Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 37 of 128 · 37 verses
Rama’s Battle Plan
In enemy territory, the leaders gather in council: Rama and Sugriva, Hanuman, Jambavan, Vibhishana, Angada, Lakshmana, Sharabha, Sushena, Mainda, Dvivida, Gaja, Gavaksha, Kumuda, Nala and Panasa. Lanka, unconquerable even by gods and asuras, lies before them; let them decide how to succeed. Vibhishana reports what his four ministers, Anala, Panasa, Sampati and Pramati, learned by entering Lanka as birds: Prahasta holds the eastern gate with his army; Mahaparshva and Mahodara the southern; Indrajit the western, with many rakshasas armed with spears, swords, bows, tridents and hammers; Ravana himself, anxious, the northern, with thousands; Virupaksha the central camp. There are ten thousand elephants, ten thousand chariots, twenty thousand horses and over a crore of rakshasas, each fighter attended by a thousand thousand. When Ravana fought Kubera, six million rakshasas went out, all as proud as he. Do not be angry; I say this not to frighten you; you can subdue even the gods. Array your army and you will crush Ravana.
Rama gives his orders. Nila with many monkeys will face Prahasta at the eastern gate; Angada will press Mahaparshva and Mahodara at the southern; Hanuman, of boundless spirit, will force the western gate. “I myself, with Saumitri, will storm the northern gate, where Ravana is, the petty tormentor of gods, danavas and sages, proud of his boon, who roams the worlds afflicting creatures; I am resolved to kill him myself.” Sugriva, Jambavan and Vibhishana will hold the central position. The monkeys must not take human form in battle; the monkey form will be their sign of recognition. Only seven of us will fight in human form: I, my brother Lakshmana, and my friend Vibhishana with his four ministers. Then Rama, seeing the lovely slopes of Suvela, decides to climb it, and, covering the earth with his army, sets out joyfully for Lanka, his mind set on the enemy’s death.
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नरवानरराजानौ स तु वायुसुतः कपिः । जाम्बवानृक्षराजश्च राक्षसश्च विभीषणः ॥ १ ॥
The king of men and the king of monkeys, the monkey son of the Wind, Jambavan king of the bears, and the rakshasa Vibhishana,
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अङ्गदो वालिपुत्रश्च सौमित्रिः शरभः कपिः । सुषेणः सहदायादो मैन्दो द्विविद एव च ॥ २ ॥
Angada son of Vali, Saumitri, the monkey Sharabha, Sushena with his kinsmen, Mainda and Dvivida,
गजो गवाक्षः कुमुदो नलोऽथ पनसस्तथा । अमित्रविषयं प्राप्ताः समवेताः समर्थयन् ॥ ३ ॥
Gaja, Gavaksha, Kumuda, Nala and Panasa, having reached the enemy’s territory, assembled and deliberated:
इयं सा लक्ष्यते लङ्का पुरी रावणपालिता । सासुरोरगगन्धर्वैरमरैरपि दुर्जया ॥ ४ ॥
“There Lanka is seen, the city guarded by Ravana, hard to conquer even by the immortals with asuras, serpents and gandharvas.
कार्यसिद्धिं पुरस्कृत्य मन्त्रयध्वं विनिर्णये । नित्यं संनिहितो यत्र रावणो राक्षसाधिपः ॥ ५ ॥
“Putting the success of the task first, take counsel for a decision, where Ravana, king of the rakshasas, is always present.”
अथ तेषु ब्रुवाणेषु रावणावरजोऽब्रवीत् । वाक्यमग्राम्यपदवत् पुष्कलार्थं विभीषणः ॥ ६ ॥
As they were speaking, Ravana’s younger brother Vibhishana spoke words full of meaning, in refined language:
अनलः पनसश्चैव सम्पातिः प्रमतिस्तथा । गत्वा लङ्कां ममामात्याः पुरीं पुनरिहागताः ॥ ७ ॥
“Anala, Panasa, Sampati and Pramati, my ministers, went to the city of Lanka and have come back here.
भूत्वा शकुनयः सर्वे प्रविष्टाश्च रिपोर्बलम् । विधानं विहितं यच्च तद् दृष्ट्वा समुपस्थिताः ॥ ८ ॥
“Becoming birds, all of them entered the enemy’s army; having seen the arrangements that have been made, they have returned.
संविधानं यथाहुस्ते रावणस्य दुरात्मनः । राम तद् ब्रुवतः सर्वं याथातथ्येन मे शृणु ॥ ९ ॥
“Hear from me, Rama, as I tell it exactly, the arrangement of evil-souled Ravana, as they described it.
पूर्वं प्रहस्तः सबलो द्वारमासाद्य तिष्ठति । दक्षिणं च महावीर्यौ महापार्श्वमहोदरौ ॥ १० ॥
“Prahasta with his army stands at the eastern gate; and at the southern, the very valiant Mahaparshva and Mahodara.
इन्द्रजित् पश्चिमं द्वारं राक्षसैर्बहुभिर्वृतः । पट्टिशासिधनुष्मद्भिः शूलमुद्गरपाणिभिः ॥ ११ ॥
“Indrajit holds the western gate, surrounded by many rakshasas with spears, swords and bows, with tridents and hammers in their hands;
नानाप्रहरणैः शूरैरावृतो रावणात्मजः । राक्षसानां सहस्रैस्तु बहुभिः शस्त्रपाणिभिः ॥ १२ ॥
“Ravana’s son, surrounded by heroes with many kinds of weapons, by many thousands of rakshasas with weapons in their hands.
युक्तः परमसंविग्नो राक्षसैः सह मन्त्रवित् । उत्तरं नगरद्वारं रावणः स्वयमास्थितः ॥ १३ ॥
“Very anxious, with rakshasas, Ravana himself, who knows counsel, has taken his stand at the northern city gate.
विरूपाक्षस्तु महता शूलखड्गधनुष्मता । बलेन राक्षसैः सार्धं मध्यमं गुल्ममाश्रितः ॥ १४ ॥
“And Virupaksha, with a great force armed with tridents, swords and bows, together with rakshasas, holds the central camp.
एतानेवं विधान् गुल्माँल्लङ्कायां समुदीक्ष्य ते । मामका मन्त्रिणः सर्वे शीघ्रं पुनरिहागताः ॥ १५ ॥
“Having observed these camps arranged in this way in Lanka, all my ministers have quickly come back here.
गजानां दशसाहस्रं रथानामयुतं तथा । हयानामयुते द्वे च साग्रकोटिश्च रक्षसाम् ॥ १६ ॥
“Ten thousand elephants, ten thousand chariots, twenty thousand horses, and more than a crore of rakshasas:
विक्रान्ता बलवन्तश्च संयुगेष्वाततायिनः । इष्टा राक्षसराजस्य नित्यमेते निशाचराः ॥ १७ ॥
“valiant, mighty, murderous in battle, these night-wanderers are always dear to the king of the rakshasas.
एकैकस्यात्र युद्धार्थे राक्षसस्य विशाम्पते । परीवारः सहस्राणां सहस्रमुपतिष्ठते ॥ १८ ॥
“Here, lord of the people, for each rakshasa in battle a following of a thousand thousands attends.
एतां प्रवृत्तिं लङ्कायां मन्त्रिप्रोक्तां विभीषणः । एवमुक्त्वा महाबाहू राक्षसांस्तानदर्शयत् ॥ १९ ॥
Having told this news of Lanka spoken by his ministers, Vibhishana, mighty-armed, showed those rakshasas,
लङ्कायां सचिवैः सर्वं रामाय प्रत्यवेदयत् । रामं कमलपत्राक्षमिदमुत्तरमब्रवीत् ॥ २० ॥
and reported everything in Lanka through his ministers to Rama. To lotus-eyed Rama he said this further,
रावणावरजः श्रीमान् रामप्रियचिकीर्षया । कुबेरं तु यदा राम रावणः प्रतियुद्ध्यति ॥ २१ ॥
the glorious younger brother of Ravana, wishing to do what pleased Rama: “When Ravana fought against Kubera, Rama,
षष्टिः शतसहस्राणि तदा निर्यान्ति राक्षसाः । पराक्रमेण वीर्येण तेजसा सत्त्वगौरवात् । सदृशा ह्यत्र दर्पेण रावणस्य दुरात्मनः ॥ २२ ॥
“six million rakshasas went out then, like evil-souled Ravana in valour, strength, splendour, weight of courage, and in pride.
अत्र मन्युर्न कर्तव्यः कोपये त्वां न भीषये । समर्थो ह्यसि वीर्येण सुराणामपि निग्रहे ॥ २३ ॥
“Do not be angry at this; I do not provoke you or frighten you. For you are able by your valour to subdue even the gods.
तद्भवांश्चतुरङ्गेण बलेन महता वृतम् । व्यूह्येदं वानरानीकं निर्मथिष्यसि रावणम् ॥ २४ ॥
“So you, having arranged this monkey army surrounded by a great fourfold force, will crush Ravana.”
रावणावरजे वाक्यमेवं ब्रुवति राघवः । शत्रूणां प्रतिघातार्थमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ २५ ॥
As Ravana’s younger brother spoke so, Raghava spoke these words for the repulse of the enemies:
पूर्वद्वारं तु लङ्काया नीलो वानरपुङ्गवः । प्रहस्तं प्रतियोद्धा स्याद् वानरैर्बहुभिर्वृतः ॥ २६ ॥
“At the eastern gate of Lanka let Nila, bull among monkeys, surrounded by many monkeys, fight against Prahasta.
अङ्गदो वालिपुत्रस्तु बलेन महता वृतः । दक्षिणे बाधतां द्वारे महापार्श्वमहोदरौ ॥ २७ ॥
“Let Angada, son of Vali, surrounded by a great force, assail Mahaparshva and Mahodara at the southern gate.
हनूमान् पश्चिमद्वारं निष्पीड्य पवनात्मजः । प्रविशत्वप्रमेयात्मा बहुभिः कपिभिर्वृतः ॥ २८ ॥
“Let Hanuman, son of the Wind, of immeasurable spirit, surrounded by many monkeys, press the western gate and enter.
दैत्यदानवसङ्घानामृषीणां च महात्मनाम् । विप्रकारप्रियः क्षुद्रो वरदानबलान्वितः ॥ २९ ॥
“The petty one who delights in wronging the hosts of daityas and danavas and the great-souled sages, armed with the power of his boon,
परिक्रमति यः सर्वान् लोकान् संतापयन् प्रजाः । तस्याहं राक्षसेन्द्रस्य स्वयमेव वधे धृतः ॥ ३० ॥
“who goes round all the worlds tormenting creatures: I myself am resolved on the killing of that king of the rakshasas.
उत्तरं नगरद्वारमहं सौमित्रिणा सह । निपीड्याभिप्रवेक्ष्यामि सबलो यत्र रावणः ॥ ३१ ॥
“I, with Saumitri, will press the northern city gate and enter it with my army, where Ravana is.
वानरेन्द्रश्च बलवानृक्षराजश्च वीर्यवान् । राक्षसेन्द्रानुजश्चैव गुल्मे भवतु मध्यमे ॥ ३२ ॥
“And let the mighty king of the monkeys, the valiant king of the bears, and the younger brother of the king of the rakshasas be at the central camp.
न चैव मानुषं रूपं कार्यं हरिभिराहवे । एषा भवतु नः संज्ञा युद्धेऽस्मिन् वानरे बले ॥ ३३ ॥
“And let no human form be taken by the monkeys in battle; let this be our sign in this war, in the monkey army.
वानरा एव नश्चिह्नं स्वजनेऽस्मिन् भविष्यति । वयं तु मानुषेणैव सप्त योत्स्यामहे परान् ॥ ३४ ॥
“The monkey form will be our mark here among our own people; and we seven will fight the enemy in human form:
अहमेव सह भ्रात्रा लक्ष्मणेन महौजसा । आत्मना पञ्चमश्चायं सखा मम विभीषणः ॥ ३५ ॥
“I myself with my brother Lakshmana of great energy, and this friend of mine Vibhishana, the fifth with his own four.”
स रामः कृत्यसिद्ध्यर्थमेवमुक्त्वा विभीषणम् । सुवेलारोहणे बुद्धिं चकार मतिमान् प्रभुः । रमणीयतरं दृष्ट्वा सुवेलस्य गिरेस्तटम् ॥ ३६ ॥
Having said this to Vibhishana for the success of the task, wise Rama, the lord, decided to climb Suvela, seeing the very lovely slope of Mount Suvela.
ततस्तु रामो महता बलेन प्रच्छाद्य सर्वां पृथिवीं महात्मा । प्रहृष्टरूपोऽभिजगाम लङ्कां कृत्वा मतिं सोऽरिवधे महात्मा ॥ ३७ ॥
Then great-souled Rama, covering the whole earth with his great army, delighted, went toward Lanka, having resolved on the killing of the enemy.