Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 87 of 128 · 30 verses
Indrajit and Vibhishana Exchange Words
Delighted, Vibhishana takes Lakshmana, bow in hand, and hurries a short way into a great forest, where he shows him the place of the rite: a terrible banyan tree, dark as a blue cloud. Here, he says, mighty Ravana’s son makes offerings to the spirits, and only after that goes into battle; then the rakshasa becomes invisible to all beings and kills his enemies and binds them with fine arrows. Before he can reach the banyan, destroy the mighty son of Ravana with your blazing arrows, with his chariot, horses and driver. Lakshmana agrees and stands there twanging his wonderful bow. Indrajit appears in his fire-coloured chariot, armoured, with sword and banner. Lakshmana challenges the undefeated Paulastya: I call you to battle; give me a fair fight.
Seeing Vibhishana there, Indrajit speaks harshly: you were born and grew up here; you are my father’s own brother; how can you, my uncle, betray his son, rakshasa? You have no feeling for kin, no friendship, no pride of birth, no regard for a brother’s bond, no dharma, you defiler of dharma. You are to be pitied, fool, and condemned by the good, for you have abandoned your own people and become a servant of others. With your slack mind you do not see the great difference between living among your own and the low state of depending on strangers. Whether the stranger is virtuous or one’s own kin worthless, worthless kin is better: a stranger is always a stranger. He who leaves his own side and serves the other side, once his own side has perished, is killed by those very people. Such pitilessness as yours, younger brother of Ravana, could come only from kin.
Vibhishana replies: why do you boast, rakshasa, as though you did not know my character? Out of respect, wicked son of the rakshasa king, give up your harshness. Though I was born in the family of the cruel rakshasas, my nature is the first virtue of men, not a rakshasa’s. I take no pleasure in cruelty or in adharma. How is a brother cast out by a brother, even of different character? One finds happiness by abandoning a man who has fallen from dharma and set his mind on sin, as one throws a snake from one’s hand. Men say an evil soul who robs others’ wealth and violates others’ wives should be abandoned like a burning house. Theft of others’ goods, assault on others’ wives and excessive distrust of friends: these three faults bring ruin. The terrible killing of great sages, war with all the gods, arrogance, anger, enmity and perversity: these faults of my brother, which destroy his life and power, have hidden his virtues as clouds hide mountains. For these faults I left your father, my brother. This city of Lanka will not survive, nor you, nor your father. Arrogant, childish, undisciplined, you are bound by the noose of Time; say whatever you like to me. Here, today, ruin has come upon you for speaking harshly to me; you cannot reach the banyan, lowest of rakshasas. Having attacked Kakutstha, you cannot live; fight in battle with Lakshmana, god among men; killed, you will do the gods’ work and go to Yama’s realm. Show the strength you have mustered; spend all your weapons and arrows; coming within range of Lakshmana’s arrows, you will not go back alive with your army today.
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एवमुक्त्वा तु सौमित्रिं जातहर्षो विभीषणः । धनुष्पाणिं तमादाय त्वरमाणो जगाम सः ॥ १ ॥
Having said this to Saumitri, Vibhishana, filled with joy, taking him, bow in hand, went in haste.
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Indrajit and Vibhishana Exchange Words 1 min read.
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अविदूरं ततो गत्वा प्रविश्य तु महद् वनम् । अदर्शयत तत्कर्म लक्ष्मणाय विभीषणः ॥ २ ॥
Then, going not far and entering a great forest, Vibhishana showed Lakshmana the place of that rite.
नीलजीमूतसंकाशं न्यग्रोधं भीमदर्शनम् । तेजस्वी रावणभ्राता लक्ष्मणाय न्यवेदयत् ॥ ३ ॥
Radiant Ravana’s brother pointed out to Lakshmana a terrible-looking banyan tree, like a dark blue cloud:
इहोपहारं भूतानां बलवान् रावणात्मजः । उपहृत्य ततः पश्चात् संग्राममभिवर्तते ॥ ४ ॥
“Here mighty Ravana’s son makes offerings to the beings, and only after that goes into battle.
अदृश्यः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति राक्षसः । निहन्ति समरे शत्रून् बध्नाति च शरोत्तमैः ॥ ५ ॥
“Then the rakshasa becomes invisible to all beings, and he kills enemies in battle and binds them with fine arrows.
तमप्रविष्टं न्यग्रोधं बलिनं रावणात्मजम् । विध्वंसय शरैर्दीप्तैः सरथं साश्वसारथिम् ॥ ६ ॥
“Before he has entered the banyan, destroy the mighty son of Ravana with blazing arrows, with his chariot, horses and charioteer.”
तथेत्युक्त्वा महातेजाः सौमित्रिर्मित्रनन्दनः । बभूवावस्थितस्तत्र चित्रं विस्फारयन् धनुः ॥ ७ ॥
Saying “So be it”, radiant Saumitri, delight of his friends, stood there, twanging his wonderful bow.
स रथेनाग्निवर्णेन बलवान् रावणात्मजः । इन्द्रजित् कवची खड्गी सध्वजः प्रत्यदृश्यत ॥ ८ ॥
In his fire-coloured chariot, mighty Indrajit, Ravana’s son, appeared, armoured, with sword and banner.
तमुवाच महातेजाः पौलस्त्यमपराजितम् । समाह्वये त्वां समरे सम्यग् युद्धं प्रयच्छ मे ॥ ९ ॥
The radiant one said to the undefeated Paulastya: “I challenge you to battle; give me a fair fight.”
एवमुक्तो महातेजा मनस्वी रावणात्मजः । अब्रवीत् परुषं वाक्यं तत्र दृष्ट्वा विभीषणम् ॥ १० ॥
Spoken to so, the radiant, proud son of Ravana, seeing Vibhishana there, spoke harsh words:
इह त्वं जातसंवृद्धः साक्षात् भ्राता पितुर्मम । कथं द्रुह्यसि पुत्रस्य पितृव्यो मम राक्षस ॥ ११ ॥
“Born and grown up here, you are my father’s own brother; how can you, my uncle, rakshasa, betray his son?
न ज्ञातित्वं न सौहार्दं न जातिस्तव दुर्मते । प्रमाणं न च सौदर्यं न धर्मो धर्मदूषण ॥ १२ ॥
“You have no kinship, no friendship, no pride of birth, evil-minded one, no regard for brotherhood, no dharma, defiler of dharma.
शोच्यस्त्वमसि दुर्बुद्धे निन्दनीयश्च साधुभिः । यस्त्वं स्वजनमुत्सृज्य परभृत्यत्वमागतः ॥ १३ ॥
“You are to be pitied, fool, and condemned by the good, you who have abandoned your own people and become the servant of others.
नैतच्छिथिलया बुद्ध्या त्वं वेत्सि महदन्तरम् । क्व च स्वजनसंवासः क्व च नीच पराश्रयः ॥ १४ ॥
“With your slack mind you do not see the great difference: where is living with one’s own people, and where is the low refuge of strangers?
गुणवान् वा परजनः स्वजनो निर्गुणोऽपि वा । निर्गुणः स्वजनः श्रेयान् यः परः पर एव सः ॥ १५ ॥
“Whether the stranger is virtuous or one’s own kin without virtue, kin without virtue is better; one who is a stranger is a stranger still.
यः स्वपक्षं परित्यज्य परपक्षं निषेवते । स स्वपक्षे क्षयं याते पश्चात् तैरेव हन्यते ॥ १६ ॥
“He who leaves his own side and serves the other side, when his own side has perished, is afterwards killed by those very people.
निरनुक्रोशता चेयं यादृशी ते निशाचर । स्वजनेन त्वया शक्यं पौरुषं रावणानुज ॥ १७ ॥
“And such pitilessness as yours, night-wanderer, younger brother of Ravana, such manliness, could come only from one’s own kin.”
इत्युक्तो भ्रातृपुत्रेण प्रत्युवाच विभीषणः । अजानन्निव मच्छीलं किं राक्षस विकत्थसे ॥ १८ ॥
Spoken to so by his brother’s son, Vibhishana replied: “As if you did not know my character, why do you boast, rakshasa?
राक्षसेन्द्रसुतासाधो पारुष्यं त्यज गौरवात् । कुले यद्यप्यहं जातो रक्षसां क्रूरकर्मणाम् । गुणो यः प्रथमो नॄणां तन्मे शीलमराक्षसम् ॥ १९ ॥
“Wicked son of the rakshasa king, give up harshness out of respect. Though I was born in the family of the rakshasas of cruel deeds, my character is the first virtue of men, not a rakshasa’s.
न रमे दारुणेनाहं न चाधर्मेण वै रमे । भ्रात्रा विषमशीलोऽपि कथं भ्राता निरस्यते ॥ २० ॥
“I take no delight in cruelty, nor do I delight in adharma. How is a brother, even of a different character, cast out by a brother?
धर्मात् प्रच्युतशीलं हि पुरुषं पापनिश्चयम् । त्यक्त्वा सुखमवाप्नोति हस्तादाशीविषं यथा ॥ २१ ॥
“For having abandoned a man whose conduct has fallen from dharma, whose mind is set on sin, one obtains happiness, as by throwing a poisonous snake from one’s hand.
परस्वहरणे युक्तं परदाराभिमर्शकम् । त्याज्यमाहुर्दुरात्मानं वेश्म प्रज्वलितं यथा ॥ २२ ॥
“They say an evil soul given to stealing others’ goods and violating others’ wives is to be abandoned like a burning house.
परस्वानां च हरणं परदाराभिमर्शनम् । सुहृदामतिशङ्का च त्रयो दोषाः क्षयावहाः ॥ २३ ॥
“The stealing of others’ goods, the violating of others’ wives, and excessive suspicion of friends: these three faults bring ruin.
महर्षीणां वधो घोरः सर्वदेवैश्च विग्रहः । अभिमानश्च रोषश्च वैरित्वं प्रतिकूलता ॥ २४ ॥
“The terrible killing of great sages, war with all the gods, arrogance and rage, enmity and perversity:
एते दोषा मम भ्रातुर्जीवितैश्वर्यनाशनाः । गुणान् प्रच्छादयामासुः पर्वतानिव तोयदाः ॥ २५ ॥
“these faults of my brother, destroying his life and power, have covered his virtues, as clouds cover mountains.
दोषैरेतैः परित्यक्तो मया भ्राता पिता तव । नेयमस्ति पुरी लङ्का न च त्वं न च ते पिता ॥ २६ ॥
“Because of these faults I abandoned my brother, your father. This city of Lanka will not survive, nor you, nor your father.
अतिमानश्च बालश्च दुर्विनीतश्च राक्षस । बद्धस्त्वं कालपाशेन ब्रूहि मां यद् यदिच्छसि ॥ २७ ॥
“Arrogant and childish and undisciplined, rakshasa, you are bound by the noose of Time; say to me whatever you wish.
अद्येह व्यसनं प्राप्तं यन्मां परुषमुक्तवान् । प्रवेष्टुं न त्वया शक्यं न्यग्रोधं राक्षसाधम ॥ २८ ॥
“Here today ruin has come upon you, since you spoke harshly to me; you cannot enter the banyan, lowest of rakshasas.
धर्षयित्वा च काकुत्स्थं न शक्यं जीवितुं त्वया । युध्यस्व नरदेवेन लक्ष्मणेन रणे सह । हतस्त्वं देवताकार्यं करिष्यसि यमक्षयम् ॥ २९ ॥
“And having assailed Kakutstha, you cannot live; fight in battle with Lakshmana, god among men; killed, you will do the gods’ work and go to Yama’s dwelling.
निदर्शयस्वात्मबलं समुद्यतं कुरुष्व सर्वायुधसायकव्ययम् । न लक्ष्मणस्यैत्य हि बाणगोचरं त्वमद्य जीवन् सबलो गमिष्यसि ॥ ३० ॥
“Show the strength you have mustered; make an expenditure of all your weapons and arrows; for having come within range of Lakshmana’s arrows, you will not go back alive today with your army.”