Ramayana

न विरोधो बलवता क्षमो रावण तेन ते । अनादृत्य तु तद्वाक्यं रावणः कालचोदितः ॥१-१-

Mārīca said to Rāvaṇa, 'It is not possible for you to oppose one so powerful'; but disregarding these words, Rāvaṇa, impelled by fate—

जगाम सहमारीचस्तस्याश्रमपदं तदा । तेन मायाविना दूरमपवाह्य नृपात्मजौ ॥१-१-

—went with Mārīca to that hermitage; by the trickster, the two princes were lured far away.

जहार भार्यां रामस्य गृध्रं हत्वा जटायुषम् । गृध्रञ्च निहतं दृष्ट्वा हृतां श्रुत्वा च मैथिलीम् ॥१-१-

He abducted Rāma's wife, having slain the vulture Jaṭāyu; seeing the vulture killed and hearing of Sītā's abduction—

राघवः शोकसंतप्तो विललापाकुलेन्द्रियः । ततस्तेनैव शोकेन गृध्रं दग्ध्वा जटायुषम् ॥१-१-

Rāghava, tormented by grief, lamented, his senses disturbed; then, overwhelmed by that sorrow, he cremated Jaṭāyu, the vulture.

मार्गमाणो वने सीतां राक्षसं सन्ददर्श ह । कबन्धं नाम रूपेण विकृतं घोरदर्शनम् ॥१-१-

While searching for Sita in the forest, he encountered a fearsome and hideous demon named Kabandha.

तन्निहत्य महाबाहुर्ददाह स्वर्गतश्च सः । स चास्य कथयामास शबरीं धर्मचारिणीम् ॥१-१-

After slaying him, the mighty-armed one burned his body, and when Kabandha ascended to heaven, he told him about Shabari, the righteous ascetic.

श्रमणां धर्मनिपुणामभिगच्छेति राघव । सोऽभ्य गच्छन्महातेजाः शबरीं शत्रुसूदनः ॥१-१-

"Go to Shabari, who is devoted to righteousness and skilled in dharma," he said to Raghava; so the radiant destroyer of enemies went to Shabari.

शबर्या पूजितः सम्यग् रामो दशरथात्मजः । पम्पातीरे हनुमता सङ्गतो वानरेण ह ॥१-१-

Honored properly by Shabari, Rama, the son of Dasharatha, met Hanuman, the vanara, on the bank of the Pampa lake.

हनुमद्वचनाच्चैव सुग्रीवेण समागतः । सुग्रीवाय च तत्सर्वं शंसद्रामो महाबलः ॥१-१-

And through Hanuman's words, he met Sugriva; and Rama, the mighty one, told Sugriva everything.

आदितस्तद् यथावृत्तं सीतायाश्च विशेषतः । सुग्रीवश्चापि तत्सर्वं श्रुत्वा रामस्य वानरः ॥१-१-

From the beginning, he recounted all that had happened, especially regarding Sita; and Sugriva, the vanara, listened to all of Rama's story.

चकार सख्यं रामेण प्रीतश्चैवाग्निसाक्षिकम् । ततो वानरराजेन वैरानुकथनं प्रति ॥१-१-

He formed a friendship with Rama, joyfully, with fire as witness; then, at the vanara king's request, the tale of his enmity was recounted.

रामायावेदितं सर्वं प्रणयात् दुःखितेन च । प्रतिज्ञातञ्च रामेण तदा वालिवधं प्रति ॥१-१-

All was revealed to Rama by the sorrowful and affectionate Sugriva; and Rama then promised to slay Vali.

वालिनश्च बलं तत्र कथयामास वानरः । सुग्रीवः शङ्कितश्चासीन्नित्यं वीर्येण राघवे ॥१-१-

There the vanara, Sugriva, described Vali's strength, and he was always doubtful of Raghava's prowess.

राघवप्रत्ययार्थं तु दुन्दुभेः कायमुत्तमम् । दर्शयामास सुग्रीवः महापर्वतसन्निभम् ॥१-१-

To assure Raghava, Sugriva showed him the mighty body of Dundubhi, resembling a great mountain.

उत्स्मयित्वा महाबाहुः प्रेक्ष्य चास्ति महाबलः । पादाङ्गुष्ठेन चिक्षेप संपूर्णं दशयोजनम् ॥१-१-

The mighty-armed hero, smiling, looked at it and, with his big toe, flung it a full ten yojanas.

बिभेद च पुनस्सालान् सप्तैकेन महेषुणा । गिरिं रसातलञ्चैव जनयन् प्रत्ययं तथा ॥१-१-

Again, with a single great arrow, he split seven sala trees, a mountain, and even the underworld, thus inspiring confidence.

ततः प्रीतमनास्तेन विश्वस्तस्स महाकपिः । किष्किन्धां रामसहितो जगाम च गुहां तदा ॥१-१-

Then, pleased and trusting, the great vanara went with Rama to the cave of Kishkindha.

ततोऽगर्जद्धरिवरः सुग्रीवो हेमपिङ्गलः । तेन नादेन महता निर्जगाम हरीश्वरः ॥१-१-

Then the best of monkeys, Sugriva, golden-hued, roared; and at that great sound, the lord of monkeys emerged.

अनुमान्य तदा तारां सुग्रीवेण समागतः । निजघान च तत्रैनं शरेणैकेन राघवः ॥१-१-

Having taken counsel with Tara, Vali came to meet Sugriva; and there, Rama struck him down with a single arrow.

ततः सुग्रीववचनात् हत्वा वालिनमाहवे । सुग्रीवमेव तद्राज्ये राघवः प्रत्यपादयत् ॥१-१-

Then, at Sugriva's request, after slaying Vali in battle, Rama restored Sugriva to that kingdom.

स च सर्वान् समानीय वानरान् वानरर्षभः । दिशः प्रस्थापयामास दिदृक्षुर्जनकात्मजाम् ॥१-१-

And the foremost of vanaras gathered all the monkeys and sent them in all directions, eager to find Janaka's daughter.

ततो गृध्रस्य वचनात् संपातेर्हनुमान् बली । शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं पुप्लुवे लवणार्णवम् ॥१-१-

Then, by the words of the vulture Sampati, the mighty Hanuman leapt across the salt ocean, a hundred yojanas wide.

तत्र लङ्कां समासाद्य पुरीं रावणपालिताम् । ददर्श सीतां ध्यायन्तीम् अशोकवनिकां गताम् ॥१-१-

There, reaching the city of Lanka ruled by Ravana, he saw Sita, lost in thought, who had entered the Ashoka grove.

निवेदयित्वाभिज्ञानं प्रवृत्तिं विनिवेद्य च । समाश्वास्य च वैदेहीं मर्दयामास तोरणम् ॥१-१-

Having conveyed the token of recognition and reported the news, he comforted Vaidehi and crushed the gateway.

पञ्च सेनाग्रगान् हत्वा सप्त मन्त्रिसुतानपि । शूरमक्षं च निष्पिष्य ग्रहणं समुपागमत् ॥१-१-

After slaying five commanders and seven sons of ministers, and crushing the valiant Aksha, he was finally captured.

अस्त्रेणोन्मुक्तमात्मानं ज्ञात्वा पैतामहाद् वरात् । मर्षयन् राक्षसान् वीरो यन्त्रिणस्तान् यदृच्छया ॥१-१-

Knowing himself freed by the boon of his grandfather, the hero endured the rakshasas who bound him, as fate would have it.

ततो दग्ध्वा पुरीं लङ्काम् ऋते सीताञ्च मैथिलीम् । रामाय प्रियमाख्यातुं पुनरायान्महाकपिः ॥१-१-

Then, having burned the city of Lanka except for Maithili Sita, the great monkey returned to tell Rama the good news.

सोऽभिगम्य महात्मानं कृत्वा रामं प्रदक्षिणम् । न्यवेदयदमेयात्मा दृष्टा सीतेति तत्त्वतः ॥१-१-

He approached the great-souled Rama, circled him in reverence, and faithfully reported, 'Sita has been seen.'

ततः सुग्रीवसहितो गत्वा तीरं महोदधेः । समुद्रं क्षोभयामास शरैरादित्यसन्निभैः ॥१-१-

Then, together with Sugriva, he went to the shore of the great ocean and agitated the sea with arrows shining like the sun.