--- title: "Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 104" canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/yuddha-kanda/sarga-104" lang: "en" --- # Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 104 > स तु मोहात् सुसंक्रुद्धः कृतान्तबलचोदितः। > क्रोधसंरक्तनयनो रावणः सूतमब्रवीत्॥ १॥ Feeling extremely enraged due to infatuation, his eyes blood-red through anger, Rāvaṇa, impelled by force of destiny, spoke as follows to his charioteer: (1) > हीनवीर्यमिवाशक्तं पौरुषेण विवर्जितम्। > भीरुं लघुमिवासत्त्वं विहीनमिव तेजसा॥ २॥ > विमुक्तमिव मायाभिरस्त्रैरिव बहिष्कृतम्। > मामवज्ञाय दुर्बुद्धे स्वया बुद्ध्या विचेष्टसे॥ ३॥ “Disdaining me as though I were deficient in prowess, powerless, bereft of manliness, cowardly and petty-minded, devoid of energy, forsaken by conjuring tricks and abandoned by mystic missiles, O evil-minded fellow, you act according to your own discretion! (2-3) > किमर्थं मामवज्ञाय मच्छन्दमनवेक्ष्य च। > त्वया शत्रुसमक्षं मे रथोऽयमपवाहितः॥ ४॥ What for was this chariot of mine removed by you in the presence of the enemy, belittling me and without ascertaining my will? (4) > त्वयाद्य हि ममानार्य चिरकालमुपार्जितम्। > यशो वीर्यं च तेजश्च प्रत्ययश्च विनाशितः॥ ५॥ “By you, O unworthy soul, have my glory, which was earned through a long period, nay, my valour, dignity and peoples’ faith in my bravery too been wiped out. (5) > शत्रोः प्रख्यातवीर्यस्य रञ्जनीयस्य विक्रमैः। > पश्यतो युद्धलुब्धोऽहं कृतः कापुरुषस्त्वया॥ ६॥ “While my adversary, whose prowess is widely known, and who deserved to be gratified through feats of valour, stood looking on, myself, who was covetous of fighting, was made a coward of by you! (6) > यत् त्वं कथमिदं मोहान्न चेद् वहसि दुर्मते। > सत्योऽयं प्रतितर्को मे परेण त्वमुपस्कृतः॥ ७॥ “In case you do not through perversity drive the chariot at any event against the enemy, O evil-minded fellow, my suspicion that you stand corrupted by the enemy will be justified. (7) > नहि तद् विद्यते कर्म सुहृदो हितकांक्षिणः। > रिपूणां सदृशं त्वेतद् यत् त्वयैतदनुष्ठितम्॥ ८॥ “This act which has been done by you in the shape of removing me from the battlefield, is worthy of an enemy alone. Surely it cannot be the work of a well-wisher wishing well of his well-wisher. (8) > निवर्तय रथं शीघ्रं यावन्नापैति मे रिपुः। > यदि वाध्युषितोऽसि त्वं स्मर्यते यदि मे गुणः॥ ९॥ “Speedily drive the chariot back to the battlefield till my enemy does not withdraw, if you have lived with me long enough and if the benefits received from me are still remembered by you.” (9) > एवं परुषमुक्तस्तु हितबुद्धिरबुद्धिना। > अब्रवीद् रावणं सूतो हितं सानुनयं वचः॥ १०॥ Spoken to in these harsh words by the insensate Rāvaṇa, the charioteer for his part, who thought well of him, made to Rāvaṇa the following friendly and courteous reply: (10) > न भीतोऽस्मि न मूढोऽस्मि नोपजप्तोऽस्मि शत्रुभिः। > न प्रमत्तो न निःस्नेहो विस्मृता न च सत्क्रिया॥ ११॥ “I was neither afraid nor perplexed, nor was I won over by the enemies, nor was I negligent, nor disloyal, nor (again) have the benefits conferred by you been forgotten by me. (11) > मया तु हितकामेन यशश्च परिरक्षता। > स्नेहप्रसन्नमनसा हितमित्यप्रियं कृतम्॥ १२॥ “An act which was not to your taste was nevertheless done by me as something conducive to your interest with a mind affectionately disposed towards you through attachment, desiring, as I did, to be of service to you, safeguarding your glory. (12) > नास्मिन्नर्थे महाराज त्वं मां प्रियहिते रतम्। > कश्चिल्लघुरिवानार्यो दोषतो गन्तुमर्हसि॥ १३॥ “Like a petty-minded and unworthy man, you ought not to hold me, devoted as I am to your pleasure and good, guilty in this matter of taking you away from the field of battle, O monarch! (13) > श्रूयतां प्रति दास्यामि यन्निमित्तं मया रथः। > नदीवेग इवाम्भोभिः संयुगे विनिवर्तितः॥ १४॥ “Kindly listen: I will make answer to your query as to why your chariot was taken back by me from the battlefield, even as the onrush of a stream disgorging itself into a sea is pushed back by a tide. (14) > श्रमं तवावगच्छामि महता रणकर्मणा। > नहि ते वीर्यसौमुख्यं प्रकर्षं नोपधारये॥ १५॥ “I took note of the exhaustion occasioned by your strenuous fighting. Indeed, there was no exhibition of valour on your part, nor did I notice any superiority to your adversary in you. (15) > रथोद्वहनखिन्नाश्च भग्ना मे रथवाजिनः। > दीना घर्मपरिश्रान्ता गावो वर्षहता इव॥ १६॥ “The steeds of my chariot too, which had been exhausted by drawing the chariot and broken down and, being worn out with sunshine, felt miserable like cows lashed by a downpour. (16) > निमित्तानि च भूयिष्ठं यानि प्रादुर्भवन्ति नः। > तेषु तेष्वभिपन्नेषु लक्षयाम्यप्रदक्षिणम्॥ १७॥ “Moreover in the event of those portents, which appear in large numbers before our eyes today proving true, I foresee only that which is unpropitious to us. (17) > देशकालौ च विज्ञेयौ लक्षणानीङ्गितानि च। > दैन्यं हर्षश्च खेदश्च रथिनश्च बलाबलम्॥ १८॥ (Propitious and unpropitious) time and place as well as (good and evil) omens, facial expressions, depression and liveliness, the measure of fatigue as also the strength and weakness of the warrior occupying the chariot, must be ascertained by a charioteer. (18) > स्थलनिम्नानि भूमेश्च समानि विषमाणि च। > युद्धकालश्च विज्ञेयः परस्यान्तरदर्शनम्॥ १९॥ “Nay, the eminences and depressions of the earth’s surface, as well as the parts which are level and rugged, the time opportune for combat and the visible weak points of the enemy too must be known by a charioteer. (19) > उपयानापयाने च स्थानं प्रत्यपसर्पणम्। > सर्वमेतद् रथस्थेन ज्ञेयं रथकुटुम्बिना॥ २०॥ “How to advance towards the enemy and how to recede, how to hold one’s position and how to make good a retreat—all this must be known by a charioteer seated in his chariot. (20) > तव विश्रामहेतोस्तु तथैषां रथवाजिनाम्। > रौद्रं वर्जयता खेदं क्षमं कृतमिदं मया॥ २१॥ “This meet action of removing you from the battlefield was evidently taken by me in order to give rest to you as well as to these steeds of the chariot and to relieve your terrible fatigue. (21) > स्वेच्छया न मया वीर रथोऽयमपवाहितः। > भर्तुः स्नेहपरीतेन मयेदं यत् कृतं प्रभो॥ २२॥ “Your chariot was not wilfully removed by me, O gallant warrior. What was done by me was done because I was overwhelmed with affection for my master, O lord! (22) > आज्ञापय यथातत्त्वं वक्ष्यस्यरिनिषूदन। > तत् करिष्याम्यहं वीर गतानृण्येन चेतसा॥ २३॥ “Command me with an eye to the reality of things, O valiant exterminator of your enemies! Now with a mind which feels relieved of all obligations on having come to your rescue on the field of battle, I shall do that which you will enjoin me to do.” (23) > संतुष्टस्तेन वाक्येन रावणस्तस्य सारथेः। > प्रशस्यैनं बहुविधं युद्धलुब्धोऽब्रवीदिदम्॥ २४॥ Satisfied with the foregoing explanation of the aforesaid charioteer, nay, applauding him in many ways, Rāvaṇa, who was covetous of fighting, replied as follows: (24) > रथं शीघ्रमिमं सूत राघवाभिमुखं नय। > नाहत्वा समरे शत्रून् निवर्तिष्यति रावणः॥ २५॥ “Speedily drive this chariot, O charioteer, towards Rāma (a scion of Raghu). Rāvaṇa would not turn back without killing his enemies in combat.” (25) > एवमुक्त्वा रथस्थस्य रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः। > ददौ तस्य शुभं ह्येकं हस्ताभरणमुत्तमम्। > श्रुत्वा रावणवाक्यानि सारथिः संन्यवर्तत॥ २६॥ Saying so, Rāvaṇa, the lord of ogres, actually bestowed on the charioteer, even while the latter remained seated in the chariot, an excellent and brilliant ornament for the hand. Hearing the instructions of Rāvaṇa, the charioteer drove the chariot back to the battlefield. (26) > ततो द्रुतं रावणवाक्यचोदितः > प्रचोदयामास हयान् स सारथिः। > स राक्षसेन्द्रस्य ततो महारथः > क्षणेन रामस्य रणाग्रतोऽभवत्॥ २७॥ Urged on by the command of Rāvaṇa, the aforesaid charioteer then immediately drove the horses forward and that huge chariot of Rāvaṇa (the ruler of ogres) thereupon stood in an instant before Śrī Rāma on the battlefield. (27) Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana --- Source: Gita Press, Gorakhpur editions. Buy the book: https://gitapress.org/product/sri-ramcharitmanas-special-edition Ramayana.com, a free, ad-free project of Ved Vyas Foundation.