देहि सिन्धुपते युद्धमद्यैव त्वरया मम। अथवा पीडयामि त्वां तस्मात्त्वं कुरु माचिरम्
Give me battle today, O lord of rivers, and do so quickly; otherwise, I will torment you, so act without delay.
लोके राजन्महावीर्या बहवो निवसन्ति ये। तेषामेकेन राजेन्द्र कुरु युद्धं महाबल
In the world, O king, many of great valor reside; among them, O lord of kings, choose one to fight me, mighty in strength.
मत्समो यदि सङ्ग्रामे वरायुधधरः क्वचित्। विद्यते तं ममाचक्ष्व यः समासेत मा मृधे
If there is anyone in battle who bears excellent weapons and equals me, tell me who he is, that he may face me in combat.
महर्षिर्जमदग्निस्तु यदि राजन्परिश्रुतः। तस्य पुत्रो रणं दातुं यथावद्वै तवार्हति
If the renowned sage Jamadagni exists, O king, his son is worthy to give you battle as is proper.
समुद्रस्य वचः श्रुत्वा राजा माहिष्मतीपतिः। नारदस्य च वै पूर्वं क्रोधेन महता वृतः
Hearing the words of the ocean and remembering what Nārada had said before, the king of Māhiṣmatī became filled with great anger.
ततः प्रतिययौ शीघ्रं क्रोधेन सह भारत। स तमाश्रममागत्य काममेवान्वपद्यत
Then, swiftly and with anger, O Bhārata, he went to that hermitage and acted as he pleased.
स कामं प्रतिकूलानि चकार सह बन्धुभिः। आयासं जनयामास रामस्य स महात्मनः
He, together with his kinsmen, performed hostile deeds and caused hardship for the great-souled Rāma.
ततस्तेजः प्रजज्वाल रामस्यामिततेजसः। प्रदहन्निव सैन्यानि रश्मिमानिव तेजसा
Then the energy of Rāma, whose brilliance is immeasurable, blazed forth, burning the armies as if with rays of light.
अथ तौ चक्रतुर्युद्धं वृत्रवासवयोरिव
Then those two fought, like Vṛtra and Indra.
ततः परशुमादाय नृपं बाहुसहस्रिणम्। चिच्छेद सहसा रामो बहुशाखमिव द्रुमम्
Then Rāma, taking up his axe, suddenly cut down the king with a thousand arms, as one would fell a tree with many branches.
तं हतं पतितं दृष्ट्वा समेतास्तस्य बान्धवाः। असीनादाय शक्तीश्च रामं ते प्रत्यवारयन्
Seeing him slain and fallen, his kinsmen gathered, taking swords and spears, and confronted Rāma.
रामोऽपि रथमास्थाय धनुरायम्य सत्वरः। विसृजन्परमास्त्राणि व्यधमत्पार्थिवान्बली
Rāma, mounting his chariot and stringing his bow swiftly, released supreme weapons and destroyed the kings, powerful as he was.
ततस्तु क्षत्रिया राजञ्जामदग्न्यभयार्दिताः। विविशुर्गिरिदुर्गाणि मृगाः सिंहभयादिव
Then, O King, the Kshatriyas, afflicted by fear of Jamadagni's son, entered mountain fortresses like deer fleeing from the fear of lions.
तेषां स्वविहितं कर्म तद्भयान्नानुतिष्ठति। प्रजा वृषलतां प्राप्ता ब्राह्मणानामदर्शनात्
Because of that fear, they did not perform their own prescribed duties; the people became degraded due to the absence of Brahmanas.
तथा च द्रविडाः काचाः पुण्डाश्च शबरैः सह। वृषलत्वं परिगता विच्छिन्नाः क्षत्रधर्मिणः
Thus, the Dravidas, Kachas, and Pundras, together with the Shabaras, fell into degradation, their Kshatriya dharma severed.
ततस्तु हतवीरासु क्षत्रियासु पुनः पुनः। द्विजैरभ्युदितं क्षत्रं तानि रामो निहत्य च
Then, after the Kshatriyas had been slain again and again, the Brahmanas caused the Kshatriya race to rise, and Rama destroyed them once more.
ततस्त्रिस्मप्तमे याते रामं वागशरीरिणी। दिव्या प्रोवाच मधुरा सर्वलोकपरिश्रुता
When this had happened twenty-one times, a divine voice, sweet and renowned throughout all worlds, spoke to Rama.
रामराम निवर्तस्व स्वगुणं नात्र पश्यसि। क्षत्रबन्धूनिमान्प्रामैर्विप्रयुज्य पुनः पुनः
Rama, Rama, turn back; you do not see your own virtue here. You have repeatedly separated these Kshatriya kin from their lives.
तथैव तं महात्मानमृचीकप्रमुखास्तथा। रामराम महावीर्य निवर्तस्वेत्यथाब्रुवन्
Likewise, the great-souled Rishis, headed by Richika, said: 'Rama, Rama, mighty one, desist.'
पितुर्वधमसमृष्यंस्तु रामः प्रोवाच तानृषीन्। नार्हा हन्त भवन्तो मां निवारयितुमित्युत
Unable to bear his father's murder, Rama replied to those sages: 'You ought not to restrain me.'
नार्हसि क्षत्रबन्धूंस्त्वं निहन्तुं जयतां वर। न हि युक्तं त्वया तात ब्राह्मणेनसता नृपान्
You ought not to slay the Kshatriya kin, O best among conquerors; it is not proper for you, O son, for a Brahmana to unjustly kill kings.
पितॄणां वचनं श्रुत्वा क्रोधं त्यक्त्वा स भार्गवः। अश्वमेधसहस्राणि नरमेधशतानि च
Having heard his fathers' words, Bhargava Rama abandoned his anger and performed a thousand horse sacrifices and a hundred human sacrifices.
इष्ट्वा सागरपर्यन्तां काश्यपाय ददौ महीम्। तेन रामेण सङ्ग्रामे तुल्यस्तात दयञ्जयः
Having offered the earth, bounded by the ocean, to Kashyapa, Rama in battle was equal to Dayañjaya, O father.
कार्तवीर्येण च रणे तुल्यः पार्थो न संशयः। रणे विक्रम्य राजेन्द्र पार्थं जेतुं न शक्यते
And in battle, Kartavirya was equal to Partha, without doubt; O king, having displayed valor in combat, Partha cannot be defeated.
शृणु राजन्पुराऽचिन्त्यानर्जुनस्य च साहसान्। अर्जुनो धन्विनां श्रेष्ठो दुष्करं कृतवान्पुरा
Hear, O King, of the wondrous deeds of Arjuna; Arjuna, the best among archers, once accomplished a difficult feat.
द्रुपदस्य पुरे राजन्द्रौपद्याश्च स्वयंवर।। आबालवृद्धसङ्क्षोभे सर्वक्षत्रसमागमे। क्षिप्रकारी जले मत्स्यं दुर्निरीक्ष्यं ससर्ज ह
In the city of Drupada, at Draupadi's svayamvara, amid the gathering of all Kshatriyas, young and old alike, he swiftly shot a fish in water, which was hard to see.
सर्वैर्नृपैरसाध्यं तत्कार्मुकप्रवरं च वै। क्षणेन सज्यमकरोत्सर्वक्षत्रस्य पश्यतः
That bow, impossible for all kings to string, he prepared in an instant, as all the Kshatriyas watched.
ततो यन्त्रमयं विध्वा विसारं फल्गुनो बली। कृष्णया हेममाल्येन स्कन्धे स परिवेष्टितः
Then, the powerful Phalguna destroyed the mechanical device, and Krishna, with a golden garland, encircled his shoulder.
ततस्तया वृतं पार्थं दृष्ट्वा सर्वे नृपास्तदा। रोषात्सर्वायुधान्गृह्य क्रुद्धा वीरा महौजसः। वैकर्तनं पुरस्कृत्य सर्वे पार्थमुपाद्रवन्
Seeing Partha chosen by her, all the kings then, in anger, seized their weapons, furious and mighty, and, led by Vaikartana, rushed at Partha.
स सर्वान्पार्थिवान्दृष्ट्वा क्रुद्धान्पार्थो महाबलः। वारयित्वा शरैस्तीक्ष्णैरजयत्तत्र स स्वयम्
Seeing all those enraged kings, Partha, of great strength, repelled them with sharp arrows and conquered them there himself.