Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 20

Meaning

Going near the army, defended on all sides by Sugrīva, in the meantime, a powerful ogre, Śārdūla by name, a spy of the evil-minded Rāvaṇa, the king of ogres, beheld it camping there. Seeing it undisturbed on all sides and turning back, nay, entering Laṅkā with speed, the said ogre submitted to the king as follows: “Deep and immeasurable like another sea, this flood of monkeys and bears is heading towards Laṅkā. Those two brothers, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, son of Daśaratha, foremost warriors, richly endowed with charm, have come to the succour of Sītā. Having reached the seashore, they have camped there, O ogre, endowed with extraordinary splendour! (1—5)

Meaning

“Nay, the army roughly covers a space of ten Yojanas (or eighty miles) in all directions. You ought to ascertain the real situation immediately. O great monarch! (6)

Meaning

“Your spies ought to know things quickly, O eminent king! The expedient of restitution or conciliation or sowing dissension in the enemy’s ranks may then be employed, as you deem fit under such circumstances.” (7)

Meaning

Perturbed all at once to hear the report of Śārdūla and instantly determining his course of action, Rāvaṇa, the lord of ogres, forthwith addressed the following well-chosen words to the ogre Śuka, the foremost of those who know their duty: (8)

Meaning

“Departing at once, speak boldly to king Sugrīva on my behalf in a gentle and excellent tone according to my command, as follows: (9)

Meaning

“Born in a race of eminent kings, you are also endowed with extraordinary might and are a son of Ṛkṣarajā. No gain whatsoever nor any harm has accrued to you from me; nonetheless, you are like a brother to me O lord of monkeys! (10)

Meaning

“If I bore away the consort of the sagacious prince, what harm have I done to you thereby, O Sugrīvā? Therefore, return to Kiṣkindhā. (11)

Meaning

“Surely this Laṅka cannot be reached by any means by the monkeys. It cannot be acquired even by gods accompanied by Gandharvas (celestial musicians), much less by human beings and monkeys.” (12)

Meaning

Turning into a bird when commanded as aforesaid by Rāvaṇa, the ruler of ogres, the ogre Śuka rose apace in the air at that moment. (13)

Meaning

Nay, having flown a long way over the sea close to it, and remaining actually stationed in airspace, he delivered the aforesaid message to Sugrīva. (14)

Meaning

Quickly springing up, even while the ogre was delivering that entire message given by the evil-minded Rāvaṇa, as directed, the monkeys forthwith proceeded at that moment to tear off his wings and smite him with their fists. The ranger of the night was violently punished by the monkeys. (15-16)

Meaning

Nay, after seizing him he was speedily brought down to the ground from the airspace. While being oppressed by the monkeys, Śuka, for his part, spoke as follows: (17)

Meaning

“Kings do not kill envoys, O scion of Kakutstha! Let, therefore, the monkeys be effectively kept back. That envoy who, having abandoned the path chalked out by his master, gives utterance to his own view, is an envoy guilty of uttering that which has not been communicated through him, and merits death.” (18)

Meaning

Hearing the plaintive appeal of Śuka, Śrī Rāma for his part spoke to the monkey leaders, who were belabouring him, saying, “(Please) do not kill him.” (19)

Meaning

Gaining speed with his wings on immunity having been granted to him by the monkeys, and remaining stationed in the airspace, Śuka now sopke again as follows: (20)

Meaning

“In what words has Rāvaṇa, who makes people cry by his high-handedness, actually to be addressed by me on your behalf, O Sugrīva, who are full of spirit and endowed with extraordinary might and prowess?” (21)

Meaning

Spoken to as aforesaid, Sugrīva, the Suzerain lord of monkeys, the foremost of monkeys, who was endowed with extraordinary strength and undepressed in spirit, forthwith made the following faultless reply to Śuka, the spy of the ogre, Rāvaṇa: (22)

Meaning

“(Address Rāvana on my behalf as follows:) You are neither my friend nor worthy of commiseration, nor are you my benefactor, nor beloved of me. You are (on the other hand) an enemy of Śrī Rāma and, therefore, merit death with your kinsfolk as Vāli did, O ogre deserving of death! (23)

Meaning

“Turning up with a large army and all others, I shall make short work of you with your sons and brothers including all your relations, O lord of ogres, and reduce the entire city of Laṅkā to ashes. (24)

Meaning

“You shall not be spared by Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, even though protected by gods including Indra (their ruler), O insensate Rāvaṇa ! You shall be slain by Śrī Rāma with your younger brother, Kumbhakarṇa, even if you have gone out of sight by virtue of a conjuring trick or risen to the heavens (lit., the sun’s orbit) or, likewise, penetrated deep into Pātāla, the nethermost subterranean region, or taken shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Śiva, the Lord of Kailāsa. (25)

Meaning

“I find no fiend, nor ogre, nor Gandharva, nor demon capable of protecting you as such in all the three worlds, viz., earth, heaven and the intermediate region. (26)

Meaning

“If you are powerful, why did you kill Jaṭāyu, the king of vultures, who, though long-lived, had been overtaken by old age? Again, why on earth was the large-eyed Sītā not borne away by you in the presence of Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa? And having seized hold of Sītā, why don’t you foresee the impending calamity? (27)

Meaning

“Evidently you are not aware of Śrī Rāma (the foremost of the Raghus) being endowed with extraordinary might, high-souled and difficult to overcome even for gods—Śrī Rama, who will (surely) take your life.” (28)

Meaning

Thereupon Aṅgada too, son of Vālī and the foremost of monkeys, said, “This fellow, O great monarch, is no envoy; he appears to be a spy. (29)

Meaning

“Your entire strength has surely been gauged by him (even) while standing here. Let him, therefore, be arrested, let him not return to Laṅkā: this indeed finds favour with me.” (30)

Meaning

Springing up, when commanded by their sovereign, the monkeys thereupon captured and bound the ogre, who was wailing all the time like a forlorn creature. (31)

Meaning

Excessively tormented by those furious monkeys, Śuka for his part called out at the top of his voice to the high-souled Śrī Rāma, sprung from the loins of Daśaratha, saying: “My wings are being violently torn off and my eyes are being put out. (32)

Meaning

“If I lose my life at this juncture, you will indeed take on your head all those sins that have been perpetrated by me during this interval since the night on which I was born till the night on which I shall give up the ghost.” (33)

Meaning

On hearing his wail, Śrī Rāma did not let him be killed. He said to the monkeys, “Let him be set free; he has come as an envoy.” (34)