Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 21

Meaning

Spreading blades of the sacred Kuśa grass on the seashore and joining his palms as a mark of respect to the ocean, Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu), the destroyer of his foes, then lay down with his face turned towards the east and using as a pillow his arm,which looked like the coils of a serpent and was adorned in the past with ornaments of gold. (1-2)

Meaning

Actually using as a pillow his unusually long right-arm, strictly speaking, the portion above the elbow—which resembled a large club and had given away thousands of cows; which had been kneaded more than once (at the time of unction and bath) by the arms of excellent women, full of maternal affection, and which has been adorned with armlets of gems and gold and most excellent jewels of pearls; which was formerly perfumed with sandalwood and aloe and with saffron-pastes emitting the lustre of the rising sun; which was in the past graced by the head of Sītā on the (nuptial) couch covered with a white sheet and having been painted with saffron-paste, resembled the coils of Takṣaka (a serpent whose body has been depicted as possessing a red hue) supported on the water of the Gaṅgā (which is a fitting analogue to the white sheet in point of purity); which heightened the grief of his foes on the field of battel and conduced to the delight of his friends and was long like a yoke and served as a support for the entire earth bounded by the four oceans, and whose skin had been hardened by strokes of the bowstring while it propelled arrows to the left—(nay) having resolved that either the sea would be crossed by him or the sea-god would meet his death at his hands, the mighty-armed Śrī Rāma, who was full of consideration for others, lay down by the ocean with his body, speech and mind duly controlled. (3—9)

Meaning

Three nights actually rolled by even as Śrī Rāma lay on the earth’s surface spread with the sacred Kuśa grass, remaining strictly devoted to his sacred vow. (10)

Meaning

Having lain down for three nights on that spot, the celebrated Śrī Rāma, who was skilled in policy and was fond of piety, waited on that occasion upon Ocean, the lord of rivers. (11)

Meaning

Though honoured according to his worth by the piously disposed Śrī Rāma, the indolent Ocean did not, all the same, manifest his personal form to Śrī Rāma. (12)

Meaning

Enraged against Ocean, the outer corners of his eyes turned red. Śrī Rāma thereupon spoke as follows to Lakṣmana, endowed with auspicious bodily marks, who stood near: (13)

Meaning

“Oh the vanity of Ocean, who does not reveal himself in person (before me)! Indeed calmness (forbearance) and forgiveness, also guilelessness and politeness of speech—these virtues of the noble are mis-construed as weakness, when directed towards those bereft of these virutes. The world treats with respect a man who indulges in self-praise, is vile and impudent, runs about advertising himself and uses the rod of punishment everywhere indiscriminately. Neither fame nor popularity nor victory in the forefront of battle can be won in this world through a policy of conciliation, O Lakṣmana! See today the deep (lit., the abode of alligators) with its water screened on all sides by alligators split asunder by my arrows and floating dead, O son of Sumitrā! Also see with your own eyes, O Lakṣmaṇa, the coils of aquatic serpents, the large bodies of alligators as well as the trunks of sea elephants dwelling here divided into parts by me. By waging a formidable war against the deity presiding over it today I shall dry up the sea with its conches and pearl-shells, fishes and alligators. This Ocean (lit., an abode of alligators) accounts me powerless, endowed as I am with forbearance. Out with forbearance shown to such an individual! Due to my mildness the sea does not reveal its personal form before me. (14—21)

Meaning

“Therefore, bring me the bow and arrows resembling venomous snake, O son of Sumitrā! I shall presently dry up the sea. Let the monkeys proceed on foot to Laṅkā. (22)

Meaning

“Provoked to anger I shall set into commotion the imperturbable sea, which though riotous with thousands of waves, has its limits fixed in the form of its shores. (23)

Meaning

“I shall cause by my arrows the sea (lit., the abode of Varuṇa, the god of water) overstep its bounds and shall set into commotion the ocean, which is overcrowded with mighty demons.” (24)

Meaning

Blazing like fire at the end of the world cycle on having spoken thus, his eyes dilated through anger, Śrī Rāma, who held a bow in has hand, assumed the aspect of one who is hard to overcome. (25)

Meaning

Forcibly bending his fearful bow (at one end), nay, gently stringing it and causing the world to tremble with its twang, he discharged fierce arrows as Indra (who is supposed to have performed a hundred horse-sacrifices as a condition precedent to his attaining that position) would hurl thunderbolts. (26)

Meaning

Flaming with lustre his excellent arrows, full of great impetuosity, penetrated deep into the sea-water, striking the serpents with terror. (27)

Meaning

That great onrush of the sea-water with its fishes and alligators, assumed an exceptionally terrible aspect, attended as it was with the roaring of the wind. (28)

Meaning

The ocean was all of a sudden covered all over with rows of mighty billows and overspread with conches and mothers-of-pearl; it was screened with smoke which rose from the flaming arrows as they entered into the waters and waves began to play on it. (29)

Meaning

Nay, serpents with flaming hoods and burning eyes, as well as Dānavas, who were endowed with extraordinary virility and had their abode in the depths of Pātāla, the nethermost subterranean region, felt oppressed. (30)

Meaning

Waves of the ocean (lit., the ruler of rivers), which closely resembled the Vindhya and Mandara mountains in height, rose high in thousands alongwith crocodiles and alligators. (31)

Meaning

With its multitudes of waves tossed in a whirling motion, the Nāgas and ogres (inhabiting it) excited and huge alligators thrown upwards, the sea (lit., the abode of Varuṇa, the god of water, emitted a roar. (32)

Meaning

Rushing towards the celebrated Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu)—who in his burning ardour was violently stretching once more his bow, which was immeasurably great, and breathing hard through anger—and saying “no farther, no farther”, Lakṣmaṇa seized hold of the bow. (33)

Meaning

“Your purpose of taking the monkeys across the sea will surely be accomplished today (he continued) even without drying up the sea, the greatest hero as you are. People like you do not fall under the sway of anger. Therefore, devise some other noble and durable way of taking your army across the sea.” (34)

Meaning

Nay, an alarm was raised at a high pitch by Brāhmaṇa Ṛṣis and celestial Ṛṣis too, who stood invisible in the sky, saying “Woe is me!” and crying “Hold! Hold!!” (35)