यावन्न गृह्णन्ति शिरांसि बाणा रामेरिता राक्षसपुंगवानाम्। वज्रोपमा वायुसमानवेगाः प्रदीयतां दाशरथाय मैथिली
Before the arrows loosed by Rama, swift as the wind and hard as thunderbolts, seize the heads of the foremost rakshasas, let Maithili be given to the son of Dasharatha.
न कुम्भकर्णेन्द्रजितौ च राजं- स्तथा महापार्श्वमहोदरौ वा। निकुम्भकुम्भौ च तथातिकायः स्थातुं समर्था युधि राघवस्य
Neither Kumbhakarna nor Indrajit, nor indeed Mahaparsva or Mahodara, nor Nikumbha, Kumbha, or Atikaya, O King, are able to stand against Raghava in battle.
जीवंस्तु रामस्य न मोक्ष्यसे त्वं गुप्तः सवित्राप्यथवा मरुद्भिः। न वासवस्याङ्कगतो न मृत्यो- र्नभो न पातालमनुप्रविष्टः
Even if you live, you will not escape from Rama, whether guarded by Savitr or the Maruts; not even if you take refuge with Indra, with Death, in the sky, or having entered the netherworld.
निशम्य वाक्यं तु विभीषणस्य ततः प्रहस्तो वचनं बभाषे। न नो भयं विद्म न दैवतेभ्यो न दानवेभ्योऽप्यथवा कदाचित्
Hearing Vibhishana's words, Prahasta then spoke: 'We have never known fear, neither from the gods nor from the danavas, at any time.'
न यक्षगन्धर्वमहोरगेभ्यो भयं न संख्ये पतगोरगेभ्यः। कथं नु रामाद् भविता भयं नो नरेन्द्रपुत्रात् समरे कदाचित्
We have no fear of yakshas, gandharvas, great serpents, nor in battle from the bird-garuda or serpents; how then could we ever fear Rama, the prince among men, in combat?
प्रहस्तवाक्यं त्वहितं निशम्य विभीषणो राजहितानुकाङ्क्षी। ततो महार्थं वचनं बभाषे धर्मार्थकामेषु निविष्टबुद्धिः
Hearing Prahasta's words, which were not beneficial, Vibhishana, desiring the king's welfare, then spoke these weighty words, his mind set on righteousness, profit, and desire.
प्रहस्त राजा च महोदरश्च त्वं कुम्भकर्णश्च यथार्थजातम्। ब्रवीत रामं प्रति तन्न शक्यं यथा गतिः स्वर्गमधर्मबुद्धेः
Prahasta, the king, Mahodara, you, and Kumbhakarna—what you say about Rama is not possible; such is the fate of one whose mind is set on unrighteousness, to fall from heaven.
वधस्तु रामस्य मया त्वया च प्रहस्त सर्वैरपि राक्षसैर्वा। कथं भवेदर्थविशारदस्य महार्णवं तर्तुमिवाप्लवस्य
The killing of Rama by you, by me, Prahasta, or by all the rakshasas—how could that be possible, as for one skilled in means to cross a great ocean by swimming?
धर्मप्रधानस्य महारथस्य इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवस्य राज्ञः। पुरोऽस्य देवाश्च तथाविधस्य कृत्येषु शक्तस्य भवन्ति मूढाः
Even the gods stand before this king, the great chariot-warrior, scion of the Ikshvaku line, whose mind is set on righteousness, and who is capable in such deeds—fools are those who oppose him.
तीक्ष्णा न तावत् तव कङ्कपत्रा दुरासदा राघवविप्रमुक्ताः। भित्त्वा शरीरं प्रविशन्ति बाणाः प्रहस्त तेनैव विकत्थसे त्वम्
Your sharp arrows, with vulture-feathered shafts, are not so formidable when released at Raghava; Prahasta, those arrows pierce the body and enter it—yet you boast thus.
न रावणो नातिबलस्त्रिशीर्षो न कुम्भकर्णस्य सुतो निकुम्भः। न चेन्द्रजिद् दाशरथिं प्रवोढुं त्वं वा रणे शक्रसमं समर्थः
Neither Ravana, nor the exceedingly strong Trishira, nor Nikumbha, son of Kumbhakarna, nor Indrajit, nor you, Prahasta, are capable of defeating the son of Dasharatha in battle, even if you were equal to Indra.
देवान्तको वापि नरान्तको वा तथातिकायोऽतिरथो महात्मा। अकम्पनश्चाद्रिसमानसारः स्थातुं न शक्ता युधि राघवस्य
Neither Devantaka nor Narantaka, nor Atikaya, the mighty chariot-warrior, nor Akampana, whose strength equals a mountain, are able to stand against Raghava in battle.
अयं च राजा व्यसनाभिभूतो मित्रैरमित्रप्रतिमैर्भवद्भिः। अन्वास्यते राक्षसनाशनार्थे तीक्ष्णः प्रकृत्या ह्यसमीक्षकारी
This king, overwhelmed by calamity, is followed by you, his friends who are like enemies, seeking the destruction of the rakshasas; by nature he is harsh and acts without reflection.
अनन्तभोगेन सहस्रमूर्ध्ना नागेन भीमेन महाबलेन। बलात् परिक्षिप्तमिमं भवन्तो राजानमुत्क्षिप्य विमोचयन्तु
Let you all, having surrounded this king, who is beset by the mighty serpent with endless coils and a thousand heads, release him by force from its grasp.
यावद्धि केशग्रहणात् सुहृद्भिः समेत्य सर्वैः परिपूर्णकामैः। निगृह्य राजा परिरक्षितव्यो भूतैर्यथा भीमबलैर्गृहीतः
Before, by seizing his hair, all his friends, their desires fulfilled, come together and restrain the king, he must be protected, as beings of terrible strength guard one who is seized.
सुवारिणा राघवसागरेण प्रच्छाद्यमानस्तरसा भवद्भिः। युक्तस्त्वयं तारयितुं समेत्य काकुत्स्थपातालमुखे पतन् सः
As he is swiftly being covered by the ocean of Raghava's army, you must unite and rescue him, for he is falling into the mouth of the Kakutstha's underworld.
इदं पुरस्यास्य सराक्षसस्य राज्ञश्च पथ्यं ससुहृज्जनस्य। सम्यग्घि वाक्यं स्वमतं ब्रवीमि नरेन्द्रपुत्राय ददातु मैथिलीम्
This is the right course for this city of rakshasas, for the king, and for his friends; I speak these words truly, let Maithili be given to the prince among men.
परस्य वीर्यं स्वबलं च बुद्ध्वा स्थानं क्षयं चैव तथैव वृद्धिम्। तथा स्वपक्षेऽप्यनुमृश्य बुद्ध्या वदेत् क्षमं स्वामिहितं स मन्त्री
A counselor should, after discerning with intelligence the strength and power of the enemy, as well as their own position, decline, and growth, likewise carefully consider the same in their own side, and then speak what is appropriate and beneficial to their master.
thumb|पञ्चदशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे युद्धकाण्डे पञ्चदशः सर्गः ॥६-
Listen now to the fifteenth chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Book of War.
बृहस्पतेस्तुल्यमतेर्वचस्त- न्निशम्य यत्नेन विभीषणस्य। ततो महात्मा वचनं बभाषे तत्रेन्द्रजिन्नैर्ऋतयूथमुख्यः
Hearing the words of Vibhīṣaṇa, whose intellect was equal to Bṛhaspati, with great attention, then the great-souled Indrajit, chief among the Rākṣasa warriors, spoke these words there.
किं नाम ते तात कनिष्ठ वाक्य- मनर्थकं वै बहुभीतवच्च। अस्मिन् कुले योऽपि भवेन्न जातः सोऽपीदृशं नैव वदेन्न कुर्यात्
Why, dear younger brother, do you speak such useless and fearful words? Even one who is born in this family, though not yet grown, would never speak or act in such a way.
सत्त्वेन वीर्येण पराक्रमेण धैर्येण शौर्येण च तेजसा च। एकः कुलेऽस्मिन् पुरुषो विमुक्तो विभीषणस्तात कनिष्ठ एषः
By virtue, strength, valor, courage, heroism, and brilliance, only one in this family has turned away—and that is you, dear younger brother Vibhīṣaṇa.
किं नाम तौ मानुषराजपुत्रा- वस्माकमेकेन हि राक्षसेन। सुप्राकृतेनापि निहन्तुमेतौ शक्यौ कुतो भीषयसे स्म भीरो
Why do you frighten us, saying that those two sons of the human king cannot be slain by even a single Rākṣasa, even one of ordinary power?
त्रिलोकनाथो ननु देवराजः शक्रो मया भूमितले निविष्टः। भयार्पिताश्चापि दिशः प्रपन्नाः सर्वे तदा देवगणाः समग्राः
Was it not I who, on earth, subdued Indra, the lord of the three worlds and king of the gods? At that time, all the hosts of gods fled in fear to the directions.
ऐरावतो निःस्वनमुन्नदन् स निपातितो भूमितले मया तु। विकृष्य दन्तौ तु मया प्रसह्य वित्रासिता देवगणाः समग्राः
It was I who struck down Airāvata, trumpeting loudly, to the ground; I forcefully pulled out his tusks, and terrified all the hosts of gods.
सोऽहं सुराणामपि दर्पहन्ता दैत्योत्तमानामपि शोककर्ता। कथं नरेन्द्रात्मजयोर्न शक्तो मनुष्ययोः प्राकृतयोः सुवीर्यः
I am the one who destroys the pride of the gods and brings grief to the greatest of Daityas; how then can I, powerful as I am, not be able to defeat the sons of a human king, mere mortals?
अथेन्द्रकल्पस्य दुरासदस्य महौजसस्तद् वचनं निशम्य। ततो महार्थं वचनं बभाषे विभीषणः शस्त्रभृतां वरिष्ठः
Then, hearing these words of Indrajit, who was like Indra himself, difficult to approach and of great energy, Vibhīṣaṇa, the foremost among weapon-bearers, spoke words of great import.
न तात मन्त्रे तव निश्चयोऽस्ति बालस्त्वमद्याप्यविपक्वबुद्धिः। तस्मात् त्वयाप्यात्मविनाशनाय वचोऽर्थहीनं बहु विप्रलप्तम्
Dear one, you have no firmness in counsel; you are still a child, your understanding not yet mature. Therefore, you have spoken many meaningless words, leading only to your own destruction.
पुत्रप्रवादेन तु रावणस्य त्वमिन्द्रजिन्मित्रमुखोऽसि शत्रुः। यस्येदृशं राघवतो विनाशं निशम्य मोहादनुमन्यसे त्वम्
By speaking as the son of Rāvaṇa, you, Indrajit, have become an enemy with a friendly face; for you, in your delusion, agree to the destruction of Rāghava, hearing of such a fate.
त्वमेव वध्यश्च सुदुर्मतिश्च स चापि वध्यो य इहानयत् त्वाम्। बालं दृढं साहसिकं च योऽद्य प्रावेशयन्मन्त्रकृतां समीपम्
You alone deserve to be slain, and you are of exceedingly wicked mind; and he too deserves death who brought you here—this child, stubborn and reckless, into the midst of the counselors.