is equal; vikrame= in prowess; raamasya= to Rama; yena= by whom; viraadho= Viradha; nihataH= was killed; kabandhashcha= as also Kabandha; antakopamaH= who was equal to Yama.
“There is no one on earth who is equal in prowess to Rama, by whom Viradha was killed as also Kabandha who was equal to Yama.”
vaktum na shakto raamasya guNaan kashchinnaraH kshitau |
janasthaanagataa yena taavanto raakshasaa hataaH || 6-30-30
30. na shaktaH naraH kashchit= No man is able; kSitau= on this earth; vaktum= to tell; guNaan= the qualities; raamasya= of Rama; yena= by whom; taavantaH= all raakshasaH= the demons; janasthaanagataaH= staying in Janasthana; hataaH= were killed.
“No man on this earth is able to narrate the qualities of Rama, by whom all the demons staying in Janasthana were killed.”
lakshmaNashcaatra dharmaatmaa maataN^gavaamivarSabhaH |
yasya baaNapatham praapya va jiivedapi vaasavaH || 6-30-31
31. praapya= having stood; yasya= on whose; baaNapatham= path of arrows; vaasavaH api= even Indra the Lord of celestials; na jiivet= could not survive; lakshmaNashcha= that Lakshamna; dharmaatmaa= the virtuous man; R^iSabhaH iva= resembling the most excellent of elephants; maataN^gaanaam= among elephants.
“Here too is the virtuous Lakshamana, resembling the most excellent elephant among elephants, in the path of whose arrows, even Indra the Lord of celestials himself could not survive
shveto jyotir mukhaH ca atra bhaaskarasya aatma sambhavau |
varuNasya ca putro atha hema kuuTaH plavam gamaH || 6-30-32
vishva karma suto viiro nalaH plavaga sattamaH |
vikraanto vegavaan atra vasu putraH sudurdharaH || 6-30-33
32, 33. shveta= Sweta; jyotirmukhashcha= and Jyotirmukha; aatmasambhavau= the sons; bhaaskarasya= of the sun-god; plavaN^gamaH= a monkey called; hemakuuTaH= Hemakuta; anyaH putraH= another son; varuNasya= of Varuna; nalaH= Nala; vishvakarmasutaH= the son of Vishvakarma; viiraH= the strong; plavN^gama sattamaH= and the best of monkeys; saH= (as well as) that; durdharaH= Durdhara; vasuputraH= the son of Vasus; vikraantaH= the mighty; vegavaan= and the swift; atra= are here.
“Sweta and Jyotirmukha, the sons of the sun-god, a monkey called Hemakuta, another son of Varuna, Nila the son of Visvakarma the strong and the best of monkeys, as well as that mighty and swift Durdhara the son of Vasus are all here.”
raakSasaanaam variSThaH ca tava bhraataa vibhiiSaNaH |
parigR^ihya puriim la.nkaam raaghavasya hite rataH|| 6-30-34
34. variSThashcha= there is the prince; raakSasaanaam= of demons; vibhiiSaNaH= Vibhishana; tava= your; bhraataa= brother; prtigR^ihya= who having secured; laN^kaam puriim= the city of Lanka; (as a prospective gift from Rama); rataH= remains devoted; hite= to be good; raaghavasya= of Rama.
"There is the prince of demons Vibhishana, your brother, who having secured the city of Lanka (as a prospective gift from Rama) remains devoted to the good of Rama."
iti sarvam samaakhyaatam tava idam vaanaram balam |
suvele adhiSThitam shaile sheSa kaarye bhavaan gatiH || 6-30-35
35. iti= thus; samaakhyaatam= has been; described; idam= about this; sarvam= entire; vaanaram balam= army of monkeys; adhiSThitam= stationed; suvele shaile= on the Mount Suvela; bhavaan= It is for you; gatiH= to decide; sheSakaarye= what remains to be done!.
“Thus, I have described about the entire army of monkeys stationed on the Mount Suvela. Now, it is for you to decide what remains to be done!”
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye yuddhakaaNDe trimshaH sargaH
Thus completes 30th 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