Book VI :Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
Rama expresses his desire to Vibhishana and Sugreeva to halt on Suvela mountain for that night, and to envision the City of Lanka. Rama along with Lakshmana, Vibhishana, Sugreeva and his army ascend the mountain and witness the beauty of Lanka. They halt on that mountain-resort for the night. |
sa tu kR^itvaa suvelasya matim aarohaNam prati |
lakSmaNa anugato raamah sugriivam idam abraviit || 6-38-1
vibhiiSaNam ca dharmajnam anuraktam nizaa caram |
mantrajnam ca vidhijnam ca zlakSNayaa parayaa giraa || 6-38-2
1, 2. saH raamaH= that Rama; lakshhmaNaanugataH= who was followed by Lakshmana; kR^itvaa= having made up; matim= his mind; aarohaNam prati= to ascend; suvelasya= Mount Suvela; abraviit= spoke; idam this; shalakSNayaa= with gentle; parayaa= and prime; giraa= voice; sugriivam= to Sugreeva; vibhiSaNamcha= and to Vibhishana; dharmaJJNam= the knower of what is right; nishaacharam= a demon; anuraktam= devoted to him; mantrajJNam= experienced in counsel; vidhijJNam- and the knower of prescribed rules.
Rama, who was followed by Lakshmana, having made up his mind to ascend Mount Suvela, spoke in a gentle and prime voice to Sugreeva and to Vibhishana who was the knower of what is right, a demon devoted to him who was experienced in counsel and a knower of prescribed rules (as follows):
suvelam saadhu zaila indram imam dhaatu zataiz citam |
adhyaarohaamahe sarve vatsyaamo atra nizaam imaam || 6-38-3
3. adhyaarohaamahe= we shall ascend up on high; imam= this; suvelam shailendram= Suvela mountain; chitam= shining; saadhu= well; dhaatushataiH= with hundreds of minerals; sarve= all of us; vatsyaamahe= will stay; atra= on this mountain; imam= for this; nishaam= right.
"We shall ascend up on high this Suvela mountain, shining well with hundreds of minerals. All of us will stay on this mountain for this night."
lankaam ca aalokayiSyaamo nilayam tasya rakSasah |
yena me maraNa antaaya hR^itaa bhaaryaa duraatmanaa || 6-38-4
yena dharmo na vijnaato na vR^ittam na kulam tathaa |
raakSasyaa niicayaa buddhyaa yena tad garhitam kR^itam || 6-38-5
4, 5. aalokayiSyaamaH cha= we shall see; laN^kaam= Lanka; nilayam= the abode; tasya raakSasaH= of that demon, Ravana; yena= by whom; duraatmanaa= the evil minded; bhaaryaa= my wife; hR^itaa= was taken away; maraNaantaaya= for the sake of his own death; yena= by whom; dharmaH= virtue; navijJNaataH= was not understaood; vR^ittam= good character; na= was not known; tathaa= and; kulam= noble lineage; na= was not seen; yena= by whom ; tat garhitam= that contemptible action; kR^itam= was done; niichayaa= with an inferior; raakSasyaa buddhyaa= demoniacal mind.
"We shall see Lanka the abode of that demon, Ravana the evil-minded by whom my wife was taken away for the sake of his own death, by whom virtue was not understood, good character was not known and noble lineage was not seen and by whom that contemptible act was done with an inferior demoniacal mind."
yasmin me vardhate roSah kiirtite raakSasa adhame |
yasya aparaadhaan niicasya vadham drakSyaami rakSasaam || 6-38-6
6. me= My; roSaH= anger; vartate= is enhancing; kiirtite= on hearing the name; tasmin= of such; raakSascadhame= worst demon; aparaadhaat= Due to the offence; yasya= of whom; niichasya= the lowest; drakSyaami= I shall see; vadham= the destroyer; rakSasaam= of the demons.
"My anger is increased on hearing the name of that demon. Because of the offence committed by him, I shall see that all these demons are destroyed."
eko hi kurute paapam kaala paaza vazam gataH |
niicena aatma apacaareNa kulam tena vinazyati || 6-38-7
7. gataH= approaching; kaalapaashavasham= and falling into the power of trap of death; ekaH= one; kurute= will do; paapam= an evil act; tena= by him; niichena= the vilest; aatmaapachaareNa= because of his offence; kulam= his lineage; vinashyati= is destroyed.
"Falling into that power of trap of death, one does an evil act. Because of the offence committed by him the vilest, his lineage is destroyed."
evam sammantrayann eva sakrodho raavaNam prati |
raamah suvelam vaasaaya citra saanum upaaruhat || 6-38-8
8. raamaH= Rama; evam= thus; sammantrayanneva= thinking; raavaNamprati= of Ravana; sakrodhaH= with anger; aasaadya= approached; upaaruthat= and ascended; suvelam= the mountain of Suvela; chitrasaanum= with its conspicuous summits.
Rama, thus thinking of Ravana in anger, approached and ascended the mountain of Suvela with its conspicuous summits.
pR^iSThato lakSmaNa ca enam anvagacchat samaahitaH |
sazaram caapam udyamya sumahad vikrame rataH || 6-38-9
tam anvarohat sugriivah saamaatyah savibhiiSaNah |
9. lakSmaNashcha= Lakshmana too; rataH= delighted in; vikrame= his valour; samaahitaH= and stead fasteness; udyamya= keeping ready; sumahat= his mighty; chaapam= bow; sasharam= wtih arrows; anragachchhat= accompanied; pR^iSThataH= behind; evam= this Rama; sugriivaH= Sugreeva; saamaatyaH= together with his ministers; savibhiiSaNaH= along with vibhishana; anvaarohat= ascended by following; tam= him.
Lakshamana too who took delight in his own valour and steadfastness, keeping ready his mighty bow with arrows, followed behind Rama Sugreeva along with his ministers and Vibhishana ascended the mountain, by following him.
hanuumaan angado niilo maindo dvivida;eva ca || 6-38-10
gajo gava akSo gavayah zarabho gandha maadanah |
panasah kumudaz caiva haro rambhaz ca yuuthapah || 6-38-11
jaambavaamshcha suSeNashcha R^iSabhashcha mahaamatiH |
durmukhashcha mahaatejaastathaa shatabaliH kapiH || 6-38-12
ete ca anye ca bahavo vaanaraah ziighra gaaminah |
te vaayu vega pravaNaas tam girim giri caariNah || 6-38-13
adhyaarohanta zatazah suvelam yatra raaghavah |
10, 11, 12, 13. hanumaan= Hanuman, aN^gadaH= Angada; niilaH= Nila; maindaH= Mainda; dvivida evacha= Dvivida; gajaH= Gaja; gavaakSaH= Gavaksha; gavayaH= Gavaya; sharabhaH= Sharabha; gandhamaadanaH= Gandhamadana; panasaH= Panasa; kumudashchaiva= Kumuda; haraH= Hara; rambhashcha= Rambha; yuuthapaH= the chief of the troop; jaambavaamshcha= Jambavan; suSeNashcha= sushena; mahaamatiH= the greatly wise; R^iSebhashcha= Rishabha; durmukhashcha= Durmukha; mahaatejaaH= of great splendour; shatabaliH= shatabali; kapiH= the monkey; anyecha bahavo shatashaH= and other many hundreds of; te= those; vaanaraaH= monkeys; etecha= here; shiighragaaminaH= which are fast moving; girichaariNaH= which can wander easily on mountains; vaayuvega pravaNaaH= with a speed akin to that of wind; adhyaarohanta= ascended; tam= that; suvelamgirim= Suvela mountain; yatra raaghavaH= where Rama was there.
Hanuman, Angada, Nila, Mainda, Dvivida, Gaja, Gavaksha, Gavaya, Sharabha, Gandhamadana, Panasa, Kumuda, Hara, Rambha the chief of the troop, Jambavan, sushena, the greatly wise Rishabha, Durmukha of great splendour, Shatabali the monkey and other hundreds of monkeys which are fast-moving, which can wander easily on mountains with a speed akin to that of wind, ascended that Suvela mountain which Rama ascended.
te tv adiirgheNa kaalena girim aaruhya sarvatah || 6-38-14
dadR^izuh zikhare tasya viSaktaam iva khe puriim |
14. te tu= they; adiirghena kaalena= within no long time; aaruuhya= having ascended; girim= the mountain; sarvataH= from all sides; shikhare= and at the apex; tasya= of it; dadR^ishaH= saw; puriim= the City of Lanka; vishhaktaamiva= which appeared hanging, khe= in the sky.
Having ascended the mountain from all sides within no long time, they saw at its apex, the city of Lanka which appeared as though it was hanging in the sky.
taam zubhaam pravata dvaaraam praakaara vara zobhitaam || 6-38-15
lankaam raakSasa sampuurNaam dadR^izur hari yuuthapaah |
15. hariyuuthapaaH= the chiefs of monkey-troops; dadR^ishaH= saw; taam shubhaam laN^kaam= that beautiful City of Lanka; pravaradvaaram= having excellent gates; praakaaravara shobhitaam= enriched with exquisite ramparts; raakSasa sampuurNaam= and pervaded with demons.
The chiefs of monkey-troops saw that beautiful City of Lanka, furnished with excellent gates, enriched with exquisitc ramparts and pervaded all over with demons.
praakaara caya samsthaiz ca tathaa niilair nizaa caraih || 6-38-16
dadR^izus te hari zreSThaah praakaaram aparam kR^itam |
16. te= those; harishreSThaaH= excellent monkeys; dadR^ishuH= saw; aparam= another; praakaaram= rampart; kR^itam= formed; niilashcha raakshasaiH= our of the black demons; praakara vara samsthaiH tathaa= so standing together on that exquisite rampart.
Those excellent monkeys saw another rampart formed out of the black demons so standing together scribble on that existing exquisite rampart.
te dR^iSTvaa vaanaraah sarve raakSasaan yuddha kaankSiNah || 6-38-17
mumucur vipulaan naadaams tatra raamasya pazyatah |
17. dR^iSTvaa= seeing; raakSasaan= the demons; yuddhakaaNkSiNaH= craving for war; sarve te vaanaraaH= all those monkeys; mumuchuH= made; vividhaan= various kinds; naadaan= of sounds; (while); tasya= that; raamasya= Rama; pashyataH= was witnessing.
Seeing the demons who were craving for war, all those monkeys made various types of noises, while Rama was witnessing the scene.
tato astam agamat suuryah samdhyayaa pratiranjitah || 6-38-18
puurNa candra pradiipaa ca kSapaa samabhivartate |
18. tataH= then; suuryaH= the sun; pratiraN^jitaH= reddened; sandhyayaa= by evening twillight; astam aagamat= wnet down; kSapaacha= (and) the night; puurNachandra pradiiptaa= shining with full moon; samativartata= arrived.
Then, the sun reddened with evening-twillight went down and the night shining with full moon arrived.
tataH sa raamo hari vaahinii patir |
vibhiiSaNena pratinandya satkR^itaH |
salakSmaNo yuuthapa yuutha samvR^itaH |
suvela pR^iSThe nyavasad yathaa sukham || 6-38-19
19. tataH= thereafter; saH= that; raamaH= Rama; sa lakshhmaNaH= along with Lakshmana, harivaahiniipatiH= and Sugreeva the Lord of monkeys; yuuthapa yuutha samyutaH= together with troops and captains of troops; pratinandya= greeted welcoming (and); satkR^itaH= treated hospitably; vibhiiSaNena= by Vibhishana; nyavasat= stayed; yathaasukham= happily; suvela pR^iSThe= on the mountain resort of Suvela
Thereafter, Rama along with Lakshmana as well as Sugreeva the Lord of monkeys together with troops and captions of troops, duly greeted welcomingly and treated hospitably by Vibhishana, halted happily on the mountain resort of Suvela.
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye yuddhakaaNDe aSTaatrimshaH sargaH
Thus completes 38th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
© December 2004, K. M. K. Murthy