Summary
Rama expresses his desire to Vibhishana and Sugreeva to halt on Suvela Mountain for that night, and to envision the City of Lanka. Rama along with Lakshmana, Vibhishana, Sugreeva and his army ascend the mountain and witness the beauty of Lanka. They halt on that mountain-resort for the night.
Chapter [Sarga] 38 in Detail
sa tu kritvaa suvelasya matim aarohanam prati |
laksmana anugato raamah sugriivam idam abraviit || 6-38-1
vibhiisanam ca dharmajnam anuraktam nizaa caram |
mantrajnam ca vidhijnam ca zlaksnayaa parayaa giraa || 6-38-2
Rama, who was followed by Lakshmana, having made up his mind to ascend Mount Suvela, spoke in a gentle and prime voice to Sugreeva and to Vibhishana who was the knower of what is right, a demon devoted to him who was experienced in counsel and a knower of prescribed rules (as follows):
suvelam saadhu zaila indram imam dhaatu zataiz citam |
adhyaarohaamahe sarve vatsyaamo atra nizaam imaam || 6-38-3
"We shall ascend up on high this Suvela Mountain, shining well with hundreds of minerals. All of us will stay on this mountain for this night."
lankaam ca aalokayisyaamo nilayam tasya raksasah |
yena me marana antaaya hritaa bhaaryaa duraatmanaa || 6-38-4
yena dharmo na vijnaato na vrittam na kulam tathaa |
raaksasyaa niicayaa buddhyaa yena tad garhitam kritam || 6-38-5
"We shall see Lanka the abode of that demon, Ravana the evil-minded by whom my wife was taken away for the sake of his own death, by whom virtue was not understood, good character was not known and noble lineage was not seen and by whom that contemptible act was done with an inferior demoniacal mind."
yasmin me vardhate rosah kiirtite raaksasa adhame |
yasya aparaadhaan niicasya vadham draksyaami raksasaam || 6-38-6
"My anger is increased on hearing the name of that demon. Because of the offence committed by him, I shall see that all these demons are destroyed."
eko hi kurute paapam kaala paaza vazam gatah |
niicena aatma apacaarena kulam tena vinazyati || 6-38-7
"Falling into that power of trap of death, one does an evil act. Because of the offence committed by him the vilest, his lineage is destroyed."
evam sammantrayann eva sakrodho raavanam prati |
raamah suvelam vaasaaya citra saanum upaaruhat || 6-38-8
Rama, thus thinking of Ravana in anger, approached and ascended the mountain of Suvela with its conspicuous summits.
pristhato laksmana ca enam anvagacchat samaahitah |
sazaram caapam udyamya sumahad vikrame ratah || 6-38-9
tam anvarohat sugriivah saamaatyah savibhiisanah |
Lakshmana too who took delight in his own valor and steadfastness, keeping ready his mighty bow with arrows, followed behind Rama Sugreeva along with his ministers and Vibhishana ascended the mountain, by following him.
hanuumaan angado niilo maindo dvivida;eva ca || 6-38-10
gajo gava akso gavayah zarabho gandha maadanah |
panasah kumudaz caiva haro rambhaz ca yuuthapah || 6-38-11
jaambavaamshcha susenashcha risabhashcha mahaamatih |
durmukhashcha mahaatejaastathaa shatabalih kapih || 6-38-12
ete ca anye ca bahavo vaanaraah ziighra gaaminah |
te vaayu vega pravanaas tam girim giri caarinah || 6-38-13
adhyaarohanta zatazah suvelam yatra raaghavah |
Hanuman, Angada, Nila, Mainda, Dvivida, Gaja, Gavaaksha, Gavaya, Sharabha, Gandhamaadana, Panasa, Kumuda, Hara, Rambha the chief of the troop, Jambavan, Sushena, the greatly wise Rishabha, Durmukha of great splendor, Shatabali the monkey and other hundreds of monkeys which are fast-moving, which can wander easily on mountains with a speed akin to that of wind, ascended that Suvela mountain which Rama ascended.
te tv adiirghena kaalena girim aaruhya sarvatah || 6-38-14
dadrizuh zikhare tasya visaktaam iva khe puriim |
Having ascended the mountain from all sides within no long time, they saw at its apex, the city of Lanka which appeared as though it was hanging in the sky.
taam zubhaam pravata dvaaraam praakaara vara zobhitaam || 6-38-15
lankaam raaksasa sampuurnaam dadrizur hari yuuthapaah |
The chiefs of monkey-troops saw that beautiful City of Lanka, furnished with excellent gates, enriched with exquisite [carefully selected] ramparts [protective barrier] and pervaded [to become diffused throughout every part of] all over with demons.
praakaara caya samsthaiz ca tathaa niilair nizaa caraih || 6-38-16
dadrizus te hari zresthaah praakaaram aparam kritam |
Those excellent monkeys saw another rampart formed out of the black demons so standing together scribble on that existing exquisite rampart.
te dristvaa vaanaraah sarve raaksasaan yuddha kaanksinah || 6-38-17
mumucur vipulaan naadaams tatra raamasya pazyatah |
Seeing the demons who were craving for war, all those monkeys made various types of noises, while Rama was witnessing the scene.
tato astam agamat suuryah samdhyayaa pratiranjitah || 6-38-18
puurna candra pradiipaa ca ksapaa samabhivartate |
Then, the sun reddened with evening-twilight went down and the night shining with full moon arrived.
tatah sa raamo hari vaahinii patir |
vibhiisanena pratinandya satkritah |
salaksmano yuuthapa yuutha samvritah |
suvela pristhe nyavasad yathaa sukham || 6-38-19
Thereafter, Rama along with Lakshmana as well as Sugreeva the Lord of monkeys together with troops and captions of troops, duly greeted welcomingly and treated hospitably by Vibhishana, halted happily on the mountain resort of Suvela.
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye yuddhakaande astaatrimshah sargah
Thus completes 38th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate