Chapter 5

Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War

VERSE 1

सा तु नीलेन विधिवत् स्वारक्षा सुसमाहिता
सागरस्य उत्तरे तीरे साधु सेना विनिएशिता

sā tu nīlena vidhivat svārakṣā susamāhitā
sāgarasya uttare tīre sādhu senā vinieśitā

SYNONYMS

: he famous one | vidhivat: duly | svārakṣā: well-protected | nīlena: by Neela | viniveśitā: was kept stationed | sādhu: well | uttare tīre: at the northern shore | sāgarasya: of the ocean. |

TRANSLATION

That famous army, well-protected by Neela, was kept stationed nicely at the northern shore of the ocean.

VERSE 2

मैन्दः च द्विविधः च उभौ तत्र वानर पुम्गवौ
विचेरतुः च ताम् सेनाम् रक्षा अर्थम् सर्वतो दिशम्

maindaḥ ca dvividhaḥ ca ubhau tatra vānara pumgavau
viceratuḥ ca tām senām rakṣā artham sarvato diśam

SYNONYMS

ubhau: both | maindaḥ ca: Maina | dvividaścaiva: and Divida | vānara pumgavau: the distinguished | tatra: there monkeys | viceratuḥ: moved | sarvato diśam: in all directions | tām senām: in that army | rakṣā artham: for the purpose of vigilance. |

TRANSLATION

Both Maina and Dvivida the distinguished monkeys there moved in all directions through that army, for the purpose of vigilance.

VERSE 3

निविष्टायाम् तु सेनायाम् तीरे नद नदी पतेः
पार्श्वस्थम् लक्ष्मणम् दृष्ट्वा रामो वचनम् अब्रवीत्

niviṣṭāyām tu senāyām tīre nada nadī pateḥ
pārśvastham lakṣmaṇam dṛṣṭvā rāmo vacanam abravīt

SYNONYMS

senāyām: (after) the army | niviṣṭāyām: was settled | tīre: at the shore | nada nadī pate: of the sea | rāmaḥ: Rama | abravīt: spoke | vacanam: these words | dṛṣṭvā: seeing | lakśmaṇam: Lakshmana | pārśvastham: at his side. |

TRANSLATION

After the army was settled at the sea-shore, Rama spoke to Lakshmana who was by his side (as follows):

VERSE 4

शोकः च किल कालेन गच्चता हि अपगच्चति
मम च अपश्यतः कान्ताम् अहनि अहनि वर्धते

śokaḥ ca kila kālena gaccatā hi apagaccati
mama ca apaśyataḥ kāntām ahani ahani vardhate

SYNONYMS

kila: It is so said | śokaḥ: (that) sorrow | apagacchati: gets vanished | gacchatāa: at the passing | kālena: of time | mama ca: but my agony | apaśyataḥ: of not seeing kaantaam = my beloved | vardhate: is getting increased | ahanyahani: day n and day out. |

TRANSLATION

"It is so said that sorrow gets vanished at the passing of time. But my agony of not seeing my beloved is getting increased every day."

VERSE 5

न मे दुह्खम् प्रिया दूरे न मे दुह्खम् हृता इति च
तद् एव अनुशोचामि वयो अस्या हि अतिवर्तते

na me duhkham priyā dūre na me duhkham hṛtā iti ca
tad eva anuśocāmi vayo asyā hi ativartate

SYNONYMS

na: No | duḥkham: anguish | me: to me | priyā: (that) my beloved | dūre: is at a distance | hṛteti ca: tat she was taken away | asyāḥ: Her | vayaḥ: age | ativartate hi: is indeed passing away | amśocāmi: I am repenting | ītadeva: only about this. |

TRANSLATION

"There is no anguish for me that my beloved is at a distance, nor that she was taken away. Her age is indeed passing away. Only about this, I am repenting."

VERSE 6

वाहि वात यतः कन्या ताम् स्पृष्ट्वा माम् अपि स्पृश
त्वयि मे गात्र संस्पर्शः चन्द्रे दृष्टि समागमः

vāhi vāta yataḥ kanyā tām spṛṣṭvā mām api spṛśa
tvayi me gātra saṃsparśaḥ candre dṛṣṭi samāgamaḥ

SYNONYMS

vāta: Oh | vāhi: flow | yataḥ: from which side | kāntā: is my beloved | spṛṣṭvā: touch | tām: her | spṛśa: (and) touch | mām api: me too | gātra sparśaḥ: contact of her limb | me: to me | tvayi: is obtained through you | dṛṣṭisamāgamaḥ: contact of our eyes | candre: is through moon." |

TRANSLATION

"Oh, wind! Flow from the side of my beloved. Touch her and touch me too. It is through you that I get a contact of her limbs. It is through moon that I get a contact of her eyes."

VERSE 7

तन् मे दहति गात्राणि विषम् पीतम् इव आशये
हा नाथ इति प्रिया सा माम् ह्रियमाणा यद् अब्रवीत्

tan me dahati gātrāṇi viṣam pītam iva āśaye
hā nātha iti priyā sā mām hriyamāṇā yad abravīt

SYNONYMS

sā priyā: that darling | hriyamāṇā: being carried away | abravīt iti yat: might have cried | hā nāthā iti: Oh | tat: It | viṣam iva: is like poison | pītam: gulped (by me) | āśaye: and hovering in my stomach | dahati: scorching | me: my | gātrāṇi: limbs. |

TRANSLATION

"That darling being carried away; might have cried "Oh, Lord!" Seeking for help. That thought is like poison gulped by me, hovering in my stomach and scorching my limbs."

VERSE 8

तद् वियोग इन्धनवता तच् चिन्ता विपुल अर्चिषा
रात्रिम् दिवम् शरीरम् मे दह्यते मदन अग्निना

tad viyoga indhanavatā tac cintā vipula arciṣā
rātrim divam śarīram me dahyate madana agninā

SYNONYMS

me: My | śarīram: body | dahyate: is scorching | rātrim divam: night and day | madanāgninā: by the fire of passion | tadviyogendhana vatā: holding fuel of my separation from her | taccintāvimalarciṣā: and my thoughts of her flaring up into shimmering flames. |

TRANSLATION

"My body is scorching night and day, by the fire of passion, holding fuel of my separation from her and my thoughts of her flaring into shimmering flames."

VERSE 9

अवगाह्य अर्णवम् स्वप्स्ये सौमित्रे भवता विना
कथंचित् प्रज्वलन् कामः समासुप्तम् जले दहेत्

avagāhya arṇavam svapsye saumitre bhavatā vinā
kathaṃcit prajvalan kāmaḥ samāsuptam jale dahet

SYNONYMS

saumitre: OH | avagāhya: going deep into | ārṇavam: the sea | bhavatā vina: without you | svapasye: I shall fall asleep | prajvalan: flaming | kāmaḥ: passion | na dahet: will not scorch | mām: me | evam ca: thus | suptam: sleeping | jale: in water. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh, Lakshmana! Diving deep into the sea without you, I shall fall asleep. This flaming passion will not thus scorch me, lying down in water.

VERSE 10

बह्व् एतत् कामयानस्य शक्यम् एतेन जीवितुम्
यद् अहम् सा च वाम ऊरुर् एकाम् धरणिम् आश्रितौ

bahv etat kāmayānasya śakyam etena jīvitum
yad aham sā ca vāma ūrur ekām dharaṇim āśritau

SYNONYMS

etat: this | bahu: is great thing | kāmayānasya: for me who is passionate | iti yat: that | aham: I | sā vāmorūḥ: and that Seetha | vith carming thighs āśritau: are resting | ekām: on one and the same | dharaṇim: earth | śakyam: I am able | jīvitum: to survive | etena: on this fact. |

TRANSLATION

"It is enough for me, who is passionate, that Seetha with charming thighs and myself are resting on one the same earth and on this fact I am able to survive."

VERSE 11

केदारस्य इव केदारः स उदकस्य निरूदकः
उपस्नेहेन जीवामि जीवन्तीम् यत् शृणोमि ताम्

kedārasya iva kedāraḥ sa udakasya nirūdakaḥ
upasnehena jīvāmi jīvantīm yat śṛṇomi tām

SYNONYMS

yat: that | śruṇomi: I am hearing | tām: her | jīvantīm: as surviving | jīvāmi: I also survive | kedāraḥ iva: as a paddy-field | nirūdakaḥ: without water (survives) | upasnehena: getting wet | kedārasya: by another paddy-field | sodakasya: under water. |

TRANSLATION

"Even as a paddy-field without water survives, by getting wet from a neighboring paddy-field under water, I also survive since I am hearing her as surviving.

VERSE 12

कदा तु खलु सुस्शोणीम् शत पत्र आयत ईक्षणाम्
विजित्य शत्रून् द्रक्ष्यामि सीताम् स्फीताम् इव श्रियम्

kadā tu khalu susśoṇīm śata patra āyata īkṣaṇām
vijitya śatrūn drakṣyāmi sītām sphītām iva śriyam

SYNONYMS

kadā khalu: when | drakṣyāmi: shall I see | sītām: Seetha | śuśroṇīm: with charming hips | śata patrāyatekṣaṇām: having long lotus-like eyes | sphītām: flourishing | śriyamiva: as prosperity | vijitya: by conquering | śatrūn: the enemies. |

TRANSLATION

"When shall I behold Seetha with charming hips, having long lotus-like eyes flourishing as prosperity, by conquering the enemies?"

VERSE 13

कदा नु चारु बिम्ब ओष्ठम् तस्याः पद्मम् इव आननम्
ईषद् उन्नम्य पास्यामि रसायनम् इव आतुरः

kadā nu cāru bimba oṣṭham tasyāḥ padmam iva ānanam
īṣad unnamya pāsyāmi rasāyanam iva āturaḥ

SYNONYMS

kadā: when | unnamya: raising | īṣat: a little | tasyāḥ: her | ānanam: face | padmamiva: looking like louts | sucārudantoṣṭham: with its beautiful teeth and lips | pāsyāmi: shall I drink | rasāyanamiva: as a sovereign drink of remedy | āturaḥ: by a sick man?" |

TRANSLATION

"When, gently raising her face looking like louts, with its beautiful teeth and lips, shall I drink as a sick man the sovereign drink of remedy?"

VERSE 14

तौ तस्याः सम्हतौ पीनौ स्तनौ ताल फल उपमौ
कदा नु खलु स उत्कम्पौ हसन्त्या माम् भजिष्यतः

tau tasyāḥ samhatau pīnau stanau tāla phala upamau
kadā nu khalu sa utkampau hasantyā mām bhajiṣyataḥ

SYNONYMS

khalu: when will | tau: those | stanau: breasts | hasantyāḥ: which are delightful | sahitau: close | pīnau: bulging | sotkampau: and quivering | tālaphalopamau: looking like Palmyra fruits | bhajiṣyathaḥ nu: indeed press | mām: me? |

TRANSLATION

"When will those breasts which are delightful close, bulging and quivering, looking like palmary fruits, indeed press me?"

VERSE 15

सा नूनम् असित अपान्गी रक्षो मध्य गता सती
मन् नाथा नाथ हीना इव त्रातारम् न अधिगच्चति

sā nūnam asita apāngī rakṣo madhya gatā satī
man nāthā nātha hīnā iva trātāram na adhigaccati

SYNONYMS

: she | asitāpāṅgī: with dark-cornered eyes | rakṣomadhyagatā satī: who has fallen in the middle of ogres | mannāthā: though I am her support | nūnam: is certainly | nādhigacchati: not getting | trātāram: any defender | nātha hīnena: resembling an orphan. |

TRANSLATION

"She, with dark-cornered eyes, who has fallen into the midst of demons, is surely not getting any defender, she resembling an orphan, though I am her support."

VERSE 16

कदा विक्षोभ्य रक्षांसि सा विधूय उत्पतिष्यति
राक्षसीमध्यगा शेते स्नुषा दशरथस्य च

kadā vikṣobhya rakṣāṃsi sā vidhūya utpatiṣyati
rākṣasīmadhyagā śete snuṣā daśarathasya ca

SYNONYMS

katham: how | janakarājasya duhitā: Seetha | mama ca: my | priyā: darling | daśarathasya ca: and Dasaratha's | snuṣā: daughter-in-law | śete: is sleeping | rākṣasīmadhyagā: in the midst of ogresses? |

TRANSLATION

"How Seetha the daughter of King Janaka, my darling and Dasaratha's daughter-in-law is sleeping among ogresses?"

VERSE 17

अविक्षोभ्याणि रक्षांसि सा विधूयोत्पतिष्यति
विधूय जलदान् नीलान् शशि लेखा शरत्स्व् इव

avikṣobhyāṇi rakṣāṃsi sā vidhūyotpatiṣyati
vidhūya jaladān nīlān śaśi lekhā śaratsv iva

SYNONYMS

: Seetha | utpatiṣyati: will come out | vidhūya: as driving away | rakṣāmsi: demons | nīlān: black | jaladān: clouds | śasilekhā: by a digit of the moon | śarat su: in autumn. |

TRANSLATION

"Seetha will come out, driving away (through my force) the unassailable demons, as driving away black clouds by a digit of the moon, in autumn."

VERSE 18

स्वभाव तनुका नूनम् शोकेन अनशनेन च
भूयस् तनुतरा सीता देश काल विपर्ययात्

svabhāva tanukā nūnam śokena anaśanena ca
bhūyas tanutarā sītā deśa kāla viparyayāt

SYNONYMS

sītā: Seetha | svabhāvatanukā: who | nūnam: will undoubtedly | bhūyaḥ: further | tanutarā: become more lean | śokena: because of anguish | anaśanena: abstinence from food | deśa kālaviparyayāt: and adverse position of time and place. |

TRANSLATION

"Seetha, who by nature is slender, will undoubtedly become leaner further because of her anguish, her abstinence from food and her adverse position of time and place."

VERSE 19

कदा नु राक्षस इन्द्रस्य निधाय उरसि सायकान्
सीताम् प्रत्याहरिष्यामि शोकम् उत्सृज्य मानसम्

kadā nu rākṣasa indrasya nidhāya urasi sāyakān
sītām pratyāhariṣyāmi śokam utsṛjya mānasam

SYNONYMS

kadām: when | pratyahariṣyāmi: shall I bring back | sītām: Seetha | nidhāya: having lodged | sāyakān: arrows | rākśasendrasya: in Ravana's urasi = chest | utsṛjya: and having abandoned | mānasam: (this) mental | śokam: agony? |

TRANSLATION

"When shall I bring back Seetha, having lodged arrows in Ravana's chest and having abandoned this mental agony?"

VERSE 20

कदा नु खलु माम् साध्वी सीता अमर सुता उपमा
स उत्कण्ठा कण्ठम् आलम्ब्य मोक्ष्यति आनन्दजम् जलम्

kadā nu khalu mām sādhvī sītā amara sutā upamā
sa utkaṇṭhā kaṇṭham ālambya mokṣyati ānandajam jalam

SYNONYMS

kadā khalu: when indeed shall | sītā: Seetha | sādhvī: the virtuous woman | surasutopamā: similar to the child of a celestial | sotkaṇṭhā: with an excited longing | ālambya: embrace | me: my | kaṇṭham: neck | mokṣyati nu: (and) will release | jalam: tears | ānandajam: begotten of joy? |

TRANSLATION

"When indeed Seetha the virtuous lady similar to the child of a celestial, with an excited longing, will embrace my neck and release tears of joy?"

VERSE 21

कदा शोकम् इमम् घोरम् मैथिली विप्रयोगजम्
सहसा विप्रमोक्ष्यामि वासः शुक्ल इतरम् यथा

kadā śokam imam ghoram maithilī viprayogajam
sahasā vipramokṣyāmi vāsaḥ śukla itaram yathā

SYNONYMS

kadā: when | vipramokṣyāmi nu: shall I thrillingly abandon | imam: this | ghoram: terrible | śokam: anguish | maithilīviprayogajam: born out of my separation from | sahasā: so Seetha soon | śukletaram vāsam yathā: as (abandoning) a soiled clothing? |

TRANSLATION

"When shall I thrillingly abandon this terrible anguish, born out of my separation from Seetha so soon, as we abandon a soiled clothing?"

VERSE 22

एवम् विलपतस् तस्य तत्र रामस्य धीमतः
दिन क्षयान् मन्द वपुर् भास्करो अस्तम् उपागमत्

evam vilapatas tasya tatra rāmasya dhīmataḥ
dina kṣayān manda vapur bhāskaro astam upāgamat

SYNONYMS

tasya: (while) that | dhīmataḥ: sagacious | rāmasya: Rama | vilapataḥ: was lamenting | tatra: there | evam-: thus | bhāskaraḥ: sun | mandavapuḥ: sun | dinakṣayāt: due to day-decline | astam upāgataḥ: approached dusk. |

TRANSLATION

While that sagacious Rama was lamenting thus there, the sun, the weak-rayed due to day-decline, approached the dusk.

VERSE 23

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामयणे आदिकाव्ये युद्धकाण्डेपञ्चमः सर्गः

ityārṣe śrīmadrāmayaṇe ādikāvye yuddhakāṇḍepañcamaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

āśvāsitaḥ: consoled | lakśmaṇena: by Lakshmana | rāmaḥ: Rama | śokākulīkṛtaḥ: made overcome by anguish | smarau: recollecting | sītām: Seetha | kamelapatrākṣīm: the lotus-eyes | upāsataḥ: worshipped | sandhyām: the evening-twilight. |

TRANSLATION

Lakshmana consoled Rama who was overwhelmed with anguish, duly recollecting the lotus-eyed Seetha. Thereafter, Rama worshipped the evening-twilight.