Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 10 of 128 · 29 verses
Evil Omens in Lanka
At dawn, his mind made up about what dharma and policy require, Vibhishana goes to his elder brother’s palace: lofty as a mountain, guarded by loyal rakshasas, loud with conches and drums, crowded with women, its towers of refined gold. He hears brahmanas reciting auspicious blessings for his brother’s victory and sees priests honoured with curds, ghee, flowers and rice. He bows to Ravana, takes the seat a king’s glance offers, and in private, before the ministers, speaks for his brother’s good.
Ever since Vaidehi came here, he says, evil omens have appeared. The sacred fire, though fed with mantras, sputters and smokes and will not burn properly. Snakes are seen in the fire-halls and the places of Vedic recitation, ants in the offerings. Cows’ milk dries up, the best elephants lose their rut, horses neigh miserably and refuse fresh fodder; donkeys, camels and mules shed hair and weep, and will not settle even with remedies. Cruel crows caw in flocks everywhere and gather on the towers; vultures circle above the city; jackals howl at both twilights; carnivorous beasts gather at the city gates, howling and snarling. The right atonement is to give Vaidehi back to Raghava. If he speaks from delusion or greed, let the king not blame him; but everyone, rakshasas and rakshasis, the city and the inner palace, sees this fault, and the ministers have all held back from saying it. He must say what he has seen and heard.
Ravana, feverish with anger, answers: “I see no danger from anywhere. Raghava will never get Maithili. How could Lakshmana’s elder brother stand before me in battle, even with Indra and the gods?” And the destroyer of the gods’ armies sends Vibhishana away.
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ततः प्रत्युषसि प्राप्ते प्राप्तधर्मार्थनिश्चयः । राक्षसाधिपतेर्वेश्म भीमकर्मा विभीषणः ॥ १ ॥
Then, when dawn came, Vibhishana of terrible deeds, having reached a decision about dharma and policy, went to the palace of the lord of the rakshasas,
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शैलाग्रचयसंकाशं शैलशृङ्गमिवोन्नतम् । सुविभक्तमहाकक्षं महाजनपरिग्रहम् ॥ २ ॥
like a heap of mountain peaks, lofty as a mountain summit, with great well-laid-out courts, occupied by great people,
मतिमद्भिर्महामात्रैरनुरक्तैरधिष्ठितम् । राक्षसैराप्तपर्याप्तैः सर्वतः परिरक्षितम् ॥ ३ ॥
occupied by intelligent, loyal chief ministers, guarded on every side by trusted, capable rakshasas,
मत्तमातङ्गनिःश्वासैर्व्याकुलीकृतमारुतम् । शङ्खघोषमहाघोषं तूर्यसम्बाधनादितम् ॥ ४ ॥
the air stirred by the breath of rutting elephants, loud with the great sound of conches, resounding with throngs of musical instruments,
प्रमदाजनसम्बाधं प्रजल्पितमहापथम् । तप्तकाञ्चननिर्यूहं भूषणोत्तमभूषितम् ॥ ५ ॥
crowded with women, its great roads full of talk, with turrets of refined gold, adorned with the finest ornaments,
गन्धर्वाणामिवावासमालयं मरुतामिव । रत्नसंचयसम्बाधं भवनं भोगिनामिव ॥ ६ ॥
like the dwelling of gandharvas, like the home of the Maruts, crowded with heaps of jewels, like a palace of the serpents:
तं महाभ्रमिवादित्यस्तेजोविस्तृतरश्मिवान् । अग्रजस्यालयं वीरः प्रविवेश महाद्युतिः ॥ ७ ॥
the hero of great splendour entered his elder brother’s house, as the sun with its spreading rays of splendour enters a great cloud.
पुण्यान् पुण्याहघोषांश्च वेदविद्भिरुदाहृतान् । शुश्राव सुमहातेजा भ्रातुर्विजयसंश्रितान् ॥ ८ ॥
The radiant one heard holy sounds of auspicious blessings, recited by Veda-knowers, for his brother’s victory.
पूजितान् दधिपात्रैश्च सर्पिभिः सुमनोक्षतैः । मन्त्रवेदविदो विप्रान् ददर्श स महाबलः ॥ ९ ॥
The mighty one saw brahmanas learned in mantras and Vedas, honoured with bowls of curds, ghee, flowers and unbroken rice.
स पूज्यमानो रक्षोभिर्दीप्यमानं स्वतेजसा । आसनस्थं महाबाहुर्ववन्दे धनदानुजम् ॥ १० ॥
Honoured by the rakshasas, the mighty-armed one bowed to Kubera’s younger brother, seated on his throne, blazing with his own splendour.
स राजदृष्टिसम्पन्नमासनं हेमभूषितम् । जगाम समुदाचारं प्रयुज्याचारकोविदः ॥ ११ ॥
Skilled in proper conduct, having performed the customary courtesies, he went to a gold-adorned seat indicated by the king’s glance.
स रावणं महात्मानं विजने मन्त्रिसंनिधौ । उवाच हितमत्यर्थं वचनं हेतुनिश्चितम् ॥ १२ ॥
In private, in the presence of the ministers, he spoke to great-souled Ravana words of great benefit, settled by reason,
प्रसाद्य भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठं सान्त्वेनोपस्थितक्रमः । देशकालार्थसंवादि दृष्टलोकपरावरः ॥ १३ ॥
having first won his elder brother’s favour with gentle words, observing due order, suited to place, time and purpose, he who had seen the high and low of the world:
यदाप्रभृति वैदेही सम्प्राप्तेह परंतप । तदाप्रभृति दृश्यन्ते निमित्तान्यशुभानि नः ॥ १४ ॥
“Ever since Vaidehi came here, scorcher of foes, ever since then inauspicious omens have been seen among us.
सस्फुलिङ्गः सधूमार्चिः सधूमकलुषोदयः । मन्त्रसंधुक्षितोऽप्यग्निर्न सम्यगभिवर्धते ॥ १५ ॥
“The fire, though kindled with mantras, does not grow properly; it gives sparks and smoky flames, and rises clouded with smoke.
अग्निष्टेष्वग्निशालासु तथा ब्रह्मस्थलीषु च । सरीसृपाणि दृश्यन्ते हव्येषु च पिपीलिकाः ॥ १६ ॥
“In the fire-chambers and fire-halls and the places of Vedic recitation, snakes are seen, and ants in the offerings.
गवां पयांसि स्कन्नानि विमदा वरकुञ्जराः । दीनमश्वाः प्रहेषन्ते नवग्रासाभिनन्दिनः ॥ १७ ॥
“The cows’ milk has dried up, the best elephants are without rut, the horses neigh miserably, not welcoming fresh fodder.
खरोष्ट्राश्वतरा राजन् भिन्नरोमाः स्रवन्ति च । न स्वभावेऽवतिष्ठन्ते विधानैरपि चिन्तिताः ॥ १८ ॥
“Donkeys, camels and mules, king, shed their hair and weep; they do not stay in their natural state, even when treated with remedies.
वायसाः संघशः क्रूरा व्याहरन्ति समन्ततः । समवेताश्च दृश्यन्ते विमानाग्रेषु संघशः ॥ १९ ॥
“Cruel crows in flocks caw on every side, and are seen gathered in flocks on the tops of the towers.
गृध्राश्च परिलीयन्ते पुरीमुपरि पिण्डिताः । उपपन्नाश्च संध्ये द्वे व्याहरन्त्यशिवं शिवाः ॥ २० ॥
“Vultures circle, massed above the city; and jackals, coming at the two twilights, howl inauspiciously.
क्रव्यादानां मृगाणां च पुरीद्वारेषु संघशः । श्रूयन्ते विपुला घोषाः सविस्फूर्जितनिःस्वनाः ॥ २१ ॥
“At the city gates loud cries of flesh-eating beasts are heard in packs, with snarling sounds.
तदेवं प्रस्तुते कार्ये प्रायश्चित्तमिदं क्षमम् । रोचये वीर वैदेही राघवाय प्रदीयताम् ॥ २२ ॥
“Since the matter stands so, this atonement is fitting: I would wish, hero, that Vaidehi be given back to Raghava.
इदं च यदि वा मोहाल्लोभाद् वा व्याहृतं मया । तत्रापि च महाराज न दोषं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ २३ ॥
“And if I have said this out of delusion or greed, even then, great king, you should not hold it against me.
अयं हि दोषः सर्वस्य जनस्यास्योपलक्ष्यते । रक्षसां राक्षसीनां च पुरस्यान्तःपुरस्य च ॥ २४ ॥
“For this fault is seen by all these people, by rakshasas and rakshasis, by the city and the inner palace.
प्रापणे चास्य मन्त्रस्य निवृत्ताः सर्वमन्त्रिणः । अवश्यं च मया वाच्यं यद् दृष्टमथवा श्रुतम् । सम्प्रधार्य यथान्यायं तद् भवान् कर्तुमर्हति ॥ २५ ॥
“All the ministers have held back from bringing you this counsel; but I must say what I have seen or heard. Having weighed it properly, you should act on it.”
इति स्वमन्त्रिणां मध्ये भ्राता भ्रातरमूचिवान् । रावणं रक्षसां श्रेष्ठं पथ्यमेतद् विभीषणः ॥ २६ ॥
So Vibhishana, the brother, spoke this wholesome counsel to his brother Ravana, best of rakshasas, in the midst of his own ministers.
हितं महार्थं मृदु हेतुसंहितं व्यतीतकालायतिसम्प्रतिक्षमम् । निशम्य तद्वाक्यमुपस्थितज्वरः प्रसङ्गवानुत्तरमेतदब्रवीत् ॥ २७ ॥
Hearing those words, beneficial, of great meaning, gentle, reasoned, fit for past, future and present, the king, a fever of anger coming on him, attached as he was, gave this answer:
भयं न पश्यामि कुतश्चिदप्यहं न राघवः प्राप्स्यति जातु मैथिलीम् । सुरैः सहेन्द्रैरपि संगरे कथं ममाग्रतः स्थास्यति लक्ष्मणाग्रजः ॥ २८ ॥
“I see no danger from anywhere at all. Raghava will never win Maithili. Even with the gods and Indra, how will Lakshmana’s elder brother stand before me in battle?”
इत्येवमुक्त्वा सुरसैन्यनाशनो महाबलः संयति चण्डविक्रमः । दशाननो भ्रातरमाप्तवादिनं विसर्जयामास तदा विभीषणम् ॥ २९ ॥
Having said this, the destroyer of the gods’ armies, mighty, of fierce valour in battle, the ten-faced one then dismissed his brother Vibhishana, who spoke what was trustworthy.