तुरत नाइ लछिमन पद माथा । चले दूत बरनत गुन-गाथा ॥
कहत राम जस लंकाँ आये । रावन चरन सीस तिन्ह नाये ॥
turata nāi lachimana pada māthā | cale dūta baranata guna-gāthā ||
kahata rāma jasa laṃkām̐ āye | rāvana carana sīsa tinha nāye ||
Sundara Kanda
Chapter 53: Ravana questions his returning spy
5 verses · 53 of 60
What happens in this chapter
Ravana questions his returning spy
Bowing at Lakshmana's feet, the spies leave at once, singing Rama's praises all the way to Lanka, and bow at Ravana's feet. Ravana laughs and questions Shuka. Why not tell me your welfare? And what news of Vibhishana, whose death has come so near? The fool left the kingdom of Lanka; the wretch will be a weevil in the barley, crushed with the grain. And tell me of the army of bears and monkeys that hard fate has driven here, whose lives are guarded only by the poor soft-hearted Ocean. Tell me of those ascetics who live in great fear of me. Did you meet them, or did they turn back hearing of my fame? Why not describe the enemy's strength? Your mind seems quite bewildered.
बिहँसि दसानन पूछी बाता । कहसि न सुक आपनि कुसलाता ॥
पुनि कहु खबरि बिभीषन केरी । जाहिं मृत्यु आई अति नेरी ॥
biham̐si dasānana pūchī bātā | kahasi na suka āpani kusalātā ||
puni kahu khabari bibhīṣana kerī | jāhiṃ mṛtyu āī ati nerī ||
करत राज लङ्का सठ त्यागी । होइहि जब कर कीट अभागी ॥
पुनि कहु भालु-कीस कटकाई । कठिन काल प्रेरित चलि आई ॥
karata rāja laṅkā saṭha tyāgī | hoihi jaba kara kīṭa abhāgī ||
puni kahu bhālu-kīsa kaṭakāī | kaṭhina kāla prerita cali āī ||
जिन्ह के जीवन कर रखवारा । भयउ मृदुल चित सिन्धु बिचारा ॥
कहु तपसिन्ह के बात बहोरी । जिन्ह के हृदयँ त्रास अति मोरी ॥
jinha ke jīvana kara rakhavārā | bhayau mṛdula cita sindhu bicārā ||
kahu tapasinha ke bāta bahorī | jinha ke hṛdayam̐ trāsa ati morī ||
की भइ भेंट कि फिरि गये, श्रवन सुजस सुनि मोर ।
कहसि न रिपु दल तेज बल, बहुत चकित चित तोर ॥
kī bhai bheṃṭa ki phiri gaye, śravana sujasa suni mora |
kahasi na ripu dala teja bala, bahuta cakita cita tora ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0