Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 94

Meaning

Dispatched by Rāvaṇa, the aforesaid thousands of elephants and thousands of horses with their riders, nay, thousands of chariots bright as fire and bearing ensigns as also thousands of valiant ogres able to change their form at will, nay, fighting with maces and iron bludgeons and conspicuous with their golden banners, were destroyed by Śrī Rāma of unwearied action with his flaming arrows decorated with refined gold. (1-3)

Meaning

Meeting together on beholding this and hearing of this from others, the prowlers of the night who had escaped the carnage, as well as the ogresses felt nonplussed and miserable and were overwhelmed with anxiety. (4)

Meaning

Coming together in groups and crying, ogresses, who had lost their husband, sons and kinsfolk wailed as follows, stricken as they were with sorrow: (5)

Meaning

“Alas, how did the old and hideous Śūrpaṇakhā of sunken belly dare to approach in the forest Rāma, who is charming like the god of love? (6)

Meaning

“How strange that beholding that tender youth, endowed with extraordinary might, and devoted to the good of all created beings, that ugly woman, who deserves to be killed by the people, was stung with ardent love ! (7)

Meaning

“How did that hideous ogress, who is devoid of all excellences, dare to make love to Rāma, who is full of excellences, endowed with great bodily strength and is possessed of comely features? (8)

Meaning

“Because of our bad luck and to the destruction of the ogre race in general and of Dūṣaṇa and Khara, in particular, that grey-haired misshapen woman, who had developed wrinkles on her person tried to profane by her unholy touch Rāma, a scion of Raghu, a misdeed which was worth ridiculing and condemnation by the whole world. (9-10)

Meaning

“It was on account of Śūrpaṇakhā that this bitter enmity has been conceived by Rāvaṇa and the reputed Sītā was borne away by the ten-headed ogre, to his own destruction. (11)

Meaning

“The ten-headed monster, however, will not be able to lay his hands on Sītā, Janaka’s daughter, although undying enmity has been contracted by him with the mighty Rāma, a scion of Raghu. (12)

Meaning

“On perceiving the notorious ogre Virādha solicitous of Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory) the fellow was made short work of by Rāma single-handed. That example should have proved sufficient to convince Rāvaṇa of Rāma’s invincibility. (13)

Meaning

“Nay, as many as fourteen thousand of ogres of terrible deeds were destroyed by Rāma in Janasthāna with his arrows resembling tongues of fire. (14)

Meaning

“Khara too was struck down in combat as also Dūṣaṇa and Triśirā with his shafts which shone brightly like the sun. That example too should have been sufficient to open the eyes of Rāvaṇa. (15)

Meaning

“The notorious Kabandha too, whose arms were a Yojana (eight miles) long, nay, who lived on blood, and came roaring in wrath, was dispatched forthwith. His example too should have been sufficient to prove Rāma’s extraordinary might. (16)

Meaning

“Rāma also killed the mighty Vālī, sprung from the loins of Indra (the thousand-eyed god), who resembled Mount Meru in size. His example too should have been sufficient to serve as an eye-opener to Rāvaṇa. (17)

Meaning

“Living disconsolate on Mount Ṛṣyamūka, his ambitions dashed to pieces, Sugrīva too was restored to the throne. That example too should have proved sufficient to make Rāvaṇa realize the greatness of Rāma. (18)

Meaning

“The reasonable advice tendered by Vibhīṣaṇa, which was not only in consonance with righteousness but redounded to the worldly interest of Rāvaṇa, nay, which was conducive to the good of all the ogres, did not find favour with Rāvaṇa due to his folly. (19)

Meaning

“Had Rāvaṇa, the younger brother of Kubera, followed the advice of Vibhīṣaṇa, this city of Laṅkā would not have been afflicted with sorrow and turned a crematorium. (20)

Meaning

“Rāvaṇa has not realized the greatness of Rāma even on hearing of Kumbhakarṇa, who was endowed with extraordinary might, having been killed by Rāma, a scion of Raghu, as well as Atikāya, who was difficult to disregard, and his beloved son, Indrajit, having been made short work of by Lakṣmaṇa the other day. (21)

Meaning

“ ‘My son, my own brother, my husband has been killed in action!’ : such is the cry heard from the lips of the ogresses in every family. (22)

Meaning

“Chariots, horses and elephants and foot-soldiers too have been struck down in their thousands everywhere on the battlefield by the heroic Rāma. (23)

Meaning

“Either it is Rudra (the god of destruction) or Lord Viṣṇu (the Protector of the three worlds) or the great Indra (the ruler of the three worlds), who is presupposed to have performed a hundred horse sacrifices in his past existences as a condition precedent to his attaining Indrahood, or it is Death himself who is destroying us in the disguise of Rāma. (24)

Meaning

“Our pre-eminent heroes having been killed, we have lost all hope of life. Failing to perceive the end of our fear, we are wailing our lot, deprived as we are of our protectors. (25)

Meaning

“Rāvaṇa (the ten-headed monster), who is heroic and on whom a great boon has been conferred by Brahmā, the creator, does not perceive this appalling peril which has cropped up at the hands of Rāma. (26)

Meaning

“Neither gods nor Gandharvas (celestial musicians) nor Piśācas (fiends) nor ogres will be able to protect Rāvaṇa when he is attacked in combat by Rāma. (27)

Meaning

“Evil portents too are perceived in the course of every encounter of Rāvaṇa with his enemies. They unmistakably foreshadow the destruction of Rāvaṇa by Rāma. (28)

Meaning

“Fearlessness against gods, devils and ogres has been vouchsafed to Rāvaṇa by Brahmā, the grandfather of the universe, which was actually created by his mind-born sons, the ten Prajāpatis or lords of creation, when the latter was gratified by his austerities. No such security against human beings was, however, sought by him. (29)

Meaning

“Therefore, since no fearlessness against human beings has been secured by Rāvaṇa, I account this impending and formidable peril from human beings as undoubtedly fatal to the ogres as well as to Rāvaṇa himself. (30)

Meaning

“While being oppressed by the mighty ogre, Rāvaṇa, by virtue of the bestowal of a boon by Brahmā, as well as of his severe austerities, the gods for their part worshipped Brahmā, the grandfather of the universe.(31)

Meaning

“Feeling gratified by their worship, the high-souled Brahmā, the grandfather of the universe, actually gave to them all the following momentous assurances for the good of the gods: (32)

Meaning

“ ‘From this day onward all the devils and ogres will ever range the three worlds, constantly filled with fear.’ (33)

Meaning

“Nay, coming together in the meantime, all the gods headed by Indra propitiated the great divinity Lord Śiva, the destroyer of three cities (Tripura) built by the demon, Maya, and whose ensign bears the device of a bull. (34)

Meaning

“Feeling gratified, Lord Śiva, the great divinity, for his part gave to the gods the following assurance: ‘For your good will appear a woman, who will bring about the destruction of the ogres.’ (35)

Meaning

“Employed by the gods, this woman, for her part, who is destined to put an end to the ogres, will, as hunger consumed the devils in the past, devour us all including Rāvaṇa. (36)

Meaning

“Thanks to the misconduct of the evil-minded and wicked Rāvaṇa, this terrible destruction attended by grief stares us in the face. (37)

Meaning

“We do not perceive anyone in the world who may be able to afford protection to us, threatened as we are with destruction by Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, even as created beings are threatened with destruction by the Time-Spirit at the end of the world-cycle. (38)

Meaning

“There is no haven for us who stand in great peril any more than there is any shelter for female elephants encompassed by a wild fire in a forest. (39)

Meaning

“Something opportune was done by the high-souled Vibhīṣaṇa, a scion of sage Pulastya, who sought as a refuge him alone from whom danger was suspected by him.” (40)

Meaning

Tightly folding one another in their arms, so did all the ogresses give way to despondency at that moment and cried at the top of their voice in heart-rending tones, afflicted as they were and sore-stricken with dismay. (41)