The careless king
॥ 3.31.1, 8–9 ॥
silent moment
॥ 3.31.2 ॥
Akampana
Sanskrit
जनस्थानस्थिता राजन् राक्षसा बहवो हताः खरश् च निहतः संख्ये कथंचिद् अहम् आगतः ॥
janasthānasthitā rājan rākṣasā bahavo hatāḥ kharaś ca nihataḥ saṃkhye kathaṃcid aham āgataḥ
English
Stationed at Janasthana, O king,
many rakshasas are slain;
and Khara is struck down in battle:
somehow I have come.
॥ 3.31.27–31 ॥
Akampana
Sanskrit
न हि रामो दशग्रीव शक्यो जेतुं रणे त्वया … अयम् अस्य वधोपायस् तद् एकमनाः शृणु भार्या तस्योत्तमा लोके सीता नाम सुमध्यमा … तस्यापहर भार्यां त्वं तं प्रमथ्य महावने सीतया रहितो रामो न चैव हि भविष्यति ॥
na hi rāmo daśagrīva śakyo jetuṃ raṇe tvayā … ayam asya vadhopāyas tad ekamanāḥ śṛṇu bhāryā tasyottamā loke sītā nāma sumadhyamā … tasyāpahara bhāryāṃ tvaṃ taṃ pramathya mahāvane sītayā rahito rāmo na caiva hi bhaviṣyati
English
Ten-necked one, Rama cannot
be conquered by you in battle.
This is the way to his death:
hear it with a single mind.
His wife, the finest in the world,
is Sita, slender-waisted.
Carry off his wife, when you
have outwitted him in the great forest;
parted from Sita, Rama
will surely live no more.
॥ 3.31.32–50 ॥
Valmikiverse caption
Sanskrit
प्रसीद लङ्केश्वर राक्षसेन्द्र लङ्कां प्रसन्नो भव साधु गच्छ ।
त्वं स्वेषु दारेषु रमस्व नित्यं रामः सभार्यो रमतां वनेषु ॥
prasīda laṅkeśvara rākṣasendra laṅkāṃ prasanno bhava sādhu gaccha
tvaṃ sveṣu dāreṣu ramasva nityaṃ rāmaḥ sabhāryo ramatāṃ vaneṣu
English
Be gracious, lord of Lanka, king of rakshasas;
be at peace, and go well, back to Lanka.
Delight forever in your own wives;
let Rama with his wife delight in the woods.
॥ 3.32.3–22 ॥
CrEd 3.30.3–21
silent moment
॥ 3.32.25; 3.33.1 ॥
CrEd 3.30.22; 3.31.1
Valmikiverse caption
Sanskrit
तम् अब्रवीद् दीप्तविशाललोचनं प्रदर्शयित्वा भयमोहमूर्छिता ।
सुदारुणं वाक्यम् अभीतचारिणी महात्मना शूर्पणखा विरूपिता ।
ततः शूर्पणखा दीना रावणं लोकरावणम् ।
अमात्यमध्ये संक्रुद्धा परुषं वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥
tam abravīd dīptaviśālalocanaṃ pradarśayitvā bhayamohamūrchitā
sudāruṇaṃ vākyam abhītacāriṇī mahātmanā śūrpaṇakhā virūpitā
tataḥ śūrpaṇakhā dīnā rāvaṇaṃ lokarāvaṇam
amātyamadhye saṃkruddhā paruṣaṃ vākyam abravīt
English
To him of the blazing, wide eyes she spoke,
showing herself, dazed with fear and confusion,
words most terrible, she who moved without fear,
Shurpanakha, disfigured by the great-souled one.
Then Shurpanakha, wretched,
to Ravana, who makes the worlds cry out,
amid the ministers, in fury,
spoke words harsh and cruel.
॥ 3.33.2 ॥
CrEd 3.31.2
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
प्रमत्तः कामभोगेषु स्वैरवृत्तो निरङ्कुशः समुत्पन्नं भयं घोरं बोद्धव्यं नावबुध्यसे ॥
pramattaḥ kāmabhogeṣu svairavṛtto niraṅkuśaḥ samutpannaṃ bhayaṃ ghoraṃ boddhavyaṃ nāvabudhyase
English
Drunk on desire and pleasure,
self-willed, with no goad to check you,
the terrible danger that has risen,
which you should see, you do not see.
॥ 3.33.3 ॥
CrEd 3.31.3
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
सक्तं ग्राम्येषु भोगेषु कामवृत्तं महीपतिम् लुब्धं न बहु मन्यन्ते श्मशानाग्निम् इव प्रजाः ॥
saktaṃ grāmyeṣu bhogeṣu kāmavṛttaṃ mahīpatim lubdhaṃ na bahu manyante śmaśānāgnim iva prajāḥ
English
A king who clings to common pleasures,
whose way is desire,
a greedy king the people do not honour,
no more than a cremation fire.
॥ 3.33.1 ॥
CrEd 3.31.1
silent moment
॥ 3.33.10 ॥
CrEd 3.31.9
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
यस्मात् पश्यन्ति दूरस्थान् सर्वान् अर्थान् नराधिपाः चारेण तस्माद् उच्यन्ते राजानो दीर्घचक्षुषः ॥
yasmāt paśyanti dūrasthān sarvān arthān narādhipāḥ cāreṇa tasmād ucyante rājāno dīrghacakṣuṣaḥ
English
Since lords of men see things far off,
all matters, every one,
through spies, for this they are called,
these kings, the long-eyed.
॥ 3.33.11 ॥
CrEd 3.31.10
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
अयुक्तचारं मन्ये त्वां प्राकृतैः सचिवैर् वृतम् स्वजनं च जनस्थानं हतं यो नावबुध्यसे ॥
ayuktacāraṃ manye tvāṃ prākṛtaiḥ sacivair vṛtam svajanaṃ ca janasthānaṃ hataṃ yo nāvabudhyase
English
I think you set no spies to work,
ringed by common ministers,
you who know not that your own,
Janasthana, lie slain.
॥ 3.33.12–13 ॥
CrEd 3.31.11–12
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
चतुर्दश सहस्राणि रक्षसां भीमकर्मणाम् हतान्य् एकेन रामेण खरश् च सहदूषणः ऋषीणाम् अभयं दत्तं कृतक्षेमाश् च दण्डकाः धर्षितं च जनस्थानं रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा ॥
caturdaśa sahasrāṇi rakṣasāṃ bhīmakarmaṇām hatāny ekena rāmeṇa kharaś ca sahadūṣaṇaḥ ṛṣīṇām abhayaṃ dattaṃ kṛtakṣemāś ca daṇḍakāḥ dharṣitaṃ ca janasthānaṃ rāmeṇākliṣṭakarmaṇā
English
Fourteen thousand
rakshasas of terrible deeds
are slain by Rama alone,
and Khara, and Dushana with him.
To the sages safety is given,
the Dandaka woods made secure,
and Janasthana trampled down
by Rama of unwearied deeds.
॥ 3.33.17–19 ॥
CrEd 3.31.16–18
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
नानुतिष्ठति कार्याणि भयेषु न बिभेति च क्षिप्रं राज्याच् च्युतो दीनस् तृणैस् तुल्यो भविष्यति … उपभुक्तं यथा वासः स्रजो वा मृदिता यथा एवं राज्यात् परिभ्रष्टः समर्थोऽपि निरर्थकः ॥
nānutiṣṭhati kāryāṇi bhayeṣu na bibheti ca kṣipraṃ rājyāc cyuto dīnas tṛṇais tulyo bhaviṣyati … upabhuktaṃ yathā vāsaḥ srajo vā mṛditā yathā evaṃ rājyāt paribhraṣṭaḥ samartho 'pi nirarthakaḥ
English
He does not see to his tasks,
nor fears when dangers come:
soon fallen from his kingdom, wretched,
he will be worth no more than straw.
Like a garment worn and cast off,
like a garland crushed,
so is a king fallen from his kingdom,
however able, useless.
॥ 3.33.21 ॥
CrEd 3.31.20
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
नयनाभ्यां प्रसुप्तोऽपि जागर्ति नयचक्षुषा व्यक्तक्रोधप्रसादश् च स राजा पूज्यते जनैः ॥
nayanābhyāṃ prasupto 'pi jāgarti nayacakṣuṣā vyaktakrodhaprasādaś ca sa rājā pūjyate janaiḥ
English
Though his eyes are sleeping,
he wakes with the eye of policy;
plain are his wrath and his grace:
that king the people honour.
॥ 3.33.22–23 ॥
CrEd 3.31.21–22
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
त्वं तु रावण दुर्बुद्धिर् गुणैर् एतैर् विवर्जितः यस्य तेऽविदितश् चारै रक्षसां सुमहान् वधः … अयुक्तबुद्धिर् गुणदोषनिश्चये विपन्नराज्यो न चिराद् विपत्स्यते ॥
tvaṃ tu rāvaṇa durbuddhir guṇair etair vivarjitaḥ yasya te 'viditaś cārai rakṣasāṃ sumahān vadhaḥ … ayuktabuddhir guṇadoṣaniścaye vipannarājyo na cirād vipatsyate
English
But you, Ravana, ill-minded,
are bare of all these virtues,
you whose spies never told you
of this great slaughter of the rakshasas.
Unfit of mind to weigh virtue and fault,
your kingdom ruined, you will soon be ruined.
॥ 3.33.24 ॥
CrEd 3.31.23
silent moment
Lift your right foot
॥ 3.32.18–19; 3.34.1 ॥
CrEd 3.30.18; 3.32.1
Valmikiverse caption
Sanskrit
देवदानवगन्धर्वपिशाचपतगोरगैः ।
अभयं यस्य संग्रामे मृत्युतो मानुषाद् ऋते ।
ततः शूर्पणखां क्रुद्धां ब्रुवतीं परुषं वचः ।
अमात्यमध्ये संक्रुद्धः परिपप्रच्छ रावणः ॥
devadānavagandharvapiśācapatagoragaiḥ
abhayaṃ yasya saṃgrāme mṛtyuto mānuṣād ṛte
tataḥ śūrpaṇakhāṃ kruddhāṃ bruvatīṃ paruṣaṃ vacaḥ
amātyamadhye saṃkruddhaḥ paripapraccha rāvaṇaḥ
English
From gods and danavas, gandharvas,
pishachas, birds and serpents,
he was safe from death in battle,
from all save man.
Then Shurpanakha, in her anger,
speaking words so harsh,
amid the ministers, enraged,
Ravana questioned.
॥ 3.34.2–3 ॥
CrEd 3.32.2–3
Ravana
Sanskrit
कश् च रामः कथं वीर्यः किं रूपः किं पराक्रमः किमर्थं दण्डकारण्यं प्रविष्टश् च सुदुश्चरम् आयुधं किं च रामस्य निहता येन राक्षसाः खरश् च निहतः संख्ये दूषणस् त्रिशिरास् तथा ॥
kaś ca rāmaḥ kathaṃ vīryaḥ kiṃ rūpaḥ kiṃ parākramaḥ kimarthaṃ daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ praviṣṭaś ca suduścaram āyudhaṃ kiṃ ca rāmasya nihatā yena rākṣasāḥ kharaś ca nihataḥ saṃkhye dūṣaṇas triśirās tathā
English
Who is Rama? What is his strength,
what his form, what his valour?
For what has he entered the Dandaka,
the forest so hard to cross?
And what is Rama’s weapon,
by which the rakshasas were slain,
Khara struck down in battle,
Dushana, and Trishiras too?
॥ 3.34.5cd–7ab ॥
CrEd 3.32.5–6
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
दीर्घबाहुर् विशालाक्षश् चीरकृष्णाजिनाम्बरः कन्दर्पसमरूपश् च रामो दशरथात्मजः शक्रचापनिभं चापं विकृष्य कनकाङ्गदम् दीप्तान् क्षिपति नाराचान् सर्पान् इव महाविषान् ॥
dīrghabāhur viśālākṣaś cīrakṛṣṇājināmbaraḥ kandarpasamarūpaś ca rāmo daśarathātmajaḥ śakracāpanibhaṃ cāpaṃ vikṛṣya kanakāṅgadam dīptān kṣipati nārācān sarpān iva mahāviṣān
English
Long-armed, wide-eyed,
clad in bark and the black deerskin,
in form like Kama himself,
is Rama, Dasharatha’s son.
Drawing a bow like Indra’s bow,
banded with gold,
he looses blazing shafts
like serpents of deadly venom.
॥ 3.34.7cd–9ab ॥
CrEd 3.32.7–8
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
नाददानं शरान् घोरान् न मुञ्चन्तं महाबलम् न कार्मुकं विकर्षन्तं रामं पश्यामि संयुगे हन्यमानं तु तत् सैन्यं पश्यामि शरवृष्टिभिः इन्द्रेणैवोत्तमं सस्यम् आहतं त्व् अश्मवृष्टिभिः ॥
nādadānaṃ śarān ghorān na muñcantaṃ mahābalam na kārmukaṃ vikarṣantaṃ rāmaṃ paśyāmi saṃyuge hanyamānaṃ tu tat sainyaṃ paśyāmi śaravṛṣṭibhiḥ indreṇaivottamaṃ sasyam āhataṃ tv aśmavṛṣṭibhiḥ
English
Not taking up the terrible arrows,
not loosing them, the mighty one,
not drawing the bow:
so I see Rama in battle.
But I see that army struck down
by showers of arrows,
as the finest crop is struck by Indra
with showers of hail.
॥ 3.34.12 ॥
CrEd 3.32.11
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
एका कथं चिन् मुक्ताहं परिभूय महात्मना स्त्रीवधं शङ्कमानेन रामेण विदितात्मना ॥
ekā kathaṃ cin muktāhaṃ paribhūya mahātmanā strīvadhaṃ śaṅkamānena rāmeṇa viditātmanā
English
I alone, somehow, went free,
scorned by the great-souled one,
by Rama, who shrank from slaying a woman,
Rama, who knows himself.
॥ 3.34.12 ॥
CrEd 3.32.11
silent moment
॥ 3.34.13–14 ॥
CrEd 3.32.12–13
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
भ्राता चास्य महातेजा गुणतस् तुल्यविक्रमः अनुरक्तश् च भक्तश् च लक्ष्मणो नाम वीर्यवान् अमर्षी दुर्जयो जेता विक्रान्तो बुद्धिमान् बली रामस्य दक्षिणे बाहुर् नित्यं प्राणो बहिश्चरः ॥
bhrātā cāsya mahātejā guṇatas tulyavikramaḥ anuraktaś ca bhaktaś ca lakṣmaṇo nāma vīryavān amarṣī durjayo jetā vikrānto buddhimān balī rāmasya dakṣiṇe bāhur nityaṃ prāṇo bahiścaraḥ
English
His brother, of great splendour,
his equal in virtue and valour,
loving and devoted,
is Lakshmana, the mighty;
fierce, unconquerable, a victor,
bold, wise and strong,
Rama’s right arm,
his life forever walking outside him.
॥ 3.34.15–18 ॥
CrEd 3.32.14–15
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
रामस्य तु विशालाक्षी धर्मपत्नी यशस्विनी सीता नाम वरारोहा वैदेही तनुमध्यमा नैव देवी न गन्धर्वा न यक्षी न च किंनरी तथारूपा मया नारी दृष्टपूर्वा महीतले ॥
rāmasya tu viśālākṣī dharmapatnī yaśasvinī sītā nāma varārohā vaidehī tanumadhyamā naiva devī na gandharvā na yakṣī na ca kiṃnarī tathārūpā mayā nārī dṛṣṭapūrvā mahītale
English
And Rama’s wife, wide-eyed,
his lawful wife, the glorious,
Sita by name, fine-hipped,
Vaidehi, slender-waisted.
No goddess, no gandharvi,
no yakshi, no kinnari,
no woman of such beauty
have I seen before on earth.
॥ 3.34.19 ॥
CrEd 3.32.16
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
यस्य सीता भवेद् भार्या यं च हृष्टा परिष्वजेत् अतिजीवेत् स सर्वेषु लोकेष्व् अपि पुरंदरात् ॥
yasya sītā bhaved bhāryā yaṃ ca hṛṣṭā pariṣvajet atijīvet sa sarveṣu lokeṣv api puraṃdarāt
English
He whose wife Sita would be,
whom she would gladly embrace,
would live, in all the worlds,
beyond even Indra.
॥ 3.34.20–21 ॥
CrEd 3.32.17–18
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
सा सुशीला वपुःश्लाघ्या रूपेणाप्रतिमा भुवि तवानुरूपा भार्या सा त्वं च तस्यास् तथा पतिः तां तु विस्तीर्णजघनां पीनोत्तुङ्गपयोधराम् भार्यार्थे तु तवानेतुम् उद्यताहं वराननाम् ॥
sā suśīlā vapuḥślāghyā rūpeṇāpratimā bhuvi tavānurūpā bhāryā sā tvaṃ ca tasyās tathā patiḥ tāṃ tu vistīrṇajaghanāṃ pīnottuṅgapayodharām bhāryārthe tu tavānetum udyatāhaṃ varānanām
English
Gentle, of praiseworthy form,
peerless in beauty on earth,
she is a wife to match you,
and you a husband for her.
Her of the wide hips,
her of the full, high breasts,
to bring her here as your wife
I set out, her of the lovely face.
॥ 3.34.21 ॥
CrEd 3.32.18
silent moment
॥ 3.34.22cd–23 ॥
CrEd 3.32.19–20
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
तां तु दृष्ट्वाद्य वैदेहीं पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननाम् मन्मथस्य शराणां च त्वं विधेयो भविष्यसि यदि तस्याम् अभिप्रायो भार्यार्थे तव जायते शीघ्रम् उद्ध्रियतां पादो जयार्थम् इह दक्षिणः ॥
tāṃ tu dṛṣṭvādya vaidehīṃ pūrṇacandranibhānanām manmathasya śarāṇāṃ ca tvaṃ vidheyo bhaviṣyasi yadi tasyām abhiprāyo bhāryārthe tava jāyate śīghram uddhriyatāṃ pādo jayārtham iha dakṣiṇaḥ
English
Once you see Vaidehi today,
her face like the full moon,
you will be subject
to the arrows of the god of love.
If your heart turns to her,
to make her your wife,
quickly let the right foot be lifted
here, for victory.
॥ 3.34.23 ॥
CrEd 3.32.21–22
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
कुरु प्रियं तथा तेषां रक्षसां राक्षसेश्वर वधात् तस्य नृशंसस्य रामस्याश्रमवासिनः तं शरैर् निशितैर् हत्वा लक्ष्मणं च महारथम् हतनाथां सुखं सीतां यथावद् उपभोक्ष्यसे ॥
kuru priyaṃ tathā teṣāṃ rakṣasāṃ rākṣaseśvara vadhāt tasya nṛśaṃsasya rāmasyāśramavāsinaḥ taṃ śarair niśitair hatvā lakṣmaṇaṃ ca mahāratham hatanāthāṃ sukhaṃ sītāṃ yathāvad upabhokṣyase
English
Do this kindness for those rakshasas,
lord of rakshasas,
by slaying that cruel one,
Rama, who dwells in the hermitage.
Slay him with sharpened arrows,
and Lakshmana, the great warrior,
and Sita, her protector slain,
you will enjoy at your ease.
॥ 3.34.24, 26 ॥
CrEd 3.32.23–24
Shurpanakha
Sanskrit
रोचते यदि ते वाक्यं ममैतद् राक्षसेश्वर क्रियतां निर्विशङ्केन वचनं मम … निशम्य रामेण शरैर् अजिह्मगैर् हताञ् जनस्थानगतान् निशाचरान् खरं च बुद्ध्वा निहतं च दूषणं त्वम् अद्य कृत्यं प्रतिपत्तुम् अर्हसि ॥
rocate yadi te vākyaṃ mamaitad rākṣaseśvara kriyatāṃ nirviśaṅkena vacanaṃ mama … niśamya rāmeṇa śarair ajihmagair hatāñ janasthānagatān niśācarān kharaṃ ca buddhvā nihataṃ ca dūṣaṇaṃ tvam adya kṛtyaṃ pratipattum arhasi
English
If these words of mine please you,
lord of rakshasas,
let my counsel be done
without a doubt.
Hearing that Rama’s straight-flying arrows
slew the night-walkers of Janasthana,
and knowing Khara slain, and Dushana,
today you must resolve what is to be done.
॥ 3.34.26 ॥
CrEd 3.32.24
silent moment