Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 100 of 128 · 62 verses
Lakshmana Struck by Ravana’s Spear
With that weapon defeated, Ravana’s anger doubles; he looses another terrible Raudra weapon made by Maya: spears, maces, pestles, blazing, hard as diamond, hammers, spiked nooses and thunderbolts pour from his bow like winds at the end of an age. Glorious Raghava, best of those who know the supreme weapons, destroys it with the Gandharva weapon. Then Ravana, eyes copper-red with anger, invokes the Saura weapon, and great shining discuses fly from his bow, lighting the sky and the directions as if moon, sun and planets were falling; Raghava cuts them and Ravana’s wonderful weapons with floods of arrows at the front of the army. Ravana pierces Rama in all his vitals with ten arrows; Rama does not tremble, and, greatly enraged, pierces Ravana all over with many arrows.
Meanwhile mighty Lakshmana, angry, takes seven arrows and with them cuts to pieces Ravana’s banner, which bears a human head; with another arrow he takes off his charioteer’s head with its blazing earrings, and with five sharp arrows cuts the rakshasa king’s bow, like an elephant’s trunk. Vibhishana leaps forward and with his mace kills Ravana’s fine horses, like mountains, dark as blue clouds. Leaping swiftly down from his great chariot whose horses are killed, Ravana turns fierce anger on his brother and hurls at Vibhishana a mighty spear blazing like a thunderbolt; Lakshmana cuts it with three arrows before it arrives, and the monkeys raise a great shout; the gold-garlanded spear falls in three pieces, blazing and sparking like a great meteor from the sky. Ravana then takes a greater spear, honoured more highly, unapproachable even by Death, blazing with its own splendour; hurled by mighty, wicked Ravana, it flames like a blazing thunderbolt. At that moment heroic Lakshmana quickly comes to Vibhishana, whose life is in danger, draws his bow and showers Ravana, spear in hand, with arrows to save him; under that flood of arrows from the great soul, Ravana’s valour is turned aside and he gives up the thought of striking. Seeing his brother saved by Lakshmana, Ravana turns to Lakshmana and says: since you have saved Vibhishana, you who boast of your strength, this spear, released from the rakshasa, will fall on you instead; loosed from my iron-bar arm, marked with blood, it will split your heart and take your life. With that he hurls at Lakshmana, roaring, the unfailing, foe-killing spear with eight bells and a great sound, made by Maya’s magic, blazing with energy. Thrown with terrible force, sounding like a thunderbolt, it falls swiftly on Lakshmana at the head of the battle. As it comes, Raghava speaks to it: may it be well with Lakshmana; be fruitless, your force destroyed. But the spear, like a venomous snake, loosed in anger by Ravana, sinks into brave, fearless Lakshmana; it falls with great force on his broad chest, blazing like the tongue of a serpent king, and pierced deep by Ravana’s force, his heart split, Lakshmana falls to the ground.
Seeing Lakshmana so, Rama beside him is cast down at heart by love for his brother; after brooding a moment, his eyes full of tears, he becomes more enraged than the fire at the end of an age. Thinking “this is no time for despair”, he fights a tumultuous battle, set on killing Ravana, with great effort, watching over Lakshmana. He sees Lakshmana pierced by the spear in the great battle, smeared with blood, like a mountain with a serpent. The best monkeys try hard but cannot pull out the spear hurled by the mighty Ravana, harassed as they are by floods of arrows from the best of rakshasas; it has passed through Saumitri and entered the ground. Rama grasps the terrible spear with both hands and, enraged, breaks it and pulls it out; as he does so, mighty Ravana rains vital-piercing arrows on all his limbs. Ignoring them, Rama embraces Lakshmana and tells Hanuman and the great monkey Sugriva: stand guard around Lakshmana, best of monkeys. The time for valour that I have long desired has come. Let this evil-souled Ten-necked, set on sin, be killed, longed for as the chataka bird longs for the sight of clouds at the end of summer. In this hour, before long, I promise you truly, monkeys: you will see the world either without Ravana or without Rama. Loss of kingdom, life in the forest, wandering in the Dandaka, the assault on the Vaidehi, encounters with rakshasas: the terrible grief and hellish suffering I have endured, I will put all aside today by killing Ravana in battle. He for whose sake I brought this monkey army, made Sugriva king after killing Vali in battle, crossed the ocean and built the bridge, that evil one has come today into my sight in battle; having come into my sight, he does not deserve to live. Ravana has come within the gaze of me, as within the gaze of a snake whose glance is venom, or as a serpent within the gaze of Garuda. Watch this battle of mine and Ravana’s at your ease, sitting on the mountaintops, unassailable bulls among monkeys. Today let the three worlds with gandharvas, gods, sages and charanas see in battle the Rama-ness of Rama. Today I will do a deed that the worlds, moving and unmoving, with the gods, will tell of for as long as the earth endures, meeting together, how the battle was fought. Having said this, Rama, collected, strikes Ten-necked with sharp arrows adorned with molten gold; and Ravana rains blazing iron arrows and pestles on Rama like a cloud raining streams. The noise of the fine arrows loosed by Rama and Ravana striking each other is tumultuous; cut and scattered, their arrows fall from the sky to the earth with blazing tips; the sound of their bowstrings and palms is great and wondrous, terrifying all beings. Covered with rains of nets of arrows, harassed by the great soul with his blazing bow, Ravana flees in fear, like a cloud struck by the wind.
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तस्मिन् प्रतिहतेऽस्त्रे तु रावणो राक्षसाधिपः । क्रोधं च द्विगुणं चक्रे क्रोधाच्चास्त्रमनन्तरम् ॥ १ ॥
When that weapon had been checked, Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, made his anger double, and from anger, at once, a weapon.
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Lakshmana Struck by Ravana’s Spear 1 min read.
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मयेन विहितं रौद्रमन्यदस्त्रं महाद्युतिः । उत्स्रष्टुं रावणो भीमं राघवाय प्रचक्रमे ॥ २ ॥
The very radiant Ravana began to loose at Raghava another terrible Raudra weapon, made by Maya.
ततः शूलानि निश्चेरुर्गदाश्च मुसलानि च । कार्मुकाद् दीप्यमानानि वज्रसाराणि सर्वशः ॥ ३ ॥
Then from his bow came out spears, maces and pestles, blazing, hard as diamond, on every side,
मुद्गराः कूटपाशाश्च दीप्ताश्चाशनयस्तथा । निष्पेतुर्विविधास्तीक्ष्णा वाता इव युगक्षये ॥ ४ ॥
hammers, spiked nooses and blazing thunderbolts; many kinds of sharp things flew out, like winds at the end of an age.
तदस्त्रं राघवः श्रीमानुत्तमास्त्रविदां वरः । जघान परमास्त्रेण गान्धर्वेण महाद्युतिः ॥ ५ ॥
That weapon glorious Raghava, best of the knowers of the finest weapons, the very radiant one, destroyed with the supreme Gandharva weapon.
तस्मिन् प्रतिहतेऽस्त्रे तु राघवेण महात्मना । रावणः क्रोधताम्राक्षः सौरमस्त्रमुदीरयत् ॥ ६ ॥
When that weapon had been checked by great-souled Raghava, Ravana, his eyes copper-red with anger, invoked the Saura weapon.
ततश्चक्राणि निष्पेतुर्भास्वराणि महान्ति च । कार्मुकाद् भीमवेगस्य दशग्रीवस्य धीमतः ॥ ७ ॥
Then shining, great discuses flew out from the bow of wise Ten-necked of terrible force.
तैरासीद् गगनं दीप्तं सम्पतद्भिः समन्ततः । पतद्भिश्च दिशो दीप्ताश्चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहैरिव ॥ ८ ॥
By them, falling on every side, the sky was ablaze, and as they fell the directions were ablaze, as with moon, sun and planets.
तानि चिच्छेद बाणौघैश्चक्राणि तु स राघवः । आयुधानि च चित्राणि रावणस्य चमूमुखे ॥ ९ ॥
Raghava cut those discuses with floods of arrows, and Ravana’s wonderful weapons, at the head of the army.
तदस्त्रं तु हतं दृष्ट्वा रावणो राक्षसाधिपः । विव्याध दशभिर्बाणै रामं सर्वेषु मर्मसु ॥ १० ॥
Seeing that weapon destroyed, Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, pierced Rama with ten arrows in all his vitals.
स विद्धो दशभिर्बाणैर्महाकार्मुकनिःसृतैः । रावणेन महातेजा न प्राकम्पत राघवः ॥ ११ ॥
Pierced by Ravana with ten arrows loosed from his great bow, radiant Raghava did not tremble.
ततो विव्याध गात्रेषु सर्वेषु समितिंजयः । राघवस्तु सुसंक्रुद्धो रावणं बहुभिः शरैः ॥ १२ ॥
Then Raghava, conqueror in battle, greatly enraged, pierced Ravana in all his limbs with many arrows.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे क्रुद्धो राघवस्यानुजो बली । लक्ष्मणः सायकान् सप्त जग्राह परवीरहा ॥ १३ ॥
Meanwhile, angry, Raghava’s mighty younger brother, Lakshmana, slayer of enemy heroes, took seven arrows.
तैः सायकैर्महावेगै रावणस्य महाद्युतिः । ध्वजं मनुष्यशीर्षं तु तस्य चिच्छेद नैकधा ॥ १४ ॥
With those very swift arrows the very radiant one cut Ravana’s banner, which bore a human head, into many pieces.
सारथेश्चापि बाणेन शिरो ज्वलितकुण्डलम् । जहार लक्ष्मणः श्रीमान् नैर्ऋतस्य महाबलः ॥ १५ ॥
And with an arrow glorious, mighty Lakshmana took off the nairrita charioteer’s head with its blazing earrings.
तस्य बाणैश्च चिच्छेद धनुर्गजकरोपमम् । लक्ष्मणो राक्षसेन्द्रस्य पञ्चभिर्निशितैस्तदा ॥ १६ ॥
And with five sharp arrows Lakshmana then cut the bow, like an elephant’s trunk, of the rakshasa lord.
नीलमेघनिभांश्चास्य सदश्वान् पर्वतोपमान् । जघानाप्लुत्य गदया रावणस्य विभीषणः ॥ १७ ॥
Leaping forward, Vibhishana killed with his mace Ravana’s fine horses, like dark blue clouds, like mountains.
हताश्वात् तु तदा वेगादवप्लुत्य महारथात् । कोपमाहारयत् तीव्रं भ्रातरं प्रति रावणः ॥ १८ ॥
Leaping down then with force from the great chariot whose horses were killed, Ravana conceived fierce anger against his brother.
ततः शक्तिं महाशक्तिः प्रदीप्तामशनीमिव । विभीषणाय चिक्षेप राक्षसेन्द्रः प्रतापवान् ॥ १९ ॥
Then the powerful lord of the rakshasas, of great might, hurled at Vibhishana a spear blazing like a thunderbolt.
अप्राप्तामेव तां बाणैस्त्रिभिश्चिच्छेद लक्ष्मणः । अथोदतिष्ठत् संनादो वानराणां महारणे ॥ २० ॥
Before it arrived, Lakshmana cut it with three arrows; then a roar of the monkeys rose in the great battle.
सम्पपात त्रिधा छिन्ना शक्तिः काञ्चनमालिनी । सविस्फुलिङ्गा ज्वलिता महोल्केव दिवश्च्युता ॥ २१ ॥
The spear with its golden garland fell, cut in three, sparking, blazing, like a great meteor fallen from the sky.
ततः सम्भाविततरां कालेनापि दुरासदाम् । जग्राह विपुलां शक्तिं दीप्यमानां स्वतेजसा ॥ २२ ॥
Then he took a great spear, more highly honoured, unapproachable even by Death, blazing with its own splendour.
सा वेगिता बलवता रावणेन दुरात्मना । जज्वाल सुमहातेजा दीप्ताशनिसमप्रभा ॥ २३ ॥
Swung by mighty, evil-souled Ravana, very radiant, it blazed, with the splendour of a blazing thunderbolt.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे वीरो लक्ष्मणस्तं विभीषणम् । प्राणसंशयमापन्नं तूर्णमभ्यवपद्यत ॥ २४ ॥
Meanwhile heroic Lakshmana quickly came to that Vibhishana, who had fallen into danger of his life.
तं विमोक्षयितुं वीरश्चापमायम्य लक्ष्मणः । रावणं शक्तिहस्तं वै शरवर्षैरवाकिरत् ॥ २५ ॥
To free him, heroic Lakshmana, drawing his bow, covered Ravana, spear in hand, with rains of arrows.
कीर्यमाणः शरौघेण विसृष्टेन महात्मना । न प्रहर्तुं मनश्चक्रे विमुखीकृतविक्रमः ॥ २६ ॥
Being showered with the flood of arrows loosed by the great soul, his valour turned aside, he did not set his mind on striking.
मोक्षितं भ्रातरं दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मणेन स रावणः । लक्ष्मणाभिमुखस्तिष्ठन्निदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ २७ ॥
Seeing his brother freed by Lakshmana, that Ravana, standing facing Lakshmana, said these words:
मोक्षितस्ते बलश्लाघिन् यस्मादेवं विभीषणः । विमुच्य राक्षसं शक्तिस्त्वयीयं विनिपात्यते ॥ २८ ॥
“Since Vibhishana has been freed so by you, boaster of strength, this spear, letting the rakshasa go, is brought down on you.
एषा ते हृदयं भित्त्वा शक्तिर्लोहितलक्षणा । मद्बाहुपरिघोत्सृष्टा प्राणानादाय यास्यति ॥ २९ ॥
“This spear, marked with blood, loosed from my iron-bar arm, will split your heart and go, taking your life.”
इत्येवमुक्त्वा तां शक्तिमष्टघण्टां महास्वनाम् । मयेन मायाविहिताममोघां शत्रुघातिनीम् ॥ ३० ॥
Having said this, that spear with eight bells and a great sound, made by Maya’s magic, unfailing, killer of enemies,
लक्ष्मणाय समुद्दिश्य ज्वलन्तीमिव तेजसा । रावणः परमक्रुद्धश्चिक्षेप च ननाद च ॥ ३१ ॥
aiming at Lakshmana, blazing as if with energy, Ravana, greatly enraged, hurled and roared.
सा क्षिप्ता भीमवेगेन वज्राशनिसमस्वना । शक्तिरभ्यपतद् वेगाल्लक्ष्मणं रणमूर्धनि ॥ ३२ ॥
Hurled with terrible force, with a sound like a thunderbolt, the spear fell with force on Lakshmana at the head of the battle.
तामनुव्याहरच्छक्तिमापतन्तीं स राघवः । स्वस्त्यस्तु लक्ष्मणायेति मोघा भव हतोद्यमा ॥ ३३ ॥
As that spear fell, Raghava spoke to it: “May it be well with Lakshmana; be fruitless, your effort destroyed.”
रावणेन रणे शक्तिः क्रुद्धेनाशीविषोपमा । मुक्ताऽऽशूरस्य भीतस्य लक्ष्मणस्य ममज्ज सा ॥ ३४ ॥
Loosed in battle by angry Ravana, like a poisonous snake, that spear sank into the brave, fearless Lakshmana.
न्यपतत् सा महावेगा लक्ष्मणस्य महोरसि । जिह्वेवोरगराजस्य दीप्यमाना महाद्युतिः ॥ ३५ ॥
That very swift one fell on Lakshmana’s great chest, very radiant, blazing like the tongue of a serpent king.
ततो रावणवेगेन सुदूरमवगाढया । शक्त्या विभिन्नहृदयः पपात भुवि लक्ष्मणः ॥ ३६ ॥
Then, sunk very deep by Ravana’s force, his heart split by the spear, Lakshmana fell on the ground.
तदवस्थं समीपस्थो लक्ष्मणं प्रेक्ष्य राघवः । भ्रातृस्नेहान्महातेजा विषण्णहृदयोऽभवत् ॥ ३७ ॥
Seeing Lakshmana in that state, Raghava, standing near, the radiant one, became downcast at heart from love for his brother.
स मुहूर्तमिव ध्यात्वा बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणः । बभूव संरब्धतरो युगान्त इव पावकः ॥ ३८ ॥
Having brooded for a moment, his eyes clouded with tears, he became more enraged, like the fire at the end of an age.
न विषादस्य कालोऽयमिति संचिन्त्य राघवः । चक्रे सुतुमलं युद्धं रावणस्य वधे धृतः । सर्वयत्नेन महता लक्ष्मणं परिवीक्ष्य च ॥ ३९ ॥
Thinking “This is not the time for despair”, Raghava made a very tumultuous battle, set on killing Ravana, with all great effort, watching over Lakshmana.
स ददर्श ततो रामः शक्त्या भिन्नं महाहवे । लक्ष्मणं रुधिरादिग्धं सपन्नगमिवाचलम् ॥ ४० ॥
Then Rama saw Lakshmana pierced by the spear in the great battle, smeared with blood, like a mountain with a serpent.
तामपि प्रहितां शक्तिं रावणेन बलीयसा । यत्नतस्ते हरिश्रेष्ठा न शेकुरवमर्दितुम् ॥ ४१ ॥
That spear sent by very mighty Ravana, those best of monkeys, though they tried, could not pull out,
अर्दिताश्चैव बाणौघैस्ते प्रवेकेण रक्षसाम् । सौमित्रेः सा विनिर्भिद्य प्रविष्टा धरणीतलम् ॥ ४२ ॥
tormented as they were by floods of arrows from the foremost of rakshasas; having split Saumitri, it had entered the ground.
तां कराभ्यां परामृश्य रामः शक्तिं भयावहाम् । बभञ्ज समरे क्रुद्धो बलवान् विचकर्ष च ॥ ४३ ॥
Grasping that fearful spear with both hands, mighty Rama, enraged, broke it in battle and drew it out.
तस्य निष्कर्षतः शक्तिं रावणेन बलीयसा । शराः सर्वेषु गात्रेषु पातिता मर्मभेदिनः ॥ ४४ ॥
As he drew out the spear, vital-splitting arrows were brought down on all his limbs by very mighty Ravana.
अचिन्तयित्वा तान् बाणान् समाश्लिष्य च लक्ष्मणम् । अब्रवीच्च हनूमन्तं सुग्रीवं च महाकपिम् ॥ ४५ ॥
Paying no heed to those arrows, and embracing Lakshmana, he said to Hanuman and to the great monkey Sugriva:
लक्ष्मणं परिवार्यैवं तिष्ठध्वं वानरोत्तमाः । पराक्रमस्य कालोऽयं सम्प्राप्तो मे चिरेप्सितः ॥ ४६ ॥
“Stand surrounding Lakshmana like this, best of monkeys; the time for valour I have long desired has come.
पापात्मायं दशग्रीवो वध्यतां पापनिश्चयः । कांक्षितं चातकस्येव घर्मान्ते मेघदर्शनम् ॥ ४७ ॥
“Let this evil-souled Ten-necked, set on evil, be killed; it is longed for, as the sight of a cloud by the chataka at the end of summer.
अस्मिन् मुहूर्ते नचिरात् सत्यं प्रतिशृणोमि वः । अरावणमरामं वा जगद् द्रक्ष्यथ वानराः ॥ ४८ ॥
“In this hour, before long, I promise you truly: you will see the world without Ravana or without Rama, monkeys.
राज्यनाशं वने वासं दण्डके परिधावनम् । वैदेह्याश्च परामर्शो रक्षोभिश्च समागमम् ॥ ४९ ॥
“The loss of the kingdom, life in the forest, wandering in the Dandaka, the assault on the Vaidehi, and the meeting with rakshasas,
प्राप्तं दुःखं महाघोरं क्लेशश्च निरयोपमः । अद्य सर्वमहं त्यक्ष्ये निहत्वा रावणं रणे ॥ ५० ॥
“the very terrible grief I have met, and suffering like hell: today I will give it all up, having killed Ravana in battle.
यदर्थं वानरं सैन्यं समानीतमिदं मया । सुग्रीवश्च कृतो राज्ये निहत्वा वालिनं रणे । यदर्थं सागरः क्रान्तः सेतुर्बद्धश्च सागरे ॥ ५१ ॥
“He for whose sake this monkey army was brought by me, and Sugriva set in the kingdom after killing Vali in battle, for whose sake the ocean was crossed and a bridge built on the ocean,
सोऽयमद्य रणे पापश्चक्षुर्विषयमागतः । चक्षुर्विषयमागत्य नायं जीवितुमर्हति ॥ ५२ ॥
“that evil one has today come within the range of my eyes in battle; having come within the range of my eyes, he does not deserve to live.
दृष्टिं दृष्टिविषस्येव सर्पस्य मम रावणः । यथा वा वैनतेयस्य दृष्टिं प्राप्तो भुजंगमः ॥ ५३ ॥
“Ravana has come within my sight as within the sight of a snake whose sight is venom, or as a serpent comes within the sight of Vainateya.
सुखं पश्यत दुर्धर्षा युद्धं वानरपुङ्गवाः । आसीनाः पर्वताग्रेषु ममेदं रावणस्य च ॥ ५४ ॥
“Watch at your ease, unassailable bulls among monkeys, sitting on the mountaintops, this battle of mine and Ravana’s.
अद्य पश्यन्तु रामस्य रामत्वं मम संयुगे । त्रयो लोकाः सगन्धर्वाः सदेवाः सर्षिचारणाः ॥ ५५ ॥
“Today let the three worlds, with gandharvas, with gods, with sages and charanas, see in battle the Rama-ness of Rama.
अद्य कर्म करिष्यामि यल्लोकाः सचराचराः । सदेवाः कथयिष्यन्ति यावद् भूमिर्धरिष्यति । समागम्य सदा लोके यथा युद्धं प्रवर्तितम् ॥ ५६ ॥
“Today I will do a deed of which the worlds, moving and unmoving, with the gods, will speak as long as the earth endures, meeting together always in the world, telling how the battle was fought.”
एवमुक्त्वा शितैर्बाणैस्तप्तकाञ्चनभूषणैः । आजघान रणे रामो दशग्रीवं समाहितः ॥ ५७ ॥
Having said this, Rama, collected, struck Ten-necked in battle with sharp arrows adorned with molten gold.
तथा प्रदीप्तैर्नाराचैर्मुसलैश्चापि रावणः । अभ्यवर्षत् तदा रामं धाराभिरिव तोयदः ॥ ५८ ॥
And Ravana then rained blazing iron arrows and pestles on Rama, as a cloud rains streams.
रामरावणमुक्तानामन्योन्यमभिनिघ्नताम् । वराणां च शराणां च बभूव तुमुलः स्वनः ॥ ५९ ॥
Of the fine arrows loosed by Rama and Ravana, striking one another, there was a tumultuous sound.
विच्छिन्नाश्च विकीर्णाश्च रामरावणयोः शराः । अन्तरिक्षात् प्रदीप्ताग्रा निपेतुर्धरणीतले ॥ ६० ॥
Cut and scattered, the arrows of Rama and Ravana fell from the sky to the ground with blazing tips.
तयोर्ज्यातलनिर्घोषो रामरावणयोर्महान् । त्रासनः सर्वभूतानां सम्बभूवाद्भुतोपमः ॥ ६१ ॥
The great sound of bowstring and palm of Rama and Ravana arose, terrifying all beings, like a wonder.
स कीर्यमाणः शरजालवृष्टिभि- र्महात्मना दीप्तधनुष्मतार्दितः । भयात् प्रदुद्राव समेत्य रावणो यथानिलेनाभिहतो बलाहकः ॥ ६२ ॥
Showered with rains of nets of arrows, tormented by the great soul with his blazing bow, Ravana, meeting it, fled in fear, like a cloud struck by the wind.