Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 122 of 128 · 27 verses
The Allies Board the Pushpaka
Having brought the flower-decked Pushpaka, Vibhishana, standing near, palms joined, humble and eager, asks Raghava: what shall I do? After reflection, radiant Raghava, with Lakshmana listening, says with affection: let all the forest-dwellers, who made such efforts and did such deeds, be honoured with jewels and riches of many kinds, Vibhishana. With them you conquered Lanka, lord of the rakshasas, these joyful ones who gave up fear for their lives and never turned back in battle. All these forest-dwellers have done their work; make their work fruitful with gifts of wealth and jewels. Honoured and gladdened by you, a grateful king, the monkey leaders will be content. Everyone goes to a ruler who is generous, who gathers people to him, compassionate and self-controlled; that is why I remind you. An army abandons in alarm a king who lacks all the qualities that win affection and who only strikes in battle. Vibhishana honours all the monkeys with a share of jewels and riches. Seeing the monkey leaders honoured, Rama mounts the matchless chariot, taking in his arms the Vaidehi, shy and noble-minded, with his brother Lakshmana, valiant bowman.
Standing in the chariot, honouring all the monkeys, mighty Sugriva and Vibhishana, Kakutstha says: you have done this work of friendship, bulls among monkeys; you all have my leave to go home as you wish. Sugriva, all that a friend, affectionate and wishing good, should do, you have done, fearing adharma. Go quickly to Kishkindha with your army; Vibhishana, live in Lanka, your own kingdom, which I have given you; not even the gods with Indra can assail you. I will go to Ayodhya, my father’s capital; I wish to take my leave; I bid you all farewell. The monkey lords, the monkeys and the rakshasa Vibhishana all say with joined palms: we wish to go to Ayodhya; take us all with you; we will roam its forests and groves with joy; having seen you wet from your consecration and saluted Kausalya, we will soon come back to our homes, best of kings. Righteous Rama says to the monkeys, with Sugriva and Vibhishana: I gain what is dearer than dear, if I go to the city with all of you, my friends, and so find joy. Climb into the chariot quickly, Sugriva, with the monkeys; you too, Vibhishana, lord of the rakshasas, with your ministers. Sugriva with the monkeys and Vibhishana with his ministers joyfully climb into the heavenly Pushpaka; when all are aboard, Kubera’s excellent chariot, permitted by Raghava, rises into the sky. In the shining chariot drawn by swans, moving through the sky, Rama, delighted and confident, shines like Kubera; and all the very strong monkeys, bears and rakshasas sit comfortably, without crowding, in that heavenly chariot.
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उपस्थितं तु तं कृत्वा पुष्पकं पुष्पभूषितम् । अविदूरे स्थितो राममित्युवाच विभीषणः ॥ १ ॥
Having made that Pushpaka, adorned with flowers, ready, Vibhishana, standing not far away, spoke so to Rama.
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The Allies Board the Pushpaka 1 min read.
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स तु बद्धाञ्जलिपुटो विनीतो राक्षसेश्वरः । अब्रवीत् त्वरयोपेतः किं करोमीति राघवम् ॥ २ ॥
With joined palms, humble, the lord of the rakshasas, full of haste, said to Raghava: “What shall I do?”
तमब्रवीन्महातेजा लक्ष्मणस्योपशृण्वतः । विमृश्य राघवो वाक्यमिदं स्नेहपुरस्कृतम् ॥ ३ ॥
To him the very radiant Raghava, with Lakshmana listening, having reflected, said these words, with affection foremost:
कृतप्रयत्नकर्माणः सर्व एव वनौकसः । रत्नैरर्थैश्च विविधैः सम्पूज्यन्तां विभीषण ॥ ४ ॥
“Let all the forest-dwellers, who made efforts and did deeds, be honoured with jewels and riches of many kinds, Vibhishana.
सहामीभिस्त्वया लङ्का निर्जिता राक्षसेश्वर । हृष्टैः प्राणभयं त्यक्त्वा संग्रामेष्वनिवर्तिभिः ॥ ५ ॥
“With these, lord of the rakshasas, Lanka was conquered by you: joyful, giving up fear for their lives, not turning back in battles.
त इमे कृतकर्माणः सर्व एव वनौकसः । धनरत्नप्रदानैश्च कर्मैषां सफलं कुरु ॥ ६ ॥
“All these forest-dwellers have done their work; make their work fruitful with gifts of wealth and jewels.
एवं सम्मानिताश्चैते नन्द्यमाना यथा त्वया । भविष्यन्ति कृतज्ञेन निर्वृता हरियूथपाः ॥ ७ ॥
“Honoured and gladdened like this by you, a grateful one, these monkey troop leaders will be content.
त्यागिनं संग्रहीतारं सानुक्रोशं जितेन्द्रियम् । सर्वे त्वामभिगच्छन्ति ततः सम्बोधयामि ते ॥ ८ ॥
“All come to one who is generous, who gathers people, compassionate, with conquered senses; that is why I remind you.
हीनं रतिगुणैः सर्वैरभिहन्तारमाहवे । सेना त्यजति संविग्ना नृपतिं तं नरेश्वर ॥ ९ ॥
“An army, alarmed, abandons a king who lacks all the qualities that win affection and only strikes in battle, lord of men.”
एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण वानरांस्तान् विभीषणः । रत्नार्थसंविभागेन सर्वानेवाभ्यपूजयत् ॥ १० ॥
Spoken to so by Rama, Vibhishana honoured all those monkeys with a distribution of jewels and riches.
ततस्तान् पूजितान् दृष्ट्वा रत्नार्थैर्हरियूथपान् । आरुरोह तदा रामस्तद् विमानमनुत्तमम् ॥ ११ ॥
Then, seeing those monkey troop leaders honoured with jewels and riches, Rama then mounted that matchless aerial chariot,
अङ्केनादाय वैदेहीं लज्जमानां मनस्विनीम् । लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा विक्रान्तेन धनुष्मता ॥ १२ ॥
taking in his arms the Vaidehi, shy and noble-minded, with his brother Lakshmana, valiant, bearing his bow.
अब्रवीत् स विमानस्थः पूजयन् सर्ववानरान् । सुग्रीवं च महावीर्यं काकुत्स्थः सविभीषणम् ॥ १३ ॥
Standing in the aerial chariot, honouring all the monkeys, and mighty Sugriva with Vibhishana, Kakutstha said:
मित्रकार्यं कृतमिदं भवद्भिर्वानरर्षभाः । अनुज्ञाता मया सर्वे यथेष्टं प्रतिगच्छत ॥ १४ ॥
“This work of friendship has been done by you, bulls among monkeys; you all have my leave; go back as you wish.
यत् तु कार्यं वयस्येन स्निग्धेन च हितेन च । कृतं सुग्रीव तत् सर्वं भवताधर्मभीरुणा ॥ १५ ॥
“What should be done by an affectionate friend who wishes one well, all that has been done by you, Sugriva, fearing adharma.
किष्किन्धां प्रति याह्याशु स्वसैन्येनाभिसंवृतः । स्वराज्ये वस लङ्कायां मया दत्ते विभीषण । न त्वां धर्षयितुं शक्ताः सेन्द्रा अपि दिवौकसः ॥ १६ ॥
“Go quickly to Kishkindha, surrounded by your own army; live in your own kingdom of Lanka, given by me, Vibhishana; not even the dwellers of heaven with Indra can assail you.
अयोध्यां प्रति यास्यामि राजधानीं पितुर्मम । अभ्यनुज्ञातुमिच्छामि सर्वानामन्त्रयामि वः ॥ १७ ॥
“I will go to Ayodhya, my father’s capital; I wish to take leave; I bid you all farewell.”
एवमुक्तास्तु रामेण हरीन्द्रा हरयस्तथा । ऊचुः प्राञ्जलयः सर्वे राक्षसश्च विभीषणः ॥ १८ ॥
Spoken to so by Rama, the monkey lords and the monkeys, and the rakshasa Vibhishana, all said with joined palms:
अयोध्यां गन्तुमिच्छामः सर्वान् नयतु नो भवान् । मुद्युक्ता विचरिष्यामो वनान्युपवनानि च ॥ १९ ॥
“We wish to go to Ayodhya; let you lead us all; joyful, we will roam the forests and groves.
दृष्ट्वा त्वामभिषेकार्द्रं कौसल्यामभिवाद्य च । अचिरादागमिष्यामः स्वगृहान् नृपसत्तम ॥ २० ॥
“Having seen you wet from your consecration and having saluted Kausalya, we will soon come back to our own homes, best of kings.”
एवमुक्तस्तु धर्मात्मा वानरैः सविभीषणैः । अब्रवीद् वानरान् रामः ससुग्रीवविभीषणान् ॥ २१ ॥
Spoken to so by the monkeys with Vibhishana, righteous Rama said to the monkeys with Sugriva and Vibhishana:
प्रियात् प्रियतरं लब्धं यदहं ससुहृज्जनः । सर्वैर्भवद्भिः सहितः प्रीतिं लप्स्ये पुरीं गतः ॥ २२ ॥
“Dearer than dear is what is gained, if I, with my friends, joined with all of you, find joy, having gone to the city.
क्षिप्रमारोह सुग्रीव विमानं सह वानरैः । त्वमप्यारोह सामात्यो राक्षसेन्द्र विभीषण ॥ २३ ॥
“Climb into the aerial chariot quickly, Sugriva, with the monkeys; you too climb in with your ministers, lord of the rakshasas, Vibhishana.”
ततः स पुष्पकं दिव्यं सुग्रीवः सह वानरैः । आरुरोह मुदा युक्तः सामात्यश्च विभीषणः ॥ २४ ॥
Then Sugriva with the monkeys, filled with joy, climbed into that heavenly Pushpaka, and Vibhishana with his ministers.
तेष्वारूढेषु सर्वेषु कौबेरं परमासनम् । राघवेणाभ्यनुज्ञातमुत्पपात विहायसम् ॥ २५ ॥
When they had all climbed in, Kubera’s supreme seat, permitted by Raghava, flew up into the sky.
खगतेन विमानेन हंसयुक्तेन भास्वता । प्रहृष्टश्च प्रतीतश्च बभौ रामः कुबेरवत् ॥ २६ ॥
With the shining aerial chariot, yoked with swans, gone into the sky, delighted and confident, Rama shone like Kubera.
ते सर्वे वानरर्क्षाश्च राक्षसाश्च महाबलाः । यथासुखमसम्बाधं दिव्ये तस्मिन्नुपाविशन् ॥ २७ ॥
All those monkeys and bears, and the very mighty rakshasas, sat in that heavenly one as they pleased, without crowding.