Ramayana · Book V · Sundara Kāṇḍa
Ramayana, Book V, Canto 18: Rávanसुन्दरकाण्डम्
Ralph T. H. Griffith’s English verse (1870–74), beside the Sanskrit of sarga 5.18.
Sanskrit
विचिन्वतश्च वैदेहीं किञ्चिच्छेषा निशाभवत्॥ १॥
षडंगवेदविदुषां क्रतुप्रवरयाजिनाम्।
शुश्राव ब्रह्मघोषान् स विरात्रे ब्रह्मरक्षसाम्॥ २॥
अथ मंगलवादित्रैः शब्दैः श्रोत्रमनोहरैः।
प्राबोध्यत महाबाहुर्दशग्रीवो महाबलः॥ ३॥
विबुध्य तु महाभागो राक्षसेन्द्रः प्रतापवान्।
स्रस्तमाल्याम्बरधरो वैदेहीमन्वचिन्तयत्॥ ४॥
भृशं नियुक्तस्तस्यां च मदनेन मदोत्कटः।
न तु तं राक्षसः कामं शशाकात्मनि गूहितुम्॥ ५॥
स सर्वाभरणैर्युक्तो बिभ्रच्छ्रियमनुत्तमाम्।
तां नगैर्विविधैर्जुष्टां सर्वपुष्पफलोपगैः॥ ६॥
वृतां पुष्करिणीभिश्च नानापुष्पोपशोभिताम्।
सदा मत्तैश्च विहगैर्विचित्रां परमाद्भुतैः॥ ७॥
ईहामृगैश्च विविधैर्वृतां दृष्टिमनोहरैः।
वीथीः सम्प्रेक्षमाणश्च मणिकाञ्चनतोरणाम्॥ ८॥
नानामृगगणाकीर्णां फलैः प्रपतितैर्वृताम्।
अशोकवनिकामेव प्राविशत् संततद्रुमाम्॥ ९॥
अंगनाः शतमात्रं तु तं व्रजन्तमनुव्रजन्।
महेन्द्रमिव पौलस्त्यं देवगन्धर्वयोषितः॥ १०॥
दीपिकाः काञ्चनीः काश्चिज्जगृहुस्तत्र योषितः।
वालव्यजनहस्ताश्च तालवृन्तानि चापराः॥ ११॥
काञ्चनैश्चैव भृंगारैर्जह्रुः सलिलमग्रतः।
मण्डलाग्रा बृसीश्चैव गृह्यान्याः पृष्ठतो ययुः॥ १२॥
काचिद् रत्नमयीं पात्रीं पूर्णां पानस्य भ्राजतीम्।
दक्षिणा दक्षिणेनैव तदा जग्राह पाणिना॥ १३॥
राजहंसप्रतीकाशं छत्रं पूर्णशशिप्रभम्।
सौवर्णदण्डमपरा गृहीत्वा पृष्ठतो ययौ॥ १४॥
निद्रामदपरीताक्ष्यो रावणस्योत्तमस्त्रियः।
अनुजग्मुः पतिं वीरं घनं विद्युल्लता इव॥ १५॥
व्याविद्धहारकेयूराः समामृदितवर्णकाः।
समागलितकेशान्ताः सस्वेदवदनास्तथा॥ १६॥
घूर्णन्त्यो मदशेषेण निद्रया च शुभाननाः।
स्वेदक्लिष्टांगकुसुमाः समाल्याकुलमूर्धजाः॥ १७॥
प्रयान्तं नैर्ऋतपतिं नार्यो मदिरलोचनाः।
बहुमानाच्च कामाच्च प्रियभार्यास्तमन्वयुः॥ १८॥
स च कामपराधीनः पतिस्तासां महाबलः।
सीतासक्तमना मन्दो मन्दाञ्चितगतिर्बभौ॥ १९॥
ततः काञ्चीनिनादं च नूपुराणां च निःस्वनम्।
शुश्राव परमस्त्रीणां कपिर्मारुतनन्दनः॥ २०॥
तं चाप्रतिमकर्माणमचिन्त्यबलपौरुषम्।
द्वारदेशमनुप्राप्तं ददर्श हनुमान् कपिः॥ २१॥
दीपिकाभिरनेकाभिः समन्तादवभासितम्।
गन्धतैलावसिक्ताभिर्ध्रियमाणाभिरग्रतः॥ २२॥
कामदर्पमदैर्युक्तं जिह्मताम्रायतेक्षणम्।
समक्षमिव कंदर्पमपविद्धशरासनम्॥ २३॥
मथितामृतफेनाभमरजोवस्त्रमुत्तमम्।
सपुष्पमवकर्षन्तं विमुक्तं सक्तमंगदे॥ २४॥
तं पत्रविटपे लीनः पत्रपुष्पशतावृतः।
समीपमुपसंक्रान्तं विज्ञातुमुपचक्रमे॥ २५॥
अवेक्षमाणस्तु तदा ददर्श कपिकुञ्जरः।
रूपयौवनसम्पन्ना रावणस्य वरस्त्रियः॥ २६॥
ताभिः परिवृतो राजा सुरूपाभिर्महायशाः।
तन्मृगद्विजसंघुष्टं प्रविष्टः प्रमदावनम्॥ २७॥
क्षीबो विचित्राभरणः शङ्कुकर्णो महाबलः।
तेन विश्रवसः पुत्रः स दृष्टो राक्षसाधिपः॥ २८॥
वृतः परमनारीभिस्ताराभिरिव चन्द्रमाः।
तं ददर्श महातेजास्तेजोवन्तं महाकपिः॥ २९॥
रावणोऽयं महाबाहुरिति संचिन्त्य वानरः।
सोऽयमेव पुरा शेते पुरमध्ये गृहोत्तमे।
अवप्लुतो महातेजा हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः॥ ३०॥
स तथाप्युग्रतेजाः स निर्धूतस्तस्य तेजसा।
पत्रे गुह्यान्तरे सक्तो मतिमान् संवृतोऽभवत्॥ ३१॥
स तामसितकेशान्तां सुश्रोणीं संहतस्तनीम्।
दिदृक्षुरसितापांगीमुपावर्तत रावणः॥ ३२॥
English Griffith
While from his shelter in the boughs
The Vánar looked on Ráma’s spouse
He heard the gathered giants raise
The solemn hymn of prayer and praise.—
Priests skilled in rite and ritual, who
The Vedas and their branches824 knew.
Then, as loud strains of music broke
His sleep, the giant monarch woke.
Swift to his heart the thought returned
Of the fair queen for whom he burned;
Nor could the amorous fiend control
The passion that absorbed his soul.
In all his brightest garb arrayed
He hastened to that lovely shade,
Where glowed each choicest flower and fruit,
And the sweet birds were never mute,
And tall deer bent their heads to drink
On the fair streamlet’s grassy brink.
Near that Aśoka grove he drew,—
A hundred dames his retinue.
Like Indra with the thousand eyes
Girt with the beauties of the skies.
Some walked beside their lord to hold
The chouries, fans, and lamps of gold.
And others purest water bore
In golden urns, and paced before.
Some carried, piled on golden plates,
Delicious food of dainty cates;
Some wine in massive bowls whereon
The fairest gems resplendent shone.
Some by the monarch’s side displayed,
Wrought like a swan, a silken shade:
Another beauty walked behind,
The sceptre to her care assigned.
Around the monarch gleamed the crowd
As lightnings flash about a cloud,
And each made music as she went
With zone and tinkling ornament.
Attended thus in royal state
The monarch reached the garden gate,
While gold and silver torches, fed
With scented oil a soft light shed.825
He, while the flame of fierce desire
Burnt in his eyes like kindled fire,
Seemed Love incarnate in his pride,
His bow and arrows laid aside.826
His robe, from spot and blemish free
Like Amrit foamy from the sea,827
Hung down in many a loosened fold
Inwrought with flowers and bright with gold.
The Vánar from his station viewed,
Amazed, the wondrous multitude,
Where, in the centre of that ring
Of noblest women, stood the king,
As stands the full moon fair to view,
Girt by his starry retinue.
Griffith’s notes (4)
- The six Angas or subordinate branches of the Vedas are 1. Sikshá, the science of proper articulation and pronunciation: 2. Chhandas, metre: 3. Vyákarana, linguistic analysis or grammar: 4. Nirukta, explanation of difficult Vedic words: 5. Jyotishṭom, Astronomy, or rather the Vedic Calendar: 6. Kalpa, ceremonial.
- There appears to be some confusion of time here. It was already morning when Hanumán entered the grove, and the torches would be needless.
- Rávaṇ is one of those beings who can “climb them as they will,” and can of course assume the loveliest form to please human eyes as well as the terrific shape that suits the king of the Rákshases.
- White and lovely as the Arant or nectar recovered from the depths of the Milky Sea when churned by the assembled Gods. See Book I, Canto XLV.