Uttara Kanda, Sarga 18

Meaning

“Ascending the Puṣpaka, when Vedavatī had entered the fire, Rāvaṇa ranged the earth once more. (1)

Meaning

“Reaching Uśīrabīja, Rāvaṇa for his part saw king Marutta performing a sacrifice in the company of gods. (2)

Meaning

“Surrounded by the hosts of gods, a Brahmarṣi, Saṁvarta by name, a brother of Sage Bṛhaspati himself and a knower of Dharma, was conducting the sacrifice. (3)

Meaning

“Seeing that Rākṣasa, who was hard to vanquish on account of the boons (granted to him), the gods, afraid of his attack, took cover in the bodies of animals. (4)

Meaning

“Indra became a peacock; Yama, a crow; Kubera, a chameleon and Varuṇa, a swan. (5)

Meaning

“In this manner when the other gods too had transformed themselves, O scourge of Your foes, Rāvaṇa entered the sacrificial ground like an unclean dog. (6)

Meaning

“Approaching the king, Rāvaṇa, the suzerain lord of the Rākṣasas, said, ‘Give battle to me or admit that you stand vanquished.’ (7)

Meaning

“Thereupon King Marutta said to him: ‘Who are you?’ Uttering a derisive laugh, Rāvaṇa then spoke the following words: (8)

Meaning

“ ‘I am pleased with your equanimity, O king, who do not know me as Rāvaṇa, a younger (half-) brother of Kubera. (9)

Meaning

‘Who else is there in the three worlds, who does not know my might who snatched away this aerial car, after vanquishing my said brother?’ (10)

Meaning

“Thereupon the aforesaid King Marutta forthwith answered Rāvaṇa (as follows): ‘You are praiseworthy, indeed, in that you conquered in combat your own elder brother. (11)

Meaning

“ ‘In all the three worlds there is no one who is as praiseworthy as you. Practising what unique virtue did you secure boons in the past? (12)

Meaning

“ ‘Nothing like what you say has been heard of by me before. O evil-minded one, tarry awhile; now you will not get back alive. (13)

Meaning

“ ‘With my sharp arrows I will dispatch you to the abode of Yama, the god of death.’ Seizing hold of his bow and arrows, the king thereupon rushed in anger for combat, but Saṁvarta blocked his way. That great sage addressed the following loving words to the said Marutta: (14-15)

Meaning

“ ‘If you heed my advice, an encounter is not advisable for you. If left unfinished, this sacrifice, which is intended to propitiate Maheśwara, will consume your race. (16)

Meaning

“ ‘An encounter is out of the question for one who stands consecrated for a sacrificial performance, and temper is also out of the question for such a one; moreover, victory is uncertain in a battle and the Rākṣasa is very hard to vanquish.’ ” (17)

Meaning

Bowing to his preceptor’s remonstrance, King Marutta withdrew; throwing away his bow and arrows, he became self-poised and addressed himself to the performance of the sacrifice. (18)

Meaning

Taking him to be vanquished, Śuka thereupon raised in glee a shout in a high pitch, saying, “Rāvaṇa has triumphed !” (19)

Meaning

Having devoured the celebrated and great sages who had come to the sacrifice and who were still there, and fully sated with their blood, Rāvaṇa ranged the earth once more. (20)

Meaning

When Rāvaṇa had left, the gods and other denizens of heaven including Indra resumed their original form and spoke to these animals. (21)

Meaning

In joy Indra then said to the peacock with a blue tail: “O knower of Dharma, I am pleased with you; there will be no fear for you from the snakes. (22)

Meaning

Spots resembling these thousand eyes (of mine) will appear in your tail. Nay, when I send down a shower of rain, you will rejoice as a token of love (you cherish for me).”(23)

Meaning

In this way, Indra, the ruler of gods, conferred boons on the peacock. (24)

Meaning

Formerly the tails of peacocks were plain blue alone, O suzerain lord of men; after obtaining boons from the lord of the gods, the whole body of the peacocks left. (25)

Meaning

Yama, O Rāma ! said to the crow perched on the Prāgvaṁśa* in front of him: “O bird, I am greatly pleased with you; listen to my words which I am addressing to you out of gratification: (26)

Meaning

‘As I am pleased with you, the various diseases with which other living beings are tormented by me, shall have no effect on you. There is no doubt about this. (27)

Meaning

‘In consequence of the boon granted by me, O bird, there is no fear for you from Death. You will live so long as people do not kill you. (28)

Meaning

‘When you have been fed, the people who are in my domain and who are afflicted with hunger, will feel perfectly sated alongwith their relations.’ (29)

Meaning

Varuṇa for his part said to the swan, swimming about in the waters of the Gaṅgā: “O ruler of birds, listen to my words full of love. (30)

Meaning

‘Your colour will be pleasing to the mind and delightful like that of the orb of the pure moon. It will be white as foam and it will be unique to you. (31)

Meaning

‘Coming into contact with water (which constitutes my body), you will ever look charming and enjoy unequalled delight. This will be a mark of my pleasure.’ (32)

Meaning

“O Rāma, in the past the colour of swans was not white all over the body; their wings were dark at the tips, while their breasts were dark-brown like the tips of the panic grass.” (33)

Meaning

‘Then Kubera (son of Viśravā) said to the chameleon, which was resting on a rock: “Pleased with you too, I will confer on you a golden hue. (34)

Meaning

‘Your head will always have the imperishable golden colour. Due to my pleasure, your dark colour will be transformed into a golden hue.’ (35)

Meaning

Having granted boons in this manner to the aforesaid animals, the gods, at the completion of the sacrificial ceremony, returned each to his abode alongwith their king, Indra. (36)