Book VI : Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
Rama recollects the lotus-eyed Seetha and laments much about his separation from her Lakshmana consoles him and there approaches the sun-set. |
saa tu niilena vidhivat svaarakSaa susamaahitaa |
saagarasya uttare tiire saadhu senaa vinieshitaa || 6-5-1
1. saa= that army; saa= he famous one; vidhivat= duly; svaarakSaa= well-protected; niilena= by Neela; viniveshitaa= was kept stationed; saadhu= well; uttare tiire= at the northern shore; saagarasya= of the ocean.
That famous army, well-protected by Neela, was kept stationed nicely at the northern shore of the ocean.
maindaH ca dvividhaH ca ubhau tatra vaanara pumgavau |
viceratuH ca taam senaam rakSaa artham sarvato disham || 6-5-2
2. ubhau= both; maindaH ca= Maina; dvividashcaiva= and Divida; vaanara pumgavau= the distinguished; tatra= there monkeys; viceratuH= moved; sarvato disham= in all directions; taam senaam= in that army; rakSaa artham= for the purpose of vigilance.
Both Maina and Dvivida the distinguished monkeys there moved in all directions through that army, for the purpose of vigilance.
niviSTaayaam tu senaayaam tiire nada nadii pateH |
paarshvastham lakSmaNam dR^iSTvaa raamo vacanam abraviit || 6-5-3
3. senaayaam= (after) the army; niviSTaayaam= was settled; tiire= at the shore; nada nadii pate= of the sea; raamaH= Rama; abraviit= spoke; vachanam= these words; dR^iSTvaa= seeing; lakshmaNam= Lakshmana; paarshvastham= at his side.
After the army was settled at the sea-shore, Rama spoke to Lakshmana who was by his side (as follows):
shokaH ca kila kaalena gacchataa hi apagacchati |
mama ca apashyataH kaantaam ahani ahani vardhate || 6-5-4
4. kila= It is so said; shokaH= (that) sorrow; apagachchhati= gets vanished; gachchhataaa= at the passing; kaalena= of time; mama cha= but my agony; apashyataH= of not seeing kaantaam= my beloved; vardhate= is getting increased; ahanyahani= day n and day out.
“It is so said that sorrow gets vanished at the passing of time. But my agony of not seeing my beloved is getting increased every day.”
na me duhkham priyaa duure na me duhkham hR^itaa iti ca |
tad eva anushocaami vayo asyaa hi ativartate || 6-5-5
5. na= no; duHkham= anguish; me= to me;; priyaa= (that) my beloved; duure= is at a distance; na= No; duHkham= anguish; me= to me; hR^iteti cha= tat she was taken away; asyaaH= Her; vayaH= age; ativartate hi= is indeed passing away; amshochaami= I am repenting; eetadeva= only about this.
“There is no anguish for me that my beloved is at a distance, nor that she was taken away. Her age is indeed passing away. Only about this, I am repenting.”
vaahi vaata yataH kanyaa taam spR^iSTvaa maam api spR^isha |
tvayi me gaatra samsparshaH candre dR^iSTi samaagamaH || 6-5-6
6. vaata= Oh, wind!; vaahi= flow; yataH= from which side; kaantaa= is my beloved; spR^iSTvaa= touch; taam= her; spR^isha= (and) touch; maam api= me too; gaatra sparshaH= contact of her limb; me= to me; tvayi= is obtained through you; dR^iSTisamaagamaH= contact of our eyes; chandre= is through moon.”
“Oh, wind! Flow from the side of my beloved. Touch her and touch me too. It is through you that I get a contact of her limbs. It is through moon that I get a contact of her eyes.”
tan me dahati gaatraaNi viSam piitam iva aashaye |
haa naatha iti priyaa saa maam hriyamaaNaa yad abraviit || 6-5-7
7. saa priyaa= that darling; hriyamaaNaa= being carried away; abraviit iti yat= might have cried; haa naathaa iti= Oh, Lord (seeking for help); tat= It; viSam iva= is like poison; piitam= gulped (by me); aashaye= and hovering in my stomach; dahati= scorching; me= my; gaatraaNi= limbs.
“That darling being carried away; might have cried “Oh, Lord!” Seeking for help. That thought is like poison gulped by me, hovering in my stomach and scorching my limbs.”
tad viyoga indhanavataa tac cintaa vipula arciSaa |
raatrim divam shariiram me dahyate madana agninaa || 6-5-8
8. me= My; shariiram= body; dahyate= is scorching; raatrim divam= night and day; madanaagninaa= by the fire of passion; tadviyogendhana vataa= holding fuel of my separation from her; tacchintaavimalarchiSaa= and my thoughts of her flaring up into shimmering flames.
“My body is scorching night and day, by the fire of passion, holding fuel of my separation from her and my thoughts of her flaring into shimmering flames.”
avagaahya arNavam svapsye saumitre bhavataa vinaa |
kathamcit prajvalan kaamaH samaasuptam jale dahet || 6-5-9
9. saumitre= OH, Lakshmana!; avagaahya= going deep into; aarNavam= the sea; bhavataa vina= without you; svapasye= I shall fall asleep; prajvalan= flaming; kaamaH= passion; na dahet= will not scorch; maam= me; evam cha= thus; suptam= sleeping; jale= in water.
“Oh, Lakshmana! Diving deep into the sea without you, I shall fall asleep. This flaming passion will not thus scorch me, lying down in water.
bahv etat kaamayaanasya shakyam etena jiivitum |
yad aham saa ca vaama uurur ekaam dharaNim aashritau || 6-5-10
10. etat= this; bahu= is great thing; kaamayaanasya= for me who is passionate; iti yat= that; aham= I; saa vaamoruuH= and that Seetha, with charming thighs aashritau= are resting; ekaam= on one and the same; dharaNim= earth; shakyam= I am able; jiivitum= to survive; etena= on this fact.
“It is enough for me, who is passionate, that Seetha with charming thighs and myself are resting on one the same earth and on this fact I am able to survive.”
kedaarasya iva kedaaraH sa udakasya niruudakaH |
upasnehena jiivaami jiivantiim yat shR^iNomi taam || 6-5-11
11. yat= that; shruNomi= I am hearing; taam= her; jiivantiim= as surviving; jiivaami= I also survive; kedaaraH iva= as a paddy-field; niruudakaH= without water (survives); upasnehena= getting wet; kedaarasya= by another paddy-field; sodakasya= under water.
“Even as a paddy-field without water survives, by getting wet from a neighboring paddy-field under water, I also survive since I am hearing her as surviving.
kadaa tu khalu susshoNiim shata patra aayata iikSaNaam |
vijitya shatruun drakSyaami siitaam sphiitaam iva shriyam || 6-5-12
12. kadaa khalu= when; drakshhyaami= shall I see; siitaam= Seetha; shushroNiim= with charming hips; shata patraayatekshhaNaam= having long lotus-like eyes; sphiitaam= flourishing; shriyamiva= as prosperity; vijitya= by conquering; shatruun= the enemies.
“When shall I behold Seetha with charming hips, having long lotus-like eyes flourishing as prosperity, by conquering the enemies?”
kadaa nu caaru bimba oSTham tasyaaH padmam iva aananam |
iiSad unnamya paasyaami rasaayanam iva aaturaH || 6-5-13
13. kadaa= when; unnamya= raising; iishhat= a little; tasyaaH= her; aananam= face; padmamiva= looking like louts; suchaarudantoshhTham= with its beautiful teeth and lips; paasyaami= shall I drink; rasaayanamiva= as a sovereign drink of remedy; aaturaH= by a sick man?”
“When, gently raising her face looking like louts, with its beautiful teeth and lips, shall I drink as a sick man the sovereign drink of remedy?”
tau tasyaaH samhatau piinau stanau taala phala upamau |
kadaa nu khalu sa utkampau hasantyaa maam bhajiSyataH || 6-5-14
14. khalu= when will; tau= those; stanau= breasts; hasantyaaH= which are delightful; sahitau= close; piinau= bulging; sotkampau= and quivering; taalaphalopamau= looking like Palmyra fruits; bhajishhyathaH nu= indeed press; maam= me?
“When will those breasts which are delightful close, bulging and quivering, looking like palmary fruits, indeed press me?”
saa nuunam asita apaangii rakSo madhya gataa satii |
man naathaa naatha hiinaa iva traataaram na adhigacchati || 6-5-15
15. saa= she; asitaapaaN^gii= with dark-cornered eyes; rakshhomadhyagataa satii= who has fallen in the middle of ogres; mannaathaa= though I am her support; nuunam= is certainly; naadhigachchhati= not getting; traataaram= any defender; naatha hiinena= resembling an orphan.
“She, with dark-cornered eyes, who has fallen into the midst of demons, is surely not getting any defender, she resembling an orphan, though I am her support.”
kadaa vikSobhya rakSaamsi saa vidhuuya utpatiSyati |
raakshasiimadhyagaa shete snuSaa dasharathasya ca || 6-5-16
16. katham= how; janakaraajasya duhitaa= Seetha, the daughter of king Janaka; mama cha= my; priyaa= darling; dasharathasya cha= and Dasaratha’s; snushhaa= daughter-in-law; shete= is sleeping; raakshhasiimadhyagaa= in the midst of ogresses?
“How Seetha the daughter of King Janaka, my darling and Dasaratha’s daughter-in-law is sleeping among ogresses?”
avikshobhyaaNi rakshaamsi saa vidhuuyotpatiSyati |
vidhuuya jaladaan niilaan shashi lekhaa sharatsv iva || 6-5-17
17. saa= Seetha; utpatishhyati= will come out; vidhuuya= driving away (through my force) avikshhobhyaaNi= the unassailable; rakshhaamsi= demons; vidhuuya= as driving away; niilaan= black; jaladaan= clouds; shasilekhaa= by a digit of the moon; sharat su= in autumn.
“Seetha will come out, driving away (through my force) the unassailable demons, as driving away black clouds by a digit of the moon, in autumn.”
svabhaava tanukaa nuunam shokena anashanena ca |
bhuuyas tanutaraa siitaa desha kaala viparyayaat || 6-5-18
18. siitaa= Seetha; svabhaavatanukaa= who, by nature is slender; nuunam= will undoubtedly; bhuuyaH= further; tanutaraa= become more lean; shokena= because of anguish; anashanena= abstinence from food; desha kaalaviparyayaat= and adverse position of time and place.
“Seetha, who by nature is slender, will undoubtedly become leaner further because of her anguish, her abstinence from food and her adverse position of time and place.”
kadaa nu raakSasa indrasya nidhaaya urasi saayakaan |
siitaam pratyaahariSyaami shokam utsR^ijya maanasam || 6-5-19
19. kadaam= when; pratyaharishhyaami= shall I bring back; siitaam= Seetha; nidhaaya= having lodged; saayakaan= arrows; raakshasendrasya= in Ravana’s urasi= chest; utsR^ijya= and having abandoned; maanasam= (this) mental; shokam= agony?
“When shall I bring back Seetha, having lodged arrows in Ravana’s chest and having abandoned this mental agony?”
kadaa nu khalu maam saadhvii siitaa amara sutaa upamaa |
sa utkaNThaa kaNTham aalambya mokSyati aanandajam jalam || 6-5-20
20. kadaa khalu= when indeed shall; siitaa= Seetha; saadhvii= the virtuous woman; surasutopamaa= similar to the child of a celestial; sotkaNThaa= with an excited longing; aalambya= embrace; me= my; kaNTham= neck; mokshhyati nu= (and) will release; jalam= tears; aanandajam= begotten of joy?
“When indeed Seetha the virtuous lady similar to the child of a celestial, with an excited longing, will embrace my neck and release tears of joy?”
kadaa shokam imam ghoram maithilii viprayogajam |
sahasaa vipramokSyaami vaasaH shukla itaram yathaa || 6-5-21
21. kadaa= when; vipramokshhyaami nu= shall I thrillingly abandon; imam= this; ghoram= terrible; shokam= anguish; maithiliiviprayogajam= born out of my separation from; sahasaa= so Seetha soon; shukletaram vaasam yathaa= as (abandoning) a soiled clothing?
“When shall I thrillingly abandon this terrible anguish, born out of my separation from Seetha so soon, as we abandon a soiled clothing?”
evam vilapatas tasya tatra raamasya dhiimataH |
dina kSayaan manda vapur bhaaskaro astam upaagamat || 6-5-22
22. tasya= (while) that; dhiimataH= sagacious; raamasya= Rama; vilapataH= was lamenting; tatra= there; evam-= thus; bhaaskaraH= sun; mandavapuH= sun; dinakshhayaat= due to day-decline; astam upaagataH= approached dusk.
While that sagacious Rama was lamenting thus there, the sun, the weak-rayed due to day-decline, approached the dusk.
aashvaasito lakSmaNena raamaH samdhyaam upaasata |
smaran kamala patra akSiim siitaam shoka aakulii kR^itaH || 6-5-23
23. aashvaasitaH= consoled; lakshmaNena= by Lakshmana; raamaH= Rama; shokaakuliikR^itaH= made overcome by anguish; smarau= recollecting; siitaam= Seetha; kamelapatraakshhiim= the lotus-eyes; upaasataH= worshipped; sandhyaam= the evening-twilight.
Lakshmana consoled Rama who was overwhelmed with anguish, duly recollecting the lotus-eyed Seetha. Thereafter, Rama worshipped the evening-twilight.
ityaarSe shriimadraamayaNe aadikaavye yuddhakaaNDepaJNcamaH sargaH
Thus completes 5th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
© April 2003, K. M. K. Murthy