Book VI : Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
All the demons of King Ravana present there namely Prahasta, Durmukha, Vajradamshtra, Nikumbha and Vajrahanu, eulogising their strengths, assure the king that they can individually kill Rama and his army within no time. |
tato niila ambuda nibhaH prahasto naama raakSasaH |
abraviit praaJNjalir vaakyam shuuraH senaa patistadaa || 6-8-1
1. tataH= thereafter; shuuraH= a valiant; raakSasaH= demon; prahasto naama= named prahasta; senaapatiH= the commander-in-chief; niila ambuda prakhyaH= appearing like a dark cloud; praaJNjaliH= joined his palms in salutation; abraviit= and spoke, tadaa= then; vaakyam= (the following) words.
A valiant demon by name Prahasta, the commander-in-chief, appearing like a dark cloud, joined his palms in salutation and spoke these words.
deva daanava gandharvaaH pishaacapatagauragaaH |
na tvaam dharSayitum shaktaaH kim punar vaanaraa raNe || 6-8-2
2. sarve= all; deva daanava gandharvaaH= gods, demons, Gandharvas; pishraacha pata goragaaH= devils, birds and serpents; shakyaaH= can be dharSayitum= attacked; raNe= in battle; kim punaH= why to talk about; maanavau= two human beings?
“All gods, demons, gandharvas, devils, birds and serpents can be attacked by you in battle. Why to talk about two human beings?”
sarve pramattaa vishvastaa vancitaaH sma hanuumataa |
na hi me jiivato gacchej jiivan sa vana gocaraH || 6-8-3
3. sarve= all of us; vishvastaaH= in good faith; pramattaaH= but with negligence; vaNchitaasmi= were cheated; hanumataa= by Hanuma; saH= that; vanagocharaH= monkey; nagachhet hi= cannot indeed go; jiivan= alive; me= (while) I; jiivitaH= an alive.
“All of us, in good faith but with negligence, were cheated by Hanuma. That monkey cannot go alive, while I am alive.”
sarvaam saagara paryantaam sashaila vana kaananaam |
karomi avaanaraam bhuumim aaj~naapayatu maam bhavaan || 6-8-4
4. karomi= I shall make; sarvaam= the entire; bhuumim= earth; saagara paryantaam= extending upto the ocean; sashaila vana kaananaam= along with mountains forests and woods; avaanaraam= bereft of monkeys; bhavaan= you; aaj~naapayatu= command; maam= me.
“I shall make the entire earth extending upto the ocean, along with mountains forests and woods, bereft of monkeys. You command me.”
rakSaam caiva vidhaasyaami vaanaraad rajanii cara |
na aagamiSyati te duhkham kimcid aatma aparaadhajam || 6-8-5
5. rajanii cara= Oh, Ravana; vidhaasyaami= I shall arrange; rakSaam caiva= for defence also; vaanaraad= from the monkey; na kimchit= not a little; duHkham= trouble; aagamishhyati= will come; te= to you; aatma aparaadhajam= on account of your guilt (abduction of Seetha).
“Oh, Ravana! I shall arrange for your defence from that monkey. Not a little trouble will come to you on account of your guilt (abduction of Seetha).”
abraviittam susamkruddho durmukho naama raakSasaH |
idam na kSamaNiiyam hi sarveSaam naH pradharSaNam || 6-8-6
6. raakSasaH= a demon; durmukho naama= by name Durmukha; susamkruddhaH= being seriously enraged; abraviit= spoke; tam= to him; idam= this; pradharSaNam= molestation; sarveSaam= to all; naH= of us; na kSamaNiiyam hi= is indeed not to be tolerated.
A demon by name Durmukha, being seriously enraged, spoke to him as follows: “This humiliation meted out to us by that monkey is indeed not to be tolerated.”
ayam paribhavo bhuuyaH purasya antaH purasya ca |
shriimato raakSasa indrasya vaanara indra pradharSaNam || 6-8-7
7. ayam= this; paribhavaH= insult; purasya= to Lanka City; antaH purasya ca= and the palaces; vaanarendra pradharSaNam= and the attack by Sugreeva, the king of monkeys; shriimataH= of the glorious; raakshasendrasya= king of demons; bhuuyaH= is still (outrageous).
“This insult to the city of Lanka and the palaces together with attack by Sugreeva on the glorious Ravana are still outrageous.”
asmin muhuurte hatvaa eko nivartiSyaami vaanaraan |
praviSTaan saagaram bhiimam ambaram vaa rasaa talam || 6-8-8
8. gatvaa= proceeding; asmin;= at this; muhuurte= moment; ekaH= alone; nivartiSyaami= I shall destroy; vaanaraan= the monkeys; praviSTaan= who entered; saagaram= either into the ocean; bhiimam rasaa talam= or into the terrific subterranean region under the earth; ambaram vaa= or into the sky.
“Proceeding at this moment alone, I shall destroy those monkeys, whether they entered the ocean or the subterranean region or the sky.”
tato abraviit susamkruddho vajra damSTro mahaabalaH |
pragR^ihya parigham ghoram maamsa shoNita ruupitam || 6-8-9
9. tataH= thereafter; mahaabalaH= the very strong; vajra damSTraH= Vajradamshtra; susamkruddhaH= beset with great anger; pragR^ihya= took hold of; ghoram= a terrific; parigham= iron club; maamsa shoNita ruupitam= smeared with flesh and blood; abraviit= (and) spoke (as follows).
Thereafter the very strong Vajradamshtra, beset with great anger, took hold of a terrific iron club smeared with flesh and blood and spoke (as follows):
kim no hanumataa kaaryam kR^ipaNena tapasvinaa |
raame tiSThati durdharSe sugriive saha lakSmaNe || 6-8-10
10. kim= what; kaaryam= work; naH= for us; hanumataa= with Hanuma; kR^ipaNena= the pitiable; tapasvinaa= and the miserable; raame= when Rama; salakSmaNe= along with Lakshmana; sugriive api= and Sugreeva; durdharSe= who are difficult to be conquered; tiSThati= exist?
“What work for us with that pitiable and miserable Hanuma, when Rama along with Lakshmana and Sugreeva who are difficult to be conquered exist?”
adya raamam sasugriivam parigheNa salakSmaNam |
aagamiSyaami hatvaa eko vikSobhya hari vaahiniim || 6-8-11
11. adya= Now; ekaH= alone; hatvaa= killing; parigheNa= by this iron club; raamam= Rama; salakSmaNam= along with Lakshmana; sasugriivam= together with Sugreeva; vikSobhya= and after perturbing; harivaahiniim= the army of monkeys; aagamiSyaami= I shall come back.
“Now itself, with this iron club, killing Rama, Lakshmana and Sugreeva after perturbing the army of monkeys, I shall come back.”
idam mamaaparam vaakyam shR^iNu raajanyadiicchasi |
upaayakushalo hyeva jayecchatrunatandritaH || 6-8-12
12. raajan= Oh, king; yadi icchasi= if you are willing; shR^iNu= hear; aparam= moreover; mama= my, idam vaakyam= these words; upaayakushalaH eva= one who is skilled in stratagem only; atandritaH= will be without lassitude; jayet hi= (and) can indeed defeat; shatruun= enemies.
“Oh, king! If you are willing, hear my words further. One who is skilled din a stratagem alone will be without lassitude and can indeed defeat the enemies.”
kaamaruupadharaaH shuuraaH subhiimaa bhiimadarshanaaH |
raakshasaa vaa sahasraaNi raakshasaadhipa nishchitaaH || 6-8-13
kaakutthsamupasamgamya bibhrato maanuSam vapuH |
sarve hyasambhramaa bhuutvaa bruvantu raghusattamam || 6-8-14
13-14. raakshasaadhipa= O, king of demons! sahasraaNi= thousands of; raakSasaaH= demons, kaamaruupadharaaH= able to change their form at will; shuuraaH= courageous; subhiimaaH= appalling; bhiimadarshanaaH= terrifying to look at; nishchitaaH= and firm (in their purpose); bibhrataH= can wear; maanuSam= human; vapuH= body; upasangamya= approach; kaakutsam= Rama; asambhramaaH= without embarrassment; sarve= and all; bruvantu= speak; raghusattamam= to Rama (as follows).
O, king of demons! Thousands of demons able to change their form at will courageaous appalling terrifying to look at and firm (in their purpose) can wear human body approach Rama without embarrassment and all speak to Rama (as follows).
preSitaa bharatenaiva bhraatraa tava yaviiyasaa |
sa hi senaam samutthaapya kshipramevopayaasyati || 6-8-15
15. preSimtaa= we have been sent; bharatenaiva= by Bharata; tava= your; yaviiyasaa= younger; bhraatraa= brother; saH= he; samutthaapya= summoning; senaam= his forces; kshiprameva= will surely soon; upayaasyati= come here.
“We have been despatched by Bharata, your younger brother. He is summoning his forces and will surely come here soon.”
tato vayamitasturNam shuulashaktigadaadharaaH |
caapabaaNaasihastashcha tvaritaastatra yaamahe || 6-8-16
16. tataH= thereafter; vayam= we; turNam= quickly; shuula shaktigadaadharaaH= carrying spikes, javelins and maces; caapa baaNaasihastaashca= with arrows and swords in hand; yaamahe= will go; tatra= there; itaH= from here; tvaritaaH= soon.”
“Carrying spikes, javelins and maces together with arrows and swords in hand, we will quickly go there from here soon.”
aakaashe gaNashaH sthitvaa hatvaa taam harivaahiniim |
ashmashastramahaavR^iSTvaa praapayaam yamakshayam || 6-8-17
17. sthitvaa= standing; gaNashaH= as groups; aakaashe= in the sky; hatvaa= beating; taam= that; harivaahiniim= army of monkeys; ashmashastramahaavR^iSTvaa= with a mighty hail of stones and missiles; praapayaam= we should send 9them) yamakshayam= to the world of Death.
“Standing as groups in the sky and beating that army of monkeys with a mighty hail of stones and missiles, we should send them to the world of Death.”
evam cedupasarpetaamanayam raamalakshmaNau |
avashyamapaniitena jahataameva jiivitam || 6-8-18
18. raamalakshmaNau= (If) Rama and Lakshmana; upasarpetaam yadi= approach softly into our trap; evam= thus; jahataameva= they will just abandon; jiivitam= the life; avashyameva= surely; apaniitena= as they are taken away (by the trap)
“If Rama and Lakshmana thus approach softly into our trap they will surely abandon their lives as they are taken away by the trap.”
kaumbhakarNis tato viiro nikumbho naama viiryavaan |
abraviit parama kurddho raavaNam loka raavaNam || 6-8-19
19. tataH= thereafter; kumbhakarNiH= Kumbhakarna’s sons; nikumbho naama= by name Nikumbha; viiraH= strong; viiryavaan= and powerful; paramakruddhaH= became very angry; abraviit= and spoke; raavaNam= to Ravana; loka raavaNam= who made people cry.
Thereafter Kumbhakarna’s son, by name Nikumbha, strong and powerful, became very angry and spoke (as follows) to Ravana, who made people cry.
sarve bhavantas tiSThantu mahaaraajena samgataaH |
aham eko haniSyaami raaghavam saha lakSmaNam || 6-8-20
sugriivam sahanuumantam sarvaamshchaivaatra vaanaraan |
20-21b. sarve= all; bhavantaH= of you; tiSThantu= stay; samgataaH= along with; mahaaraajena= the king; aham= I; ekaH= alone; haniSyaami= will kill; atra= there; raaghavam= Rama; sahalakSmaNam= along with Lakshman; sugriivam= Sugreeva; shanuumantam= along with Hanuman; sarvaan= all; vaanaraan shcaiva= the monkeys too.”
All of you stay along with the king. I alone will kill there, Rama along with Lakshman, Sugreeva along with Hanuma and all the monkeys also.
tato vajrahanurnaama raakshasaH parvatopamaH || 6-8-21
kruddhaH parilihan vaktram jihvayaa vaakyam abraviit |
21b-22a. tataH= then; raakshasaH= a demon; vajrahanurnaama= by name Vajrahanu; parvatopamaana= who was resembling a mountain; kruddhaH= becoming enraged; parilihan= licking; sR^ikkaam= the corners of his mouth; jihvayaa= with his tongue; abraviit= spoke; vaakyam= those words.
Then, a demon by name Vajrahanu who was resembling a mountain, becoming enraged and licking the corners of his mouth with his tongue, spoke as follows:
svairam kurvantu kaaryaaNi bhavanto vigata jvaraaH || 6-8-22
eko aham bhakSayiSyaami taan sarvaan hari yuuthapaan |
svasthaaH kriiDantu nishcintaaH pibantu madhu vaaruNiim || 6-8-23
22b-23. bhavantaH= you; kurvantu= do; karmaaNi= (your) occupations; svairam= freely; vigata jvaraaH= redeemed of mental pain; kriiDantu= play; svasthaaH= comfortably; pibantu= (and) drink; vaaruNiim madhu= spirituous liquor; nishcintaaH= without worry; aham= I; ekaH= alone; bhakSayiSyaami= will devour; sarvaam= the entire; harivaahiniim= army of monkeys.
“You do your occupations freely redeemed of mental pain, play comfortably and drink spirituous liquor without any worry. I alone will devour the entire army of monkeys.”
aham eko haniSyaami sugriivam saha lakSmaNam |
sa angadam ca hanuumantam raamam ca raNa kunjaram || 6-8-24
24. atra= at this time; aham= I; ekaH= alone; haniSyaami= will kill; sugriivam= Sugreeva; saha lakSmaNam= along with Lakshmana; hanuumantam= Hanuma; sa angadam= along with Angada; sarvaan= (and) all; vaanara amsehca= monkeys.”
At this time I alone will kill Sugreeva along with Lakshmana Hanuma along with Angada and all monkeys.
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye aSTamaH sargaH
Thus completes 8th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
© June 2003, K. M. K. Murthy