राम तेज-बल-बुधि बिपुलाई । सेष सहस-सत सकहिँ न गाई ॥
सक सर एक सोखि सत सागर । तव भ्रातहि पूछेउ नय-नागर ॥
rāma teja-bala-budhi bipulāī | seṣa sahasa-sata sakahim̐ na gāī ||
saka sara eka sokhi sata sāgara | tava bhrātahi pūcheu naya-nāgara ||
Sundara Kanda
Chapter 56: Ravana reads Lakshmana's letter
7 verses · 56 of 60
What happens in this chapter
Ravana reads Lakshmana's letter
Not a hundred thousand Sheshas could sing Rama's might, the spy goes on; one arrow of His could dry a hundred seas, yet He took your brother's counsel and begs the Ocean for a path. Ravana laughs: timid by nature, he sulks before the sea on that advice. I have measured an enemy whose minister is frightened Vibhishana. Angered, the spy produces the letter. Ravana takes it in his left hand, smiling, and has it read: fool, do not ruin your clan; not Vishnu, Brahma or Shiva can shelter Rama's enemy. Become, like your brother, a bee at the Lord's lotus feet, or with your clan a moth in the fire of Rama's arrows.
तासु बचन सुनि सागर पाहीँ । माँगत पन्थ कृपा मन माहीँ ॥
सुनत बचन बिहसा दससीसा । जौं असि मति सहाय कृत कीसा ॥
tāsu bacana suni sāgara pāhīm̐ | mām̐gata pantha kṛpā mana māhīm̐ ||
sunata bacana bihasā dasasīsā | jauṃ asi mati sahāya kṛta kīsā ||
सहज भीरु कर बचन दिढ़ाई । सागर सन ठानी मचलाई ॥
मूढ़ मृषा का करति बड़ाई । रिपु बल बुद्धि थाह मैं पाई ॥
sahaja bhīru kara bacana dir̤hāī | sāgara sana ṭhānī macalāī ||
mūr̤ha mṛṣā kā karati bar̤āī | ripu bala buddhi thāha maiṃ pāī ||
सचिव सभीत बिभीषन जाकें । विजय बिभूति कहाँ जग ताकें ॥
सुनि खल बचन दूत रिस बाढ़ी । समय बिचारि पत्रिका काढ़ी ॥
saciva sabhīta bibhīṣana jākeṃ | vijaya bibhūti kahām̐ jaga tākeṃ ||
suni khala bacana dūta risa bār̤hī | samaya bicāri patrikā kār̤hī ||
रामानुज दीन्ही यह पाती । नाथ बचाइ जुड़ावहु छाती ॥
बिहँसि बाम कर लीन्ही रावन । सचिव बोलि सठ लाग बचावन ॥
rāmānuja dīnhī yaha pātī | nātha bacāi jur̤āvahu chātī ||
biham̐si bāma kara līnhī rāvana | saciva boli saṭha lāga bacāvana ||
बातन्ह मनहिं रिझाइ सठ, जनि घालसि कुल खीस ।
राम बिरोध न उबरसि, सरन विष्नु अज ईस ॥
bātanha manahiṃ rijhāi saṭha, jani ghālasi kula khīsa |
rāma birodha na ubarasi, sarana viṣnu aja īsa ||
की तजि मान अनुज इव, प्रभु-पद-पङ्कज भृङ्ग ।
होइ कि राम सरानल, खल कुल सहित पतङ्ग ॥
kī taji māna anuja iva, prabhu-pada-paṅkaja bhṛṅga |
hoi ki rāma sarānala, khala kula sahita pataṅga ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0