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.
मूढोऽप्रगल्भोऽविनयोपपन्न- स्तीक्ष्णस्वभावोऽल्पमतिर्दुरात्मा। मूर्खस्त्वमत्यन्तसुदुर्मतिश्च त्वमिन्द्रजिद् बालतया ब्रवीषि
You are foolish, lacking boldness, devoid of humility, harsh by nature, of little intelligence, and evil-minded; you are a fool, extremely wicked, and you speak, Indrajit, out of childishness.
को ब्रह्मदण्डप्रतिमप्रकाशा- नर्चिष्मतः कालनिकाशरूपान्। सहेत बाणान् यमदण्डकल्पान् समक्षमुक्तान् युधि राघवेण
Who could withstand in battle the arrows of Rāghava, blazing like the staff of Brahmā, radiant, resembling Time itself, and like the rod of Yama, released before one's eyes?
धनानि रत्नानि सुभूषणानि वासांसि दिव्यानि मणींश्च चित्रान्। सीतां च रामाय निवेद्य देवीं वसेम राजन्निह वीतशोकाः
Let us offer wealth, jewels, splendid ornaments, divine garments, and various precious gems, and also Sītā, the queen, to Rāma; then, O king, we may live here free from sorrow.
thumb|षोडशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे युद्धकाण्डे षोडशः सर्गः ॥६-
Listen now to the sixteenth chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Book of War.
सुनिविष्टं हितं वाक्यमुक्तवन्तं विभीषणम्। अब्रवीत् परुषं वाक्यं रावणः कालचोदितः
To Vibhīṣaṇa, who had spoken words that were well-considered and beneficial, Rāvaṇa, impelled by fate, replied with harsh words.
वसेत् सह सपत्नेन क्रुद्धेनाशीविषेण च। न तु मित्रप्रवादेन संवसेच्छत्रुसेविना
One may live with a co-wife or even with an angry venomous serpent, but never should one dwell with an enemy who pretends to be a friend.
जानामि शीलं ज्ञातीनां सर्वलोकेषु राक्षस। हृष्यन्ति व्यसनेष्वेते ज्ञातीनां ज्ञातयः सदा
I know the nature of kinsmen everywhere, O Rākṣasa; in times of misfortune, kinsmen always rejoice at the troubles of their own kin.
प्रधानं साधकं वैद्यं धर्मशीलं च राक्षस। ज्ञातयोऽप्यवमन्यन्ते शूरं परिभवन्ति च
Even if one is a chief, an accomplished person, a physician, or righteous in conduct, O Rākṣasa, kinsmen disregard and belittle even a hero.
नित्यमन्योन्यसंहृष्टा व्यसनेष्वाततायिनः। प्रच्छन्नहृदया घोरा ज्ञातयस्तु भयावहाः
Always delighting in each other's misfortune, hostile, with hidden intentions, and terrible—kinsmen are truly a source of fear.
श्रूयन्ते हस्तिभिर्गीताः श्लोकाः पद्मवने पुरा। पाशहस्तान् नरान् दृष्ट्वा शृणुष्व गदतो मम
Verses once sung by elephants in the lotus forest are heard; listen as I recite them, having seen men bound with nooses.
नाग्निर्नान्यानि शस्त्राणि न नः पाशा भयावहाः। घोराः स्वार्थप्रयुक्तास्तु ज्ञातयो नो भयावहाः
Neither fire nor other weapons, nor even nooses, are fearful to us; it is our own kinsmen, driven by selfish motives, who are truly dreadful.
उपायमेते वक्ष्यन्ति ग्रहणे नात्र संशयः। कृत्स्नाद् भयाज्ज्ञातिभयं कुकष्टं विहितं च नः
They will surely devise a means for our capture—of this there is no doubt; out of fear of them, we have established this harsh rule.
विद्यते गोषु सम्पन्नं विद्यते ज्ञातितो भयम्। विद्यते स्त्रीषु चापल्यं विद्यते ब्राह्मणे तपः
There is wealth among cows, there is fear from kinsmen, there is fickleness among women, and there is austerity among brāhmaṇas.
ततो नेष्टमिदं सौम्य यदहं लोकसत्कृतः। ऐश्वर्यमभिजातश्च रिपूणां मूर्ध्नि च स्थितः
Therefore, gentle one, I do not desire this—though I am honored in the world, born to prosperity, and stand above my enemies.
यथा पुष्करपत्रेषु पतितास्तोयबिन्दवः। न श्लेषमभिगच्छन्ति तथानार्येषु सौहृदम्
Just as drops of water falling on a lotus leaf do not adhere, so too is friendship with the ignoble.
यथा शरदि मेघानां सिञ्चतामपि गर्जताम्। न भवत्यम्बुसंक्लेदस्तथानार्येषु सौहृदम्
Just as, in autumn, even when clouds pour down and thunder, the water does not soak in, so too is friendship with the ignoble.
यथा मधुकरस्तर्षाद् रसं विन्दन्न तिष्ठति। तथा त्वमपि तत्रैव तथानार्येषु सौहृदम्
Just as a bee, though thirsty, does not remain where it finds no nectar, so too is friendship with the ignoble.
यथा मधुकरस्तर्षात् काशपुष्पं पिबन्नपि। रसमत्र न विन्देत तथानार्येषु सौहृदम्
Just as a bee, though thirsty, may drink from the kāśa flower but finds no sweetness there, so too is friendship with the ignoble.
यथा पूर्वं गजः स्नात्वा गृह्य हस्तेन वै रजः। दूषयत्यात्मनो देहं तथानार्येषु सौहृदम्
Just as an elephant, after bathing, soils its own body by throwing dust with its trunk, so too is friendship with the ignoble.
इत्युक्तः परुषं वाक्यं न्यायवादी विभीषणः। उत्पपात गदापाणिश्चतुर्भिः सह राक्षसैः
Thus addressed with harsh words, Vibhīṣaṇa, who spoke justly, rose up with his mace in hand, accompanied by four Rākṣasas.