The Ravaging of Ravana's Pleasure-Grove

Shloka 1 (sundara.41.1)

स च वाग्भिः प्रशस्ताभिर्गमिष्यन् पूजितस्तया। तस्माद् देशादपाक्रम्य चिन्तयामास वानरः ॥ 41.1 ॥

sa ca vāgbhiḥ praśastābhirgamiṣyan pūjitastayā| tasmād deśādapākramya cintayāmāsa vānaraḥ || 41.1 ||

Honored by her with words of praise as he made ready to go, that monkey, having withdrawn a little distance from that place, fell to thinking:

Shloka 2 (sundara.41.2)

अल्पशेषमिदं कार्यं दृष्टेयमसितेक्षणा। त्रीनुपायानतिक्रम्य चतुर्थ इह दृश्यते ॥ 41.2 ॥

alpaśeṣamidaṃ kāryaṃ dṛṣṭeyamasitekṣaṇā| trīnupāyānatikramya caturtha iha dṛśyate || 41.2 ||

"My task now has but little left undone, since this dark-eyed one has been seen. Setting aside the three expedients, the fourth now shows itself here."

Shloka 3 (sundara.41.3)

न साम रक्षःसु गुणाय कल्पते न दानमर्थोपचितेषु युज्यते। न भेदसाध्या बलदर्पिता जनाः पराक्रमस्त्वेष ममेह रोचते ॥ 41.3 ॥

na sāma rakṣaḥsu guṇāya kalpate na dānamarthopaciteṣu yujyate| na bhedasādhyā baladarpitā janāḥ parākramastveṣa mameha rocate || 41.3 ||

"Conciliation does not avail against demons; gift is of no use upon those already rich; sowing dissension cannot succeed against people proud of their strength — valor alone appeals to me here."

Shloka 4 (sundara.41.4)

न चास्य कार्यस्य पराक्रमादृते विनिश्चयः कश्चिदिहोपपद्यते। हतप्रवीराश्च रणे तु राक्षसाः कथंचिदीयुर्यदिहाद्य मार्दवम् ॥ 41.4 ॥

na cāsya kāryasya parākramādṛte viniścayaḥ kaścidihopapadyate| hatapravīrāśca raṇe tu rākṣasāḥ kathaṃcidīyuryadihādya mārdavam || 41.4 ||

"And apart from valor, no resolve concerning this task can here succeed; for if their bravest heroes are somehow slain in battle now, the demons may indeed grow weak."

Shloka 5 (sundara.41.5)

कार्ये कर्मणि निर्वृत्ते यो बहून्यपि साधयेत्। पूर्वकार्याविरोधेन स कार्यं कर्तुमर्हति ॥ 41.5 ॥

kārye karmaṇi nirvṛtte yo bahūnyapi sādhayet| pūrvakāryāvirodhena sa kāryaṃ kartumarhati || 41.5 ||

"He alone is worthy of accomplishing a task who, once directed to a work, achieves many others besides, without conflict with the primary one."

Shloka 6 (sundara.41.6)

न ह्येकः साधको हेतुः स्वल्पस्यापीह कर्मणः। यो ह्यर्थं बहुधा वेद स समर्थोऽर्थसाधने ॥ 41.6 ॥

na hyekaḥ sādhako hetuḥ svalpasyāpīha karmaṇaḥ| yo hyarthaṃ bahudhā veda sa samartho'rthasādhane || 41.6 ||

"For there is no single sufficient means even to accomplish a small task; he alone who knows a purpose in its many aspects is truly capable of achieving it."

Shloka 7 (sundara.41.7)

इहैव तावत्कृतनिश्चयो ह्यहं व्रजेयमद्य प्लवगेश्वरालयम्। परात्मसम्मर्दविशेषतत्त्ववित् ततः कृतं स्यान्मम भर्तृशासनम् ॥ 41.7 ॥

ihaiva tāvatkṛtaniścayo hyahaṃ vrajeyamadya plavageśvarālayam| parātmasammardaviśeṣatattvavit tataḥ kṛtaṃ syānmama bhartṛśāsanam || 41.7 ||

"If, having here itself ascertained beyond doubt the particular measure of strength between the enemy and ourselves, I then go to the dwelling of the lord of monkeys, only then shall my master's command be truly fulfilled by me."

Shloka 8 (sundara.41.8)

कथं नु खल्वद्य भवेत् सुखागतं प्रसह्य युद्धं मम राक्षसैः सह। तथैव खल्वात्मबलं च सारवत् समानयेन्मां च रणे दशाननः ॥ 41.8 ॥

kathaṃ nu khalvadya bhavet sukhāgataṃ prasahya yuddhaṃ mama rākṣasaiḥ saha| tathaiva khalvātmabalaṃ ca sāravat samānayenmāṃ ca raṇe daśānanaḥ || 41.8 ||

"How indeed shall my fighting with these demons now come about happily and to good purpose? How shall my strength prove fruitful? How indeed will that ten-headed one esteem me in battle?"

Shloka 9 (sundara.41.9)

ततः समासाद्य रणे दशाननं समन्त्रिवर्गं सबलं सयायिनम्। हृदि स्थितं तस्य मतं बलं च सुखेन मत्वाहमितः पुनर्व्रजे ॥ 41.9 ॥

tataḥ samāsādya raṇe daśānanaṃ samantrivargaṃ sabalaṃ sayāyinam| hṛdi sthitaṃ tasya mataṃ balaṃ ca sukhena matvāhamitaḥ punarvraje || 41.9 ||

"So then, having met the ten-headed one in battle together with his council of ministers and his marching army, and having thus learned the resolve settled in his heart and the measure of his strength, I shall happily go back from here."

Shloka 10 (sundara.41.10)

इदमस्य नृशंसस्य नन्दनोपममुत्तमम्। वनं नेत्रमनःकान्तं नानाद्रुमलतायुतम् ॥ 41.10 ॥

idamasya nṛśaṃsasya nandanopamamuttamam| vanaṃ netramanaḥkāntaṃ nānādrumalatāyutam || 41.10 ||

"This excellent grove of that cruel one, resembling Nandana, delighting the eye and the mind, filled with trees and creepers of every kind —"

Shloka 11 (sundara.41.11)

इदं विध्वंसयिष्यामि शुष्कं वनमिवानलः। अस्मिन् भग्ने ततः कोपं करिष्यति स रावणः ॥ 41.11 ॥

idaṃ vidhvaṃsayiṣyāmi śuṣkaṃ vanamivānalaḥ| asmin bhagne tataḥ kopaṃ kariṣyati sa rāvaṇaḥ || 41.11 ||

"— this I shall now lay waste, as fire lays waste a parched forest. And when it lies broken, Ravana will then surely be enraged."

Shloka 12 (sundara.41.12)

ततो महत्साश्वमहारथद्विपं बलं समानेष्यति राक्षसाधिपः। त्रिशूलकालायसपट्टिशायुधं ततो महद्युद्धमिदं भविष्यति ॥ 41.12 ॥

tato mahatsāśvamahārathadvipaṃ balaṃ samāneṣyati rākṣasādhipaḥ| triśūlakālāyasapaṭṭiśāyudhaṃ tato mahadyuddhamidaṃ bhaviṣyati || 41.12 ||

"Then the lord of demons will gather a great force of cavalry, mighty chariots and elephants, armed with tridents, iron clubs and spiked maces — and thereupon a great battle shall arise here."

Shloka 13 (sundara.41.13)

अहं च तैः संयति चण्डविक्रमैः समेत्य रक्षोभिरभङ्गविक्रमः। निहत्य तद् रावणचोदितं बलं सुखं गमिष्यामि हरीश्वरालयम् ॥ 41.13 ॥

ahaṃ ca taiḥ saṃyati caṇḍavikramaiḥ sametya rakṣobhirabhaṅgavikramaḥ| nihatya tad rāvaṇacoditaṃ balaṃ sukhaṃ gamiṣyāmi harīśvarālayam || 41.13 ||

"And I, meeting in that combat those demons of fierce prowess, my own valor unbroken, having slain the force sent forth by Ravana, shall then go happily to the abode of the lord of monkeys."

Shloka 14 (sundara.41.14)

ततो मारुतवत् क्रुद्धो मारुतिर्भीमविक्रमः। ऊरुवेगेन महता द्रुमान् क्षेप्तुमथारभत् ॥ 41.14 ॥

tato mārutavat kruddho mārutirbhīmavikramaḥ| ūruvegena mahatā drumān kṣeptumathārabhat || 41.14 ||

Then Maruti, enraged like the wind itself, terrible in his valor, began with the great force of his thighs to hurl down the trees.

Shloka 15 (sundara.41.15)

ततस्तद्धनुमान् वीरो बभञ्ज प्रमदावनम्। मत्तद्विजसमाघुष्टं नानाद्रुमलतायुतम् ॥ 41.15 ॥

tatastaddhanumān vīro babhañja pramadāvanam| mattadvijasamāghuṣṭaṃ nānādrumalatāyutam || 41.15 ||

Then that valiant Hanuman broke apart the pleasure-grove, resounding with the cries of intoxicated birds, filled with trees and creepers of every kind.

Shloka 16 (sundara.41.16)

तद्वनं मथितैर्वृक्षैर्भिन्नैश्च सलिलाशयैः। चूर्णितैः पर्वताग्रैश्च बभूवाप्रियदर्शनम् ॥ 41.16 ॥

tadvanaṃ mathitairvṛkṣairbhinnaiśca salilāśayaiḥ| cūrṇitaiḥ parvatāgraiśca babhūvāpriyadarśanam || 41.16 ||

That grove, its trees uprooted, its pools broken apart, its hilltops crushed to powder, became unpleasant to behold.

Shloka 17 (sundara.41.17)

नानाशकुन्तविरुतैः प्रभिन्नसलिलाशयैः। ताम्रैः किसलयैः क्लान्तैः क्लान्तद्रुमलतायुतैः ॥ 41.17 ॥

nānāśakuntavirutaiḥ prabhinnasalilāśayaiḥ| tāmraiḥ kisalayaiḥ klāntaiḥ klāntadrumalatāyutaiḥ || 41.17 ||

With the cries of many kinds of birds, its water-pools broken open, its coppery young shoots withered, its trees and creepers all withered together —

Shloka 18 (sundara.41.18)

न बभौ तद् वनं तत्र दावानलहतं यथा। व्याकुलावरणा रेजुर्विह्वला इव ता लताः ॥ 41.18 ॥

na babhau tad vanaṃ tatra dāvānalahataṃ yathā| vyākulāvaraṇā rejurvihvalā iva tā latāḥ || 41.18 ||

— that grove no longer shone there, as though it had been struck by a forest fire; the creepers, their trellises in disorder, trembled as though bewildered.

Shloka 19 (sundara.41.19)

लतागृहैश्चित्रगृहैश्च सादितै- र्व्यालैर्मृगैरार्तरवैश्च पक्षिभिः। शिलागृहैरुन्मथितैस्तथा गृहैः प्रणष्टरूपं तदभून्महद् वनम् ॥ 41.19 ॥

latāgṛhaiścitragṛhaiśca sāditai- rvyālairmṛgairārtaravaiśca pakṣibhiḥ| śilāgṛhairunmathitaistathā gṛhaiḥ praṇaṣṭarūpaṃ tadabhūnmahad vanam || 41.19 ||

With its arbours of creepers and painted pavilions thrown down, with serpents and beasts and birds crying out in distress, with its grottoes of rock and other dwellings uprooted alike — that great grove lost all its former form.

Shloka 20 (sundara.41.20)

सा विह्वलाशोकलताप्रताना वनस्थली शोकलताप्रताना। जाता दशास्यप्रमदावनस्य कपेर्बलाद्धि प्रमदावनस्य ॥ 41.20 ॥

sā vihvalāśokalatāpratānā vanasthalī śokalatāpratānā| jātā daśāsyapramadāvanasya kaperbalāddhi pramadāvanasya || 41.20 ||

That garden-land, bewildered, its rows of ashoka creepers now become rows of sorrow, born through the monkey's might out of Ravana's own pleasure-grove, turned into a pleasure-grove of grief.

Shloka 21 (sundara.41.21)

ततः स कृत्वा जगतीपतेर्महान् महद् व्यलीकं मनसो महात्मनः। युयुत्सुरेको बहुभिर्महाबलैः श्रिया ज्वलंस्तोरणमाश्रितः कपिः ॥ 41.21 ॥

tataḥ sa kṛtvā jagatīpatermahān mahad vyalīkaṃ manaso mahātmanaḥ| yuyutsureko bahubhirmahābalaiḥ śriyā jvalaṃstoraṇamāśritaḥ kapiḥ || 41.21 ||

Then he, having thus dealt so great an affront to the mind of that lord of the earth, that great one, though alone, eager to do battle with the many mighty warriors to come, blazing with splendor, took his stand upon the archway.