Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 30 of 128 · 35 verses
Shardula’s Report
The spies report that Raghava is camped on Mount Suvela with an unshakeable army. Ravana, uneasy, asks Shardula why he looks so pale and wretched; has he fallen into the enemy’s hands? Shaking with fear, Shardula answers softly: those monkeys cannot be spied on; they are valiant, strong and protected by Raghava, and they cannot be talked to. Every path is guarded by monkeys like mountains. As soon as he entered he was recognised, seized and examined, beaten with knees, fists, teeth and palms, and paraded through the army to Rama’s court, bleeding and dazed; begging with joined palms, he was saved by Raghava, who said “No, no.” Rama has filled the ocean with rocks, stands armed at Lanka’s gate in the Garuda formation, and is advancing. Before he reaches the walls, give Sita back or give battle.
Ravana repeats that he will never give back Sita, though gods, gandharvas and danavas fight him, and asks who the heroes are, what their power, whose sons and grandsons. Shardula tells him: Sugriva, son of Riksharajas, unconquerable in battle; Jambavan, son of Gadgada; another son of Gadgada, son of Indra’s guru, whose son alone slaughtered many rakshasas; righteous Sushena, son of Dharma; gentle Dadhimukha, son of Soma; Sumukha, Durmukha and Vegadarshi, Death in monkey form created by Brahma; Nila the commander, son of Fire; Hanuman, son of the Wind; young Angada, Indra’s grandson; Mainda and Dvivida, sons of the Ashvins; the five sons of Vaivasvata, Gaja, Gavaksha, Gavaya, Sharabha and Gandhamadana, like Death; and ten crores of heroic sons of the gods. There is Rama, young, with a lion’s frame, who killed Dushana, Khara, Trishiras, Viradha and Kabandha and all of Janasthana, whose virtues no man on earth can tell; Lakshmana, like a bull among elephants, in the path of whose arrows not even Indra could live; Shveta and Jyotirmukha, sons of the Sun; Hemakuta, son of Varuna; Nala, son of Vishvakarman; Durdhara, son of the Vasus; and your brother Vibhishana, who has accepted the city of Lanka and is devoted to Raghava’s good. That is the whole monkey army camped on Suvela; the rest is up to you.
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ततस्तमक्षोभ्यबलं लङ्काधिपतये चराः । सुवेले राघवं शैले निविष्टं प्रत्यवेदयन् ॥ १ ॥
Then the spies reported to the lord of Lanka that Raghava, with his unshakeable army, was camped on Mount Suvela.
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Shardula’s Report 1 min read.
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चाराणां रावणः श्रुत्वा प्राप्तं रामं महाबलम् । जातोद्वेगोऽभवत् किंचिच्छार्दूलं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ २ ॥
Hearing from the spies that mighty Rama had arrived, Ravana, somewhat alarmed, said to Shardula:
अयथावच्च ते वर्णो दीनश्चासि निशाचर । नासि कच्चिदमित्राणां क्रुद्धानां वशमागतः ॥ ३ ॥
“Your colour is not as it should be, and you look wretched, night-wanderer. I hope you have not fallen into the power of angry enemies?”
इति तेनानुशिष्टस्तु वाचं मन्दमुदीरयन् । तदा राक्षसशार्दूलं शार्दूलो भयविक्लवः ॥ ४ ॥
Questioned so by him, Shardula, shaken with fear, speaking softly, then said to the tiger among rakshasas:
न ते चारयितुं शक्या राजन् वानरपुङ्गवाः । विक्रान्ता बलवन्तश्च राघवेण च रक्षिताः ॥ ५ ॥
“Those bulls among monkeys cannot be spied on, king; they are valiant and mighty, and protected by Raghava.
नापि सम्भाषितुं शक्याः सम्प्रश्नोऽत्र न लभ्यते । सर्वतो रक्ष्यते पन्था वानरैः पर्वतोपमैः ॥ ६ ॥
“They cannot be talked to either; no questioning is possible there. The road is guarded on every side by monkeys like mountains.
प्रविष्टमात्रे ज्ञातोऽहं बले तस्मिन् विचारिते । बलाद् गृहीतो रक्षोभिर्बहुधास्मि विचारितः ॥ ७ ॥
“As soon as I entered that army, while I was looking it over, I was recognised, seized by force by rakshasas and examined in many ways.
जानुभिर्मुष्टिभिर्दन्तैस्तलैश्चाभिहतो भृशम् । परिणीतोऽस्मि हरिभिर्बलमध्ये अमर्षणैः ॥ ८ ॥
“Badly beaten with knees, fists, teeth and palms, I was paraded by the furious monkeys through the middle of the army.
परिणीय च सर्वत्र नीतोऽहं रामसंसदि । रुधिरस्राविदीनाङ्गो विह्वलश्चलितेन्द्रियः ॥ ९ ॥
“Having been led about everywhere, I was brought to Rama’s assembly, my limbs pitiful and streaming blood, overwhelmed, my senses reeling.
हरिभिर्वध्यमानश्च याचमानः कृताञ्जलिः । राघवेण परित्रातो मा मेति च यदृच्छया ॥ १० ॥
“Being beaten by the monkeys and begging with joined palms, I was rescued by Raghava, who said ‘No, no,’ by chance.
एष शैलशिलाभिस्तु पूरयित्वा महार्णवम् । द्वारमाश्रित्य लङ्काया रामस्तिष्ठति सायुधः ॥ ११ ॥
“Having filled the great ocean with mountain rocks, Rama stands armed, having reached the gate of Lanka.
गरुडव्यूहमास्थाय सर्वतो हरिभिर्वृतः । मां विसृज्य महातेजा लङ्कामेवातिवर्तते ॥ १२ ॥
“Taking up the Garuda formation, surrounded by monkeys on every side, having let me go, the radiant one is advancing on Lanka.
पुरा प्राकारमायाति क्षिप्रमेकतरं कुरु । सीतां वापि प्रयच्छाशु युद्धं वापि प्रदीयताम् ॥ १३ ॥
“Before he reaches the wall, do one of two things quickly: give back Sita at once, or let battle be given.”
मनसा तत् तदा प्रेक्ष्य तच्छ्रुत्वा राक्षसाधिपः । शार्दूलं सुमहद्वाक्यमथोवाच स रावणः ॥ १४ ॥
Considering that in his mind then and hearing it, the lord of the rakshasas, Ravana, said these great words to Shardula:
यदि मां प्रतियुध्यन्ते देवगन्धर्वदानवाः । नैव सीतां प्रदास्यामि सर्वलोकभयादपि ॥ १५ ॥
“Even if gods, gandharvas and danavas fight against me, I will not give up Sita, even for fear of all the worlds.”
एवमुक्त्वा महातेजा रावणः पुनरब्रवीत् । चरिता भवता सेना केऽत्र शूराः प्लवंगमाः ॥ १६ ॥
Having said this, radiant Ravana spoke again: “You have spied out the army: which leapers here are heroes?
किंप्रभाः कीदृशाः सौम्य वानरा ये दुरासदाः । कस्य पुत्राश्च पौत्राश्च तत्त्वमाख्याहि राक्षस ॥ १७ ॥
“Of what splendour, of what kind, gentle one, are the monkeys who are hard to approach? Whose sons and grandsons are they? Tell me truly, rakshasa.
तथात्र प्रतिपत्स्यामि ज्ञात्वा तेषां बलाबलम् । अवश्यं खलु संख्यानं कर्तव्यं युद्धमिच्छता ॥ १८ ॥
“Then I will act accordingly, knowing their strength and weakness; for whoever wishes to fight must certainly take a count.”
अथैवमुक्तः शार्दूलो रावणेनोत्तमश्चरः । इदं वचनमारेभे वक्तुं रावणसंनिधौ ॥ १९ ॥
Spoken to so by Ravana, Shardula, the best of spies, began to speak these words in Ravana’s presence:
अथर्क्षरजसः पुत्रो युधि राजन् सुदुर्जयः । गद्गदस्याथ पुत्रोऽत्र जाम्बवानिति विश्रुतः ॥ २० ॥
“Here, king, is the son of Riksharajas, very hard to conquer in battle; and here the son of Gadgada, famous as Jambavan.
गद्गदस्याथ पुत्रोऽन्यो गुरुपुत्रः शतक्रतोः । कदनं यस्य पुत्रेण कृतमेकेन रक्षसाम् ॥ २१ ॥
“And another son of Gadgada, son of Shatakratu’s guru, by whose son alone a slaughter of rakshasas was made.
सुषेणश्चात्र धर्मात्मा पुत्रो धर्मस्य वीर्यवान् । सौम्यः सोमात्मजश्चात्र राजन् दधिमुखः कपिः ॥ २२ ॥
“Here is righteous Sushena, the valiant son of Dharma; and here, king, gentle Dadhimukha, the monkey, son of Soma.
सुमुखो दुर्मुखश्चात्र वेगदर्शी च वानरः । मृत्युर्वानररूपेण नूनं सृष्टः स्वयंभुवा ॥ २३ ॥
“Here Sumukha, Durmukha and the monkey Vegadarshi: surely Death created by the Self-born in the form of monkeys.
पुत्रो हुतवहस्यात्र नीलः सेनापतिः स्वयम् । अनिलस्य तु पुत्रोऽत्र हनूमानिति विश्रुतः ॥ २४ ॥
“Here is the son of the Fire, Nila, the commander himself; and here the son of the Wind, famous as Hanuman.
नप्ता शक्रस्य दुर्धर्षो बलवानङ्गदो युवा । मैन्दश्च द्विविदश्चोभौ बलिनावश्विसम्भवौ ॥ २५ ॥
“Indra’s grandson, unassailable, mighty young Angada; and Mainda and Dvivida, both mighty, born of the Ashvins.
पुत्रा वैवस्वतस्याथ पञ्च कालान्तकोपमाः । गजो गवाक्षो गवयः शरभो गन्धमादनः ॥ २६ ॥
“Then the five sons of Vaivasvata, like Death the ender: Gaja, Gavaksha, Gavaya, Sharabha and Gandhamadana.
दश वानरकोट्यश्च शूराणां युद्धकाङ्क्षिणाम् । श्रीमतां देवपुत्राणां शेषं नाख्यातुमुत्सहे ॥ २७ ॥
“And ten crores of monkeys, heroes eager for battle, glorious sons of the gods; the rest I cannot bring myself to tell.
पुत्रो दशरथस्यैष सिंहसंहननो युवा । दूषणो निहतो येन खरश्च त्रिशिरास्तथा ॥ २८ ॥
“This son of Dasharatha, young, with a lion’s frame, by whom Dushana was killed, and Khara and Trishiras:
नास्ति रामस्य सदृशे विक्रमे भुवि कश्चन । विराधो निहतो येन कबन्धश्चान्तकोपमः ॥ २९ ॥
“there is no one on earth equal to Rama in valour, by whom Viradha was killed, and Kabandha, like Death.
वक्तुं न शक्तो रामस्य गुणान् कश्चिन्नरः क्षितौ । जनस्थानगता येन तावन्तो राक्षसा हताः ॥ ३० ॥
“No man on earth can tell the virtues of Rama, by whom all the rakshasas who had gone to Janasthana were killed.
लक्ष्मणश्चात्र धर्मात्मा मातंगानामिवर्षभः । यस्य बाणपथं प्राप्य न जीवेदपि वासवः ॥ ३१ ॥
“And here is righteous Lakshmana, like a bull among elephants, coming into the path of whose arrows not even Vasava would live.
श्वेतो ज्योतिर्मुखश्चात्र भास्करस्यात्मसम्भवौ । वरुणस्याथ पुत्रोऽथ हेमकूटः प्लवंगमः ॥ ३२ ॥
“Here are Shveta and Jyotirmukha, born of the Sun; and the son of Varuna, the leaper Hemakuta.
विश्वकर्मसुतो वीरो नलः प्लवगसत्तमः । विक्रान्तो वेगवानत्र वसुपुत्रः स दुर्धरः ॥ ३३ ॥
“The heroic son of Vishvakarman, Nala, best of leapers; and the valiant, swift son of the Vasus, that Durdhara.
राक्षसानां वरिष्ठश्च तव भ्राता विभीषणः । प्रतिगृह्य पुरीं लङ्कां राघवस्य हिते रतः ॥ ३४ ॥
“And your brother Vibhishana, best of rakshasas, having accepted the city of Lanka, is devoted to Raghava’s good.
इति सर्वं समाख्यातं तथा वै वानरं बलम् । सुवेलेऽधिष्ठितं शैले शेषकार्ये भवान् गतिः ॥ ३५ ॥
“So the whole monkey army has been described, stationed on Mount Suvela. In the remaining task, you are the way.”