हन्तास्मि त्वां सहामात्यैर्युध्यस्व पुरुषो भव। पश्य मे धनुषो वीर्यं मानुषस् निशाचर
I will slay you along with your ministers; fight, be a man! Witness the strength of my bow, O night-wanderer.
मुच्यतां जानकी सीता न मे मोक्ष्यमसि कर्हिचित्। अराक्षसमिमं लोकंकर्ताऽस्मि निशितैः शरैः
Release Janaki, Sita; otherwise, you will never be freed by me. With sharp arrows, I will make this world free of Rakshasas.
इतितस् ब्रुवाणस् दूतस् परुषं वचः। श्रुत्वा न ममृषे राजा रावणः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः
As the messenger spoke these harsh words, the king Ravana, overcome by anger, could not endure it.
हङ्गितज्ञास्ततो भर्तुश्चत्वारो रजनीचराः। चतुर्ष्वङ्गेषु जगृहुः शार्दूलमिव पक्षिणः
Then, four night-wanderers, skilled in their master’s signals, seized Angada by his four limbs, as birds seize a tiger.
तांस्तथाङ्गेषु संसक्तानङ्गदो रजनीचरान्। आदायैव खमुत्पत्य प्रासादतलमाविशत्
Thus seized by the night-wanderers at his limbs, Angada, taking them with him, leapt into the sky and entered the top of a palace.
वेगेनोत्पततस्तस्य पेतुस्ते रजनीचराः। भुवि संभिन्नहृदयाः प्रहारवरपीडिताः
As he sprang up with speed, the night-wanderers fell to the ground, their hearts shattered, afflicted by his mighty blows.
संसक्तोहर्म्यशिखरात्तस्मात्पुनरवापतत्। लङ्घयित्वा पुरं लङ्कां सुवेलस्य समीपतः
Clinging to the palace peak, from there he descended again, leaping over the city of Lanka to the vicinity of Suvela.
कोसलेन्द्रमथागम्य सर्वमावेद्य वानरः। विशश्राम स तेजस्वी राघवेणाभिनन्दितः
Then, coming to the king of Kosala, the heroic vanara reported everything, and, welcomed by Raghava, he rested.
ततः सर्वाभिसारेण हरीणां वातरंहसाम्। भेदयामास लङ्कायाः ग्राकारं रघुनन्दनः
Then, with the full force of the swift-moving monkeys, Raghunandana broke through the gate of Lanka.
विभीषणर्क्षाधिपती पुरस्कृत्याथ लक्ष्मणः। दक्षिणं नगरद्वारमवामृद्गाद्दुरासदम्
Thereafter, Lakshmana, with Vibhishana, lord of the bears, at his side, approached the southern city gate, which was difficult to assail.
करभारुणगात्राणां हरीणां युद्धशालिनाम्। कोटीशतसहस्रेण लङ्कामभ्यपतत्तदा
At that time, a hundred thousand crores of monkeys, strong as elephants and bears, skilled in battle, attacked Lanka.
प्रलम्बबाहूरुकरजङ्घान्तरविलम्बिनाम्। ऋक्षाणआं धूम्रवर्णानां तिस्रः कोठ्यो व्यवस्थिताः
Three crores of bears, smoke-colored, with long arms, thighs, and legs hanging down, took their positions.
उत्पतद्भिः पतद्भिश्च निपतद्भिश्च वानरैः। नादृश्यत तदा सूर्यो रजसा नाशितप्रभः
As the monkeys leapt, flew, and fell, the sun was not visible, its light destroyed by the dust.
शालिप्रसूनसदृशैः शिरीपकुसुमप्रभैः। तरुणादित्यसदृशैः शणगौरैश्च वैनरैः
There were monkeys like ripe rice-blossoms, those shining like Shirisha flowers, those resembling the young sun, and tawny ones like flax.
प्राकारं ददृशुस्ते तु समन्तात्कपिलीकृतम्। राक्षसा विस्मिता राजन्सस्त्रीवृद्धाः समन्ततः
O King, the Rakshasas, women, and elders all around saw the rampart entirely covered with monkeys and were astonished.
बिभिदुस्ते मणिस्तम्भान्कर्णाट्टशिखराणि च। भग्नोन्मथितशृङ्गाणि यन्त्राणि च विचिक्षिपुः
They broke the jeweled pillars and the peaks of the gates, and scattered the broken, uprooted battlements and machines.
परिगृह्य शतघ्नीश्च सचक्राः सगुडोपलाः। चिक्षिपुर्भुजवेगेन लङ्कामध्येमहास्वनाः
Seizing engines of war, with wheels and stone balls, they hurled them with the force of their arms into the middle of Lanka, making a great sound.
प्राकारस्थाश्चये केचिन्निशाचरगणास्तथा। प्रदुद्रुवुस्ते शतशः कपिभिः समभिद्रुताः
Those Rakshasa troops stationed on the ramparts, attacked by the monkeys, fled by the hundreds.
ततस्तु राजवचनाद्राक्षसाः कामरूपिणः। निर्ययुर्विकृताकाराः सहस्रशतसङ्घशः
Then, by the king’s command, the Rakshasas, masters of illusion, emerged in thousands and hundreds, taking on terrible forms.
शखवर्षाणि वर्षन्तो द्रावयित्वा वनौकसः। प्राकारं शोभयन्तस्ते परं विस्मयमास्थिताः
Pouring showers of branches, they drove away the forest-dwellers, and, amazed, adorned the rampart.
स मापराशिसदृशैर्बभूव क्षणादाचरैः। कृतो निर्वानरो भूयः प्राकारो भीमदर्शनैः
In a moment, the rampart, cleared of monkeys, was again filled by the Rakshasas, dreadful to behold, like another mountain range.
पेतुः शलविभिन्नाङ्गा बहवो वानरर्पभाः। स्तम्भतोरणभग्नाश्चपेतुस्तत्रनिशाचराः
Many heroic monkeys, their bodies pierced by arrows, fell; and Rakshasas, with broken pillars and gateways, also fell there.
केशाकेश्यभवद्युद्धं रक्षसां वानरैः सह। नखैर्दन्तैश्च वीराणां खादतां वै परस्परम्
There was hair-grasping combat between Rakshasas and monkeys, the heroes biting and clawing each other, devouring their foes.
निष्टनन्तो ह्युभयतस्तत्र वानरराक्षसाः। हतानिपतिता भूमौ न मुञ्चन्ति परस्परम्
There, the monkeys and Rakshasas, groaning on both sides, even as they lay slain on the ground, did not let go of each other.
रामस्तु शरजालानिववर्ष जलदो यथा। तानिलङ्कां समासाद्य जघ्रुस्तान्रजनीचरान्
Rama rained down volleys of arrows like a cloud pours rain, and, reaching Lanka, destroyed those night-stalkers.
सौमित्रिरपि नाराचैर्दृढधन्वा जितक्लमः। आदिश्यादिश्य दुर्गस्थान्पातयामास राक्षसान्
Saumitri too, tireless and firm-bowed, repeatedly aimed and struck down the Rakshasas stationed on the fortress with his iron arrows.
ततः प्रत्यवहारोऽभूत्सैन्यानां राधवाज्ञया। कृते विमर्दे लङ्कायां लब्धलक्ष्योजयोत्तरः
Then, by Rāghava’s command, the armies withdrew; after the battle in Laṅkā, the one who had achieved his aim, O Jayottara, pulled back.
ततो निविशमानांस्तान्सैनिकान्रावणानुगाः। अभिजग्मुर्गणाऽनके पिशाचक्षुद्ररक्षसाम्
Then, as the soldiers were making camp, hosts of Rāvaṇa’s followers—bands of goblins and lesser rākṣasas—attacked them in the night.
पर्वणः पतनो जम्भः खरः क्रोधवशो हरिः। प्ररुजश्चारुजश्चैव प्रघसश्चैवमादयः
Parvaṇa, Patana, Jambha, Khara, Krodhavaśa, Hari, Praruja, Āruja, and Praghasa—these fierce ones joined in.
ततोऽभिपततां तेषामदृश्यानां दुरात्मनाम्। अन्तर्धानवधं तज्ज्ञश्चकार स विभीषणः
Then, as those wicked ones, invisible, rushed to attack, Vibhīṣaṇa, knowing their magic, countered their power of vanishing.