Uttara Kanda, Sarga 16

Meaning

“Having vanquished his brother, Kubera, the king of the Rākṣasas sought the well-known thicket of reeds ‘Śaravaṇa’ where Lord Kārtikeya was born, O Rāma ! (1)

Meaning

“Now Daśagrīva saw the large golden-hued expanse of reeds bright like a second sun surrounded by rays. (2)

Meaning

“Ascending a mountain clothed with a lovely grove, he found the Puṣpaka brought to a standstill on that spot on that occasion, O Rāma! (3)

Meaning

“Surrounded by his aforesaid ministers, the king of the Rākṣasas reflected, “How has this aerial car, which had been designed in such a way as to be able to follow its master’s will, been rendered motionless? Why does it not move? (4)

Meaning

“What may be the reason for the Puṣpaka not proceeding according to my wishes? It must be the act of someone who resides on this hill.” (5)

Meaning

“O Rāma, the astute Mārīca thereupon said on that occasion: ‘O king, it cannot be without a reason that this aerial car, Puṣpaka, does not move. (6)

Meaning

“ ‘Maybe, the aerial car, Puṣpaka, will not carry anyone other than Kubera, the god of riches. Therefore, even as it has been disunited from him, it has become motionless.’ (7)

Meaning

“Interrupting his speech, and approaching him, Nandīśwara, an attendant of Lord Śiva, dreadful, of yellowish dark complexion, dwarfish, misshapen, with his head clean shaved, of short arms and very strong, and ever full of joy, fearlessly spoke the following words to the king of the Rākṣasas: (8-9)

Meaning

“ ‘Turn back, O Daśagrīva ! Lord Śaṅkara is sporting on this hill; hence it has been rendered inaccessible even to Suparṇas, Nāgas, Yakṣas, gods, Gandharvas and Rākṣasas, nay, to all created beings.’ Hearing these words of Nandī and alighting from the Puṣpaka, and his earrings shaking on account of his wrath and his eyes coppery through indignation, Rāvaṇa sought the foot of the hill, saying, ‘Who is this Śaṅkara?’ (10—12)

Meaning

“There he beheld Nandī standing near the Lord, holding a flaming pike and appearing like a second Śaṅkara. (13)

Meaning

“Seeing him endowed with the head of a monkey, and disregarding him, the said Rākṣasa laughed loudly thundering like a cloud laden with water. (14)

Meaning

“Provoked to anger, the divine Nandī, an alter ego of Lord Śaṅkara, spoke to the said ogre, Daśānana, who was standing there closeby: (15)

Meaning

“ ‘O Daśānana, since, deriding me in my monkey-form, you burst into a loud laughter resembling a stroke of lightning, therefore, monkeys will be born to destroy your race. They will possess my valour; they will have a lustrous form like mine. (16-17)

Meaning

“ ‘They will have claws and teeth for their weapons; they will have the speed of the mind; they will be frantic in fight; they will be proud of their might; they will look like moving mountains, O cruel one! (18)

Meaning

“ ‘Gathering together, they will take away your excessive arrogance and pride of physical superiority alongwith that of your ministers and sons. (19)

Meaning

“ ‘O Rākṣasa, I can kill you even now; but you shall not be killed inasmuch as you are already killed by your own misdeeds.’ (20)

Meaning

“When that high-souled divine being uttered these words, the kettledrums of the gods for their part sounded and a shower of flowers fell from the heavens. (21)

Meaning

“Not minding the utterance of Nandī, and approaching the hill, Daśānana, that very mighty ogre, however, said on that occasion: (22)

Meaning

“ ‘O master of a bull, I shall pull up by the roots this hill on whose account the course of Puṣpaka in which I was travelling has been arrested. (23)

Meaning

“ ‘By virtue of what power does Śiva continually sport like a king? He does not seem to understand what should be known to him, viz., that danger has come to him.’ (24)

Meaning

“Having said so, O Rāma, he put his hands below the hill and lifted it up in no time so that, the hill shook violently. (25)

Meaning

“By the shaking of the hill the attendants of the Lord trembled; Pārvatī also slipped and clung to Maheśwara at that moment. (26)

Meaning

“Then, O Rāma, Mahādeva, the foremost of the gods, also known as Hara, the Destroyer, sportively pressed the hill with His great toe. (27)

Meaning

“His (Daśānana’s) arms, which resembled pillars supporting the hill, were then crushed; and the ministers of the Rākṣasa standing there were surprised. (28)

Meaning

“When his arms were thus crushed, the Rākṣasa in fury raised a cry all of a sudden. All the three worlds were shaken by it. (29)

Meaning

“His ministers took it to be a crash of thunder, which takes place at the end of the world-period. At that time even the gods, with Indra at their head, stumbled on their way. (30)

Meaning

“Even the oceans became turbulent and the mountains also shook; nay, the Yakṣas, Vidyādharas and Siddhas cried out, “What is this?” (31)

Meaning

“ ‘Propitiate Mahādeva, the blue-necked God, and the husband of Umā; O Daśānana, we do not see any protector other than Him. (32)

Meaning

“ ‘In all humility seek refuge in Him by singing His praises. Śaṅkara is compassionate and will become gracious to you when gratified.’ (33)

Meaning

“Respectfully bowing to Him when advised thus by his ministers, Daśānana glorified the God, whose standard bears the ensign of a bull, by singing psalms from the Sāmaveda and other hymns. A thousand years elapsed while the Rākṣasa went on crying in this manner. (34)

Meaning

“Relieving his hands of the pressure, when pleased with his eulogy, while remaining seated on a peak of the hill, Lord Mahādeva, O Rāma, then spoke to Daśānana as follows: (35)

Meaning

“ ‘O Daśānana, I am pleased with your manliness, a hero as you are, as well as with your encomium. Since the denizens of all the three worlds were set acrying, seized as they were with fear by the fierce cry which was set forth by you when you were crushed by the hill. Therefore, O king, you will go by the name of Rāvaṇa. (36-37)

Meaning

“ ‘The gods, human beings, Yakṣas and whatever other beings exist on the earth’s surface will, henceforth call you by the name of Rāvaṇa because you thus set the world acrying. (38)

Meaning

“ ‘O grandson of Pulastya, proceed without fear by whichever path you wish to take. Permitted by Me, O suzerain lord of ogres, you may go.’ (39)

Meaning

“When spoken to in these words by Lord Śambhu Himself, the king of Laṅkā said, ‘O Mahādeva, if you are pleased with me, kindly vouchsafe a boon to me, who beg for the same. (40)

Meaning

“ ‘I have already secured immunity from death at the hands of gods, Gandharvas and Dānavas, Rākṣasas, Guhyakas, Nāgas and others who are mightier than these. (41)

Meaning

“ ‘I do not reckon the human beings, O Lord, because they are regarded by me as very insignificant. A boon of long life has been secured by me from Brahmā, O destroyer of Tripura ! Give me the remaining lease of life sought by me and give me also a weapon.’ Requested thus by the aforesaid Rāvaṇa, the well-known Lord Śaṅkara gifted to him the highly shining sword known as Candrahāsa. The Lord of spirits granted to him also the remaining lease of life on that occasion. (42—44)

Meaning

“Bestowing it on him, He said, ‘This sword is not to be despised by you; if it is disregarded by you, it shall doubtless return to me.’ (45)

Meaning

“Having thus been named by the supreme Deity Śiva, greeting Mahādeva, the said Rāvaṇa re-ascended Puṣpaka. (46)

Meaning

“Thereafter, O Rāma, Rāvaṇa ranged over the earth’s surface oppressing Kṣatriyas possessed of exceeding valour here and there. (47)

Meaning

“Disobeying his command some valiant Kṣatriyas, who were full of martial ardour and ferocious in battle, perished alongwith their followers. (48)

Meaning

“Others, who were recognized as prudent, and who knew the Rākṣasa to be difficult to conquer, submitted to the ogre, who was proud of his strength, ‘We stand vanquished.’ ” (49)