उवाच पुष्कलस्तं वै राजपुत्रं महाबलम् । राजपुत्र दमनक मां जानीहि समागतम्
Puṣkala addressed that mighty prince, saying: 'Prince Damanaka, know that I have come here.'
स प्रतिज्ञं तु युद्धाय भरतात्मजमुद्भटम् । पुष्कलेन स्वनाम्ना च लक्षितं विद्धिसत्तम
He who has vowed to fight, the fierce son of Bharata, marked by the name Puṣkala—know him, O best of the good.
रघुनाथपदांभोज नित्यसेवामधुव्रतम् । त्वां जेष्ये शस्त्रसंघेनसज्जीभव महामते
Devoted like a bee to the constant service of Raghunātha’s lotus feet, I will defeat you with a host of weapons; prepare yourself, O wise one.
इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य दमनः परवीरहा । प्रत्युवाच हसन्वाग्मी निर्भयोद्दृष्टविक्रमः
Hearing these words, Damanaka, destroyer of enemy heroes, replied with a smile, eloquent and fearless in his boldness.
सुबाहुपुत्रं दमनं पितृभक्ति हृताघकम् । विद्धि मामश्वनेतारं शत्रुघ्नस्य महीपतेः
Know me as Damanaka, son of Subāhu, whose devotion to his father has removed his sins, the charioteer of King Śatrughna.
जयो दैवविसृष्टोऽयं यस्य चालंकरिष्यति । स प्राप्नोति निरीक्षस्व बलं मे रणमूर्धनि
Victory is bestowed by fate, and whoever it adorns attains it; behold my strength now at the height of battle.
इत्युक्त्वा स शरं चापं विधायाकर्णपूरितम् । मुमोच बाणान्निशितान्वैरिप्राणापहारिणः
Having spoken thus, he fitted an arrow to his bow, drew it to his ear, and released sharp arrows that snatched away the life of his enemy.
ते बाणास्त्वाविलीभूताश्छादयामासुरंबरम् । सूर्यभानुप्रभा यत्र बाणच्छायानिवारिता
Those arrows, gathered together, covered the sky, so that even the radiance of the sun was blocked by the shadow of the arrows.
गजानां कटभित्त्योघे लग्ना सायकसंततिः । अलंकरोति धातूनां रागा इव विचित्रिताः
A shower of arrows, clinging to the flanks of the elephants, adorns them like vivid streaks of color embellishing metals.
पतितास्तत्र दृश्यंते नरा वाहा गजा रथाः । शरव्रातेन नृपतेः सुतेन परिताडिताः
There, men, mounts, elephants, and chariots are seen fallen, struck down by the multitude of arrows from the king's son.
तद्विक्रांतं समालोक्य पुष्कलः परवीरहा । शराणां छायया व्याप्तं रणमंडलमीक्ष्य च
Witnessing that bold advance and the battlefield covered by the shadow of arrows, Puṣkala, the destroyer of enemy heroes, gazed on.
शरासने समाधत्त बाणं वह्न्यभिमंत्रितम् । आचम्य सम्यग्विधिवन्मोचयामास सायकम्
He set an arrow, imbued with the power of fire, upon his bow; after ritually sipping water as prescribed, he released the missile.
ततोऽग्निप्रादुरभवत्तत्र संग्राममूर्धनि । ज्वालाभिर्विलिहन्व्योम प्रलयाग्निरिवोत्थितः
Then, at the heart of the battle, fire appeared, licking the sky with its flames, rising like the fire of dissolution.
ततोऽस्य सैन्यं निर्दग्धं त्रासं प्राप्तं रणांगणे । पलायनपरं जातं वह्निज्वालाभिपीडितम्
Then his army was burned up, seized by terror on the battlefield, turning to flight, tormented by the tongues of fire.
छत्राणि तु प्रदग्धानि चंद्राकाराणि धन्विनाम् । दृश्यंते जातरूपाभ कांतिधारीणि तत्र ह
There, the umbrellas of archers, shaped like the moon, were seen burned, shining with a golden brilliance.
हया दग्धाः पलायंते केसरेषु च वैरिणाम् । रथा अपि गता दाहं सुकूबरसमन्विताः
Horses, scorched, fled with the enemy's manes ablaze; even chariots, their yokes intact, were consumed by the fire.
मणिमाणिक्यरत्नानि वहंतः करभास्ततः । पलायंते दहनभू ज्वालामालाभिपीडिताः
Camels, bearing jewels and precious stones, fled from the fire, oppressed by garlands of flames.
कुत्रचिद्दंतिनो नष्टाः कुत्रचिद्धयसादिनः । कुत्रचित्पत्तयो नष्टा वह्निदग्धकलेवराः
In some places, elephants perished; elsewhere, horsemen; in other spots, foot soldiers were lost, their bodies burned by fire.
शराः सर्वे नृपसुतप्रमुक्ताः प्रलयं गताः । आशुशुक्षणिकीलाभिर्भस्मीभूताः समंततः
All the arrows released by the king's son were destroyed, reduced to ashes everywhere by the swift, blazing flames.
तदा स्वसैन्ये दग्धे च दमनो रोषपूरितः । सर्वास्त्रवित्तच्छांत्यर्थं वारुणास्त्रमथा ददे
Then, with his own army burned, Daman, filled with wrath, invoked the Varuṇa weapon to pacify all the missiles.
वारुणं वह्निशांत्यर्थं मुक्तं तेन महीभृता । आप्लावयद्बलं तस्य रथवाजिसमाकुलम्
The king released the Varuṇa weapon to quell the fire; it flooded his army, crowded with chariots and horses.
रथा विप्लावितास्तोये दृश्यंते परिपंथिनाम् । गजाश्चापि परिप्लुष्टाः स्वीयाः शांतिमुपागताः
Chariots of the adversaries were seen swept away in the flood, and their own elephants, submerged, found relief.
वह्निश्च शांतिमगमदग्न्यस्त्र परिमोचितः । शांतिमाप बलं स्वीयं वह्निज्वालाभिपीडितम्
The fire, dispelled by the water-missile, was extinguished; his own army, tormented by the flames, found peace.
कंपिताः शीततोयेन सीत्कुर्वंति च वैरिणः । करकावृष्टिभिः क्षिप्ता वायुना च प्रपीडिताः
Chilled by the cold water, the enemies shivered and cried out, battered by hailstones and oppressed by the wind.
तदा स्वबलमालोक्य तोयपूरेण पीडितम् । कंपितं क्षुभितं नष्टं वारुणेन विनिर्हृतम्
Then, seeing his own force afflicted, shaken, agitated, and destroyed by the flood of Varuṇa's weapon, he was dismayed.
तदातिकोपताम्राक्षः पुष्कलो भरतात्मजः । वायव्यास्त्रं समाधत्त धनुष्येकं महाशरम्
Then Puṣkala, son of Bharata, his eyes reddened with intense anger, set the mighty wind-missile upon his bow.
ततो वायुर्महानासीद्वायव्यास्त्रप्रचोदितः । नाशयामास वेगेन घनानीकमुपस्थितम्
Then a mighty wind arose, driven by the weapon of air, and with great speed it scattered the assembled mass of clouds.
वायुना स्फालिता नागाः परस्परसमाहताः । अश्वाश्च संहतान्योन्यं स्वस्वारोहसमन्विताः
The elephants, struck by the wind, collided with each other, and the horses, with their riders, were thrown together.
नराः प्रभंजनोद्धूता मुक्तकेशा निरोजसः । पतंतोऽत्र समीक्ष्यंते वेताला इव भूगताः
Men, tossed by the violent wind, their hair loose and bodies powerless, were seen falling there like ghouls emerging from the earth.
वायुना स्वबलं सर्वं परिभूतं विलोक्य सः । राजपुत्रः पर्वतास्त्रं धनुष्येवं समादधे
Seeing all his forces overwhelmed by the wind, the prince took up the mountain-weapon on his bow.