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.
तदा तु पर्वताः पेतुर्मस्तकोपरि युध्यताम् । वायुः संच्छादितस्तैस्तु न प्रचक्राम कुत्रचित्
Then mountains fell upon the heads of the warriors fighting there; the wind, covered by them, could no longer move anywhere.
पुष्कलो वज्रसंज्ञं तु समाधत्त शरासने । वज्रेण कृत्तास्ते सर्वे जाताश्च तिलशः क्षणात्
Pushkala took up the weapon named Vajra on his bow; with the Vajra, all those mountains were instantly shattered to pieces.
वज्रं नगान्रजः शेषान्कृत्वा बाणाभिमंत्रितम् । राजपुत्रोरसि प्रोच्चैः पपात स्वनवद्भृशम्
The Vajra, having reduced the mountains to dust, empowered by mantras, fell with a great sound upon the prince’s chest.
सत्वाकुलितचेतस्को हृदि विद्धः क्षतो भृशम् । विव्यथे बलवान्वीरः कश्मलं परमाप सः
His mind shaken, pierced deeply in the heart and badly wounded, the mighty hero suffered greatly and fell into a swoon.
तं वै कश्मलितं दृष्ट्वा सारथिर्नयकोविदः । अपोवाह रणात्तस्मात्क्रोशमात्रं नरेंद्रजम्
Seeing him unconscious, the wise charioteer quickly carried the prince a short distance away from the battlefield.
ततो योधा राजसूनोः प्रणष्टाः प्रपलायिताः । गत्वा पुरीं समाचख्युः कश्मलस्थं नृपात्मजम्
Then the warriors of the prince, defeated and fleeing, went to the city and reported that the royal son was lying senseless.
पुष्कलो जयमाप्यैवं रणमूर्धनि धर्मवित् । न प्रहर्तुं पुनः शक्तो रघुनाथवचः स्मरन्
Thus, Pushkala, having won victory at the height of battle and mindful of Raghunatha’s command, was unable to strike again.
ततो दुंदुभिनिर्घोषो जयशब्दो महानभूत् । साधुसाध्विति वाचश्च प्रावर्तंत मनोहराः
Then there arose the sound of drums and a great cry of victory, and delightful voices exclaimed, 'Well done! Well done!'
हर्षं प्राप स शत्रुघ्नो जयिनं वीक्ष्य पुष्कलम् । प्रशशंस सुमत्यादि मंत्रिभिः परिवारितः
Shatrughna, seeing Pushkala victorious, was filled with joy and, surrounded by his wise ministers, praised Sumati and the others.
शेष उवाच। अथ वीक्ष्य भटान्निजान्नृपो रुधिरौघेण परिप्लुतांगकान् । सुखमाप न वै शुशोच तान्परिपप्रच्छ सुतस्य चेष्टितम्
Shesha said: Then the king, seeing his warriors with bodies drenched in streams of blood, felt no sorrow but questioned them about his son’s actions.