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.
एवं प्रयुध्यमानौ तौ बाहुयुद्धं गतौ पुनः । पादे पादं करे पाणिं हृदि हृद्वदने मुखम्
Thus, as they fought, they again engaged in hand-to-hand combat—foot against foot, hand against hand, chest against chest, and face against face.
एवं परस्परं श्लिष्टौ परस्परवधैषिणौ । उभावपि पराक्रांतावुभावपि मुमूर्च्छतुः
Thus, locked together, each intent on the other’s destruction, both mighty warriors fell unconscious.
तद्दृष्ट्वा विस्मयं प्राप्ताः प्रशशंसुः सहस्रशः । धन्यो लक्ष्मीनिधिर्भूपो धन्यो राजानुजो बली
Seeing this, thousands were amazed and praised them: 'Blessed is King Lakshminidhi, blessed is the powerful younger brother of the king.'
शेष उवाच। चित्रांगः क्रौंचकंठस्थो रथस्थो वीरशोभितः । गाहयामास तत्सैन्यं वाराह इव वारिधिम्
Shesha said: Chitranga, standing on his chariot, his voice resounding like a curlew, shone as a hero and drove his army forward like the Boar uplifting the ocean.
धनुर्विस्फार्य सुदृढं मेघनादनिनादितम् । मुमोच बाणान्निशितान्वैरिकोटिविदाहकान्
Drawing his sturdy bow, which thundered like clouds, he released sharp arrows that burned through the ranks of his enemies.
तद्बाणभिन्नसर्वांगाः शेरते सुभटा भृशम् । सकिरीटतनुत्राणाः सन्दष्टदशनच्छदाः
Pierced all over by those arrows, the brave warriors lay fallen, their crowns and armor still on, their teeth clenched tightly.
एवं प्रवृत्ते संग्रामे ययौ योद्धुं स पुष्कलः । मणिचित्रितमादाय चापं वैरिप्रतापनम्
As the battle raged on, Pushkala advanced to fight, taking up a jewel-adorned bow that tormented his foes.
तयोः संगतयोरूपं दृश्यतेऽतिमनोहरम् । पुरा तारकसंग्रामे स्कंदतारकयोर्यथा
The meeting of the two was exceedingly beautiful to behold, like that of Skanda and Taraka in their ancient battle.
विस्फारयन्धनुः शीघ्रं सव्यसाची तु पुष्कलः । ताडयामास तं क्षिप्रं शरैः सन्नतपर्वभिः
Pushkala, swift-handed, quickly drew his bow and struck him at once with arrows whose joints were well-bent.
चित्रांगोऽपि रुषाक्रांतः शरासन इषूञ्छितान् । दधद्व्यमुंचद्बहुशो रणमंडलमूर्धनि
Chitranga too, seized by wrath, grasped his bow and repeatedly released sharp arrows at the center of the battlefield.
नादानं न च संधानं न मोचनमथापि वा । दृष्टं तावेव संदृष्टौ कुंडलीकृतचापिनौ
No sound of string, no nocking, nor the release of arrows could be seen—only those two, bows curved, confronting each other.
तदासौ पुष्कलः क्रुद्धः शराणां शतकेन तम् । विव्याध वक्षःस्थलके महायोद्धारमुद्भटम्
Then Pushkala, enraged, pierced that great and formidable warrior in the chest with a hundred arrows.
चित्रांगस्ताञ्शरान्सर्वांश्चिच्छेद तिलशः क्षणात् । ताडयामास चांगेषु पुष्कलं शितसायकैः
Citrāṅga instantly cut all those arrows into tiny pieces, and struck Puṣkala forcefully on his limbs with sharp shafts.
पुष्कलस्तद्रथं दिव्यं भ्रामकास्त्रेण शोभिना । नभसि भ्रामयामास तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्
Puṣkala, with a resplendent whirling weapon, spun that divine chariot in the sky; it appeared truly wondrous.
भ्रांत्वा मुहूर्तमात्रं तु सरथो हयसंयुतः । स्थितिर्लेभेतिकष्टेन संधृतो रणमंडले
After spinning for just a moment, the chariot, yoked with horses, barely managed to regain its position, held steady in the midst of battle.
स चास्य विक्रमं दृष्ट्वा चित्रांगः कुपितो भृशम् । उवाच पुष्कलं धीमान्सर्वास्त्रेषु विशारदः
Seeing his valor, Citrāṅga became greatly enraged and spoke to Puṣkala, wise and skilled in all weapons.
चित्रांग उवाच। त्वया साधुकृतं कर्म सुभटैर्युधिसंमतम् । मद्रथो वाजिसंयुक्तो भ्रामितो नभसि क्षणम्
Citrāṅga said: 'You have performed a worthy deed, praised by warriors in battle; my chariot, yoked with horses, was spun in the sky for a moment.'
पराक्रमं समीक्षस्व ममापि सुभटेरितम् । आकाशचारी तु भवान्भवत्वमरपूजितः
'Now witness my own valor, accomplished by a true warrior; you, who move through the sky, may you be honored like a god.'
इत्युक्त्वा स मुमोचास्त्रं रणे परमदारुणम् । धनुषा परमास्त्रज्ञः सर्वधर्मविदुत्तमः
Having spoken thus, he released a most dreadful weapon in battle, being a supreme knower of weapons and foremost among those who know all duties.
तेन बाणेन संविद्धः खे बभ्राम पतंगवत् । सरथः सहयः संख्ये सध्वजश्च ससारथिः
Struck by that arrow, he spun in the sky like a moth—chariot, horses, banner, and charioteer all together in the fray.