चतुर्भिस्तिलशः कृत्तो रथश्चक्रसमन्वितः । एकेन हृदि विव्याध बाणेनैकेन सारथिम्
With four arrows he shattered the chariot with its wheels into fragments; with one arrow he pierced the heart, and with one he struck the charioteer.
जगर्ज शंखमापूर्य शंखशब्दसमन्वितः । तत्कर्म पूजयामास साधु वीर महाबल
He sounded his conch, filling the air with its roar; that mighty hero was honored for his deed, 'Well done, O valiant one of great strength!'
इति विक्रांतमालोक्य प्रतापाग्र्यो रुषान्वितः । अन्यं रथं समास्थाय ययौ योद्धुं नृपात्मजम्
Witnessing this valor, the foremost in prowess, filled with anger, mounted another chariot and advanced to fight the king's son.
उवाच वीर पश्य त्वं मम विक्रांतमद्भुतम् । इत्युक्त्वाशु मुमोचौघाञ्छराणां शितपर्वणाम्
He said, 'O hero, now behold my wondrous valor!' And having spoken thus, he swiftly released a torrent of sharp arrows.
शराः सर्वत्र दृश्यंते कुंजरेषु हयेषु च । परब्रह्मेव सर्वत्र व्याप्ताश्चांतरगोचराः
Arrows were seen everywhere—among elephants and horses; like the Supreme Brahman, they pervaded all, visible and invisible.
तं राजपुत्रं शितबाणकोटिभि -। र्व्याप्तं विधायाशु जगर्ज विक्रमी । संहर्षयन्स्वीयगणान्परान्महान् । कुर्वन्हृदा शून्यतमान्गतासुकान्
He quickly covered the prince with countless sharp-tipped arrows, roared mightily, gladdening his own forces and filling the hearts of his foes with utter emptiness, as if their life had departed.
स राजपुत्रः शितसायकव्रजैः । संपूर्णमात्मानमवेक्ष्य रोषितः । जग्राह शस्त्राणि दुरंतविक्रमो । धनुश्च धुन्वन्भुजदंडयोर्महान्
The prince, seeing himself enveloped by the volleys of sharp arrows, became enraged, seized his weapons—mighty in his unrestrainable valor—and brandished his great bow between his strong arms.
चकर्त सर्वाण्यस्त्राणि शस्त्राणि च महाबलः । रोषताम्रेक्षणो मुंचञ्छरान्वैरिविदारिणः
That mighty one cut down all the weapons and missiles, his eyes red with anger, releasing arrows that tore through his enemy.
तच्छस्त्रजालं निर्धूय राजपुत्रो जगाद तम् । क्षमस्वैकं प्रहारं मे यदि शूरोसि मारिष
Brushing aside that shower of weapons, the prince spoke to him: 'If you are truly a hero, O warrior, grant me a single blow.'
यद्यनेन भवंतं वै रथाच्चेत्पातयामि न । प्रतिज्ञां शृणु मे वीर मम गर्वेण निर्मिताम्
'If with this I do not cast you down from your chariot, then hear my vow, O hero, made out of my pride.'
वेदं निंदंति ये मत्ता हेतुवादविचक्षणाः । तेषां पापं ममैवास्तु नरकार्णवमज्जकम्
'Those intoxicated with argument, who disparage the Veda, let their sin be mine alone, sinking into the ocean of hell.'
इत्युक्त्वा बाणमासाद्य कोदंडे कालसन्निभम् । ज्वालामालाकुलं तीक्ष्णं निषंगादुद्धृतं वरम्
Having spoken thus, he took up an arrow on his bow, resembling death, blazing with a garland of flames, sharp, and the best drawn from his quiver.
स मुक्तो नृपवर्येण हृदि लक्ष्यीकृतः शरः । जगाम तरसा तं वै कालानलसमप्रभः
That arrow, released by the foremost king and fixed in his heart as its target, sped toward him with the brilliance of the fire of destruction.
प्रतापाग्र्यः शरं दृष्ट्वा स्वपातनसमुद्यतम् । बाणान्धनुष्यथाधत्त शरच्छेदायवै शितान्
Seeing the arrow, fierce in power and poised to strike him down, he fitted sharp arrows to his bow to cut down that shaft.
स बाणः सर्वबाणांस्तांश्छिंदन्मध्यत एव हि । जगाम वै प्रतापाग्र्यहृदयं धैर्यसंयुतम्
That arrow, cleaving through all those arrows in its path, went straight to the heart of the mighty warrior, steadfast in courage.
संलग्नो हृदि नालीकः प्रविवेश तदंतरम् । राजाकृतप्रहारस्तु पपात धरणीतले
The shaft, lodged in his heart, entered deep within; struck by the king, he fell to the ground.
मूर्च्छितं चेतनाहीनं रथोपस्थाद्गतं भुवि । सारथिस्तं समादायापोवाह रणमंडलात्
Unconscious, bereft of awareness, fallen from his chariot to the earth, his charioteer took him up and carried him away from the field of battle.
हाहाकारोमहानासीद्बलं भग्नं गतं ततः । यत्र शत्रुघ्ननामासौ वीरकोटिपरीवृतः
A great cry of lament arose; the army was broken and fled from the place where Śatrughna, surrounded by a host of heroes, stood.
राजात्मजो जयं प्राप्य प्रतापाग्र्यं विजित्य सः । प्रतीक्षां तु चकारास्य शत्रुघ्नस्य च भूपतेः
Having gained victory, the king's son defeated the mighty warrior and then awaited both him and King Śatrughna.
शेष उवाच। शत्रुघ्नस्तु क्रुधाविष्टो दंतान्दंतैर्विनिष्पिषन् । हस्तौ धुन्वंल्लेलिहानमधरं जिह्वया सकृत्
Śeṣa said: Śatrughna, seized by anger, ground his teeth together, shook his fists, and licked his lower lip once with his tongue.
पुनः पुनस्तान्पप्रच्छ केनाश्वो नीयते मम । प्रतापाग्र्यः केन जितः सर्वशूरशिरोमणिः
Again and again he asked them, 'By whom is my horse being taken? By whom was the mighty warrior, the foremost among all brave men, defeated?'
सेवकास्ते तदा प्रोचुर्दमनोनाम शत्रुहन् । सुबाहुजः प्रतापाग्र्यं जितवान्हयमाहरत्
Then his servants replied, 'O Śatrughna, a man named Damana, son of Subāhu, has defeated the mighty warrior and taken the horse.'
इति श्रुत्वा हयं नीतं दमनेन स्ववैरिणा । आजगाम स वेगेन यत्राभूद्रणमंडलम्
Hearing that the horse had been taken by his enemy Damana, he quickly went to where the field of battle was.
तत्रापश्यत्स शत्रुघ्नो गजान्दीर्णकपोलकान् । पर्वतानिव रक्तोदे मज्जमानान्मदोद्धतान्
There Śatrughna saw elephants with torn cheeks, wild with rut, sinking in blood-red waters like mountains.
हयास्तत्र निजारोहकर्तृभिः सहिताः क्षताः । मृता वीरेण ददृशे शत्रुघ्नेन सुकोपिना
There, the horses, wounded and together with their riders, were seen dead by the fiercely enraged Śatrughna.
नरान्रथान्गजान्भग्नान्वीक्षमाणः स शत्रुहा । अतीव चुक्रुधे यद्वत्प्रलये प्रलयार्णवः
Beholding men, chariots, and elephants broken, Śatrughna grew exceedingly wrathful, like the ocean at the end of the age.
पुरतो दमनं वीक्ष्य हयनेतारमुद्भटम् । प्रतापाग्र्यस्य जेतारं तृणीकृत्य निजं बलम्
Seeing before him Damana, the formidable leader of the horse and conqueror of the mighty warrior, who had made light of his own army,
तदा राजा प्रत्युवाच योधान्कोपाकुलेक्षणः । कोऽसौ दमन जेताऽत्र सर्वशस्त्रास्त्रधारकः
Then the king, his eyes wild with anger, spoke to the warriors: 'Who is this Damana, the conqueror here, master of all weapons and missiles?'
यो वै राजसुतं वीरं रणकर्मविशारदम् । जेष्यत्यस्त्रेण निर्भीतः सज्जीभूतो भवत्वयम्
'He who, fearless and ready, will defeat the king's son, a hero skilled in the deeds of battle, with weapons—let him become so.'
इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य पुष्कलः परवीरहा । दमनं जेतुमुद्युक्तो जगाद वचनं त्विदम्
Hearing these words, Puṣkala, destroyer of enemy heroes, eager to defeat Damana, spoke this speech: