Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 15 of 128 · 14 verses
Indrajit Mocks Vibhishana
After Vibhishana’s words, wise as Brihaspati’s, Indrajit, chief of the nairrita troops, speaks. Uncle, youngest of the family, your words are useless and full of fear; even someone not born in this family would not speak or act like this. Only one man in this whole clan lacks courage, valour, steadiness, heroism and splendour: Vibhishana. Two human princes could be killed by even the most ordinary of us; why try to frighten us, coward? I threw Indra, lord of the three worlds, to the ground; the gods fled in terror; I brought down Airavata trumpeting and tore out his tusks. I, who crushed the pride of gods and grieved the best of the daityas, cannot handle two ordinary human princes?
Vibhishana, best of warriors, replies: you have no judgement in counsel; you are still a child with an unripe mind, and talk much nonsense to your own ruin. You are called Ravana’s son, Indrajit, but you are an enemy with a friend’s face, agreeing in your folly to the destruction coming from Raghava. You deserve death for your foolishness, and so does whoever brought a rash boy like you into the presence of counsellors. Foolish, immature, ill-mannered, harsh, small-minded, wicked: you speak like a child. Who could bear the arrows Raghava shoots in battle, blazing like Brahma’s rod, like Death, like Yama’s staff? “King, let us give Rama wealth, jewels, fine ornaments, heavenly clothes, wonderful gems, and the queen Sita, and live here free of grief.”
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बृहस्पतेस्तुल्यमतेर्वचस्त- न्निशम्य यत्नेन विभीषणस्य । ततो महात्मा वचनं बभाषे तत्रेन्द्रजिन्नैर्ऋतयूथमुख्यः ॥ १ ॥
Having listened carefully to those words of Vibhishana, whose mind was like Brihaspati’s, great-souled Indrajit, chief of the nairrita troops, then spoke:
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किं नाम ते तात कनिष्ठ वाक्य- मनर्थकं वै बहुभीतवच्च । अस्मिन् कुले योऽपि भवेन्न जातः सोऽपीदृशं नैव वदेन्न कुर्यात् ॥ २ ॥
“What are these words of yours, youngest uncle, so pointless and so very fearful? Even one not born in this family would not speak like this or act like this.
सत्त्वेन वीर्येण पराक्रमेण धैर्येण शौर्येण च तेजसा च । एकः कुलेऽस्मिन् पुरुषो विमुक्तो विभीषणस्तात कनिष्ठ एषः ॥ ३ ॥
“In courage, in valour, in prowess, in steadiness, in heroism and in splendour, one man in this family is lacking: this youngest uncle, Vibhishana.
किं नाम तौ मानुषराजपुत्रा- वस्माकमेकेन हि राक्षसेन । सुप्राकृतेनापि निहन्तुमेतौ शक्यौ कुतो भीषयसे स्म भीरो ॥ ४ ॥
“What are those two human princes? They can be killed by a single one of us, even a very ordinary rakshasa. Why do you try to frighten us, coward?
त्रिलोकनाथो ननु देवराजः शक्रो मया भूमितले निविष्टः । भयार्पिताश्चापि दिशः प्रपन्नाः सर्वे तदा देवगणाः समग्राः ॥ ५ ॥
“The king of the gods himself, Shakra, lord of the three worlds, was thrown down by me onto the ground; and all the hosts of gods, struck with fear, fled to the quarters.
ऐरावतो निःस्वनमुन्नदन् स निपातितो भूमितले मया तु । विकृष्य दन्तौ तु मया प्रसह्य वित्रासिता देवगणाः समग्राः ॥ ६ ॥
“Airavata, trumpeting loudly, was brought down by me to the ground; tearing out his tusks by force, I terrified all the hosts of the gods.
सोऽहं सुराणामपि दर्पहन्ता दैत्योत्तमानामपि शोककर्ता । कथं नरेन्द्रात्मजयोर्न शक्तो मनुष्ययोः प्राकृतयोः सुवीर्यः ॥ ७ ॥
“I, the crusher of the pride even of the gods, the cause of grief to the best of the daityas, mighty: how am I not able to deal with two ordinary human princes?”
अथेन्द्रकल्पस्य दुरासदस्य महौजसस्तद् वचनं निशम्य । ततो महार्थं वचनं बभाषे विभीषणः शस्त्रभृतां वरिष्ठः ॥ ८ ॥
Hearing those words of that unassailable one, like Indra, of great energy, Vibhishana, best of weapon-bearers, then spoke words of great meaning:
न तात मन्त्रे तव निश्चयोऽस्ति बालस्त्वमद्याप्यविपक्वबुद्धिः । तस्मात् त्वयाप्यात्मविनाशनाय वचोऽर्थहीनं बहु विप्रलप्तम् ॥ ९ ॥
“Child, you have no settled judgement in counsel. You are still a boy, your mind unripe; and so you have babbled much meaningless talk, to your own destruction.
पुत्रप्रवादेन तु रावणस्य त्वमिन्द्रजिन्मित्रमुखोऽसि शत्रुः । यस्येदृशं राघवतो विनाशं निशम्य मोहादनुमन्यसे त्वम् ॥ १० ॥
“Under the name of Ravana’s son, Indrajit, you are an enemy with a friend’s face, since, hearing of such a destruction coming from Raghava, you agree to it in your folly.
त्वमेव वध्यश्च सुदुर्मतिश्च स चापि वध्यो य इहानयत् त्वाम् । बालं दृढं साहसिकं च योऽद्य प्रावेशयन्मन्त्रकृतां समीपम् ॥ ११ ॥
“You yourself deserve death, very evil-minded one, and so does he who brought you here: who today let a stubborn, rash child into the presence of the counsellors.
मूढोऽप्रगल्भोऽविनयोपपन्न- स्तीक्ष्णस्वभावोऽल्पमतिर्दुरात्मा । मूर्खस्त्वमत्यन्तसुदुर्मतिश्च त्वमिन्द्रजिद् बालतया ब्रवीषि ॥ १२ ॥
“Foolish, immature, ill-mannered, harsh by nature, small-minded, evil-souled, an utter fool and very evil-minded: you speak, Indrajit, out of childishness.
को ब्रह्मदण्डप्रतिमप्रकाशा- नर्चिष्मतः कालनिकाशरूपान् । सहेत बाणान् यमदण्डकल्पान् समक्षमुक्तान् युधि राघवेण ॥ १३ ॥
“Who could withstand the arrows loosed by Raghava in battle before his eyes, shining like Brahma’s rod, blazing, like Time in form, like Yama’s staff?
धनानि रत्नानि सुभूषणानि वासांसि दिव्यानि मणींश्च चित्रान् । सीतां च रामाय निवेद्य देवीं वसेम राजन्निह वीतशोकाः ॥ १४ ॥
“Having given to Rama wealth, jewels, fine ornaments, heavenly clothes and wonderful gems, and the queen Sita, let us live here, king, free from grief.”