Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 2 of 128 · 24 verses
Sugriva Rallies Rama
Seeing Rama sunk in grief, Sugriva speaks to lift him. Why grieve like an ordinary man? Give up this sorrow as an ungrateful man gives up friendship. There is no reason for it now: we have news of Sita and know where the enemy lives. Rama is wise and learned; let him drop this common way of thinking that spoils every purpose. We will cross the ocean, full of crocodiles, climb into Lanka and kill your enemy. For the dejected, everything fails.
These monkey leaders are brave and able, ready to walk into fire for Rama; Sugriva can see it in their joy. Let Rama think how to build a bridge so that they can see Ravana’s city. Once Lanka on its Trikuta peak has been seen, count Ravana as killed; but without a bridge over the ocean, not even the gods and asuras with Indra could crush it. Once the bridge reaches Lanka, consider the army crossed and the battle won. Grief drains a man’s courage; let Rama rely on valour, as a hero should. No one in the three worlds could stand before him with his bow drawn. Let him take up anger instead of grief; the dull, passive warrior is despised, while all fear the fierce one. “I see good omens, and my heart rejoices: you will surely be victorious.”
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तं तु शोकपरिद्यूनं रामं दशरथात्मजम् । उवाच वचनं श्रीमान् सुग्रीवः शोकनाशनम् ॥ १ ॥
To Rama, son of Dasharatha, worn by grief, glorious Sugriva spoke words that would destroy his grief:
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किं त्वया तप्यते वीर यथान्यः प्राकृतस्तथा । मैवं भूस्त्यज संतापं कृतघ्न इव सौहृदम् ॥ २ ॥
“Why do you grieve, hero, like any ordinary person? Do not be so; give up this anguish, as an ungrateful man gives up friendship.
संतापस्य च ते स्थानं नहि पश्यामि राघव । प्रवृत्तावुपलब्धायां ज्ञाते च निलये रिपोः ॥ ३ ॥
“I see no ground for your anguish, Raghava, now that news has been obtained and the enemy’s dwelling is known.
मतिमान् शास्त्रवित् प्राज्ञः पण्डितश्चासि राघव । त्यजेमां प्राकृतां बुद्धिं कृतात्मेवार्थदूषिणीम् ॥ ४ ॥
“You are intelligent, learned in the treatises, wise and scholarly, Raghava; give up this ordinary way of thinking, like a self-controlled man the way that spoils every purpose.
समुद्रं लङ्घयित्वा तु महानक्रसमाकुलम् । लङ्कामारोहयिष्यामो हनिष्यामश्च ते रिपुम् ॥ ५ ॥
“Having leapt across the ocean, full of great crocodiles, we will climb into Lanka and kill your enemy.
निरुत्साहस्य दीनस्य शोकपर्याकुलात्मनः । सर्वार्था व्यवसीदन्ति व्यसनं चाधिगच्छति ॥ ६ ॥
“For one who is without energy, dejected, his mind troubled by grief, all purposes fail, and he meets disaster.
इमे शूराः समर्थाश्च सर्वतो हरियूथपाः । त्वत्प्रियार्थं कृतोत्साहाः प्रवेष्टुमपि पावकम् । एषां हर्षेण जानामि तर्कश्चापि दृढो मम ॥ ७ ॥
“These monkey leaders on every side are brave and able, eager for your sake to enter even fire. I know it from their joy, and my reasoning is firm.
विक्रमेण समानेष्ये सीतां हत्वा यथा रिपुम् । रावणं पापकर्माणं तथा त्वं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ ८ ॥
“By valour I will bring Sita back, having killed the enemy: you should act so toward Ravana of evil deeds.
सेतुरत्र यथा बद्ध्येद् यथा पश्येम तां पुरीम् । तस्य राक्षसराजस्य तथा त्वं कुरु राघव ॥ ९ ॥
“Do it so, Raghava, that a bridge may be built here, so that we may see that city of the king of the rakshasas.
दृष्ट्वा तां हि पुरीं लङ्कां त्रिकूटशिखरे स्थिताम् । हतं च रावणं युद्धे दर्शनादवधारय ॥ १० ॥
“For once we have seen that city of Lanka standing on the peak of Trikuta, count Ravana as killed in battle from the moment of seeing it.
अबद्ध्वा सागरे सेतुं घोरे च वरुणालये । लङ्कां न मर्दितुं शक्या सेन्द्रैरपि सुरासुरैः ॥ ११ ॥
“Without building a bridge over the ocean, Varuna’s terrible home, Lanka cannot be crushed even by the gods and asuras with Indra.
सेतुबन्धः समुद्रे च यावल्लङ्कासमीपतः । सर्वं तीर्णं च मे सैन्यं जितमित्युपधारय । इमे हि समरे वीरा हरयः कामरूपिणः ॥ १२ ॥
“Once a bridge has been built in the ocean right up to Lanka, consider my whole army crossed and victory won. For these monkeys are heroes in battle, taking any form they like.
तदलं विक्लवां बुद्धिं राजन् सर्वार्थनाशिनीम् । पुरुषस्य हि लोकेऽस्मिन् शोकः शौर्यापकर्षणः ॥ १३ ॥
“So enough of this faint-hearted thinking, king, that destroys every purpose. In this world grief drags down a man’s courage.
यत् तु कार्यं मनुष्येण शौटीर्यमवलम्ब्यताम् । तदलंकरणायैव कर्तुर्भवति सत्वरम् ॥ १४ ॥
“What a man must do, let him rely on heroism for it; that quickly becomes an ornament to the doer.
अस्मिन् काले महाप्राज्ञ सत्त्वमातिष्ठ तेजसा । शूराणां हि मनुष्याणां त्वद्विधानां महात्मनाम् । विनष्टे वा प्रणष्टे वा शोकः सर्वार्थनाशनः ॥ १५ ॥
“At this time, very wise one, stand firm in your courage with your splendour. For brave men, great souls like you, whether something is lost or gone, grief destroys every purpose.
तत्त्वं बुद्धिमतां श्रेष्ठः सर्वशास्त्रार्थकोविदः । मद्विधैः सचिवैः सार्धमरिं जेतुं समर्हसि ॥ १६ ॥
“You are the best of the intelligent, versed in the meaning of all the treatises; with counsellors like me you are well able to conquer the enemy.
नहि पश्याम्यहं कंचित् त्रिषु लोकेषु राघव । गृहीतधनुषो यस्ते तिष्ठेदभिमुखो रणे ॥ १७ ॥
“I see no one in the three worlds, Raghava, who could stand facing you in battle when you have taken up your bow.
वानरेषु समासक्तं न ते कार्यं विपत्स्यते । अचिराद् द्रक्ष्यसे सीतां तीर्त्वा सागरमक्षयम् ॥ १८ ॥
“Your task, entrusted to the monkeys, will not fail. Soon you will see Sita, having crossed the inexhaustible ocean.
तदलं शोकमालम्ब्य क्रोधमालम्ब भूपते । निश्चेष्टाः क्षत्रिया मन्दाः सर्वे चण्डस्य बिभ्यति ॥ १९ ॥
“So enough of holding on to grief; hold on to anger, lord of the earth. Passive warriors are thought dull; everyone fears the fierce one.
लङ्घनार्थं च घोरस्य समुद्रस्य नदीपतेः । सहास्माभिरिहोपेतः सूक्ष्मबुद्धिर्विचारय ॥ २० ॥
“For the leaping of the terrible ocean, lord of rivers, think it through with us gathered here, you of subtle mind.
लङ्घिते तत्र तैः सैन्यैर्जितमित्येव निश्चिनु । सर्वं तीर्णं च मे सैन्यं जितमित्यवधार्यताम् ॥ २१ ॥
“Once it is leapt by those armies, be sure that victory is won; let it be taken that my whole army has crossed and won.
इमे हि हरयः शूराः समरे कामरूपिणः । तानरीन् विधमिष्यन्ति शिलापादपवृष्टिभिः ॥ २२ ॥
“For these monkeys are heroes in battle, taking any form they like; they will scatter those enemies with showers of rocks and trees.
कथंचित् परिपश्यामि लङ्घितं वरुणालयम् । हतमित्येव तं मन्ये युद्धे शत्रुनिबर्हण ॥ २३ ॥
“If somehow I see Varuna’s home crossed, I consider him killed in battle already, slayer of enemies.
किमुक्त्वा बहुधा चापि सर्वथा विजयी भवान् । निमित्तानि च पश्यामि मनो मे सम्प्रहृष्यति ॥ २४ ॥
“Why say more in many ways? In every way you will be victorious. I see omens, and my heart rejoices.”