Ramayana · Book VI · Yuddha Kāṇḍa
Ramayana, Book VI, Canto 10: Vibhishan’s Counselयुद्धकाण्डम्
Ralph T. H. Griffith’s English verse (1870–74), beside the Sanskrit of sarga 6.10.
Sanskrit
राक्षसाधिपतेर्वेश्म भीमकर्मा विभीषणः॥ १॥
शैलाग्रचयसंकाशं शैलशृङ्गमिवोन्नतम्।
सुविभक्तमहाकक्षं महाजनपरिग्रहम्॥ २॥
मतिमद्भिर्महामात्रैरनुरक्तैरधिष्ठितम्।
राक्षसैराप्तपर्याप्तैः सर्वतः परिरक्षितम्॥ ३॥
मत्तमातङ्गनिःश्वासैर्व्याकुलीकृतमारुतम्।
शङ्खघोषमहाघोषं तूर्यसम्बाधनादितम्॥ ४॥
प्रमदाजनसम्बाधं प्रजल्पितमहापथम्।
तप्तकाञ्चननिर्यूहं भूषणोत्तमभूषितम्॥ ५॥
गन्धर्वाणामिवावासमालयं मरुतामिव।
रत्नसंचयसम्बाधं भवनं भोगिनामिव॥ ६॥
तं महाभ्रमिवादित्यस्तेजोविस्तृतरश्मिवान्।
अग्रजस्यालयं वीरः प्रविवेश महाद्युतिः॥ ७॥
पुण्यान् पुण्याहघोषांश्च वेदविद्भिरुदाहृतान्।
शुश्राव सुमहातेजा भ्रातुर्विजयसंश्रितान्॥ ८॥
पूजितान् दधिपात्रैश्च सर्पिभिः सुमनोक्षतैः।
मन्त्रवेदविदो विप्रान् ददर्श स महाबलः॥ ९॥
स पूज्यमानो रक्षोभिर्दीप्यमानं स्वतेजसा।
आसनस्थं महाबाहुर्ववन्दे धनदानुजम्॥ १०॥
स राजदृष्टिसम्पन्नमासनं हेमभूषितम्।
जगाम समुदाचारं प्रयुज्याचारकोविदः॥ ११॥
स रावणं महात्मानं विजने मन्त्रिसंनिधौ।
उवाच हितमत्यर्थं वचनं हेतुनिश्चितम्॥ १२॥
प्रसाद्य भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठं सान्त्वेनोपस्थितक्रमः।
देशकालार्थसंवादि दृष्टलोकपरावरः॥ १३॥
यदाप्रभृति वैदेही सम्प्राप्तेह परंतप।
तदाप्रभृति दृश्यन्ते निमित्तान्यशुभानि नः॥ १४॥
सस्फुलिङ्गः सधूमार्चिः सधूमकलुषोदयः।
मन्त्रसंधुक्षितोऽप्यग्निर्न सम्यगभिवर्धते॥ १५॥
अग्निष्टेष्वग्निशालासु तथा ब्रह्मस्थलीषु च।
सरीसृपाणि दृश्यन्ते हव्येषु च पिपीलिकाः॥ १६॥
गवां पयांसि स्कन्नानि विमदा वरकुञ्जराः।
दीनमश्वाः प्रहेषन्ते नवग्रासाभिनन्दिनः॥ १७॥
खरोष्ट्राश्वतरा राजन् भिन्नरोमाः स्रवन्ति च।
न स्वभावेऽवतिष्ठन्ते विधानैरपि चिन्तिताः॥ १८॥
वायसाः संघशः क्रूरा व्याहरन्ति समन्ततः।
समवेताश्च दृश्यन्ते विमानाग्रेषु संघशः॥ १९॥
गृध्राश्च परिलीयन्ते पुरीमुपरि पिण्डिताः।
उपपन्नाश्च संध्ये द्वे व्याहरन्त्यशिवं शिवाः॥ २०॥
क्रव्यादानां मृगाणां च पुरीद्वारेषु संघशः।
श्रूयन्ते विपुला घोषाः सविस्फूर्जितनिःस्वनाः॥ २१॥
तदेवं प्रस्तुते कार्ये प्रायश्चित्तमिदं क्षमम्।
रोचये वीर वैदेही राघवाय प्रदीयताम्॥ २२॥
इदं च यदि वा मोहाल्लोभाद् वा व्याहृतं मया।
तत्रापि च महाराज न दोषं कर्तुमर्हसि॥ २३॥
अयं हि दोषः सर्वस्य जनस्यास्योपलक्ष्यते।
रक्षसां राक्षसीनां च पुरस्यान्तःपुरस्य च॥ २४॥
प्रापणे चास्य मन्त्रस्य निवृत्ताः सर्वमन्त्रिणः।
अवश्यं च मया वाच्यं यद् दृष्टमथवा श्रुतम्।
सम्प्रधार्य यथान्यायं तद् भवान् कर्तुमर्हति॥ २५॥
इति स्वमन्त्रिणां मध्ये भ्राता भ्रातरमूचिवान्।
रावणं रक्षसां श्रेष्ठं पथ्यमेतद् विभीषणः॥ २६॥
हितं महार्थं मृदु हेतुसंहितं
व्यतीतकालायतिसम्प्रतिक्षमम्।
निशम्य तद्वाक्यमुपस्थितज्वरः
प्रसङ्गवानुत्तरमेतदब्रवीत्॥ २७॥
भयं न पश्यामि कुतश्चिदप्यहं
न राघवः प्राप्स्यति जातु मैथिलीम्।
सुरैः सहेन्द्रैरपि संगरे कथं
ममाग्रतः स्थास्यति लक्ष्मणाग्रजः॥ २८॥
इत्येवमुक्त्वा सुरसैन्यनाशनो
महाबलः संयति चण्डविक्रमः।
दशाननो भ्रातरमाप्तवादिनं
विसर्जयामास तदा विभीषणम्॥ २९॥
English Griffith
Soon as the light of morning broke,
Vibhishaṇ from his slumber woke,
And, duty guiding every thought,
The palace of his brother sought.
Vast as a towering hill that shows
His peaks afar, that palace rose.
Here stood within the monarch’s gate
Sage nobles skilful in debate.
There strayed in glittering raiment through
The courts his royal retinue,
Where in wild measure rose and fell
The music of the drum and shell,
And talk grew loud, and many a dame
Of fairest feature went and came
Through doors a marvel to behold,
With pearl inlaid on burning gold:
Therein Gandharvas or the fleet
Lords of the storm might joy to meet.
He passed within the wondrous pile,
Chief glory of the giants’ isle:
Thus, ere his fiery course be done,
An autumn cloud admits the sun.
He heard auspicious voices raise
With loud accord the note of praise,
And sages, deep in Scripture, sing
Each glorious triumph of the king.
He saw the priests in order stand,
Curd, oil, in every sacred hand;
And by them flowers were laid and grain,
Due offerings to the holy train.
Vibhishaṇ to the monarch bowed,
Raised on a throne above the crowd:
Then, skilled in arts of soft address,
He raised his voice the king to bless,
And sate him on a seat where he
Full in his brother’s sight should be.
The chieftain there, while none could hear,
Spoke his true speech for Rávaṇ’s ear,
And to his words of wisdom lent
The force of weightiest argument:
“O brother, hear! since Ráma’s queen
A captive in thy house has been,
Disastrous omens day by day
Have struck our souls with wild dismay.
No longer still and strong and clear
The flames of sacrifice appear,
But, restless with the frequent spark,
Neath clouds of smoke grow faint and dark.
Our ministering priests turn pale
To see their wonted offerings fail,
And ants and serpents creep and crawl
Within the consecrated hall.916
Dried are the udders of our cows,
Our elephants have juiceless brows,917
Nor can the sweetest pasture stay
The charger’s long unquiet neigh.
Big tears from mules and camels flow
Whose staring coats their trouble show,
Nor can the leech’s art restore
Their health and vigour as before.
Rapacious birds are fierce and bold:
Not single hunters as of old,
In banded troops they chase the prey,
Or gathering on our temples stay.
Through twilight hours with shriek and howl
Around the city jackals prowl,
And wolves and foul hyænas wait
Athirst for blood at every gate.
One sole atonement still may cure
These evils, and our weal assure.
Restore the Maithil dame, and win
An easy pardon for thy sin.”
The Rákshas monarch heard, and moved
To sudden wrath his speech reproved:
“No danger, brother, can I see:
The Maithil dame I will not free.
Though all the Gods for Ráma fight,
He yields to my superior might.”
Thus the tremendous king who broke
The ranks of heavenly warriors spoke,
And, sternly purposed to resist,
His brother from the hall dismissed.
Griffith’s notes (2)
- The Agnisálá or room where the sacrificial fire was kept.
- The exudation of a fragrant fluid from the male elephant’s temples, especially at certain seasons, is frequently spoken of in Sanskrit poetry. It is said to deceive and attract the bees, and is regarded as a sign of health and masculine vigour.