Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 3 of 128 · 33 verses
The Defences of Lanka
Rama accepts Sugriva’s advice and says he can cross the ocean by austerity, by a bridge, or by drying it up. Then he asks Hanuman to describe Lanka’s defences as if he could see them: its forts, the size of its army, its gates and fortifications, its guard posts and the rakshasas’ houses.
Hanuman describes the city in detail. Lanka is joyful, crowded with rutting elephants and chariots. It has four great gates with strong doors and huge bars, armed with powerful machines for hurling arrows and stones, and hundreds of iron shataghnis (“hundred-killers”). Its great golden wall, inlaid with gems, coral, lapis and pearls, is circled by deep moats full of cold water, crocodiles and fish, crossed at the gates by four long drawbridges with machines that tip attackers into the moat; one bridge, fixed and immensely strong, is adorned with golden pillars. Ravana himself is vigilant, ready for battle, inspecting his forces. Lanka is a fortress without support from outside, defended by river, mountain, forest and artificial works, on a peak beyond a distant ocean where no ship can sail. Ten thousand rakshasas with spears guard the east gate, a hundred thousand with a fourfold army the south, a million with shields and swords the west, ten million chariot-fighters and cavalry the north; and hundreds of thousands, with a hundred million more, hold the centre.
But, Hanuman adds, he has broken the drawbridges, filled in the moats, burned the city, shaken the walls and destroyed part of the army. Whichever way they cross the ocean, consider Lanka destroyed. Angada, Dvivida, Mainda, Jambavan, Panasa, Nala and the commander Nila are enough to break the city with its mountains, woods, moats, gates and walls and bring it to Rama. Let him order the whole army assembled and set out at a favourable hour.
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सुग्रीवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा हेतुमत् परमार्थवत् । प्रतिजग्राह काकुत्स्थो हनूमन्तमथाब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Hearing Sugriva’s words, reasoned and full of the highest sense, Kakutstha accepted them and then said to Hanuman:
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The Defences of Lanka 1 min read.
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तपसा सेतुबन्धेन सागरोच्छोषणेन च । सर्वथापि समर्थोऽस्मि सागरस्यास्य लङ्घने ॥ २ ॥
“By austerity, by building a bridge, or by drying up the ocean: in every way I am able to cross this ocean.
कति दुर्गाणि दुर्गाया लङ्कायास्तद् ब्रवीष्व मे । ज्ञातुमिच्छामि तत् सर्वं दर्शनादिव वानर ॥ ३ ॥
“How many forts does fortified Lanka have? Tell me that. I want to know all of it as if I were seeing it, monkey.
बलस्य परिमाणं च द्वारदुर्गक्रियामपि । गुप्तिकर्म च लङ्काया रक्षसां सदनानि च ॥ ४ ॥
“The size of the army, the fortifications of the gates, the arrangements for guarding Lanka, and the rakshasas’ houses:
यथासुखं यथावच्च लङ्कायामसि दृष्टवान् । सर्वमाचक्ष्व तत्त्वेन सर्वथा कुशलो ह्यसि ॥ ५ ॥
“as you saw them in Lanka, at your ease and accurately, tell me everything truly, for you are skilled in every way.”
श्रुत्वा रामस्य वचनं हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः । वाक्यं वाक्यविदां श्रेष्ठो रामं पुनरथाब्रवीत् ॥ ६ ॥
Hearing Rama’s words, Hanuman, son of the Wind, best of speakers, said to Rama again:
श्रूयतां सर्वमाख्यास्ये दुर्गकर्म विधानतः । गुप्ता पुरी यथा लङ्का रक्षिता च यथा बलैः ॥ ७ ॥
“Listen; I will tell you everything, the fortifications in detail, how the city of Lanka is protected and how it is guarded by its forces,
राक्षसाश्च यथा स्निग्धा रावणस्य च तेजसा । परां समृद्धिं लङ्कायाः सागरस्य च भीमताम् ॥ ८ ॥
“how loyal the rakshasas are, through Ravana’s power, the great prosperity of Lanka and the terror of the ocean,
विभागं च बलौघस्य निर्देशं वाहनस्य च । एवमुक्त्वा कपिश्रेष्ठः कथयामास तत्त्वतः ॥ ९ ॥
“the divisions of its mass of troops and the arrangement of its mounts.” Having said this, the best of monkeys described it truly:
हृष्टप्रमुदिता लङ्का मत्तद्विपसमाकुला । महती रथसम्पूर्णा रक्षोगणनिषेविता ॥ १० ॥
“Lanka is joyful and glad, crowded with rutting elephants, great, full of chariots, frequented by hosts of rakshasas.
दृढबद्धकपाटानि महापरिघवन्ति च । चत्वारि विपुलान्यस्या द्वाराणि सुमहान्ति च ॥ ११ ॥
“It has four wide, very great gates, with doors firmly fastened and great bars.
तत्रेषूपलयन्त्राणि बलवन्ति महान्ति च । आगतं प्रतिसैन्यं तैस्तत्र प्रतिनिवार्यते ॥ १२ ॥
“There are powerful, great machines for arrows and stones; with them an approaching enemy army is driven back there.
द्वारेषु संस्कृता भीमाः कालायसमयाः शिताः । शतशो रचिता वीरैः शतघ्न्यो रक्षसां गणैः ॥ १३ ॥
“At the gates hundreds of terrible, sharp shataghnis of black iron have been fashioned and set up by heroic bands of rakshasas.
सौवर्णस्तु महांस्तस्याः प्राकारो दुष्प्रधर्षणः । मणिविद्रुमवैदूर्यमुक्ताविरचितान्तरः ॥ १४ ॥
“Its great golden wall is hard to assail, its spaces inlaid with gems, coral, lapis and pearls.
सर्वतश्च महाभीमाः शीततोया महाशुभाः । अगाधा ग्राहवत्यश्च परिखा मीनसेविताः ॥ १५ ॥
“All round are very terrible moats of cold water, very fine, bottomless, full of crocodiles, inhabited by fish.
द्वारेषु तासां चत्वारः संक्रमाः परमायताः । यन्त्रैरुपेता बहुभिर्महद्भिर्गृहपङ्क्तिभिः ॥ १६ ॥
“At the gates of those moats are four very long drawbridges, fitted with many machines and great rows of houses.
त्रायन्ते संक्रमास्तत्र परसैन्यागते सति । यन्त्रैस्तैरवकीर्यन्ते परिखासु समन्ततः ॥ १७ ॥
“The drawbridges there protect it when an enemy army comes; with those machines the attackers are thrown into the moats all round.
एकस्त्वकम्प्यो बलवान् संक्रमः सुमहादृढः । काञ्चनैर्बहुभिः स्तम्भैर्वेदिकाभिश्च शोभितः ॥ १८ ॥
“One bridge, unshakeable, strong, very firm, is adorned with many golden pillars and platforms.
स्वयं प्रकृतिमापन्नो युयुत्सू राम रावणः । उत्थितश्चाप्रमत्तश्च बलानामनुदर्शने ॥ १९ ॥
“Ravana himself, Rama, eager to fight, is in his normal state, alert and vigilant in reviewing his forces.
लङ्का पुनर्निरालम्बा देवदुर्गा भयावहा । नादेयं पार्वतं वान्यं कृत्रिमं च चतुर्विधम् ॥ २० ॥
“And Lanka has no outside support; it is a fortress fit for gods, terrifying, with fourfold defences: river, mountain, forest and artificial works.
स्थिता पारे समुद्रस्य दूरपारस्य राघव । नौपथश्चापि नास्त्यत्र निरुद्देशश्च सर्वतः ॥ २१ ॥
“It stands on the far shore of an ocean whose shore is distant, Raghava; and there is no route for ships here, and no landmark anywhere.
शैलाग्रे रचिता दुर्गा सा पूर्देवपुरोपमा । वाजिवारणसम्पूर्णा लङ्का परमदुर्जया ॥ २२ ॥
“Built on a mountain top, that fortress city is like a city of the gods; full of horses and elephants, Lanka is supremely hard to conquer.
परिखाश्च शतघ्न्यश्च यन्त्राणि विविधानि च । शोभयन्ति पुरीं लङ्कां रावणस्य दुरात्मनः ॥ २३ ॥
“Moats and shataghnis and machines of many kinds adorn the city of Lanka of the evil-souled Ravana.
अयुतं रक्षसामत्र पूर्वद्वारं समाश्रितम् । शूलहस्ता दुराधर्षाः सर्वे खड्गाग्रयोधिनः ॥ २४ ॥
“Ten thousand rakshasas hold the eastern gate here, with spears in hand, hard to assail, all fighting with the sword’s point.
नियुतं रक्षसामत्र दक्षिणद्वारमाश्रितम् । चतुरङ्गेण सैन्येन योधास्तत्राप्यनुत्तमाः ॥ २५ ॥
“A hundred thousand rakshasas hold the southern gate here, with an army of four divisions; the warriors there too are unsurpassed.
प्रयुतं रक्षसामत्र पश्चिमद्वारमाश्रितम् । चर्मखड्गधराः सर्वे तथा सर्वास्त्रकोविदाः ॥ २६ ॥
“A million rakshasas hold the western gate here, all bearing shields and swords, and skilled in all weapons.
न्यर्बुदं रक्षसामत्र उत्तरद्वारमाश्रितम् । रथिनश्चाश्ववाहाश्च कुलपुत्राः सुपूजिताः ॥ २७ ॥
“Ten million rakshasas hold the northern gate here, chariot-fighters and horsemen, sons of good families, well honoured.
शतशोऽथ सहस्राणि मध्यमं स्कन्धमाश्रिताः । यातुधाना दुराधर्षाः साग्रकोटिश्च रक्षसाम् ॥ २८ ॥
“Hundreds and thousands of yatudhanas, hard to assail, hold the central camp, and a hundred million rakshasas besides.
ते मया संक्रमा भग्नाः परिखाश्चावपूरिताः । दग्धा च नगरी लङ्का प्राकाराश्चावसादिताः । बलैकदेशः क्षपितो राक्षसानां महात्मनाम् ॥ २९ ॥
“But I have broken those drawbridges and filled in the moats, burned the city of Lanka and shaken its walls; a part of the army of the great rakshasas has been destroyed.
येन केन तु मार्गेण तराम वरुणालयम् । हतेति नगरी लङ्का वानरैरुपधार्यताम् ॥ ३० ॥
“By whatever way we cross Varuna’s home, let Lanka be considered destroyed by the monkeys.
अङ्गदो द्विविदो मैन्दो जाम्बवान् पनसो नलः । नीलः सेनापतिश्चैव बलशेषेण किं तव ॥ ३१ ॥
“Angada, Dvivida, Mainda, Jambavan, Panasa, Nala, and the commander Nila: what need have you of the rest of the army?
प्लवमाना हि गत्वा त्वां रावणस्य महापुरीम् । सपर्वतवनां भित्त्वा सखातां च सतोरणाम् । सप्राकारां सभवनामानयिष्यन्ति राघव ॥ ३२ ॥
“Leaping, going to Ravana’s great city, they will break it with its mountains and woods, its moat, gates, walls and houses, and bring it to you, Raghava.
एवमाज्ञापय क्षिप्रं बलानां सर्वसंग्रहम् । मुहूर्तेन तु युक्तेन प्रस्थानमभिरोचय ॥ ३३ ॥
“So order quickly the full mustering of all the forces, and choose to set out at a suitable hour.”