गजा भिन्ना द्विधा जाता हयाश्च द्विदलीकृताः । अनेकनरमस्तिष्कैर्मेदिनीपूरिता ह्यभूत्
Elephants were split in two, horses were cleft asunder, and the earth became filled with countless human skulls.
तदा प्रकुपितो राजा प्रतापाग्र्यो महाबलः । स्वसैन्यकदनोद्युक्तं राजपुत्रं समीक्ष्य च
Then the enraged king, foremost in valor and of great might, seeing the prince intent on slaughtering his own army,
उवाच सारथिं तत्र प्रापयाश्वान्यतो मम । सैन्यस्य कदनासक्तो राजपुत्रो महारथः
Said to his charioteer there, 'Drive my horses there, for the prince, the great chariot-warrior, is absorbed in the slaughter of the army.'
अथ वीरशिरोरत्न नमितांघ्रिर्नृपात्मजः । ययौ संमुखमेवास्य प्रतापाग्र्यस्य वीर्यवान्
Then the prince, bowing his head like a jewel among heroes, went straight to face the foremost in valor, full of courage.
सारथिः प्रापयामास प्रतापाग्र्यस्य वाजिनः । यत्रासौ दमनो वीरः सर्वशूरशिरोमणिः
The charioteer brought the horses of the foremost in valor to the place where that subduer, the heroic and greatest of all warriors, stood.
गत्वा तमाह्वयामास राजपुत्रं रणोद्यतम् । रथे पुरटनिर्णिक्ते तिष्ठन्कोदंडदंडभृत्
Having arrived, he challenged the prince, who was ready for battle, standing on a chariot plated with gold, holding his mighty bow.
रे राजपुत्र क शिशो त्वया बद्धोऽश्वसत्तमः । न ज्ञातोसि महाराजः सर्ववीरेंद्र सेवितः
O prince, what child are you who has bound this excellent horse? You do not know the great king, served by all the foremost heroes.
यस्य प्रतापं दैत्येंद्रो न शक्तः सोढुमद्भुतम् । तस्य त्वं वाजिनं नीत्वा गतोऽसि पुटभेदनम्
The king whose might even the lord of the demons could not endure—his horse you have taken and come here to break the rules.
मां जानीहि पुरः प्राप्तं कालरूपं तु वैरिणम् । मुंचाश्वमर्भ गच्छाशु बालक्रीडनकं कुरु
Know me, now standing before you, as your enemy in the form of death. Release the horse, child, go quickly and play with your toys.
कस्यात्मजस्त्वं कुत्रत्यः कथं नोऽदीर्घदर्शिना । धृतोऽश्वस्त्वथ संजाता घृणा मम शिशो त्वयि
Whose son are you? Where are you from? Why, short-sighted one, have you seized the horse? Now, child, I feel pity for you.
इत्थमाकर्ण्य दमनः स्मितं चक्रे महामनाः । उवाच च प्रतापाग्र्यं तृणीकुर्वंश्च तद्बलम्
Hearing this, Damana, great of mind, smiled and spoke, belittling that strength and displaying his own eminent prowess.
दमन उवाच। मया बद्धो बलादश्वो नीतः स्वपुटभेदनम् । नार्पयिष्येऽद्य सप्राणः कुरु युद्धं महाबल
Damana said: I have bound the horse by force and brought it to my enclosure. I will not return it alive today—fight, mighty one!
त्वया यदुक्तं बालस्त्वं गत्वा क्रीडनकं कुरु । तन्मे पश्य महाराज क्रीडनं रणमूर्धनि
You told me, 'You are a child, go and play with your toys.' Now, O king, see my play on the battlefield's summit.
शेष उवाच। इत्युक्त्वा सगुणं चापं विधाय सुभुजां गजः । शराणां शतमाधत्त प्रतापाग्र्यस्य वक्षसि
Śeṣa said: Having spoken thus, the elephant-armed hero strung his fine bow and released a hundred arrows at the chest of the eminent warrior.
संधाय बाणशतकं शंखं दध्मौ प्रतापवान् । तेन शंखनिनादेन कातराणां भयं ह्यभूत्
Stringing a hundred arrows, the valiant one blew his conch; at that conch's sound, fear arose among the faint-hearted.
ताडयामास हृदये बाणानां शतकेन सः । प्रतापाग्र्यः प्रचिच्छेद लघुहस्तः सुपर्वणः
With a hundred arrows he struck at the heart, but the eminent warrior, swift-handed, cut down those well-feathered shafts.
स बाणच्छेदनं दृष्ट्वा कुपितो व्यसृजच्छरान् । कंकपक्षान्वितांस्तीक्ष्णभल्लान्राजात्मजो बली
Seeing his arrows cut down, the powerful prince, enraged, released sharp-headed arrows adorned with heron feathers.
आकाशे भुवि मध्ये च बाणा ददृशिरेऽञ्चिताः । स्वनामचिह्नितास्तीक्ष्णधारापातसुशोभिताः
In the sky, on earth, and in between, the arrows were seen, marked with their own names, shining with keen, sharp blades.
शरास्तद्बाहु हृदये लग्ना वह्निकणान्बहून् । सृजंतः कुर्वते सैन्यदाहनं तदभून्महत्
Those arrows, lodged in his arms and chest, emitted many sparks, burning the army and causing great destruction.
प्रतापाग्र्यः प्रकुपितस्तिष्ठतिष्ठेति च ब्रुवन् । शरेण दशसंख्येन ताडयामास मूर्धनि
The eminent warrior, greatly enraged, shouting 'Stand, stand!' struck him on the head with ten arrows.
ते बाणा राजपुत्रस्य ललाटे परिनिष्ठिताः । विराजंते स्म च मुने दशशाखास्तरोरिव
Those arrows were firmly fixed in the prince's forehead, O sage, and shone like the ten branches of a tree.
तेन बाणप्रहारेण विव्यथेन महामनाः । यष्टिकाप्रहतो यद्वत्कुंजरः सप्तवर्षकः
Struck by that volley of arrows, the great-minded one was distressed, like a seven-year-old elephant struck by a staff.
बाणान्धनुषि संधाय मुमोच त्रिशताञ्छुभान् । सुवर्णपुंखरचितान्महाकालानलोपमान्
Stringing arrows to his bow, he released three hundred splendid shafts, adorned with golden feathers and blazing like the fire of destruction.
ते बाणास्तु प्रतापाग्र्य वक्षो भित्त्वा गता ह्यधः । शोणिताक्ता यथा रामचंद्र भक्ति पराङ्मुखाः
Those arrows pierced the chest of the eminent warrior and passed through, stained with blood, like devotees turning away from Rama.
प्रतापाग्र्यः प्रकुपितः शरान्मुंचन्सहस्रशः । अकरोद्विरथं सूनुं सुबाहोस्तत्क्षणाद्द्रुतम्
The foremost in valor, enraged, released thousands of arrows and swiftly made Subahu's son lose his chariot in that very moment.
चतुर्भिश्च तुरो वाहान्द्वाभ्यां ध्वजमशातयत् । एकेन सारथेः कायाच्छिरो मह्यामपातयत्
With four arrows he struck down the four horses, with two he shattered the banner, and with one he struck the charioteer's head from his body onto the ground.
चतुर्भिस्ताडयामास तं सूनुं नृपतेः पुनः । तत्क्षणाच्चापमेकेन गुणयुक्तं तु चिच्छिदे
Again, with four arrows, he struck the king's son; and in that instant, with a single arrow fitted to the bow, he cut through his bowstring.
सोऽन्यरथं समारुह्य हयरत्नसुशोभितम् । धनुः करे समादाय सज्यं चक्रे महामनाः
Mounting another chariot adorned with excellent horses, the high-minded prince took up a bow in his hand and strung it.
प्रत्युवाच प्रतापाग्र्यं त्वया विक्रांतमद्भुतम् । पश्येदानीं पराक्रांतिं धनुषो मम सद्भट
He addressed the foremost in valor: 'Your display of courage is wondrous; now, noble warrior, behold the might of my bow.'
एवमुक्त्वा तु दमनो बाणान्दश समाददे । चतुर्भिश्चतुरो वाहान्निनाय यमसादनम्
Having spoken thus, Damana took up ten arrows; with four he sent the four horses to the abode of Yama.