Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 72 of 128 · 19 verses
Ravana Orders the City Guarded
Hearing that Lakshmana has killed Atikaya, Ravana is filled with anxiety. Dhumraksha, Akampana, Prahasta and Kumbhakarna, mighty heroes eager for battle, conquerors of enemy armies, never defeated, have been killed with their armies by Rama, along with many other great warriors. The two brothers were bound by my son Indrajit, of famous strength, with terrible boon-given arrows, a bond no gods, asuras, yakshas, gandharvas or serpents could loosen; yet somehow, by power, magic or delusion, they were freed. All the warriors I sent out have been killed by the mighty monkeys; I see no one who can kill Rama with Lakshmana, Sugriva and Vibhishana. How strong Rama is, how great the power of his weapons! I think this hero Raghava is Narayana himself, untouched by harm. In fear of him Lanka’s gates are shut. Guard the city everywhere and the Ashoka grove where Sita is kept; watch every coming and going; stand at your posts with your forces; track the monkeys’ movements at dusk, midnight and dawn; never despise them. The rakshasas obey; Ravana, carrying the dart of grief, goes into his palace, burning with anger and sighing again and again over the loss of his sons.
Press › to begin with verse 1.
अतिकायं हतं श्रुत्वा लक्ष्मणेन महात्मना । उद्वेगमगमद् राजा वचनं चेदमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Hearing that Atikaya had been killed by great-souled Lakshmana, the king became anxious and said this:
Commentary on the whole sarga
Ravana Orders the City Guarded 1 min read.
Read the commentary
धूम्राक्षः परमामर्षी सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः । अकम्पनः प्रहस्तश्च कुम्भकर्णस्तथैव च ॥ २ ॥
“Dhumraksha, in the height of indignation, best of all bearers of weapons, Akampana, Prahasta, and likewise Kumbhakarna:
एते महाबला वीरा राक्षसा युद्धकाङ्क्षिणः । जेतारः परसैन्यानां परैर्नित्यापराजिताः ॥ ३ ॥
“these mighty heroic rakshasas, eager for battle, conquerors of enemy armies, always unconquered by enemies,
ससैन्यास्ते हता वीरा रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा । राक्षसाः सुमहाकाया नानाशस्त्रविशारदाः ॥ ४ ॥
“those heroes have been killed with their armies by Rama of untiring deeds, those very huge rakshasas skilled in many weapons.
अन्ये च बहवः शूरा महात्मानो निपातिताः । प्रख्यातबलवीर्येण पुत्रेणेन्द्रजिता मम ॥ ५ ॥
“And many other great-souled heroes have been struck down. By my son Indrajit, of famous strength and valour,
तौ भ्रातरौ तदा बद्धौ घोरैर्दत्तवरैः शरैः । यन्न शक्यं सुरैः सर्वैरसुरैर्वा महाबलैः ॥ ६ ॥
“those two brothers were then bound with terrible, boon-given arrows, which none of the gods could, nor the mighty asuras,
मोक्तुं तद्बन्धनं घोरं यक्षगन्धर्वपन्नगैः । तन्न जाने प्रभावैर्वा मायया मोहनेन वा ॥ ७ ॥
“nor yakshas, gandharvas or serpents, loosen, that terrible bond. I do not know whether by powers, or by magic, or by delusion,
शरबन्धाद् विमुक्तौ तौ भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ । ये योधा निर्गताः शूरा राक्षसा मम शासनात् ॥ ८ ॥
“those two brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, were freed from the bond of arrows. The heroic rakshasa warriors who went out at my command,
ते सर्वे निहता युद्धे वानरैः सुमहाबलैः । तं न पश्याम्यहं युद्धे योऽद्य रामं सलक्ष्मणम् ॥ ९ ॥
“all of them have been killed in battle by the very mighty monkeys. I see no one in battle who today could destroy Rama with Lakshmana,
नाशयेत् सबलं वीरं ससुग्रीवं विभीषणम् । अहो सुबलवान् रामो महदस्त्रबलं च वै ॥ १० ॥
“the hero, with his army, with Sugriva and Vibhishana. Ah, how very mighty Rama is, and how great the power of his weapons!
यस्य विक्रममासाद्य राक्षसा निधनं गताः । तं मन्ये राघवं वीरं नारायणमनामयम् ॥ ११ ॥
“Having come up against his valour the rakshasas have gone to their death. I think that hero Raghava is Narayana, free from harm.
तद्भयाद्धि पुरी लङ्का पिहितद्वारतोरणा । अप्रमत्तैश्च सर्वत्र गुल्मे रक्ष्या पुरी त्वियम् ॥ १२ ॥
“For fear of him the city of Lanka has its gates and arches shut. Let this city be guarded everywhere, at its posts, by the vigilant,
अशोकवनिका चैव यत्र सीताभिरक्ष्यते । निष्क्रमो वा प्रवेशो वा ज्ञातव्यः सर्वदैव नः ॥ १३ ॥
“and the Ashoka grove, where Sita is guarded; every going out or coming in must always be known to us.
यत्र यत्र भवेद् गुल्मस्तत्र तत्र पुनः पुनः । सर्वतश्चापि तिष्ठध्वं स्वैः स्वैः परिवृता बलैः ॥ १४ ॥
“Wherever there is a post, stand there again and again, and on every side, surrounded each by his own forces.
द्रष्टव्यं च पदं तेषां वानराणां निशाचराः । प्रदोषे वार्धरात्रे वा प्रत्यूषे वापि सर्वशः ॥ १५ ॥
“And the movements of those monkeys must be watched, night-wanderers, at dusk, at midnight, or at dawn, everywhere.
नावज्ञा तत्र कर्तव्या वानरेषु कदाचन । द्विषतां बलमुद्युक्तमापतत् किं स्थितं यथा ॥ १६ ॥
“No contempt must ever be shown there for the monkeys: watch whether the enemies’ forces are moving, attacking, or standing as they are.”
ततस्ते राक्षसाः सर्वे श्रुत्वा लङ्काधिपस्य तत् । वचनं सर्वमातिष्ठन् यथावत् तु महाबलाः ॥ १७ ॥
Then all those mighty rakshasas, hearing those words of the lord of Lanka, carried them all out exactly.
तान् सर्वान् हि समादिश्य रावणो राक्षसाधिपः । मन्युशल्यं वहन् दीनः प्रविवेश स्वमालयम् ॥ १८ ॥
Having ordered all of them, Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, carrying the dart of grief and anger, wretched, entered his own dwelling.
ततः स संदीपितकोपवह्नि- र्निशाचराणामधिपो महाबलः । तदेव पुत्रव्यसनं विचिन्तयन् मुहुर्मुहुश्चैव तदा विनिःश्वसन् ॥ १९ ॥
Then the mighty lord of the night-wanderers, the fire of his anger kindled, thinking of that same calamity of his sons, sighed again and again then.