Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 92

Meaning

Hearing of Indrajit’s fall and having directly perceived it, the ministers of Rāvaṇa (a scion of Pulasti) reported the matter in all haste to the ten-headed monster in the following words: (1)

Meaning

“Your highly glorious son, Indrajit, O great king, has been killed in combat by Lakṣmaṇa, assisted by Vibhīṣaṇa, while we stood looking on. (2)

Meaning

“Closing with a hero, your heroic son, Indrajit, the conqueror of the ruler of gods, who had never been vanquished in battles, has been made short work of by Lakṣmaṇa. (3)

Meaning

“Having gratified Lakṣmaṇa with his arrows, he has ascended to the highest worlds.” Hearing of that terrible, cruel and ghastly end of his son, Indrajit, on the battlefield, Rāvaṇa gave way to a protracted swoon. Regaining his consciousness after a long time, King Rāvaṇa (the foremost among the ogres), who was beside himself with grief on account of his son’s death, his mind distracted, lamented as follows, afflicted as he was: “Having conquered Indra, Ah! my child, the leader of the army of ogres, endowed as you were with extraordinary might, how have you been overpowered by Lakṣmaṇa today? Surely, when provoked, you could pierce with your arrows in combat even Death and Yama (the god of retribution) as well as the peaks of Mount Mandara, much more so Lakṣmaṇa. Highly esteemed in my eyes is King Yama (son of the sun-god), by whom, O mighty-armed one, you have been subjected to the ravages of Time today. This is the path trodden by noble warriors even among the celestial hosts. The man who is killed for the cause of his lord attains heaven. (4—9)

Meaning

“Hearing of Indrajit having been disposed of, and being rid of all fear, all the hosts of heaven, the guardians of the world and eminent Ṛṣis (the seers of Vedic Mantras) will repose comfortably today. (10)

Meaning

“Devoid of Indrajit alone, the entire globe with its forests, nay, all the three worlds, viz., heaven, earth and the intermediate region, appear desolate to me. (11)

Meaning

“I shall hear today the cries of the ogre maidens in the gynaeceum even as one would hear the roar of female-elephants in a mountain cave. (12)

Meaning

“Relinquishing the office of Prince-Regent, nay, abandoning Laṅkā as well as the ogres inhabiting it as also us, viz., your mother and myself as well as your consorts, where have you gone, O scourge of your enemies? (13)

Meaning

“Really speaking, obsequies in my honour ought to have been performed by you when I would have departed to the abode of Death, O hero! You have, however, acted in a contrary way by preceding me to the abode of Yama. (14)

Meaning

“Deserting us without extracting my thorn, while Sugrīva is still living as also Lakṣmaṇa, accompanied by Rāma (a scion of Raghu), where have you gone?” (15)

Meaning

A violent anger born of his son’s death took possession of Rāvaṇa, the suzerain lord of ogres, while he was feeling distressed through lamentation as aforesaid. (16)

Meaning

Indeed, pangs occasioned by the death of his son further inflamed Rāvaṇa, who was irascible and fiery by nature, even as sunbeams make the bright sun brighter in summer. (17)

Meaning

Nay, with eyebrows contracted on his forehead, he shone brightly like the ocean at the end of a world-cycle with crocodiles and large waves. (18)

Meaning

From the mouth of Rāvaṇa, even as he yawned in rage, burst forth a flame with smoke as though visibly burning, as it actually did from the mouth of the demon Vṛtra in the former days. (19)

Meaning

Pondering with his mind, the evil-minded Rāvaṇa, who, though heroic, had fallen a prey to anger, afflicted as he was with the fall of his son, resolved upon the destruction of Sītā. (20)

Meaning

The eyes of the aforesaid Rāvaṇa, which were naturally red and were glowing red through the fire of anger, looked very dreadful. (21)

Meaning

The aspect of Rāvaṇa, which was terrible by nature, and was overcome by the fire of wrath, became threatening like that of Rudra, the god of destruction, in rage. (22)

Meaning

Tears fell from the eyes of the angry Rāvaṇa like flaming drops of oil from a pair of burning lamps. (23)

Meaning

The sound produced by the friction of his teeth even as he ground them was heard like the noise of the rod (in the shape of Mount Mandara) which churned the ocean of milk while being revolved by the Dānavas (devils) in collaboration with gods. (24)

Meaning

Stricken with fear, ogres hid themselves (behind pillars etc.) in the very quarter to which he directed his look, infuriated as he was like the fire of universal destruction. (25)

Meaning

Ogres dared not approach Rāvaṇa, who was surveying all the four quarters, eager as he was like enraged Death to devour both the mobile and immobile creation. (26)

Meaning

Eager to rally the ogres on the field of battle, Rāvaṇa, the suzerain lord of ogres, who was extremely enraged, spoke as follows in their midst: (27)

Meaning

“Having practised rigorous austerities for thousands of years, I propitiated Brahmā, the self-born creator, at the conclusion of those austerities. (28)

Meaning

“As a reward of those very austerities and through the grace of the self-born creator, there is no danger to me at any time either from the demons or from the gods. (29)

Meaning

“The coat of mail bestowed on me by Brahmā, which is effulgent like the sun, could not be pierced in the course of my conflicts with the gods and demons, even by those who held the thunderbolt in their fists. (30)

Meaning

“Who will, be it Indra, the destroyer of strongholds, himself dare to withstand on the battlefield today me when mounted on my chariot on this field of battle and duly equipped with the aforesaid armour? (31)

Meaning

“Nay, let that mighty and redoubtable bow of mine, which was bestowed at that time on me alongwith arrows by Brahmā (the self-born creator), gratified on the occasion of my conflicts with the gods and demons, be transported today to the accompaniment of hundreds of trumpets for making short work of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa exclusively in a major encounter.” (32-33)

Meaning

Deeply pondering with his mind, the cruel Rāvaṇa, who was tormented by the death of his eldest son, Indrajit, and, overpowered by anger, resolved to kill Sītā. (34)

Meaning

Looking fixedly with bloodshot eyes on all the aforesaid rangers of the night, who were making plaintive sounds, the ferocious Rāvaṇa for his part, who had assumed a terrible aspect, though feeling distressed, spoke to them as follows: (35)

Meaning

“In order to hoodwink the monkeys (lit., the denizens of the forest) something which had been killed on the field of battle was displayed by recourse to Māyā (conjuring tricks), as Sītā by my child, Indrajit. (36)

Meaning

“I shall presently convert that hoax into a hard reality and thereby do that which is pleasing to me. I shall finish Sītā (a princess of the Videha kingdom), who is devoted to Rāma, a vile Kṣatriya.” (37)

Meaning

Having spoken as aforesaid to his ministers and drawing his excellent sword, which was bright as the stainless sky, Rāvaṇa instantly seized hold of it. (38)

Meaning

Nay, taking the sword, and feeling highly enraged, the aforesaid Rāvaṇa, who was accompanied by his principal spouse, Mandodarī, and surrounded by his ministers, and whose understanding was utterly confused through grief caused by the death of his eldest son, precipitately rushed with impetuosity to the place where Sītā, the princess of Mithilā, was. Perceiving the ogre marching, his ministers emitted leonine roars. Nay, hugging one another on perceiving the ogre infuriated, they spoke as follows: “Both the aforesaid brothers, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, will tremble to see this ogre today. (39—41)

Meaning

“By this ogre in fury all the four guardians of the world have been utterly vanquished. Many other enemies too have been struck down by him in the course of conflicts. (42)

Meaning

“Fetching treasures existing in all the three worlds, Rāvaṇa enjoys them. Nay, there is none equal to him on earth in prowess and might too.” (43)

Meaning

While they were talking thus, Rāvaṇa, who was filled with anger, darted towards Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, present in the Aśoka grove. (44)

Meaning

Even though being kept back by friends whose mind was set on his welfare, Rāvaṇa, who was highly enraged, ran towards Sītā, even as an evil planet in the sky would dart in fury towards the constellation Rohiṇī. (45)

Meaning

While being guarded by ogresses, the irreproachable princess of Mithilā, Sītā, for her part beheld the furious ogre bearing an excellent sword to make short work of her.(46)

Meaning

Sītā (daughter of Janaka) felt distressed to see Rāvaṇa armed with a sword, who was being repeatedly kept back by friends, yet who was not receding. (47)

Meaning

Possessed with sorrow and, therefore, wailing, Sītā spoke as follows: “From the way in which this fellow himself is rushing headlong towards me in fury, I fear the evil-minded ogre is going to kill me as if I were protectorless, even though I have a protector in my husband. He entreated me on many an occasion, devoted as I am to my husband, saying, “Be my consort !” He was, however, uncompromisingly repulsed by me every time. Having evidently fallen a prey to despair on my refusing to wait upon him, nay, filled with anger and infatuation, this Rāvaṇa is obviously intent on killing me. Or, those two brothers, Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, who are tigers among men, have been struck down in combat by this unworthy fellow on my account today. A loud and terrific noise of numerous jubilant ogres calling loudly to their loved ones was actually heard by me. Woe be to me if the aforesaid destruction of the two princes was brought about on my account. (48—53)

Meaning

“Or, having not been able to kill Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, the fierce ogre of sinful resolve is going to make short work of me, stricken as he is with grief over his son. (54)

Meaning

“Alas! That sane counsel of Hanumān was not followed by me, vile that I am. Had I left at that time, mounted on his back, though not won back by my husband, I would not have grieved as I am doing today, as I should be resting in that case in the lap of my husband. I am sure the heart of the blessed Kausalyā Śrī Rāma’s mother will actually break asunder when the lady, who has only one son, hears of her son having perished in the fight. Weeping, she, for her part, will vividly recall the birth and childhood as well as the youth of the high-souled prince, as also his pious acts and comliness. Having offered up the obsequies on her son having been killed and getting despondent and unconscious, the lady will surely enter the flame or be drowned in water. Woe be to the vile hunchback Mantharā, of sinful resolve, on whose account Kausalyā will suffer this grief.” In the meantime, seeing the unfortunate princess of Mithilā wailing, as aforesaid, like Rohiṇī (the deity presiding over a constellation of this name) fallen under the sway of the planet Mars when away from the moon-god (her husband), a good-natured, upright and highly intelligent minister of Rāvaṇa, Supārśwa by name spoke as follows to Rāvaṇa, the foremost of ogres, in spite of his being restrained by other ministers: (55—62)

Meaning

“How on earth do you, O ten-headed monarch, a younger brother of Kubera (the god of riches and a guardian of the world) himself, seek to put Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory) to death in a fit of anger, casting righteousness to the winds? (63)

Meaning

“Ever since you completed the vow of celibacy essential for a study of the Vedic lore, you have remained engaged in the religious observances incumbent on you (in the shape of Agnihotra). How then do you deem it fit to kill a woman, O valiant king of ogres? (64)

Meaning

“Take care of Sītā, a princess of Mithilā, who is richly endowed with comeliness, O ruler of the earth, and vent your wrath on Rāma alone, alongwith us all, in an encounter. (65)

Meaning

“Girding yourself for the offensive this very day, today being the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, march you to victory on the morrow, which is a moonless day, surrounded by troops. (66)

Meaning

“A gallant and shrewd car-warrior, fighting with a sword in the foremost of your chariots, you will be able to lay your hands on the princess of Mithilā only on making short work of Rāma, son of Daśaratha.” (67)

Meaning

Accepting the aforesaid advice tendered by a friend, which was fully consonant with righteousness, the evil-minded yet powerful ogre Rāvaṇa forthwith withdrew to his palace and then proceeded once more to the council chamber, accompanied by his friends.(68)