न त्वां रामो रणे जेता जामदग्न्यः कथंचन । त्वमेव समरे रामं विजेता भरतर्षभ
Rama, son of Jamadagni, will never defeat you in battle; you alone, O bull among the Bharatas, will conquer Rama in combat.
इदमस्त्रं सुदयितं प्रत्यभिज्ञास्यते भवान् । विदितं हि तवाप्येतत्पूर्वस्मिन्देहधारणे
This beloved weapon will be recognized by you, for you knew it even in your previous existence.
प्राजापत्यं विश्वकृतं प्रस्वापं नाम भारत । न हीदं वेद रामोऽपि पृथिव्यां वा पुमान्क्वचित्
This is the Prājāpatya weapon, created by the Maker of All, called the Sleep; not even Rama knows of it, nor does any man on earth.
तत्स्मरस्व महाबाहो भृशं संयोजयस्व च। उपस्थास्यति राजेन्द्र स्वयमेव तवानघ
Recall it, O mighty-armed one, and employ it with great care; it will present itself to you, O sinless king, of its own accord.
येन सर्वान्महावीर्यान्प्रशासिष्यसि कौरव । न च रामः क्षयं गन्ता तेनास्त्रेण नराधिप
With this weapon, O Kaurava, you will subdue all mighty warriors; but Rama, O king, will not be destroyed by it.
एनसा न तु संयोगं प्राप्स्यसे जातु मानद । स्वप्स्यते जामदग्न्योऽसौ त्वद्बाणबलपीडितः
You will not incur any fault by using it, O giver of honor; Jamadagni's son, struck by the force of your arrows, will fall into sleep.
ततो जित्वा त्वमेवैनं पुनरुत्थापयिष्यसि। अस्त्रेण दयितेनाजौ भीष्म संबोधनेन वै
Then, after defeating him, you will awaken him again with this beloved weapon in battle, by addressing him, O Bhishma.
एवं कुरुष्व कौरव्य प्रभाते रथमास्थितः। प्रसुप्तं वा मृतं वेति तुल्यं मन्यामहे वयम्
Do thus, O Kaurava, when you mount your chariot at dawn; whether he is asleep or dead, we consider it the same.
न च रामेण मर्तव्यं कदाचिदपि पार्थिव। ततः समुत्पन्नमिदं प्रस्वापं युज्यतामिति
You must never kill Rama, O king; therefore, let this Sleep be employed now.
इत्युक्त्वान्तर्हिता राजन्सर्व एव द्विजोत्तमाः । अष्टौ सदृशरूपास्ते सर्वे भासुरमूर्तयः
Having spoken thus, O king, all those excellent twice-born ones vanished; all eight, appearing alike, with radiant forms.
ततो रात्रौ व्यतीतायां प्रतिबुद्धोऽस्मि भारत । ततः संचिन्त्य वै स्वप्नमवापं हर्षमुत्तमम्
When the night had passed, I awoke, O Bharata, and reflecting on the dream, I felt the highest joy.
ततः समभवद्युद्धं मम तस्य च भारत । तुमुलं सर्वभूतानां रोमहर्षणमद्भुतम्
Then, O Bharata, a battle arose between him and me—tumultuous, astonishing, and causing the hair of all beings to stand on end.
ततो बाणमयं वर्षं ववर्ष मयि भार्गवः। न्यवारयमहं तच्च शरजालेन भारत
Then Bhargava rained a shower of arrows upon me, but I blocked it, O Bharata, with a network of arrows.
ततः परमसंक्रुद्धः पुनरेव महातपाः । ह्यस्तनेन च कोपेन शक्तिं वै प्राहिणोन्मयि
Then, exceedingly enraged, the great ascetic, with fury and his left hand, hurled a spear at me.
इन्द्राशनिसमस्पर्शां यमदण्डसमप्रभाम् । ज्वलन्तीमग्निवत्सङ्ख्ये लेलिहानां समन्ततः
It had the touch of Indra's thunderbolt, the brilliance of Yama's staff, blazing like fire in battle, licking all around.
ततो भरतशार्दूल धिष्ण्यमाकाशगं यथा। सा ममाभ्यवधीत्तूर्णं जत्रुदेशे कुरूद्वह
Then, O tiger among the Bharatas, like a meteor from the sky, it struck me swiftly in the region of the collarbone, O best of the Kurus.
अथास्रमस्रवद्धोरं गिरेर्गैरिकधातुवात् । रामेण सुमहाबाहो क्षतस्य क्षतजेक्षण
Then, O mighty-armed one, blood flowed from the wound on the mountain, colored by ochre minerals, as Rama was struck and his eyes reddened with pain.
ततोऽहं जामदग्न्याय भृशं क्रोधसमन्वितः । चिक्षेप मृत्युसंकाशं बाणं सर्पविषोपमम्
Thereupon, filled with intense anger, I hurled at Jamadagni's son a deadly arrow, resembling the venom of a serpent.
स तेनाभिहतो वीरो ललाटे द्विजसत्तमः । अशोभत महाराज शश्रृङ्ग इव पर्वतः
Struck by that arrow on his forehead, the best of Brahmins shone, O King, like a mountain with a mark of moonlight.
स संरब्धः समावृत्य शरं कालान्तकोपमम् । संदधे बलवत्कृष्य घोरं शत्रनिबर्हणम्
Enraged, he drew back a terrible arrow, fierce as Death's own wrath, and fitted it to his bow, intent on destroying his foe.
स वक्षसि पापतोग्रः शरो व्याल इव श्वसन् । महीं राजंस्ततश्चाहमगमं रुधिराविलः
That dreadful arrow, like a serpent hissing, struck me in the chest, O King, and I fell to the earth, covered in blood.
संप्राप्य तु पुनः संज्ञां जामदघ्न्याय धीमते । प्राहिण्वं विमलां शक्तिं ज्वलन्तीमशनीमिव
Regaining consciousness, I, discerning, sent at Jamadagni's son a spotless spear, blazing like a thunderbolt.
सा तस्य द्विजमुख्यस्य निपपात भुजान्तरे । विह्वलश्चाभवद्राजन्वेपथुश्चैनमाविशत्
That weapon fell between the arms of the foremost Brahmin; he became bewildered, O King, and trembling seized him.
तत एनं परिष्वज्य सखा विप्रो महातपाः । अकृतव्रणः शुभैर्वाक्यैराश्वासयदनेकधा
Then his friend, the great ascetic Brahmin, embraced him and, though himself unwounded, comforted him with many auspicious words.
समाश्वस्तस्ततो रामः क्रोधामर्षसमन्वितः । प्रादुश्चक्रे तदा ब्राह्मं परमास्त्रं महाव्रतः
Thus reassured, Rama, filled with wrath and indignation, then revealed the supreme Brahma weapon, he of great vows.
ततस्तत्प्रतिघातार्थं ब्राह्ममेवास्त्रमुत्तमम् । मया प्रयुक्तं जज्वाल युगान्तमिव दर्शयत्
Then, to counter that, I too released the supreme Brahma weapon, which blazed forth as if displaying the end of the world.
तयोर्ब्रह्मास्त्रयोरासीदन्तरा वै समागमः । असंप्राप्यैव रामं च मां च भारतसत्तम
Between those two Brahma weapons, there was a meeting in the space between, O best of Bharatas, yet neither reached Rama nor me.
ततो व्योम्नि प्रादुरभूत्तेज एव हि केवलम् । भूतानि चैव सर्वाणि जग्मुरार्तिं विशांपते
Then, only radiance appeared in the sky, O lord of men, and all beings were seized with distress.
ऋषयश्च सगन्धर्वा देवताश्चैव भारत। संतापं परमं जग्मुरस्त्रतेजोभिपीडिताः
The sages, Gandharvas, and gods, O Bharata, were all afflicted with intense suffering, oppressed by the energy of those weapons.
ततश्चचाल पृथिवी सपर्वतवनद्रुमा। संतप्तानि च भूतानि विषादंक जग्मुरुत्तमम्
Then the earth trembled, with her mountains, forests, and trees; all beings, scorched, fell into utter despair.