Vibhishana Reveals the Deception

Shloka 1 (yuddha.84.1)

राममाश्वासयाने तु लक्ष्मणे भ्रातृवत्सले। निक्षिप्य गुल्मान्स्वस्थाने तत्रागच्छद्विभीषणः॥ 84.1 ॥

rāmamāśvāsayāne tu lakṣmaṇe bhrātṛvatsale | nikṣipya gulmānsvasthāne tatrāgacchadvibhīṣaṇaḥ || 84.1 ||

While Lakshmana, ever devoted to his brother, was consoling Rama, Vibhishana, having stationed the army-divisions in their proper places, arrived there.

Shloka 2 (yuddha.84.2)

नानाप्रहरणैर्वीरैश्चतुर्भिः सचिवैर्वृतः। नीलाञ्जनचयाकारैर्मातङ्गैरिव यूथपः॥ 84.2 ॥

nānāpraharaṇairvīraiścaturbhiḥ sacivairvṛtaḥ | nīlāñjanacayākārairmātaṅgairiva yūthapaḥ || 84.2 ||

Surrounded by four counsellor-warriors, wielding many kinds of weapons, resembling great tuskers dark as piled collyrium, chiefs among their herds—

Shloka 3 (yuddha.84.3)

सोऽभिगम्य महात्मानं राघवं शोकलालसं। वानरांश्चैव ददृशे बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणान्॥ 84.3 ॥

so'bhigamya mahātmānaṃ rāghavaṃ śokalālasam | vānarāṃścaiva dadṛśe bāṣpaparyākulekṣaṇān || 84.3 ||

—Vibhishana approached the great-souled Rama, who was sunk in grief, and saw the monkeys too, their eyes brimming with tears.

Shloka 4 (yuddha.84.4)

राघवं च महात्मानमिक्ष्वाकुकुलनन्दनम्। ददर्श मोहमापन्नं लक्ष्मणस्याङ्कमाश्रितम्॥ 84.4 ॥

rāghavaṃ ca mahātmānamikṣvākukulanandanam | dadarśa mohamāpannaṃ lakṣmaṇasyāṅkamāśritam || 84.4 ||

He saw the great-souled Rama, the delight of the Ikshvaku line, fallen into a swoon and resting in Lakshmana's lap.

Shloka 5 (yuddha.84.5)

व्रीडितं शोकसन्तप्तं दृष्ट्वा रामं विभीषणः। अन्तर्दुःखेन दीनात्मा किमेतदिति सोऽब्रवीत्॥ 84.5 ॥

vrīḍitaṃ śokasantaptaṃ dṛṣṭvā rāmaṃ vibhīṣaṇaḥ | antarduḥkhena dīnātmā kimetaditi so'bravīt || 84.5 ||

Seeing Rama abashed and tormented with grief, Vibhishana, his own heart pained within, asked, "What is this?"

Shloka 6 (yuddha.84.6)

विभीषण मुखं दृष्ट्वा सुग्रीवं तांश्च वानरान्। उवाच लक्ष्मणो वाक्यमिदं बाष्पपरिप्लुतः॥ 84.6 ॥

vibhīṣaṇa mukhaṃ dṛṣṭvā sugrīvaṃ tāṃśca vānarān | uvāca lakṣmaṇo vākyamidaṃ bāṣpapariplutaḥ || 84.6 ||

Looking at Vibhishana's face, at Sugriva, and at those monkeys, Lakshmana, his eyes streaming with tears, spoke these words.

Shloka 7 (yuddha.84.7)

हतामिन्द्रजिता सीतामिह श्रुत्वैव राघवः। हनूमद्वचनात्सौम्य ततो मोहमुपागतः॥ 84.7 ॥

hatāmindrajitā sītāmiha śrutvaiva rāghavaḥ | hanūmadvacanātsaumya tato mohamupāgataḥ || 84.7 ||

"The moment he heard from Hanuman's own words, O gentle one, that Sita was slain by Indrajit, Rama fell into this swoon.

Shloka 8 (yuddha.84.8)

कथयन्तं तु सौमित्रिं संनिवार्य विभीषणः। पुष्कलार्थमिदं वाक्यं विसंज्ञं राममब्रवीत्॥ 84.8 ॥

kathayantaṃ tu saumitriṃ saṃnivārya vibhīṣaṇaḥ | puṣkalārthamidaṃ vākyaṃ visaṃjñaṃ rāmamabravīt || 84.8 ||

Interrupting Lakshmana as he spoke, Vibhishana addressed these weighty words to the unconscious Rama.

Shloka 9 (yuddha.84.9)

मनुजेन्द्रार्तरूपेण यदुक्तस्त्वं हनूमता। तदयुक्तमहं मन्ये सागरस्येव शोषणम्॥ 84.9 ॥

manujendrārtarūpeṇa yaduktastvaṃ hanūmatā | tadayuktamahaṃ manye sāgarasyeva śoṣaṇam || 84.9 ||

"O lord of men, what Hanuman, in his anguish, has told you, I hold to be as absurd as the drying up of the ocean.

Shloka 10 (yuddha.84.10)

अभिप्रायं तु जानामि रावणस्य दुरात्मनः। सीतां प्रति महाबाहो न च घातं करिष्यति॥ 84.10 ॥

abhiprāyaṃ tu jānāmi rāvaṇasya durātmanaḥ | sītāṃ prati mahābāho na ca ghātaṃ kariṣyati || 84.10 ||

"O mighty-armed one, I know the mind of the evil Ravana; he would never do violence to Sita.

Shloka 11 (yuddha.84.11)

याच्यमानः सुबहुशो मया हितचिकीर्षुणा। वैदेहीमुत्सृजस्वेति न च तत्कृतवान्वचः॥ 84.11 ॥

yācyamānaḥ subahuśo mayā hitacikīrṣuṇā | vaidehīmutsṛjasveti na ca tatkṛtavānvacaḥ || 84.11 ||

"Though I, wishing his welfare, begged him again and again to release Vaidehi, he never heeded that counsel of mine.

Shloka 12 (yuddha.84.12)

नैव साम्ना न भेदेन न दानेन कुतो युधा। सा द्रष्टुमपि शक्येत नैव चान्येन केन चित्॥ 84.12 ॥

naiva sāmnā na bhedena na dānena kuto yudhā | sā draṣṭumapi śakyeta naiva cānyena kena cit || 84.12 ||

"She cannot even be seen — neither through conciliation, nor by sowing discord, nor by gifts, still less by war, nor by any other means whatsoever.

Shloka 13 (yuddha.84.13)

वानरान्मोहयित्वा तु प्रतियातः स राक्षसः। मायामयीं महाबाहो तां विद्धि जनकात्मजाम्॥ 84.13 ॥

vānarānmohayitvā tu pratiyātaḥ sa rākṣasaḥ | māyāmayīṃ mahābāho tāṃ viddhi janakātmajām || 84.13 ||

"That rakshasa, having deluded the monkeys, has withdrawn; know, O mighty-armed one, that the Sita they saw was only an illusion.

Shloka 14 (yuddha.84.14)

चैत्यं निकुम्भिलामद्य प्राप्य होमं करिष्यति। हुतवानुपयातो हि देवैरपि सवासवैः॥ 84.14 ॥

caityaṃ nikumbhilāmadya prāpya homaṃ kariṣyati | hutavānupayāto hi devairapi savāsavaiḥ || 84.14 ||

"Having reached the sanctuary of Nikumbhila this day, he will perform the fire-oblation; and once he has completed the offering and returns, he becomes—

Shloka 15 (yuddha.84.15)

दुराधर्षो भवत्येष संग्रामे रावणात्मजः। तेन मोहयता नूनमेषा माया प्रयोजिता॥ 84.15 ॥

durādharṣo bhavatyeṣa saṃgrāme rāvaṇātmajaḥ | tena mohayatā nūnameṣā māyā prayojitā || 84.15 ||

—invincible in battle, that son of Ravana, even to the gods together with Indra. Surely this illusion was employed by him who sought to delude us,

Shloka 16 (yuddha.84.16)

विघ्नमन्विच्छता तत्र वानराणां पराक्रमे। ससैन्यास्तत्र गच्छामो यावत्तन्न समाप्यते॥ 84.16 ॥

vighnamanvicchatā tatra vānarāṇāṃ parākrame | sasainyāstatra gacchāmo yāvattanna samāpyate || 84.16 ||

—hoping for some obstacle to arise from the valor of the monkeys. Let us go there with our army, before that rite is completed.

Shloka 17 (yuddha.84.17)

त्यजैनं नरशार्दूल मिथ्या संतापमागतम्। सीदते हि बलं सर्वं दृष्ट्वा त्वां शोककर्शितम्॥ 84.17 ॥

tyajainaṃ naraśārdūla mithyā saṃtāpamāgatam | sīdate hi balaṃ sarvaṃ dṛṣṭvā tvāṃ śokakarśitam || 84.17 ||

"O tiger among men, give up this false grief that has overtaken you; seeing you wasted with sorrow, the whole army sinks into despair.

Shloka 18 (yuddha.84.18)

इह त्वं स्वस्थहृदयस्तिष्ठ सत्त्वसमुच्छ्रितः। लक्ष्मणं प्रेषयास्माभिः सह सैन्यानुकर्षिभिः॥ 84.18 ॥

iha tvaṃ svasthahṛdayastiṣṭha sattvasamucchritaḥ | lakṣmaṇaṃ preṣayāsmābhiḥ saha sainyānukarṣibhiḥ || 84.18 ||

"Remain here yourself, steady of heart and exalted in courage; send Lakshmana with us, who are gathering the army."

Shloka 19 (yuddha.84.19)

एष तं नरशार्दूलो रावणिं निशितैः शरैः। त्याजयिष्यति तत्कर्म ततो वध्यो भविष्यति॥ 84.19 ॥

eṣa taṃ naraśārdūlo rāvaṇiṃ niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | tyājayiṣyati tatkarma tato vadhyo bhaviṣyati || 84.19 ||

"This tiger among men will, with his sharp arrows, make Indrajit abandon that rite; then he will become vulnerable to being slain.

Shloka 20 (yuddha.84.20)

तस्यैते निशितास्तीक्ष्णाः पत्रिपत्राङ्गवाजिनः। पतत्रिण इवासौम्याः शराः पास्यन्ति शोणितम्॥ 84.20 ॥

tasyaite niśitāstīkṣṇāḥ patripatrāṅgavājinaḥ | patatriṇa ivāsaumyāḥ śarāḥ pāsyanti śoṇitam || 84.20 ||

"Sharp, fierce, swift as the wings of a bird, his unlovely arrows shall drink Indrajit's blood, like birds of ill omen.

Shloka 21 (yuddha.84.21)

तत्सन्दिश महाबाहो लक्ष्मणं शुभलक्षणम्। राक्षसस्य विनाशाय वज्रं वज्रधरो यथा॥ 84.21 ॥

tatsandiśa mahābāho lakṣmaṇaṃ śubhalakṣaṇam | rākṣasasya vināśāya vajraṃ vajradharo yathā || 84.21 ||

"Therefore, O mighty-armed one, dispatch Lakshmana, of auspicious marks, for the destruction of the rakshasa — as the wielder of the thunderbolt sends forth the thunderbolt itself.

Shloka 22 (yuddha.84.22)

मनुजवर न कालविप्रकर्षो रिपुनिधनं प्रति यत्क्षमोऽद्य कर्तुम्। त्वमतिसृज रिपोर्वधाय वज्रं दिविजरिपोर्मथने यथा महेन्द्रः॥ 84.22 ॥

manujavara na kālaviprakarṣo ripunidhanaṃ prati yatkṣamo'dya kartum | tvamatisṛja riporvadhāya vajraṃ divijaripormathane yathā mahendraḥ || 84.22 ||

"O best of men, it is not fitting to delay any longer in destroying the enemy; let loose the thunderbolt for the enemy's destruction, as great Indra hurled it in the destruction of the demon-city."

Shloka 23 (yuddha.84.23)

समाप्तकर्मा हि स राक्षसेन्द्रो भवत्यदृश्यः समरे सुरासुरैः। युयुत्सता तेन समाप्तकर्मणा भवेत्सुराणामपि संशयो महान्॥ 84.23 ॥

samāptakarmā hi sa rākṣasendro bhavatyadṛśyaḥ samare surāsuraiḥ | yuyutsatā tena samāptakarmaṇā bhavetsurāṇāmapi saṃśayo mahān || 84.23 ||

"For once he has completed that rite, this lord of rakshasas becomes invisible in battle even to gods and demons alike; and should he come forth eager to fight after completing it, even the gods themselves would face grave peril."