Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 95 of 128 · 54 verses
Ravana Goes Out to Battle
Ravana hears the pitiful wailing of the grieving rakshasa women in every house in Lanka. Sighing long, he broods for a moment, then grows terribly angry, biting his lip, eyes red, hard even for rakshasas to look at, like the fire of Time in bodily form. Burning them with his eyes, words choked with rage, he orders the rakshasas nearby: tell Mahodara, Mahaparshva and the rakshasa Virupaksha to lead out the armies at once at my command. The frightened rakshasas pass on the order; the terrible-looking warriors, blessed for success, set out for battle; the great chariot-fighters honour Ravana and stand with joined palms, wanting their master’s victory. Laughing, mad with anger, Ravana tells Mahodara, Mahaparshva and Virupaksha: today with arrows like the sun at the end of an age I will send Raghava and Lakshmana to Yama’s abode; today, by killing the enemy, I will avenge Khara, Kumbhakarna, Prahasta and Indrajit. Covered by the clouds of my arrows, neither sky, nor directions, nor heaven, nor oceans will be visible. Today I will kill the monkey chiefs’ troops division by division with my bow and its feathered net of arrows; in my chariot, swift as the wind, I will churn the monkey armies with waves of arrows rising from the ocean of my bow; like an elephant I will trample those troop-ponds, with their open lotus faces and the sheen of lotus filaments; today the monkey troop leaders, faces pierced with arrows, will adorn the earth like lotuses on their stalks. With every arrow I loose I will split a hundred of those fierce tree-fighting monkeys; today, by killing the enemy, I will wipe the tears of those whose brothers and sons have been killed; today I will strew the earth so thickly with monkeys split by my arrows that it will take effort to see the ground; I will satisfy the crows, vultures and all flesh-eaters with the flesh of the enemy. Yoke my chariot quickly; bring my bow at once; let the night-wanderers who are left follow me to battle.
Mahaparshva tells the commanders to hurry the army; they go through Lanka rousing rakshasas house by house, and in a moment the terrible rakshasas rush out roaring, with swords, axes, spears, maces, pestles, ploughshares, sharp javelins, great spiked hammers, staves, discuses, battle-axes, darts, hundred-killers and other fine weapons. By Ravana’s command the four commanders bring more than a niyuta of chariots, three niyutas of elephants, sixty crores of horses and as many donkeys and camels, and countless foot soldiers. While the commanders draw up the king’s army in front, the driver brings up the chariot: furnished with the finest divine weapons, decorated with many ornaments, crowded with weapons, hung with nets of bells, set with many jewels, bright with jewelled pillars and surrounded by a thousand golden pots. All the rakshasas are amazed. Ravana rises at once and mounts the terrible chariot, bright as ten million suns, blazing like fire, yoked with eight horses, glowing with its own splendour. He sets out, surrounded by many rakshasas, seeming to split the earth with the weight of his spirit; drums, tabors, conches and the rakshasas’ war cries resound everywhere. A cry is heard: “Here comes the king of the rakshasas, with umbrella and yak tails, the stealer of Sita, evil in conduct, brahmin-killer, thorn of the gods, to fight with the best of the Raghus.” The earth trembles at the great sound; hearing it, the monkeys flee in fear. Surrounded by his ministers, mighty Ravana comes on for victory; Mahaparshva, Mahodara and unassailable Virupaksha, by his leave, mount their chariots and go out roaring joyfully as if to split the earth. Then the radiant king, bow raised, like Yama, the ender at the end of time, drives out through the gate toward Rama and Lakshmana.
The sun loses its light; the directions are covered in darkness; birds cry terribly and the earth shakes; the sky rains blood; the horses stumble; a vulture lands on the top of his banner and jackals howl inauspiciously; his left eye throbs and his left arm trembles; his face turns pale and his voice falters a little. As Ten-necked goes out to battle, these forms foretelling his death appear; a meteor falls from the sky with a crash like thunder, and vultures and crows cry ill-omened cries. Ignoring these terrible omens, Ravana goes out in his delusion, driven by Time, to his death. At the sound of the great rakshasas’ chariots, the monkey army turns to fight, and a tumultuous battle begins between monkeys and rakshasas, challenging each other, angry, seeking victory. Enraged, Ten-necked makes great slaughter in the monkey divisions with gold-adorned arrows: some monkeys have their heads cut off, some their hearts split, some their ears cut away, some are killed breathless, some are torn open in the sides, some have their heads split, some lose their eyes. Wherever ten-faced Ravana comes in his chariot, eyes rolling with rage, there the monkey troop leaders cannot bear the force of his arrows.
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आर्तानां राक्षसीनां तु लङ्कायां वै कुले कुले । रावणः करुणं शब्दं शुश्राव परिदेवितम् ॥ १ ॥
Ravana heard in Lanka, in house after house, the pitiful sound of the lamentation of the grieving rakshasis.
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स तु दीर्घं विनिःश्वस्य मुहूर्तं ध्यानमास्थितः । बभूव परमक्रुद्धो रावणो भीमदर्शनः ॥ २ ॥
Sighing long, he remained in thought for a moment; Ravana, terrible to see, became greatly enraged.
संदश्य दशनैरोष्ठं क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनः । राक्षसैरपि दुर्दर्शः कालाग्निरिव मूर्तिमान् ॥ ३ ॥
Biting his lip with his teeth, his eyes red with anger, hard to look at even for the rakshasas, like the fire of Time in bodily form,
उवाच च समीपस्थान् राक्षसान् राक्षसेश्वरः । क्रोधाव्यक्तकथस्तत्र निर्दहन्निव चक्षुषा ॥ ४ ॥
the lord of the rakshasas, his speech indistinct with anger, said to the rakshasas standing near, as if burning them with his eye:
महोदरं महापार्श्वं विरूपाक्षं च राक्षसम् । शीघ्रं वदत सैन्यानि निर्यातेति ममाज्ञया ॥ ५ ॥
“Tell Mahodara, Mahaparshva and the rakshasa Virupaksha quickly: ‘Lead out the armies, at my command.’”
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा राक्षसास्ते भयार्दिताः । चोदयामासुरव्यग्रान् राक्षसांस्तान् नृपाज्ञया ॥ ६ ॥
Hearing those words of his, those rakshasas, tormented by fear, urged on those undistracted rakshasas at the king’s command.
ते तु सर्वे तथेत्युक्त्वा राक्षसा भीमदर्शनाः । कृतस्वस्त्ययनाः सर्वे ते रणाभिमुखा ययुः ॥ ७ ॥
All those rakshasas of terrible appearance, saying “So be it”, all having had blessings for safety pronounced, went toward battle.
प्रतिपूज्य यथान्यायं रावणं ते महारथाः । तस्थुः प्राञ्जलयः सर्वे भर्तुर्विजयकाङ्क्षिणः ॥ ८ ॥
Having honoured Ravana duly, those great chariot-fighters all stood with joined palms, wishing their master’s victory.
ततोवाच प्रहस्यैतान् रावणः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः । महोदरमहापार्श्वौ विरूपाक्षं च राक्षसम् ॥ ९ ॥
Then Ravana, overcome with anger, laughing, said to them, to Mahodara and Mahaparshva and the rakshasa Virupaksha:
अद्य बाणैर्धनुर्मुक्तैर्युगान्तादित्यसंनिभैः । राघवं लक्ष्मणं चैव नेष्यामि यमसादनम् ॥ १० ॥
“Today, with arrows loosed from my bow, like the sun at the end of an age, I will lead Raghava and Lakshmana to Yama’s abode.
खरस्य कुम्भकर्णस्य प्रहस्तेन्द्रजितोस्तथा । करिष्यामि प्रतीकारमद्य शत्रुवधादहम् ॥ ११ ॥
“For Khara, Kumbhakarna, Prahasta and Indrajit I will make requital today by killing the enemy.
नैवान्तरिक्षं न दिशो न च द्यौर्नापि सागराः । प्रकाशत्वं गमिष्यन्ति मद्बाणजलदावृताः ॥ १२ ॥
“Neither the sky, nor the directions, nor heaven, nor the oceans will come to visibility, covered by the clouds of my arrows.
अद्य वानरमुख्यानां तानि यूथानि भागशः । धनुषा शरजालेन वधिष्यामि पतत्त्रिणा ॥ १३ ॥
“Today, with my bow, with a feathered net of arrows, I will kill those troops of the monkey chiefs, division by division.
अद्य वानरसैन्यानि रथेन पवनौजसा । धनुःसमुद्रादुद्भूतैर्मथिष्यामि शरोर्मिभिः ॥ १४ ॥
“Today with my chariot, of the force of the wind, I will churn the monkey armies with waves of arrows risen from the ocean of my bow.
व्याकोशपद्मवक्त्राणि पद्मकेसरवर्चसाम् । अद्य यूथतटाकानि गजवत् प्रमथाम्यहम् ॥ १५ ॥
“Today, like an elephant, I will crush those troop-ponds, with faces like open lotuses and the sheen of lotus filaments.
सशरैरद्य वदनैः संख्ये वानरयूथपाः । मण्डयिष्यन्ति वसुधां सनालैरिव पङ्कजैः ॥ १६ ॥
“Today the monkey troop leaders, with arrow-pierced faces, will adorn the earth in battle like lotuses with their stalks.
अद्य यूथप्रचण्डानां हरीणां द्रुमयोधिनाम् । मुक्तेनैकेषुणा युद्धे भेत्स्यामि च शतं शतम् ॥ १७ ॥
“Today with a single loosed arrow in battle I will split a hundred at a time of the monkeys, fierce in their troops, who fight with trees.
हतो भ्राता च येषां वै येषां च तनयो हतः । वधेनाद्य रिपोस्तेषां करोम्यश्रुप्रमार्जनम् ॥ १८ ॥
“Today, by killing the enemy, I will wipe away the tears of those whose brother has been killed and whose son has been killed.
अद्य मद्बाणनिर्भिन्नैः प्रस्तीर्णैर्गतचेतनैः । करोमि वानरैर्युद्धे यत्नावेक्ष्यतलां महीम् ॥ १९ ॥
“Today, with monkeys split by my arrows, strewn about, senseless, I will make the earth in battle a place whose surface can be seen only with effort.
अद्य काकाश्च गृध्राश्च ये च मांसाशिनोऽपरे । सर्वांस्तांस्तर्पयिष्यामि शत्रुमांसैः शराहतैः ॥ २० ॥
“Today the crows and vultures, and the other flesh-eaters, all of them I will satisfy with the flesh of enemies struck by arrows.
कल्प्यतां मे रथः शीघ्रं क्षिप्रमानीयतां धनुः । अनुप्रयान्तु मां युद्धे येऽत्र शिष्टा निशाचराः ॥ २१ ॥
“Let my chariot be yoked quickly; let my bow be brought at once; let the night-wanderers who are left here follow me into battle.”
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा महापार्श्वोऽब्रवीद् वचः । बलाध्यक्षान् स्थितांस्तत्र बलं संत्वर्यतामिति ॥ २२ ॥
Hearing those words of his, Mahaparshva said to the army commanders standing there: “Let the army be hurried.”
बलाध्यक्षास्तु संयुक्ता राक्षसांस्तान् गृहे गृहे । चोदयन्तः परिययुर्लङ्कां लघुपराक्रमाः ॥ २३ ॥
And the army commanders, joined together, went round Lanka, of swift valour, urging on those rakshasas house by house.
ततो मुहूर्तान्निष्पेतू राक्षसा भीमदर्शनाः । नदन्तो भीमवदना नानाप्रहरणैर्भुजैः ॥ २४ ॥
Then in a moment the terrible-looking rakshasas rushed out, roaring, terrible-faced, with many weapons in their arms,
असिभिः पट्टिशैः शूलैर्गदाभिर्मुसलैर्हलैः । शक्तिभिस्तीक्ष्णधाराभिर्महद्भिः कूटमुद्गरैः ॥ २५ ॥
with swords, axes, tridents, maces, pestles and ploughs, with sharp-edged spears and great spiked hammers,
यष्टिभिर्विविधैश्चक्रैर्निशितैश्च परश्वधैः । भिन्दिपालैः शतघ्नीभिरन्यैश्चापि वरायुधैः ॥ २६ ॥
with staves, with many kinds of discuses, with sharp battle-axes, with darts and hundred-killers and other fine weapons.
अथानयन् बलाध्यक्षाश्चत्वारो रावणाज्ञया । रथानां नियुतं साग्रं नागानां नियुतत्रयम् ॥ २७ ॥
Then the four army commanders, at Ravana’s command, brought more than a niyuta of chariots and three niyutas of elephants,
अश्वानां षष्टिकोट्यस्तु खरोष्ट्राणां तथैव च । पदातयस्त्वसंख्याता जग्मुस्ते राजशासनात् ॥ २८ ॥
sixty crores of horses, and likewise of donkeys and camels; and the foot soldiers, countless, went at the king’s command.
बलाध्यक्षाश्च संस्थाप्य राज्ञः सेनां पुरःस्थिताम् । एतस्मिन्नन्तरे सूतः स्थापयामास तं रथम् ॥ २९ ॥
And while the army commanders stationed the king’s army standing in front, meanwhile the charioteer brought up that chariot,
दिव्यास्त्रवरसम्पन्नं नानालंकारभूषितम् । नानायुधसमाकीर्णं किङ्किणीजालसंयुतम् ॥ ३० ॥
furnished with the finest divine weapons, decorated with many ornaments, crowded with many weapons, fitted with nets of little bells,
नानारत्नपरिक्षिप्तं रत्नस्तम्भैर्विराजितम् । जाम्बूनदमयैश्चैव सहस्रकलशैर्वृतम् ॥ ३१ ॥
inlaid with many jewels, shining with jewelled pillars, and surrounded by a thousand pots made of gold.
तं दृष्ट्वा राक्षसाः सर्वे विस्मयं परमं गताः । तं दृष्ट्वा सहसोत्थाय रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः ॥ ३२ ॥
Seeing it, all the rakshasas went into the greatest amazement. Seeing it, Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, rising suddenly,
कोटिसूर्यप्रतीकाशं ज्वलन्तमिव पावकम् । द्रुतं सूतसमायुक्तं युक्ताष्टतुरगं रथम् । आरुरोह तदा भीमं दीप्यमानं स्वतेजसा ॥ ३३ ॥
bright as ten million suns, blazing like fire, the swift chariot, yoked with eight horses, with its charioteer, he mounted then, the terrible one, blazing with its own splendour.
ततः प्रयातः सहसा राक्षसैर्बहुभिर्वृतः । रावणः सत्त्वगाम्भीर्याद् दारयन्निव मेदिनीम् ॥ ३४ ॥
Then Ravana set out suddenly, surrounded by many rakshasas, as if splitting the earth with the depth of his being.
ततश्चासीन्महानादस्तूर्याणां च ततस्ततः । मृदङ्गैः पटहैः शङ्खैः कलहैः सह रक्षसाम् ॥ ३५ ॥
Then there was a great sound of instruments here and there, of drums, tabors and conches, with the war cries of the rakshasas.
आगतो रक्षसां राजा छत्रचामरसंयुतः । सीतापहारी दुर्वृत्तो ब्रह्मघ्नो देवकण्टकः । योद्धुं रघुवरेणेति शुश्रुवे कलहध्वनिः ॥ ३६ ॥
“The king of the rakshasas has come, with umbrella and yak tails, the stealer of Sita, of evil conduct, the brahmin-killer, the thorn of the gods, to fight with the best of the Raghus”: so the cry of war was heard.
तेन नादेन महता पृथिवी समकम्पत । तं शब्दं सहसा श्रुत्वा वानरा दुद्रुवुर्भयात् ॥ ३७ ॥
At that great sound the earth trembled; hearing that sound, the monkeys suddenly fled in fear.
रावणस्तु महाबाहुः सचिवैः परिवारितः । आजगाम महातेजा जयाय विजयं प्रति ॥ ३८ ॥
Mighty-armed Ravana, surrounded by his ministers, the radiant one, came on for victory, toward victory.
रावणेनाभ्यनुज्ञातौ महापार्श्वमहोदरौ । विरूपाक्षश्च दुर्धर्षो रथानारुरुहुस्तदा ॥ ३९ ॥
Permitted by Ravana, Mahaparshva and Mahodara, and unassailable Virupaksha, mounted their chariots then.
ते तु हृष्टाभिनर्दन्तो भिन्दन्त इव मेदिनीम् । नादं घोरं विमुञ्चन्तो निर्ययुर्जयकाङ्क्षिणः ॥ ४० ॥
Roaring with delight, as if splitting the earth, letting out a terrible roar, they went out, longing for victory.
ततो युद्धाय तेजस्वी रक्षोगणबलैर्वृतः । निर्ययावुद्यतधनुः कालान्तकयमोपमः ॥ ४१ ॥
Then, for battle, the radiant one, surrounded by the forces of the rakshasa hosts, went out with bow raised, like Yama, the ender at the end of time.
ततः प्रजविताश्वेन रथेन स महारथः । द्वारेण निर्ययौ तेन यत्र तौ रामलक्ष्मणौ ॥ ४२ ॥
Then the great chariot-fighter, with his chariot whose horses were urged to speed, went out by that gate where Rama and Lakshmana were.
ततो नष्टप्रभः सूर्यो दिशश्च तिमिरावृताः । द्विजाश्च नेदुर्घोराश्च संचचाल च मेदिनी ॥ ४३ ॥
Then the sun lost its light, the directions were covered with darkness, the birds cried terribly, and the earth shook.
ववर्ष रुधिरं देवश्चस्खलुश्च तुरंगमाः । ध्वजाग्रे न्यपतद् गृध्रो विनेदुश्चाशिवं शिवाः ॥ ४४ ॥
The god rained blood, and the horses stumbled; a vulture alighted on the top of his banner, and jackals howled inauspiciously.
नयनं चास्फुरद् वामं वामो बाहुरकम्पत । विवर्णवदनश्चासीत् किंचिदभ्रश्यत स्वनः ॥ ४५ ॥
His left eye throbbed, his left arm trembled, his face became pale, and his voice faltered a little.
ततो निष्पततो युद्धे दशग्रीवस्य रक्षसः । रणे निधनशंसीनि रूपाण्येतानि जज्ञिरे ॥ ४६ ॥
Then, as the rakshasa Ten-necked went out to battle, these forms appeared, announcing his death in battle.
अन्तरिक्षात् पपातोल्का निर्घातसमनिःस्वना । विनेदुरशिवा गृध्रा वायसैरभिमिश्रिताः ॥ ४७ ॥
From the sky fell a meteor with a sound like a thunderclap; inauspicious vultures cried, mingled with crows.
एतानचिन्तयन् घोरानुत्पातान् समवस्थितान् । निर्ययौ रावणो मोहाद् वधार्थं कालचोदितः ॥ ४८ ॥
Not thinking of these terrible omens standing before him, Ravana went out in delusion, driven by Time, for his own death.
तेषां तु रथघोषेण राक्षसानां महात्मनाम् । वानराणामपि चमूर्युद्धायैवाभ्यवर्तत ॥ ४९ ॥
At the sound of the chariots of those great-souled rakshasas, the army of the monkeys too turned toward battle.
तेषां तु तुमुलं युद्धं बभूव कपिरक्षसाम् । अन्योन्यमाह्वयानानां क्रुद्धानां जयमिच्छताम् ॥ ५० ॥
A tumultuous battle took place between those monkeys and rakshasas, challenging one another, enraged, wishing for victory.
ततः क्रुद्धो दशग्रीवः शरैः काञ्चनभूषणैः । वानराणामनीकेषु चकार कदनं महत् ॥ ५१ ॥
Then enraged Ten-necked, with gold-adorned arrows, made great slaughter in the divisions of the monkeys.
निकृत्तशिरसः केचिद् रावणेन वलीमुखाः । केचिद् विच्छिन्नहृदयाः केचिच्छ्रोत्रविवर्जिताः ॥ ५२ ॥
Some monkeys had their heads cut off by Ravana, some their hearts split, some were deprived of their ears,
निरुच्छ्वासा हताः केचित् केचित् पार्श्वेषु दारिताः । केचिद् विभिन्नशिरसः केचिच्चक्षुर्विनाकृताः ॥ ५३ ॥
some killed without breath, some torn open in the sides, some with heads split, some deprived of eyes.
दशाननः क्रोधविवृत्तनेत्रो यतो यतोऽभ्येति रथेन संख्ये । ततस्ततस्तस्य शरप्रवेगं सोढुं न शेकुर्हरियूथपास्ते ॥ ५४ ॥
Wherever ten-faced Ravana, his eyes rolling with anger, came in his chariot in battle, there the monkey troop leaders could not bear the force of his arrows.