Paumacariya 70
English (machine translation) 70
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70.1
Then, on a day of intense brilliance, the Ten-headed One sat in the assembly hall / with his warriors, endowed with prosperity like Indra.
70.2
His body adorned with excellent garlands, golden earrings, and crowns, / gazing at his own assembly, he became exceedingly anxious.
70.3
“My brother Bhānukarṇa, and Indrajit and Ghanavāhana my sons, / and the warriors Hasta and Prahasta are not to be seen here at my side.”
70.4
Not seeing them there, enraged, his face blazing with a warrior’s frown, / the Ten-headed One cast his gaze upon the discus-jewel.
70.5
His heart surging with rage, he prepared to go to the armory; / and just then, sudden and most dreadful ill-omens arose.
70.6
While walking, his foot was struck in a vital spot by another [foot], / and his path was cut right in front by a black serpent.
70.7
Hearing inauspicious cries of “Alas, alas! Fie! Do not go!”, / sudden portents and numerous omens portending defeat occurred.
70.8
His upper garment fell, and the umbrella with its beryl handle broke; / then Mandodarī, with folded hands, said to her beloved:
70.9
“O master! From the river of separation, terrifying with its waters of sorrow, / in which I am drowning, rescue me, O highly renowned one, with the supporting hand of your affection!
70.10
O master, understand also another word of mine, if you will consider it in your mind; / beloved, it will be beneficial to you, just like bitter medicine.
70.11
Having mounted the balance of uncertainty, why do you endanger yourself, O lord? / Abandoning the wrong path, turn your mind to propriety!
70.12
Adorn your noble lineage and make yourself worthy of praise; / return the ground-dwelling woman, who is the root cause of the conflict!
70.13
Making the firm resolve in the heart that either the enemy’s death or one's own / will happen, one fights on the battlefield; even so, what is the purpose of it?
70.14
Therefore give back this Sītā to Rāma with affectionate goodwill; / observe that vow which you undertook in the presence of the sage!
70.15
Even if favored by the gods, even if equal to the lord of Bharata, / nevertheless, a man incurs infamy through union with another's wife.
70.16
He who, through the fault of delusion, makes love with another's wife, / plays with a venomous serpent of fierce energy.
70.17
Like hālāhala poison, like a blazing mass of fire, / like a tigress on uneven rocks, entirely avoid another's wife!”
70.18
The Ten-headed One, dark as a dense blue lotus, giving a proud laugh, / said: “Beloved moon-faced one, why have you become so afraid?
70.19
I am neither Ravikīrti, nor the Vidyādhara Aśanighoṣa, / nor any ordinary man, that you should speak to me thus.
70.20
I am fire to the trees of the enemies, the sovereign of Laṅkā, fiercely unyielding; / and I will not surrender moon-faced Sītā—do not harbor any fear or doubt!”
70.21
When this was said, the chief queen, overcome with jealousy, / said: “O master, do you desire the joy of pleasure with Sītā?
70.22
Then in jealous anger she struck her beloved with a blue water lily from her ear, / and said: “In keeping with her virtues, what beauty was seen in her?
70.23
What is to be done with a ground-dwelling woman who is devoid of arts? / Form an affectionate bond, O lord, with Vidyādhara women!
70.24
Command me, what kind am I, O lord, that I am not dear to your heart? / Am I not all the beauty of the eyes, or like the wife of the lord of the gods?”
70.25
When this was said, he hung his head, embarrassed, and thought: / “Attached to another's woman, I have incurred infamy and humiliation.”
70.26
Then, giving an embarrassed smile, he said to his beloved: / “You are dear to my heart, far more than all other women.”
70.27
Then Mandodarī, having regained his favor, said to the Ten-headed One: / “Is a lamp ever offered to the sun in order to show the way?
70.28
Even one who knows the rules of policy, if somehow through the power of fate he falls into negligence, / he ought nevertheless to be awakened by another person.
70.29
Long ago there was the best of sages, Viṣṇu, endowed with the power of great fortune; / was he not then brought back to the path revealed in the scripture?
70.30
If even the slightest favor is shown to me, who say this, / then release Sītā, O lord, who is dear to Rāma’s heart!
70.31
With your consent, taking Sītā, I will propitiate Rāghava; / I will bring back Bhānukarṇa and our sons—enough with the face of battle!”
70.32
As soon as she had spoken thus, the lord of Laṅkā, exceedingly enraged, said: / 'Quickly go, go, wretched woman, where I shall not see your face!'
70.33
Having been spoken to thus, she began: 'Listen, lord, to what has been related by many people / concerning the birth of the plough-wielders [Baladevas], wheel-bearers [Vāsudevas], and Prativāsudevas.
70.34
There were Tripṛṣṭha, Dvipṛṣṭha, Svayambhū, Puruṣottama, Puruṣasiṃha, / Puruṣavarapuṇḍarīka, and Datta as Keśavas in these regions;
70.35
Acala, Vijaya, Subhadra, Suprabha, and likewise Sudarśana, / Ānanda, and Nandana—these plough-bearers too have passed away.
70.36
Now in Bhāratavarṣa, these Balas and Keśavas have passed away; / at present, these two, Rāghava and Nārāyaṇa, are thriving in the world.
70.37
By them the rival enemies, the lords of the three parts [of the earth], like Tāraka and the rest, were slain. / Now, O lord, do you also eagerly desire to go to destruction?
70.38
Having enjoyed desires and pleasures, the men who attained self-restraint, / they alone become worthy of worship even by the gods and asuras.
70.39
Therefore, you too, O master, having enjoyed the highest pleasures of the senses, / and your fame having wandered the world, now take initiation!
70.40
Or else, observing the minor vows, taking delight in moral conduct and self-restraint, / endowed with devotion to god and preceptor, O ten-faced one, effect the destruction of suffering!
70.41
O ten-faced one, you who were not satisfied with eighteen thousand young women, / being deluded by the bodiless god [Kāma]—how will you be content with just one woman?!
70.42
In this entire world of living beings, having enjoyed sensory pleasure for a very long time, / if any man ever attained satisfaction, point him out to me!
70.43
Therefore, O greatly renowned one, leave sensual pleasure which offers little happiness and much sorrow; / leave that which is reprehensible, namely union with another man's woman!
70.44
O lord, what need is there for this battle that causes the destruction of many warriors? / I fall at your feet, my crown joined with folded hands.'
70.45
Laughing, the hero said: 'Rise, slender-waisted one! Do not / go to fright and agitation, O wide-eyed woman, merely at the name of Vāsudevas!
70.46
There have been many Baladevas and Vāsudevas here in Bhāratavarṣa; / even so, does accomplishment really come about merely through a name?
70.47
Just as Indra, the lord of the gods, the ruler of the city of Rathanūpura, was brought low by me, / so you shall see this Nārāyaṇa quickly dealt with likewise.'
70.48
Having spoken this word together with Mandodarī, the ten-faced one / entered the pleasure house; and meanwhile, the sun set.
70.49
When the sun had set and the twilight hour had arrived, / lotus groves closed up, and there was separation for pairs of cakravākas.
70.50
When the evening hour arrived and heaps of jewelled lamps blazed up, / the city of Laṅkā shone like the peak of Mount Meru.
70.51
Maidens were sent for; adornments were prepared for lovers; / the intoxicating wine was churned; clear liquor indeed was drunk.
70.52
A certain fair young woman, embracing her lover, with a moon-like face said: / 'Let us enjoy even just one night together with you, my master!'
70.53
Another woman, intoxicated with wine, rich with the sweet fragrance of choice flowers, / with a body tender like fresh sprouts, fell into the lap of her lover.
70.54
A certain inexperienced young girl, made to drink liquor by her lover, / attained maturity in a mere moment through flattering gestures.
70.55
The more intoxication mounted upon the young women whose hearts were deluded by passion, / the more passion increased, and shame withdrew far away.
70.56
Though comforted day after day, knowing the battle would occur at dawn, / with a heart fearful of separation from her beloved, she embraced her dear lover tightly.
70.57
Couples of Vidyādharas sported in house after house according to their desire, / their mutual affection and love heightened, as if in Uttarakuru.
70.58
With the sounds of lutes, flutes, and various kinds of songs and musical instruments, / the great city seemed to speak through the talking folk.
70.59
Betel, flowers, and perfumes foremost, with body ointments and the like— / thus the people were intent on enjoyment at the festival of Kāma then.
70.60
Meanwhile, the lord of Laṅkā, the great-souled one, honoured / all of his inner apartments, and exceedingly so Queen Mandodarī.
70.61
Thus the night passed with pleasure, and the dawn's reddish light arrived; / the sound of union and morning melodies spread from mansion to mansion.
70.62
Meanwhile, circular in shape, the sun, the friend of lotuses, arose; / having somehow comforted his beloved women, the ten-faced one said:
70.63
'Sound the battle drums for arming, and the musical instruments loud as cloud-rumbles! / Be eager for the array of battle, O warriors, do not delay!'
70.64
At his word, the great drum was immediately struck by men; / at that sound, the warriors, accompanied by their entire army, armed themselves.
70.65
Mārīca, Vimalābha, Vimalaghana, Nandanī, and Muṇanda, / and the vanguard Vimalacandra, and others of this kind;
70.66
mounted upon choice horses and excellent chariots, and on rutting elephants resembling mountains, / and on choice śarabhas, lions, boars, and buffaloes;
70.67
with swords, golden bows, shields, camunandas, discuses, and javelins in their hands, / their insignias fastened to banners and parasols, like haughty asuras;
70.68
bursting forth, the warriors of the city of Laṅkā went forward, eager for battle, / raising parasols, jostling and pressing against one another.
70.69
With the many kinds of sounds, the neighing of horses, and the trumpeting of elephants, / and the shouts loosed by foot-soldiers, the vault of the sky seemed to burst.
70.70
Then those Rākṣasa warriors, armed, adorned with diadems, / moving across the surface of the sky, shone like clouds with lightning.
70.71
Great warriors with armoured bodies, adorned, surrounded on all sides by horses and lordly elephants, / with ready weapons, like the radiance of the sun, went forth, desiring pure fame.
70.72
Thus ends the seventy-first chapter, named 'The Preparation for Battle'.
Linked texts (1)
- Paümacariya — Vimalasūri, Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit