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.
अद्भुतश्च विचित्रश्च तेषामासीत् समागमः। तत्र वानरसैन्यानां शलभानामिवोद्गमः
Their gathering was both wondrous and diverse; the assembly of the monkey army was like the rising of swarms of locusts.
परिपूर्णमिवाकाशं सम्पूर्णेव च मेदिनी। लङ्कामुपनिविष्टैश्च सम्पतद्भिश्च वानरैः
The sky seemed completely filled, and the earth as well, with monkeys encamped around Laṅkā and leaping about.
शतं शतसहस्राणां पृतनर्क्षवनौकसाम्। लङ्काद्वाराण्युपाजग्मुरन्ये योद्धुं समन्ततः
Hundreds of thousands of monkey warriors approached the gates of Laṅkā from all sides, ready to fight.
आवृतः स गिरिः सर्वैस्तैः समन्तात् प्लवङ्गमैः। अयुतानां सहस्रं च पुरीं तामभ्यवर्तत
That mountain was surrounded on all sides by those monkeys, and a host of ten thousand divisions advanced toward that city.
वानरैर्बलवद्भिश्च बभूव द्रुमपाणिभिः। सर्वतः संवृता लङ्का दुष्प्रवेशापि वायुना
Lanka became encircled on every side by powerful monkeys wielding trees, making it impenetrable even to the wind.
राक्षसा विस्मयं जग्मुः सहसाभिनिपीडिताः। वानरैर्मेघसंकाशैः शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमैः
The rākṣasas, suddenly beset by monkeys resembling clouds and equal in valor to Indra, were struck with amazement.
महाञ्छब्दोऽभवत् तत्र बलौघस्याभिवर्ततः। सागरस्येव भिन्नस्य यथा स्यात् सलिलस्वनः
A great sound arose there from the advancing mass of troops, like the roar of the ocean when it is broken open.
तेन शब्देन महता सप्राकारा सतोरणा। लङ्का प्रचलिता सर्वा सशैलवनकानना
By that tremendous sound, all of Lanka—with its ramparts, gateways, mountains, forests, and groves—was shaken.
रामलक्ष्मणगुप्ता सा सुग्रीवेण च वाहिनी। बभूव दुर्धर्षतरा सर्वैरपि सुरासुरैः
That army, protected by Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Sugrīva, became unconquerable even by all the gods and asuras together.
राघवः संनिवेश्यैवं स्वसैन्यं रक्षसां वधे। सम्मन्त्र्य मन्त्रिभिः सार्धं निश्चित्य च पुनः पुनः
Rāghava, having thus arrayed his army for the destruction of the rākṣasas, consulted repeatedly with his counselors.