Chapter 36

Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War

VERSE 1

तत्तु माल्यवतो वाक्यम् हितम् उक्तम् दज़ आननः
न मर्षयति दुष्ट अत्मा कालस्य वज़म् आगतः

tattu mālyavato vākyam hitam uktam daza ānanaḥ
na marṣayati duṣṭa atmā kālasya vazam āgataḥ

SYNONYMS

daśānanaḥ: Ravana the ten-faced monster | duṣṭātmā: the evil-minded | āgataḥ: who had fallen | vaśam: under the sway | kālasya: of Death | na marṣayati: could not brook | tat: that | hitam: beneficial | vākyam: advice | uktam: uttered | mālyavataḥ: by Malyavan. |

TRANSLATION

The evil- minded Ravana the ten-faced monster, who had fallen under the sway of Death; could not brook that beneficial advice tendered by Malyavan.

VERSE 2

स बद्ध्वा भ्रु कुटिम् वक्त्रे क्रोधस्य वज़म् आगतः
अमर्षात् परिवृत्त अक्षो माल्यवन्तम् अथ अब्रवीत्

sa baddhvā bhru kuṭim vaktre krodhasya vazam āgataḥ
amarṣāt parivṛtta akṣo mālyavantam atha abravīt

SYNONYMS

saḥ: He | āgataḥ: had fallen | vaśam: under the sway | krodhasya: of anger | baddhavā: knitting | bhrukuṭim: his brows | vaktre: on the face | parivṛttākṣaḥ: rolling his eyes | dmarṣāt: in fury | abravīt: spoke | atha: then | mālyavantam: to Malyavan |

TRANSLATION

He had fallen under the sway of anger, knitting his brows on the face as he was, rolling his eyes in fury and spoke to Malyavan (as follows)

VERSE 3

हित बुद्ध्या यद् अहितम् वचह् परुषम् उच्यते
पर पक्षम् प्रविज़्य एव न एतत् ज़्रोत्र गतम् मम

hita buddhyā yad ahitam vacah paruṣam ucyate
para pakṣam pravizya eva na etat zrotra gatam mama

SYNONYMS

etat: these | ahitam: improper | paruṣam: and harsh | vacaḥ: words | yat: which | ucyate: were spoken (by you) | hita buddhyā: taking them to be salutary | praviśyaiva: and even entering into parapakSam = the side of an enemy | na śrotagatam: has not caught the ears | mama: to me. |

TRANSLATION

"I have closed my ears to the speech you have made, albeit with good intentions and even by taking sides with the enemy."

VERSE 4

मानुषम् कृपणम् रामम् एकम् ज़ाखा मृग आज़्रयम्
समर्थम् मन्यसे केन त्यक्तम् पित्रा वन आलयम्

mānuṣam kṛpaṇam rāmam ekam zākhā mṛga āzrayam
samartham manyase kena tyaktam pitrā vana ālayam

SYNONYMS

kena: how | manyase: are you thinking | rāmaḥ: Rama | mānuṣam: who is a human being | kṛpaṇam: a feeble man | ekam: a small man | śākhamṛgāśrayam: taking help from monkeys | tyaktam: abandoned | pitrā: by his father | vanāśrayam: and dwelling in a forest | samartham: as competent? |

TRANSLATION

"How can you hold Rama, who is a mere human being, a small feeble man, taking help from monkeys and dwelling in a forest having been abandoned by his father, to be a competent person?"

VERSE 5

रक्षसाम् ईज़्वरम् माम् च देवतानाम् भयम् करम्
हीनम् माम् मन्यसे केन;अहीनम् सर्व विक्रमैः

rakṣasām īzvaram mām ca devatānām bhayam karam
hīnam mām manyase kena;ahīnam sarva vikramaiḥ

SYNONYMS

kena: why | manyase: are you thinking | mām: me | īśvaram: the Lord | rakṣasām: of demons | bhayamkaram: causing fear | devānām ca: to celestials | ahīnam: full | sarva vikramaiḥ: of all powers | hīnam: as a weaker person? |

TRANSLATION

"How can you hold me, the Lord of demons, terrifying celestials and possessing all powers in full, to be a weaker person?"

VERSE 6

वीर द्वेषेण वा ज़न्के पक्ष पातेन वा रिपोः
त्वया अहम् परुषाण्य् उक्तः पर प्रोत्साहनेन वा

vīra dveṣeṇa vā zanke pakṣa pātena vā ripoḥ
tvayā aham paruṣāṇy uktaḥ para protsāhanena vā

SYNONYMS

aham: I | śaṅke: suspect | paruṣāṇi: (that) these harsh words | uktaḥ: were spoken | tvayā: by you | vīradveṣeṇa: because of your hero-hatred | pakṣapatena vā: or your partiality | ripoḥ: towards the enemies | protsahanena vā: or my (wrong) encouragement. |

TRANSLATION

"I suspect that you spoke these harsh words to me because of your envy of my prowess or your partiality towards the enemies or my lenience towards you."

VERSE 7

प्रभवन्तम् पदस्थम् हि परुषम् को अह्बिधास्यति
पण्डितह् ज़ास्त्र तत्त्वज्नो विना प्रोत्साहनाद् रिपोः

prabhavantam padastham hi paruṣam ko ahbidhāsyati
paṇḍitah zāstra tattvajno vinā protsāhanād ripoḥ

SYNONYMS

kaḥ: which | panditaḥ: learned man | śāstra tattvajñaḥ: understanding the truth in the scriptures abhibhaashhate = would speak | paruṣam: thus harshly | padastham: to a person in power | prabhavantam: who is mighty vinaa protsaahanena vaa = without any instigation? |

TRANSLATION

"Which learned man, understand the truth in the scriptures, would speak thus harshly to a mighty person in power, were it not to instigate him?"

VERSE 8

आनीय च वनात् सीताम् पद्म हीनाम् इव ज़्रियम्
किम् अर्थम् प्रतिदास्यामि राघवस्य भयाद् अहम्

ānīya ca vanāt sītām padma hīnām iva zriyam
kim artham pratidāsyāmi rāghavasya bhayād aham

SYNONYMS

kimartham: why | aham: (should) I | pratidāsyām: give back | sītām: Seetha | śriyam iva: who is like Lashmi | padmahīnām: without the loutus | ānīya: having brought her | vanāt: from the forest | bhayāt: through fear |

TRANSLATION

"Why should I give back Seetha, who is like Lakshmi the goddess of fortune without the lotus, having brought her away from the forest, through fear of Rama?"

VERSE 9

वृतम् वानर कोटीभिः ससुग्रीवम् सलक्ष्मणम्
पज़्य कैज़्चिद् अहोभिस् त्वम् राघवम् निहतम् मया

vṛtam vānara koṭībhiḥ sasugrīvam salakṣmaṇam
pazya kaizcid ahobhis tvam rāghavam nihatam mayā

SYNONYMS

kaiścit: within a few | ahobhiḥ: days | paśya: see | rāghvam: Rama | salakṣmaṇam: along with Lakshama | sasngrīvam: together with Sugreeva | nṛtam: in the midst | vānara koṭībhiḥ: of crores of monkeys | nihatam: killed | mayā: by me. |

TRANSLATION

"See Rama killed within a few days by me, along with Lakshama together with Sugreeva in the midst of crores of monkeys."

VERSE 10

द्वन्द्वे यस्य न तिष्ठन्ति दैवतान्य् अपि सम्युगे
स कस्माद् रावणो युद्धे भयम् आहारयिष्यति

dvandve yasya na tiṣṭhanti daivatāny api samyuge
sa kasmād rāvaṇo yuddhe bhayam āhārayiṣyati

SYNONYMS

kasmāt: how | saḥ: (should) that | rāvaṇaḥ: Ravana | yasya: whom | samynge: in combat | daivatānyapi: the celestials themselves | na tiṣṭhanti: dare not withstand | dvandve: in a duel | āhārayiṣyati: entertain | bhayam: fear | yuddhe: in the encounter? |

TRANSLATION

"How should this Ravana, whom in combat, the celestials themselves dare not meet in a duel, entertain fear in this encounter?"

VERSE 11

द्विधा भज्येयम् अप्य् एवम् न नमेयम् तु कस्यचित्
एष मे सहजो दोषह् स्वभावो दुरतिक्रमः

dvidhā bhajyeyam apy evam na nameyam tu kasyacit
eṣa me sahajo doṣah svabhāvo duratikramaḥ

SYNONYMS

bhajyeyamapi: even if I am broken | dvidhā: into two | na meyam: I shall not bend | kasya cit: to any body | evam: in this way | eṣaḥ: this | me: is my | sahajaḥ: nature | doṣaḥ: defect | svabhāvaḥ: which temperament | duratikramḥ: is difficult to be overcome. |

TRANSLATION

"Rather would I be cut into two pieces than bend before anybody! Such was I from birth, it is my nature by difacult and unalterable."

VERSE 12

यदि तावत् समुद्रे तु सेतुर् बद्धो यदृच्चया
रामेण विस्मयः को अत्र येन ते भयम् आगतम्

yadi tāvat samudre tu setur baddho yadṛccayā
rāmeṇa vismayaḥ ko atra yena te bhayam āgatam

SYNONYMS

kaḥ: what | vismayaḥ: great marvel | atra: is there | yena: (in) that | āgatam: which should give way | bhayam: to terror | me: for me | yadi yadṛcchayā: if by happy chance | setuḥ: a bridge | baddhaḥ tāvat: indeed was constructed | samudre: accross the ocean | rāmeṇa: by Rama. |

TRANSLATION

"What great marvel is there in that which gave way to terror if by happy chance, a bridge indeed was constructed by Rama across the ocean."

VERSE 13

स तु तीर्त्वा अर्णवम् रामः सह वानर सेनया
प्रतिजानामि ते सत्यम् न जीवन् प्रतियास्यति

sa tu tīrtvā arṇavam rāmaḥ saha vānara senayā
pratijānāmi te satyam na jīvan pratiyāsyati

SYNONYMS

saḥ rāghavaḥ: that Rama | vānara senayā śa: along with his army of monkeys | tīrtrā: having crossed | ārṇām: the ocean | na pratiyāsyati: will not go back | jīvan: alive | pratijānāmi: I am promising | satyam: truely | te: to you. |

TRANSLATION

"That Rama along with his army of monkeys, having crossed the ocean, will not go back alive. It is my true promise to you."

VERSE 14

एवम् ब्रुवाणम् सम्रब्धम् रुष्टम् विज्नाय रावणम्
व्रीडितो माल्यवान् वाक्यम् न उत्तरम् प्रत्यपद्यत

evam bruvāṇam samrabdham ruṣṭam vijnāya rāvaṇam
vrīḍito mālyavān vākyam na uttaram pratyapadyata

SYNONYMS

vijñāya: knowing | rāvaṇam: Ravana | ruṣṭam: to be furious | bruvāṇam: speaking | samrabdham: excited | iti: in this way | mālyavān: Malyavan | vrīḍitaḥ: felt bashful | na pratyapadyata: did not get | vākyam: (any) words | uttaram: in reply. |

TRANSLATION

Beholding Ravana to be highly excited and speaking with such fury, Malyavan, abashed, did not reply.

VERSE 15

जय आज़िषा च राजानम् वर्धयित्वा यथा उचितम्
माल्यवान् अभ्यनुज्नातो जगाम स्वम् निवेज़नम्

jaya āziṣā ca rājānam vardhayitvā yathā ucitam
mālyavān abhyanujnāto jagāma svam nivezanam

SYNONYMS

vardhayitvā: Invoking | jayāśiṣā: blessings of victory | rājānam: to the king | yathocitam: as courtesy demanded | mālyavān: Malyavan | abhyānujñātaḥ: having been given permission | jagāma: went | svam: to his own | niveśanam: house. |

TRANSLATION

Invoking blessings of victory to the king as courtesy demanded Malyavan took permission and went home.

VERSE 16

रावणस् तु सह अमात्यो मन्त्रयित्वा विमृज़्य च
लन्कायाम् अतुलाम् गुप्तिम् कारयाम् आस राक्षसः

rāvaṇas tu saha amātyo mantrayitvā vimṛzya ca
lankāyām atulām guptim kārayām āsa rākṣasaḥ

SYNONYMS

rākṣasaḥ: Ravana the demon on his part | sahāmātyaḥ: assisted by his ministers | mantrayitvā: having deliberated | vimṛśya: on the things to be examined | kārayāmāsa: set about planning | tadā: then | guptim: the defense | laṅkāyāḥ: of Lanka. |

TRANSLATION

Ravana the demon on his part, assisted by his ministers having deliberated on the things to be examined, set about planning the defense of Lanka.

VERSE 17

व्यादिदेज़ च पूर्वस्याम् प्रहस्तम् द्वारि राक्षसम्
दक्षिणस्याम् महा वीर्यौ महा पार्ज़्व महा उदरौ

vyādideza ca pūrvasyām prahastam dvāri rākṣasam
dakṣiṇasyām mahā vīryau mahā pārzva mahā udarau

SYNONYMS

18| atha: thereafter | vyādideśa: he appointed | pūrvāsyām dvāri: eastern gate | rākṣasam: to the demon | prahastam: Prahasta | dakṣiṇasyām: the southern gate | mahāparśva mahodarau: to Mahaparsva and Mahodara | mahāvīryau: of great prowess | tadā: then | paścimām: dvaasi = at the western gate | putram: his son | indrajitam: Indrajit | mahāmāyam: a powerful conjuror | vṛtam: endowed with bahubhiH = a considerable force of | rākṣasaiḥ: demons. |

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, he assigned the eastern gate to the demon, Prahasta and the southern gate to Maha Parshva and Mhodara both of great prowess. At the western gate, he placed his son Indrajit, a powerful conjuror, with considerable force of demons.

VERSE 19

उत्तरस्याम् पुर द्वारि व्यादिज़्य ज़ुक सारणौ
स्वयम् च अत्र भविष्यामि मन्त्रिणस् तान् उवाच ह

uttarasyām pura dvāri vyādizya zuka sāraṇau
svayam ca atra bhaviṣyāmi mantriṇas tān uvāca ha

SYNONYMS

vyādiśya: placing | śuka ssaraṇau: shuka and Sarana | uttarasyām: at the norhtern | puradvāri: city- gate | uvāca ha: (he) spoke | mantriṇaḥ: to his ministers | tān: that | gamiṣyāmi: he would go | tatra: there | svayam: personally. |

TRANSLATION

Placing Shuka and Sarana at the northern city-gate, Ravana told his ministers that he would go there personally.

VERSE 20

राक्षसम् तु विरूप अक्षम् महा वीर्य पराक्रमम्
मध्यमे अस्थापयद् गुल्मे बहुभिह् सह राक्षसैः

rākṣasam tu virūpa akṣam mahā vīrya parākramam
madhyame asthāpayad gulme bahubhih saha rākṣasaiḥ

SYNONYMS

āsthāpayat: He placed | rākṣasam: the demon | virūpākṣam: Virupaksha | mahā vīrya parākramam: who was full of energy and courage | madhyame: to be in the center | gulame: of the fort | bahubhiḥ rākṣasaiḥ śa: with a large number of demons. |

TRANSLATION

He place the demon Virupaksha, who was full of energy and courage, to be in the center of the fort, with a large number of demons.

VERSE 21

एवम् विधानम् लन्कायाम् कृत्वा राक्षस पुम्गवः
मेने कृत अर्थम् आत्मानम् कृत अन्त वज़म् आगतः

evam vidhānam lankāyām kṛtvā rākṣasa pumgavaḥ
mene kṛta artham ātmānam kṛta anta vazam āgataḥ

SYNONYMS

kṛtvā: making | vidhānam: an arrangement | evam: in this manner | laṅkāyām: in Lanka | rākṣasa puṇgavaḥ: that bull among the demons | kālacoditaḥ: under the sway of Time | manyate: deemed | ātmānam: his | kṛta kṛtyamiva: purpose as accomplished. |

TRANSLATION

Making an arrangement in Lanka in this manner, that bull among demons, under the sway of Time, deemed his purpose as accomplished.

VERSE 22

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे आदिकाव्ये युद्धकाण्डे सप्तत्रिंशः सर्गः

ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe ādikāvye yuddhakāṇḍe saptatriṃśaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

ājṇāpya: having ordered | puṣkalam: for the complete | vidhānam: regulation | purasya: of the city | saḥ: he | tataḥ: then | mantriṇaḥ visarjayāmāsa: let his ministers depart | pūjitaḥ: having been honoured | jayāśiṣā: by the body of counsellors | mantrigaṇena: by the body of counsellors | viveśa: entered | mahat: the mighty | ṛddhimat: and sumptuous | antaḥpuram: inner apartments. |

TRANSLATION

Having ordered for adequate arrangements for the defence of the city, Ravana then let his ministers depart. Having been honoured with blessings of victory by the body of counsellors, he entered his mighty and sumptuous inner apartments.