YUDDHAKAANDA – SARGA 6
Ravana recalls the over-powering of Lanka and discovering of Seetha by Hanuman. He calls a meeting of his ministers and invites suggestions from them in view of the latest situation of a probable attack of Rama and his army on the City of Lanka.
लंकायाम् तु कृतम् कर्म घोरम् दृष्ट्वा भव आवहम् |
राक्षस इन्द्रो हनुमता शक्रेण इव महात्मना || ६-६-१
अब्रवीद् राक्षसान् सर्वान् ह्रिया किंचिद् अवान् मुखः |
दृष्ट्वा = having seen;
भयावहम् = the fearful;
घोरम् = and the terrible;
कर्म = act;
कृतम् = done;
हनुमता = by Hanuman;
शक्रेण इव = as Devendra (King of celestials);
महात्मना = the powerful;
लंकायाम्= in Lanka;
राक्षस इन्द्र: = Ravana;
अवान् मुखः = had his face down;
किंचिद् = a little;
ह्रिया = and spoke;
सर्वान् = to all;
राक्षसान् = the demons (as follows):
Having seen the fearful and the terrible act in Lanka done by Hanuma, like Devendra the powerful King of celestials, Ravana with his face descended a little with shame, spoke to the demons as follows:
धर्षिता च प्रविष्टा च लंका दुष्प्रसहा पुरी || ६-६-२
तेन वानर मात्रेण दृष्टा सीता च जानकी |
तेन = by him;
वानर मात्रेण = who was only a monkey;
दुष्प्रसहा = the irresistible;
लंकापुरी = City of lanka;
प्रविष्टा च= was entered into;
धर्षिता च = and was over-powered;
सीता = Seetha;
जानकी = the daughter of Janka;
दृष्टाम् च = was also seen (by him).
“By him, who was only a monkey, the irresistible City of Lanka was entered into and was over-powered. Seetha the daughter of Janaka was also discovered by him.
प्रसादो धर्षितः चैत्यः प्रवरा राक्षसा हताः || ६-६-३
आविला च पुरी लंका सर्वा हनुमता कृता |
चैत्यः प्रसाद: = the thousand pillared building used as a sanctuary;
धर्षितः = was assaulted;
हनुमता = by Hanuman;
प्रवरा: = the most excellent;
राक्षसा: = demons;
हताः = were killed;
सर्वा = the entire;
लंकापुरी = City of Lanka;
कृता = was made;
आविला = turbid.
The thousand-pillared building used as a sanctuary was assaulted by Hanuma. Our most excellent demons were killed. The entire City of Lanka was made turbid.
किम् करिष्यामि भद्रम् वः किम् वा युक्तम् अनन्तरम् || ६-६-४
उच्यताम् नः समर्थम् यत् कृतम् च सुकृतम् भवेत् |
भद्रम् = prosperity;
वः = to you!
किम् = what;
करिष्यामि = shall I do?
किम् वा = what thing;
युक्तम् = appropriate thing;
अनन्तरम् = (is to be done) afterwards?
उच्यताम् = let it be spoken;
यत् = that which is
समर्थम् = well-answering;
भवेत् = and which becomes;
सुकृतम् = well-done.
May prosperity befall on you! What shall I do? What appropriate thing is to be done next? Please speak that which is well-answering and that, if attempted becomes well-done.
मन्त्र मूलम् हि विजयम् प्राहुर् आर्या मनस्विनः || ६-६-५
तस्माद् वै रोचये मन्त्रम् रामम् प्रति महाबलाः |
महाबलाः = Oh; people of great strength!
मनस्विनः = wise-men;
प्रवदन्ति = say;
विजयम् = that victory;
मन्त्र मूलम् = is dependent on good forethought;
तस्माद् वै = just for that reason;
रोचये = I desire;
मन्त्रम् = a deliberation;
रामम् प्रति= about Rama.
“Oh, people of great strength! Wise-men say that victory is dependent on good forethought. Verily for that reason, I desire a deliberation about Rama.”
त्रिविधाः पुरुषा लोके उत्तम अधम मध्यमाः || ६-६-६
तेषाम् तु समवेतानाम् गुण दोषम् वदामि अहम् |
त्रिविधाः = there are three types;
पुरुषा: = of men;
लोके = in the world;
उत्तम अधम मध्यमाः = namely; the foremost; the middle most and the lowest;
अहम् = I;
वदामि = am telling;
तेषाम् = their;
समवेतानाम् = inherent;
गुण दोषाः= merits and defects.
“There are three types of men in the world, namely the foremost the middle most and the lowest. I am telling their inherent merits and defects.”
मन्त्रिभिर् हित सम्युक्तैः समर्थैर् मन्त्र निर्णये || ६-६-७
मित्रैर् वा अपि समान अर्थैर् बान्धवैर् अपि वा हितैः |
सहितो मन्त्रयित्वा यः कर्म आरम्भान् प्रवर्तयेत् || ६-६-८
दैवे च कुरुते यत्नम् तम् आहुः पुरुष उत्तमम् |
यः = he who;
प्रवर्तयेत् = carries through;
कर्म आरम्भान्= beginning of undertaking;
मन्त्रयित्वा = after consulting;
सहित:= collectively with;
हित सम्युक्तैः = or with ministers;
समर्थै: = efficient;
मन्त्र निर्णये = in advising decisions;
मित्रैर् वा अपि = or with friends;
समान अर्थै: = having common;
बान्धवैर् अपि= or with relatives;
अधिकाः = additionally;
कुरुते = or who does;
यत्नम् = endeavour;
दैवे च= in the matter of providence too;
तम् = him;
आहुः = (the wise) call;
पुरुष उत्तमम् = as the foremost among men.
“The wise call him as the foremost among men, who carries through the beginning of any undertaking after consulting those who are wedded with welfare of others, or with ministers who are efficient in conferring decisions or with friends having common interests or additionally with relatives or who try to get a favour from Providence too.”
एको अर्थम् विम्ऱ्शेद् एको धर्मे प्रकुरुते मनः || ६-६-९
एकः कार्याणि कुरुते तम् आहुर् मध्यमम् नरम् |
विम्ऱ्शेद् = (He who) deliberates;
अर्थम् = about an activity;
एक: = solitarily;
प्रकुरुते = applies;
मनः = his mind;
धर्मे = on law and justice;
एक: = all by himself;
कुरुते = performs;
कार्याणि = the workds;
एक: = singly;
आहु: = they call;
तम् नरम् = that man;
मध्यमम् = as mediocre.
“The wise men call that man as mediocre, who deliberates about an activity solitarily, applies his mind on law and justice all by himself and performs works singly.”
गुण दोषाव् अनिश्चित्य त्यक्त्वा दैव व्यपाश्रयम् || ६-६-१०
करिष्यामि इति यः कार्यम् उपेक्षेत् स नर अधमः |
यः = He who;
ननिश्चित्य = does not determine;
गुण दोषा= the merits and demerits;
व्यक्तम = clearly;
दैव व्यपाश्रय: = having recourse to providence;
उपेक्षेत् = neglects;
कार्यम् = his duty;
करिष्यामि इति = telling simply ‘I shall do’;
स: = he;
नर अधमः= is the lowest among men.
“He who does not determine the merits and demerits of an act clearly, having recourse to Providence and neglects his duty by simply telling ‘I shall do it’, he is the lowest among men.”
यथा इमे पुरुषा नित्यम् उत्तम अधम मध्यमाः || ६-६-११
एवम् मन्त्रो अपि विज्ञेय अधम मः |
यथा = how;
इमे = those;
पुरुषा : = men;
नित्यम् = are always;
उत्तम अधम मध्याः = either good; bad or mediocre;
मन्त्रो अपि = even the resolution in thought is;
एवम् = thus;
विज्ञेय: = known;
उत्तम अधम मध्यमाः = as good; bad or mediocre.”
“In which manner these men are categorized always as good, bad or mediocre, so also the resolution in thought is classified as good bad or mediocre.”
ऐकमत्यम् उपागम्य शास्त्र दृष्टेन चक्षुषा || ६-६-१२
मन्त्रिणो यत्र निरस्तास् तम् आहुर् मन्त्रम् उत्तमम् |
मन्त्रिण: = the thinkers;
चक्षुषा = on a view;
शास्त्र दृष्टेन = perceived by scriptures;
उपागम्य = obtain;
ऐकमत्यम् = consensus;
निरस्ता: = and are satisfied;
तम् = that;
मन्त्रम् = resolution of thought;
आहु: = (the wise) say;
उत्तमम् = as the excellent one.
“The wise say that resolution of thought is excellent, in which the thinkers, on a view perceived by scriptures, obtain consensus and are satisfied with it.”
बह्व्यो अपि मतयो गत्वा मन्त्रिणो हि अर्थ निर्णये || ६-६-१३
पुनर् यत्र एकताम् प्राप्तः स मन्त्रो मध्यमः स्मृतः |
गत्वापि = even after obtaining;
बह्वीः = several kinds;
मतिः= of opinions;
यत्र = where;
अर्थ निर्णय: = the decision of a matter;
मन्त्रिणां = by the counselors;
पुन: = once more;
प्राप्तः = gets;
एकताम् = to a consensus;
स: = that;
मन्त्र: = decision;
स्मृतः = is called;
मध्यमः = mediocre.
“Only after deliberating several kinds of opinions, that decision of a matter obtained finally by a consensus of the counselors, is called mediocre.”
अन्योन्य मतिम् आस्थाय यत्र सम्प्रतिभाष्यते || ६-६-१४
न च ऐकमत्ये श्रेयो अस्ति मन्त्रः सो अधम उच्यते |
स: = that;
मन्त्रः = resolution;
उच्यते = is said to be;
अधम: = worst;
यत्र = in which;
सम्प्रतिभाष्यते = arguments are made;
आस्थाय = emplying;
अन्योन्य मतिम् = one or the other divergent opinions;
नास्ति= (in which) there is no;
श्रियः= advantage;
ऐकमत्ये = even after a consensus.
“That resolution is said to be worst in which several arguments are made, employing one or the other divergent opinions and in which there is no advantage even after a consensus.”
तस्मात् सुमन्त्रितम् साधु भवन्तो मन्त्रि सत्तमाः || ६-६-१५
कार्यम् सम्प्रतिपद्यन्ताम् एतत् कृत्यतमम् मम |
तस्मात् = for that reason;
भवन्त: = you;
मतिसत्तमाः = having excellent intellect;
सम्प्रतिपद्यन्ताम् = arrive at;
सुमन्त्रितम् = a well-thought out;
साधु = rightful;
कार्यम् = action;
एतत् = this;
मम = to me;
मतं = is earnestly;
कृत्यम् = to be done.”
“For that reason, you, having excellent intellect, arrive at a well-thought out rightful action. To me, this is earnestly to be done.”
वानराणाम् हि वीराणाम् सहस्रैः परिवारितः || ६-६-१६
रामो अभ्येति पुरीम् लंकाम् अस्माकम् उपरोधकः |
रामाः = Rama;
परिवारितः = surrounded by;
सहस्रैः = thousands of;
वीराणाम् = brave;
वानराणाम् = monkeys;
अभ्येति = is coming;
लंकाम् पुरीम् = to the City of Lanka;
उपरोधकः = for besieging;
अस्माकम् = us.
“Rama surrounded by thousands of courageous monkeys, is coming to the City of Lanka, for the purpose of besieging us.”
तरिष्यति च सुव्यक्तम् राघवः सागरम् सुखम् || ६-६-१७
तरसा युक्त रूपेण सानुजः सबल अनुगः |
राघवः = Rama;
युक्त रूपेण = by his befitting;
तरसा = strength;
सुव्यक्तम् = can certainly;
तरिष्यति च = cross;
सागरम् = the ocean;
सुखम् = easily;
सांजः = with his brother;
सबल अनुगः= along with his army and companions.
“Rama, by his be-fitting strength, can certainly cross the ocean easily, with his brother along with his army and his companions.”
समुद्रमुच्छोषयति वीर्येणान्यत्करोति वा|| ६-६-१८
तस्मिन्न् एवम् गते कार्ये विरुद्धे वानरैः सह |
हितम् पुरे च सैन्ये च सर्वम् सम्मन्त्र्यताम् मम || ६-६-१९
समुद्रमुच्छोषयति = (He may) get the ocean dried up;
करोति = (He may) do;
अन्यद्वा= any other thing;
वीर्येण = by his valour;
तस्मिन्न् = that;
कार्ये = act;
विरुद्धे = of enemity;
वानरैः सह = with monkeys;
एवम् विधे= (having commenced) in this way;
सम्मन्त्र्यताम् = advise me;
सर्वम् = everything;
हितम् = that is good;
पुरे = for the city;
मम सैन्ये = and for my army.
“He may even get the ocean dried up. He may do any other thing by his valour. The aforesaid act of enmity with monkeys having commenced in this way, advise me everything that is good for the city and my army.”
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे आदिकाव्ये युद्धकाण्डे षष्ठः सर्गः
Thus completes 6th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
NEXT: SARGA 7
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