तयोर्बाणा गजान्वाहान्नराञ्छूरान्विमस्तकान् । कुर्वंतः केवलं दृष्टा न च संधानमोक्षयोः
Their arrows struck elephants, horses, men, and valiant warriors, but only the arrows were seen, not the drawing or releasing of the bows.
पृथिवी सुभटैः पूर्णा सकिरीटैः सकुंडलैः । धनुर्बाणकरै रोषसंदष्टाधरयुग्मकैः
The earth was filled with mighty warriors, adorned with crowns and earrings, wielding bows and arrows, their lips bitten in anger.
तयोः प्रयुद्ध्यतोर्दर्पात्सर्वशस्त्रास्त्रवेदिनोः । युद्धं समभवद्घोरं देवविस्मापनं महत्
As those two, proud and skilled in all weapons and missiles, fought, a fierce battle arose, astonishing even the gods.
संमर्दोऽभवदत्यंतं वीरकोटिविदारणः । न केनचित्क्वचिद्दृष्टं शरजालांतरेंऽबरम्
The clash became extreme, tearing apart the ranks of heroes; nowhere could anyone see the sky between the streams of arrows.
तस्मिंस्तु समये लक्ष्मीनिधिर्वीरोऽरिमर्दनः । बाणांश्चापे समाधत्त वसुसंख्यान्दृढाञ्छितान्
At that moment, Lakshminidhi, the heroic crusher of enemies, placed countless strong, sharp arrows upon his bow.
चतुर्भिस्तुरगान्वीरः सुकेतोरनयत्क्षयम् । एकेन ध्वजमत्युग्रं चिच्छेद तरसा हसन्
With four arrows, the hero Suketu destroyed the horses, and with one, laughing, swiftly cut down the fierce banner.
एकेन सारथेः कायाच्छिरोभूमावपातयत् । एकेन चापं सगुणमच्छिनद्रोषपूरितः
With one arrow he struck down the charioteer's head to the ground; with another, he shattered the bow, its string drawn and arrow fixed.
एकेन हृदि विव्याध सुकेतोर्वेगवान्नृपः । तत्कर्माद्भुतमुद्वीक्ष्य वीरा विस्मयमाययुः
With a third, the swift king pierced Suketu in the heart; seeing this astonishing feat, the warriors were filled with wonder.
सच्छिन्नधन्वा विरथो हताश्वो हतसारथिः । महतीं स गदां धृत्वा योद्घुकामोऽभ्युपेयिवान्
Deprived of his bow, chariot, horses, and charioteer, he seized a great mace and, eager for combat, advanced.
तमायांतं समालक्ष्य गदायुद्धविशारदम् । महत्या गदया युक्तं रथादवततार सः
Seeing him approach, skilled in mace-fighting and armed with a mighty mace, he too descended from his chariot.
गदामादाय महतीं सर्वायसविनिर्मिताम् । जातरूपविचित्रांगीं सर्वशोभापुरस्कृताम्
He took up a great mace, made entirely of iron, adorned with gold, and radiant with every splendor.
लक्ष्मीनिधिर्भृशं क्रुद्धः सुकेतोर्वक्षसि त्वरन् । ताडयामास हृदये गदां वज्राग्निसन्निभाम्
Lakshminidhi, greatly enraged, swiftly struck Suketu on the chest with his mace, blazing like thunder and fire.
गदया ताडितो वीरो नाकंपत महामुने । मदोन्मत्तो यथा दंती बालेन स्रग्भिराहतः
Struck by the mace, the hero did not waver, O great sage, like a maddened elephant hit by a child with garlands.
उवाच तं स वीराग्र्यो नृपं लक्ष्मीनिधिं तदा । सहस्वैकं प्रहारं मे यदि शूरः परंतप
Then that foremost of warriors spoke to King Lakshminidhi: 'Endure a single blow from me, if you are truly a hero and subduer of foes.'
इत्युक्त्वा ताडयामास ललाटे गदया भृशम् । गदया ताडितो भालेऽसृग्वमन्कुपितो भृशम्
So saying, he struck him forcefully on the forehead with his mace; struck thus, blood flowed from his brow as he grew fiercely enraged.
मूर्ध्नि तं ताडयामास गदया कालरूपया । सुकेतुरपि तं स्कंधे ताडयामास धर्मवित्
He struck him on the head with his death-like mace; Suketu, righteous, struck him in turn on the shoulder.
एवं भृशं प्रकुपितौ गदायुद्धविशारदौ । गदायुद्धं प्रकुर्वाणौ परस्परजयैषिणौ
Thus, both deeply enraged and skilled in mace-fighting, engaged in battle, each striving for victory over the other.
अन्योन्याघातविमतौ परस्परवधोद्यतौ । न कोपि तत्र हीयेत न को जीयेत संयुगे
Intent on striking each other, both determined to kill, neither yielded nor prevailed in that combat.
मूर्ध्नि भाले तथा स्कंधे हृदि गात्रेषु सर्वतः । रुधिरौघ परिक्लिन्नौ महाबलपराक्रमौ
On their heads, foreheads, shoulders, hearts, and all over their bodies, streams of blood flowed, as the mighty warriors fought on.
तदा लक्ष्मीनिधिः क्रुद्धो गदामुद्यम्य वेगवान् । जगाम प्रबलं हंतुं हृदि राजानुजं बली
Then Lakshminidhi, enraged and swift, raised his mace and advanced powerfully to strike the king's younger brother in the heart.
तमायांतमथालोक्य स्वगदां महतीं दधत् । ययौ तं तरसा हंतुं राजभ्राता बलाद्बलम्
Seeing him approach, bearing his great mace, the king's brother rushed forward with all his strength to strike him down.
गदां तेन विनिक्षिप्तां स्वकरे धृतवानयम् । तयैव गदया तस्य हृदि जघ्ने महाबलः
He seized the mace hurled at him in his own hand, and with that very mace, the mighty one struck him in the heart.
स्वगदां तेन वै नीतां दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मीनिधिर्नृपः । बाहुयुद्धेन तं योद्धुमियेष बलवत्तमम्
Seeing his own mace taken by him, King Lakshminidhi sought to fight the most powerful one in hand-to-hand combat.
तदा राजानुजः क्रुद्धो बाहुभ्यामुपगृह्य तम् । युयुधे सर्वयुद्धस्य ज्ञातावीरेषु सत्तमः
Then the king's younger brother, enraged, seized him with his arms and fought him, foremost among heroes skilled in every kind of battle.
तदा लक्ष्मीनिधिस्तस्य हृदि जघ्ने स्वमुष्टिना । तदा सोपि शिरस्येनं मुष्टिमुद्यम्य चाहनत्
Then Lakshminidhi struck him in the chest with his own fist; at that moment, the other too raised his fist and struck him on the head.
मुष्टिभिर्वज्रसंकाशैस्तलस्फोटैश्च दारुणैः । अन्योन्यं जघ्नतुः क्रुद्धौ संदष्टाधरपल्लवौ
With fists hard as thunderbolts and fierce slaps of the palms, the two, lips tightly bitten in anger, struck each other.
मुष्टी मुष्टि दंता दंति कचा कचि नखा नखि । उभयोरभवद्युद्धं तुमुलं रोमहर्षणम्
Fist met fist, tooth met tooth, hair clashed with hair, and nail with nail; between the two, a tumultuous and hair-raising battle ensued.
तदा प्रकुपितो भ्राता नृपतेश्च रणे नृपम् । गृहीत्वा भ्रामयित्वाथ पातयामास भूतले
Then, enraged, the king’s brother seized the king in battle, whirled him around, and threw him to the ground.
लक्ष्मीनिधिः करे गृह्य तं नृपानुजमुच्चकैः । भ्रामयित्वा शतगुणं गजोपस्थे जघान तम्
Lakshminidhi, grasping the king’s brother with his hand, spun him a hundred times and struck him upon the back of an elephant.
स तदा पतितो भूमौ संज्ञां प्राप्य क्षणादनु । तथैव भ्रामयामास व्योम्नि वेगेन विक्रमी
He, having fallen to the ground, regained consciousness in a moment, and with great speed and valor, began to whirl him in the sky in the same way.