Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 109 of 128 · 25 verses
Vibhishana Laments His Brother
Seeing his brother lying killed and conquered in battle, Vibhishana, overcome by a flood of grief, laments: heroic, valiant, famous, skilful, wise in policy, used to costly beds, why do you lie slain on the ground, your long, adorned arms flung out motionless, your sun-bright crown rolled away? What I told you before has come to pass, hero, though it did not please you in the grip of desire and delusion. Because in your pride neither you nor Prahasta, nor Indrajit, nor others, nor the great chariot-fighter Kumbhakarna, nor Atikaya, nor Narantaka would value my words, this is the outcome. Gone is the bridge of good policy, gone the embodiment of dharma, gone the essence of strength, gone the refuge of the open-handed. The sun has fallen to the earth, the moon has sunk in darkness, fire’s flames are quenched, effort has lost its energy, now that this hero, best of weapon-bearers, has fallen. What is left in this world, its strength gone, with the tiger among rakshasas asleep in the dust of battle? The great tree that was the rakshasa king, with steadfastness for its shoots, force for its finest flowers, austerity for its strength and courage for its roots, has been crushed in battle by the wind that is Raghava. The rut-elephant that was Ravana, with energy for tusks, his lineage for backbone, anger and grace for limbs and trunk, lies asleep on the ground, its body seized by the lion of the Ikshvakus. The fire that was the rakshasa, its flames spread by valour and zeal, its smoke his sighs, its heat his own strength, has been put out in battle by the raincloud that is Rama. The bull that was the rakshasa, with the lion and the bear for tail, hump and horns, conqueror of foes, carrier of fragrance, restless in ears and eyes, has fallen, killed by the tiger who is lord of the earth.
To Vibhishana, overcome by grief, speaking reasoned words that show he has seen the truth, Rama says: he has not perished in helplessness; of fierce valour, with lofty, great zeal, he fell in battle without fear. Those who stand by the kshatriya’s duty and fall on the battlefield seeking increase are not to be mourned when they die like this. Now that this wise one, who terrified the three worlds with Indra in battle, has met his time, it is not the time to grieve. There has never been an unbroken victory in war: a hero is either killed by others or kills others in battle. This is the path declared by the ancients and approved by kshatriyas: it is settled that a kshatriya killed in battle is not to be mourned. Seeing this conclusion, abiding in the truth, free from fever, consider what must be done next. Grieving, Vibhishana answers the valiant prince with what is right for his brother: he who was never broken before in battles even by all the gods with Vasava, meeting you in battle, has broken like the ocean meeting its shore. He gave to suppliants, enjoyed pleasures, supported his dependants, bestowed wealth on friends and pursued enmity against enemies. He kept the sacred fires, practised great austerities, mastered the Vedanta, and was foremost in heroic deeds. By your grace I wish to do for him what must be done for one who has gone to the dead. Well moved by Vibhishana’s pitiful words, the great-souled son of the king of men, of undiminished spirit, orders the funeral rites that lead to heaven: enmities end with death; our purpose is accomplished. Let his rites be performed; he is mine as much as yours.
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भ्रातरं निहतं दृष्ट्वा शयानं निर्जितं रणे । शोकवेगपरीतात्मा विललाप विभीषणः ॥ १ ॥
Seeing his brother killed, lying conquered in battle, Vibhishana, his soul overcome by a flood of grief, lamented:
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वीरविक्रान्त विख्यात प्रवीण नयकोविद । महार्हशयनोपेत किं शेषे निहतो भुवि ॥ २ ॥
“Heroic, valiant, famous, skilful, wise in policy, used to very costly beds, why do you lie slain on the ground,
निक्षिप्य दीर्घौ निश्चेष्टौ भुजावङ्गदभूषितौ । मुकुटेनापवृत्तेन भास्कराकारवर्चसा ॥ ३ ॥
“having flung out your long, motionless arms adorned with armlets, with your crown rolled away, bright with the form of the sun?
तदिदं वीर सम्प्राप्तं यन्मया पूर्वमीरितम् । काममोहपरीतस्य यत् तन्न रुचितं तव ॥ ४ ॥
“Now, hero, that has come which I told you before, which did not please you, overcome by desire and delusion.
यन्न दर्पात् प्रहस्तो वा नेन्द्रजिन्नापरे जनाः । न कुम्भकर्णोऽतिरथो नातिकायो नरान्तकः । न स्वयं बहु मन्येथास्तस्योदर्कोऽयमागतः ॥ ५ ॥
“Because neither Prahasta in pride, nor Indrajit, nor other people, nor the great chariot-fighter Kumbhakarna, nor Atikaya, nor Narantaka, nor you yourself thought much of it, this outcome of that has come.
गतः सेतुः सुनीतानां गतो धर्मस्य विग्रहः । गतः सत्त्वस्य संक्षेपः सुहस्तानां गतिर्गता ॥ ६ ॥
“Gone is the bridge of those of good policy; gone is the embodiment of dharma; gone is the essence of strength; the refuge of the open-handed is gone.
आदित्यः पतितो भूमौ मग्नस्तमसि चन्द्रमाः । चित्रभानुः प्रशान्तार्चिर्व्यवसायो निरुद्यमः । अस्मिन् निपतिते वीरे भूमौ शस्त्रभृतां वरे ॥ ७ ॥
“The sun has fallen to the earth; the moon has sunk in darkness; fire has its flames quenched; effort is without energy, now that this hero, best of weapon-bearers, has fallen on the ground.
किं शेषमिहलोकस्य गतसत्त्वस्य सम्प्रति । रणे राक्षसशार्दूले प्रसुप्त इव पांसुषु ॥ ८ ॥
“What is left of this world, its strength gone now, when the tiger among rakshasas is in battle as if asleep in the dust?
धृतिप्रवालः प्रसभाग्र्यपुष्प- स्तपोबलः शौर्यनिबद्धमूलः । रणे महान् राक्षसराजवृक्षः सम्मर्दितो राघवमारुतेन ॥ ९ ॥
“With steadfastness for its shoots, force for its finest flower, austerity for its strength, courage for its firmly bound roots, the great tree of the rakshasa king has been crushed in battle by the wind that is Raghava.
तेजोविषाणः कुलवंशवंशः कोपप्रसादापरगात्रहस्तः । इक्ष्वाकुसिंहावगृहीतदेहः सुप्तः क्षितौ रावणगन्धहस्ती ॥ १० ॥
“With energy for tusks, his lineage for backbone, anger and grace for his other limbs and trunk, his body seized by the lion of the Ikshvakus, the rut-elephant that was Ravana sleeps on the ground.
पराक्रमोत्साहविजृम्भितार्चि- र्निःश्वासधूमः स्वबलप्रतापः । प्रतापवान् संयति राक्षसाग्नि- र्निर्वापितो रामपयोधरेण ॥ ११ ॥
“Its flames spread by valour and zeal, its smoke his sighs, its heat his own strength, the powerful fire that was the rakshasa has been put out in battle by the raincloud that is Rama.
सिंहर्क्षलाङ्गूलककुद्विषाणः पराभिजिद्गन्धनगन्धवाहः । रक्षोवृषश्चापलकर्णचक्षुः क्षितीश्वरव्याघ्रहतोऽवसन्नः ॥ १२ ॥
“With lion and bear for tail, hump and horns, carrying the fragrance of the conqueror of foes, restless in ears and eyes, the bull that was the rakshasa has sunk down, killed by the tiger who is lord of the earth.”
वदन्तं हेतुमद्वाक्यं परिदृष्टार्थनिश्चयम् । रामः शोकसमाविष्टमित्युवाच विभीषणम् ॥ १३ ॥
To Vibhishana, overcome with grief, speaking reasoned words, a conclusion whose meaning he had seen clearly, Rama said this:
नायं विनष्टो निश्चेष्टः समरे चण्डविक्रमः । अत्युन्नतमहोत्साहः पतितोऽयमशङ्कितः ॥ १४ ॥
“He has not perished helpless; of fierce valour in battle, of very lofty, great zeal, he fell without fear.
नैवं विनष्टाः शोचन्ते क्षत्रधर्मव्यवस्थिताः । वृद्धिमाशंसमाना ये निपतन्ति रणाजिरे ॥ १५ ॥
“Those established in the kshatriya’s duty who, hoping for increase, fall on the battlefield, are not mourned when they perish so.
येन सेन्द्रास्त्रयो लोकास्त्रासिता युधि धीमता । तस्मिन् कालसमायुक्ते न कालः परिशोचितुम् ॥ १६ ॥
“Now that this wise one, by whom the three worlds with Indra were terrified in battle, has been joined to Time, it is not the time to grieve.
नैकान्तविजयो युद्धे भूतपूर्वः कदाचन । परैर्वा हन्यते वीरः परान् वा हन्ति संयुगे ॥ १७ ॥
“Never before has there been unbroken victory in war; a hero is killed by others or kills others in battle.
इयं हि पूर्वैः संदिष्टा गतिः क्षत्रियसम्मता । क्षत्रियो निहतः संख्ये न शोच्य इति निश्चयः ॥ १८ ॥
“For this is the path pointed out by the ancients, approved by kshatriyas; it is settled that a kshatriya killed in battle is not to be mourned.
तदेवं निश्चयं दृष्ट्वा तत्त्वमास्थाय विज्वरः । यदिहानन्तरं कार्यं कल्प्यं तदनुचिन्तय ॥ १९ ॥
“So, seeing this conclusion, resting on the truth, free of fever, consider what is to be done here next and what is to be arranged.”
तमुक्तवाक्यं विक्रान्तं राजपुत्रं विभीषणः । उवाच शोकसंतप्तो भ्रातुर्हितमनन्तरम् ॥ २० ॥
To the valiant prince who had spoken these words, Vibhishana, burning with grief, said at once what was good for his brother:
योऽयं विमर्देष्वविभग्नपूर्वः सुरैः समस्तैरपि वासवेन । भवन्तमासाद्य रणे विभग्नो वेलामिवासाद्य यथा समुद्रः ॥ २१ ॥
“He who was never before broken in battles, even by all the gods with Vasava, meeting you in battle, has been broken, like the ocean meeting the shore.
अनेन दत्तानि वनीपकेषु भुक्ताश्च भोगा निभृताश्च भृत्याः । धनानि मित्रेषु समर्पितानि वैराण्यमित्रेषु च यापितानि ॥ २२ ॥
“By him gifts were given to suppliants, pleasures enjoyed, dependants supported, wealth bestowed on friends, and enmities pursued against enemies.
एषोऽहिताग्निश्च महातपाश्च वेदान्तगः कर्मसु चाग्र्यशूरः । एतस्य यत् प्रेतगतस्य कृत्यं तत् कर्तुमिच्छामि तव प्रसादात् ॥ २३ ॥
“This one kept the sacred fires, practised great austerity, mastered the Vedanta, and was foremost in heroism in deeds. Whatever is to be done for him who has gone to the dead, that I wish to do by your grace.”
स तस्य वाक्यैः करुणैर्महात्मा सम्बोधितः साधु विभीषणेन । आज्ञापयामास नरेन्द्रसूनुः स्वर्गीयमाधानमदीनसत्त्वः ॥ २४ ॥
Well moved by his pitiful words, by Vibhishana, the great-souled son of the lord of men, of undiminished courage, ordered the funeral rites leading to heaven:
मरणान्तानि वैराणि निर्वृत्तं नः प्रयोजनम् । क्रियतामस्य संस्कारो ममाप्येष यथा तव ॥ २५ ॥
“Enmities end with death; our purpose is accomplished. Let his rites be performed; he is mine as he is yours.”