Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 28 of 128 · 42 verses
Shuka Names Hanuman, Rama and the Army’s Size
After Sarana, Shuka continues. Those standing like rutting elephants, like banyans by the Ganga or salas of the Himalaya, are Sugriva’s counsellors from Kishkindha, born of gods and gandharvas, shape-shifters, in numbers beyond reckoning. The two princes like gods are Mainda and Dvivida, who drank the nectar by Brahma’s leave and have no equal in battle. The one like an elephant in rut, who could stir the ocean in anger, is the one who came to Lanka, to Vaidehi and to you: the eldest son of Kesari, known as the son of the Wind, Hanuman, who leapt the ocean. As a child, hungry, he saw the rising sun and leapt three thousand leagues to seize it, but fell on the mountain of sunrise and cracked his jaw (hanu) on a rock; hence his name. He alone hopes to crush Lanka, and the fire he lit is still burning; how can you forget him?
The dark, lotus-eyed hero next to him is Rama, the great Ikshvaku chariot-warrior, in whom dharma never wavers, who knows the Brahma weapon and the Vedas, who could split the sky with his arrows or tear the earth, whose anger is like Death’s and valour like Indra’s, whose wife you stole from Janasthana. On his right, golden, broad-chested, with copper eyes and dark curling hair, is Lakshmana, devoted to his brother’s good, skilled in policy and war, Rama’s right arm, his life walking outside his body. On his left, surrounded by rakshasas, is King Vibhishana, consecrated king of Lanka by Rama, coming to fight you. In the middle, unmoving like a mountain, is Sugriva, lord of all the monkeys, who lives in the cave-city of Kishkindha, wearing the golden garland of a hundred lotuses in which Fortune dwells, given him by Rama with Tara and the kingdom after Vali’s death.
Shuka explains the numbers: a hundred hundred-thousands make a koti; and so on up through shanku, mahashanku, vrinda, mahavrinda, padma, mahapadma, kharva, mahakharva, samudra, ogha and mahaugha. With a thousand kotis, a hundred shankus, a thousand mahashankus, a hundred vrindas and so on up to a mahaugha, Sugriva comes against you with Vibhishana. “Seeing this army before you like a blazing planet, great king, make the greatest effort, so that there may be victory and not defeat.”
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सारणस्य वचः श्रुत्वा रावणं राक्षसाधिपम् । बलमादिश्य तत् सर्वं शुको वाक्यमथाब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Hearing Sarana’s words and having pointed out that whole army, Shuka then said to Ravana, lord of the rakshasas:
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Shuka Names Hanuman, Rama and the Army’s Size 1 min read.
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स्थितान् पश्यसि यानेतान् मत्तानिव महाद्विपान् । न्यग्रोधानिव गाङ्गेयान् सालान् हैमवतानिव ॥ २ ॥
“Those you see standing like rutting great elephants, like banyans by the Ganga, like salas of the Himalaya,
एते दुष्प्रसहा राजन् बलिनः कामरूपिणः । दैत्यदानवसंकाशा युद्धे देवपराक्रमाः ॥ ३ ॥
“these are hard to withstand, king, mighty, taking any form at will, like daityas and danavas, with the valour of gods in battle.
एषां कोटिसहस्राणि नव पञ्च च सप्त च । तथा शङ्कुसहस्राणि तथा वृन्दशतानि च ॥ ४ ॥
“Of them there are nine, five and seven thousand crores, and as many thousand shankus and hundreds of vrindas.
एते सुग्रीवसचिवाः किष्किन्धानिलयाः सदा । हरयो देवगन्धर्वैरुत्पन्नाः कामरूपिणः ॥ ५ ॥
“These are Sugriva’s counsellors, always living in Kishkindha, monkeys born of gods and gandharvas, taking any form they wish.
यौ तौ पश्यसि तिष्ठन्तौ कुमारौ देवरूपिणौ । मैन्दश्च द्विविदश्चैव ताभ्यां नास्ति समो युधि ॥ ६ ॥
“Those two you see standing, princes like gods, Mainda and Dvivida: there is no one equal to them in battle.
ब्रह्मणा समनुज्ञातावमृतप्राशिनावुभौ । आशंसेते यथा लङ्कामेतौ मर्दितुमोजसा ॥ ७ ॥
“Both, by Brahma’s leave, have eaten the nectar; these two hope to crush Lanka with might.
यं तु पश्यसि तिष्ठन्तं प्रभिन्नमिव कुञ्जरम् । यो बलात् क्षोभयेत् क्रुद्धः समुद्रमपि वानरः ॥ ८ ॥
“And he whom you see standing like an elephant in rut, the monkey who in anger could stir up even the ocean by force:
एषोऽभिगन्ता लङ्कायां वैदेह्यास्तव च प्रभो । एनं पश्य पुरा दृष्टं वानरं पुनरागतम् ॥ ९ ॥
“this is the one who came to Lanka, to Vaidehi and to you, lord. See this monkey, seen before, come back again.
ज्येष्ठः केसरिणः पुत्रो वातात्मज इति श्रुतः । हनूमानिति विख्यातो लङ्घितो येन सागरः ॥ १० ॥
“The eldest son of Kesari, known as the son of the Wind, famous as Hanuman, by whom the ocean was leapt:
कामरूपो हरिश्रेष्ठो बलरूपसमन्वितः । अनिवार्यगतिश्चैव यथा सततगः प्रभुः ॥ ११ ॥
“taking any form at will, best of monkeys, endowed with strength and beauty, of unstoppable course, like the ever-moving lord, the Wind.
उद्यन्तं भास्करं दृष्ट्वा बालः किल बुभुक्षितः । त्रियोजनसहस्रं तु अध्वानमवतीर्य हि ॥ १२ ॥
“Seeing the sun rising, they say, as a child, hungry, having crossed a distance of three thousand leagues,
आदित्यमाहरिष्यामि न मे क्षुत् प्रतियास्यति । इति निश्चित्य मनसा पुप्लुवे बलदर्पितः ॥ १३ ॥
“’I will seize the sun; my hunger will not go away’: resolving so in his mind, proud of his strength, he leapt,
अनाधृष्यतमं देवमपि देवर्षिराक्षसैः । अनासाद्यैव पतितो भास्करोदयने गिरौ ॥ १४ ॥
“and without even reaching the god, unassailable even by gods, sages and rakshasas, he fell on the mountain where the sun rises.
पतितस्य कपेरस्य हनुरेका शिलातले । किंचिद् भिन्ना दृढहनुर्हनूमानेष तेन वै ॥ १५ ॥
“As the monkey fell, one jaw was a little split on a stone slab; firm-jawed, he is therefore Hanuman.
सत्यमागमयोगेन ममैष विदितो हरिः । नास्य शक्यं बलं रूपं प्रभावो वानुभाषितुम् ॥ १६ ॥
“I know this monkey truly through tradition; his strength, form and power cannot be described.
एष आशंसते लङ्कामेको मथितुमोजसा । येन जाज्वल्यतेऽसौ वै धूमकेतुस्तवाद्य वै । लङ्कायां निहितश्चापि कथं विस्मरसे कपिम् ॥ १७ ॥
“He alone hopes to crush Lanka with might, by whom that comet is still blazing over you today, set down in Lanka; how do you forget the monkey?
यश्चैषोऽनन्तरः शूरः श्यामः पद्मनिभेक्षणः । इक्ष्वाकूणामतिरथो लोके विश्रुतपौरुषः ॥ १८ ॥
“And the hero next to him, dark, lotus-eyed, the great chariot-warrior of the Ikshvakus, of manliness famous in the world,
यस्मिन् न चलते धर्मो यो धर्मं नातिवर्तते । यो ब्राह्ममस्त्रं वेदांश्च वेद वेदविदां वरः ॥ १९ ॥
“in whom dharma does not waver, who does not overstep dharma, who knows the Brahma weapon and the Vedas, best of those who know the Vedas,
यो भिन्द्याद् गगनं बाणैर्मेदिनीं वापि दारयेत् । यस्य मृत्योरिव क्रोधः शक्रस्येव पराक्रमः ॥ २० ॥
“who could split the sky with arrows or tear the earth, whose anger is like Death’s, whose valour is like Shakra’s,
यस्य भार्या जनस्थानात् सीता चापि हृता त्वया । स एष रामस्त्वां राजन् योद्धुं समभिवर्तते ॥ २१ ॥
“whose wife Sita was carried off by you from Janasthana: that is Rama, king, coming to fight you.
यस्यैष दक्षिणे पार्श्वे शुद्धजाम्बूनदप्रभः । विशालवक्षास्ताम्राक्षो नीलकुञ्चितमूर्धजः ॥ २२ ॥
“He who stands at his right side, shining like pure gold, broad-chested, copper-eyed, with dark curling hair:
एषो हि लक्ष्मणो नाम भ्रातुः प्रियहिते रतः । नये युद्धे च कुशलः सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः ॥ २३ ॥
“this is the one named Lakshmana, devoted to his brother’s dear good, skilled in policy and war, best of all who bear weapons,
अमर्षी दुर्जयो जेता विक्रान्तश्च जयी बली । रामस्य दक्षिणो बाहुर्नित्यं प्राणो बहिश्चरः ॥ २४ ॥
“impatient, hard to conquer, conquering, valiant, victorious, mighty: Rama’s right arm, always his breath walking outside him.
नह्येष राघवस्यार्थे जीवितं परिरक्षति । एषैवाशंसते युद्धे निहन्तुं सर्वराक्षसान् ॥ २५ ॥
“He does not guard his life for Raghava’s sake; he hopes to kill all the rakshasas in battle.
यस्तु सव्यमसौ पक्षं रामस्याश्रित्य तिष्ठति । रक्षोगणपरिक्षिप्तो राजा ह्येष विभीषणः ॥ २६ ॥
“He who stands keeping to Rama’s left side, surrounded by a band of rakshasas, is King Vibhishana.
श्रीमता राजराजेन लङ्कायामभिषेचितः । त्वामसौ प्रतिसंरब्धो युद्धायैषोऽभिवर्तते ॥ २७ ॥
“Consecrated in Lanka by the glorious king of kings, he comes against you in anger to fight.
यं तु पश्यसि तिष्ठन्तं मध्ये गिरिमिवाचलम् । सर्वशाखामृगेन्द्राणां भर्तारममितौजसम् ॥ २८ ॥
“He whom you see standing in the middle, unmoving like a mountain, the master of all the lords of monkeys, of boundless energy,
तेजसा यशसा बुद्ध्या बलेनाभिजनेन च । यः कपीनतिबभ्राज हिमवानिव पर्वतः ॥ २९ ॥
“who outshines the monkeys in splendour, fame, intelligence, strength and lineage, as Himavat among mountains,
किष्किन्धां यः समध्यास्ते गुहां सगहनद्रुमाम् । दुर्गां पर्वतदुर्गम्यां प्रधानैः सह यूथपैः ॥ ३० ॥
“who lives in Kishkindha, the cave-fortress with its dense trees, hard to reach among mountains, with the chief troop leaders,
यस्यैषा काञ्चनी माला शोभते शतपुष्करा । कान्ता देवमनुष्याणां यस्यां लक्ष्मीः प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ ३१ ॥
“whose golden garland of a hundred lotuses shines, beloved of gods and men, in which Lakshmi dwells:
एतां मालां च तारां च कपिराज्यं च शाश्वतम् । सुग्रीवो वालिनं हत्वा रामेण प्रतिपादितः ॥ ३२ ॥
“this garland, and Tara, and the lasting kingdom of the monkeys, were given to Sugriva by Rama when he had killed Vali.
शतं शतसहस्राणां कोटिमाहुर्मनीषिणः । शतं कोटिसहस्राणां शङ्कुरित्यभिधीयते ॥ ३३ ॥
“A hundred hundred-thousands the wise call a koti; a hundred thousand kotis is called a shanku.
शतं शङ्कुसहस्राणां महाशङ्कुरिति स्मृतः । महाशङ्कुसहस्राणां शतं वृन्दमिहोच्यते ॥ ३४ ॥
“A hundred thousand shankus is known as a mahashanku; a hundred thousand mahashankus is here called a vrinda.
शतं वृन्दसहस्राणां महावृन्दमिति स्मृतम् । महावृन्दसहस्राणां शतं पद्ममिहोच्यते ॥ ३५ ॥
“A hundred thousand vrindas is known as a mahavrinda; a hundred thousand mahavrindas is here called a padma.
शतं पद्मसहस्राणां महापद्ममिति स्मृतम् । महापद्मसहस्राणां शतं खर्वमिहोच्यते ॥ ३६ ॥
“A hundred thousand padmas is known as a mahapadma; a hundred thousand mahapadmas is here called a kharva.
शतं खर्वसहस्राणां महाखर्वमिति स्मृतम् । महाखर्वसहस्राणां समुद्रमभिधीयते । शतं समुद्रसाहस्रमोघ इत्यभिधीयते ॥ ३७ ॥
“A hundred thousand kharvas is known as a mahakharva; a hundred thousand mahakharvas is called a samudra; a hundred thousand samudras is called an ogha.
शतमोघसहस्राणां महौघा इति विश्रुतः । एवं कोटिसहस्रेण शङ्कूनां च शतेन च । महाशङ्कुसहस्रेण तथा वृन्दशतेन च ॥ ३८ ॥
“A hundred thousand oghas is known as a mahaugha. So with a thousand kotis and a hundred shankus, with a thousand mahashankus and a hundred vrindas,
महावृन्दसहस्रेण तथा पद्मशतेन च । महापद्मसहस्रेण तथा खर्वशतेन च ॥ ३९ ॥
“with a thousand mahavrindas and a hundred padmas, with a thousand mahapadmas and a hundred kharvas,
समुद्रेण च तेनैव महौघेन तथैव च । एष कोटिमहौघेन समुद्रसदृशेन च ॥ ४० ॥
“with a samudra and likewise a mahaugha: with this koti-mahaugha, like the ocean,
विभीषणेन वीरेण सचिवैः परिवारितः । सुग्रीवो वानरेन्द्रस्त्वां युद्धार्थमनुवर्तते । महाबलवृतो नित्यं महाबलपराक्रमः ॥ ४१ ॥
“surrounded by heroic Vibhishana and his ministers, Sugriva, lord of the monkeys, comes after you to fight, always surrounded by a great army, of great strength and valour.
इमां महाराज समीक्ष्य वाहिनी- मुपस्थितां प्रज्वलितग्रहोपमाम् । ततः प्रयत्नः परमो विधीयतां यथा जयः स्यान्न परैः पराभवः ॥ ४२ ॥
“Seeing this army arrived, great king, like a blazing planet, let the greatest effort be made, so that there is victory and not defeat by the enemy.”