Sloka & Translation

[ At Lanka,Ravana holds consultations with the rakshasas about winning over Rama. ]

laṅkāyāṅtukṛtaṅkarmaghōraṅdṛṣṭavābhayāvaham .

rākṣasēndrōhanumatāśakrēṇēvamahātmanā ।।6.6.1।।

abravīdrākṣasān sarvānhriyākiñcidavāṅmukhaḥ .

mahātmanā: great soul, śakrēṇēva: like Indra in might, hanumatā: Hanuman, laṅkayām at Lanka, kṛtam carried out, bhayāvaham terrifying, ghōram dreadful, karma: action, dṛṣṭavā: considering, rākṣasēndraḥ Lord of Rakshasas, hriyākiñcit a bit shy āvāṅmukhaḥ bending the head down, sarvān all, rākṣasān Rakshasas, abravīt addressed.

Considering the terrifying, dreadful action that was carried by the great soul Hanuman who was like Indra in might, the Lord of Rakshasas felt a bit shy and bending down his head addressed all Rakshasas.

dharṣitācapraviṣṭācalaṅkāduṣprasahāpurī ।।6.6.2।।

tēnavānaramātrēṇadṛṣṭāsītācajānakī .

tēna that, vānaramātrēṇatēna: after all a monkey in size, duṣprasahā: difficult to enter, laṅkāpurī: city of Lanka, dharṣitāca: destroyed, praviṣṭāca: and entered jānakī: Janaka's daughter, Janaki, sītāca: and Sita dṛṣṭā: saw.

"(Hanuman) After all a monkey in size, entered the inaccessible city of Lanka, destroyed it and saw Sita, daughter of king of Janaka."

prāsādōdharṣitaścaityaḥpravarārākṣasāhatāḥ ।।6.6.3।।

āvilācapurīlaṅkāsarvāhanumatākṛtā .

hanumatā: Hanuman, caityaprāsādaḥ huge mansions, dharṣitaḥ destroyed, pravarāḥ topmost, rākṣasṛḥ Rakshasas, hatāḥ killed, sarvā: all, laṅkāpurī: the city of Lanka, avilā: shattered, kṛtā: did.

"Hanuman destroyed huge mansions, killed topmost Rakshasas and shattered all the city of Lanka."

kiṅkariṣyāmibhadraṅvōkiṅvāyuktamanantaram ।।6.6.4।।

ucyatāṅnassamarthaṅyatkṛtaṅcasukṛtaṅbhavēt .

vaḥ and now, bhadram best, kim What is, kariṣyāmi: should we do, anantaram ultimately, kiṅ: what, vā: to you, yuktam advisable, naḥ for us, yat that which, samartham effective, kṛtam strategy, sukṛtam that which is good, bhavēt for us, ucyatām you may suggest.

"What is the best thing to do now? What should we do ultimately? What is advisable to do? What strategy is effective? You may suggest that which is good for us."

mantramūlaṅcavijayaṅpravadantimanasvinaḥ ।।6.6.5।।

tasmadvairōcayēmantraṅrāmaṅpratimahābalāḥ .

mahābalāḥ of great strength, vijayam victory, mantramūlam through wise counsel, manasvinaḥ wise elders, pravadanti: say, tasmāt therefore, rāmaṅprati: in case of Rama, mantram advice, rōcam thinking of seeking.

"O mighty Rakshasas! Wise elders say that through wise counsel victory is possible. Therefore, in the case of Rama I am thinking of seeking your advice."

trividhāḥpuruṣālōkēuttamādhamamadhyamāḥ ।।6.6.6।।

tēṣāṅtusamavētānāṅguṇadōṣauvadāmyaham .

lōkē: in the world, uttamādhamamadhyamāḥ good, bad and mediocre, trividhāḥ three kinds, puruṣāḥ men, samavētānām their differences, tēṣām there, guṇadōṣau: flaws in characteristics, aham I, vadāmi: will tell.

"In the world, men are of three kinds - good, mediocre and lowly. It is difficult to know their differences. I will tell you about the flaws in their characteristics."

mantribhirhitasaṅyuktaissamarthairmantranirṇayē ।।6.6.7।।

mitrairvāpisamānārthairbāndhavairapivādhikaiḥ .

sahitōmantriyitvāyaḥkarmārambhānpravartayēt ।।6.6.8।।

daivēcakurutēyatnaṅtamāhuḥpuruṣōttamam .

yaḥ he who, hitasaṅyuktēḥ with well-wishers, manntranirṇayē: who decides with counsel, samarthaiḥ capable ones, mantribhiḥ ministers, samānārthaiḥ relatives with common interests, mitrairvāpi: or friends, adhikaiḥ very well, bāndhavairyāpi: or with relatives, sahitaḥ friends, mantrayitvā: deliberating with, karmārambhān to begin his work pravartayēt before undertaking, daivēca: with faith in god, yatnam makes his attempt, kurutē: does, tam him, puruṣōttamam best among men, āhu: said to be.

"He who decides, after deliberating with his well-wishers, with capable ministers of good counsel, relatives of common interest or friends before undertaking his task and tries with faith in god is said to be best among men."

kō.rthaṅvimṛśēdēkōdharmēprakurutēmanaḥ ।।6.6.9।।

kaḥkāryāṇikurutētamāhurmadhyamaṅnaram .

kaḥ alone, artham thinks, vimṛśēt deliberates with in, ēkaḥ alone, dharmē: duty, manaḥ in his mind, prakurutē: executes, ēkaḥ alone, kāryāṇi: tasks, kurutē: does, taṅnaram that person, madhyamam mediocre/ intermediate one, āhuḥ is said to be.

"He who thinks solitarily (not with others), deliberates with in his mind on his duty and executes his tasks, is said to be a (mediocre) a mediocre one."

guṇadōṣauvaniśicatya tyaktyādaivavyapāśrayam ।।6.6.10।।

kariṣyāmītiyaḥkāryamupēkṣētsanarādhamaḥ .

yaḥ he who, guṇadōṣau: merits and de merits, na: not, niścitya: deciding, vyaktam failing to consider, daivavyapāśrayaḥ giving up faith in God, kariṣyāmiiti: I will do it, kāryam task, upēkṣēt begins to do, saḥ he, narādhamaḥ lowly one among men.

"He who fails to consider the merits and de merits, decides to do on his own and begins without faith in god saying, 'I' will do it, is a lowly one among men."

yathēmēpuruṣānityamuttamādhamamadhyamāḥ ।।6.6.11।।

vaṅmantrā.hivijñēyāuttamādhamamadhyamaḥ .

nityam invariably, imē: thus, puruṣāḥ men, yathā: similarly, uttamādhamamadhyamāḥ good, intermediate and lowly people, ēvam in the same way, mantrā.hi: even their counsel, uttamādhamamadhyamaḥ good, mediocre and lowly kinds, vijñēyaḥ you know.

"Just as among men there are good, intermediate and lowly people invariably their counsel is also of three kinds - good, mediocre and lowly."

aikamatyamupāgamyaśāstradṛṣṭēnacakṣuṣā ।।6.6.12।।

mantriṇōyatraniratāstamāhurmantramuttamam .

mantriṇaḥ ministers, śāstradṛṣṭēna: based on Sastras, cakṣuṣā: in view, aikamatyam all of them come to one conclusion, upāgamya: having come together, yatra: then niratāḥ remain attached, tam such, mantram counsel, uttamam best, āhu: said to be.

"When all ministers are unanimous and come to one conclusion based on sastras, and having come together remain firm, such counsel is said to be the best."

bahvyō.pimatīrgatvāmantriṇāmarthanirṇayē ।।6.6.13।।

punaryatraikatāṅprāptassamantrōmadhyamassmṛtaḥ .

bahvya: many, matīrgatvā: due to different points of view, mantriṇām ministers, arthanirṇayaḥ in decision, punaḥ again, yatra: that, ēkatām altogether, prāptaḥ attained unanimity, saḥ that, mantraḥ adviser, madhyamaḥ mediocre, smṛtaḥ vision.

"The conclusion in which many ministers have different points of view and attain unanimity in decision after meeting different points of view is a mediocre vision."

anyōnyamatimāsthāyayatrasampratibhāṣyatē ।।6.6.14।।

nacaikamatyēśrēyō.stimantrassō.dhamaucyata .

yatraanyōnyamatim where counsellors with different opinions, āsthāya: holding on to their individual opinions, sampratibhāṣyatē: speak What pleases them, aikamatyē: unanimous opinion, śrēyaḥ good outcome, nāsti: not, saḥmantraḥ such counsel, adhamaḥ a bad one, ucyatē: is said.

"Where counsellors with different opinions hold on to their individual opinions that pleases them and are not for the outcome of a unanimous decision, such a counsel is said to be bad."

tasmātsumantritaṅsādhubhavantōmatisattamā: ।।6.6.15।।

kāryaṅsampratipadyantāmētatkṛtyaṅmataṅmama .

tasmāt on account of that, matisattāmāḥ wise ones, bhavantaḥ your, sumantritam thinking over well, sādhu: rightly, kāryam task, sampratipadyantām that which has to be done, ētat all that, mama: to me, kṛtyam required action, matam I need.

"On account of that, O wise ones! Think over very well, rightly of the task to be done and determine the action required by me now."

vānarāṇāṅhidhīrāṇāṅsahasraiḥparivāritaḥ ।।6.6.16।।

rāmō.bhyētipurīlaṅkāmasmākamuparōdhakaḥ .

rāmaḥ Rama, dhīrāṇām valorous, vānarāṇām Vanaras, sahasraiḥ thousands, parivāritaḥ to besiege, asmākam us, uparōdhakaḥ is approaching, laṅkāṅpurīm city of Lanka, abhyēti: reaching.

Accompanied by thousands of Vanaras, Rama is approaching to besiege us and reaching the city of Lanka.

tariṣyaticasuvyaktaṅrāghavassāgaraṅsukham ।।6.6.17।।

tarasāyuktarūpēṇasānujassabalānugaḥ .

rāghavaḥ Rama, yuktarūpēṇa: worthy of his might, tarasā: speedily, sānujaḥ his brother, sabalānugaḥ and his army, sāgaram ocean, suvyaktam it is clear, sukham easily, tariṣyatica: will be able to cross.

"Rama who is worthy of his might, accompanied by his brother and army will be able to cross the ocean speedily and easily."

samudramucchōṣayativīryēṇānyatkarōtivā ।।6.6.18।।

asminnēvaṅgatēkāryēviruddhēvānaraissaha .

hitaṅpurēcasainyēcasarvasammantrayatāṅmama ।।6.6.19।।

samudram ocean, uccōṣayati: dry up, vīryēṇa: out of his power, anyadvā: or something else, karōti: will do, vānaraiḥ Vanara, saha: with, viruddhē: encounters, asmin when his army, ēvaṅgatē: has set out that way, kāryē: task, mama: me, purē: for the city, sainyē: army, hitam benefiting, sarvam for all, sammantrayatām advise me a plan

Rama may dry up the ocean or do something else out of his power. If Vanaras come and encounter us, we will clash with him. When his army has set out that way, you may advise me of a plan that benefits the army and city of Lanka."
।।ityārṣēvālmīkīyēśrīmadrāmāyaṇēādikāvyēyuddhakāṇḍēṣaṣṭhamassargaḥ।।
This is the end of the sixth sarga of Yuddha Kanda of the first epic the holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.