Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 108 of 128 · 34 verses
The Death of Ravana
Matali reminds Raghava: why do you follow him, hero, as if you did not know? Loose at him for his death the Grandfather’s weapon, lord; the time of his destruction the gods spoke of has come today. Reminded by Matali’s words, Rama takes up a blazing arrow like a hissing serpent: the great, unfailing arrow given by Brahma, which the blessed sage Agastya first gave him, made long ago by Brahma of boundless might for Indra and given to the lord of the gods when he wished to conquer the three worlds; in its feathers is the Wind, in its point Fire and the Sun, its body is made of space, and in weight it is Meru and Mandara; blazing in form, well feathered, adorned with gold, made of the radiance of all beings, bright as the sun, like the smoking fire of Time, blazing like a venomous snake, splitter of hosts of men, elephants and horses, quick to act, splitter of gates, iron bars and mountains, its body smeared with many kinds of blood and fat, very dreadful, hard as diamond, of great sound, fearful in many battles, terrifying all, hissing like a serpent, the giver of constant food in battle to herons, vultures, cranes, jackals and rakshasas, Death in form, terrifying, the delight of the monkey lords, the ruin of the rakshasas, feathered with Garuda’s many lovely coloured feathers: that supreme arrow, which ends the fear of the worlds and of the Ikshvakus, takes away the fame of enemies and brings joy to oneself. Consecrating it with mantras, mighty Rama fits it to his bow by the rite the Veda teaches. As he fits that best of arrows, all beings tremble and the earth shakes. Enraged, drawing his bow with all his might, with the greatest care he looses at Ravana the arrow that splits the vitals. Unstoppable as the thunderbolt loosed from the arm of the thunderbolt-wielder, irresistible as Death, it falls on Ravana’s chest; loosed with great force, that supreme destroyer of bodies splits the heart of evil-souled Ravana; smeared with blood, taking his life, it enters the earth with force, and having killed Ravana, its lustre wet with blood, its work done, it returns quietly to the quiver.
From the hand of the slain Ravana his bow with its arrows falls, along with his life as he slips from existence; the lifeless lord of the nairritas, of terrible speed and great radiance, falls from his chariot to the ground like Vritra struck by the thunderbolt. Seeing him fallen, the surviving night-wanderers, their master killed, flee in terror in every direction; the monkeys, fighting with trees, roaring, victorious, fall on them, and harassed by the delighted monkeys, the rakshasas run to Lanka in fear, their faces pitiful and streaming with tears, their refuge gone. The victorious monkeys roar with delight, proclaiming Raghava’s victory and Ravana’s death. In the sky the gentle drums of the gods sound; a delightful wind blows there, carrying heavenly fragrance; a lovely, rare rain of flowers falls from the sky onto the earth, covering Raghava’s chariot; and in the sky the excellent words of the great gods are heard, “Well done! Well done!”, joined with praise of Raghava. Great joy fills the gods and charanas at the death of fierce Ravana, terror of all the worlds. Pleased, having killed the bull among rakshasas, Raghava fulfils the wishes of Sugriva, Angada and Vibhishana. The hosts of Maruts grow calm; the directions clear; the sky becomes spotless; the earth stops trembling, the wind blows gently, and the sun shines with steady light. Then Sugriva, Vibhishana and Angada, the foremost friends, with Lakshmana, come together joyfully and honour Raghava, delightful in battle, according to rite for his victory. With his enemy killed, his vow kept, surrounded in battle by his own people and army, the mighty delight of the Raghu kings shines like great Indra surrounded by the hosts of the gods.
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अथ संस्मारयामास मातली राघवं तदा । अजानन्निव किं वीर त्वमेनमनुवर्तसे ॥ १ ॥
Then Matali reminded Raghava then: “Why, hero, do you follow him as if you did not know?
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विसृजास्मै वधाय त्वमस्त्रं पैतामहं प्रभो । विनाशकालः कथितो यः सुरैः सोऽद्य वर्तते ॥ २ ॥
“Loose at him for his death the Grandfather’s weapon, lord; the time of destruction spoken of by the gods has come today.”
ततः संस्मारितो रामस्तेन वाक्येन मातलेः । जग्राह स शरं दीप्तं निःश्वसन्तमिवोरगम् ॥ ३ ॥
Then, reminded by those words of Matali, Rama took up that blazing arrow, like a hissing serpent,
यं तस्मै प्रथमं प्रादादगस्त्यो भगवानृषिः । ब्रह्मदत्तं महद् बाणममोघं युधि वीर्यवान् ॥ ४ ॥
the great arrow given by Brahma, unfailing in battle, which the blessed sage Agastya, the valiant one, first gave him,
ब्रह्मणा निर्मितं पूर्वमिन्द्रार्थममितौजसा । दत्तं सुरपतेः पूर्वं त्रिलोकजयकांक्षिणः ॥ ५ ॥
made long ago by Brahma of boundless might for Indra’s sake, given before to the lord of the gods when he wished to conquer the three worlds;
यस्य वाजेषु पवनः फले पावकभास्करौ । शरीरमाकाशमयं गौरवे मेरुमन्दरौ ॥ ६ ॥
in whose feathers is the Wind, in whose point are Fire and the Sun, whose body is made of space, in weight Meru and Mandara;
जाज्वल्यमानं वपुषा सुपुङ्खं हेमभूषितम् । तेजसा सर्वभूतानां कृतं भास्करवर्चसम् ॥ ७ ॥
blazing in form, well feathered, adorned with gold, made from the radiance of all beings, with the splendour of the sun,
सधूममिव कालाग्निं दीप्तमाशीविषोपमम् । नरनागाश्ववृन्दानां भेदनं क्षिप्रकारिणम् ॥ ८ ॥
like the fire of Time with smoke, blazing, like a poisonous snake, splitter of hosts of men, elephants and horses, swift in action,
द्वाराणां परिघाणां च गिरीणां चापि भेदनम् । नानारुधिरदिग्धाङ्गं मेदोदिग्धं सुदारुणम् ॥ ९ ॥
splitter of gates and iron bars and of mountains too, its body smeared with many kinds of blood, smeared with fat, very dreadful,
वज्रसारं महानादं नानासमितिदारुणम् । सर्ववित्रासनं भीमं श्वसन्तमिव पन्नगम् ॥ १० ॥
hard as diamond, of great sound, dreadful in many battles, terrifying to all, dreadful, hissing like a serpent,
कङ्कगृध्रबकानां च गोमायुगणरक्षसाम् । नित्यभक्षप्रदं युद्धे यमरूपं भयावहम् ॥ ११ ॥
giver of constant food in battle to herons, vultures and cranes, to hosts of jackals and to rakshasas, Death in form, fearful,
नन्दनं वानरेन्द्राणां रक्षसामवसादनम् । वाजितं विविधैर्वाजैश्चारुचित्रैर्गरुत्मतः ॥ १२ ॥
delight of the monkey lords, ruin of the rakshasas, feathered with many lovely, wonderful feathers of Garuda:
तमुत्तमेषुं लोकानामिक्ष्वाकुभयनाशनम् । द्विषतां कीर्तिहरणं प्रहर्षकरमात्मनः ॥ १३ ॥
that best of arrows, destroyer of the fear of the worlds and of the Ikshvakus, taker of the fame of enemies, maker of one’s own joy,
अभिमन्त्र्य ततो रामस्तं महेषुं महाबलः । वेदप्रोक्तेन विधिना संदधे कार्मुके बली ॥ १४ ॥
consecrating that great arrow with mantras then, very mighty Rama, the strong one, fitted it to his bow by the rite told in the Veda.
तस्मिन् संधीयमाने तु राघवेण शरोत्तमे । सर्वभूतानि संत्रेसुश्चचाल च वसुंधरा ॥ १५ ॥
As that best of arrows was being fitted by Raghava, all beings trembled and the earth shook.
स रावणाय संक्रुद्धो भृशमायम्य कार्मुकम् । चिक्षेप परमायत्तः शरं मर्मविदारणम् ॥ १६ ॥
Greatly enraged, drawing his bow hard, with the greatest care he hurled at Ravana that arrow that splits the vitals.
स वज्र इव दुर्धर्षो वज्रिबाहुविसर्जितः । कृतान्त इव चावार्यो न्यपतद् रावणोरसि ॥ १७ ॥
Unassailable like the thunderbolt, loosed from the arm of the thunderbolt-holder, and irresistible like Death, it fell on Ravana’s chest.
स विसृष्टो महावेगः शरीरान्तकरः परः । बिभेद हृदयं तस्य रावणस्य दुरात्मनः ॥ १८ ॥
Loosed, very swift, that supreme ender of bodies split the heart of that evil-souled Ravana.
रुधिराक्तः स वेगेन शरीरान्तकरः शरः । रावणस्य हरन् प्राणान् विवेश धरणीतलम् ॥ १९ ॥
Smeared with blood, that ender of bodies, the arrow, taking Ravana’s life, entered the surface of the earth with force.
स शरो रावणं हत्वा रुधिरार्द्रकृतच्छविः । कृतकर्मा निभृतवत् स तूणीं पुनराविशत् ॥ २० ॥
That arrow, having killed Ravana, its lustre made wet with blood, its work done, as if quietly, entered the quiver again.
तस्य हस्ताद्धतस्याशु कार्मुकं तत् ससायकम् । निपपात सह प्राणैर्भ्रश्यमानस्य जीवितात् ॥ २१ ॥
From the hand of the slain one, quickly, that bow with its arrow fell, together with his life, as he slipped from life.
गतासुर्भीमवेगस्तु नैर्ऋतेन्द्रो महाद्युतिः । पपात स्यन्दनाद् भूमौ वृत्रो वज्रहतो यथा ॥ २२ ॥
Lifeless, of terrible speed, the very radiant lord of the nairritas fell from his chariot to the ground, like Vritra struck by the thunderbolt.
तं दृष्ट्वा पतितं भूमौ हतशेषा निशाचराः । हतनाथा भयत्रस्ताः सर्वतः सम्प्रदुद्रुवुः ॥ २३ ॥
Seeing him fallen on the ground, the night-wanderers left from the slaughter, their master killed, terrified with fear, fled on every side.
नर्दन्तश्चाभिपेतुस्तान् वानरा द्रुमयोधिनः । दशग्रीववधं दृष्ट्वा वानरा जितकाशिनः ॥ २४ ॥
And the monkeys, fighting with trees, roaring, fell upon them; seeing Ten-necked’s death, the victorious monkeys
अर्दिता वानरैर्हृष्टैर्लङ्कामभ्यपतन् भयात् । हताश्रयत्वात् करुणैर्बाष्पप्रस्रवणैर्मुखैः ॥ २५ ॥
harassed them; harassed by the delighted monkeys, they ran in fear to Lanka, their refuge killed, with pitiful faces streaming with tears.
ततो विनेदुः संहृष्टा वानरा जितकाशिनः । वदन्तो राघवजयं रावणस्य च तद्वधम् ॥ २६ ॥
Then the delighted, victorious monkeys roared, proclaiming Raghava’s victory and that killing of Ravana.
अथान्तरिक्षे व्यनदत् सौम्यस्त्रिदशदुन्दुभिः । दिव्यगन्धवहस्तत्र मारुतः सुसुखो ववौ ॥ २७ ॥
Then in the sky the gentle drum of the thirty gods sounded; a very pleasant wind blew there, carrying heavenly fragrance.
निपपातान्तरिक्षाच्च पुष्पवृष्टिस्तदा भुवि । किरन्ती राघवरथं दुरावापा मनोहरा ॥ २८ ॥
And from the sky a rain of flowers fell then on the earth, covering Raghava’s chariot, rare and delightful.
राघवस्तवसंयुक्ता गगने च विशुश्रुवे । साधुसाध्विति वागग्र्या देवतानां महात्मनाम् ॥ २९ ॥
And in the sky was heard, joined with praise of Raghava, the excellent word of the great-souled gods: “Well done! Well done!”
आविवेश महान् हर्षो देवानां चारणैः सह । रावणे निहते रौद्रे सर्वलोकभयंकरे ॥ ३० ॥
Great joy entered the gods with the charanas when fierce Ravana, terror of all the worlds, was killed.
ततः सकामं सुग्रीवमङ्गदं च विभीषणम् । चकार राघवः प्रीतो हत्वा राक्षसपुंगवम् ॥ ३१ ॥
Then Raghava, pleased, having killed the bull among rakshasas, made Sugriva, Angada and Vibhishana fulfilled in their wishes.
ततः प्रजग्मुः प्रशमं मरुद्गणा दिशः प्रसेदुर्विमलं नभोऽभवत् । मही चकम्पे न च मारुतो ववौ स्थिरप्रभश्चाप्यभवद् दिवाकरः ॥ ३२ ॥
Then the hosts of Maruts went to calm; the directions cleared; the sky became spotless; the earth did not tremble, nor did the wind blow hard; and the sun became steady in its light.
ततस्तु सुग्रीवविभीषणाङ्गदाः सुहृद्विशिष्टाः सहलक्ष्मणस्तदा । समेत्य हृष्टा विजयेन राघवं रणेऽभिरामं विधिनाभ्यपूजयन् ॥ ३३ ॥
Then Sugriva, Vibhishana and Angada, the foremost of friends, with Lakshmana then, coming together, glad at the victory, honoured Raghava, delightful in battle, according to rite.
स तु निहतरिपुः स्थिरप्रतिज्ञः स्वजनबलाभिवृतो रणे बभूव । रघुकुलनृपनन्दनो महौजा- स्त्रिदशगणैरभिसंवृतो महेन्द्रः ॥ ३४ ॥
And he, his enemy killed, firm in his vow, was surrounded in battle by the forces of his own people; the very mighty delight of the kings of the Raghu line shone like great Indra surrounded by the hosts of the thirty gods.