Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 91 of 128 · 29 verses
Rama Embraces Lakshmana
His limbs wet with blood, Lakshmana rejoices at having killed the conqueror of enemies. Gathering Jambavan, Hanuman and all the forest-dwellers, leaning on Vibhishana and Hanuman, he comes quickly to Sugriva and Raghava, salutes Rama and stands beside his brother as Upendra beside Indra. Sighing, the hero tells great Raghava of Indrajit’s terrible death, and Vibhishana joyfully announces that great Lakshmana has cut off the head of Ravana’s son. Hearing it, Rama feels boundless joy: well done, Lakshmana; I am pleased; a very difficult deed is done; by the destruction of Ravana’s son, know that the war is won. He smells the head of glory-increasing Lakshmana, who is embarrassed, draws him onto his lap by force out of love, embraces him tightly and looks again and again at his dear brother, wounded by arrows, sighing, tormented with pain. Kissing his head again and touching him, he comforts him: you have done a supremely auspicious deed, doer of hard deeds; now that his son is dead, I think Ravana is already killed in battle. Today I am victorious over the enemy, now that evil one is dead; by good fortune, hero, you have cut off the cruel Ravana’s right arm, for Indrajit was his support. Vibhishana and Hanuman too have done great work in battle. In three days and nights the hero was somehow brought down; I am free of enemies now. Ravana will surely come out, hearing his son has fallen, with a great army in array; burning with grief for his son, I will surround that unconquerable lord of the rakshasas with a great army and kill him. With you as my protector, Lakshmana, Sita and the earth are not hard to win now that the conqueror of Indra is dead.
Comforting and embracing his brother, Rama joyfully tells Sushena: wise one, treat Saumitri, so loving to his friends, so that the darts are drawn and he is fully well; heal him quickly, and Vibhishana, and all the brave bears and monkeys who fight with trees and are wounded or carry darts; make them all well with care. Sushena, the great-souled monkey leader, gives Lakshmana a powerful herb to inhale through the nose; at its scent the darts come out, the pain goes and the wounds close. At Raghava’s command he treats Vibhishana and the other friends and all the chief monkeys. Lakshmana returns to his natural state, freed of darts, his weariness gone, his fever gone in a moment, and rejoices. Rama, the lord of the monkeys, Vibhishana and the mighty lord of the bears, seeing Saumitri healed and standing, rejoice long with their armies; great Rama honours Lakshmana’s very hard deed, and the monkey king is delighted to hear that the conqueror of Shakra has fallen.
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रुधिरक्लिन्नगात्रस्तु लक्ष्मणः शुभलक्षणः । बभूव हृष्टस्तं हत्वा शत्रुजेतारमाहवे ॥ १ ॥
Lakshmana of auspicious marks, his limbs wet with blood, was delighted at having killed that conqueror of enemies in battle.
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ततः स जाम्बवन्तं च हनूमन्तं च वीर्यवान् । संनिपत्य महातेजास्तांश्च सर्वान् वनौकसः ॥ २ ॥
Then, gathering Jambavan and Hanuman and all those forest-dwellers, the valiant, radiant one,
आजगाम ततः शीघ्रं यत्र सुग्रीवराघवौ । विभीषणमवष्टभ्य हनूमन्तं च लक्ष्मणः ॥ ३ ॥
Lakshmana came quickly then to where Sugriva and Raghava were, leaning on Vibhishana and Hanuman.
ततो राममभिक्रम्य सौमित्रिरभिवाद्य च । तस्थौ भ्रातृसमीपस्थः शक्रस्येन्द्रानुजो यथा ॥ ४ ॥
Then, approaching Rama and saluting him, Saumitri stood near his brother, like Indra’s younger brother by Shakra.
निष्टनन्निव चागत्य राघवाय महात्मने । आचचक्षे तदा वीरो घोरमिन्द्रजितो वधम् ॥ ५ ॥
Coming, as if groaning, the hero then told great-souled Raghava of Indrajit’s terrible death.
रावणेस्तु शिरश्छिन्नं लक्ष्मणेन महात्मना । न्यवेदयत रामाय तदा हृष्टो विभीषणः ॥ ६ ॥
Delighted, Vibhishana then told Rama that the head of Ravana’s son had been cut off by great-souled Lakshmana.
श्रुत्वैव तु महावीर्यो लक्ष्मणेनेन्द्रजिद्वधम् । प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे वाक्यं चेदमुवाच ह ॥ ७ ॥
As soon as he heard of Indrajit’s killing by Lakshmana, the very valiant one gained boundless joy and said these words:
साधु लक्ष्मण तुष्टोऽस्मि कर्म चासुकरं कृतम् । रावणेर्हि विनाशेन जितमित्युपधारय ॥ ८ ॥
“Well done, Lakshmana; I am pleased, and a deed hard to do has been done. Understand that by the destruction of Ravana’s son the victory is won.”
स तं शिरस्युपाघ्राय लक्ष्मणं कीर्तिवर्धनम् । लज्जमानं बलात् स्नेहादङ्कमारोप्य वीर्यवान् ॥ ९ ॥
Smelling the head of that Lakshmana, increaser of glory, who was embarrassed, the valiant one drew him onto his lap by force, out of love,
उपवेश्य तमुत्सङ्गे परिष्वज्यावपीडितम् । भ्रातरं लक्ष्मणं स्निग्धं पुनः पुनरुदैक्षत ॥ १० ॥
seated him on his lap, embraced him tightly, and looked again and again at his loving brother Lakshmana.
शल्यसम्पीडितं शस्तं निःश्वसन्तं तु लक्ष्मणम् । रामस्तु दुःखसंतप्तं तं तु निःश्वासपीडितम् ॥ ११ ॥
At Lakshmana, tormented by darts, praised, sighing, Rama looked, burning with grief, at him afflicted by his sighing.
मूर्ध्नि चैनमुपाघ्राय भूयः संस्पृश्य च त्वरन् । उवाच लक्ष्मणं वाक्यमाश्वास्य पुरुषर्षभः ॥ १२ ॥
Smelling his head again and touching him, hurrying, the bull among men comforted Lakshmana and said:
कृतं परमकल्याणं कर्म दुष्करकर्मणा । अद्य मन्ये हते पुत्रे रावणं निहतं युधि ॥ १३ ॥
“A supremely auspicious deed has been done by you, doer of hard deeds; now that his son is killed, I think Ravana is killed in battle today.
अद्याहं विजयी शत्रौ हते तस्मिन् दुरात्मनि । रावणस्य नृशंसस्य दिष्ट्या वीर त्वया रणे ॥ १४ ॥
“Today I am victorious over the enemy, now that that evil-souled one is killed; by good fortune, hero, by you in battle, of cruel Ravana
छिन्नो हि दक्षिणो बाहुः स हि तस्य व्यपाश्रयः । विभीषणहनूमद्भ्यां कृतं कर्म महद् रणे ॥ १५ ॥
“the right arm has been cut off, for he was his support. A great deed was done in battle by Vibhishana and Hanuman.
अहोरात्रैस्त्रिभिर्वीरः कथंचिद् विनिपातितः । निरमित्रः कृतोऽस्म्यद्य निर्यास्यति हि रावणः ॥ १६ ॥
“In three days and nights the hero was somehow brought down; I have been made free of enemies today; for Ravana will come out.
बलव्यूहेन महता निर्यास्यति हि रावणः । बलव्यूहेन महता श्रुत्वा पुत्रं निपातितम् ॥ १७ ॥
“For Ravana will come out with a great array of forces, with a great array of forces, hearing his son has been brought down.
तं पुत्रवधसंतप्तं निर्यान्तं राक्षसाधिपम् । बलेनावृत्य महता निहनिष्यामि दुर्जयम् ॥ १८ ॥
“That lord of the rakshasas, burning with the killing of his son, as he comes out, I will surround with a great army and kill, the unconquerable one.
त्वया लक्ष्मण नाथेन सीता च पृथिवी च मे । न दुष्प्रापा हते तस्मिन् शक्रजेतरि चाहवे ॥ १९ ॥
“With you as my protector, Lakshmana, Sita and the earth are not hard for me to win, now that that conqueror of Shakra is killed in battle.”
स तं भ्रातरमाश्वास्य परिष्वज्य च राघवः । रामः सुषेणं मुदितः समाभाष्येदमब्रवीत् ॥ २० ॥
Having comforted and embraced that brother, Raghava Rama, glad, addressed Sushena and said this:
विशल्योऽयं महाप्राज्ञ सौमित्रिर्मित्रवत्सलः । यथा भवति सुस्वस्थस्तथा त्वं समुपाचर ॥ २१ ॥
“This Saumitri, very wise one, so loving to his friends, carries darts; tend him so that he becomes fully well.
विशल्यः क्रियतां क्षिप्रं सौमित्रिः सविभीषणः । ऋक्षवानरसैन्यानां शूराणां द्रुमयोधिनाम् ॥ २२ ॥
“Let Saumitri, with Vibhishana, be quickly freed of darts; and those heroes of the bear and monkey armies who fight with trees,
ये चाप्यन्येऽत्र युध्यन्ति सशल्या व्रणिनस्तथा । तेऽपि सर्वे प्रयत्नेन क्रियन्ते सुखिनस्त्वया ॥ २३ ॥
“and any others who fight here carrying darts and wounded, let all of them too be made well by you with care.”
एवमुक्तः स रामेण महात्मा हरियूथपः । लक्ष्मणाय ददौ नस्तः सुषेणः परमौषधम् ॥ २४ ॥
Spoken to so by Rama, the great-souled monkey troop leader Sushena gave Lakshmana a supreme herb through the nose.
स तस्य गन्धमाघ्राय विशल्यः समपद्यत । तदा निर्वेदनश्चैव संरूढव्रण एव च ॥ २५ ॥
Smelling its scent, he became free of darts, and then free of pain, and his wounds healed.
विभीषणमुखानां च सुहृदां राघवाज्ञया । सर्ववानरमुख्यानां चिकित्सामकरोत् तदा ॥ २६ ॥
And at Raghava’s command he then gave treatment to the friends led by Vibhishana and to all the chief monkeys.
ततः प्रकृतिमापन्नो हृतशल्यो गतक्लमः । सौमित्रिर्मुमुदे तत्र क्षणेन विगतज्वरः ॥ २७ ॥
Then Saumitri, restored to his natural state, his darts removed, his weariness gone, his fever gone in a moment, rejoiced there.
तदैव रामः प्लवगाधिपस्तथा विभीषणश्चर्क्षपतिश्च वीर्यवान् । अवेक्ष्य सौमित्रिमरोगमुत्थितं मुदा ससैन्याः सुचिरं जहर्षिरे ॥ २८ ॥
Then Rama, and likewise the lord of the leapers, and Vibhishana, and the valiant lord of the bears, seeing Saumitri risen, free of illness, rejoiced with their armies for a long time.
अपूजयत् कर्म स लक्ष्मणस्य सुदुष्करं दाशरथिर्महात्मा । बभूव हृष्टो युधि वानरेन्द्रो निशम्य तं शक्रजितं निपातितम् ॥ २९ ॥
Great-souled Dasharathi honoured that very difficult deed of Lakshmana’s; and the lord of the monkeys was delighted, hearing that the conqueror of Shakra had been brought down in battle.