Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 8 of 128 · 24 verses
The Generals’ Boasts
One after another, Ravana’s commanders boast. Prahasta, the commander-in-chief, dark as a rain cloud, says that gods, danavas and gandharvas can all be beaten, let alone two men; they were caught off guard by Hanuman, but he will clear the earth of monkeys to the ocean’s edge if ordered. Durmukha says the insult to the city and the inner palace cannot be borne; he alone will go now and turn back the monkeys wherever they hide. Vajradamshtra, gripping an iron bar smeared with flesh and blood, scorns the poor monkey Hanuman and vows to kill Rama, Sugriva and Lakshmana himself.
He adds a stratagem: let thousands of shape-shifting rakshasas take human form, go to Rama calmly, and say Bharata has sent them ahead of his army; then, when the rest arrive, they will rise into the sky in troops and destroy the monkey army with rains of stones and weapons. Kumbhakarna’s son Nikumbha says the others may sit with the king; he alone will kill Rama, Lakshmana, Sugriva, Hanuman and all the monkeys. Vajrahanu, huge as a mountain, licking his lips, says let them all enjoy themselves at ease and drink wine; he alone will eat the whole monkey army.
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ततो नीलाम्बुदप्रख्यः प्रहस्तो नाम राक्षसः । अब्रवीत् प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यं शूरः सेनापतिस्तदा ॥ १ ॥
Then a rakshasa named Prahasta, like a dark rain cloud, a hero, the commander of the army, spoke with joined palms:
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देवदानवगन्धर्वाः पिशाचपतगोरगाः । सर्वे धर्षयितुं शक्याः किं पुनर्मानवौ रणे ॥ २ ॥
“Gods, danavas and gandharvas, pishachas, birds and serpents can all be overcome; how much more two men in battle!
सर्वे प्रमत्ता विश्वस्ता वञ्चिताः स्म हनूमता । नहि मे जीवतो गच्छेज्जीवन् स वनगोचरः ॥ ३ ॥
“We were all off guard and trusting; we were tricked by Hanuman. That forest-roamer would not have gone away alive while I lived.
सर्वां सागरपर्यन्तां सशैलवनकाननाम् । करोम्यवानरां भूमिमाज्ञापयतु मां भवान् ॥ ४ ॥
“I will make the whole earth to the ocean’s edge, with its mountains, woods and groves, empty of monkeys. Let your majesty command me.
रक्षां चैव विधास्यामि वानराद् रजनीचर । नागमिष्यति ते दुःखं किंचिदात्मापराधजम् ॥ ५ ॥
“And I will arrange protection against the monkey, night-wanderer. No sorrow will come to you that arises from your own fault.”
अब्रवीत् तु सुसंक्रुद्धो दुर्मुखो नाम राक्षसः । इदं न क्षमणीयं हि सर्वेषां नः प्रधर्षणम् ॥ ६ ॥
And a rakshasa named Durmukha, very angry, said: “This assault on us all is not to be forgiven.
अयं परिभवो भूयः पुरस्यान्तःपुरस्य च । श्रीमतो राक्षसेन्द्रस्य वानरेण प्रधर्षणम् ॥ ७ ॥
“This is a further humiliation of the city and the inner palace: the violation by a monkey of the glorious king of the rakshasas.
अस्मिन् मुहूर्ते गत्वैको निवर्तिष्यामि वानरान् । प्रविष्टान् सागरं भीममम्बरं वा रसातलम् ॥ ८ ॥
“This very moment I will go alone and turn back the monkeys, even if they have gone into the terrible ocean, the sky or the underworld.”
ततोऽब्रवीत् सुसंक्रुद्धो वज्रदंष्ट्रो महाबलः । प्रगृह्य परिघं घोरं मांसशोणितरूषितम् ॥ ९ ॥
Then mighty Vajradamshtra, very angry, gripping a terrible iron bar smeared with flesh and blood, said:
किं नो हनूमता कार्यं कृपणेन तपस्विना । रामे तिष्ठति दुर्धर्षे सुग्रीवेऽपि सलक्ष्मणे ॥ १० ॥
“What have we to do with Hanuman, a poor wretch, while unassailable Rama stands there, and Sugriva with Lakshmana?
अद्य रामं ससुग्रीवं परिघेण सलक्ष्मणम् । आगमिष्यामि हत्वैको विक्षोभ्य हरिवाहिनीम् ॥ ११ ॥
“Today I alone will kill Rama with Sugriva and Lakshmana with my iron bar, throw the monkey army into confusion, and come back.
इदं ममापरं वाक्यं शृणु राजन् यदिच्छसि । उपायकुशलो ह्येव जयेच्छत्रूनतन्द्रितः ॥ १२ ॥
“Hear also this other word of mine, king, if you wish it: one skilled in stratagems, unwearied, may conquer his enemies.
कामरूपधराः शूराः सुभीमा भीमदर्शनाः । राक्षसा वा सहस्राणि राक्षसाधिप निश्चिताः ॥ १३ ॥
“Let thousands of rakshasas who take any form at will, brave, very terrible, fearful to look at, resolved, lord of the rakshasas,
काकुत्स्थमुपसंगम्य बिभ्रतो मानुषं वपुः । सर्वे ह्यसम्भ्रमा भूत्वा ब्रुवन्तु रघुसत्तमम् ॥ १४ ॥
“go to Kakutstha in human bodies, and all, quite unflustered, say to the best of the Raghus:
प्रेषिता भरतेनैव भ्रात्रा तव यवीयसा । स हि सेनां समुत्थाप्य क्षिप्रमेवोपयास्यति ॥ १५ ॥
“’We have been sent by your younger brother Bharata himself; he has raised an army and will be here very soon.’
ततो वयमितस्तूर्णं शूलशक्तिगदाधराः । चापबाणासिहस्ताश्च त्वरितास्तत्र यामहे ॥ १६ ॥
“Then we will go quickly from here, holding spears, lances and maces, with bows, arrows and swords in our hands, and hurry there.
आकाशे गणशः स्थित्वा हत्वा तां हरिवाहिनीम् । अश्मशस्त्रमहावृष्ट्या प्रापयाम यमक्षयम् ॥ १७ ॥
“Standing in troops in the sky, we will destroy that monkey army with a great rain of stones and weapons and send it to Yama’s abode.
एवं चेदुपसर्पेतामनयं रामलक्ष्मणौ । अवश्यमपनीतेन जहतामेव जीवितम् ॥ १८ ॥
“If Rama and Lakshmana fall for this wrong policy so, they will certainly lose their lives through the deception.”
कौम्भकर्णिस्ततो वीरो निकुम्भो नाम वीर्यवान् । अब्रवीत् परमक्रुद्धो रावणं लोकरावणम् ॥ १९ ॥
Then Kumbhakarna’s son, the valiant hero named Nikumbha, said in the height of anger to Ravana, who makes the worlds cry out:
सर्वे भवन्तस्तिष्ठन्तु महाराजेन संगताः । अहमेको हनिष्यामि राघवं सहलक्ष्मणम् ॥ २० ॥
“Let all of you stay here together with the great king. I alone will kill Raghava with Lakshmana,
सुग्रीवं सहनूमन्तं सर्वांश्चैवात्र वानरान् । ततो वज्रहनुर्नाम राक्षसः पर्वतोपमः ॥ २१ ॥
“Sugriva with Hanuman, and all the monkeys here.” Then a rakshasa named Vajrahanu, like a mountain,
क्रुद्धः परिलिहन् सृक्कां जिह्वया वाक्यमब्रवीत् । स्वैरं कुर्वन्तु कार्याणि भवन्तो विगतज्वराः ॥ २२ ॥
angry, licking the corners of his mouth with his tongue, said: “Let you all go about your business as you like, free from worry.
एकोऽहं भक्षयिष्यामि तां सर्वां हरिवाहिनीम् । स्वस्थाः क्रीडन्तु निश्चिन्ताः पिबन्तु मधु वारुणीम् ॥ २३ ॥
“I alone will eat that whole monkey army. Let you be at ease and play without a care, and drink the wine of honey.
अहमेको वधिष्यामि सुग्रीवं सहलक्ष्मणम् । साङ्गदं च हनूमन्तं सर्वांश्चैवात्र वानरान् ॥ २४ ॥
“I alone will kill Sugriva with Lakshmana, Hanuman with Angada, and all the monkeys here.”