Vibhishana Counsels the Return of Sita

Shloka 1 (yuddha.9.1)

ततो निकुम्भो रभसः सूर्यशत्रुर्महाबलः । सुप्तघ्नो यज्ञकोपश्च महापार्श्वमहोदरौ ॥ 9.1 ॥

tato nikumbho rabhasaḥ sūryaśatrurmahābalaḥ | suptaghno yajñakopaśca mahāpārśvamahodarau || 9.1 ||

Then Nikumbha, Rabhasa, the mighty Suryashatru, Suptaghna, Yajnakopa, Mahaparshva, and Mahodara —

Shloka 2 (yuddha.9.2)

अग्निकेतुश्च दुर्धर्षो रश्मिकेतुश्च राक्षसः । इन्द्रजिच्च महातेजा बलवान् रावणात्मजः ॥ 9.2 ॥

agniketuśca durdharṣo raśmiketuśca rākṣasaḥ | indrajicca mahātejā balavān rāvaṇātmajaḥ || 9.2 ||

the unconquerable Agniketu, the rakshasa Rashmiketu, and Ravana's mighty, brilliant son Indrajit —

Shloka 3 (yuddha.9.3)

प्रहस्तोऽथ विरूपाक्षो वज्रदंष्ट्रो महाबलः । धूम्राक्षश्चातिकायश्च दुर्मुखश्चैव राक्षसः ॥ 9.3 ॥

prahasto'tha virūpākṣo vajradaṃṣṭro mahābalaḥ | dhūmrākṣaścātikāyaśca durmukhaścaiva rākṣasaḥ || 9.3 ||

Prahasta, Virupaksha, the mighty Vajradamshtra, Dhumraksha, Atikaya, and the rakshasa Durmukha —

Shloka 4 (yuddha.9.4)

परिघान् पट्टिशान् शूलान् प्रासान् शक्तिपरश्वधान् । चापानि च सुबाणानि खड्गांश्च विपुलाम्बुभान् ॥ 9.4 ॥

parighān paṭṭiśān śūlān prāsān śaktiparaśvadhān | cāpāni ca subāṇāni khaḍgāṃśca vipulāmbubhān || 9.4 ||

seizing iron clubs, pikes, spikes, darts, javelins, and axes, bows with fine arrows, and broad swords gleaming like water —

Shloka 5 (yuddha.9.5)

प्रगृह्य परमक्रुद्धाः समुत्पत्य च राक्षसाः । अब्रुवन् रावणं सर्वे प्रदीप्ता इव तेजसा ॥ 9.5 ॥

pragṛhya paramakruddhāḥ samutpatya ca rākṣasāḥ | abruvan rāvaṇaṃ sarve pradīptā iva tejasā || 9.5 ||

those rakshasas, greatly enraged, sprang up together and, blazing as it were with fury, spoke to Ravana.

Shloka 6 (yuddha.9.6)

अद्य रामं वधिष्यामः सुग्रीवं च सलक्ष्मणम् । कृपणं च हनूमन्तं लङ्का येन प्रधर्षिता ॥ 9.6 ॥

adya rāmaṃ vadhiṣyāmaḥ sugrīvaṃ ca salakṣmaṇam | kṛpaṇaṃ ca hanūmantaṃ laṅkā yena pradharṣitā || 9.6 ||

'This very day we shall kill Rama, Sugriva together with Lakshmana, and that wretched Hanuman too, by whom Lanka was assailed.'

Shloka 7 (yuddha.9.7)

तान् गृहीतायुधान् सर्वान् वारयित्वा विभीषणः । अब्रवीत् प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यं पुनः प्रत्युपवेश्य तान् ॥ 9.7 ॥

tān gṛhītāyudhān sarvān vārayitvā vibhīṣaṇaḥ | abravīt prāñjalirvākyaṃ punaḥ pratyupaveśya tān || 9.7 ||

Vibhishana restrained all of them, weapons in hand, made them sit down again, and, with joined palms, spoke these words.

Shloka 8 (yuddha.9.8)

अप्युपायैस्त्रिभिस्तात योऽर्थः प्राप्तुं न शक्यते । तस्य विक्रमकालांस्तान् युक्तानाहुर्मनीषिणः ॥ 9.8 ॥

apyupāyaistribhistāta yo'rthaḥ prāptuṃ na śakyate | tasya vikramakālāṃstān yuktānāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ || 9.8 ||

'Dear ones, only for that purpose which cannot be achieved even by the three means [conciliation, gift, and division] do the wise call the moment fit for the use of force.'

Shloka 9 (yuddha.9.9)

प्रमत्तेष्वभियुक्तेषु दैवेन प्रहतेषु च । विक्रमास्तात सिद्ध्यन्ति परीक्ष्य विधिना कृताः ॥ 9.9 ॥

pramatteṣvabhiyukteṣu daivena prahateṣu ca | vikramāstāta siddhyanti parīkṣya vidhinā kṛtāḥ || 9.9 ||

'Dear ones, feats of valour, performed rightly and after due examination, succeed only against those who are careless, already hard-pressed, or already struck down by fate.'

Shloka 10 (yuddha.9.10)

अप्रमत्तं कथं तं तु विजिगीषुं बले स्थितम् । जितरोषं दुराधर्षं तं धर्षयितुमिच्छथ ॥ 9.10 ॥

apramattaṃ kathaṃ taṃ tu vijigīṣuṃ bale sthitam | jitaroṣaṃ durādharṣaṃ taṃ dharṣayitumicchatha || 9.10 ||

How then do you wish to assault that Rama, who is ever vigilant, bent on victory, firmly established in strength, who has mastered his anger, and who is hard to overcome?

Shloka 11 (yuddha.9.11)

समुद्रं लङ्घयित्वा तु घोरं नदनदीपतिम् । गतिं हनूमतो लोके को विद्यात् तर्कयेत वा ॥ 9.11 ॥

samudraṃ laṅghayitvā tu ghoraṃ nadanadīpatim | gatiṃ hanūmato loke ko vidyāt tarkayeta vā || 9.11 ||

As for Hanuman's crossing of that terrible ocean, the lord of streams and rivers — who in this world could know, or even imagine, his true speed and power?

Shloka 12 (yuddha.9.12)

बलान्यपरिमेयानि वीर्याणि च निशाचराः । परेषां सहसावज्ञा न कर्तव्या कथंचन ॥ 9.12 ॥

balānyaparimeyāni vīryāṇi ca niśācarāḥ | pareṣāṃ sahasāvajñā na kartavyā kathaṃcana || 9.12 ||

O night-rangers, the strength and valour of enemies cannot always be measured; they must never, under any circumstances, be dismissed with hasty contempt.

Shloka 13 (yuddha.9.13)

किं च राक्षसराजस्य रामेणापकृतं पुरा । आजहार जनस्थानाद् यस्य भार्यां यशस्विनः ॥ 9.13 ॥

kiṃ ca rākṣasarājasya rāmeṇāpakṛtaṃ purā | ājahāra janasthānād yasya bhāryāṃ yaśasvinaḥ || 9.13 ||

Consider too — what wrong had that illustrious Rama, whose wife was carried off from Janasthana, ever done to the king of the rakshasas beforehand?

Shloka 14 (yuddha.9.14)

खरो यद्यतिवृत्तस्तु स रामेण हतो रणे । अवश्यं प्राणिनां प्राणा रक्षितव्या यथाबलम् ॥ 9.14 ॥

kharo yadyativṛttastu sa rāmeṇa hato raṇe | avaśyaṃ prāṇināṃ prāṇā rakṣitavyā yathābalam || 9.14 ||

If Khara indeed overstepped his bounds and was for that reason slain by Rama in battle — every living being must surely defend its own life, to the best of its strength.

Shloka 15 (yuddha.9.15)

एतन्निमित्तं वैदेही भयं नः सुमहद् भवेत् । आहृता सा परित्याज्या कलहार्थे कृते नु किम् ॥ 9.15 ॥

etannimittaṃ vaidehī bhayaṃ naḥ sumahad bhavet | āhṛtā sā parityājyā kalahārthe kṛte nu kim || 9.15 ||

For this very reason a great danger threatens us because of Vaidehi; she who was carried off should be given up — what is to be gained by persisting in this strife?

Shloka 16 (yuddha.9.16)

न तु क्षमं वीर्यवता तेन धर्मानुवर्तिना । वैरं निरर्थकं कर्तुं दीयतामस्य मैथिली ॥ 9.16 ॥

na tu kṣamaṃ vīryavatā tena dharmānuvartinā | vairaṃ nirarthakaṃ kartuṃ dīyatāmasya maithilī || 9.16 ||

It is not fitting to nurse a needless enmity with that valiant one who walks the path of dharma — let Maithili be given back to him.

Shloka 17 (yuddha.9.17)

यावन्न सगजां साश्वां बहुरत्नसमाकुलाम् । पुरीं दारयते बाणैर्दीयतामस्य मैथिली ॥ 9.17 ॥

yāvanna sagajāṃ sāśvāṃ bahuratnasamākulām | purīṃ dārayate bāṇairdīyatāmasya maithilī || 9.17 ||

Before he shatters with his arrows this city, teeming with elephants, horses, and abundant treasures — let Maithili be given back to him.

Shloka 18 (yuddha.9.18)

यावत् सुघोरा महती दुर्धर्षा हरिवाहिनी । नावस्कन्दति नो लङ्कां तावत् सीता प्रदीयताम् ॥ 9.18 ॥

yāvat sughorā mahatī durdharṣā harivāhinī | nāvaskandati no laṅkāṃ tāvat sītā pradīyatām || 9.18 ||

While that immense, most terrible, and irresistible army of monkeys has not yet swooped down upon our Lanka — let Sita be restored now.

Shloka 19 (yuddha.9.19)

विनश्येद्धि पुरी लङ्का शूराः सर्वे च राक्षसाः । रामस्य दयिता पत्नी न स्वयं यदि दीयते ॥ 9.19 ॥

vinaśyeddhi purī laṅkā śūrāḥ sarve ca rākṣasāḥ | rāmasya dayitā patnī na svayaṃ yadi dīyate || 9.19 ||

For if Rama's beloved wife is not given back of our own accord, the city of Lanka, and all our valiant rakshasas with it, will surely perish.

Shloka 20 (yuddha.9.20)

प्रसादये त्वां बन्धुत्वात् कुरुष्व वचनं मम । हितं तथ्यं त्वहं ब्रूमि दीयतामस्य मैथिली ॥ 9.20 ॥

prasādaye tvāṃ bandhutvāt kuruṣva vacanaṃ mama | hitaṃ tathyaṃ tvahaṃ brūmi dīyatāmasya maithilī || 9.20 ||

As your kinsman, I entreat you — heed my words. What I tell you is both beneficial and true: let Maithili be given back to him.

Shloka 21 (yuddha.9.21)

पुरा शरत्सूर्यमरीचिसंनिभान् नवाग्रपुङ्खान् सुदृढान् नृपात्मजः । सृजत्यमोघान् विशिखान् वधाय ते प्रदीयतां दाशरथाय मैथिली ॥ 9.21 ॥

purā śaratsūryamarīcisaṃnibhān navāgrapuṅkhān sudṛḍhān nṛpātmajaḥ | sṛjatyamoghān viśikhān vadhāya te pradīyatāṃ dāśarathāya maithilī || 9.21 ||

Before that royal prince looses his sturdy, unerring arrows — bright as the rays of the autumn sun, fitted with fresh heads and feathers — for your destruction, let Maithili be given back to the son of Dasharatha.

Shloka 22 (yuddha.9.22)

त्यजाशु कोपं सुखधर्मनाशनं भजस्व धर्मं रतिकीर्तिवर्धनम् । प्रसीद जीवेम सपुत्रबान्धवाः प्रदीयतां दाशरथाय मैथिली ॥ 9.22 ॥

tyajāśu kopaṃ sukhadharmanāśanaṃ bhajasva dharmaṃ ratikīrtivardhanam | prasīda jīvema saputrabāndhavāḥ pradīyatāṃ dāśarathāya maithilī || 9.22 ||

Cast off at once this anger that destroys both happiness and righteousness; hold instead to dharma, which increases joy and renown. Be gracious, that we may live on with our sons and kinsfolk — let Maithili be given back to the son of Dasharatha.

Shloka 23 (yuddha.9.23)

विभीषणवचः श्रुत्वा रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः । विसर्जयित्वा तान् सर्वान् प्रविवेश स्वकं गृहम् ॥ 9.23 ॥

vibhīṣaṇavacaḥ śrutvā rāvaṇo rākṣaseśvaraḥ | visarjayitvā tān sarvān praviveśa svakaṃ gṛham || 9.23 ||

Having heard Vibhishana's words, Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, dismissed them all and withdrew into his own chambers.