The verse and its meaning · Sundarkand · Sundarkand — Vibhishana Comes to Rama

The Army Marches South

Sundarkand 35

प्रभु पद-पङ्कज नावहिं सीसा। गर्जहिँ भालु महाबल कीसा । देखी राम सकल कपि सैना । चितइ कृपा करि राजिव-नैना ॥१ । राम कृपा बल पाइ कपिन्दा । भये पच्छजुत मनहुँ गिरिन्दा । हरषि राम तब कीन्ह पयाना । सगुन भये सुन्दर सुभ नाना ॥२ । जासु सकल मङ्गल-मय कीती । तासु पयान सगुन यह नीती । प्रभु पयान जाना बैदेही । फरकि बाम अँग जनु कहि देही ॥३ । जोइ जोइ सगुन जानकिहि होई ।असगुन भयउ रावनहिँ सोई । चला कटक को बरनइ पारा । गर्जहिँ बानर भालु अपारा ॥४ । नख आयुध गिरि पादप धारी ।चले गगन महि इच्छाचारी । केहरिनाद भालु कपि करहीं । डगमगाहिं दिग्गज चिक्करहीं ॥५ । चिक्करहिँ दिग्गज डोल महि गिरि,लोल सागर खरभरे । मन हरष दिनकर सोम सुर मुनि, नाग किन्नर दुख टरे । कटकटाहि मर्कट बिकट भट बहु, कोटि कोटिन्ह धावहीं । जय राम प्रबल प्रताप कोसल, नाथ गुन गन गावहीं ॥४ । सहि सक न बार उदार अहिपति बार बाराहि मोहई । गह दसन पुनि पुनि कमठ-पृष्ठ, कठोर सो किमि सोहई । रघुबीर रुचिर पयान प्रस्थिति, जानि परम सुहावनी । जनु कमठ-खर्पर सर्पराज सो, लिखत अबिचल पावनी ॥५

Meaning · English

Bowing at Rama's feet, bears and monkeys roar. His gracious glance gives them strength, like mountains grown wings. He sets out gladly; good omens come, Sita's left side throbs, Ravana meets ill ones. The host marches, earth quakes, gods rejoice; the serpent king scratches the march on the tortoise's back.

Three words carry the passage. Kripa is grace, the kindness of a stronger one who looks at the weaker. Saguna is a sign, a good omen. Its opposite, asaguna, is a bad one. Ahipati means lord of serpents, the great snake who holds up the world in the old picture. Tulsidas tells it in order. The bears and monkeys bow at Rama's feet and roar. Rama looks over the whole army, and that look is what gives the monkey chiefs their strength. They become like mountains that have grown wings. Rama sets out gladly. Good signs appear. Sita, far away, feels her left side throb, which Tulsidas says is how the body tells her he is coming. The same signs that come to her come as bad signs to Ravana. Tulsidas gives the reason: the one whose fame is full of blessing meets good omens on his road. Then the army moves. They carry nails, weapons, rocks and trees, and they roar like lions. The directional elephants shriek, the earth shakes, the sea churns. Sun, moon, gods, sages and serpents are glad, because their sorrow is ending. The serpent king cannot bear the weight and keeps gripping the tortoise's shell with his teeth. Tulsidas says it looks as if he were writing this lovely departure there in a mark that will not fade. The commentators read the picture as the march being fixed in memory for good.

A loaded cart drives over wet ground and the wheels cut ruts so deep they stay long after the cart has gone. The marching army presses on the world in the same way. The serpent king's grip on the tortoise's back is the cart leaving its mark on the earth's foundation.

अर्थ · हिन्दी

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