Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 94 of 128 · 41 verses
The Rakshasa Women Lament
Those thousands of elephants with their riders, horses, fire-coloured chariots with banners, and thousands of brave rakshasas fighting with maces and iron bars, with golden banners, able to take any form, sent by Ravana, have been killed by Rama of untiring deeds with blazing, gold-adorned arrows. Seeing and hearing it, the surviving night-wanderers are terrified, and the rakshasa women gather, wretched and full of anxiety: widows, mothers whose sons are killed, women whose kinsmen are dead, wailing together in grief.
How did old, hideous Shurpanakha, with her sunken belly, approach Rama in the forest, handsome as the god of love, delicate, great-souled, devoted to the good of all beings? How did that ugly one, whom the world should kill, without any virtue, ill-faced, desire Rama, virtuous, mighty and fair-faced? Through our people’s ill luck, that wrinkled, white-haired creature did a thing unfit, laughable and condemned by the whole world: to destroy the rakshasas, Dushana and Khara, she, unfit as she was, assailed Raghava. Because of her Ravana made this great enmity; Sita was brought here by Ten-necked for his own death, and he does not get Sita, the daughter of Janaka, and has bound himself in endless enmity with mighty Raghava. Seeing that Viradha, who sought the Vaidehi, was killed by Rama alone, that should have been warning enough. Fourteen thousand rakshasas of terrible deeds killed at Janasthana with arrows like flames; Khara, Dushana and Trishiras killed with sun-like arrows; Kabandha, the blood-eater with arms a league long, killed as he roared; mighty Vali, son of Indra, like Meru, killed; Sugriva, living wretched and hopeless on Rishyamuka, given a kingdom: each of these should have been warning enough. Vibhishana’s fitting words, full of dharma and good sense, for the good of all the rakshasas, did not please him in his delusion; if Kubera’s younger brother had followed Vibhishana’s advice, Lanka would not now be a cremation ground in torment. Hearing of mighty Kumbhakarna killed by Raghava, unbearable Atikaya killed by Lakshmana, and his dear son Indrajit, Ravana still does not understand. “My son, my brother, my husband has been killed in battle”: that cry is heard in every rakshasi’s house. Thousands of chariots, horses, elephants and foot soldiers have been killed here and there by heroic Rama. Whether it is Rudra, or Vishnu, or great Indra of a hundred sacrifices, or the Ender himself, he kills us in the form of Rama. Our heroes killed by Rama, hopeless of life, seeing no end to our fear, we lament without protectors. Heroic Ten-necked, given a great boon, does not see this very terrible danger that has arisen from Rama’s hand. Neither gods, nor gandharvas, nor pishachas, nor rakshasas can save him when Rama attacks him in battle; in battle after battle omens appear to Ravana, foretelling his destruction by Rama.
The Grandfather, pleased, gave Ravana safety from gods, danavas and rakshasas; he did not ask it from men. So I think this danger has come, without doubt, from a man, terrible, ending the lives of the rakshasas and Ravana. Oppressed by the mighty rakshasa through his boon, the gods worshipped the Grandfather with blazing austerities, and great-souled Brahma, pleased, said to them for their good: from today all the danavas and rakshasas will move through the three worlds always filled with fear. And the gods, led by Indra, gathered and pleased Mahadeva, the bull-bannered destroyer of the three cities, who said to them: for your good a woman will arise who will bring about the destruction of the rakshasas. Sent by the gods, as hunger once devoured the danavas, this slayer of rakshasas will devour all of us, Ravana too. Through the misconduct of undisciplined, evil-minded Ravana, this terrible lamentation, flooded with grief, has come. We see no one in the world who can give us refuge, attacked by Raghava as by Time at the end of an age. There is no refuge for us in this great fear, like she-elephants surrounded by a forest fire. Great-souled Paulastya Vibhishana did what the moment required: he went for refuge to the very one from whom he saw the danger. So all the night-wandering women, embracing each other, sink in despair, oppressed by pain and terror, and wail aloud most dreadfully.
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तानि नागसहस्राणि सारोहाणि च वाजिनाम् । रथानां त्वग्निवर्णानां सध्वजानां सहस्रशः ॥ १ ॥
Those thousands of elephants, and horses with their riders, and thousands of fire-coloured chariots with banners,
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राक्षसानां सहस्राणि गदापरिघयोधिनाम् । काञ्चनध्वजचित्राणां शूराणां कामरूपिणाम् ॥ २ ॥
and thousands of rakshasas fighting with maces and iron bars, heroes bright with golden banners, taking any form at will,
निहतानि शरैर्दीप्तैस्तप्तकाञ्चनभूषणैः । रावणेन प्रयुक्तानि रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा ॥ ३ ॥
sent by Ravana, killed with blazing arrows adorned with molten gold by Rama of untiring deeds:
दृष्ट्वा श्रुत्वा च सम्भ्रान्ता हतशेषा निशाचराः । राक्षस्यश्च समागम्य दीनाश्चिन्तापरिप्लुताः ॥ ४ ॥
seeing and hearing this, the night-wanderers left from the killing were confused; and the rakshasa women, gathering, wretched, flooded with anxiety,
विधवा हतपुत्राश्च क्रोशन्त्यो हतबान्धवाः । राक्षस्यः सह संगम्य दुःखार्ताः पर्यदेवयन् ॥ ५ ॥
widows and those whose sons were killed, crying out, those whose kin were killed, the rakshasa women, coming together, afflicted with grief, lamented:
कथं शूर्पणखा वृद्धा कराला निर्णतोदरी । आससाद वने रामं कंदर्पसमरूपिणम् ॥ ६ ॥
“How did old Shurpanakha, hideous, with sunken belly, approach in the forest Rama, whose form is like Kandarpa’s,
सुकुमारं महासत्त्वं सर्वभूतहिते रतम् । तं दृष्ट्वा लोकवध्या सा हीनरूपा प्रकामिता ॥ ७ ॥
“delicate, of great courage, devoted to the good of all beings? Seeing him, she, deserving death from the world, ugly, was filled with desire.
कथं सर्वगुणैर्हीना गुणवन्तं महौजसम् । सुमुखं दुर्मुखी रामं कामयामास राक्षसी ॥ ८ ॥
“How did the rakshasi, devoid of all virtues, ill-faced, desire Rama, virtuous, very mighty, fair-faced?
जनस्यास्याल्पभाग्यत्वाद् वलिनी श्वेतमूर्धजा । अकार्यमपहास्यं च सर्वलोकविगर्हितम् ॥ ९ ॥
“Through the small fortune of these people, the wrinkled, white-haired one did a thing not to be done, laughable, condemned by all the world:
राक्षसानां विनाशाय दूषणस्य खरस्य च । चकाराप्रतिरूपा सा राघवस्य प्रधर्षणम् ॥ १० ॥
“for the destruction of the rakshasas, of Dushana and Khara, that unfit one made an assault on Raghava.
तन्निमित्तमिदं वैरं रावणेन कृतं महत् । वधाय सीता साऽऽनीता दशग्रीवेण रक्षसा ॥ ११ ॥
“Because of her this great enmity was made by Ravana; Sita was brought here for his own death by the rakshasa Ten-necked.
न च सीतां दशग्रीवः प्राप्नोति जनकात्मजाम् । बद्धं बलवता वैरमक्षयं राघवेण च ॥ १२ ॥
“And Ten-necked does not obtain Sita, the daughter of Janaka, and an undying enmity has been bound with mighty Raghava.
वैदेहीं प्रार्थयानं तं विराधं प्रेक्ष्य राक्षसम् । हतमेकेन रामेण पर्याप्तं तन्निदर्शनम् ॥ १३ ॥
“Seeing the rakshasa Viradha, who sought the Vaidehi, killed by Rama alone, that was warning enough.
चतुर्दश सहस्राणि रक्षसां भीमकर्मणाम् । निहतानि जनस्थाने शरैरग्निशिखोपमैः ॥ १४ ॥
“Fourteen thousand rakshasas of terrible deeds were killed at Janasthana with arrows like flames of fire;
खरश्च निहतः संख्ये दूषणस्त्रिशिरास्तथा । शरैरादित्यसंकाशैः पर्याप्तं तन्निदर्शनम् ॥ १५ ॥
“and Khara was killed in battle, and Dushana and Trishiras, with arrows like the sun: that was warning enough.
हतो योजनबाहुश्च कबन्धो रुधिराशनः । क्रोधान्नादं नदन् सोऽथ पर्याप्तं तन्निदर्शनम् ॥ १६ ॥
“Kabandha with arms a league long, the blood-eater, was killed, roaring a roar in anger: that was warning enough.
जघान बलिनं रामः सहस्रनयनात्मजम् । वालिनं मेरुसंकाशं पर्याप्तं तन्निदर्शनम् ॥ १७ ॥
“Rama killed mighty Vali, son of the thousand-eyed one, like Meru: that was warning enough.
ऋष्यमूके वसंश्चैव दीनो भग्नमनोरथः । सुग्रीवः प्रापितो राज्यं पर्याप्तं तन्निदर्शनम् ॥ १८ ॥
“Sugriva, living on Rishyamuka, wretched, his hopes broken, was brought to a kingdom: that was warning enough.
धर्मार्थसहितं वाक्यं सर्वेषां रक्षसां हितम् । युक्तं विभीषणेनोक्तं मोहात् तस्य न रोचते ॥ १९ ॥
“The fitting words, joined with dharma and sense, for the good of all the rakshasas, spoken by Vibhishana, did not please him through delusion.
विभीषणवचः कुर्याद् यदि स्म धनदानुजः । श्मशानभूता दुःखार्ता नेयं लङ्का भविष्यति ॥ २० ॥
“If the younger brother of the giver of wealth had followed Vibhishana’s words, this Lanka would not have become a cremation ground, tormented with grief.
कुम्भकर्णं हतं श्रुत्वा राघवेण महाबलम् । अतिकायं च दुर्मर्षं लक्ष्मणेन हतं तदा । प्रियं चेन्द्रजितं पुत्रं रावणो नावबुध्यते ॥ २१ ॥
“Hearing of mighty Kumbhakarna killed by Raghava, and of unbearable Atikaya killed then by Lakshmana, and of his dear son Indrajit, Ravana does not understand.
मम पुत्रो मम भ्राता मम भर्ता रणे हतः । इत्येष श्रूयते शब्दो राक्षसीनां कुले कुले ॥ २२ ॥
“’My son, my brother, my husband has been killed in battle’: this cry is heard in family after family of the rakshasis.
रथाश्वनागाश्च हतास्तत्र तत्र सहस्रशः । रणे रामेण शूरेण हताश्चापि पदातयः ॥ २३ ॥
“Chariots, horses and elephants have been killed here and there by thousands, and foot soldiers too have been killed in battle by heroic Rama.
रुद्रो वा यदि वा विष्णुर्महेन्द्रो वा शतक्रतुः । हन्ति नो रामरूपेण यदि वा स्वयमन्तकः ॥ २४ ॥
“Whether it is Rudra, or Vishnu, or great Indra of a hundred sacrifices, or the Ender himself, he kills us in the form of Rama.
हतप्रवीरा रामेण निराशा जीविते वयम् । अपश्यन्त्यो भयस्यान्तमनाथा विलपामहे ॥ २५ ॥
“Our foremost heroes killed by Rama, hopeless of life, seeing no end to our fear, without protectors, we lament.
रामहस्ताद् दशग्रीवः शूरो दत्तमहावरः । इदं भयं महाघोरं समुत्पन्नं न बुद्ध्यते ॥ २६ ॥
“Heroic Ten-necked, given a great boon, does not understand this very terrible fear that has arisen from Rama’s hand.
तं न देवा न गन्धर्वा न पिशाचा न राक्षसाः । उपसृष्टं परित्रातुं शक्ता रामेण संयुगे ॥ २७ ॥
“Neither gods nor gandharvas, nor pishachas nor rakshasas, can rescue him when he is attacked by Rama in battle.
उत्पाताश्चापि दृश्यन्ते रावणस्य रणे रणे । कथयन्ति हि रामेण रावणस्य निबर्हणम् ॥ २८ ॥
“And omens are seen by Ravana in battle after battle; for they tell of Ravana’s destruction by Rama.
पितामहेन प्रीतेन देवदानवराक्षसैः । रावणस्याभयं दत्तं मनुष्येभ्यो न याचितम् ॥ २९ ॥
“By the pleased Grandfather, safety from gods, danavas and rakshasas was given to Ravana; it was not asked from men.
तदिदं मानुषं मन्ये प्राप्तं निःसंशयं भयम् । जीवितान्तकरं घोरं रक्षसां रावणस्य च ॥ ३० ॥
“So I think this danger has come from a man, without doubt, terrible, ending the lives of the rakshasas and of Ravana.
पीड्यमानास्तु बलिना वरदानेन रक्षसा । दीप्तैस्तपोभिर्विबुधाः पितामहमपूजयन् ॥ ३१ ॥
“Oppressed by the rakshasa, mighty through the gift of a boon, the gods worshipped the Grandfather with blazing austerities.
देवतानां हितार्थाय महात्मा वै पितामहः । उवाच देवतास्तुष्ट इदं सर्वा महद्वचः ॥ ३२ ॥
“For the good of the gods, the great-souled Grandfather, pleased, said these great words to all the gods:
अद्यप्रभृति लोकांस्त्रीन् सर्वे दानवराक्षसाः । भयेन प्रभृता नित्यं विचरिष्यन्ति शाश्वतम् ॥ ३३ ॥
“’From today all the danavas and rakshasas will go about the three worlds always filled with fear, forever.’
दैवतैस्तु समागम्य सर्वैश्चेन्द्रपुरोगमैः । वृषध्वजस्त्रिपुरहा महादेवः प्रतोषितः ॥ ३४ ॥
“And the gods, all gathering, led by Indra, pleased Mahadeva, whose banner is the bull, destroyer of the three cities.
प्रसन्नस्तु महादेवो देवानेतद् वचोऽब्रवीत् । उत्पत्स्यति हितार्थं वो नारी रक्षःक्षयावहा ॥ ३५ ॥
“Pleased, Mahadeva said these words to the gods: ‘For your good a woman will arise who will bring about the destruction of the rakshasas.’
एषा देवैः प्रयुक्ता तु क्षुद् यथा दानवान् पुरा । भक्षयिष्यति नः सर्वान् राक्षसघ्नी सरावणान् ॥ ३६ ॥
“Sent by the gods, as hunger once devoured the danavas, this slayer of rakshasas will devour all of us, with Ravana.
रावणस्यापनीतेन दुर्विनीतस्य दुर्मतेः । अयं निष्टानको घोरः शोकेन समभिप्लुतः ॥ ३७ ॥
“Through the misconduct of undisciplined, evil-minded Ravana, this terrible lamentation, flooded with grief, has come.
तं न पश्यामहे लोके यो नः शरणदो भवेत् । राघवेणोपसृष्टानां कालेनेव युगक्षये ॥ ३८ ॥
“We see no one in the world who could be our giver of refuge, attacked by Raghava as by Time at the end of an age.
नास्ति नः शरणं किंचिद् भये महति तिष्ठताम् । दावाग्निवेष्टितानां हि करेणूनां यथा वने ॥ ३९ ॥
“There is no refuge at all for us, standing in great fear, as for she-elephants surrounded by a forest fire in the woods.
प्राप्तकालं कृतं तेन पौलस्त्येन महात्मना । यत एव भयं दृष्टं तमेव शरणं गतः ॥ ४० ॥
“Great-souled Paulastya did what the time required: to the very one from whom he saw the danger, to him he went for refuge.”
इतीव सर्वा रजनीचरस्त्रियः परस्परं सम्परिरभ्य बाहुभिः । विषेदुरार्तातिभयाभिपीडिता विनेदुरुच्चैश्च तदा सुदारुणम् ॥ ४१ ॥
So all the night-wandering women, embracing one another with their arms, sank in despair, oppressed by pain and great fear, and wailed aloud then most dreadfully.