Book VI : Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
Ravana summons some female demons including Trijata and instructs them to take Seetha in Pushpaka-plane to the battle-front and show Rama and Lakshmana alleged to have been killed by Indrajit. Accordingly, the female-demons take Seetha in Pushpaka-plane and show her Rama and Lakshmana lying unconscious on a bed of arrows in the battle-field. Imagining Rama and Lakshmana to have been dead, Seetha bursts into sobs. |
tasmin pratipraviSTe lankaam tu kR^ita arthe raavaNa aatmaje |
raaghavam parivaarya aartaa rarakSur vaanara R^iSabhaaH || 6-47-1
1. tasmin= (while) that; raavaNaatmaja= Indrajit; the son of Ravana; kR^itaarthe= accomplished his purpose; praviSTe= and entered; laN^kaayaam= Lanka; vaanaraSabhaaH= the leading mokeys; atha= then; parivaarya= having surrounded; raaghavam= Rama; rarakSuH= and protected him.
Indrajit, the son of Ravana having returned to Lanka, his purpose accomplished, the leading monkeys surrounded Rama in order to watch over him.
hanuumaan angado niilah suSeNah kumudo nalaH |
gajo gava akSo gavayah sharabho gandha maadanaH || 6-47-2
jaambavaan R^iSabhah sundo rambhah shata balih pR^ithuH |
vyuuDha aniikaash ca yattaash ca drumaan aadaaya sarvataH || 6-47-3
viikSamaaNaa dishah sarvaas tiryag uurdhvam ca vaanaraaH |
tR^iNeSv api ca ceSTatsu raakSasaa;iti menire || 6-47-4
2, 3, 4. hanuman= Hanuman; aN^gadaH= Angada; NiilaH= Nila; suSeNaH= Sushena; kumudaH= Kumuda; nalaH= Nala; gajaH= Gaja; gavaakSaH= Gavaksha; panasaH= Panasa; mahaa hariH= the mighty monkey; saanaprasthaH= Sanuprastha; jaambavaan= Jambavan; R^iSabhaH= Rishabha; sunaH= Sunda; rambhaH= Rmaba; shatabaliH= Shatabali; pR^ithuH= Prithu; vaanaraaH= (these) monkeys; aadaaya= armed with; drumaan= trees; vyuuDhaaniikaaH= reorganized their ranks; sarvataH= on all sides;yathaashcha= alert; viikSamaaNaaH= surveyed; dishaH= the quarters of the sky; uurdhvam cha= upwards; tiryak= and horizontally; sarvataH= and on every side; tR^iNeSvapi= and even if a grass; cheSTatsu= stirred; menire= (they) exclaimed; raakSasaaH iti= “It is a demon!”
Hanuman, Angada, Nila, Sushena, Kumuda, Nala, Gaja, Gavaksha, Panasa, Sanuprastha and the mighty Jambavan with Sunda, Rambha, Shatabali and Prithu all these monkeys, armed with trees, reorganized their ranks, stood alert, surveyed the quarters of the sky up and down and on every side and, even if a grass stirred, they exclaimed, “It is a demon!”
raavaNash ca api samhR^iSTo visR^ijya indrajitam sutam |
aajuhaava tatah siitaa rakSaNii raakSasiis tadaa || 6-47-5
5. raavaNashchaapi= Ravana too; samhR^iSTaH= full of joy; visR^ijya= dismissed; sutam= his son; indrajitam= Indrajit; tataH= and thereafter; aajuhaava= summoned; raakSasiiH= the female-demons; siitaa raakSaNiiH= who guarded Seetha; tadaa= then.
Ravana, meanwhile, full of joy, dismissed his son Indrajit and thereafter summoned the female demons who guarded Seetha.
raakSasyas trijaTaa ca api shaasanaat tam upasthitaaH |
taa uvaaca tato hR^iSTo raakSasii raakSasa iishvaraH || 6-47-6
6. shaasanaat= as per his orders; raakSasyaH= the female-demons; trijaTaa chaapi= along with Trijata; upasthitaaH= appeared; tam= before him; tataH= then; hR^iSTaH= the rejoiced; raakSasaadhipaH= Ravana; uvaacha= spoke; taaH raakSasaadhipaH= Ravana; uvaacha= spoke; taaH raakSasiiH= to those female-demons (as follows)
Following his orders, the female-demons along with Trijata appeared before him. Then, the rejoiced Ravana said to them as follows:
hataav indrajitaa aakhyaata vaidehyaa raama lakSmaNau |
puSpakam ca samaaropya darshayadhvam hatau raNe || 6-47-7
7. aakhyaata= tell; vaidehyaaH= Seetha; raama lakSmaNau= that Rama and Lakshmana; hatau= have been killed; indrajitaa= by Indrajit; samaaropya= having made to ascend; tat= that; puSpakam= aeroplane, Pushpaka; darshayadhvam= show; hatau= Rama and Lakshmana, killed; raNe= in battle.
“Tell Seetha that Rama and Lakshmana have been killed by Indrajit. Take her in Pushpaka the aeroplane and show her Rama and Lakshman who were killed in battle.”
yad aashrayaad avaSTabdho na iyam maam upatiSThati |
so asyaa bhartaa saha bhraatraa nirasto raNa muurdhani || 6-47-8
8. yadaashrayaat= on whose shelter; iyam= she; avaSTabdhaa= feels proud; na upatiSThate= and does not come near; maam= me; saH= that; asyaaH bhartaaH= her husband; nihataH= was killed; bhraatraa saha= along with his brother; raNamuurdhani= in the battle-front.
“Her husband, the one depending on whom rendered her so proud that she refused to be united with me, lies there killed with his brother in the battle-front.”
nirvishankaa nirudvignaa nirapekSaa ca maithilii |
maam upasthaasyate siitaa sarva aabharaNa bhuuSitaa || 6-47-9
9. siitaa= Seetha; maithilii= the princess of Mithila; sarvaabharaNa bhuuSitaa= adorned herself with all kinds of ornaments; upasthaasyate= willl submit before; maam= me; nirvishankaa= without any apprehension; nirudvignaa= without grief; nirapekSaa= and without any hope of reunion.
“From now on, free from anxiety, grief and expectation of reunion, Seetha the princess of Mithila kingdom, adorned in all her jewels, will submit herself to me.”
adya kaala vasham praaptam raNe raamam salakSmaNam |
avekSya vinivR^itta aashaa na anyaam gatim apashyatii || 6-47-10
anapekSaa vishaalaakSii maamupasthasyate svayam |
10. avekSya= beholding; raamam= Rama; salakSmaNam= with Lakshmana; gatam= having obtained; kaalavasham= the dominion of death; adya= today; saa= she; vishaalaakSii= the large-eyed woman; vinivR^ittaa= will return; upasthaasyate= and submit before; maam= me; svayam= herself; apashyatii= without finding; anyaam= any other; gatim= haven; anapekSaa= and hoping for nothing else .
“Beholding Rama and Lakshmana fallen under the sway of death on the battle-field today, finding no other haven and hoping for nothing else, the large-eyed Seetha will voluntarily seek refuge with me!”
tasya tad vacanam shrutvaa raavaNasya duraatmanaH || 6-47-11
raakSasyas taas tathaa ity uktvaa prajagmur yatra puSpakam |
11. shrutvaa= hearing; tat vachanam= that command; tasya raavaNasya= of that Ravana; duraatmanaH= the curel demon; taaH raakSasya= those female-demons; uktvaa= having replied; tathaa iti= “so it be”; jagmuH vai= and went; yatra= there, where; puSpakam= Pushpaka-plane was there.
Hearing these words of the cruel Ravana, they all replied, “Be it so” and went to where the Pushpaka chariot was.
tataH puSpakam aadaya raakSasyo raavaNa aajnayaa || 6-47-12
ashoka vanikaasthaam taam maithiliim samupaanayan |
12. tataH= thereafter; raakSasyaH= the female-demons; aadaaya= brought; puSpakam= the aerial car, Pushpaka; raamaNaajJNayaa= as per the instructions of Ravana; samupaanayan= and carried it near; taam= tat; maithiliim= Seetha; ashokavanikaa; samsthaam= who was staying in Ashoka grove.
Thereafter, the female-demons brought the aerial car, Pushpaka as per the instructions of Ravana and carried it nearer to Seetha who was staying in Ashoka-grove.
taam aadaaya tu raakSasyo bhartR^i shoka paraayaNaam || 6-47-13
siitaam aaropayaam aasur vimaanam puSpakam tadaa |
13. tadaa= then; raakSasyaH= the female demons; aadaaya= brought; taam siitaam= that Seetha; bhartR^ishoka paraajitaam= who was afflicted with grief for her husband; aaropayaamaasuH= and made to ascend; puSpakam vimaanam= Pushpaka –plane.
The female-demons brought Seetha who was afflicted with grief for her husband and made her to ascend Pushpaka-plane.
tataH puSpakam aaropya siitaam trijaTayaa saha || 6-47-14
jagmurdarshayituM tasyai raakSasyo raamalakSmaNau |
14. tataH= then; raakSasyaH= the female-demons; trijaTayaasaha= along with Trijata; aaropya siitaam= made Seetha to ascend; puSpakam= Pushpaka-plane; jagmuH= and proceeded; darshayitum= to show; tasyai= her; raama lakSmaNau= Rama and Lakshmana.
The female-demons along with Trijata made Seetha to ascend Pushpaka-plane and proceeded to show her Rama and Lakshmana.
raavaNo akaarayal lankaam pataakaa dhvaja maaliniim || 6-47-15
praaghoSayata hR^iSTash ca lankaayaam raakSasa iishvaraH |
raaghavo lakSmaNash caiva hataav indrajitaa raNe || 6-47-16
15, 16. raavaNaH= Ravana; raakSaseshvaraH= the king of demons; hR^iSTaH= thrilled with rapture; kaarayaamaasa= made; laN^kaam= Lanka; pataaka dhvaja maaliniim= garlanded with flags and banners; praaghoSayata= and caused a proclamation; (to be made in Lanka); announcing that; raaghavaH= Rama; lakSmaNashcha= and Lakshmana; hatau= had been slain; raNe= in battle; indrajitaa= by Indrajit.
Ravana the king of demons, thrilled with rapture, caused Lanka to be garlanded with flags and banners and arranged a proclamation to be made in Lanka announcing that Rama and Lakshmana had been slain by Indrajit in battle.
vimaanena api siitaa tu gatvaa trijaTayaa saha |
dadarsha vaanaraaNaam tu sarvam sinyam nipaatitam || 6-47-17
17. siitaa= Seetha; trijaTayaa saha= along with Trijata; gatvaa= went; vimaanena= by that plane; dadarsha= and saw; sarvam= all; vaanaraaNaam sainyam= the monkey-troops; nipaatitam= who had been slain.
Seetha along with Trijata, transported by that plane, saw all the monkey-troops who had been slain.
prahR^iSTa manasash ca api dadarsha pishita ashanaan |
vaanaraamsh ca api duhkha aartaan raama lakSmaNa paarshvataH || 6-47-18
18. dadarsha= (Seetha) saw; pishitaashanaan= the demons; prahR^iSTamanasaH= who were delighted at heart; vaanaraamshcha= and monkeys; atiduHkhaartaan= who were disturbed with immense grief; raamalakSmaNa paarshvataH= by the side of Rama and Lakshmana.
Seetha saw the demons who were delighted at heart and monkeys disturbed with grief, standing round Rama and Lakshmana.
tataH siitaa dadarsha ubhau shayaanau shata talpayoH |
lakSmaNam caiva raamam ca visamjnau shara piiDitau || 6-47-19
vidhvasta kavacau viirau vipraviddha shara aasanau |
saayakaish chinna sarva angau shara stambhamayau kSitau || 6-47-20
19, 20 tataH= then; siitaa= Seetha; dadarsha= beheld; ubhau viirau= those two warriors; raamam cha= Rama; lakSmaNamchaiva= and Lakshmana; shayanau= lying; shara piiDitau= pierced with arrows; visamjJNau= unconscious; shara piiDitau= riddled with weapons; vidhvasta kavachau= their armour shattered; vipraviddha sharaasanau= their bows thrown at a distance; chhinna sarvaaN^gau= their entire body transfixed; saayakaiH= by darts; sharastambamayau= on a bed of arrows; kSitau= on the ground.
Then, Seetha beheld those two warriors Rama and Lakshmana lying unconscious on the ground on a bed of arrows, their limbs pierced with arrows, riddled with weapons, their armour shattered, their bows cast aside at a distance and their entire body transfixed by darts.
tau dR^iSTvaa bhraatarau tatra praviirau puruSa R^iSabhau |
shayaanau puNDariikaakSau kumaaraaviva paavakii || 6-47-21
sharatalpagatau viirau tathaabhuutau nararSabhau |
duhkha aartaa subhR^isham siitaa karuNam vilalaapa ha || 6-47-22
21, 22. dR^iSTvaa= on seeing; tau bhraatarau= those two brothers; praviirau= who were filled with valour; puNDariikaakSau= having lotus-eyes; puruSarSabhau= the excellent of men; shayanau sharatalpagatau= lying stretched on a bed of arrows; tatra= there; tathaa bhuutau= in that wretched plight; kumaaraaviva= like the two sons; paavakii= of the fire-god (shakha and Vishakha) (lying on a bed of reeds); siitaa= Seetha; vilalaapaha= wailed; karuNam= piteously; subhR^isham duHkhartaa= stricken with a great agony.
On seeing those two brothers, who were filled with valour, having lotus-eyes, the excellent of men, lying streteched on a bed of arrows there in that wretched plight like the two sons of the fire-god (Shkha and Vishakha) lying on a bed of reeds, Seetha wailed piteously, stricken as she was with a great agony.
bhartaaramanavadyaaN^gii lakSmaNam chaasitekSaNaa |
prekSya paamsuSu cheSTantau ruroda janakaatmajaa || 6-47-23
23. asitekSaNaa= the dark-eyed; janakaatmajaa= Seetha the daughter of Janaka; anavadyaaNgii= with faultless limbs; prekSya= beholding; bharataaram= her lord; lakSmaNam cha= and Lakshmana; cheSTantau= lying paamsuSu= in the dust; ruroda= burst into sobs.
The dark-eyed Seetha the daughter of Janaka with her faultless limbs, beholding her lord and Lakshmana lying in the dust, burst into sobs.
saa baaSpa shoka abhihataa samiikSya |
tau bhraatarau deva sama prabhaavau |
vitarkayantii nidhanam tayoh saa |
duhkha anvitaa vaakyam idam jagaada || 6-47-24
24. samiikSya= witnessing; tau bhraatarau= those brothers; devasuta prabhaavau= the prominent sons of god; saa= that Seetha; sabaaSpa shokaabhihataa= struck by grief with tears; vitarkayantii= believing; tayoH= their; nidhanam= death; jagaada= spoke; idam= these; vaakyam= words; duHkhaanvitaa= possessed with grief.
Witnessing those brothers, the prominent sons of god, Seetha afflicted with tearful sorrow, believing their death, spoke with grief the following words.
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye yuddhakaaNDe saptachatvaarimshaH sargaH
Thus completes 47th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
© August 2005, K. M. K. Murthy