तव भार्यापहर्तारं दृष्ट्वा राघव रावणम्। मर्षयामि कथं वीर जानन् विक्रममात्मनः
Sugrīva replied to Rāma, who spoke thus: 'O Rāghava, seeing Rāvaṇa, the abductor of your wife, how could I, knowing my own valor, endure it?'
इत्येवं वादिनं वीरमभिनन्द्य च राघवः। लक्ष्मणं लक्ष्मिसम्पन्नमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
Thus, as the hero spoke, Rāghava, having welcomed him, addressed these words to Lakṣmaṇa, endowed with fortune:
परिगृह्योदकं शीतं वनानि फलवन्ति च। बलौघं संविभज्येमं व्यूह्य तिष्ठाम लक्ष्मण
Let us gather cool water and fruits from the forests, divide this army into battalions, and arrange our formation, O Lakṣmaṇa.
लोकक्षयकरं भीमं भयं पश्याम्युपस्थितम्। निबर्हणं प्रवीराणामृक्षवानररक्षसाम्
I see a terrible, world-destroying fear approaching, threatening the destruction of the brave among the bears, monkeys, and rākṣasas.
वाता हि परुषं वान्ति कम्पते च वसुंधरा। पर्वताग्राणि वेपन्ते नदन्ति धरणीधराः
The winds blow harshly, the earth trembles, mountain peaks shake, and the mountains roar.
मेघाः क्रव्यादसंकाशाः परुषाः परुषस्वराः। क्रूराः क्रूरं प्रवर्षन्ते मिश्रं शोणितबिन्दुभिः
Clouds, resembling flesh-eaters, are harsh and emit harsh sounds; they pour cruelly, mingled with drops of blood.
रक्तचन्दनसंकाशा संध्या परमदारुणा। ज्वलच्च निपतत्येतदादित्यादग्निमण्डलम्
The twilight is exceedingly red, like red sandalwood, and this blazing solar orb is falling from the sun.
आदित्यमभिवाश्यन्ति जनयन्तो महद्भयम्। दीना दीनस्वरा घोरा अप्रशस्ता मृगद्विजाः
The animals and birds, distressed and with pitiful voices, utter fearful cries toward the sun, producing great dread; they are ominous and inauspicious.
रजन्यामप्रकाशश्च संतापयति चन्द्रमाः। कृष्णरक्तांशुपर्यन्तो यथा लोकस्य संक्षये
At night, the moon gives no light and torments with its presence, its rays ending in black and red, as if at the destruction of the world.
ह्रस्वो रूक्षोऽप्रशस्तश्च परिवेषः सुलोहितः। आदित्यमण्डले नीलं लक्ष्म लक्ष्मण दृश्यते
A short, harsh, and inauspicious halo, deep red in color, is seen encircling the sun's disk, O Lakshmana, and a blue mark appears.
दृश्यन्ते न यथावच्च नक्षत्राण्यभिवर्तते। युगान्तमिव लोकस्य पश्य लक्ष्मण शंसति
The stars do not appear as they should, and their movement suggests, O Lakshmana, as if the end of the world is being foretold.
काकाः श्येनास्तथा गृध्रा नीचैः परिपतन्ति च। शिवाश्चाप्यशुभा वाचः प्रवदन्ति महास्वनाः
Crows, hawks, and vultures fly low, and with loud voices, utter words that are either auspicious or ominous.
शैलैः शूलैश्च खड्गैश्च विमुक्तैः कपिराक्षसैः। भविष्यत्यावृता भूमिर्मांसशोणितकर्दमा
The earth will soon be covered by monkeys and rakshasas, armed with mountains, spears, and swords, and will be muddied with flesh and blood.
क्षिप्रमद्य दुराधर्षां पुरीं रावणपालिताम्। अभियाम जवेनैव सर्वतो हरिभिर्वृताः
Let us swiftly march today, surrounded on all sides by monkeys, to attack the unconquerable city ruled by Ravana.
इत्येवं तु वदन् वीरो लक्ष्मणं लक्ष्मणाग्रजः। तस्मादवातरच्छीघ्रं पर्वताग्रान्महाबलः
Thus speaking to Lakshmana, the heroic elder brother of Lakshmana, of great strength, quickly descended from the mountain peak.
अवतीर्य तु धर्मात्मा तस्माच्छैलात् स राघवः। परैः परमदुर्धर्षं ददर्श बलमात्मनः
Having descended from that mountain, the righteous Raghava beheld his own army, which was extremely formidable and difficult for enemies to withstand.
संनह्य तु ससुग्रीवः कपिराजबलं महत्। कालज्ञो राघवः काले संयुगायाभ्यचोदयत्
Then, together with Sugriva, Raghava, who knew the right time, arrayed the great monkey army and urged them to battle at the proper moment.
ततः काले महाबाहुर्बलेन महता वृतः। प्रस्थितः पुरतो धन्वी लङ्कामभिमुखः पुरीम्
Then, at the right time, the mighty-armed one, surrounded by a great force, set out at the front, bow in hand, toward the city of Lanka.
तं विभीषणसुग्रीवौ हनूमाञ्जाम्बवान् नलः। ऋक्षराजस्तथा नीलो लक्ष्मणश्चान्वयुस्तदा
Vibhishana, Sugriva, Hanuman, Jambavan, Nala, the king of bears, Nila, and Lakshmana then followed him.
ततः पश्चात् सुमहती पृतनर्क्षवनौकसाम्। प्रच्छाद्य महतीं भूमिमनुयाति स्म राघवम्
After them, a vast army of monkeys and bears, covering the great earth, followed Raghava.
शैलशृङ्गाणि शतशः प्रवृद्धांश्च महीरुहान्। जगृहुः कुञ्जरप्रख्या वानराः परवारणाः
The mighty monkeys, resembling elephants, seized by the hundreds mountain peaks and great trees as weapons.
तौ त्वदीर्घेण कालेन भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ। रावणस्य पुरीं लङ्कामासेदतुररिंदमौ
Then, after a long time, the two brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, destroyers of enemies, reached Lanka, the city of Ravana.
पताकामालिनीं रम्यामुद्यानवनशोभिताम्। चित्रवप्रां सुदुष्प्रापामुच्चैः प्राकारतोरणाम्
Adorned with banners, beautiful, shining with gardens and groves, with variegated ramparts, most difficult to approach, and with high walls and gateways.
तां सुरैरपि दुर्धर्षां रामवाक्यप्रचोदिताः। यथानिदेशं सम्पीड्य न्यविशन्त वनौकसः
That city, impregnable even to the gods, was besieged by the forest-dwellers, who, prompted by Rama's command, pressed in as ordered.
लङ्कायास्तूत्तरद्वारं शैलशृङ्गमिवोन्नतम्। रामः सहानुजो धन्वी जुगोप च रुरोध च
Rama, together with his brother and bow in hand, guarded and blocked the northern gate of Lanka, which rose high like a mountain peak.
लङ्कामुपनिविष्टस्तु रामो दशरथात्मजः। लक्ष्मणानुचरो वीरः पुरीं रावणपालिताम्
Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, the valiant one, encamped near Laṅkā, the city ruled by Rāvaṇa.
उत्तरद्वारमासाद्य यत्र तिष्ठति रावणः। नान्यो रामाद्धि तद् द्वारं समर्थः परिरक्षितुम्
Reaching the northern gate, where Rāvaṇa himself stood, no one but Rāma was truly capable of defending that gate.
रावणाधिष्ठितं भीमं वरुणेनेव सागरम्। सायुधै राक्षसैर्भीमैरभिगुप्तं समन्ततः
That dreadful gate, guarded by Rāvaṇa like the ocean by Varuṇa, was protected on all sides by fierce Rākṣasas armed for battle.
लघूनां त्रासजननं पातालमिव दानवैः। विन्यस्तानि च योधानां बहूनि विविधानि च
It inspired terror in the weak, like the netherworld filled with Dānavas; and there were many and various troops stationed there.
ददर्शायुधजालानि तथैव कवचानि च। पूर्वं तु द्वारमासाद्य नीलो हरिचमूपतिः
He saw arrays of weapons and armor set out; meanwhile, Nīla, the leader of the monkey army, approached the eastern gate.