केन भीमं जनस्थानं हतं मम परासुना। को हि सर्वेषु लोकेषु गतिं नाधिगमिष्यति
By whom has my dreadful Janasthāna been destroyed with weapons? Who, indeed, in all the worlds will not meet their end?
न हि मे विप्रियं कृत्वा शक्यं मघवता सुखम्। प्राप्तुं वैश्रवणेनापि न यमेन च विष्णुना
Not even Indra, having done me harm, nor Kubera, nor Yama, nor Viṣṇu, can attain happiness.
कालस्य चाप्यहं कालो दहेयमपि पावकम्। मृत्युं मरणधर्मेण संयोजयितुमुत्सहे
Indeed, I am Time to time itself; I could burn even fire, and by the law of death, I am able to unite Death with his own end.
वातस्य तरसा वेगं निहन्तुमपि चोत्सहे। दहेयमपि संक्रुद्धस्तेजसाऽऽदित्यपावकौ
By force, I am able to overcome the speed of the wind; in my wrath, I could burn the sun and fire with my energy.
तथा क्रुद्धं दशग्रीवं कृताञ्जलिरकम्पनः। भयात् संदिग्धया वाचा रावणं याचतेऽभयम्
To the ten-headed one, thus enraged, Akampana, with joined palms and a voice trembling with fear, sought assurance of safety from Rāvaṇa.
दशग्रीवोऽभयं तस्मै प्रददौ रक्षसां वरः। स विस्रब्धोऽब्रवीद् वाक्यमसंदिग्धमकम्पनः
The ten-headed lord, best of the demons, granted him safety; thus reassured, Akampana spoke these words without hesitation.
पुत्रो दशरथस्यास्ते सिंहसंहननो युवा। रामो नाम महास्कन्धो वृत्तायतमहाभुजः
There dwells a son of Dasharatha, young, lion-shouldered, named Rama, mighty-armed and broad-chested.
श्यामः पृथुयशाः श्रीमानतुल्यबलविक्रमः। हतस्तेन जनस्थाने खरश्च सहदूषणः
Dark-complexioned, of great fame, glorious, equal in strength and valor; by him, Khara and Dūṣaṇa were slain at Janasthāna.
अकम्पनवचः श्रुत्वा रावणो राक्षसाधिपः। नागेन्द्र इव निःश्वस्य इदं वचनमब्रवीत्
Hearing Akampana’s words, Rāvaṇa, lord of the demons, sighed like a great serpent and spoke these words.
स सुरेन्द्रेण संयुक्तो रामः सर्वामरैः सह। उपयातो जनस्थानं ब्रूहि कच्चिदकम्पन
Is this Rama, joined with Indra and all the gods, who has come to Janasthāna? Tell me truly, Akampana.
रावणस्य पुनर्वाक्यं निशम्य तदकम्पनः। आचचक्षे बलं तस्य विक्रमं च महात्मनः
Hearing Ravana’s words again, Akampana spoke of the strength and valor of that great soul.
रामो नाम महातेजाः श्रेष्ठः सर्वधनुष्मताम्। दिव्यास्त्रगुणसम्पन्नः परं धर्मं गतो युधि
Rama, radiant and mighty, is the foremost among all archers, endowed with the qualities of divine weapons, and has attained supreme righteousness in battle.
तस्यानुरूपो बलवान् रक्ताक्षो दुन्दुभिस्वनः। कनीयाँल्लक्ष्मणो भ्राता राकाशशिनिभाननः
His younger brother Lakshmana, powerful and red-eyed, whose voice resounds like a drum, has a face like the full moon and matches him in strength.
स तेन सह संयुक्तः पावकेनानिलो यथा। श्रीमान् राजवरस्तेन जनस्थानं निपातितम्
Joined with him, like fire with wind, that glorious prince destroyed Janasthana.
नैव देवा महात्मानो नात्र कार्या विचारणा। शरा रामेण तूत्सृष्टा रुक्मपुङ्खाः पतत्त्रिणः
Neither the gods nor the great souls need to deliberate here; the arrows released by Rama, golden-feathered and winged, are enough.
सर्पाः पञ्चानना भूत्वा भक्षयन्ति स्म राक्षसान्। येन येन च गच्छन्ति राक्षसा भयकर्षिताः
Those arrows became five-headed serpents and devoured the rakshasas, while the terrified rakshasas fled wherever they could.
तेन तेन स्म पश्यन्ति राममेवाग्रतः स्थितम्। इत्थं विनाशितं तेन जनस्थानं तवानघ
Wherever they went, they saw Rama standing before them; thus Janasthana was destroyed by him, O faultless one.
अकम्पनवचः श्रुत्वा रावणो वाक्यमब्रवीत्। गमिष्यामि जनस्थानं रामं हन्तुं सलक्ष्मणम्
Hearing Akampana’s words, Ravana spoke: 'I will go to Janasthana to kill Rama and Lakshmana.'
अथैवमुक्ते वचने प्रोवाचेदमकम्पनः। शृणु राजन् यथावृत्तं रामस्य बलपौरुषम्
When these words were spoken, Akampana replied: 'Hear, O king, the true account of Rama’s strength and prowess.'
असाध्यः कुपितो रामो विक्रमेण महायशाः। आपगायास्तु पूर्णाया वेगं परिहरेच्छरैः
Rama, renowned for his valor, is unconquerable when angered; he could check the force of a full river with his arrows.
सताराग्रहनक्षत्रं नभश्चाप्यवसादयेत्। असौ रामस्तु सीदन्तीं श्रीमानभ्युद्धरेन्महीम्
He could bring down the sky with its stars, planets, and constellations; that glorious Rama could raise up the sinking earth.
भित्त्वा वेलां समुद्रस्य लोकानाप्लावयेद् विभुः। वेगं वापि समुद्रस्य वायुं वा विधमेच्छरैः
Piercing the ocean’s shore, he could flood the worlds; he could disperse the force of the ocean or the wind with his arrows.
संहृत्य वा पुनर्लोकान् विक्रमेण महायशाः। शक्तः श्रेष्ठः स पुरुषः स्रष्टुं पुनरपि प्रजाः
He could withdraw the worlds with his valor, and that supreme man is capable of creating living beings again.
नहि रामो दशग्रीव शक्यो जेतुं रणे त्वया। रक्षसां वापि लोकेन स्वर्गः पापजनैरिव
Rama cannot be defeated by you in battle, O ten-headed one, nor by the world of rakshasas, just as heaven cannot be attained by the wicked.
न तं वध्यमहं मन्ये सर्वैर्देवासुरैरपि। अयं तस्य वधोपायस्तन्ममैकमनाः शृणु
I do not consider him killable even by all the gods and demons together; but there is a way to kill him—listen to me with single-minded attention.
भार्या तस्योत्तमा लोके सीता नाम सुमध्यमा। श्यामा समविभक्ताङ्गी स्त्रीरत्नं रत्नभूषिता
His wife, renowned in the world, is named Sita, slender-waisted, dark-complexioned, with well-proportioned limbs, a jewel among women, adorned with jewels.
नैव देवी न गन्धर्वी नाप्सरा न च पन्नगी। तुल्या सीमन्तिनी तस्या मानुषी तु कुतो भवेत्
Neither goddess, nor gandharvi, nor apsara, nor serpent-woman is equal to her; how could a human woman compare?
अरोचयत तद्वाक्यं रावणो राक्षसाधिपः। चिन्तयित्वा महाबाहुरकम्पनमुवाच ह
Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, approved those words; after reflecting, the mighty-armed one spoke to Akampana.
बाढं कल्यं गमिष्यामि ह्येकः सारथिना सह। आनेष्यामि च वैदेहीमिमां हृष्टो महापुरीम्
Certainly, dear one, I will go at once, alone with my charioteer; I will joyfully bring back this Vaidehī to the great city.
तदेवमुक्त्वा प्रययौ खरयुक्तेन रावणः। रथेनादित्यवर्णेन दिशः सर्वाः प्रकाशयन्
Having spoken thus, Rāvaṇa departed in a chariot drawn by mules, shining like the sun, illuminating all directions.