Ramayana, Book VI, Canto 7: Rávan Encouragedयुद्धकाण्डम्

Ralph T. H. Griffith’s English verse (1870–74), beside the Sanskrit of sarga 6.7.

7Sanskrit sarga 6.7 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

इत्युक्ता राक्षसेन्द्रेण राक्षसास्ते महाबलाः।
ऊचुः प्राञ्जलयः सर्वे रावणं राक्षसेश्वरम्॥ १॥
द्विषत्पक्षमविज्ञाय नीतिबाह्यास्त्वबुद्धयः।
राजन् परिघशक्त्यृष्टिशूलपट्टिशकुन्तलम्॥ २॥
सुमहन्नो बलं कस्माद् विषादं भजते भवान्।
त्वया भोगवतीं गत्वा निर्जिताः पन्नगा युधि॥ ३॥
कैलासशिखरावासी यक्षैर्बहुभिरावृतः।
सुमहत्कदनं कृत्वा वश्यस्ते धनदः कृतः॥ ४॥
स महेश्वरसख्येन श्लाघमानस्त्वया विभो।
निर्जितः समरे रोषाल्लोकपालो महाबलः॥ ५॥
विनिपात्य च यक्षौघान् विक्षोभ्य विनिगृह्य च।
त्वया कैलासशिखराद् विमानमिदमाहृतम्॥ ६॥
मयेन दानवेन्द्रेण त्वद्भयात् सख्यमिच्छता।
दुहिता तव भार्यार्थे दत्ता राक्षसपुङ्गव॥ ७॥
दानवेन्द्रो महाबाहो वीर्योत्सिक्तो दुरासदः।
विगृह्य वशमानीतः कुम्भीनस्याः सुखावहः॥ ८॥
निर्जितास्ते महाबाहो नागा गत्वा रसातलम्।
वासुकिस्तक्षकः शङ्खो जटी च वशमाहृताः॥ ९॥
अक्षया बलवन्तश्च शूरा लब्धवराः पुनः।
त्वया संवत्सरं युद्‍ध्वा समरे दानवा विभो॥ १०॥
स्वबलं समुपाश्रित्य नीता वशमरिंदम।
मायाश्चाधिगतास्तत्र बह्व्यो वै राक्षसाधिप॥ ११॥
शूराश्च बलवन्तश्च वरुणस्य सुता रणे।
निर्जितास्ते महाभाग चतुर्विधबलानुगाः॥ १२॥
मृत्युदण्डमहाग्राहं शाल्मलीद्रुममण्डितम्।
कालपाशमहावीचिं यमकिंकरपन्नगम्॥ १३॥
महाज्वरेण दुर्धर्षं यमलोकमहार्णवम्।
अवगाह्य त्वया राजन् यमस्य बलसागरम्॥ १४॥
जयश्च विपुलः प्राप्तो मृत्युश्च प्रतिषेधितः।
सुयुद्धेन च ते सर्वे लोकस्तत्र सुतोषिताः॥ १५॥
क्षत्रियैर्बहुभिर्वीरैः शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमैः।
आसीद् वसुमती पूर्णा महद्भिरिव पादपैः॥ १६॥
तेषां वीर्यगुणोत्साहैर्न समो राघवो रणे।
प्रसह्य ते त्वया राजन् हताः समरदुर्जयाः॥ १७॥
तिष्ठ वा किं महाराज श्रमेण तव वानरान्।
अयमेको महाबाहुरिन्द्रजित् क्षपयिष्यति॥ १८॥
अनेन च महाराज माहेश्वरमनुत्तमम्।
इष्ट्वा यज्ञं वरो लब्धो लोके परमदुर्लभः॥ १९॥
शक्तितोमरमीनं च विनिकीर्णान्त्रशैवलम्।
गजकच्छपसम्बाधमश्वमण्डूकसंकुलम्॥ २०॥
रुद्रादित्यमहाग्राहं मरुद्वसुमहोरगम्।
रथाश्वगजतोयौघं पदातिपुलिनं महत्॥ २१॥
अनेन हि समासाद्य देवानां बलसागरम्।
गृहीतो दैवतपतिर्लङ्कां चापि प्रवेशितः॥ २२॥
पितामहनियोगाच्च मुक्तः शम्बरवृत्रहा।
गतस्त्रिविष्टपं राजन् सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः॥ २३॥
तमेव त्वं महाराज विसृजेन्द्रजितं सुतम्।
यावद् वानरसेनां तां सरामां नयति क्षयम्॥ २४॥
राजन्नापदयुक्तेयमागता प्राकृताज्जनात्।
हृदि नैव त्वया कार्या त्वं वधिष्यसि राघवम्॥ २५॥

English Griffith

He ceased: they scorned, with blinded eyes,
The foeman and his bold allies,
Raised reverent hands with one accord,
And thus made answer to their lord:
“Why yield thee, King, to causeless fear?
A mighty host with sword and spear
And mace and axe and pike and lance
Waits but thy signal to advance.
Art thou not he who slew of old
The Serpent-Gods, and stormed their hold;
Scaled Mount Kailása and o’erthrew
Kuvera⁹¹⁰ and his Yaksha crew,
Compelling Śiva’s haughty friend
Beneath a mightier arm to bend?
Didst thou not bring from realms afar
The marvel of the magic car,
When they who served Kuvera fell
Crushed in their mountain citadel?
Attracted by thy matchless fame
To thee, a suppliant, Maya came,
The lord of every Dánav band,
And won thee with his daughter’s hand.
Thy arm in hell itself was felt,
Where Vásuki⁹¹¹ and Śankha dwelt,
And they and Takshak, overthrown,
Were forced thy conquering might to own.
The Gods in vain their blessing gave
To heroes bravest of the brave,
Who strove a year and, sorely pressed,
Their victor’s peerless might confessed.
In vain their magic arts they tried,
In vain thy matchless arm defied
King Varuṇ’s sons with fourfold force,
Cars, elephants, and foot, and horse,
But for a while thy power withstood,
And, conquered, mourned their hardihood.
Thou hast encountered, face to face,
King Yáma⁹¹² with his murdering mace.
Fierce as the wild tempestuous sea,
What terror had his wrath for thee,
Though death in every threatening form,
And woe and torment, urged the storm?
Thine arm a glorious victory won
O’er the dread king who pities none;
And the three worlds, from terror freed,
In joyful wonder praised thy deed.
The tribe of Warriors, strong and dread
As Indra’s self, o’er earth had spread;
As giant trees that towering stand
In mountain glens, they filled the land.
Can Raghu’s son encounter foes
Fierce, numerous, and strong as those?
Yet, trained in war and practised well,
O’ermatched by thee, they fought and fell,
Stay in thy royal home, nor care
The battle and the toil to share;
But let the easy fight be won
By Indrajít⁹¹³ thy matchless son.
All, all shall die, if thou permit,
Slain by the hand of Indrajít.”

Griffith’s notes (4)

The God of Riches, brother and enemy of Rávaṇ and first possessor of Pushpak the flying car.
King of the Serpents. Śankha and Takshak are two of the eight Serpent Chiefs.
The God of Death, the Pluto of the Hindus.
Literally Indra’s conqueror, so called from his victory over that God.