Chapter 20
Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
ततो निविष्टाम् ध्वजिनीम् सुग्रीवेणाभिपालिताम्
ददर्श राक्षसो।अभ्येत्य शार्दूलो नाम वीर्यवान्
tato niviṣṭām dhvajinīm sugrīveṇābhipālitām
dadarśa rākṣaso|abhyetya śārdūlo nāma vīryavān
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, an energetic demon named Shardula came and saw the army, commanded by Sugriva, which was drawn up in a battle array.
चारो राक्षसराजस्य रावणस्य दुरात्मनः
ताम् दृष्ट्वा सर्वतो।अव्यग्रम् प्रतिगम्य स राक्षसः
cāro rākṣasarājasya rāvaṇasya durātmanaḥ
tām dṛṣṭvā sarvato|avyagram pratigamya sa rākṣasaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
That demon, the spy of Ravana the evil natured king of ogres, coolly observed that army from all sides, speedily returned to Lanka and spoke to their king as follows:
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Boundless and immeasurable like another ocean, this multitude of monkeys and bears is approaching Lanka.".
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"These brothers Rama and Lakshmana, the sons of Dasaratha, the excellent and the most dignified men endowed with beauty have arrived in the cause of Sita and settled in a camp after reaching the sea shore" .
बलम् चाकाशमावृत्य सर्वतो दशयोजनम्
तत्त्वभूतम् महारज क्षिप्रम् वेदितुमर्हसि
balam cākāśamāvṛtya sarvato daśayojanam
tattvabhūtam mahāraja kṣipram veditumarhasi
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, monarch! Their army is employed around a radius of ten yojanas (eighty miles)on all sides. You have to ascertain this truth quickly"
तव दूता महाराज क्षिप्रमर्हन्ति वेदितुम्
उपप्रदानम् सान्त्वम् वा भेदो वात्र प्रयुज्यताम्
tava dūtā mahārāja kṣipramarhanti veditum
upapradānam sāntvam vā bhedo vātra prayujyatām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, monarch! Your other spies also ought to ascertain the fact quickly. Under such circumstances, either conciliation or an act of giving away or sowing dissention (in the enemy's ranks) may be employed."
शार्दूलस्य वचः श्रुत्वा रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः
उवाच सहसा व्यग्रः सम्प्रधार्यार्थमात्मनः
śārdūlasya vacaḥ śrutvā rāvaṇo rākṣaseśvaraḥ
uvāca sahasā vyagraḥ sampradhāryārthamātmanaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hearing Shardula's words Ravana the lord of demons was perturbed and immediately determined his cause of action. Then he spoke the following words to a demon by name, Shuka the foremost among those who know their duty.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Going quickly, speak fearlessly to king Sugriva on my behalf, according to my command, in an excellent and gentle voice, as follows:"
त्वम् वै महारज कुलप्रसूतो
महाबलश्चर्क्षरजःसुतश्च
न कश्चनार्थस्तव वास्त्यनर्थ
स्तथापि मे भ्रातृसमो हरीश
tvam vai mahāraja kulaprasūto
mahābalaścarkṣarajaḥsutaśca
na kaścanārthastava vāstyanartha
stathāpi me bhrātṛsamo harīśa
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
O, great king! You are indeed born in a noble family, possessor of a great strength and are a son of Riksharaja. No gain whatsoever or any harm will accrue to you (from this battle) .O, lord of monkeys! Nevertheless, you are like a brother to me."
अहम् यद्यहरम् भार्याम् राजपुत्रस्य धीमतः
किम् तत्र तव सुग्रीव किश्किन्धाम् प्रति गम्यताम्
aham yadyaharam bhāryām rājaputrasya dhīmataḥ
kim tatra tava sugrīva kiśkindhām prati gamyatām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"What does it matter to you, if I have embezzled the wife of a wise prince? (Therefore) return to Kishkindha"
न हीयम् हरिभिर्लङ्का प्राप्तुम् शक्या कथम् चन
देवैरपि सगन्धर्वैः किम् पुनर्नरवानरैः
na hīyam haribhirlaṅkā prāptum śakyā katham cana
devairapi sagandharvaiḥ kim punarnaravānaraiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"This Lanka cannot be reached by monkeys in any way. It cannot be acquired even by celestials and Gandharvas (celestial musicians), why to talk about men and monkeys?"
स तदा राक्षसेन्द्रेण संदिष्टो रजनीचरः
शुको विहम्गमो भूत्वा तूर्णमाप्लुत्य चाम्बरम्
sa tadā rākṣasendreṇa saṃdiṣṭo rajanīcaraḥ
śuko vihamgamo bhūtvā tūrṇamāplutya cāmbaram
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then Shuka the demon heralded by Ravana turned himself into the form of a bird and quickly flew into the sky.
स गत्वा दूरमध्वानमुपर्युपरि सागरम्
संस्थितो ह्यम्बरे वाक्यम् सुग्रीव मदिमब्रवीत्
sa gatvā dūramadhvānamuparyupari sāgaram
saṃsthito hyambare vākyam sugrīva madimabravīt
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Proceeding in the sky for a distance continuously over the ocean, Shuka then stood up in the sky itself and spoke these words to Sugriva:
सर्वमुक्तम् यथादिष्टम् रावणेन दुरात्मना
तत्प्रपयन्तम् वचनम् तूर्णमाप्लुत्य वानराः
sarvamuktam yathādiṣṭam rāvaṇena durātmanā
tatprapayantam vacanam tūrṇamāplutya vānarāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Shuka repeated all the words the wicked Ravana had told him to say to Sugriva. As he was still speaking, the monkeys bounded into the air to reach him at that moment quickly to tear off his wings and to smite him by their fists.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The demon thus attacked was forcibly seized by all the monkeys and immediately brought down to the ground from the sky.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Shuka being harassed by monkeys spoke the following words: "O, Rama! Messengers are not to be killed. Let your monkeys be restrained properly."
यस्तु हित्वा मतम् भर्तुः स्वमतम् सम्प्रभाषते
yastu hitvā matam bhartuḥ svamatam samprabhāṣate
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"That messenger, who by abandoning the opinion of his king will speak about his own opinion though he being a messenger and he who on the other hand speaks that which was not told to him, that messenger is indeed fit to be killed."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hearing Shuka's complaining words, Rama spoke to the foremost of monkeys, who were beating him as aforesaid, saying "Do not kill him"
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Perceiving no fear from monkeys, Shuka became light winged, virtually standing in the sky and spoke again the following words.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, Sugriva, rich in courage and possessing great strength and valor! What am I to tell Ravana, whose nature is to cause world to cry?"
स एवमुक्तः प्लवगाधिपस्तदा
प्लवङ्गमानामृषभो महाबलः
उवाच वाक्यम् रजनीचरस्य
चारम् शुकम् शुद्ध मदीनसत्त्वः
sa evamuktaḥ plavagādhipastadā
plavaṅgamānāmṛṣabho mahābalaḥ
uvāca vākyam rajanīcarasya
cāram śukam śuddha madīnasattvaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hearing the aforesaid words, the mightily strong Sugriva the king of monkeys and the foremost among them, with a merciless mind then spoke to the blame less Shuka, Ravana's spy, as follows:
स मे।असि मित्रम् व तथानुकम्प्यो
न चोपकर्तासि न मे प्रियो।अपि
अरिश्च रामस्य सहानुबन्ध
स्ततो।असि वालीव वधार्ह वध्यः
sa me|asi mitram va tathānukampyo
na copakartāsi na me priyo|api
ariśca rāmasya sahānubandha
stato|asi vālīva vadhārha vadhyaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, Ravana, worthy of killing! You are not my companion. You are not worthy of sympathy. You are not the person who helped me in any way. I do not like you, as you are Rama's enemy. Hence, You are worthy to be killed like Vali, along with your associates"
निहन्म्यहम् त्वाम् ससुतम् सबन्धुम्
सज्ञातिवर्गम् रजनीचरेश
लङ्काम् च सर्वाम् महता बलेन
सर्वैः करिष्यामि समेत्य भस्म
nihanmyaham tvām sasutam sabandhum
sajñātivargam rajanīcareśa
laṅkām ca sarvām mahatā balena
sarvaiḥ kariṣyāmi sametya bhasma
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, the king of demons! I am killing you along with your sons, relatives and other kinsfolk. Arriving with a great army, I will reduce the entire Lanka and all of you to ashes."
न मोक्ष्यसे रावण राघवस्य
सर्वैः सहेन्द्रैदपि मूढ गुप्तः
अन्तर्हतः सूर्यपथम् गतो।अपि
तथैव पातालमनुप्रविष्टः
na mokṣyase rāvaṇa rāghavasya
sarvaiḥ sahendraidapi mūḍha guptaḥ
antarhataḥ sūryapatham gato|api
tathaiva pātālamanupraviṣṭaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, stupid Ravana! You along with your younger brother will not be left unkilled by Rama, even if you are protected by all including Indra (the lord of celestials) or even if you have disappeared (by virtue of conjuring trick) or obtained, the solar orbit or entered the nethermost subterranean region or even if approached the lotus feet of Shiva (the lord of Kailasa mountain)"
तस्य ते त्रिषु लोकेषु न पिशाचम् न राक्षसम्
त्रातारमनुपश्यामि न गन्धर्वम् न चासुरम्
tasya te triṣu lokeṣu na piśācam na rākṣasam
trātāramanupaśyāmi na gandharvam na cāsuram
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I do not see any protector to you as such in the three worlds, nor do I see any devilish being or a demon or a Gandharva (celestial musician) or an ogre coming forward to protect you."
अवधीस्त्वम् जरावृद्धम् गृध्राराजम् जटायुषम्
किम् मते रामसाम्निध्ये सकाशे लक्ष्मणस्य च
avadhīstvam jarāvṛddham gṛdhrārājam jaṭāyuṣam
kim mate rāmasāmnidhye sakāśe lakṣmaṇasya ca
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"You killed Jatayu, the king of vultures and who was senior to you in old age. Why the wide-eyed Sita was not taken away in the presence of Rama and Lakshmana? Having made her captive, you do not recognize her for what she is."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"You are unaware how strong, high soled and irresistible even to celestials, is this Rama the excellent man of Raghu dynasty, who shall deprive you of your life."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, Angada the son of Vali and the foremost of the monkeys spoke as follows: "O, Sugriva the highly intelligent! He is not an ambassador. He appears to me as a spy."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"All our army has been indeed evaluated by him, standing here. Let him be made captive. Let him not return to Lanka. This indeed finds favor with me."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Commanded then by the king Sugriva, the monkeys jumped up, seized and bound him, who without defence, wailed loudly.
शुकस्तु वानरैश्च ण्डैस्तत्र तैः सम्प्रपीडितः
śukastu vānaraiśca ṇḍaistatra taiḥ samprapīḍitaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Harassed by those monkeys there, Shuka on his part cried loudly towards Rama, the high soled son of Dasaratha as follows:
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"My wings are being pulled out forcibly. My eyes are being pierced. If I die, all the sins incurred by me between my birth and my death would fall to your share."
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे आदिकाव्ये उद्धकाण्डे विंशः सर्गः
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe ādikāvye uddhakāṇḍe viṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hearing that lamentation of Shuka, Rama did not allow his killing by the monkeys. Rama ordered monkeys to release him, as he came as an ambassador.