मार्गे ददर्श राजेन्द्रो विपरीतानि भूपते
On the road, the king saw many strange omens, O ruler.
मुक्तकेशां छिन्ननासां रुदतीं च दिगंबराम्
A woman with loose hair, a severed nose, weeping and naked.
कुचैलं पतितं भग्नं नग्नं काषायवाससम्
Torn, fallen, broken, naked, and clad in ochre garments.
गोधां च शशकं शल्यं रिक्तकुम्भं सरीमृपम्
A monitor lizard, a hare, a thorn, an empty pot, and a corpse.
स्वदक्षिणे शृगालं च कुर्वन्तं भैर्वं रवम्
On his right, a jackal making a terrifying howl.
दृष्ट्वापि प्रययौ योद्धुं कालपाशावृतो हझात्
Even seeing these, he went forth to fight, bound by the noose of time.
वटच्छायासमासीनो रामो ऽपश्यदुपागतम्
Seated in the shade of a banyan tree, Rama saw him approaching.
सहस्राक्षौहिणीयुक्तं दृष्ट्वा बभूव ह
Seeing him accompanied by a thousand divisions, indeed.
यद्दृष्टिगोचरो जातः कार्तवीर्यो नृपाधमः
Kartavirya, the lowest of kings, entered Rama's field of vision.
व्यञ्जृभतारिनाशायसिंहः क्रुद्धो यथा तथा
Just as an enraged lion appears for the destruction of elephants.
चकंपिरे भृशं सर्वे मृत्योरिव शरीरिणः
All trembled greatly, like embodied beings before death.
ततस्ततश्छिन्नभुजोरुकङ्घरा नागा हयाः शूरनरा निपेतुः
Then, elephants, horses, and brave men with severed arms, thighs, and legs fell here and there.
तथैव रामो ऽपि मनोनिलौजा विमर्द्दयामास नृपस्य सेनाम्
In the same way, Rāma, with the force of mind and wind, began to crush the king's army.
उद्यम्य चापं महदास्थितो रथं सृज्यं च कृत्वा किलमन्स्यराजः
And the king of the Matsyas, having mounted a great chariot and taken up his bow, stood ready.
दृष्ट्वा तमायान्तमथो महात्मा रामो गृहीत्वा धनुषं महोग्रम्
Seeing him advancing, the great-souled Rāma seized his mighty and terrible bow.
स चापि राजातिबलो मनस्वी ससर्ज रामाय तु पर्वतास्त्रम्
And that king, powerful and resolute, released the mountain-missile against Rāma.
रामो ऽपि तत्रातिबलं विदित्वा तं मत्स्यराजं विविधास्त्रपूगैः
But Rāma, perceiving the Matsya king's great strength, countered with a multitude of diverse missiles.
नारायणास्त्रे भृगुणा प्रयुक्ते रामेण राजन्नृपतेर्वधाय
When the Nārāyaṇa missile, invoked by Bhṛgu's descendant Rāma, was released for the king's destruction—
रामस्तु तस्याथ विलक्ष्य कम्पं बाणैश्चतुर्भिर्निजघान वाहान्
Then Rāma, noticing his agitation, struck down the horses with four arrows.
बाणेन चैकेन प्रसह्य सारथिं निपात्य भूमौ रथमार्द्दयत्त्रिभिः
And with one arrow he forcefully felled the charioteer to the ground, and shattered the chariot with three.
स भिन्नशीर्षो रुधिरं वमन्मुहुर्मर्च्छामवाप्याथ ममार च क्षणात्
His head split open, vomiting blood again and again, he fell unconscious and died instantly.
तस्मिन्निपतिते राज्ञि चन्द्रवंशसमुद्भवे
When that king, born of the lunar dynasty, had fallen—
मङ्गले नृपतिश्रेष्ठे रामो हर्षमुपागतः
At that auspicious moment, with the foremost of kings slain, Rāma was filled with joy.
उपोद्धातपादे भार्गवचरिते अष्टात्रिंशत्तमो ऽध्यायः
Here ends the thirty-eighth chapter in the Bhārgava narrative, in the section on upoddhāta.
राजेन्द्रान्प्रेरयामास कार्त्तवीर्यो महाबलः
Kārtavīrya, of great might, dispatched the lordly kings.
निषधाधिपतिश्चैव मगधाधिपतिस्तथा
The lord of Niṣadha and likewise the king of Magadha—
वर्षन्तः शरजालानि नानायुद्धविशारदाः
Raining down torrents of arrows, all skilled in various kinds of warfare.
पिनाकहस्तः स भृगुर्ज्वलदग्निशिखोपमः
That Bhṛgu, holding the bow Pināka, blazed like a flaming tongue of fire.
तदस्त्रं भार्गवे द्रेण क्षिप्तं संग्राममूर्द्धनि
That missile, released by Bhārgava Drena, was cast at the height of battle.
ततः क्रुद्धो महाभागो रामः शत्रुविदारणः
Then Rāma, exceedingly glorious and destroyer of foes, became enraged.