Ravana Spurns Malyavan's Counsel

Shloka 1 (yuddha.36.1)

तत् तु माल्यवतो वाक्यं हितमुक्तं दशाननः। न मर्षयति दुष्टात्मा कालस्य वशमागतः ॥ 36.1 ॥

tat tu mālyavato vākyaṃ hitamuktaṃ daśānanaḥ| na marṣayati duṣṭātmā kālasya vaśamāgataḥ || 36.1 ||

But the ten-faced Ravana, his mind corrupted and already in the grip of death, would not endure that wholesome counsel spoken by Malyavan.

Shloka 2 (yuddha.36.2)

स बद्ध्वा भ्रुकुटिं वक्त्रे क्रोधस्य वशमागतः। अमर्षात् परिवृत्ताक्षो माल्यवन्तमथाब्रवीत् ॥ 36.2 ॥

sa bad‍dhvā bhrukuṭiṃ vaktre krodhasya vaśamāgataḥ| amarṣāt parivṛttākṣo mālyavantamathābravīt || 36.2 ||

Knitting his brow, overcome by anger, his eyes rolling in indignation, he then spoke to Malyavan:

Shloka 3 (yuddha.36.3)

हितबुद्ध्या यदहितं वचः परुषमुच्यते। परपक्षं प्रविश्यैव नैतच्छ्रोत्रगतं मम ॥ 36.3 ॥

hitabuddhyā yadahitaṃ vacaḥ paruṣamucyate| parapakṣaṃ praviśyaiva naitacchrotragataṃ mama || 36.3 ||

These harsh and unhelpful words you speak in the name of good counsel, as though you had gone over to the enemy's side, have not entered my ears at all.

Shloka 4 (yuddha.36.4)

मानुषं कृपणं राममेकं शाखामृगाश्रयम्। समर्थं मन्यसे केन त्यक्तं पित्रा वनाश्रयम् ॥ 36.4 ॥

mānuṣaṃ kṛpaṇaṃ rāmamekaṃ śākhāmṛgāśrayam| samarthaṃ manyase kena tyaktaṃ pitrā vanāśrayam || 36.4 ||

On what grounds do you think that wretched human Rama -- alone, dependent on monkeys, cast off by his own father, and living as a forest exile -- is a match for me?

Shloka 5 (yuddha.36.5)

रक्षसामीश्वरं मां च देवानां च भयंकरम्। हीनं मां मन्यसे केन अहीनं सर्वविक्रमैः ॥ 36.5 ॥

rakṣasāmīśvaraṃ māṃ ca devānāṃ ca bhayaṃkaram| hīnaṃ māṃ manyase kena ahīnaṃ sarvavikramaiḥ || 36.5 ||

And why do you consider me -- lord of the rakshasas, a terror even to the gods, and lacking in no form of valor -- to be the lesser one?

Shloka 6 (yuddha.36.6)

वीरद्वेषेण वा शङ्के पक्षपातेन वा रिपोः। त्वयाहं परुषाण्युक्तो परप्रोत्साहनेन वा ॥ 36.6 ॥

vīradveṣeṇa vā śaṅke pakṣapātena vā ripoḥ| tvayāhaṃ paruṣāṇyukto paraprotsāhanena vā || 36.6 ||

I suspect you have spoken these harsh words to me either out of hatred for a hero, or out of favor toward the enemy, or because you have been provoked by him.

Shloka 7 (yuddha.36.7)

प्रभवन्तं पदस्थं हि परुषं कोऽभिभाषते। पण्डितः शास्त्रतत्त्वज्ञो विना प्रोत्साहनेन वा ॥ 36.7 ॥

prabhavantaṃ padasthaṃ hi paruṣaṃ ko'bhibhāṣate| paṇḍitaḥ śāstratattvajño vinā protsāhanena vā || 36.7 ||

What scholar, truly versed in the scriptures, would speak so harshly to one who is powerful and secure in his position, unless someone had provoked him to it?

Shloka 8 (yuddha.36.8)

आनीय च वनात् सीतां पद्महीनामिव श्रियम्। किमर्थं प्रतिदास्यामि राघवस्य भयादहम् ॥ 36.8 ॥

ānīya ca vanāt sītāṃ padmahīnāmiva śriyam| kimarthaṃ pratidāsyāmi rāghavasya bhayādaham || 36.8 ||

Having carried off Sita from the forest -- she who is like Lakshmi herself without her lotus -- why should I give her back out of fear of Rama?

Shloka 9 (yuddha.36.9)

वृतं वानरकोटीभिः ससुग्रीवं सलक्ष्मणम्। पश्य कैश्चिदहोभिश्च राघवं निहतं मया ॥ 36.9 ॥

vṛtaṃ vānarakoṭībhiḥ sasugrīvaṃ salakṣmaṇam| paśya kaiścidahobhiśca rāghavaṃ nihataṃ mayā || 36.9 ||

Within a few days you will see Rama -- surrounded by tens of millions of monkeys, with Sugriva and Lakshmana at his side -- slain by my own hand.

Shloka 10 (yuddha.36.10)

द्वन्द्वे यस्य न तिष्ठन्ति दैवतान्यपि संयुगे। स कस्माद् रावणो युद्धे भयमाहारयिष्यति ॥ 36.10 ॥

dvandve yasya na tiṣṭhanti daivatānyapi saṃyuge| sa kasmād rāvaṇo yuddhe bhayamāhārayiṣyati || 36.10 ||

Even the gods themselves cannot stand against me in single combat -- how then should this Ravana feel any fear in war?

Shloka 11 (yuddha.36.11)

द्विधा भज्येयमप्येवं न नमेयं तु कस्यचित्। एष मे सहजो दोषः स्वभावो दुरतिक्रमः ॥ 36.11 ॥

dvidhā bhajyeyamapyevaṃ na nameyaṃ tu kasyacit| eṣa me sahajo doṣaḥ svabhāvo duratikramaḥ || 36.11 ||

I would rather break in two than bow before anyone. Call it my inborn flaw if you will -- it is my nature, and it cannot be changed.

Shloka 12 (yuddha.36.12)

यदि तावत् समुद्रे तु सेतुर्बद्धो यदृच्छया। रामेण विस्मयः कोऽत्र येन ते भयमागतम् ॥ 36.12 ॥

yadi tāvat samudre tu seturbaddho yadṛcchayā| rāmeṇa vismayaḥ ko'tra yena te bhayamāgatam || 36.12 ||

So Rama has, by some stroke of luck, built a bridge across the ocean -- what is so astonishing about that, that it should fill you with fear?

Shloka 13 (yuddha.36.13)

स तु तीर्त्वार्णवं रामः सह वानरसेनया। प्रतिजानामि ते सत्यं न जीवन् प्रतियास्यति ॥ 36.13 ॥

sa tu tīrtvārṇavaṃ rāmaḥ saha vānarasenayā| pratijānāmi te satyaṃ na jīvan pratiyāsyati || 36.13 ||

I promise you truly: once Rama crosses that ocean with his army of monkeys, he shall never return alive.

Shloka 14 (yuddha.36.14)

एवं ब्रुवाणं संरब्धं रुष्टं विज्ञाय रावणम्। व्रीडितो माल्यवान् वाक्यं नोत्तरं प्रत्यपद्यत ॥ 36.14 ॥

evaṃ bruvāṇaṃ saṃrabdhaṃ ruṣṭaṃ vijñāya rāvaṇam| vrīḍito mālyavān vākyaṃ nottaraṃ pratyapadyata || 36.14 ||

Seeing Ravana so enraged and furious as he spoke these words, Malyavan, abashed, offered no reply.

Shloka 15 (yuddha.36.15)

जयाशिषा तु राजानं वर्धयित्वा यथोचितम्। माल्यवानभ्यनुज्ञातो जगाम स्वं निवेशनम् ॥ 36.15 ॥

jayāśiṣā tu rājānaṃ vardhayitvā yathocitam| mālyavānabhyanujñāto jagāma svaṃ niveśanam || 36.15 ||

Having duly greeted the king with blessings of victory, as custom required, Malyavan took his leave and went home.

Shloka 16 (yuddha.36.16)

रावणस्तु सहामात्यो मन्त्रयित्वा विमृश्य च। लङ्कायास्तु तदा गुप्तिं कारयामास राक्षसः ॥ 36.16 ॥

rāvaṇastu sahāmātyo mantrayitvā vimṛśya ca| laṅkāyāstu tadā guptiṃ kārayāmāsa rākṣasaḥ || 36.16 ||

Ravana, meeting with his counsellors and weighing the matter carefully, then set about arranging for the defense of Lanka.

Shloka 17 (yuddha.36.17)

व्यादिदेश च पूर्वस्यां प्रहस्तं द्वारि राक्षसम्। दक्षिणस्यां महावीर्यौ महापार्श्वमहोदरौ ॥ 36.17 ॥

vyādideśa ca pūrvasyāṃ prahastaṃ dvāri rākṣasam| dakṣiṇasyāṃ mahāvīryau mahāpārśvamahodarau || 36.17 ||

He posted the demon Prahasta at the eastern gate, and the two mighty warriors Mahaparshva and Mahodara at the southern gate.

Shloka 18 (yuddha.36.18)

पश्चिमायामथ द्वारि पुत्रमिन्द्रजितं तदा। व्यादिदेश महामायं राक्षसैर्बहुभिर्वृतम् ॥ 36.18 ॥

paścimāyāmatha dvāri putramindrajitaṃ tadā| vyādideśa mahāmāyaṃ rākṣasairbahubhirvṛtam || 36.18 ||

Then, at the western gate, he stationed his son Indrajit, the great master of illusion, attended by a large body of rakshasas.

Shloka 19 (yuddha.36.19)

उत्तरस्यां पुरद्वारि व्यादिश्य शुकसारणौ। स्वयं चात्र गमिष्यामि मन्त्रिणस्तानुवाच ह ॥ 36.19 ॥

uttarasyāṃ puradvāri vyādiśya śukasāraṇau| svayaṃ cātra gamiṣyāmi mantriṇastānuvāca ha || 36.19 ||

After posting Shuka and Sarana at the northern city-gate, he told his ministers he would go there himself.

Shloka 20 (yuddha.36.20)

राक्षसं तु विरूपाक्षं महावीर्यपराक्रमम्। मध्यमेऽस्थापयद् गुल्मे बहुभिः सह राक्षसैः ॥ 36.20 ॥

rākṣasaṃ tu virūpākṣaṃ mahāvīryaparākramam| madhyame'sthāpayad gulme bahubhiḥ saha rākṣasaiḥ || 36.20 ||

The rakshasa Virupaksha, mighty in strength and valor, he posted at the central garrison along with a large body of demons.

Shloka 21 (yuddha.36.21)

एवं विधानं लङ्कायां कृत्वा राक्षसपुंगवः। कृतकृत्यमिवात्मानं मन्यते कालचोदितः ॥ 36.21 ॥

evaṃ vidhānaṃ laṅkāyāṃ kṛtvā rākṣasapuṃgavaḥ| kṛtakṛtyamivātmānaṃ manyate kālacoditaḥ || 36.21 ||

Having thus arranged the defenses of Lanka, that bull among rakshasas, driven on by fate, felt as though his task were already accomplished.

Shloka 22 (yuddha.36.22)

विसर्जयामास ततः स मन्त्रिणो विधानमाज्ञाप्य पुरस्य पुष्कलम्। जयाशिषा मन्त्रिगणेन पूजितो विवेश सोऽन्तःपुरमृद्धिमन्महत् ॥ 36.22 ॥

visarjayāmāsa tataḥ sa mantriṇo vidhānamājñāpya purasya puṣkalam| jayāśiṣā mantrigaṇena pūjito viveśa so'ntaḥpuramṛddhimanmahat || 36.22 ||

He then, having ordered the thorough defense of the city, dismissed his ministers; and, honored by them with blessings of victory, entered his own vast and magnificent inner apartments.