स्रवन सुनी सठ ता करि बानी । बिहसा जगत बिदित अभिमानी ॥
सभय सुभाउ नारि कर साचा । मङ्गल महुँ भय मन अति काचा ॥
sravana sunī saṭha tā kari bānī | bihasā jagata bidita abhimānī ||
sabhaya subhāu nāri kara sācā | maṅgala mahum̐ bhaya mana ati kācā ||
Sundara Kanda
Chapter 37: Ravana mocks her fear, flatterers agree
6 verses · 37 of 60
What happens in this chapter
Ravana mocks her fear, flatterers agree
Ravana laughs: women are timid by nature, afraid even in good times. If the monkeys come, the rakshasas will have a meal. The world's guardians tremble at me, and my wife is afraid. He embraces her and goes to court; Mandodari grieves that fate has turned against him. News comes that the whole army has crossed the sea. He asks his ministers' advice, and they laugh: you conquered devas and asuras without effort; what are men and monkeys? The doha warns that when minister, physician and guru speak only to please, from fear or hope, kingdom, dharma and body soon perish.
जौँ आवइ मरकट कटकाई । जिअहिं बिचारे निसिचर खाई ॥
कंपहिं लोकप जाकी त्रासा । तासु नारि सभीत बड़ि हासा ॥
jaum̐ āvai marakaṭa kaṭakāī | jiahiṃ bicāre nisicara khāī ||
kaṃpahiṃ lokapa jākī trāsā | tāsu nāri sabhīta bar̤i hāsā ||
असकहि बिहँसि ताहि उर लाई । चलेउ सभाँ ममता अधिकाई ॥
मन्दोदरी हृदयँ कर चिन्ता । भयउ कन्त पर निधि बिपरीता ॥
asakahi biham̐si tāhi ura lāī | caleu sabhām̐ mamatā adhikāī ||
mandodarī hṛdayam̐ kara cintā | bhayau kanta para nidhi biparītā ||
बैठेउ सभाँ खबरि असि पाई । सिन्धु पार सेना सब आई ॥
बूझेसि सचिव उचित मत कहहू । ते सब हँसे मष्ट करि रहहू ॥
baiṭheu sabhām̐ khabari asi pāī | sindhu pāra senā saba āī ||
būjhesi saciva ucita mata kahahū | te saba ham̐se maṣṭa kari rahahū ||
जितेहु सुरासुर तब श्रम नाहीँ । नर बानर केहि लेखे माहीं ॥
jitehu surāsura taba śrama nāhīm̐ | nara bānara kehi lekhe māhīṃ ||
सचिव बैद गुरु तीनि जौँ, प्रिय बोलहिँ भय आस ।
राज धर्म तन तीनि कर, होइ बेगिहीं नास ॥
saciva baida guru tīni jaum̐, priya bolahim̐ bhaya āsa |
rāja dharma tana tīni kara, hoi begihīṃ nāsa ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0