“Om Sri Lakshmi Narashimhan Nahama”

Valmiki – Yuddha Kanda – Chapter 30

Shardula Informs about the Monkey Army

Summary

Dispatched by the king Ravana to ascertain the strength of the army in the opposition- camp, Shardula the demon-spy acquaints his master with the important leaders of the monkeys.

Chapter [Sarga] 30 in Detail

tatastamaksobhya balam la.nkaa adhipataye caraah |

suvele raaghavam shaile nivistam pratyavedayan || 6-30-1

Thereafter, the spies informed Ravana about , with his impenetrable army, having encamped on Suvela Mountain.

caaraanaam raavanah shrutvaa praaptam raamam mahaabalam |

jaata udvego abhavat kimcit shaarduulam vaakyam abraviit || 6-30-2

Hearing from the spies about the arrival of Rama, the exceedingly strong man, Ravana became a little perturbed and spoke to Shardula as follows:

ayathaavac ca te varno diinah ca asi nishaa cara |

na asi kaccid amitraanaam kruddhaanaam vasham aagatah || 6-30-3

O, demon! Your complexion is not so as it should be. You look miserable too. I hope that you have not fallen a victim to the enraged monkeys.”

iti tena anushistas tu vaacam mandam udiirayat |

tadaa raaksasa shaarduulam shaarduulo bhaya vihvalah || 6-30-4

Thus questioned by Ravana, Shardula afflicted with fear, then sluggishly spoke the following words to Ravana the tiger among demons:

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Valmiki Ramayana – Yuddha Kanda – Chapter 30 na te caarayitum shakyaa raajan vaanara pumgavaah |

vikraantaa balavantah ca raaghavena ca raksitaah || 6-30-5

“O, king! Those strong, bold and excellent monkeys protected by Rama are not capable of being spied upon.”

na api sambhaasitum shakyaah samprashno atra na labhyate |

sarvato raksyate panthaa vaanaraih parvata upamaih || 6-30-6

“They are not capable of being talked with and nothing can be found in interrogating with them. The entire path is being protected by the monkeys looking like mountains.”

pravista maatre j~naato aham bale tasminn acaarite |

balaad grihiito bahubhir bahudhaa asmi vidaaritah || 6-30-7

“I was identified when that army was merely penetrated into (by me) and began to be examined. I was seized forcibly by the demons (forming the retinue of ), who investigated me in various ways.”

jaanubhir mustibhir dantais talaih ca abhihato bhrisham |

pariniito asmi haribhir balavadbhir amarsanaih || 6-30-8

“I was beaten on all sides with knees, fists, teeth and palms by the enraged monkeys. I was also paraded round in the midst of their army.”

pariniiya ca sarvatra niito aham raama samsadam |

rudhira aadigdha sarva ango vihvalah calita indriyah || 6-30-9

“Having been paraded all around thus, I was finally taken to the court of Rama. All my limbs were bleeding and Rama. All my limbs were bleeding and I was trembling, with my senses disturbed.”

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Valmiki Ramayana – Yuddha Kanda – Chapter 30 haribhir vadhyamaanah ca yaacamaanah krita anjalih |

raaghavena paritraato jiivaami ha yadricchayaa || 6-30-10

“While being plagued by the monkeys and asked for protection with joined palms, I was saved fortunately by Rama, saying ‘stay! Stay!’

esa shailaih shilaabhih ca puurayitvaa mahaaarnavam |

dvaaram aashritya la.nkaayaa raamas tisthati saayudhah || 6-30-11

“Rama has filled the sea with boulders and rocks, taking up his position at the gates of and stands there, well-equipped with weapons.”

garuda vyuuham aasthaaya sarvato haribhir vritah |

maam visrijya mahaatejaa lankaam eva abhivartate || 6-30-12

“Having released me, Rama of great splendor arranged the army in the form of Garuda (an eagle). He is encircled on all sides by the monkeys and is approaching towards Lanka.”

puraa praakaaram aayaati ksipram ekataram kuru |

siitaam ca asmai prayaccha aashu suyuddham vaa pradiiyataam || 6-30-13

“Before he reaches the ramparts, do one thing or the other quickly or give away Seetha immediately or even offer him battle.”

manasaa samtataapa atha tat shrutvaa raaksasa adhipah |

shaarduulasya mahad vaakyam atha uvaaca sa raavanah || 6-30-14

Having heard those words, Ravana the lord of demons reflected on it and thereafter spoke the following significant words to Shardula.

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Valmiki Ramayana – Yuddha Kanda – Chapter 30 yadi maam pratiyudhyeran deva gandharva daanavaah |

na eva siitaam pradaasyaami sarva loka bhayaad api || 6-30-15

“I will not give away Seetha even if the celestials or Gandharvas the celestial musicians or the demons were to fight against me or even under danger from all beings.”

evam uktvaa mahaatejaa raavanah punar abraviit |

caaritaa bhavataa senaa ke atra shuuraah plavam gamaah || 6-30-16

After uttering the aforesaid words, the heroic Ravana again spoke as follows: “Has the army been espied by you? Who are the valiant monkeys among them?”

kiidrishaah kim prabhaavaah ca vaanaraa ye duraasadaah |

kasya putraah ca pautraah ca tattvam aakhyaahi raaksasa || 6-30-17

“O, the virtuous gentle Shardula! What radiance do the monkeys, who are difficult to be conquered possess of? what kind? Whose sons and grandsons are they? You tell me that information.”

tathaatra pratipatsyaami j~naatvaa tesaam bala abalam |

avashyam bala samkhyaanam kartavyam yuddham icchataa || 6-30-18

“After knowing their strengths and weakness, I will decide in this matter accordingly. Is it not necessary to count clearly those who are really yearning to fight the battle?”

atha evam uktah shaarduulo raavanena uttamah carah |

idam vacanam aarebhe vaktum raavana samnidhau || 6-30-19

Hearing Ravana’s words, Shardula the excellent spy then started to narrate these words for Ravana’s information:

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Valmiki Ramayana – Yuddha Kanda – Chapter 30 atha riksa rajasah putro yudhi raajan sudurjayah |

gadgadasya atha putro atra jaambavaan iti vishrutah || 6-30-20

“Certainly, king Sugreeva, the son of Riksharaja, is difficult to be conquered in battle. Here is the son of Gadgada, famously called as .”

gadgadasya eva putro anyo guru putrah shata kratoh |

kadanam yasya putrena kritam ekena raksasaam || 6-30-21

“The other one is the son of the same Gadgada. Another one is the son of Brihaspati the teacher of Indra the lord of celestials, called Kesari by whose son the demons were destroyed.”

susenah ca api dharma aatmaa putro dharmasya viiryavaan |

saumyah soma aatmajah ca atra raajan dadhi mukhah kapih || 6-30-22

“O, king! Here is Sushena the son of Yama the Lord of Death who is valiant and virtuous, as well as a monkey called Dadhimukha, the cool-minded, who is the son of moon.”

sumukho durmukhah ca atra vega darshii ca vaanarah |

mrityur vaanara ruupena nuunam sristah svayambhuvaa || 6-30-23

“Sumukha, Durmukha and a monkey called Vegadarshi are surely the personifications of death in the form of monkeys, created by Brahma, the Lord of creation.”

putro huta vahasya atha niilah senaa patih svayam |

anilasya ca putro atra hanuumaan iti vishrutah || 6-30-24

“Here is the army-general himself, the son of Agni the Lord of Fire. Here is the son of the Lord of Wind well- known as Hanuman.”

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Valmiki Ramayana – Yuddha Kanda – Chapter 30 naptaa shakrasya durdharso balavaan angado yuvaa |

maindah ca dvividah ca ubhau balinaav ashvi sambhavau || 6-30-25

putraa vaivasvatasya atra panca kaala antaka upamaah |

gajo gava akso gavayah sharabho gandha maadanah || 6-30-26

dasha vaanarakotyashcha shuuraanaam yuddhakaangkshinaam |

shriimataam devaputraanaam shesam naakhyaatumutsahe || 6-30-27

“The young , Indra’s grandson, the strong and invincible one, both the mighty Mainda and Dvinda born of the two divinities of Ashwin as well as Gaja, Gavaaksha, Gavaya, Sharabha and Gandhamaadana the five sons of Yama the God of Death all of them resembling Yama at the time of dissolution of the world, the valiant ten crores of monkeys who are yearning for battle are all here. I cannot venture to tell about the remaining glorious sons of god.”

putro dasharathasyesa simhasamhanano yuvaa |

duusano nihato yena kharashca trishiraastathaa || 6-30-28

“This young man is Rama, Dasaratha’s son, who is well-built like a lion, by whom Duushana was killed as also Khara and Trishana.

naasti raamasya sadrisho vikrame bhuvi kashcana |

viraadho nihato yena kabandhashcaantakopamah || 6-30-29

“There is no one on earth who is equal in prowess to Rama, by whom was killed as also who was equal to Yama.”

vaktum na shakto raamasya gunaan kashchinnarah kshitau |

janasthaanagataa yena taavanto raakshasaa hataah || 6-30-30

“No man on this earth is able to narrate the qualities of Rama, by whom all the demons staying in Janasthaana were killed.”

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Valmiki Ramayana – Yuddha Kanda – Chapter 30 lakshmanashcaatra dharmaatmaa maatangavaamivarsabhah |

yasya baanapatham praapya va jiivedapi vaasavah || 6-30-31

“Here too is the virtuous , resembling the most excellent elephant among elephants, in the path of whose arrows, even Indra the Lord of celestials himself could not survive

shveto jyotir mukhah ca atra bhaaskarasya aatma sambhavau |

varunasya ca putro atha hema kuutah plavam gamah || 6-30-32

vishva karma suto viiro nalah plavaga sattamah |

vikraanto vegavaan atra vasu putrah sudurdharah || 6-30-33

“Sweta and Jyotirmukha, the sons of the sun-god, a monkey called Hemakuta, another son of Varuna, Nila the son of Visvakarma the strong and the best of monkeys, as well as that mighty and swift Durdhara the son of Vasus are all here.”

raaksasaanaam varisthah ca tava bhraataa vibhiisanah |

parigrihya puriim lankaam raaghavasya hite ratah|| 6-30-34

"There is the prince of demons Vibhishana, your brother, who having secured the city of Lanka (as a prospective gift from Rama) remains devoted to the good of Rama."

iti sarvam samaakhyaatam tava idam vaanaram balam |

suvele adhisthitam shaile shesa kaarye bhavaan gatih || 6-30-35

“Thus, I have described about the entire army of monkeys stationed on the Mount Suvela. Now, it is for you to decide what remains to be done!”

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Valmiki Ramayana – Yuddha Kanda – Chapter 30 ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye yuddhakaande trimshah sargah

Thus completes 30th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.

Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate

References

K. M. K. Murthy. (2002). Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War.

Merriam-Webster. (2007). At http://www.m-w.com.

Reference.com. (2007). At http://www.reference.com.

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