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.
अतिष्ठत् सह मैन्देन द्विविदेन च वीर्यवान्। अङ्गदो दक्षिणद्वारं जग्राह सुमहाबलः
He stood there with Mainda and the mighty Dvivida; the powerful Aṅgada took charge of the southern gate.
ऋषभेण गवाक्षेण गजेन गवयेन च। हनूमान् पश्चिमद्वारं ररक्ष बलवान् कपिः
With Ṛṣabha, Gavākṣa, Gaja, and Gavaya, Hanūmān, the strong monkey, guarded the western gate.
प्रमाथिप्रघसाभ्यां च वीरैरन्यैश्च संगतः। मध्यमे च स्वयं गुल्मे सुग्रीवः समतिष्ठत
Joined by Pramāthi, Praghasa, and other heroes, Sugrīva himself took position in the central division.
सह सर्वैर्हरिश्रेष्ठैः सुपर्णपवनोपमैः। वानराणां तु षट्त्रिंशत्कोट्यः प्रख्यातयूथपाः
Together with all the foremost monkeys, swift as Garuḍa and the wind, there were thirty-six crores of renowned monkey chiefs.
निपीड्योपनिविष्टाश्च सुग्रीवो यत्र वानरः। शासनेन तु रामस्य लक्ष्मणः सविभीषणः
They pressed in and encamped where Sugrīva the monkey was; by Rāma's command, Lakṣmaṇa and Vibhīṣaṇa were also present.
द्वारे द्वारे हरीणां तु कोटिं कोटीर्न्यवेशयत्। पश्चिमेन तु रामस्य सुषेणः सहजाम्बवान्
At each gate, Lakṣmaṇa stationed a crore of monkeys; to the west of Rāma, Suṣeṇa and Jāmbavān took their places.
अदूरान्मध्यमे गुल्मे तस्थौ बहुबलानुगः। ते तु वानरशार्दूलाः शार्दूला इव दंष्ट्रिणः। गृहीत्वा द्रुमशैलाग्रान् हृष्टा युद्धाय तस्थिरे
Not far from the central division, they stood with their powerful followers; those foremost of monkeys, like fanged tigers, stood ready for battle, delighted, grasping the peaks of trees and mountains.
सर्वे विकृतलाङ्गूलाः सर्वे दंष्ट्रानखायुधाः। सर्वे विकृतचित्राङ्गाः सर्वे च विकृताननाः
All had deformed tails, all bore fangs and claws as weapons; all had strange and varied forms, and all had fearsome faces.
दशनागबलाः केचित् केचिद् दशगुणोत्तराः। केचिन्नागसहस्रस्य बभूवुस्तुल्यविक्रमाः
Some had the strength of ten elephants, some were ten times stronger; some matched the might of a thousand elephants.
सन्ति चौघबलाः केचित् केचिच्छतगुणोत्तराः। अप्रमेयबलाश्चान्ये तत्रासन् हरियूथपाः
Some had the strength of a great flood, some were a hundred times stronger; there were also monkey chiefs of immeasurable power.