Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 106 of 128 · 36 verses
Omens for Rama and Ravana
Glad, the charioteer drives Ravana’s chariot swiftly into battle, the crusher of enemy armies, shaped like a gandharva city, with lofty pennants, yoked with superb horses garlanded with gold, filled with war gear, garlanded with flags and banners, as if swallowing the sky and making the earth resound, destruction to the enemy and joy to its own side. The king of men sees the rakshasa king’s chariot rushing on with a roar and a great banner, yoked with black horses, joined with fierce radiance, blazing in the sky like an aerial palace bright as the sun, thick with lightning-like pennants, showing the splendour of Indra’s bow, pouring streams of arrows like a rain cloud. Seeing the enemy’s cloud-like chariot coming on with a sound like a mountain splitting under a thunderbolt, Rama twangs his bow, bent like the new moon, and says to Matali, charioteer of the thousand-eyed god: Matali, see the enemy’s chariot rushing on in fury; the way he wheels round to my left again with great speed, he has made up his mind to kill himself in battle. So be watchful and drive against the enemy’s chariot; I want to scatter it as the wind scatters a rising cloud. Drive quickly, without faltering or flurry, heart and eye undistracted, the reins under control. You need no instruction, you who are used to driving Purandara’s chariot; I am intent on battle, and I only remind you, I do not teach you. Pleased with Rama’s words, Matali, best of the gods’ charioteers, drives the chariot on, keeping Ravana’s great chariot on his left, and covers Ravana with the dust thrown up by his wheels. Enraged, his copper-red eyes wide, Ten-necked showers arrows on Rama facing his chariot. Stung by the assault, summoning patience through anger, Rama takes up Indra’s very swift bow in battle and arrows bright as the sun’s rays, and the great battle is joined between the two, each wanting to kill the other, facing each other like two proud lions.
Gods with gandharvas, siddhas and supreme sages gather to watch the duel, longing for Ravana’s end. Dreadful, hair-raising portents arise, for Ravana’s destruction and Raghava’s rise: the sky rains blood on Ravana’s chariot; fierce whirlwinds circle to the left; a great flock of vultures wheeling in the sky follows his chariot wherever it goes; Lanka, covered by a twilight the colour of hibiscus flowers, looks as if the earth were ablaze even by day; great meteors fall with thunderclaps and a great noise, dismaying the rakshasas, Ravana’s allies; wherever Ravana is, the earth shakes, and the arms of the striking rakshasas seem seized; copper, yellow, white and pale rays of the sun fall before Ravana like the minerals of a mountain; jackals, followed by vultures, vomiting fire from their mouths, howl inauspiciously, looking at his angry face; a contrary wind blows dust in his face, blinding the rakshasa king; Indra’s thunderbolts fall on his army all round with unbearable, terrible sounds, though no clouds have risen; all the directions are covered in darkness and the sky is hard to see through the great rain of dust; myna birds by hundreds, screeching dreadfully, fall fighting toward his chariot; his horses pour sparks from their flanks and tears from their eyes, fire and water together. Many such dreadful, terrifying portents arise for Ravana’s destruction. For Rama, too, gentle and auspicious signs appear everywhere, foretelling victory. Seeing these gentle signs for his own victory, Raghava is overjoyed and thinks Ravana already slain; seeing the signs in himself, the expert in omens feels great joy and deep contentment and shows still greater valour in battle.
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सारथिः स रथं हृष्टः परसैन्यप्रधर्षणम् । गन्धर्वनगराकारं समुच्छ्रितपताकिनम् ॥ १ ॥
Glad, the charioteer swiftly drove that chariot, crusher of enemy armies, shaped like a gandharva city, with lofty pennants,
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Omens for Rama and Ravana 1 min read.
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युक्तं परमसम्पन्नैर्वाजिभिर्हेममालिभिः । युद्धोपकरणैः पूर्णं पताकाध्वजमालिनम् ॥ २ ॥
yoked with horses of the highest quality, garlanded with gold, full of the equipment of war, garlanded with flags and banners,
ग्रसन्तमिव चाकाशं नादयन्तं वसुंधराम् । प्रणाशं परसैन्यानां स्वसैन्यस्य प्रहर्षणम् ॥ ३ ॥
as if swallowing the sky, making the earth resound, destruction of enemy armies, gladdening its own army:
रावणस्य रथं क्षिप्रं चोदयामास सारथिः । तमापतन्तं सहसा स्वनवन्तं महाध्वजम् ॥ ४ ॥
the charioteer drove Ravana’s chariot quickly. As it rushed on suddenly, roaring, with its great banner,
रथं राक्षसराजस्य नरराजो ददर्श ह । कृष्णवाजिसमायुक्तं युक्तं रौद्रेण वर्चसा ॥ ५ ॥
the king of men saw the chariot of the king of the rakshasas, yoked with black horses, joined with fierce radiance,
दीप्यमानमिवाकाशे विमानं सूर्यवर्चसम् । तडित्पताकागहनं दर्शितेन्द्रायुधप्रभम् ॥ ६ ॥
like an aerial palace blazing in the sky, with the splendour of the sun, dense with lightning-like pennants, showing the radiance of Indra’s bow,
शरधारा विमुञ्चन्तं धाराधरमिवाम्बुदम् । स दृष्ट्वा मेघसंकाशमापतन्तं रथं रिपोः ॥ ७ ॥
pouring streams of arrows, like a raincloud pouring streams. Seeing the enemy’s chariot, like a cloud, rushing on,
गिरेर्वज्राभिमृष्टस्य दीर्यतः सदृशस्वनम् । विस्फारयन् वै वेगेन बालचन्द्रानतं धनुः ॥ ८ ॥
with a sound like that of a mountain splitting when struck by a thunderbolt, twanging with force his bow, bent like the young moon,
उवाच मातलिं रामः सहस्राक्षस्य सारथिम् । मातले पश्य संरब्धमापतन्तं रथं रिपोः ॥ ९ ॥
Rama said to Matali, charioteer of the thousand-eyed one: “Matali, see the enemy’s chariot rushing on in fury.
यथापसव्यं पतता वेगेन महता पुनः । समरे हन्तुमात्मानं तथानेन कृता मतिः ॥ १० ॥
“From the way he comes round again to my left with great speed, he has made up his mind to kill himself in battle.
तदप्रमादमातिष्ठ प्रत्युद्गच्छ रथं रिपोः । विध्वंसयितुमिच्छामि वायुर्मेघमिवोत्थितम् ॥ ११ ॥
“So stand without carelessness; go out against the enemy’s chariot; I wish to destroy it, as the wind a risen cloud.
अविक्लवमसम्भ्रान्तमव्यग्रहृदयेक्षणम् । रश्मिसंचारनियतं प्रचोदय रथं द्रुतम् ॥ १२ ॥
“Without faltering, without flurry, with heart and eyes undistracted, the movement of the reins controlled, drive the chariot quickly.
कामं न त्वं समाधेयः पुरंदररथोचितः । युयुत्सुरहमेकाग्रः स्मारये त्वां न शिक्षये ॥ १३ ॥
“Certainly you need no direction, used as you are to Purandara’s chariot; wishing to fight, one-pointed, I remind you, I do not teach you.”
परितुष्टः स रामस्य तेन वाक्येन मातलिः । प्रचोदयामास रथं सुरसारथिरुत्तमः ॥ १४ ॥
Greatly pleased with those words of Rama, Matali, best charioteer of the gods, drove the chariot on.
अपसव्यं ततः कुर्वन् रावणस्य महारथम् । चक्रसम्भूतरजसा रावणं व्यवधूनयत् ॥ १५ ॥
Then, keeping Ravana’s great chariot to his left, he covered Ravana with the dust raised by his wheels.
ततः क्रुद्धो दशग्रीवस्ताम्रविस्फारितेक्षणः । रथप्रतिमुखं रामं सायकैरवधूनयत् ॥ १६ ॥
Then Ten-necked, enraged, his copper-red eyes wide, showered with arrows Rama, who faced his chariot.
धर्षणामर्षितो रामो धैर्यं रोषेण लम्भयन् । जग्राह सुमहावेगमैन्द्रं युधि शरासनम् ॥ १७ ॥
Indignant at the assault, Rama, gaining firmness through anger, took up in battle Indra’s very swift bow,
शरांश्च सुमहावेगान् सूर्यरश्मिसमप्रभान् । तदुपोढं महद् युद्धमन्योन्यवधकांक्षिणोः । परस्पराभिमुखयोर्दृप्तयोरिव सिंहयोः ॥ १८ ॥
and very swift arrows with the splendour of the sun’s rays. That great battle was joined of the two, each wishing to kill the other, facing each other like two proud lions.
ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः । समीयुर्द्वैरथं द्रष्टुं रावणक्षयकांक्षिणः ॥ १९ ॥
Then the gods with the gandharvas, the siddhas and the supreme sages gathered to see the chariot duel, longing for Ravana’s destruction.
समुत्पेतुरथोत्पाता दारुणा रोमहर्षणाः । रावणस्य विनाशाय राघवस्योदयाय च ॥ २० ॥
Then dreadful, hair-raising portents arose, for Ravana’s destruction and for Raghava’s rise.
ववर्ष रुधिरं देवो रावणस्य रथोपरि । वाता मण्डलिनस्तीव्रा व्यपसव्यं प्रचक्रमुः ॥ २१ ॥
The god rained blood on Ravana’s chariot; fierce whirlwinds moved round to the left.
महद्गृध्रकुलं चास्य भ्रममाणं नभस्थले । येन येन रथो याति तेन तेन प्रधावति ॥ २२ ॥
And a great flock of vultures, wheeling in the sky, rushed wherever his chariot went.
संध्यया चावृता लङ्का जपापुष्पनिकाशया । दृश्यते सम्प्रदीप्तेव दिवसेऽपि वसुंधरा ॥ २३ ॥
And Lanka, covered by a twilight like the colour of hibiscus flowers, looked as if the earth were blazing, even by day.
सनिर्घाता महोल्काश्च सम्प्रपेतुर्महास्वनाः । विषादयंस्ते रक्षांसि रावणस्य तदाहिताः ॥ २४ ॥
Great meteors with thunderclaps fell with great sound, dismaying the rakshasas, Ravana’s allies then.
रावणश्च यतस्तत्र प्रचचाल वसुंधरा । रक्षसां च प्रहरतां गृहीता इव बाहवः ॥ २५ ॥
And wherever Ravana was, there the earth shook, and the arms of the rakshasas as they struck were as if seized.
ताम्राः पीताः सिताः श्वेताः पतिताः सूर्यरश्मयः । दृश्यन्ते रावणस्याग्रे पर्वतस्येव धातवः ॥ २६ ॥
Copper, yellow, white and pale rays of the sun, fallen, were seen in front of Ravana, like the minerals of a mountain.
गृध्रैरनुगताश्चास्य वमन्त्यो ज्वलनं मुखैः । प्रणेदुर्मुखमीक्षन्त्यः संरब्धमशिवं शिवाः ॥ २७ ॥
Followed by vultures, vomiting fire from their mouths, jackals howled, looking at his angry, inauspicious face.
प्रतिकूलं ववौ वायू रणे पांसून् समुत्किरन् । तस्य राक्षसराजस्य कुर्वन् दृष्टिविलोपनम् ॥ २८ ॥
A contrary wind blew in the battle, throwing up dust, making a loss of sight for that king of the rakshasas.
निपेतुरिन्द्राशनयः सैन्ये चास्य समन्ततः । दुर्विषह्यस्वरा घोरा विना जलधरोदयम् ॥ २९ ॥
Indra’s thunderbolts fell on his army on every side, with unbearable sounds, terrible, without the rising of clouds.
दिशश्च प्रदिशः सर्वा बभूवुस्तिमिरावृताः । पांसुवर्षेण महता दुर्दर्शं च नभोऽभवत् ॥ ३० ॥
All the directions and intermediate directions were covered with darkness, and the sky became hard to see with a great rain of dust.
कुर्वन्त्यः कलहं घोरं सारिकास्तद्रथं प्रति । निपेतुः शतशस्तत्र दारुणा दारुणारुताः ॥ ३१ ॥
Myna birds, making a dreadful quarrel, fell there by hundreds toward his chariot, dreadful, with dreadful cries.
जघनेभ्यः स्फुलिङ्गाश्च नेत्रेभ्योऽश्रूणि संततम् । मुमुचुस्तस्य तुरगास्तुल्यमग्निं च वारि च ॥ ३२ ॥
His horses let loose sparks from their flanks and tears from their eyes continually, fire and water alike.
एवंप्रकारा बहवः समुत्पाता भयावहाः । रावणस्य विनाशाय दारुणाः सम्प्रजज्ञिरे ॥ ३३ ॥
Many terrifying portents of this kind, dreadful, arose for Ravana’s destruction.
रामस्यापि निमित्तानि सौम्यानि च शिवानि च । बभूवुर्जयशंसीनि प्रादुर्भूतानि सर्वशः ॥ ३४ ॥
And for Rama too, gentle and auspicious signs appeared on every side, foretelling victory.
निमित्तानीह सौम्यानि राघवः स्वजयाय वै । दृष्ट्वा परमसंहृष्टो हतं मेने च रावणम् ॥ ३५ ॥
Seeing the gentle signs here for his own victory, Raghava, greatly delighted, thought Ravana killed.
ततो निरीक्ष्यात्मगतानि राघवो रणे निमित्तानि निमित्तकोविदः । जगाम हर्षं च परां च निर्वृतिं चकार युद्धे ह्यधिकं च विक्रमम् ॥ ३६ ॥
Then Raghava, knower of omens, observing the omens in himself in battle, went to joy and supreme contentment, and showed still greater valour in battle.