Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 107 of 128 · 67 verses
The Heads That Grow Again
Then begins the very cruel, very great duel of Rama and Ravana, terrifying all the worlds. The rakshasa army and the great monkey army stand motionless, weapons in hand; seeing the man and the rakshasa fighting so mightily, all are amazed, their hearts distracted, their arms busy with weapons, and they stand watching without attacking each other. The rakshasas watch Ravana and the monkeys Raghava with wondering eyes, and the armies look like a painting. Seeing the omens, Raghava and Ravana fight, minds made up, anger steady, as if fearless: Kakutstha resolved to conquer, Ravana resolved to die, both showing in battle the whole of their valour. Ten-necked looses arrows at the banner on Raghava’s chariot, but they fail to reach Purandara’s banner, graze the chariot’s flagstaff and fall to the ground. Rama, enraged, resolving to answer blow for blow, looses a sharp arrow at Ravana’s banner, blazing with its own splendour like a great serpent; it cuts Ten-necked’s banner and goes into the earth, and the banner of Ravana’s chariot falls. Seeing his banner crushed, mighty Ravana blazes with rage and rains arrows; he pierces Rama’s horses with blazing arrows, but the heavenly bay horses neither stumble nor swerve; they stay calm as if struck with lotus stalks. Seeing them unshaken, Ravana, more enraged, rains arrows, maces, iron bars, discuses, pestles, mountain peaks, trees, spears and axes, a rain of weapons made by magic, and arrows by thousands with untiring effort; that tumultuous, terrifying, many-weaponed rain, leaving Raghava’s chariot, falls all round on the monkey army and fills the sky. Seeing Ravana so intent, Kakutstha, as if laughing, fits sharp arrows and looses them by hundreds and thousands; Ravana fills the sky with his own; with the brilliant rain of arrows from the two, the sky looks like a second, shining sky bound with arrows. No arrow fails to hit its mark, to pierce or to bear fruit; striking one another, they fall to the ground. Shooting unceasingly to left and right, Rama and Ravana make the sky breathless with terrible arrows; Rama kills Ravana’s horses and Ravana Rama’s, answering each other’s deeds; for a long while the battle is tumultuous and hair-raising, and all beings watch amazed. The two great chariots harass each other, rush at each other, become terrible, set on mutual killing; the two charioteers show every skill of their art in circles, straight runs, advances and retreats; the chariots range the battlefield like two raining clouds, then stand face to face again, pole to pole, horse face to horse face, banner to banner. With four sharp arrows Rama drives back Ravana’s four blazing horses; enraged, ten-faced Ravana looses sharp arrows at Raghava, who is deeply pierced but neither changes nor is pained. Ravana shoots arrows sounding like thunderbolts at Matali, the wielder of the thunderbolt’s charioteer; they fall on his body but cause him not the slightest confusion or pain. Angered more by that insult to Matali than by any to himself, Raghava turns his enemy aside with a net of arrows, loosing twenty, thirty, sixty, by hundreds and thousands at the enemy’s chariot; Ravana, enraged, assails Rama with a rain of maces and pestles. The tumultuous battle begins again; with the sound of maces, pestles and iron bars and the wind of the arrows’ feathers the seven seas are churned, and the danavas and serpents by thousands in the underworld are distressed; the whole earth with its mountains and forests trembles, the sun loses its light, and the wind stops. Gods, gandharvas, siddhas, supreme sages, kinnaras and great serpents grow anxious: may it be well with cows and brahmins; may the worlds endure forever; may Raghava conquer Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, in battle. So praying, the gods and hosts of sages watch the very terrible battle. Seeing that matchless battle, the hosts of gandharvas and apsarases say: the sky is like the sky, the ocean like the ocean, and the battle of Rama and Ravana is like the battle of Rama and Ravana.
Then, in anger, mighty-armed Rama, increaser of the Raghus’ fame, fits to his bow an arrow like a venomous serpent and cuts off Ravana’s glorious head with its blazing earrings; the three worlds see it fall to the ground. But another head, exactly like it, rises on Ravana’s shoulders; swift-handed Rama cuts the second head with arrows in battle, and as soon as it is cut it appears again; that too is cut by Rama’s thunderbolt-like arrows; so a hundred heads of equal splendour are cut off, yet no end of Ravana’s life is seen. Then the hero, knower of all weapons, increaser of Kausalya’s joy, armed with many arrows, reflects: the arrows with which Maricha was killed, and Khara with Dushana, Viradha in the Krauncha forest and Kabandha in the Dandaka forest, with which the sala trees and mountains were split, Vali killed and the ocean churned: all these arrows of mine, trusted in battle, why are they weak against Ravana? Lost in thought but never careless in battle, Raghava rains arrows on Ravana’s chest, and Ravana, enraged, assails Rama from his chariot with a rain of maces and pestles. The great, tumultuous, hair-raising battle goes on in the sky, on the ground and on the mountaintop, watched by gods, danavas, yakshas, pishachas, serpents and rakshasas, all night long; neither by night nor by day, not for an hour or a moment, does the battle of Rama and Ravana pause. Seeing that Raghava has not yet won victory over the rakshasa king, great-souled Matali, charioteer of the king of the gods, quickly speaks to Rama, intent on battle.
Press › to begin with verse 1.
ततः प्रवृत्तं सुक्रूरं रामरावणयोस्तदा । सुमहद् द्वैरथं युद्धं सर्वलोकभयावहम् ॥ १ ॥
Then began the very cruel, very great chariot duel of Rama and Ravana, terrifying to all the worlds.
Commentary on the whole sarga
The Heads That Grow Again 1 min read.
Read the commentary
ततो राक्षससैन्यं च हरीणां च महद्बलम् । प्रगृहीतप्रहरणं निश्चेष्टं समवर्तत ॥ २ ॥
Then the army of the rakshasas and the great army of the monkeys stood motionless, weapons in hand.
सम्प्रयुद्धौ तु तौ दृष्ट्वा बलवन्नरराक्षसौ । व्याक्षिप्तहृदयाः सर्वे परं विस्मयमागताः ॥ ३ ॥
Seeing those two, the man and the rakshasa, fighting mightily, all, their hearts distracted, came into the greatest amazement.
नानाप्रहरणैर्व्यग्रैर्भुजैर्विस्मितबुद्धयः । तस्थुः प्रेक्ष्य च संग्रामं नाभिजग्मुः परस्परम् ॥ ४ ॥
Their arms busy with many weapons, amazed in mind, they stood watching the battle and did not attack one another.
रक्षसां रावणं चापि वानराणां च राघवम् । पश्यतां विस्मिताक्षाणां सैन्यं चित्रमिवाबभौ ॥ ५ ॥
As the rakshasas watched Ravana and the monkeys Raghava with wondering eyes, the army looked like a painting.
तौ तु तत्र निमित्तानि दृष्ट्वा राघवरावणौ । कृतबुद्धी स्थिरामर्षौ युयुधाते ह्यभीतवत् ॥ ६ ॥
Seeing the omens there, Raghava and Ravana, their minds made up, their anger steady, fought as if without fear.
जेतव्यमिति काकुत्स्थो मर्तव्यमिति रावणः । धृतौ स्ववीर्यसर्वस्वं युद्धेऽदर्शयतां तदा ॥ ७ ॥
“I must conquer”, resolved Kakutstha; “I must die”, resolved Ravana; both showed then in battle the whole of their own valour.
ततः क्रोधाद् दशग्रीवः शरान् संधाय वीर्यवान् । मुमोच ध्वजमुद्दिश्य राघवस्य रथे स्थितम् ॥ ८ ॥
Then valiant Ten-necked, in anger, fitting arrows, loosed them, aiming at the banner standing on Raghava’s chariot.
ते शरास्तमनासाद्य पुरंदररथध्वजम् । रथशक्तिं परामृश्य निपेतुर्धरणीतले ॥ ९ ॥
Those arrows, not reaching that banner of Purandara’s chariot, grazing the chariot’s flagstaff, fell on the ground.
ततो रामोऽपि संक्रुद्धश्चापमाकृष्य वीर्यवान् । कृतप्रतिकृतं कर्तुं मनसा सम्प्रचक्रमे ॥ १० ॥
Then Rama too, enraged, drawing his bow, the valiant one set his mind on doing blow for blow.
रावणध्वजमुद्दिश्य मुमोच निशितं शरम् । महासर्पमिवासह्यं ज्वलन्तं स्वेन तेजसा ॥ ११ ॥
Aiming at Ravana’s banner, he loosed a sharp arrow, unbearable like a great serpent, blazing with its own splendour.
रामश्चिक्षेप तेजस्वी केतुमुद्दिश्य सायकम् । जगाम स महीं छित्त्वा दशग्रीवध्वजं शरः ॥ १२ ॥
Radiant Rama hurled the arrow aiming at the banner; that arrow, cutting Ten-necked’s banner, went into the earth.
स निकृत्तोऽपतद् भूमौ रावणस्यन्दनध्वजः । ध्वजस्योन्मथनं दृष्ट्वा रावणः स महाबलः ॥ १३ ॥
Cut down, the banner of Ravana’s chariot fell to the ground. Seeing the banner’s destruction, that mighty Ravana
सम्प्रदीप्तोऽभवत् क्रोधादमर्षात् प्रदहन्निव । स रोषवशमापन्नः शरवर्षं ववर्ष ह ॥ १४ ॥
blazed up from anger, as if burning with indignation; fallen into the power of rage, he rained a rain of arrows.
रामस्य तुरगान् दीप्तैः शरैर्विव्याध रावणः । ते दिव्या हरयस्तत्र नास्खलन्नापि बभ्रमुः ॥ १५ ॥
Ravana pierced Rama’s horses with blazing arrows; those heavenly bay horses there did not stumble nor reel.
बभूवुः स्वस्थहृदयाः पद्मनालैरिवाहताः । तेषामसम्भ्रमं दृष्ट्वा वाजिनां रावणस्तदा ॥ १६ ॥
They stayed calm at heart, as if struck with lotus stalks. Seeing the composure of those horses, Ravana then,
भूय एव सुसंक्रुद्धः शरवर्षं मुमोच ह । गदाश्च परिघांश्चैव चक्राणि मुसलानि च ॥ १७ ॥
still more enraged, loosed a rain of arrows: maces and iron bars, discuses and pestles,
गिरिशृङ्गाणि वृक्षांश्च तथा शूलपरश्वधान् । मायाविहितमेतत् तु शस्त्रवर्षमपातयत् । सहस्रशस्तदा बाणानश्रान्तहृदयोद्यमः ॥ १८ ॥
mountain peaks and trees, likewise spears and axes; he let fall this rain of weapons made by magic, and arrows by thousands then, his heart’s effort untiring.
तुमुलं त्रासजननं भीमं भीमप्रतिस्वनम् । तद् वर्षमभवद् युद्धे नैकशस्त्रमयं महत् ॥ १९ ॥
Tumultuous, terrifying, dreadful, with a dreadful echo, was that great rain made of many weapons in the battle.
विमुच्य राघवरथं समन्ताद् वानरे बले । सायकैरन्तरिक्षं च चकार सुनिरन्तरम् ॥ २० ॥
Leaving Raghava’s chariot, it fell on every side on the monkey army, and with arrows he made the sky entirely without a gap.
मुमोच च दशग्रीवो निःसङ्गेनान्तरात्मना । व्यायच्छमानं तं दृष्ट्वा तत्परं रावणं रणे ॥ २१ ॥
Ten-necked loosed them with a detached inner self. Seeing that Ravana striving so, intent, in battle,
प्रहसन्निव काकुत्स्थः संदधे निशितान् शरान् । स मुमोच ततो बाणान् शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ॥ २२ ॥
Kakutstha, as if laughing, fitted sharp arrows; he loosed arrows then by hundreds and thousands.
तान् दृष्ट्वा रावणश्चक्रे स्वशरैः खं निरन्तरम् । ताभ्यां नियुक्तेन तदा शरवर्षेण भास्वता ॥ २३ ॥
Seeing them, Ravana made the sky gapless with his own arrows. By the brilliant rain of arrows employed by the two then,
शरबद्धमिवाभाति द्वितीयं भास्वदम्बरम् । नानिमित्तोऽभवद् बाणो नानिर्भेत्ता न निष्फलः ॥ २४ ॥
a second shining sky seemed to appear, as if bound with arrows. No arrow was without its mark, none without piercing, none without fruit.
अन्योन्यमभिसंहत्य निपेतुर्धरणीतले । तथा विसृजतोर्बाणान् रामरावणयोर्मृधे ॥ २५ ॥
Striking one another, they fell to the ground. As Rama and Ravana loosed arrows so in battle,
प्रायुध्येतामविच्छिन्नमस्यन्तौ सव्यदक्षिणम् । चक्रतुश्च शरैर्घोरैर्निरुच्छ्वासमिवाम्बरम् ॥ २६ ॥
they fought without break, shooting left and right, and made the sky as if breathless with terrible arrows.
रावणस्य हयान् रामो हयान् रामस्य रावणः । जघ्नतुस्तौ तदान्योन्यं कृतानुकृतकारिणौ ॥ २७ ॥
Rama killed Ravana’s horses and Ravana Rama’s horses; the two struck each other then, doing and returning deeds.
एवं तु तौ सुसंक्रुद्धौ चक्रतुर्युद्धमुत्तमम् । मुहूर्तमभवद् युद्धं तुमुलं रोमहर्षणम् ॥ २८ ॥
So the two, greatly enraged, made the finest battle; for a while the battle was tumultuous and hair-raising.
तौ तथा युध्यमानौ तु समरे रामरावणौ । ददृशुः सर्वभूतानि विस्मितेनान्तरात्मना ॥ २९ ॥
All beings watched those two, Rama and Ravana, fighting so in battle, with amazed inner selves.
अर्दयन्तौ तु समरे तयोस्तौ स्यन्दनोत्तमौ । परस्परमभिक्रुद्धौ परस्परमभिद्रुतौ ॥ ३० ॥
Harassing each other in battle, their two best of chariots, enraged with each other, rushing at each other,
परस्परवधे युक्तौ घोररूपौ बभूवतुः । मण्डलानि च वीथीश्च गतप्रत्यागतानि च ॥ ३१ ॥
set on killing each other, became terrible-looking; showing circles and straight courses, goings and comings,
दर्शयन्तौ बहुविधां सूतौ सारथ्यजां गतिम् । अर्दयन् रावणं रामो राघवं चापि रावणः ॥ ३२ ॥
the two charioteers showed the many kinds of movement born of charioteering. Rama harassing Ravana and Ravana Raghava,
गतिवेगं समापन्नौ प्रवर्तननिवर्तने । क्षिपतोः शरजालानि तयोस्तौ स्यन्दनोत्तमौ ॥ ३३ ॥
the two attained speed of movement in advance and retreat. As they hurled nets of arrows, their two best of chariots
चेरतुः संयुगमहीं सासारौ जलदाविव । दर्शयित्वा तदा तौ तु गतिं बहुविधां रणे ॥ ३४ ॥
ranged the battlefield like two clouds with their downpours. Having shown many kinds of movement in battle then,
परस्परस्याभिमुखौ पुनरेव च तस्थतुः । धुरं धुरेण रथयोर्वक्त्रं वक्त्रेण वाजिनाम् ॥ ३५ ॥
the two stood again face to face. Pole with pole of the chariots, face with face of the horses,
पताकाश्च पताकाभिः समीयुः स्थितयोस्तदा । रावणस्य ततो रामो धनुर्मुक्तैः शितैः शरैः ॥ ३६ ॥
and banners with banners met as they stood then. Then Rama, with sharp arrows loosed from his bow,
चतुर्भिश्चतुरो दीप्तान् हयान् प्रत्यपसर्पयत् । स क्रोधवशमापन्नो हयानामपसर्पणे ॥ ३७ ॥
with four, drove back Ravana’s four blazing horses. Fallen into the power of anger at the driving back of his horses,
मुमोच निशितान् बाणान् राघवाय दशाननः । सोऽतिविद्धो बलवता दशग्रीवेण राघवः ॥ ३८ ॥
ten-faced Ravana loosed sharp arrows at Raghava. Deeply pierced by mighty Ten-necked, Raghava
जगाम न विकारं च न चापि व्यथितोऽभवत् । चिक्षेप च पुनर्बाणान् वज्रसारसमस्वनान् ॥ ३९ ॥
underwent no change, nor was he pained. And again ten-faced Ravana hurled arrows sounding like the thunderbolt
सारथिं वज्रहस्तस्य समुद्दिश्य दशाननः । मातलेस्तु महावेगाः शरीरे पतिताः शराः ॥ ४० ॥
aiming at the charioteer of the thunderbolt-holder; but the very swift arrows fallen on Matali’s body
न सूक्ष्ममपि सम्मोहं व्यथां वा प्रददुर्युधि । तया धर्षणया क्रुद्धो मातलेर्न तथाऽऽत्मनः ॥ ४१ ॥
gave not the slightest confusion or pain in battle. Angered by that insult to Matali, not so much as by one to himself,
चकार शरजालेन राघवो विमुखं रिपुम् । विंशतिं त्रिंशतिं षष्टिं शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ॥ ४२ ॥
Raghava turned his enemy away with a net of arrows. Twenty, thirty, sixty, by hundreds and thousands,
मुमोच राघवो वीरः सायकान् स्यन्दने रिपोः । रावणोऽपि ततः क्रुद्धो रथस्थो राक्षसेश्वरः ॥ ४३ ॥
heroic Raghava loosed arrows at the enemy’s chariot. And Ravana too, then, enraged, the rakshasa lord standing in his chariot,
गदामुसलवर्षेण रामं प्रत्यर्दयद् रणे । तत् प्रवृत्तं पुनर्युद्धं तुमुलं रोमहर्षणम् ॥ ४४ ॥
harassed Rama in battle with a rain of maces and pestles. That tumultuous, hair-raising battle began again.
गदानां मुसलानां च परिघाणां च निःस्वनैः । शराणां पुङ्खवातैश्च क्षुभिताः सप्त सागराः ॥ ४५ ॥
With the sounds of maces, pestles and iron bars, and the winds of the arrows’ feathers, the seven oceans were churned.
क्षुब्धानां सागराणां च पातालतलवासिनः । व्यथिता दानवाः सर्वे पन्नगाश्च सहस्रशः ॥ ४६ ॥
And the dwellers of the underworld below the churned oceans, all the danavas and serpents by thousands, were distressed.
चकम्पे मेदिनी कृत्स्ना सशैलवनकानना । भास्करो निष्प्रभश्चासीन्न ववौ चापि मारुतः ॥ ४७ ॥
The whole earth trembled with its mountains, woods and forests; the sun lost its light, and the wind did not blow.
ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः । चिन्तामापेदिरे सर्वे सकिंनरमहोरगाः ॥ ४८ ॥
Then the gods with the gandharvas, the siddhas and the supreme sages, all, with the kinnaras and great serpents, fell into anxiety.
स्वस्ति गोब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तु लोकास्तिष्ठन्तु शाश्वताः । जयतां राघवः संख्ये रावणं राक्षसेश्वरम् ॥ ४९ ॥
“May it be well with cows and brahmins; may the worlds stand forever; may Raghava conquer Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, in battle.”
एवं जपन्तोऽपश्यंस्ते देवाः सर्षिगणास्तदा । रामरावणयोर्युद्धं सुघोरं रोमहर्षणम् ॥ ५० ॥
So praying, the gods with the hosts of sages watched then the very terrible, hair-raising battle of Rama and Ravana.
गन्धर्वाप्सरसां सङ्घा दृष्ट्वा युद्धमनूपमम् । गगनं गगनाकारं सागरः सागरोपमः ॥ ५१ ॥
The hosts of gandharvas and apsarases, seeing that matchless battle, said: “The sky is like the sky; the ocean is like the ocean;
रामरावणयोर्युद्धं रामरावणयोरिव । एवं ब्रुवन्तो ददृशुस्तद् युद्धं रामरावणम् ॥ ५२ ॥
“the battle of Rama and Ravana is like the battle of Rama and Ravana.” Speaking so, they watched that battle of Rama and Ravana.
ततः क्रोधान्महाबाहू रघूणां कीर्तिवर्धनः । संधाय धनुषा रामः शरमाशीविषोपमम् ॥ ५३ ॥
Then in anger mighty-armed Rama, increaser of the fame of the Raghus, fitting to his bow an arrow like a poisonous snake,
रावणस्य शिरोऽच्छिन्दच्छ्रीमज्ज्वलितकुण्डलम् । तच्छिरः पतितं भूमौ दृष्टं लोकैस्त्रिभिस्तदा ॥ ५४ ॥
cut off Ravana’s glorious head with its blazing earrings; that head, fallen on the ground, was seen by the three worlds then.
तस्यैव सदृशं चान्यद् रावणस्योत्थितं शिरः । तत् क्षिप्तं क्षिप्रहस्तेन रामेण क्षिप्रकारिणा ॥ ५५ ॥
And another head of Ravana’s, just like it, rose up. That was cut by swift-handed Rama, swift in action;
द्वितीयं रावणशिरश्छिन्नं संयति सायकैः । छिन्नमात्रं च तच्छीर्षं पुनरेव प्रदृश्यते ॥ ५६ ॥
the second head of Ravana was cut off in battle with arrows. As soon as it was cut, that head is seen again.
तदप्यशनिसंकाशैश्छिन्नं रामस्य सायकैः । एवमेव शतं छिन्नं शिरसां तुल्यवर्चसाम् ॥ ५७ ॥
That too was cut by Rama’s arrows like thunderbolts. In this very way a hundred heads of equal splendour were cut off,
न चैव रावणस्यान्तो दृश्यते जीवितक्षये । ततः सर्वास्त्रविद् वीरः कौसल्यानन्दवर्धनः ॥ ५८ ॥
and yet no end of Ravana’s life was seen. Then the hero, knower of all weapons, increaser of Kausalya’s joy,
मार्गणैर्बहुभिर्युक्तश्चिन्तयामास राघवः । मारीचो निहतो यैस्तु खरो यैस्तु सदूषणः ॥ ५९ ॥
Raghava, equipped with many arrows, reflected: “Those with which Maricha was killed, and Khara with Dushana,
क्रौञ्चावटे विराधस्तु कबन्धो दण्डकावने । यैः साला गिरयो भग्ना वाली च क्षुभितोऽम्बुधिः ॥ ६० ॥
“Viradha in the Krauncha forest and Kabandha in the Dandaka forest, with which the sala trees and mountains were split, and Vali, and the ocean churned:
त इमे सायकाः सर्वे युद्धे प्रात्ययिका मम । किं नु तत् कारणं येन रावणे मन्दतेजसः ॥ ६१ ॥
“all these arrows of mine, trusted in battle, what is the reason for which they have little power against Ravana?”
इति चिन्तापरश्चासीदप्रमत्तश्च संयुगे । ववर्ष शरवर्षाणि राघवो रावणोरसि ॥ ६२ ॥
So he was lost in thought, yet not careless in battle; Raghava rained rains of arrows on Ravana’s chest.
रावणोऽपि ततः क्रुद्धो रथस्थो राक्षसेश्वरः । गदामुसलवर्षेण रामं प्रत्यर्दयद् रणे ॥ ६३ ॥
And Ravana too, then, enraged, the rakshasa lord standing in his chariot, harassed Rama in battle with a rain of maces and pestles.
तत् प्रवृत्तं महद् युद्धं तुमुलं रोमहर्षणम् । अन्तरिक्षे च भूमौ च पुनश्च गिरिमूर्धनि ॥ ६४ ॥
That great, tumultuous, hair-raising battle went on in the sky and on the ground, and again on the mountaintop.
देवदानवयक्षाणां पिशाचोरगरक्षसाम् । पश्यतां तन्महद् युद्धं सर्वरात्रमवर्तत ॥ ६५ ॥
As gods, danavas, yakshas, pishachas, serpents and rakshasas watched, that great battle went on all night.
नैव रात्रिं न दिवसं न मुहूर्तं न च क्षणम् । रामरावणयोर्युद्धं विराममुपगच्छति ॥ ६६ ॥
Neither night nor day, nor an hour nor a moment, did the battle of Rama and Ravana come to a pause.
दशरथसुतराक्षसेन्द्रयोस्तयो- र्जयमनवेक्ष्य रणे स राघवस्य । सुरवररथसारथिर्महात्मा रणरतराममुवाच वाक्यमाशु ॥ ६७ ॥
Seeing no victory yet for Raghava in the battle of those two, the son of Dasharatha and the rakshasa lord, the great-souled charioteer of the chariot of the best of gods quickly spoke words to Rama, intent on battle.