Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 36 of 128 · 22 verses
Ravana Rejects Malyavan; the Gates Assigned
Under the sway of Time, evil-souled Ravana cannot bear Malyavan’s good advice. Frowning, eyes rolling with anger, he answers: these harsh words, spoken as if for my good, come from someone who has gone over to the enemy; I will not hear them. How can you think Rama, a wretched man alone, relying on monkeys, abandoned by his father, a forest-dweller, is powerful, and I, lord of the rakshasas, terror of the gods, inferior? You speak harshly out of hatred of heroes, partiality for the enemy, or at someone’s instigation; what wise man speaks so to a ruler in his seat? Having brought Sita from the forest like Shri without her lotus, why should I give her back for fear of Raghava? In a few days you will see him killed, with Sugriva, Lakshmana and his crores of monkeys. Not even the gods stand against me in single combat; why should I fear battle? I would break in two before I bowed to anyone: that is my inborn fault, my nature, hard to overcome. If Rama built a bridge by chance, what is so wonderful that you should be afraid? He has crossed the ocean with his monkeys; I promise you, he will not go back alive.
Seeing Ravana angry, Malyavan, ashamed, makes no reply; he wishes the king victory and goes home with his leave. Ravana, after taking counsel, arranges Lanka’s defence: Prahasta at the eastern gate, Mahaparshva and Mahodara at the southern, his son Indrajit, the great magician, with many rakshasas at the western, Shuka and Sarana at the northern, where he himself will also go, and Virupaksha with many rakshasas in the central camp. Having arranged this, driven by Time, he thinks his work is done, dismisses his ministers with blessings of victory, and enters his rich inner palace.
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तत् तु माल्यवतो वाक्यं हितमुक्तं दशाननः । न मर्षयति दुष्टात्मा कालस्य वशमागतः ॥ १ ॥
But the ten-faced one, evil-souled, fallen under the power of Time, did not bear those beneficial words spoken by Malyavan.
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Ravana Rejects Malyavan; the Gates Assigned 1 min read.
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स बद्ध्वा भ्रुकुटिं वक्त्रे क्रोधस्य वशमागतः । अमर्षात् परिवृत्ताक्षो माल्यवन्तमथाब्रवीत् ॥ २ ॥
Knitting his brows in his face, fallen under the power of anger, his eyes rolling with indignation, he then said to Malyavan:
हितबुद्ध्या यदहितं वचः परुषमुच्यते । परपक्षं प्रविश्यैव नैतच्छ्रोत्रगतं मम ॥ ३ ॥
“Harsh, unwholesome words spoken as if from a wish for my good, by one who has gone over to the enemy’s side: these have not entered my ears.
मानुषं कृपणं राममेकं शाखामृगाश्रयम् । समर्थं मन्यसे केन त्यक्तं पित्रा वनाश्रयम् ॥ ४ ॥
“How do you think Rama, a wretched man, alone, relying on monkeys, abandoned by his father, living in the forest, is powerful?
रक्षसामीश्वरं मां च देवानां च भयंकरम् । हीनं मां मन्यसे केन अहीनं सर्वविक्रमैः ॥ ५ ॥
“And how do you think me inferior, the lord of the rakshasas, the terror of the gods, not inferior in any valour?
वीरद्वेषेण वा शङ्के पक्षपातेन वा रिपोः । त्वयाहं परुषाण्युक्तो परप्रोत्साहनेन वा ॥ ६ ॥
“I suspect you have spoken harshly to me from hatred of heroes, or from partiality for the enemy, or at the enemy’s urging.
प्रभवन्तं पदस्थं हि परुषं कोऽभिभाषते । पण्डितः शास्त्रतत्त्वज्ञो विना प्रोत्साहनेन वा ॥ ७ ॥
“For what wise man, knowing the truth of the treatises, would speak harshly to one powerful and established in his place, except at someone’s urging?
आनीय च वनात् सीतां पद्महीनामिव श्रियम् । किमर्थं प्रतिदास्यामि राघवस्य भयादहम् ॥ ८ ॥
“Having brought Sita from the forest, like Shri without her lotus, why should I give her back from fear of Raghava?
वृतं वानरकोटीभिः ससुग्रीवं सलक्ष्मणम् । पश्य कैश्चिदहोभिश्च राघवं निहतं मया ॥ ९ ॥
“In a few days, see Raghava killed by me, surrounded by crores of monkeys, with Sugriva and Lakshmana.
द्वन्द्वे यस्य न तिष्ठन्ति दैवतान्यपि संयुगे । स कस्माद् रावणो युद्धे भयमाहारयिष्यति ॥ १० ॥
“He before whom not even the gods stand in single combat in battle, Ravana: why should he feel fear in war?
द्विधा भज्येयमप्येवं न नमेयं तु कस्यचित् । एष मे सहजो दोषः स्वभावो दुरतिक्रमः ॥ ११ ॥
“I might be broken in two, but I would not bow to anyone: this is my inborn fault, a nature hard to overcome.
यदि तावत् समुद्रे तु सेतुर्बद्धो यदृच्छया । रामेण विस्मयः कोऽत्र येन ते भयमागतम् ॥ १२ ॥
“If a bridge has been built in the ocean by Rama by chance, what wonder is there in that, that fear has come upon you?
स तु तीर्त्वार्णवं रामः सह वानरसेनया । प्रतिजानामि ते सत्यं न जीवन् प्रतियास्यति ॥ १३ ॥
“That Rama, having crossed the sea with the monkey army, I promise you truly, will not go back alive.”
एवं ब्रुवाणं संरब्धं रुष्टं विज्ञाय रावणम् । व्रीडितो माल्यवान् वाक्यं नोत्तरं प्रत्यपद्यत ॥ १४ ॥
Knowing Ravana speaking so, agitated and angry, Malyavan, ashamed, made no reply.
जयाशिषा तु राजानं वर्धयित्वा यथोचितम् । माल्यवानभ्यनुज्ञातो जगाम स्वं निवेशनम् ॥ १५ ॥
Having wished the king increase with blessings of victory as was fitting, Malyavan, given leave, went to his own dwelling.
रावणस्तु सहामात्यो मन्त्रयित्वा विमृश्य च । लङ्कायास्तु तदा गुप्तिं कारयामास राक्षसः ॥ १६ ॥
And Ravana, with his ministers, having taken counsel and considered, then had the defence of Lanka arranged.
व्यादिदेश च पूर्वस्यां प्रहस्तं द्वारि राक्षसम् । दक्षिणस्यां महावीर्यौ महापार्श्वमहोदरौ ॥ १७ ॥
He assigned the rakshasa Prahasta to the eastern gate, and the very valiant Mahaparshva and Mahodara to the southern.
पश्चिमायामथ द्वारि पुत्रमिन्द्रजितं तदा । व्यादिदेश महामायं राक्षसैर्बहुभिर्वृतम् ॥ १८ ॥
Then to the western gate he assigned his son Indrajit, the great magician, surrounded by many rakshasas.
उत्तरस्यां पुरद्वारि व्यादिश्य शुकसारणौ । स्वयं चात्र गमिष्यामि मन्त्रिणस्तानुवाच ह ॥ १९ ॥
Having assigned Shuka and Sarana to the northern city gate, “I myself will go there too,” he said to those ministers.
राक्षसं तु विरूपाक्षं महावीर्यपराक्रमम् । मध्यमेऽस्थापयद् गुल्मे बहुभिः सह राक्षसैः ॥ २० ॥
And he placed the rakshasa Virupaksha, of great valour and prowess, in the central camp with many rakshasas.
एवं विधानं लङ्कायां कृत्वा राक्षसपुंगवः । कृतकृत्यमिवात्मानं मन्यते कालचोदितः ॥ २१ ॥
Having made such arrangements in Lanka, the bull among rakshasas, driven by Time, thought himself as one whose work was done.
विसर्जयामास ततः स मन्त्रिणो विधानमाज्ञाप्य पुरस्य पुष्कलम् । जयाशिषा मन्त्रिगणेन पूजितो विवेश सोऽन्तःपुरमृद्धिमन्महत् ॥ २२ ॥
Then he dismissed his ministers, having given full orders for the city; honoured by the band of ministers with blessings of victory, he entered his great, rich inner palace.