Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 78 of 128 · 21 verses
Makaraksha Goes Out
Hearing that Nikumbha and Kumbha have been killed, Ravana blazes like fire; overcome by anger and grief, he sends Makaraksha, the large-eyed son of Khara: go, son, at my command, with an army, and kill Raghava and Lakshmana with the forest-dwellers. Proud of his heroism, Makaraksha agrees gladly, salutes Ten-necked, circles him and leaves the shining palace. He orders the commander to bring his chariot and army quickly, circles his chariot, mounts it and tells his driver to hurry. To the rakshasas he says: fight in front of me; I have been ordered by great Ravana to kill Rama and Lakshmana; today I will kill them, Sugriva and the monkeys with my arrows and burn the monkey army with my spear like fire burning dry wood. The rakshasas, cruel, fanged, tawny-eyed, with dishevelled hair, roaring like elephants, surround him and set out, shaking the earth, to the sound of thousands of conches and drums, shrieks and arm-slapping. But the whip falls from his driver’s hand and his flag falls by chance; his horses lose their spirit, stumble and go on with tears on their faces; a harsh, dusty wind blows. Ignoring these omens, the rakshasas go out to where Rama and Lakshmana are, dark as clouds, elephants and buffaloes, scarred by maces and swords in many battles, crying “I! I!”, skilled in war.
Press › to begin with verse 1.
निकुम्भं निहतं श्रुत्वा कुम्भं च विनिपातितम् । रावणः परमामर्षी प्रजज्वालानलो यथा ॥ १ ॥
Hearing that Nikumbha had been killed and Kumbha struck down, Ravana, in the height of indignation, blazed like fire.
Commentary on the whole sarga
Makaraksha Goes Out 1 min read.
Read the commentary
नैर्ऋतः क्रोधशोकाभ्यां द्वाभ्यां तु परिमूर्च्छितः । खरपुत्रं विशालाक्षं मकराक्षमचोदयत् ॥ २ ॥
The nairrita, overcome by both anger and grief, urged on Makaraksha, the large-eyed son of Khara:
गच्छ पुत्र मयाऽऽज्ञप्तो बलेनाभिसमन्वितः । राघवं लक्ष्मणं चैव जहि तौ सवनौकसौ ॥ ३ ॥
“Go, son, commanded by me, joined with an army; kill Raghava and Lakshmana, those two, with the forest-dwellers.”
रावणस्य वचः श्रुत्वा शूरमानी खरात्मजः । बाढमित्यब्रवीद्धृष्टो मकराक्षो निशाचरम् ॥ ४ ॥
Hearing Ravana’s words, the son of Khara, who thought himself a hero, Makaraksha, delighted, said “Very well” to the night-wanderer.
सोऽभिवाद्य दशग्रीवं कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम् । निर्जगाम गृहाच्छुभ्राद् रावणस्याज्ञया बली ॥ ५ ॥
Saluting Ten-necked and walking round him, the mighty one went out of Ravana’s shining house at his command.
समीपस्थं बलाध्यक्षं खरपुत्रोऽब्रवीद् वचः । रथमानीयतां तूर्णं सैन्यं त्वानीयतां त्वरात् ॥ ६ ॥
The son of Khara said to the commander of the army standing near: “Let the chariot be brought quickly, and let the army be brought in haste.”
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा बलाध्यक्षो निशाचरः । स्यन्दनं च बलं चैव समीपं प्रत्यपादयत् ॥ ७ ॥
Hearing his words, the night-wanderer commander of the army brought the chariot and the army near.
प्रदक्षिणं रथं कृत्वा समारुह्य निशाचरः । सूतं संचोदयामास शीघ्रं वै रथमावह ॥ ८ ॥
Walking round the chariot and mounting it, the night-wanderer urged the charioteer: “Drive the chariot quickly.”
अथ तान् राक्षसान् सर्वान् मकराक्षोऽब्रवीदिदम् । यूयं सर्वे प्रयुध्यध्वं पुरस्तान्मम राक्षसाः ॥ ९ ॥
Then Makaraksha said this to all those rakshasas: “All of you fight in front of me, rakshasas.
अहं राक्षसराजेन रावणेन महात्मना । आज्ञप्तः समरे हन्तुं तावुभौ रामलक्ष्मणौ ॥ १० ॥
“I have been commanded by Ravana, the great-souled king of the rakshasas, to kill those two, Rama and Lakshmana, in battle.
अद्य रामं वधिष्यामि लक्ष्मणं च निशाचराः । शाखामृगं च सुग्रीवं वानरांश्च शरोत्तमैः ॥ ११ ॥
“Today, night-wanderers, I will kill Rama and Lakshmana, the tree-beast Sugriva and the monkeys with excellent arrows.
अद्य शूलनिपातैश्च वानराणां महाचमूम् । प्रदहिष्यामि सम्प्राप्तां शुष्केन्धनमिवानलः ॥ १२ ॥
“Today with the falls of my spear I will burn the great army of the monkeys that has come, as fire burns dry fuel.”
मकराक्षस्य तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं ते निशाचराः । सर्वे नानायुधोपेता बलवन्तः समाहिताः ॥ १३ ॥
Hearing those words of Makaraksha, those night-wanderers, all with many kinds of weapons, strong and attentive,
ते कामरूपिणः क्रूरा दंष्ट्रिणः पिङ्गलेक्षणाः । मातंगा इव नर्दन्तो ध्वस्तकेशा भयावहाः ॥ १४ ॥
taking any form at will, cruel, fanged, tawny-eyed, roaring like elephants, with dishevelled hair, frightening,
परिवार्य महाकाया महाकायं खरात्मजम् । अभिजग्मुस्ततो हृष्टाश्चालयन्तो वसुन्धराम् ॥ १५ ॥
the huge ones surrounded the huge son of Khara and went then, delighted, making the earth shake.
शङ्खभेरीसहस्राणामाहतानां समन्ततः । क्ष्वेलितास्फोटितानां च तत्र शब्दो महानभूत् ॥ १६ ॥
The sound of thousands of conches and kettledrums beaten on every side, and of shrieks and arm-slapping, was great there.
प्रभ्रष्टोऽथ करात् तस्य प्रतोदः सारथेस्तदा । पपात सहसा दैवाद् ध्वजस्तस्य तु रक्षसः ॥ १७ ॥
Then the whip fell from his charioteer’s hand, and suddenly, by fate, the rakshasa’s flag fell.
तस्य ते रथसंयुक्ता हया विक्रमवर्जिताः । चरणैराकुलैर्गत्वा दीनाः सास्रमुखा ययुः ॥ १८ ॥
His horses yoked to the chariot, their valour gone, went with stumbling feet, wretched, with tears on their faces.
प्रवाति पवनस्तस्मिन् सपांसुः खरदारुणः । निर्याणे तस्य रौद्रस्य मकराक्षस्य दुर्मतेः ॥ १९ ॥
A harsh, cruel wind with dust blew at the setting out of that fierce, evil-minded Makaraksha.
तानि दृष्ट्वा निमित्तानि राक्षसा वीर्यवत्तमाः । अचिन्त्य निर्गताः सर्वे यत्र तौ रामलक्ष्मणौ ॥ २० ॥
Seeing those omens, the most valiant rakshasas, disregarding them, all went out to where Rama and Lakshmana were.
घनगजमहिषाङ्गतुल्यवर्णाः समरमुखेष्वसकृद्गदासिभिन्नाः । अहमहमिति युद्धकौशलास्ते रजनिचराः परिबभ्रमुर्मुहुस्ते ॥ २१ ॥
With colours like clouds, elephants and buffaloes, wounded again and again by maces and swords at the head of battles, crying “I! I!”, skilled in war, those night-wanderers ranged about again and again.