Book VI : Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
Ravana recalls the over-powering of Lanka and discovering of Seetha by Hanuman. He calls a meeting of his ministers and invites suggestions from them in view of the latest situation of a probable attack of Rama and his army on the City of Lanka. |
la.nkaayaam tu kR^itam karma ghoram dR^iSTvaa bhava aavaham |
raakSasa indro hanumataa shakreNa iva mahaatmanaa || 6-6-1
abraviid raakSasaan sarvaan hriyaa kimcid avaan mukhaH |
1. dR^iSTvaa= having seen; bhayaavaham= the fearful; ghoram= and the terrible; karma= act; kR^itam= done; hanumataa= by Hanuman; shakreNa iva= as Devendra (King of celestials); hamaatmanaa= the powerful; laN^kaayaam= in Lanka; raakshasendraH= Ravana; avaan mukhaH= had his face down; kimchit= a little; hriyaa= and spoke; sarvaan= to all; raakshhasaan= the demons (as follows):
Having seen the fearful and the terrible act in Lanka done by Hanuma, like Devendra the powerful King of celestials, Ravana with his face descended a little with shame, spoke to the demons as follows:
dharSitaa ca praviSTaa ca la.nkaa duSprasahaa purii || 6-6-2
tena vaanara maatreNa dR^iSTaa siitaa ca jaanakii |
2. tena= by him; vaanara maatreNa= who was only a monkey; dushhpraasahaa= the irresistible; laNkapurii= City of lanka; pravishhTaacha= was entered into; dharshhitaa cha= and was over-powered; siitaa= Seetha; jaanakii= the daughter of Janka; dR^ishhTaam cha= was also seen (by him).
“By him, who was only a monkey, the irresistible City of Lanka was entered into and was over-powered. Seetha the daughter of Janaka was also discovered by him.
prasaado dharSitaH caityaH pravaraa raakSasaa hataaH || 6-6-3
aavilaa ca purii la.nkaa sarvaa hanumataa kR^itaa |
3. chaityaH praasaadaH= the thousand pillared building used as a sanctuary; dharshhitaH= was assaulted; hanumataa= by Hanuma; pravaraaH= the most excellent; raakshhaasaaH= demons; hataaH= were killed; sarvaa= the entire; laNkaa purii= City of Lanka; kR^itaa= was made; aavilaa= turbid.
The thousand-pillared building used as a sanctuary was assaulted by Hanuma. Our most excellent demons were killed. The entire City of Lanka was made turbid.
kim kariSyaami bhadram vaH kim vaa yuktam anantaram || 6-6-4
ucyataam naH samartham yat kR^itam ca sukR^itam bhavet |
4. bhadram= prosperity; vaH= to you! Kim= what; karishhyaami= shall I do? Kim vaa= what thing; yuktam= appropriate thing; anantaram= (is to be done) afterwards? Uchyataam= let it be spoken; yat= that which is samantham= well-answering; bhavet= and which becomes; sukrutam= well-done.
May prosperity befall on you! What shall I do? What appropriate thing is to be done next? Please speak that which is well-answering and that, if attempted becomes well-done.
mantra muulam hi vijayam praahur aaryaa manasvinaH || 6-6-5
tasmaad vai rocaye mantram raamam prati mahaabalaaH |
5. mahaabalaaH= Oh, people of great strength! manasvinaH= wise-men; pravadanti= say; vijayam= that victory; mantramuulam= is dependent on good forethought; tasmaat vai= just for that reason; rochaye= I desire; mantram= a deliberation; raamamprati= about Rama.
“Oh, people of great strength! Wise-men say that victory is dependent on good forethought. Verily for that reason, I desire a deliberation about Rama.”
trividhaaH puruSaa loke uttama adhama madhyamaaH || 6-6-6
teSaam tu samavetaanaam guNa doSam vadaami aham |
6. triividhaaH= there are three types; purushhaaH= of men; loke= in the world; uttamaadhama madhyamaaH= namely, the foremost, the middle most and the lowest; aham= I; vadaami= am telling; teshhaam= their; samavetaanaam= inherent; guNadoshhaa= merits and defects.
“There are three types of men in the world, namely the foremost the middle most and the lowest. I am telling their inherent merits and defects.”
mantribhir hita samyuktaiH samarthair mantra nirNaye || 6-6-7
mitrair vaa api samaana arthair baandhavair api vaa hitaiH |
sahito mantrayitvaa yaH karma aarambhaan pravartayet || 6-6-8
daive ca kurute yatnam tam aahuH puruSa uttamam |
7-8. yaH= he who; pravartayet= carries through; karmaarmabhaan= beginning of undertaking; mantrayitvaa= after consulting; sahitaH= collectively with; hitasmyuktaiH= or with ministers; samarthaiH= efficient; mantra nirNaye= in advising decisions, mitrairvaapi= or with friends; samanaarthaiH= having common; baandhavairaapi= or with relatives; adhikaaH= additionally; kurute= or who does; yatnam= endeavour; daivecha= in the matter of providence too; tam= him; aahuH= (the wise) call; purushhottamam= as the foremost among men.
“The wise call him as the foremost among men, who carries through the beginning of any undertaking after consulting those who are wedded with welfare of others, or with ministers who are efficient in conferring decisions or with friends having common interests or additionally with relatives or who try to get a favour from Providence too.”
eko artham vimRshed eko dharme prakurute manaH || 6-6-9
ekaH kaaryaaNi kurute tam aahur madhyamam naram |
9. vimR^ishet= (He who) deliberates; artham= about an activity; ekaH= solitarily; prakurute= applies; manaH= his mind; dharme= on law and justice; ekaH= all by himself; kurute= performs; kaaryaaNi= the workds; eakH= singly; aahuH= they call; tam naram= that man; madhyamam= as mediocre.
“The wise men call that man as mediocre, who deliberates about an activity solitarily, applies his mind on law and justice all by himself and performs works singly.”
guNa doSaav anishcitya tyaktvaa daiva vyapaashrayam || 6-6-10
kariSyaami iti yaH kaaryam upekSet sa nara adhamaH |
10. yaH= He who; nanishchitya= does not determine; guNadoshhaa= the merits and demerits; vyaktma= clearly; daivavyapaashreyaH= having recourse to providence; upekshhet= neglects; kaaryam= his duty; karishhyaami iti= telling simply ‘I shall do’; saH= he; naraadhamaH= is the lowest among men.
“He who does not determine the merits and demerits of an act clearly, having recourse to Providence and neglects his duty by simply telling ‘I shall do it’, he is the lowest among men.”
yathaa ime puruSaa nityam uttama adhama madhyamaaH || 6-6-11
evam mantro api vij~neya uttama adhama madhyamaH |
11. yathaa= how; ime= those; purushhaaH= men; nityam= are always; uttamaadhama madhyaaH= either good, bad or mediocre; mantro.api= even the resolution in thought is; evam= thus; viJNeyaH= known; uttama adhama madhyamaH= as good, bad or mediocre.”
“In which manner these men are categorized always as good, bad or mediocre, so also the resolution in thought is classified as good bad or mediocre.”
aikamatyam upaagamya shaastra dR^iSTena cakSuSaa || 6-6-12
mantriNo yatra nirastaas tam aahur mantram uttamam |
12. mantraiNaH= the thinkers; chakshhushhaa= on a view; shaastradR^iSTena= perceived by scriptures; upaagamya= obtain; aikamatyam= consensus; nirataaH= and are satisfied; tam= that; mantram= resolution of thought; aahuH= (the wise) say; uttamam= as the excellent one.
“The wise say that resolution of thought is excellent, in which the thinkers, on a view perceived by scriptures, obtain consensus and are satisfied with it.”
bahvyo api matayo gatvaa mantriNo hi artha nirNaye || 6-6-13
punar yatra ekataam praaptaH sa mantro madhyamaH smR^itaH |
13. gatvaapi= even after obtaining; bahviiH= several kinds; matiH= of opinions; yatra= where; arthanirNayaH= the decision of a matter; mantriNaam= by the counselors; punaH= once more; praaptaH= gets; ekataam= to a consensus; saH= that; mantraH= decision; smR^itaH= is called; madhmaH= mediocre.
“Only after deliberating several kinds of opinions, that decision of a matter obtained finally by a consensus of the counselors, is called mediocre.”
anyonya matim aasthaaya yatra sampratibhaaSyate || 6-6-14
na ca aikamatye shreyo asti mantraH so adhama ucyate |
14. saH= that; mantraH= resolution; uchyate= is said to be; adhamaH= worst; yatra= in which; sampratibhaashhyate= arguments are made, aasthaaya= emplying; anyouya matim= one or the other divergent opinions; naasti= (in which) there is no; shriyaH= advantage; aikamatye= even after a consensus.
“That resolution is said to be worst in which several arguments are made, employing one or the other divergent opinions and in which there is no advantage even after a consensus.”
tasmaat sumantritam saadhu bhavanto mantri sattamaaH || 6-6-15
kaaryam sampratipadyantaam etat kR^ityatamam mama |
15. tasmaat= for that reason; bhavantaH= you; matisattamaaH= having excellent intellect; sampritipadyantaam= arrive at; sumantritam= a well-thought out; saadhu= rightful; kaaryam= action; etat= this; mama= to me; matam= is earnestly; kR^ityam= to be done.”
“For that reason, you, having excellent intellect, arrive at a well-thought out rightful action. To me, this is earnestly to be done.”
vaanaraaNaam hi viiraaNaam sahasraiH parivaaritaH || 6-6-16
raamo abhyeti puriim la.nkaam asmaakam uparodhakaH |
16. raamaH= Rama; parivaaritah= surrounded by; sahasraiH= thousands of; dhiraaNaam= brave; vaanaraaNaam= monkeys; abhyeti= is coming; laN^kaam puriim= to the City of Lanka; uparodhakaH= for besieging; asmaakam= us.
“Rama surrounded by thousands of courageous monkeys, is coming to the City of Lanka, for the purpose of besieging us.”
tariSyati ca suvyaktam raaghavaH saagaram sukham || 6-6-17
tarasaa yukta ruupeNa saanujaH sabala anugaH |
17. raagahavaH= Rama; yukta ruupeNa= by his befitting; tarasaa= strength; suvyaktam= can certainly; tarishhyati cha= cross; saagaram= the ocean; sukham= easily; saamjaH= with his brother; sabalaamgaH= along with his army and companions.
“Rama, by his be-fitting strength, can certainly cross the ocean easily, with his brother along with his army and his companions.”
samudramuchchhoSayati viiryeNaanyatkaroti vaa|| 6-6-18
tasminn evam gate kaarye viruddhe vaanaraiH saha |
hitam pure ca sainye ca sarvam sammantryataam mama || 6-6-19
18-19. samudram uchchhoshhayati= (He may) get the ocean dried up; karoti= (He may) do; anyadvaa= any other thing; viiryeNa= by his valour; tasmin= that; kaarye= act; viruddhe= of enemity; vaanaraiH saha= with monkeys; evam vidhe= (having commenced) in this way; sammantryataam= advise me; sarvam= everything; hitam= that is good; pure= for the city; mama sainye= and for my army.
“He may even get the ocean dried up. He may do any other thing by his valour. The aforesaid act of enmity with monkeys having commenced in this way, advise me everything that is good for the city and my army.”
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye yuddhakaaNDe SaSThaH sargaH
Thus completes 6th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
© May 2003, K. M. K. Murthy