Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 104 of 128 · 27 verses
Ravana Rebukes His Charioteer
Recovering from his stupor, Ravana, driven by the power of Death, his eyes red with rage, rounds on his charioteer: you treat me as if I had no valour, no strength, no manliness, as if I were a coward, light and spiritless, without splendour, abandoned by my magic and shut out from my weapons; despising me, fool, you act on your own judgement. Why, ignoring my wishes, have you taken my chariot away in front of the enemy? Ignoble one, you have destroyed today the fame, valour, splendour and trust I earned over a long time. Before an enemy of famous valour, worthy to be pleased with deeds of courage, you have made me, who am greedy for battle, a coward. If you did not do this out of folly, evil-minded one, then my suspicion is true: you have been bribed by the enemy. This is not the act of a friend who wishes one well; what you have done befits an enemy. Turn the chariot back quickly, before my foe goes away, if you have lived with me long and remember my favours.
Spoken to so harshly by the foolish king, the well-meaning charioteer answers with good, gentle words: I am not afraid, nor confused, nor won over by the enemy, nor careless, nor without love, nor have I forgotten your kindness. Wishing your good and guarding your fame, my heart moist with love, I did what was unwelcome because it was good for you. In this matter, great king, you should not blame me, who am devoted to your good and pleasure, as if I were some light, ignoble fellow. Hear why I turned the chariot back from the battle, as a river’s rush is turned back by the waters. I saw that you were tired from your great exertions in battle, and I did not see your valour cheerful or at its height. The chariot horses are exhausted from pulling the chariot, broken, wretched, worn out with heat like cattle beaten by rain. And among the very many omens that appear to us, I notice in each case something unfavourable. A charioteer, a householder of the chariot, must know place and time, signs and gestures, the dejection, joy and fatigue of the chariot-fighter and his strength and weakness, the high and low, level and uneven ground, the time for fighting, the sight of an opening in the enemy, the approach and retreat, standing and drawing back. For your rest and for these chariot horses, and to relieve the fierce exhaustion, I did what was fitting. It was not by my own choice, hero, that I took the chariot away; I did it, lord, out of love for my master. Command me truly, destroyer of enemies, and I will do what you say with a mind free of debt. Pleased with the charioteer’s words, Ravana, greedy for battle, praises him many times and says: drive this chariot quickly toward Raghava, charioteer; Ravana will not turn back without killing his enemies in battle. Saying this, the lord of the rakshasas gives the man standing in the chariot a fine, beautiful bracelet from his hand. Hearing Ravana’s words, the charioteer turns back; urged on, he drives the horses swiftly, and in a moment the rakshasa king’s great chariot stands before Rama at the front of the battle.
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स तु मोहात् सुसंक्रुद्धः कृतान्तबलचोदितः । क्रोधसंरक्तनयनो रावणः सूतमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
But Ravana, greatly enraged out of delusion, driven by the force of Death, his eyes red with anger, said to the charioteer:
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हीनवीर्यमिवाशक्तं पौरुषेण विवर्जितम् । भीरुं लघुमिवासत्त्वं विहीनमिव तेजसा ॥ २ ॥
“As if I were without valour, incapable, devoid of manliness, a coward, light, as if spiritless, as if deprived of splendour,
विमुक्तमिव मायाभिरस्त्रैरिव बहिष्कृतम् । मामवज्ञाय दुर्बुद्धे स्वया बुद्ध्या विचेष्टसे ॥ ३ ॥
“as if abandoned by my magic, as if shut out from my weapons, despising me, evil-minded one, you act by your own judgement.
किमर्थं मामवज्ञाय मच्छन्दमनवेक्ष्य च । त्वया शत्रुसमक्षं मे रथोऽयमपवाहितः ॥ ४ ॥
“Why, despising me and disregarding my wish, have you taken this chariot of mine away in the presence of the enemy?
त्वयाद्य हि ममानार्य चिरकालमुपार्जितम् । यशो वीर्यं च तेजश्च प्रत्ययश्च विनाशितः ॥ ५ ॥
“For by you today, ignoble one, the fame, valour, splendour and trust I earned over a long time have been destroyed.
शत्रोः प्रख्यातवीर्यस्य रञ्जनीयस्य विक्रमैः । पश्यतो युद्धलुब्धोऽहं कृतः कापुरुषस्त्वया ॥ ६ ॥
“Before an enemy of famous valour, who ought to be pleased by deeds of courage, as he watched, I, greedy for battle, have been made a coward by you.
यत् त्वं कथमिदं मोहान्न चेद् वहसि दुर्मते । सत्योऽयं प्रतितर्को मे परेण त्वमुपस्कृतः ॥ ७ ॥
“If you did not do this through folly, evil-minded one, then this suspicion of mine is true: you have been bought by the enemy.
नहि तद् विद्यते कर्म सुहृदो हितकांक्षिणः । रिपूणां सदृशं त्वेतद् यत् त्वयैतदनुष्ठितम् ॥ ८ ॥
“For this is not the deed of a friend who wishes one well; what you have done is fitting for enemies.
निवर्तय रथं शीघ्रं यावन्नापैति मे रिपुः । यदि वाध्युषितोऽसि त्वं स्मर्यते यदि मे गुणः ॥ ९ ॥
“Turn the chariot back quickly, before my enemy goes away, if you have lived long with me, if my favours are remembered.”
एवं परुषमुक्तस्तु हितबुद्धिरबुद्धिना । अब्रवीद् रावणं सूतो हितं सानुनयं वचः ॥ १० ॥
Spoken to so harshly by the unwise one, the charioteer, wishing his good, said to Ravana beneficial words with conciliation:
न भीतोऽस्मि न मूढोऽस्मि नोपजप्तोऽस्मि शत्रुभिः । न प्रमत्तो न निःस्नेहो विस्मृता न च सत्क्रिया ॥ ११ ॥
“I am not afraid, nor confused, nor won over by the enemies; nor careless, nor without love, nor are your kindnesses forgotten.
मया तु हितकामेन यशश्च परिरक्षता । स्नेहप्रस्कन्नमनसा हितमित्यप्रियं कृतम् ॥ १२ ॥
“But by me, wishing your good and guarding your fame, with a mind moist with love, what was unwelcome was done because it was good.
नास्मिन्नर्थे महाराज त्वं मां प्रियहिते रतम् । कश्चिल्लघुरिवानार्यो दोषतो गन्तुमर्हसि ॥ १३ ॥
“In this matter, great king, you should not take me, devoted to your welfare and pleasure, for some light, ignoble one at fault.
श्रूयतां प्रति दास्यामि यन्निमित्तं मया रथः । नदीवेग इवाम्भोभिः संयुगे विनिवर्तितः ॥ १४ ॥
“Listen: I will tell you in return why the chariot was turned back by me from the battle, like a river’s rush by the waters.
श्रमं तवावगच्छामि महता रणकर्मणा । नहि ते वीर्यसौमुख्यं प्रकर्षं नोपधारये ॥ १५ ॥
“I perceive your weariness from your great work of battle; for I do not see the cheerfulness or the height of your valour.
रथोद्वहनखिन्नाश्च भग्ना मे रथवाजिनः । दीना घर्मपरिश्रान्ता गावो वर्षहता इव ॥ १६ ॥
“And my chariot horses are worn out from drawing the chariot, broken, wretched, worn by heat, like cattle beaten by rain.
निमित्तानि च भूयिष्ठं यानि प्रादुर्भवन्ति नः । तेषु तेष्वभिपन्नेषु लक्षयाम्यप्रदक्षिणम् ॥ १७ ॥
“And of the omens that appear to us in great number, in each of those that have occurred I notice something unfavourable.
देशकालौ च विज्ञेयौ लक्षणानीङ्गितानि च । दैन्यं हर्षश्च खेदश्च रथिनश्च बलाबलम् ॥ १८ ॥
“Place and time are to be known, and signs and gestures, the dejection, joy and weariness of the chariot-fighter, and his strength and weakness,
स्थलनिम्नानि भूमेश्च समानि विषमाणि च । युद्धकालश्च विज्ञेयः परस्यान्तरदर्शनम् ॥ १९ ॥
“the high and low places of the ground, the level and the uneven, and the time for battle is to be known, and the seeing of an opening in the enemy,
उपयानापयाने च स्थानं प्रत्यपसर्पणम् । सर्वमेतद् रथस्थेन ज्ञेयं रथकुटुम्बिना ॥ २० ॥
“approach and withdrawal, standing and retreat: all this must be known by one in the chariot, the householder of the chariot.
तव विश्रामहेतोस्तु तथैषां रथवाजिनाम् । रौद्रं वर्जयता खेदं क्षमं कृतमिदं मया ॥ २१ ॥
“For your rest, and likewise for these chariot horses, avoiding fierce exhaustion, I did this fitting thing.
स्वेच्छया न मया वीर रथोऽयमपवाहितः । भर्तुः स्नेहपरीतेन मयेदं यत् कृतं प्रभो ॥ २२ ॥
“Not of my own will, hero, was this chariot taken away by me; what I did, lord, I did filled with love for my master.
आज्ञापय यथातत्त्वं वक्ष्यस्यरिनिषूदन । तत् करिष्याम्यहं वीर गतानृण्येन चेतसा ॥ २३ ॥
“Command me truly, destroyer of enemies; what you say, that I will do, hero, with a mind gone free of debt.”
संतुष्टस्तेन वाक्येन रावणस्तस्य सारथेः । प्रशस्यैनं बहुविधं युद्धलुब्धोऽब्रवीदिदम् ॥ २४ ॥
Satisfied with those words of the charioteer, Ravana, praising him in many ways, greedy for battle, said this:
रथं शीघ्रमिमं सूत राघवाभिमुखं नय । नाहत्वा समरे शत्रून् निवर्तिष्यति रावणः ॥ २५ ॥
“Lead this chariot quickly, charioteer, toward Raghava; Ravana will not turn back without killing his enemies in battle.”
एवमुक्त्वा रथस्थस्य रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः । ददौ तस्य शुभं ह्येकं हस्ताभरणमुत्तमम् । श्रुत्वा रावणवाक्यानि सारथिः संन्यवर्तत ॥ २६ ॥
Saying this, Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, gave the one standing in the chariot a single beautiful, excellent ornament of the hand. Hearing Ravana’s words, the charioteer turned back.
ततो द्रुतं रावणवाक्यचोदितः प्रचोदयामास हयान् स सारथिः । स राक्षसेन्द्रस्य ततो महारथः क्षणेन रामस्य रणाग्रतोऽभवत् ॥ २७ ॥
Then, urged by Ravana’s words, that charioteer drove the horses swiftly; then the great chariot of the rakshasa lord was in a moment at the front of the battle before Rama.