Chapter 35
Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
तेन शन्ख विमिश्रेण भेरी शब्देन राघवः
उपयतो महा बाहू रामह् पर पुरम् जयः
tena śankha vimiśreṇa bherī śabdena rāghavaḥ
upayato mahā bāhū rāmah para puram jayaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The mighty armed Rama, the conqueror of hostile cities sallied forth with the resonant roll of kettle drums, mingled with the blast of couches.
तम् निनादम् निशम्य अथ रावणो राक्षस ईश्वरः
मुहूर्तम् ध्यानम् आस्थाय सचिवान् अभ्युदैक्षत
tam ninādam niśamya atha rāvaṇo rākṣasa īśvaraḥ
muhūrtam dhyānam āsthāya sacivān abhyudaikṣata
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hearing that sound, Ravana the Lord of demons, paused for a moment to reflect and looked towards his ministers.
अथ तान् सचिवांस् तत्र सर्वान् आभाष्य रावणः
सभाम् सम्नादयन् सर्वाम् इत्य् उवाच महा बलः
atha tān sacivāṃs tatra sarvān ābhāṣya rāvaṇaḥ
sabhām samnādayan sarvām ity uvāca mahā balaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Ravana of great strength the tormentor of the world, and a cruel lord of demons then addressed all his ministers in a voice that resounded the entire hall as follows, accusing none.
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TRANSLATION
"I have heard what you told me about Rama's crossing the ocean, his prowess, strength and heroism."
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TRANSLATION
"I know that you are truly brave in the battle-field, yet, on beholding that valiant Rama, you too look on each other in silence."
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TRANSLATION
Hearing those word of Ravana whose maternal grandfather he was, the highly intelligent demon called Malyavan, answered him thus:
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, king! He who is well-versed in (fourteen)* sciences and follows the path of prudence, enjoys sovereignty for a long time and compels his enemies too into subjugation."
PURPORT
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"He who concludes peace even with enemies or wages war at a fitting time strengthens his own party and attains a great power."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"A treaty of peace should be reached by a king who is weaker or equal to an enemy. The king should never underrate that enemy. If the king is more powerful, he should make war on the enemy."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, Ravana! For that reason, alliance with Rama finds favour with me. Let Seetha, for whose sake you are being attacked, be restored to him."
तस्य देव ऋषयः सर्वे गन्धर्वास्ः च जय एषिणः
tasya deva ṛṣayaḥ sarve gandharvāsḥ ca jaya eṣiṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"All the celestials, sages and Gandharvas the celestial musicians are wishing for victory of Rama. Do not get an enmity with them. Let alliance with him be acceptable to you."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Brahma, the lord of creation, created only two classes of beings, the celestials and the demons. Celestials take refuge in righteousness and demons in unrighteousness."
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TRANSLATION
"O, Ravana! Righteous is said to be on the side of the high-souled celestials. Unrighteousness is indeed on the side of ogres and demons."
धर्मो वै ग्रसते अधर्मम् ततः कृतम् अभूद् युगम्
dharmo vai grasate adharmam tataḥ kṛtam abhūd yugam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"When righteousness swallows unrighteousness, it becomes kR^ita Yuga, a golden age. When unrighteousness swallows righteousness, it incites Kali Yuga the fourth age."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Therefore, while you were wandering in the worlds, even the great righteousness was destroyed and unrighteousness favoured by you. So, the enemies are stronger than us."
स प्रमादाद् विवृद्धस् ते अधर्मो अहिर् ग्रसते हि नः
sa pramādād vivṛddhas te adharmo ahir grasate hi naḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Due to your negligence, that well nourished unrighteousness is swallowing us. Being favourable to demons, the sect of demons is thereby getting augmented."
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TRANSLATION
"You, who are interested in sensual enjoyments, doing whatever you like, have created a great alarm in the sages, having the nature of fire."
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TRANSLATION
"The power of those sages is insurmountable like an igniting fire. Having purified their minds through penance, they are intent on promotion of righteousness, in as much as these Brahamans worship the gods through different principal sacrifices, also pour oblations into the sacred fires with due ceremony and read the Vedas (Sacred texts) in a loud voice. Having subdued the demons, they continued to chant the sacred text, on hearing which all the demons scattered in all directions, as thundering clouds in a hot season."
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TRANSLATION
"The smoke coming forth from the sacred fire of the sage who resemble the fire (in brilliance), enveloping the ten directions, takes away the magical power of the demons."
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TRANSLATION
"The severe austerity practised by the sages, firm of resolve, in different countries torment the demons."
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TRANSLATION
"You received a boon of invincibility from celestials, demons and semi-divine beings, but then are men, bears as well as powerful and very efficacious having strong prowess who are coming hither, roaring like lions."
उत्पातान् विविधान् दृष्ट्वा घोरान् बहु विधांस् तथा
विनाशम् अनुपश्यामि सर्वेषाम् रक्षसाम् अहम्
utpātān vividhān dṛṣṭvā ghorān bahu vidhāṃs tathā
vināśam anupaśyāmi sarveṣām rakṣasām aham
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"By seeing various kinds of unexpected events (portents) and many types of terrific things, I am perceiving a destruction of all the demons."
खराभिस् तनिता घोरा मेघाह् प्रतिभयम् करः
शोणितेन अभिवर्षन्ति लन्काम् उष्णेन सर्वतः
kharābhis tanitā ghorā meghāh pratibhayam karaḥ
śoṇitena abhivarṣanti lankām uṣṇena sarvataḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"With terrifying clamour, monstrous clouds, inspiring horror, rain hot blood on Lanka on every side."
रुदताम् वाहनानाम् च प्रपतन्त्य् अस्र बिन्दवः
ध्वजा ध्वस्ता विवर्णास्ः च न प्रभान्ति यथा पुरम्
rudatām vāhanānām ca prapatanty asra bindavaḥ
dhvajā dhvastā vivarṇāsḥ ca na prabhānti yathā puram
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Drops of tears drop from the weeping elephants, horses etc., whose skins became discoloured, covered with dust and are not shining as before."
व्याला गोमायवो ग्र्^ इध्रा वाशन्ति च सुभैरवम्
प्रविश्य लन्काम् अनिशम् समवायांस्ः च कुर्वते
vyālā gomāyavo gr^ idhrā vāśanti ca subhairavam
praviśya lankām aniśam samavāyāṃsḥ ca kurvate
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Flesh-eating animals, jackals and eagles and howling horribly. Entering Lanka, they are in the groves, forming into groups."
कालिकाः पाण्डुरैर् दन्तैः प्रहसन्त्य् अग्रतः स्थिताः
स्त्रियः स्वप्नेषु मुष्णन्त्यो गृहाणि प्रतिभाष्य च
kālikāḥ pāṇḍurair dantaiḥ prahasanty agrataḥ sthitāḥ
striyaḥ svapneṣu muṣṇantyo gṛhāṇi pratibhāṣya ca
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Black women, chattering incoherently in dreams and robbing different houses stand in front, laughing loudly with their white teeth."
गृहाणाम् बलि कर्माणि श्वानः पर्युपभुन्जते
खरा गोषु प्रजायन्ते मूषिका नकुलैः सह
gṛhāṇām bali karmāṇi śvānaḥ paryupabhunjate
kharā goṣu prajāyante mūṣikā nakulaiḥ saha
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Dogs devour the sacred offerings offered in homes. Donkeys are born of cows and rats of mongoose."
मार्जारा द्वीपिभिः सार्धम् सूकराः शुनकैः सह
किम्नरा राक्षसैस्ः च अपि समेयुर् मानुषैः सह
mārjārā dvīpibhiḥ sārdham sūkarāḥ śunakaiḥ saha
kimnarā rākṣasaisḥ ca api sameyur mānuṣaiḥ saha
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Cats mate with tigers, pigs with dogs, Kinnaras (a species of demi-gods with the human figure and the head of a horse or with a horse's body and the head of a man) with demons and men."
पाण्डुरा रक्त पादास्ः च विहगाः काल चोदिताः
राक्षसानाम् विनाशाय कपोता विचरन्ति च
pāṇḍurā rakta pādāsḥ ca vihagāḥ kāla coditāḥ
rākṣasānām vināśāya kapotā vicaranti ca
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Red-footed and white pigeons, messengers of death, move in different directions, foretelling the extermination of demons."
वीचीकूचीति वाशन्त्यः शारिका वेश्मसु स्थिताः
पतन्ति ग्रथितास्ः च अपि निर्जिताः कलह एषिणः
vīcīkūcīti vāśantyaḥ śārikā veśmasu sthitāḥ
patanti grathitāsḥ ca api nirjitāḥ kalaha eṣiṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Domesticated minas (a kind of birds) making a chirping sound, defeated by other bellicose birds drop down, being twined together in groups."
पक्षिणश्च मृगाः सर्वे प्रत्यादित्यम् रुदन्ति ते
करालो विकटो मुण्डः पुरुषः कृष्ण पिन्गलः
pakṣiṇaśca mṛgāḥ sarve pratyādityam rudanti te
karālo vikaṭo muṇḍaḥ puruṣaḥ kṛṣṇa pingalaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Birds and wild animals, facing towards the sun, cry out. Death, in the form of a frightful, monstrous and cruel blackish fellow with a shaven head casts his eyes on all our dwellings, both morning and evening. These and such other sinister omens appear."
विष्णुम् मन्यामहे रामम् मानुषम् देहम् आस्थितम्
न हि मानुष मात्रो असौ राघवो दृढ विक्रमः
viṣṇum manyāmahe rāmam mānuṣam deham āsthitam
na hi mānuṣa mātro asau rāghavo dṛḍha vikramaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I deem Rama of firm fortitude as Vishnu dwelling in human form. This Rama is not a mere human being, he by whom that most wonderful bridge was built across the sea. O, Ravana! Conclude peace with Rama, who is the king of men. Having come to know of his acts, let that which is good for the future be done after a mature understanding."
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे आदिकाव्ये युद्धकाण्डे पञ्चत्रिंशः सर्गः
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe ādikāvye yuddhakāṇḍe pañcatriṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Having spoken thus, the mighty Malyavan, who was foremost in valour among the bravest warriors, being aware of what was passing in Ravana's mind, eyeing him, became silent.