Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 85 of 128 · 36 verses
Lakshmana Sets Out for Nikumbhila
Worn by grief, Raghava does not clearly grasp what Vibhishana has said. Steadying himself, he asks him, in the presence of the monkeys, to repeat it. Vibhishana, skilled in speech, says: as you ordered, the troops have been posted, the armies divided on every side and the leaders placed in their sections. Now hear what I must tell you: we are pained to see you grieving without cause. Give up this grief, king, which has come falsely, and this worry that only increases the enemy’s joy. Make an effort, hero; be glad, if you are to win Sita and kill the night-wanderers. Hear my good advice: let Saumitri go with a great army to kill Ravana’s son at Nikumbhila with arrows like serpents’ venom loosed from his bent bow. By his austerities, through the Self-born’s boon, that hero won the Brahmashiras weapon and horses that go where he wills. He has gone to Nikumbhila with his army; if he rises with his rite completed, know that we are all dead. The Lord of all worlds gave this boon: “Enemy of Indra, the foe who kills you while you are armed and threatening, before you reach Nikumbhila and before you have made the fire offering, will be your death.” So his death has been ordained, king. Send the mighty one to kill Indrajit; when he is dead, know that Ravana with all his friends is dead.
Rama says: I know that fierce one’s magic, truly valiant one. He knows the Brahma weapon; he is clever, a great sorcerer, very strong; he can make even the gods with Varuna senseless in battle; when he moves in the sky with his chariot, his course is no more known than the sun’s in a mass of clouds. Knowing the enemy’s magic power, Raghava tells famous Lakshmana: with the whole army of the monkey king, with the troop leaders led by Hanuman and with Jambavan, lord of the bears, and his army, kill that son of the rakshasa, strong in magic. This great-souled night-wanderer, who knows his magic, will follow behind you with his ministers. Lakshmana, of terrible valour, takes another, finer bow; armed, armoured, with sword and arrows, bow in his left hand, he touches Rama’s feet and says joyfully: today the arrows loosed from my bow will split Ravana’s son and fall on Lanka like swans on a lotus pond; today my arrows will tear that fierce one’s body apart. Saluting his elder brother’s feet and circling him, blessed by his brother, he hurries to the Nikumbhila shrine guarded by Ravana’s son, with Vibhishana and his ministers and Hanuman with thousands of monkeys, and on the way he sees the bear king’s army ready. Having gone a long way, Saumitri sees from afar the rakshasa king’s army drawn up in array. Bow in hand, the tamer of foes takes his stand to overcome the magic by Brahma’s ordinance, with Vibhishana, heroic Angada and the son of the Wind, and enters the enemy army, which is like darkness, bright with many spotless weapons, dense with banners and great chariot-fighters, most frightening, of immeasurable speed.
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तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा राघवः शोककर्शितः । नोपधारयते व्यक्तं यदुक्तं तेन रक्षसा ॥ १ ॥
Hearing those words of his, Raghava, worn by grief, did not clearly grasp what that rakshasa had said.
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Lakshmana Sets Out for Nikumbhila 1 min read.
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ततो धैर्यमवष्टभ्य रामः परपुरंजयः । विभीषणमुपासीनमुवाच कपिसंनिधौ ॥ २ ॥
Then, summoning his courage, Rama, conqueror of enemy cities, said to Vibhishana, seated near, in the presence of the monkeys:
नैर्ऋताधिपते वाक्यं यदुक्तं ते विभीषण । भूयस्तच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि ब्रूहि यत्ते विवक्षितम् ॥ ३ ॥
“Lord of the nairritas, Vibhishana, the words you spoke I wish to hear again; say what you wished to say.”
राघवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा वाक्यं वाक्यविशारदः । यत् तत् पुनरिदं वाक्यं बभाषेऽथ विभीषणः ॥ ४ ॥
Hearing Raghava’s words, Vibhishana, skilled in speech, then spoke those words again:
यथाऽऽज्ञप्तं महाबाहो त्वया गुल्मनिवेशनम् । तत् तथानुष्ठितं वीर त्वद्वाक्यसमनन्तरम् ॥ ५ ॥
“As you ordered, mighty-armed one, the posting of the troops has been carried out so, hero, right after your word.
तान्यनीकानि सर्वाणि विभक्तानि समन्ततः । विन्यस्ता यूथपाश्चैव यथान्यायं विभागशः ॥ ६ ॥
“All those armies are divided on every side, and the troop leaders placed properly, section by section.
भूयस्तु मम विज्ञाप्यं तच्छृणुष्व महाप्रभो । त्वय्यकारणसंतप्ते संतप्तहृदया वयम् ॥ ७ ॥
“But hear further what I have to make known, great lord: when you are pained without cause, we are pained at heart.
त्यज राजन्निमं शोकं मिथ्या संतापमागतम् । यदियं त्यज्यतां चिन्ता शत्रुहर्षविवर्धिनी ॥ ८ ॥
“Give up this grief, king, that has come to you falsely; let this worry, which increases the joy of the enemies, be given up.
उद्यमः क्रियतां वीर हर्षः समुपसेव्यताम् । प्राप्तव्या यदि ते सीता हन्तव्याश्च निशाचराः ॥ ९ ॥
“Let effort be made, hero; let joy be embraced, if Sita is to be won by you and the night-wanderers killed.
रघुनन्दन वक्ष्यामि श्रूयतां मे हितं वचः । साध्वयं यातु सौमित्रिर्बलेन महता वृतः ॥ १० ॥
“Delight of the Raghus, I will tell you; hear my beneficial words: let this Saumitri go, surrounded by a great army,
निकुम्भिलायां सम्प्राप्तं हन्तुं रावणिमाहवे । धनुर्मण्डलनिर्मुक्तैराशीविषविषोपमैः ॥ ११ ॥
“to kill in battle Ravana’s son, who has reached Nikumbhila, with arrows like the venom of poisonous snakes, loosed from the circle of his bow,
शरैर्हन्तुं महेष्वासो रावणिं समितिंजयः । तेन वीरेण तपसा वरदानात् स्वयंभुवः । अस्त्रं ब्रह्मशिरः प्राप्तं कामगाश्च तुरङ्गमाः ॥ १२ ॥
“the great archer, conqueror in battles, to kill Ravana’s son with arrows. By austerity, from the Self-born’s gift of a boon, that hero has obtained the weapon Brahmashiras and horses that go where they will.
स एष किल सैन्येन प्राप्तः किल निकुम्भिलाम् । यद्युत्तिष्ठेत् कृतं कर्म हतान् सर्वांश्च विद्धि नः ॥ १३ ॥
“He, it is said, has reached Nikumbhila with his army; if he rises with his rite completed, know that we are all killed.
निकुम्भिलामसम्प्राप्तमकृताग्निं च यो रिपुः । त्वामाततायिनं हन्यादिन्द्रशत्रो स ते वधः ॥ १४ ॥
“’The enemy who kills you, enemy of Indra, while you are armed and threatening, before you have reached Nikumbhila and before you have made the fire offering, that will be your death’:
वरो दत्तो महाबाहो सर्वलोकेश्वरेण वै । इत्येवं विहितो राजन् वधस्तस्यैष धीमतः ॥ १५ ॥
“this boon was given, mighty-armed one, by the lord of all the worlds; so, king, is the death of this clever one ordained.
वधायेन्द्रजितो राम संदिशस्व महाबलम् । हते तस्मिन् हतं विद्धि रावणं ससुहृद्गणम् ॥ १६ ॥
“Command the mighty one, Rama, for the killing of Indrajit; when he is killed, know that Ravana is killed with his band of friends.”
विभीषणवचः श्रुत्वा रामो वाक्यमथाब्रवीत् । जानामि तस्य रौद्रस्य मायां सत्यपराक्रम ॥ १७ ॥
Hearing Vibhishana’s words, Rama then said: “I know that fierce one’s magic, you of true valour.
स हि ब्रह्मास्त्रवित् प्राज्ञो महामायो महाबलः । करोत्यसंज्ञान् संग्रामे देवान् सवरुणानपि ॥ १८ ॥
“For he knows the Brahma weapon; he is wise, a great sorcerer, very strong; he makes even the gods with Varuna senseless in battle.
तस्यान्तरिक्षे चरतः सरथस्य महायशः । न गतिर्ज्ञायते वीर सूर्यस्येवाभ्रसम्प्लवे ॥ १९ ॥
“When he moves in the sky with his chariot, very famous one, his course is not known, hero, like the sun’s in a mass of clouds.”
राघवस्तु रिपोर्ज्ञात्वा मायावीर्यं दुरात्मनः । लक्ष्मणं कीर्तिसम्पन्नमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ २० ॥
And Raghava, knowing the power of the evil-souled enemy’s magic, said these words to famous Lakshmana:
यद् वानरेन्द्रस्य बलं तेन सर्वेण संवृतः । हनूमत्प्रमुखैश्चैव यूथपैः सह लक्ष्मण ॥ २१ ॥
“Surrounded by all that army of the monkey king, Lakshmana, with the troop leaders led by Hanuman,
जाम्बवेनर्क्षपतिना सह सैन्येन संवृतः । जहि तं राक्षससुतं मायाबलसमन्वितम् ॥ २२ ॥
“surrounded with his army by Jambavan, lord of the bears, kill that son of the rakshasa, endowed with the power of magic.
अयं त्वां सचिवैः सार्धं महात्मा रजनीचरः । अभिज्ञस्तस्य मायानां पृष्ठतोऽनुगमिष्यति ॥ २३ ॥
“This great-souled night-wanderer, who knows his magic, will follow behind you with his ministers.”
राघवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा लक्ष्मणः सविभीषणः । जग्राह कार्मुकश्रेष्ठमन्यद् भीमपराक्रमः ॥ २४ ॥
Hearing Raghava’s words, Lakshmana, of terrible valour, with Vibhishana, took another, finer bow.
संनद्धः कवची खड्गी सशरी वामचापभृत् । रामपादावुपस्पृश्य हृष्टः सौमित्रिरब्रवीत् ॥ २५ ॥
Armed, armoured, with sword and arrows, bearing his bow in his left hand, touching Rama’s feet, Saumitri, delighted, said:
अद्य मत्कार्मुकोन्मुक्ताः शरा निर्भिद्य रावणिम् । लङ्कामभिपतिष्यन्ति हंसाः पुष्करिणीमिव ॥ २६ ॥
“Today the arrows loosed from my bow, having split Ravana’s son, will fall upon Lanka like swans upon a lotus pond.
अद्यैव तस्य रौद्रस्य शरीरं मामकाः शराः । विधमिष्यन्ति भित्त्वा तं महाचापगुणच्युताः ॥ २७ ॥
“This very day my arrows, loosed from the string of my great bow, will split and scatter the body of that fierce one.”
एवमुक्त्वा तु वचनं द्युतिमान् भ्रातुरग्रतः । स रावणिवधाकांक्षी लक्ष्मणस्त्वरितं ययौ ॥ २८ ॥
Having spoken these words before his brother, radiant Lakshmana, longing for the killing of Ravana’s son, went quickly.
सोऽभिवाद्य गुरोः पादौ कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम् । निकुम्भिलामभिययौ चैत्यं रावणिपालितम् ॥ २९ ॥
Saluting his elder’s feet and walking round him, he went to the shrine Nikumbhila, guarded by Ravana’s son.
विभीषणेन सहितो राजपुत्रः प्रतापवान् । कृतस्वस्त्ययनो भ्रात्रा लक्ष्मणस्त्वरितो ययौ ॥ ३० ॥
With Vibhishana, the powerful prince Lakshmana, blessed for safety by his brother, went quickly.
वानराणां सहस्रैस्तु हनूमान् बहुभिर्वृतः । विभीषणश्च सामात्यो लक्ष्मणं त्वरितं ययौ ॥ ३१ ॥
Hanuman, surrounded by many thousands of monkeys, and Vibhishana with his ministers, went quickly after Lakshmana.
महता हरिसैन्येन सवेगमभिसंवृतः । ऋक्षराजबलं चैव ददर्श पथि विष्ठितम् ॥ ३२ ॥
Surrounded swiftly by a great monkey army, he saw on the way the army of the king of the bears standing ready.
स गत्वा दूरमध्वानं सौमित्रिर्मित्रनन्दनः । राक्षसेन्द्रबलं दूरादपश्यद् व्यूहमाश्रितम् ॥ ३३ ॥
Having gone a long way, Saumitri, delight of his friends, saw from afar the army of the rakshasa king drawn up in array.
स सम्प्राप्य धनुष्पाणिर्मायायोगमरिंदमः । तस्थौ ब्रह्मविधानेन विजेतुं रघुनन्दनः ॥ ३४ ॥
Reaching it, bow in hand, the tamer of enemies, delight of the Raghus, stood to conquer the working of the magic by Brahma’s ordinance,
विभीषणेन सहितो राजपुत्रः प्रतापवान् । अङ्गदेन च वीरेण तथानिलसुतेन च ॥ ३५ ॥
the powerful prince, with Vibhishana, with heroic Angada, and likewise with the son of the Wind.
विविधममलशस्त्रभास्वरं तद् ध्वजगहनं गहनं महारथैश्च । प्रतिभयतममप्रमेयवेगं तिमिरमिव द्विषतां बलं विवेश ॥ ३६ ॥
He entered that army of the enemies, like darkness, shining with many spotless weapons, dense with banners, dense with great chariot-fighters, most frightening, of immeasurable speed.