Indrajit's Boast and Vibhishana's Rebuke

Shloka 1 (yuddha.15.1)

बृहस्पतेस्तुल्यमतेर्वचस्त- न्निशम्य यत्नेन विभीषणस्य । ततो महात्मा वचनं बभाषे तत्रेन्द्रजिन्नैर्ऋतयूथमुख्यः ॥ १५.१ ॥

bṛhaspatestulyamatervacasta- nniśamya yatnena vibhīṣaṇasya | tato mahātmā vacanaṃ babhāṣe tatrendrajinnairṛtayūthamukhyaḥ ||

Having carefully heard those words of Vibhishana, whose wisdom equalled that of Brihaspati, the noble Indrajit, chief of the demon host, there spoke these words.

Shloka 2 (yuddha.15.2)

किं नाम ते तात कनिष्ठ वाक्य- मनर्थकं वै बहुभीतवच्च । अस्मिन् कुले योऽपि भवेन्न जातः सोऽपीदृशं नैव वदेन्न कुर्यात् ॥ १५.२ ॥

kiṃ nāma te tāta kaniṣṭha vākya- manarthakaṃ vai bahubhītavacca | asmin kule yo'pi bhavenna jātaḥ so'pīdṛśaṃ naiva vadenna kuryāt ||

"What, uncle, is this? These words of yours are meaningless and full of fear. Even one not born into this lineage would neither speak nor do such a thing."

Shloka 3 (yuddha.15.3)

सत्त्वेन वीर्येण पराक्रमेण धैर्येण शौर्येण च तेजसा च । एकः कुलेऽस्मिन् पुरुषो विमुक्तो विभीषणस्तात कनिष्ठ एषः ॥ १५.३ ॥

sattvena vīryeṇa parākrameṇa dhairyeṇa śauryeṇa ca tejasā ca | ekaḥ kule'smin puruṣo vimukto vibhīṣaṇastāta kaniṣṭha eṣaḥ ||

"Devoid of courage, might, prowess, fortitude, valour, and vigour—this uncle Vibhishana is the one lone man of this line, father."

Shloka 4 (yuddha.15.4)

किं नाम तौ मानुषराजपुत्रा- वस्माकमेकेन हि राक्षसेन । सुप्राकृतेनापि निहन्तुमेतौ शक्यौ कुतो भीषयसे स्म भीरो ॥ १५.४ ॥

kiṃ nāma tau mānuṣarājaputrā- vasmākamekena hi rākṣasena | suprākṛtenāpi nihantumetau śakyau kuto bhīṣayase sma bhīro ||

"What, after all, are these two princes, mere sons of a human king? Even the most ordinary demon among us could slay them both. Why, then, O coward, do you go about frightening us?"

Shloka 5 (yuddha.15.5)

त्रिलोकनाथो ननु देवराजः शक्रो मया भूमितले निविष्टः । भयार्पिताश्चापि दिशः प्रपन्नाः सर्वे तदा देवगणाः समग्राः ॥ १५.५ ॥

trilokanātho nanu devarājaḥ śakro mayā bhūmitale niviṣṭaḥ | bhayārpitāścāpi diśaḥ prapannāḥ sarve tadā devagaṇāḥ samagrāḥ ||

"Indra himself, lord of the three worlds and king of the gods, I once flung down upon the earth. At that time, seized with terror, the whole host of gods fled in every direction."

Shloka 6 (yuddha.15.6)

ऐरावतो निःस्वनमुन्नदन् स निपातितो भूमितले मया तु । विकृष्य दन्तौ तु मया प्रसह्य वित्रासिता देवगणाः समग्राः ॥ १५.६ ॥

airāvato niḥsvanamunnadan sa nipātito bhūmitale mayā tu | vikṛṣya dantau tu mayā prasahya vitrāsitā devagaṇāḥ samagrāḥ ||

Airavata, trumpeting harshly, was hurled by me onto the ground; I forcibly wrenched out its tusks, and the whole host of gods was thrown into terror.

Shloka 7 (yuddha.15.7)

सोऽहं सुराणामपि दर्पहन्ता दैत्योत्तमानामपि शोककर्ता । कथं नरेन्द्रात्मजयोर्न शक्तो मनुष्ययोः प्राकृतयोः सुवीर्यः ॥ १५.७ ॥

so'haṃ surāṇāmapi darpahantā daityottamānāmapi śokakartā | kathaṃ narendrātmajayorna śakto manuṣyayoḥ prākṛtayoḥ suvīryaḥ ||

"I, who have crushed the pride even of the gods and brought grief even to the noblest of demons, mighty as I am—how could I possibly be powerless before these two ordinary human princes?"

Shloka 8 (yuddha.15.8)

अथेन्द्रकल्पस्य दुरासदस्य महौजसस्तद् वचनं निशम्य । ततो महार्थं वचनं बभाषे विभीषणः शस्त्रभृतां वरिष्ठः ॥ १५.८ ॥

athendrakalpasya durāsadasya mahaujasastad vacanaṃ niśamya | tato mahārthaṃ vacanaṃ babhāṣe vibhīṣaṇaḥ śastrabhṛtāṃ variṣṭhaḥ ||

Hearing those words of Indrajit—formidable and mighty as Indra himself—Vibhishana, foremost among wielders of weapons, then spoke words of great import.

Shloka 9 (yuddha.15.9)

न तात मन्त्रे तव निश्चयोऽस्ति बालस्त्वमद्याप्यविपक्वबुद्धिः । तस्मात् त्वयाप्यात्मविनाशनाय वचोऽर्थहीनं बहु विप्रलप्तम् ॥ १५.९ ॥

na tāta mantre tava niścayo'sti bālastvamadyāpyavipakvabuddhiḥ | tasmāt tvayāpyātmavināśanāya vaco'rthahīnaṃ bahu vipralaptam ||

"There is no firm resolve in your counsel, dear child; you are still a boy of unripe understanding. That is why you too have babbled these many meaningless words, to your own undoing."

Shloka 10 (yuddha.15.10)

पुत्रप्रवादेन तु रावणस्य त्वमिन्द्रजिन्मित्रमुखोऽसि शत्रुः । यस्येदृशं राघवतो विनाशं निशम्य मोहादनुमन्यसे त्वम् ॥ १५.१० ॥

putrapravādena tu rāvaṇasya tvamindrajinmitramukho'si śatruḥ | yasyedṛśaṃ rāghavato vināśaṃ niśamya mohādanumanyase tvam ||

"O Indrajit, though called Ravana's son, you are in truth his enemy wearing a friend's face—for, having heard of such destruction awaiting him at Raghava's hands, you, out of delusion, still approve of his course."

Shloka 11 (yuddha.15.11)

त्वमेव वध्यश्च सुदुर्मतिश्च स चापि वध्यो य इहानयत् त्वाम् । बालं दृढं साहसिकं च योऽद्य प्रावेशयन्मन्त्रकृतां समीपम् ॥ १५.११ ॥

tvameva vadhyaśca sudurmatiśca sa cāpi vadhyo ya ihānayat tvām | bālaṃ dṛḍhaṃ sāhasikaṃ ca yo'dya prāveśayanmantrakṛtāṃ samīpam ||

"You yourself, of such evil counsel, deserve death; and so too does he who brought you here—a rash and headstrong boy—and seated you today among these counsellors."

Shloka 12 (yuddha.15.12)

मूढोऽप्रगल्भोऽविनयोपपन्न- स्तीक्ष्णस्वभावोऽल्पमतिर्दुरात्मा । मूर्खस्त्वमत्यन्तसुदुर्मतिश्च त्वमिन्द्रजिद् बालतया ब्रवीषि ॥ १५.१२ ॥

mūḍho'pragalbho'vinayopapanna- stīkṣṇasvabhāvo'lpamatirdurātmā | mūrkhastvamatyantasudurmatiśca tvamindrajid bālatayā bravīṣi ||

"O Indrajit, you are foolish, immature, ill-mannered, harsh by nature, shallow-minded, base, stupid, and utterly ill-counselled; whatever you say, you say only out of childishness."

Shloka 13 (yuddha.15.13)

को ब्रह्मदण्डप्रतिमप्रकाशा- नर्चिष्मतः कालनिकाशरूपान् । सहेत बाणान् यमदण्डकल्पान् समक्षमुक्तान् युधि राघवेण ॥ १५.१३ ॥

ko brahmadaṇḍapratimaprakāśā- narciṣmataḥ kālanikāśarūpān | saheta bāṇān yamadaṇḍakalpān samakṣamuktān yudhi rāghaveṇa ||

"Who can withstand those arrows—blazing like Brahma's own rod of chastisement, radiant as flame, terrible as Death's own form, equal to the staff of Yama—loosed openly in battle by Raghava?"

Shloka 14 (yuddha.15.14)

धनानि रत्नानि सुभूषणानि वासांसि दिव्यानि मणींश्च चित्रान् । सीतां च रामाय निवेद्य देवीं वसेम राजन्निह वीतशोकाः ॥ १५.१४ ॥

dhanāni ratnāni subhūṣaṇāni vāsāṃsi divyāni maṇīṃśca citrān | sītāṃ ca rāmāya nivedya devīṃ vasema rājanniha vītaśokāḥ ||

"O king, let us offer riches, jewels, fine ornaments, celestial garments, and gems of every hue, and give back the divine Sita to Rama, so that we may dwell here free from grief."