Ravana's Grief and the Guarding of Lanka

Shloka 1 (yuddha.72.1)

अतिकायं हतं श्रुत्वा लक्ष्मणेन महात्मना । उद्वेगमगमद्राजा वचनम् चेदमब्रवीत् ॥ 72.1 ॥

atikāyaṃ hataṃ śrutvā lakṣmaṇena mahātmanā | udvegamagamadrājā vacanam cedamabravīt || 72.1 ||

Hearing that Atikaya had been killed at the hands of the great-souled Lakshmana, the king was seized with anguish and spoke these words:

Shloka 2 (yuddha.72.2)

धूम्राक्षः परमामर्षी सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः । अकम्पनः प्रहस्तश्च कुम्भकर्णस्त्तथैव च ॥ 72.2 ॥

dhūmrākṣaḥ paramāmarṣī sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ | akampanaḥ prahastaśca kumbhakarṇasttathaiva ca || 72.2 ||

Dhumraksha, of towering impatience, foremost among all who bear weapons; Akampana and Prahasta; and Kumbhakarna as well —

Shloka 3 (yuddha.72.3)

एते महाबला वीरा राक्षसा युद्धकाङ्क्षिणः । जेतारः परसैन्यानां परैर्नित्यापराजिताः ॥ 72.3 ॥

ete mahābalā vīrā rākṣasā yuddhakāṅkṣiṇaḥ | jetāraḥ parasainyānāṃ parairnityāparājitāḥ || 72.3 ||

these mighty and valiant rakshasas, eager for battle, conquerors of hostile armies, never before defeated by any foe —

Shloka 4 (yuddha.72.4)

ससैन्यास्ते हता वीरा रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा । राक्षसाः सुमहाकाया नानाशस्त्रविशारदाः ॥ अन्ये च बहवः शूरा महात्मानो निपातिताः ॥ 72.4 ॥

sasainyāste hatā vīrā rāmeṇākliṣṭakarmaṇā | rākṣasāḥ sumahākāyā nānāśastraviśāradāḥ || anye ca bahavaḥ śūrā mahātmāno nipātitāḥ || 72.4 ||

those heroes, huge of body and skilled in every weapon, have been slain together with their armies by Rama, whose deeds never falter; and many other great and valiant warriors too have been struck down.

Shloka 5 (yuddha.72.5)

प्रख्यातबलवीर्येण पुत्रेणेन्द्रजिता मम ॥ तौ भ्रातरौ तदा बद्धौ घोरैर्दत्तवरैः शरैः ॥ 72.5 ॥

prakhyātabalavīryeṇa putreṇendrajitā mama || tau bhrātarau tadā baddhau ghorairdattavaraiḥ śaraiḥ || 72.5 ||

That day my son Indrajit, renowned for his strength and valour, bound those two brothers with terrible boon-granted arrows.

Shloka 6 (yuddha.72.6)

यन्न शक्यम् सुरैः सर्वैरसुरैर्वा महाबलैः ॥ 72.6 ॥

yanna śakyam suraiḥ sarvairasurairvā mahābalaiḥ || 72.6 ||

That terrible bondage, which could not be released even by all the gods or by the mighty asuras,

Shloka 7 (yuddha.72.7)

मोक्तुम् तद् बन्धनम् घोरं यक्षगन्धर्वपन्नगैः । तन्न जाने प्रभावैर्वा मायया मोहनेन वा ॥ शरबन्धाद्विमुक्तौ तौ भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ ॥ 72.7 ॥

moktum tad bandhanam ghoraṃ yakṣagandharvapannagaiḥ | tanna jāne prabhāvairvā māyayā mohanena vā || śarabandhādvimuktau tau bhrātarau rāmalakṣmaṇau || 72.7 ||

nor by Yakshas, Gandharvas, or serpent-lords could it be loosed — yet from that very bondage of arrows Rama and Lakshmana, the two brothers, were freed; whether by their own might, by sorcery, or by some spell of delusion, I do not know.

Shloka 8 (yuddha.72.8)

ये योधा निर्गताः शूरा राक्षसा मम शासनात् । ते सर्वे निहता युद्धे वानरैः सुमहाबलैः ॥ 72.8 ॥

ye yodhā nirgatāḥ śūrā rākṣasā mama śāsanāt | te sarve nihatā yuddhe vānaraiḥ sumahābalaiḥ || 72.8 ||

Whatever valiant rakshasa warriors went forth at my command, all of them have been slain in battle by the exceedingly mighty monkeys.

Shloka 9 (yuddha.72.9)

तं न पश्याम्यहम् युद्धे योऽद्य रामं सलक्ष्मणम् । नाशयेत्सबलम् वीरं ससुग्रीवविभीषणम् ॥ 72.9 ॥

taṃ na paśyāmyaham yuddhe yo'dya rāmaṃ salakṣmaṇam | nāśayetsabalam vīraṃ sasugrīvavibhīṣaṇam || 72.9 ||

I see no one today who could destroy in battle the valiant Rama together with Lakshmana, Sugriva, and Vibhishana, along with their army.

Shloka 10 (yuddha.72.10)

अहो सुबलवान् रामो महदस्त्रबलम् च वै ॥ यस्य विक्रममासाद्य राक्षसा निधनम् गताः ॥ 72.10 ॥

aho subalavān rāmo mahadastrabalam ca vai || yasya vikramamāsādya rākṣasā nidhanam gatāḥ || 72.10 ||

Ah, how mighty is Rama, and how great the power of his weapons — encountering whose valour the rakshasas have met their death!

Shloka 11 (yuddha.72.11)

अप्रमत्तेश्च सर्वत्रा गुल्मै रक्ष्या पुरी त्वियम् ॥ अशोकवनिका चैव यत्र सीताभिरक्ष्यते ॥ 72.11 ॥

apramatteśca sarvatrā gulmai rakṣyā purī tviyam || aśokavanikā caiva yatra sītābhirakṣyate || 72.11 ||

This city must be guarded on every side, vigilantly, by the army units — and so too the Ashoka grove, where Sita is kept under watch.

Shloka 12 (yuddha.72.12)

निष्क्रमो वा प्रवेशो वा ज्ञात्व्यः सर्वदैव नः ॥ यत्र यत्र भवेद्गुल्मस्तत्र तत्र पुनः पुनः ॥ 72.12 ॥

niṣkramo vā praveśo vā jñātvyaḥ sarvadaiva naḥ || yatra yatra bhavedgulmastatra tatra punaḥ punaḥ || 72.12 ||

We must always know who goes out and who comes in, again and again, wherever a garrison is posted.

Shloka 13 (yuddha.72.13)

सर्वतश्चापि तिष्ठध्वम् स्वैः स्वैः परिवृता बलैः ॥ द्रष्टव्यम् च पदम् तेषाम् वानराणां निशाचराः ॥ 72.13 ॥

sarvataścāpi tiṣṭhadhvam svaiḥ svaiḥ parivṛtā balaiḥ || draṣṭavyam ca padam teṣām vānarāṇāṃ niśācarāḥ || 72.13 ||

O rakshasas, stand everywhere, surrounded by your own troops, and keep watch over the movements of those monkeys.

Shloka 14 (yuddha.72.14)

प्रदोषे वार्धरात्रे वा प्रत्यूषे वापि सर्वशः ॥ 72.14 ॥

pradoṣe vārdharātre vā pratyūṣe vāpi sarvaśaḥ || 72.14 ||

Whether at dusk, at dead of night, or at dawn — at every hour —

Shloka 15 (yuddha.72.15)

नावज्ञा तत्र कर्तव्या वानरेषु कदाचन । द्विषतां बलमुद्युक्तमापतत्किं स्थितं तथा ॥ 72.15 ॥

nāvajñā tatra kartavyā vānareṣu kadācana | dviṣatāṃ balamudyuktamāpatatkiṃ sthitaṃ tathā || 72.15 ||

never let carelessness be shown toward the monkeys; watch closely whether the enemy's forces are marshalling, advancing, or standing still.

Shloka 16 (yuddha.72.16)

ततस्ते राक्षसाः सर्वे श्रुत्वा लङ्काधिपस्य तत् । वचनं सर्वमातिष्ठन् यथावत्तु महाबलाः ॥ 72.16 ॥

tataste rākṣasāḥ sarve śrutvā laṅkādhipasya tat | vacanaṃ sarvamātiṣṭhan yathāvattu mahābalāḥ || 72.16 ||

Then, hearing those words of the lord of Lanka, all those mighty rakshasas carried them out exactly as commanded.

Shloka 17 (yuddha.72.17)

स तान् सर्वान् हि संदिश्य रावणो राक्षसाधिपः । मन्युशल्यम् वहन् दीनः प्रविवेश स्वमालयम् ॥ 72.17 ॥

sa tān sarvān hi saṃdiśya rāvaṇo rākṣasādhipaḥ | manyuśalyam vahan dīnaḥ praviveśa svamālayam || 72.17 ||

Having thus instructed them all, Ravana, the lord of the rakshasas, wretched and bearing the barb of grief within him, entered his own palace.

Shloka 18 (yuddha.72.18)

ततः स संदीपितकोपपह्नि- र्निशाचराणामधिपो महाबलः । तदेव पुत्रव्यसनम् विचिन्तयन् मुहुर्मुहुश्चैव तदा व्यनिःश्वसत् ॥ 72.18 ॥

tataḥ sa saṃdīpitakopapahnir niśācarāṇāmadhipo mahābalaḥ | tadeva putravyasanam vicintayan muhurmuhuścaiva tadā vyaniḥśvasat || 72.18 ||

Then that mighty lord of the night-rangers, blazing with the fire of kindled anger, brooding again and again upon the loss of his son, sighed heavily over and over.