Book VI : Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
Ravana turns his deaf ear to the words of Malyavan and even abuses him that the latter exaggerating the strength of Rama. Ravana further says that he will not restore Seetha to Rama and that Rama and his army will not go back alive, having crossed the ocean and reached Lanka. Then, Ravana assigns Prahasta and others to guard the four main gates of Lanka against the inroads of the enemy. He retires to his inner apartments, after ordering these assignments. |
tattu m˜lyavato v˜kyam hitam uktam daja ˜nana× |
na marÿayati duÿ÷a atm˜ k˜lasya vajam ˜gata× || 6-36-1
1. dashaananaH= Ravana the ten-faced monster; duSTaatmaa= the evil-minded; aagataH= who had fallen; vasham= under the sway; kaalasya= of Death; na marSayati= could not brook; tat= that; hitam= beneficial; vaakyam= advice; uktam= uttered; maalyavataH= by Malyavan.
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.
sa baddhv˜ bhru ku÷im vaktre krodhasya vajam ˜gata× |
amarÿ˜t pariv®tta akÿo m˜lyavantam atha abravŸt || 6-36-2
2. saH= He; aagataH= had fallen; vasham= under the sway; krodhasya= of anger; baddhavaa= knitting; bhrukuTim= his brows; vaktre= on the face; parivR^ittaakSaH= rolling his eyes; dmarSaat= in fury; abraviit= spoke; atha= then; maalyavantam= to Malyavan; (as follows)
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)
hita buddhy˜ yad ahitam vacah paruÿam ucyate |
para pakÿam pravijya eva na etat jrotra gatam mama || 6-36-3
3. etat= these; ahitam= improper; paruSam= and harsh; vachaH= words; yat= which; uchyate= were spoken (by you); hita buddhyaa= taking them to be salutary; pravishyaiva= and even entering into parapakSam= the side of an enemy; na shrotagatam= has not caught the ears; mama= to me.
"I have closed my ears to the speech you have made, albeit with good intentions and even by taking sides with the enemy."
m˜nuÿam k®paõam r˜mam ekam j˜kh˜ m®ga ˜jrayam |
samartham manyase kena tyaktam pitr˜ vana ˜layam || 6-36-4
4. kena= how; manyase= are you thinking; raamaH= Rama; maanuSam= who is a human being; kR^ipaNam= a feeble man; ekam= a small man; shaakhamR^igaashrayam= taking help from monkeys; tyaktam= abandoned; pitraa= by his father; vanaashrayam= and dwelling in a forest; samartham= as competent?
"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?"
rakÿas˜m Ÿjvaram m˜m ca devat˜n˜m bhayam karam |
hŸnam m˜m manyase kenaahŸnam sarva vikramai× || 6-36-5
5. kena= why; manyase= are you thinking; maam= me; iishvaram= the Lord; rakSasaam= of demons; bhayamkaram= causing fear; devaanaam cha= to celestials; ahiinam= full; sarva vikramaiH= of all powers; hiinam= as a weaker person?
"How can you hold me, the Lord of demons, terrifying celestials and possessing all powers in full, to be a weaker person?"
vŸra dveÿeõa v˜ janke pakÿa p˜tena v˜ ripo× |
tvay˜ aham paruÿ˜õy ukta× para prots˜hanena v˜ || 6-36-6
6. aham= I; shaN^ke= suspect; paruSaaNi= (that) these harsh words; uktaH= were spoken; tvayaa= by you; viiradveSeNa= because of your hero-hatred; pakSapatena vaa= or your partiality; ripoH= towards the enemies; protsahanena vaa= or my (wrong) encouragement.
"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."
prabhavantam padastham hi paruÿam ko ahbidh˜syati |
paõýitah j˜stra tattvajno vin˜ prots˜han˜d ripo× || 6-36-7
7. kaH= which; panditaH= learned man; shaastra tattvajJNaH= understanding the truth in the scriptures abhibhaashhate= would speak; paruSam= thus harshly; padastham= to a person in power; prabhavantam= who is mighty vinaa protsaahanena vaa= without any instigation?
"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?"
˜nŸya ca van˜t sŸt˜m padma hŸn˜m iva jriyam |
kim artham pratid˜sy˜mi r˜ghavasya bhay˜d aham || 6-36-8
8. kimartham= why; aham= (should) I; pratidaasyaam= give back; siitaam= Seetha; shriyam iva= who is like Lashmi; the goddess of fortune; padmahiinaam= without the loutus; aaniiya= having brought her; vanaat= from the forest; bhayaat= through fear; raaghavasya of Rama?
"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?"
v®tam v˜nara ko÷Ÿbhi× sasugrŸvam salakÿmaõam |
pajya kaijcid ahobhis tvam r˜ghavam nihatam may˜ || 6-36-9
9. kaishchit= within a few; ahobhiH= days; pashya= see; raaghvam= Rama; salakSmaNam= along with Lakshama; sasngriivam= together with Sugreeva; nR^itam= in the midst; vaanara koTiibhiH= of crores of monkeys; nihatam= killed; mayaa= by me.
"See Rama killed within a few days by me, along with Lakshama together with Sugreeva in the midst of crores of monkeys."
dvandve yasya na tiÿ÷hanti daivat˜ny api samyuge |
sa kasm˜d r˜vaõo yuddhe bhayam ˜h˜rayiÿyati || 6-36-10
10. kasmaat= how; saH= (should) that; raavaNaH= Ravana; yasya= whom; samynge= in combat; daivataanyapi= the celestials themselves; na tiSThanti= dare not withstand; dvandve= in a duel; aahaarayiSyati= entertain; bhayam= fear; yuddhe= in the encounter?
"How should this Ravana, whom in combat, the celestials themselves dare not meet in a duel, entertain fear in this encounter?"
dvidh˜ bhajyeyam apy evam na nameyam tu kasyacit |
eÿa me sahajo doÿah svabh˜vo duratikrama× || 6-36-11
11. bhajyeyamapi= even if I am broken; dvidhaa= into two; na meyam= I shall not bend; kasya chit= to any body; evam= in this way; eSaH= this; me= is my; sahajaH= nature; doSaH= defect; svabhaavaH= which temperament; duratikramH= is difficult to be overcome.
"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."
yadi t˜vat samudre tu setur baddho yad®ccay˜ |
r˜meõa vismaya× ko atra yena te bhayam ˜gatam || 6-36-12
12. kaH= what; vismayaH= great marvel; atra= is there; yena = (in) that; aagatam= which should give way; bhayam= to terror; me= for me; yadi yadR^ichchhayaa= if by happy chance; setuH= a bridge; baddhaH taavat= indeed was constructed; samudre= accross the ocean; raameNa= by Rama.
"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."
sa tu tŸrtv˜ arõavam r˜ma× saha v˜nara senay˜ |
pratij˜n˜mi te satyam na jŸvan pratiy˜syati || 6-36-13
13. saH raaghavaH= that Rama; vaanara senayaa sha= along with his army of monkeys; tiirtraa= having crossed; aarNaam= the ocean; na pratiyaasyati= will not go back; jiivan= alive; pratijaanaami= I am promising; satyam= truely; te= to you.
"That Rama along with his army of monkeys, having crossed the ocean, will not go back alive. It is my true promise to you."
evam bruv˜õam samrabdham ruÿ÷am vijn˜ya r˜vaõam |
vrŸýito m˜lyav˜n v˜kyam na uttaram pratyapadyata || 6-36-14
14. vijJNaaya= knowing; raavaNam= Ravana; ruSTam= to be furious; bruvaaNam= speaking; samrabdham= excited; iti= in this way; maalyavaan= Malyavan; vriiDitaH= felt bashful; na pratyapadyata= did not get; vaakyam= (any) words; uttaram= in reply.
Beholding Ravana to be highly excited and speaking with such fury, Malyavan, abashed, did not reply.
jaya ˜jiÿ˜ ca r˜j˜nam vardhayitv˜ yath˜ ucitam |
m˜lyav˜n abhyanujn˜to jag˜ma svam nivejanam || 6-36-15
15. vardhayitvaa= Invoking; jayaashiSaa= blessings of victory; raajaanam= to the king; yathochitam= as courtesy demanded; maalyavaan= Malyavan; abhyaanujJNaataH= having been given permission; jagaama= went; svam= to his own; niveshanam= house.
Invoking blessings of victory to the king as courtesy demanded Malyavan took permission and went home.
r˜vaõas tu saha am˜tyo mantrayitv˜ vim®jya ca |
lank˜y˜m atul˜m guptim k˜ray˜m ˜sa r˜kÿasa× || 6-36-16
16. raakSasaH= Ravana the demon on his part, sahaamaatyaH= assisted by his ministers; mantrayitvaa= having deliberated; vimR^ishya= on the things to be examined; kaarayaamaasa= set about planning; tadaa= then; guptim= the defense; laN^kaayaaH= of Lanka.
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.
vy˜dideja ca p¨rvasy˜m prahastam dv˜ri r˜kÿasam |
dakÿiõasy˜m mah˜ vŸryau mah˜ p˜rjva mah˜ udarau || 6-36-17
pajcim˜y˜m atho dv˜ri putram indrajitam tath˜ |
vy˜dideja mah˜ m˜yam r˜kÿasair bahubhir v®tam || 6-36-18
17, 18. atha= thereafter; vyaadidesha= he assigned; puurvaasyaam dvaari= eastern gate; raakSasam= to the demon; prahastam= Prahasta; vyaadidesha= assigned; dakSiNasyaam= the southern gate; mahaaparshva mahodarau= to Mahaparsva and Mahodara; mahaaviiryau= of great prowess; tadaa= then; pashchimaam= dvaasi= at the western gate; vyaadidesha= he appointed; putram= his son; indrajitam= Indrajit; mahaamaayam= a powerful conjuror; vR^itam= endowed with bahubhiH= a considerable force of; raakSasaiH= demons.
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.
uttarasy˜m pura dv˜ri vy˜dijya juka s˜raõau |
svayam ca atra bhaviÿy˜mi mantriõas t˜n uv˜ca ha || 6-36-19
19. vyaadishya= placing; shuka ssaraNau= shuka and Sarana; uttarasyaam= at the norhtern; puradvaari= city- gate; uvaacha ha= (he) spoke; mantriNaH= to his ministers; taan= that; gamiSyaami= he would go; tatra= there; svayam= personally.
Placing Shuka and Sarana at the northern city-gate, Ravana told his ministers that he would go there personally.
r˜kÿasam tu vir¨pa akÿam mah˜ vŸrya par˜kramam |
madhyame asth˜payad gulme bahubhih saha r˜kÿasai× || 6-36-20
20. aasthaapayat= He placed; raakSasam= the demon; viruupaakshham= Virupaksha; mahaa viirya paraakramam= who was full of energy and courage; madhyame= to be in the center; gulame= of the fort; bahubhiH raakSasaiH sha= with a large number of demons.
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.
evam vidh˜nam lank˜y˜m k®tv˜ r˜kÿasa pumgava× |
mene k®ta artham ˜tm˜nam k®ta anta vajam ˜gata× || 6-36-21
21. kR^itvaa= making; vidhaanam= an arrangement; evam= in this manner; laN^kaayaam= in Lanka; raakSasa puNgavaH= that bull among the demons; kaalachoditaH= under the sway of Time; manyate= deemed; aatmaanam= his; kR^ita kR^ityamiva= purpose as accomplished.
Making an arrangement in Lanka in this manner, that bull among demons, under the sway of Time, deemed his purpose as accomplished.
visarjay˜m ˜sa tatah sa mantriõo |
vidh˜nam ˜jn˜pya purasya puÿkalam |
jaya ˜jiÿ˜ mantra gaõena p¨jito |
viveja so antah puram ®ddhiman mahat || 6-36-22
22. aajNaapya= having ordered; puSkalam= for the complete; vidhaanam= regulation; purasya= of the city; saH= Ravana; tataH= then; mantriNaH visarjayaamaasa= let his ministers depart; puujitaH= having been honoured; jayaashiSaa= by the body of counsellors; mantrigaNena= by the body of counsellors; saH= he; vivesha= entered; mahat= the mighty; R^iddhimat= and sumptuous; antaHpuram= inner apartments.
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.
ity˜rÿe þrŸmadr˜m˜yaõe ˜dik˜vye yuddhak˜õýe saptatriÕþa× sarga×
Thus completes 36th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
 
© October 2004, K. M. K. Murthy