Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 70 of 128 · 67 verses
Four Princes Fall
Seeing Narantaka dead, Devantaka, three-headed Trishiras and Mahodara cry out and attack Angada together: Mahodara on his cloud-like elephant, Devantaka with an iron bar, Trishiras in a sun-bright chariot. Angada uproots a great tree and hurls it at Devantaka; Trishiras cuts it with arrows; Angada rains trees and rocks, which Trishiras cuts and Mahodara smashes with his bar. Mahodara strikes Angada’s chest with lances from his elephant; Devantaka hits him with the bar; Angada, unshaken by the three, slaps Mahodara’s elephant so hard its eyes fall out and it dies; he tears out its tusk and beats Devantaka with it, who staggers like a wind-tossed tree, streaming blood red as lac. Devantaka recovers and strikes Angada with the bar; Angada falls to his knees and springs up again; Trishiras hits him on the forehead with three arrows.
Seeing Angada surrounded, Hanuman and Nila come to his aid. Nila throws a mountain peak, which Trishiras shatters with arrows into a shower of sparks. Devantaka, delighted, rushes at Hanuman with his bar; Hanuman leaps and strikes his head with a fist like a thunderbolt, shaking the rakshasas with his roar; Devantaka falls dead, head crushed, teeth and eyes knocked out, tongue hanging. Trishiras rains arrows on Nila’s chest, and Mahodara, remounting an elephant like the sun climbing Mandara, rains arrows on him like a cloud on a mountain; Nila, pierced all over, is stunned; then, recovering, he tears up a mountain with its trees, leaps, and brings it down on Mahodara’s head; Mahodara falls dead with his great elephant, like a mountain struck by lightning.
Seeing his uncle dead, Trishiras pierces Hanuman with arrows; Hanuman throws a peak, which Trishiras shatters, and a rain of trees, which he cuts down; Hanuman leaps up and tears Trishiras’s horse apart with his nails like a lion tearing an elephant. Trishiras hurls a spear like the Night of Doom; Hanuman catches it in mid-air and breaks it, and the monkeys roar. Trishiras plunges his sword into Hanuman’s chest; Hanuman strikes him with his palm, and Trishiras falls senseless, dropping his weapon. Hanuman seizes the sword and roars; Trishiras springs up and punches him; enraged, Hanuman seizes him by the crown and with the sharp sword cuts off his three crowned, earringed heads, as Indra cut off the heads of Tvashtri’s son; the heads, wide-eyed and blazing, fall like stars dropping from the sun’s path. The monkeys roar; the earth shakes; the rakshasas flee.
Seeing Trishiras, Mahodara, Devantaka and Narantaka dead, Matta, the bull among rakshasas, seizes his iron mace, bound with gold, foaming with flesh and blood, terrible to Airavata, Mahapadma and Sarvabhauma, and charges the monkeys like the fire at the end of an age. Rishabha stands before him; Matta strikes his chest with the mace, splitting it so that he bleeds; Rishabha, son of the lord of waters, recovers, lips trembling with anger, and punches Mahaparshva’s chest; the rakshasa falls like a tree cut at the root, and Rishabha seizes his mace and roars. Mahaparshva rises and strikes him down; Rishabha rises again and, whirling the rakshasa’s own mace, smashes his chest so that he bleeds like a mountain streaming mineral water; with his own mace Matta is crushed, his teeth and eyes shattered, and falls like a mountain struck by a thunderbolt. With Ravana’s brother dead, the rakshasa army, vast as the ocean, throws away its weapons and flees like a breached sea, caring only for life.
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नरान्तकं हतं दृष्ट्वा चुक्रुशुर्नैर्ऋतर्षभाः । देवान्तकस्त्रिमूर्धा च पौलस्त्यश्च महोदरः ॥ १ ॥
Seeing Narantaka killed, the bulls among nairritas cried out: Devantaka, three-headed Paulastya, and Mahodara.
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Four Princes Fall 1 min read.
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आरूढो मेघसंकाशं वारणेन्द्रं महोदरः । वालिपुत्रं महावीर्यमभिदुद्राव वेगवान् ॥ २ ॥
Mounted on a lordly elephant like a cloud, swift Mahodara rushed at very valiant Vali’s son.
भ्रातृव्यसनसंतप्तस्तदा देवान्तको बली । आदाय परिघं घोरमङ्गदं समभिद्रवत् ॥ ३ ॥
Burning with grief at his brother’s misfortune, mighty Devantaka then, taking a terrible iron bar, rushed at Angada.
रथमादित्यसंकाशं युक्तं परमवाजिभिः । आस्थाय त्रिशिरा वीरो वालिपुत्रमथाभ्यगात् ॥ ४ ॥
Mounted on a chariot like the sun, yoked with the finest horses, heroic Trishiras then came at Vali’s son.
स त्रिभिर्देवदर्पघ्नै राक्षसेन्द्रैरभिद्रुतः । वृक्षमुत्पाटयामास महाविटपमङ्गदः ॥ ५ ॥
Rushed at by those three lords of the rakshasas, crushers of the gods’ pride, Angada tore up a tree with great branches.
देवान्तकाय तं वीरश्चिक्षेप सहसाङ्गदः । महावृक्षं महाशाखं शक्रो दीप्तामिवाशनिम् ॥ ६ ॥
Heroic Angada suddenly hurled at Devantaka that great tree with great boughs, as Shakra hurls the blazing thunderbolt.
त्रिशिरास्तं प्रचिच्छेद शरैराशीविषोपमैः । स वृक्षं कृत्तमालोक्य उत्पपात तदाङ्गदः ॥ ७ ॥
Trishiras cut it with arrows like venomous snakes. Seeing the tree cut, Angada then leapt up.
स ववर्ष ततो वृक्षान् शिलाश्च कपिकुञ्जरः । तान् प्रचिच्छेद संक्रुद्धस्त्रिशिरा निशितैः शरैः ॥ ८ ॥
Then the elephant among monkeys rained trees and rocks; Trishiras, enraged, cut them with sharp arrows.
परिघाग्रेण तान् वृक्षान् बभञ्ज स महोदरः । त्रिशिराश्चाङ्गदं वीरमभिदुद्राव सायकैः ॥ ९ ॥
Mahodara broke those trees with the end of his iron bar, and Trishiras rushed at heroic Angada with arrows.
गजेन समभिद्रुत्य वालिपुत्रं महोदरः । जघानोरसि संक्रुद्धस्तोमरैर्वज्रसंनिभैः ॥ १० ॥
Rushing at Vali’s son on his elephant, Mahodara, enraged, struck him on the chest with lances like thunderbolts.
देवान्तकश्च संक्रुद्धः परिघेण तदाङ्गदम् । उपगम्याभिहत्याशु व्यपचक्राम वेगवान् ॥ ११ ॥
And Devantaka, enraged, coming up to Angada then, struck him with the iron bar and quickly drew off, swift.
स त्रिभिर्नैर्ऋतश्रेष्ठैर्युगपत् समभिद्रुतः । न विव्यथे महातेजा वालिपुत्रः प्रतापवान् ॥ १२ ॥
Rushed at together by those three best of nairritas, radiant, powerful Vali’s son was not distressed.
स वेगवान् महावेगं कृत्वा परमदुर्जयः । तलेन समभिद्रुत्य जघानास्य महागजम् ॥ १३ ॥
That swift one, most unconquerable, putting forth great speed, rushing at him, struck his great elephant with his palm.
तस्य तेन प्रहारेण नागराजस्य संयुगे । पेततुर्नयने तस्य विननाश स कुञ्जरः ॥ १४ ॥
By that blow of his, the lord of elephants’ eyes fell out in battle, and the elephant died.
विषाणं चास्य निष्कृष्य वालिपुत्रो महाबलः । देवान्तकमभिद्रुत्य ताडयामास संयुगे ॥ १५ ॥
Pulling out its tusk, mighty Vali’s son rushed at Devantaka and struck him in battle.
स विह्वलस्तु तेजस्वी वातोद्धूत इव द्रुमः । लाक्षारससवर्णं च सुस्राव रुधिरं महत् ॥ १६ ॥
The radiant one, reeling like a tree shaken by the wind, streamed much blood the colour of lac.
अथाश्वास्य महातेजाः कृच्छ्राद् देवान्तको बली । आविध्य परिघं वेगादाजघान तदाङ्गदम् ॥ १७ ॥
Then, recovering with difficulty, radiant, mighty Devantaka, whirling his iron bar with force, struck Angada then.
परिघाभिहतश्चापि वानरेन्द्रात्मजस्तदा । जानुभ्यां पतितो भूमौ पुनरेवोत्पपात ह ॥ १८ ॥
And struck by the iron bar, the son of the monkey lord then fell to the ground on his knees, and sprang up again.
तमुत्पतन्तं त्रिशिरास्त्रिभिर्बाणैरजिह्मगैः । घोरैर्हरिपतेः पुत्रं ललाटेऽभिजघान ह ॥ १९ ॥
As he sprang up, Trishiras struck the son of the monkey lord on the forehead with three terrible, straight-flying arrows.
ततोऽङ्गदं परिक्षिप्तं त्रिभिर्नैर्ऋतपुङ्गवैः । हनूमानथ विज्ञाय नीलश्चापि प्रतस्थतुः ॥ २० ॥
Then, knowing Angada to be surrounded by three bulls among nairritas, Hanuman and Nila set out.
ततश्चिक्षेप शैलाग्रं नीलस्त्रिशिरसे तदा । तद् रावणसुतो धीमान् बिभेद निशितैः शरैः ॥ २१ ॥
Then Nila hurled a mountain top at Trishiras; Ravana’s wise son split it with sharp arrows.
तद्बाणशतनिर्भिन्नं विदारितशिलातलम् । सविस्फुलिङ्गं सज्वालं निपपात गिरेः शिरः ॥ २२ ॥
Split by hundreds of arrows, its rock surface torn, the mountain top fell with sparks and flames.
स विजृम्भितमालोक्य हर्षाद् देवान्तको बली । परिघेणाभिदुद्राव मारुतात्मजमाहवे ॥ २३ ॥
Seeing that, mighty Devantaka, gaping with joy, rushed with his iron bar at the son of the Wind in battle.
तमापतन्तमुत्पत्य हनूमान् कपिकुञ्जरः । आजघान तदा मूर्ध्नि वज्रकल्पेन मुष्टिना ॥ २४ ॥
As he came on, Hanuman, elephant among monkeys, leaping up, struck him on the head with a fist like a thunderbolt.
शिरसि प्राहरद् वीरस्तदा वायुसुतो बली । नादेनाकम्पयच्चैव राक्षसान् स महाकपिः ॥ २५ ॥
The heroic, mighty son of the Wind struck him on the head, and the great monkey made the rakshasas tremble with his roar.
स मुष्टिनिष्पिष्टविभिन्नमूर्धा निर्वान्तदन्ताक्षिविलम्बिजिह्वः । देवान्तको राक्षसराजसूनु- र्गतासुरुर्व्यां सहसा पपात ॥ २६ ॥
His head crushed and split by the fist, his teeth and eyes knocked out, his tongue hanging, Devantaka, son of the king of the rakshasas, suddenly fell lifeless on the ground.
तस्मिन् हते राक्षसयोधमुख्ये महाबले संयति देवशत्रौ । क्रुद्धस्त्रिशीर्षा निशितास्त्रमुग्रं ववर्ष नीलोरसि बाणवर्षम् ॥ २७ ॥
When that chief of the rakshasa warriors, the mighty enemy of the gods, had been killed in battle, three-headed Trishiras, enraged, rained a fierce rain of sharp arrows on Nila’s chest.
महोदरस्तु संक्रुद्धः कुञ्जरं पर्वतोपमम् । भूयः समधिरुह्याशु मन्दरं रश्मिवानिव ॥ २८ ॥
And Mahodara, enraged, mounting again quickly an elephant like a mountain, like the rayed sun mounting Mandara,
ततो बाणमयं वर्षं नीलस्योपर्यपातयत् । गिरौ वर्षं तडिच्चक्रचापवानिव तोयदः ॥ २९ ॥
then brought down a rain of arrows on Nila, like a cloud with lightning, discs and rainbow raining on a mountain.
ततः शरौघैरभिवृष्यमाणो विभिन्नगात्रः कपिसैन्यपालः । नीलो बभूवाथ विसृष्टगात्रो विष्टम्भितस्तेन महाबलेन ॥ ३० ॥
Then, being rained on by floods of arrows, his limbs split, the guardian of the monkey army, Nila, became with his limbs slack, stunned by that mighty one.
ततस्तु नीलः प्रतिलब्धसंज्ञः शैलं समुत्पाट्य सवृक्षखण्डम् । ततः समुत्पत्य महोग्रवेगो महोदरं तेन जघान मूर्ध्नि ॥ ३१ ॥
Then Nila, regaining consciousness, tearing up a mountain with a clump of trees, then, leaping up, of very fierce speed, struck Mahodara on the head with it.
ततः स शैलाभिनिपातभग्नो महोदरस्तेन महाद्विपेन । व्यामोहितो भूमितले गतासुः पपात वज्राभिहतो यथाद्रिः ॥ ३२ ॥
Then, broken by the fall of the mountain, Mahodara, with that great elephant, stunned, fell lifeless on the ground, like a mountain struck by the thunderbolt.
पितृव्यं निहतं दृष्ट्वा त्रिशिराश्चापमाददे । हनूमन्तं च संक्रुद्धो विव्याध निशितैः शरैः ॥ ३३ ॥
Seeing his uncle killed, Trishiras took his bow and, enraged, pierced Hanuman with sharp arrows.
स वायुसूनुः कुपितश्चिक्षेप शिखरं गिरेः । त्रिशिरास्तच्छरैस्तीक्ष्णैर्बिभेद बहुधा बली ॥ ३४ ॥
The son of the Wind, angry, hurled a mountain peak; mighty Trishiras split it into many pieces with sharp arrows.
तद् व्यर्थं शिखरं दृष्ट्वा द्रुमवर्षं तदा कपिः । विससर्ज रणे तस्मिन् रावणस्य सुतं प्रति ॥ ३५ ॥
Seeing that peak useless, the monkey then loosed a rain of trees in that battle at Ravana’s son.
तमापतन्तमाकाशे द्रुमवर्षं प्रतापवान् । त्रिशिरा निशितैर्बाणैश्चिच्छेद च ननाद च ॥ ३६ ॥
That rain of trees coming at him in the sky, powerful Trishiras cut with sharp arrows, and roared.
हनूमांस्तु समुत्पत्य हयं त्रिशिरसस्तदा । विददार नखैः क्रुद्धो नागेन्द्रं मृगराडिव ॥ ३७ ॥
And Hanuman, leaping up then, angry, tore apart Trishiras’s horse with his nails, as a king of beasts tears a lordly elephant.
अथ शक्तिं समासाद्य कालरात्रिमिवान्तकः । चिक्षेपानिलपुत्राय त्रिशिरा रावणात्मजः ॥ ३८ ॥
Then, taking a spear like the Night of Doom, as Death would, Trishiras, Ravana’s son, hurled it at the son of the Wind.
दिवः क्षिप्तामिवोल्कां तां शक्तिं क्षिप्तामसङ्गताम् । गृहीत्वा हरिशार्दूलो बभञ्ज च ननाद च ॥ ३९ ॥
That spear, hurled and unimpeded like a meteor thrown from heaven, the tiger among monkeys caught and broke, and roared.
तां दृष्ट्वा घोरसंकाशां शक्तिं भग्नां हनूमता । प्रहृष्टा वानरगणा विनेदुर्जलदा यथा ॥ ४० ॥
Seeing that terrible-looking spear broken by Hanuman, the hosts of monkeys, delighted, roared like clouds.
ततः खड्गं समुद्यम्य त्रिशिरा राक्षसोत्तमः । निचखान तदा खड्गं वानरेन्द्रस्य वक्षसि ॥ ४१ ॥
Then Trishiras, best of rakshasas, raising his sword, plunged the sword into the chest of the lord of monkeys.
खड्गप्रहाराभिहतो हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः । आजघान त्रिमूर्धानं तलेनोरसि वीर्यवान् ॥ ४२ ॥
Struck by the blow of the sword, valiant Hanuman, son of the Wind, struck three-headed Trishiras on the chest with his palm.
स तलाभिहतस्तेन स्रस्तहस्तायुधो भुवि । निपपात महातेजास्त्रिशिरास्त्यक्तचेतनः ॥ ४३ ॥
Struck by his palm, his weapon slipping from his hand to the ground, radiant Trishiras fell senseless.
स तस्य पततः खड्गं तमाच्छिद्य महाकपिः । ननाद गिरिसंकाशस्त्रासयन् सर्वराक्षसान् ॥ ४४ ॥
As he fell, the great monkey snatched his sword and, like a mountain, roared, terrifying all the rakshasas.
अमृष्यमाणस्तं घोषमुत्पपात निशाचरः । उत्पत्य च हनूमन्तं ताडयामास मुष्टिना ॥ ४५ ॥
Not bearing that cry, the night-wanderer sprang up and, springing up, struck Hanuman with his fist.
तेन मुष्टिप्रहारेण संचुकोप महाकपिः । कुपितश्च निजग्राह किरीटे राक्षसर्षभम् ॥ ४६ ॥
At that blow of the fist the great monkey grew very angry, and, angry, seized the bull among rakshasas by the crown.
स तस्य शीर्षाण्यसिना शितेन किरीटजुष्टानि सकुण्डलानि । क्रुद्धः प्रचिच्छेद सुतोऽनिलस्य त्वष्टुः सुतस्येव शिरांसि शक्रः ॥ ४७ ॥
With that sharp sword, the son of the Wind, enraged, cut off his heads, adorned with crowns and with earrings, as Shakra cut off the heads of Tvashtri’s son.
तान्यायताक्षाण्यगसंनिभानि प्रदीप्तवैश्वानरलोचनानि । पेतुः शिरांसीन्द्ररिपोः पृथिव्यां ज्योतींषि मुक्तानि यथार्कमार्गात् ॥ ४८ ॥
Those heads of the enemy of Indra, with long eyes, like mountains, with eyes like blazing fire, fell on the earth like stars loosed from the sun’s path.
तस्मिन् हते देवरिपौ त्रिशीर्षे हनूमता शक्रपराक्रमेण । नेदुः प्लवंगाः प्रचचाल भूमी रक्षांस्यथो दुद्रुविरे समन्तात् ॥ ४९ ॥
When three-headed Trishiras, enemy of the gods, had been killed by Hanuman, of Shakra’s valour, the leapers roared, the earth shook, and the rakshasas fled on every side.
हतं त्रिशिरसं दृष्ट्वा तथैव च महोदरम् । हतौ प्रेक्ष्य दुराधर्षौ देवान्तकनरान्तकौ ॥ ५० ॥
Seeing Trishiras killed, and likewise Mahodara, and seeing the unassailable Devantaka and Narantaka killed,
चुकोप परमामर्षी मत्तो राक्षसपुङ्गवः । जग्राहार्चिष्मतीं चापि गदां सर्वायसीं तदा ॥ ५१ ॥
Matta, the bull among rakshasas, in the height of indignation, grew angry, and took a blazing mace all of iron then,
हेमपट्टपरिक्षिप्तां मांसशोणितफेनिलाम् । विराजमानां विपुलां शत्रुशोणिततर्पिताम् ॥ ५२ ॥
encircled with golden bands, foaming with flesh and blood, shining, huge, sated with enemies’ blood,
तेजसा सम्प्रदीप्ताग्रां रक्तमाल्यविभूषिताम् । ऐरावतमहापद्मसार्वभौमभयावहाम् ॥ ५३ ॥
its tip blazing with splendour, adorned with red garlands, terrifying to Airavata, Mahapadma and Sarvabhauma.
गदामादाय संक्रुद्धो मत्तो राक्षसपुङ्गवः । हरीन् समभिदुद्राव युगान्ताग्निरिव ज्वलन् ॥ ५४ ॥
Taking the mace, enraged, Matta, bull among rakshasas, rushed at the monkeys, blazing like the fire at the end of an age.
अथर्षभः समुत्पत्य वानरो रावणानुजम् । मत्तानीकमुपागम्य तस्थौ तस्याग्रतो बली ॥ ५५ ॥
Then the monkey Rishabha, leaping up, reaching Matta’s force, the mighty one stood before Ravana’s younger brother.
तं पुरस्तात् स्थितं दृष्ट्वा वानरं पर्वतोपमम् । आजघानोरसि क्रुद्धो गदया वज्रकल्पया ॥ ५६ ॥
Seeing that monkey like a mountain standing in front, he, enraged, struck him on the chest with the mace like a thunderbolt.
स तयाभिहतस्तेन गदया वानरर्षभः । भिन्नवक्षाः समाधूतः सुस्राव रुधिरं बहु ॥ ५७ ॥
Struck by him with that mace, the bull among monkeys, his chest split, shaken, streamed much blood.
स सम्प्राप्य चिरात् संज्ञामृषभो वानरेश्वरः । क्रुद्धो विस्फुरमाणौष्ठो महापार्श्वमुदैक्षत ॥ ५८ ॥
Regaining consciousness after a long while, Rishabha, lord of monkeys, enraged, his lips quivering, looked at Mahaparshva.
स वेगवान् वेगवदभ्युपेत्य तं राक्षसं वानरवीरमुख्यः । संवर्त्य मुष्टिं सहसा जघान बाह्वन्तरे शैलनिकाशरूपः ॥ ५९ ॥
The swift one, chief of the monkey heroes, like a mountain in form, coming swiftly at that rakshasa, clenching his fist, suddenly struck him between the arms.
स कृत्तमूलः सहसेव वृक्षः क्षितौ पपात क्षतजोक्षिताङ्गः । तां चास्य घोरां यमदण्डकल्पां गदां प्रगृह्याशु तदा ननाद ॥ ६० ॥
Like a tree cut at the root, he suddenly fell on the ground, his limbs drenched in blood; and seizing his terrible mace, like Yama’s rod, he quickly roared.
मुहूर्तमासीत् स गतासुकल्पः प्रत्यागतात्मा सहसा सुरारिः । उत्पत्य संध्याभ्रसमानवर्ण- स्तं वारिराजात्मजमाजघान ॥ ६१ ॥
For a moment he was like one lifeless; then the enemy of the gods suddenly came to himself, sprang up, coloured like an evening cloud, and struck that son of the king of the waters.
स मूर्च्छितो भूमितले पपात मुहूर्तमुत्पत्य पुनः ससंज्ञः । तामेव तस्याद्रिवराद्रिकल्पां गदां समाविध्य जघान संख्ये ॥ ६२ ॥
He fell fainting on the ground; after a moment he sprang up again, conscious, and, whirling that same mace of his, like the best of mountains, struck him in battle.
सा तस्य रौद्रा समुपेत्य देहं रौद्रस्य देवाध्वरविप्रशत्रोः । बिभेद वक्षः क्षतजं च भूरि सुस्राव धात्वम्भ इवाद्रिराजः ॥ ६३ ॥
That fierce mace, reaching the body of that fierce enemy of gods, sacrifices and brahmanas, split his chest, and he streamed much blood, like the king of mountains streaming mineral water.
अभिदुद्राव वेगेन गदां तस्य महात्मनः । तां गृहीत्वा गदां भीमामाविध्य च पुनः पुनः ॥ ६४ ॥
He rushed with force at that great soul’s mace; seizing that terrible mace and whirling it again and again,
मत्तानीकं महात्मा स जघान रणमूर्धनि । स स्वया गदया भग्नो विशीर्णदशनेक्षणः ॥ ६५ ॥
the great soul struck Matta’s force at the head of the battle. Broken by his own mace, his teeth and eyes shattered,
निपपात तदा मत्तो वज्राहत इवाचलः । विशीर्णनयने भूमौ गतसत्त्वे गतायुषि । पतिते राक्षसे तस्मिन् विद्रुतं राक्षसं बलम् ॥ ६६ ॥
Matta fell then like a mountain struck by the thunderbolt. When that rakshasa had fallen on the ground, his eyes shattered, his strength gone, his life gone, the rakshasa army fled.
तस्मिन् हते भ्रातरि रावणस्य तन्नैर्ऋतानां बलमर्णवाभम् । त्यक्तायुधं केवलजीवितार्थं दुद्राव भिन्नार्णवसंनिकाशम् ॥ ६७ ॥
When that brother of Ravana had been killed, that army of the nairritas, like the ocean, throwing away its weapons, caring only for life, fled like the ocean breaking its bounds.