Doha 23f
तुम्हरे कटक माझ सुनु अंगद। मो सन भिरिहि कवन जोधा बद॥ तव प्रभु नारि बिरहँ बलहीना। अनुज तासु दुख दुखी मलीना॥१॥
तुम्ह सुग्रीव कूलद्रुम दोऊ। अनुज हमार भीरु अति सोऊ॥ जामवंत मंत्री अति बूढ़ा। सो कि होइ अब समरारूढ़ा॥२॥
सिल्पिकर्म जानहिं नल नीला। है कपि एक महा बलसीला॥ आवा प्रथम नगरु जेहिं जारा। सुनत बचन कह बालिकुमारा॥३॥
सत्य बचन कहु निसिचर नाहा। साँचेहुँ कीस कीन्ह पुर दाहा॥ रावन नगर अल्प कपि दहई। सुनि अस बचन सत्य को कहई॥४॥
जो अति सुभट सराहेहु रावन। सो सुग्रीव केर लघु धावन॥ चलइ बहुत सो बीर न होई। पठवा खबरि लेन हम सोई॥५॥
Meaning
“Listen, Aṅgada; tell me which warrior in your army will dare encounter me. Your master (Rāma) has grown weak due to separation from his wife, while his younger brother, Lakṣmaṇa, shares his grief and is consequently very sad. (1) “You and Sugrīva are like trees on a river bank (that may be washed away any moment); as for my younger brother Vibhīṣaṇa, he is a great coward. Your counsellor, Jāmbavān, is too advanced in age to take his stand on the field of battle, (2) “while Nala and Nīla are mere architects (and no warriors). There is one monkey, no doubt, of extraordinary might—he who came before and set the city on fire.” On hearing this, Bāli’s son, Aṅgada, replied: (3) “Tell me the truth, O demon king: is it a fact that a monkey burnt down your capital? A puny monkey set on fire Rāvaṇa’s capital! Who, on hearing such a report, would believe it as true? (4) “Rāvaṇa, he whom you have extolled as a distinguished warrior is only one of Sugrīva’s petty runners. He who walks long distances is no hero; we sent him only to get news. (5)
सत्य नगरु कपि जारेउ बिनु प्रभु आयसु पाइ। फिरि न गयउ सुग्रीव पहिं तेहिं भय रहा लुकाइ॥२३ (क)॥
सत्य कहहि दसकंठ सब मोहि न सुनि कछु कोह। कोउ न हमारें कटक अस तो सन लरत जो सोह॥२३ (ख)॥
प्रीति बिरोध समान सन करिअ नीति असि आहि। जौं मृगपति बध मेडुकन्हि भल कि कहइ कोउ ताहि॥२३ (ग)॥
जद्यपि लघुता राम कहुँ तोहि बधें बड़ दोष। तदपि कठिन दसकंठ सुनु छत्र जाति कर रोष॥२३ (घ)॥
बक्र उक्ति धनु बचन सर हृदय दहेउ रिपु कीस। प्रतिउत्तर सड़सिन्ह मनहुँ काढ़त भट दससीस॥२३ (ङ)॥
हँसि बोलेउ दसमौलि तब कपि कर बड़ गुन एक। जो प्रतिपालइ तासु हित करइ उपाय अनेक॥२३ (च)॥
Meaning
“Is it true that the monkey set fire to your capital without receiving an order from his master? That is why he did not go back to Sugrīva and remained in hiding out of fear. (23 A) “All that you say, Rāvaṇa, is true and I am not in the least angry on hearing it. There is none in our army who would fight you with any amount of grace. (23 B) “Make friends or enter into hostilities only with your equals: this is a sound maxim to follow. If a lion were to kill frogs, will anyone speak well of him? (23 C) “Though it would be derogatory on the part of Śrī Rāma to kill you and He will incur great blame thereby, yet, mark me, Rāvaṇa, the fury of the Kṣatriya race is hard to face.” (23 D) Aṅgada burnt the enemy’s heart with shafts of speech shot forth from the bow of sarcasm; and the ten-headed hero proceeded to extract the arrows, so to speak, with pairs of pincers in the form of rejoinders. (23 E) Rāvaṇa laughed and said: “A monkey possesses one great virtue: it does everything in its power to serve him who rears it up. (23 F)
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