व्रज त्वं समरे योद्धुमन्यान्मानिवरान्नृपान् । वीरसिंहमुखान्कीश मच्चिंतां मा कुरु प्रभो
Go forth to fight in battle against other noble kings, O lord of monkeys; do not concern yourself with me, O master.
वाचमित्थं समाकर्ण्य हनूमान्धीरसेविताम् । जगाम समरे योद्धुं वीरसिंहं नृपानुजम्
Hearing such words, imbued with courage, Hanuman went forth to fight in battle against Vīrasiṃha, the king's younger brother.
लक्ष्मीनिधिः सुतेनास्य शुभांगदसुसंज्ञिना । द्वैरथेन प्रयुयुधे महाशस्त्रास्त्रवेदिना
Lakshminidhi engaged in single combat with his son, named Shubhangada, who was skilled in great weapons and missiles.
बलमित्रेण सुमदः स्वप्रतापबलोर्जितः । योद्धुं सशस्त्रः संग्रामं विचचार नृपात्मजः
Sumada, supported by his ally Bala Mitra and empowered by his own valor and strength, entered the battle armed to fight.
आह्वयंतं नृपं दृष्ट्वा द्वैरथे युद्धकोविदः । पुष्कलो रुक्मखचिते रथे तिष्ठन्ययौ हि तम्
Seeing the king challenging for single combat, Pushkala, skilled in warfare, approached him, standing on a chariot adorned with gold.
राजा तमागतं दृष्ट्वा पुष्कलं युद्धकोविदम् । उवाच निर्भिया वाण्या रणमध्ये सुभाषितः
The king, seeing Pushkala, the expert in battle, approach, spoke to him without fear, uttering well-spoken words in the midst of the fight.
वीरमणिरुवाच। बालमायाहि मां क्रुद्धं संग्रामे चंडकोपनम् । गच्छ प्राणपरीप्सायै मा युद्धं कुरु मे सह
Viramani said: 'Child, do not approach me, enraged as I am and fierce in battle. Go, if you wish to preserve your life; do not fight with me.'
त्वादृशान्बालकान्भूपा मादृशाः कृपयंति हि । प्रहरंति न चैतान्वै तस्माद्गच्छ रणाद्बहिः
'Kings like me show mercy to boys like you; indeed, we do not strike them. Therefore, leave the battlefield.'
यावत्त्वं न मया दृष्टश्चक्षुर्भ्यां तावदुन्मनाः । सांप्रतं त्वां प्रहर्तुं न मनः समभिकांक्षति
'As long as I have not seen you with my eyes, I was eager for battle; but now, my mind does not desire to strike you.'
यत्त्वया मत्सुतो बाणैर्भिन्नो मूर्च्छीकृतः पुनः । सर्वं मया क्षांतमद्य तवबालधियो महत्
'That my son was struck and rendered unconscious by your arrows, I have today forgiven completely, considering your childishness.'
इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य पुष्कलो निजगाद तम् । पुष्कल उवाच। बालोऽहं त्वं महावृद्धः सर्वशस्त्रास्त्रकोविदः
Hearing these words, Pushkala replied to him: Pushkala said: 'I am a boy, you are very old, and skilled in all weapons and missiles.'
क्षत्रियाणां मतं चैव ये बलाधिक्यसंयुताः । त एव वृद्धा भूपाग्र्य न वयोवृद्धतां गताः
'But among Kshatriyas, those who possess superior strength are considered elders, not merely those advanced in age.'
मया ते मूर्च्छितः पुत्रः सशौर्यबलदर्पितः । इदानीं त्वामहं शस्त्रैः पातयिष्यामि संगरे
'Your son, proud of his valor and strength, was rendered unconscious by me; now I will bring you down in battle with weapons.'
तस्मात्त्वं यत्नतस्तिष्ठ राजन्संग्राममूर्धनि । रामभक्तं न मां कश्चिज्जयतींद्रपदे स्थितः
'Therefore, stand firm with effort, O king, at the forefront of battle; no one established in the position of a devotee of Rama conquers me.'
इत्थं भाषितमाश्रुत्य पुष्कलस्य नृपाग्रणीः । जहास बालं संवीक्ष्य कोपं च व्यदधात्पुनः
Hearing Pushkala speak thus, the foremost of kings laughed, gazing at the boy, and again grew angry.
तं वै कुपितमालक्ष्य भरतात्मज उन्मदः । जघान शरविंशत्या राजानं हृदि तीक्ष्णया
Seeing him enraged, the son of Bharata, maddened, struck the king in the heart with twenty sharp arrows.
राजा तानागतान्दृष्ट्वा बाणांस्तेन विमोचितान् । चिच्छेद परमक्रुद्धः शरैस्तीक्ष्णैरनेकधा
The king, seeing those arrows released by him approaching, in great anger cut them to pieces with many sharp arrows.
तद्बाणच्छेदनं दृष्ट्वा भारतिः परवीरहा । चुकोप हृदयेऽत्यंतं राजानं च त्रिभिः शरैः
Seeing his arrows cut down, Bharati, the destroyer of enemy heroes, became extremely angry at heart and struck the king with three arrows.
विव्याध भाले भूपाल पुत्रः पुष्कलसंज्ञकः । तत्र लग्ना विरेजुस्ते त्रिकूटशिखराणि किम्
Pushkala, the king’s son, pierced the king in the forehead; those arrows, lodged there, shone like the peaks of Trikuta.
तैर्बाणैर्व्यथितो राजा जघान नवभिः शरैः । हृदये पुष्कलं वीरं महाकोपसमन्वितः । तैर्वत्सदन्तैर्बह्वस्रं पीतं रामानुजाङ्गजम्
Afflicted by those arrows, the king, filled with great anger, struck the heroic Pushkala in the heart with nine arrows; those arrows, with tips like calves’ teeth, drank much blood from the body of Rama’s younger brother’s son.
सर्पा आशीविषा यद्वत्क्रुद्धास्तद्वपुषि स्थिताः । परमं कोपमापन्नः पुष्कलो भूमिपं पुनः
Just as venomous serpents, enraged, dwell within a body, so Puṣkala, seized by extreme fury, again attacked the king.
बाणानां शतकेनाशु बिभेद शितपर्वणाम् । तैर्बाणैः कवचं भिन्नं किरीटः सशिरस्त्रकः
With a hundred sharp-tipped arrows, he swiftly pierced him; by those arrows, his armor was shattered, and his crown along with its crest was broken.
रथो धनुर्महत्सज्यं छिन्नं कोपपरिप्लवात् । क्षतजेन परिप्लुष्टो बाणभिन्नकलेवरः
His great, strung bow and chariot were cut down in a surge of wrath; his body, pierced by arrows, was soaked with blood.
अन्यं स्यंदनमारुह्य जगाम भरतात्मजम् । धन्योसि वीर रामस्य चरणाब्जमधुव्रत
Mounting another chariot, he approached the son of Bharata and said: 'Fortunate are you, hero, who are devoted like a bee to the lotus feet of Rāma.'
महत्कृतं कर्म तेऽद्य यदहं विरथीकृतः । प्राणान्रक्षस्व भो वीर सांप्रतं मयि युद्ध्यति
'You have accomplished a great deed today, for I have been deprived of my chariot. Now, hero, as you fight me, protect your life.'
सुलभा न तव प्राणाः कालरूपे मयि स्थिते । इत्युक्त्वा व्यहनद्बाणैरसंख्यैः शस्त्रकोविदः
'Your life will not be easily preserved while I, in the form of Death, stand before you.' Having spoken thus, the master of weapons struck with countless arrows.
भूमौ दिशि च तद्बाणा नान्यद्दृश्येत तत्र ह । अनेके गजसाहस्रा भिन्ना अश्वाः समंततः
On the ground and in every direction, those arrows could be seen, and nothing else; countless elephants were split, and horses all around were struck down.
रथारथियुतास्तेन छिन्ना भिन्ना द्विधाकृताः । शोणितौघा सरित्तत्र प्रसुस्राव रणांगणे
Chariots and their warriors were cut down, broken, and split in two; torrents of blood flowed like rivers upon the battlefield.
यत्रोन्मदा हि मातंगा दृश्यंते शैलशृंगवत् । केशाः शैवाललक्ष्यास्ते मुहुः प्राणिशिरः स्थिताः
There, maddened elephants could be seen like mountain peaks; their manes, marked by ashes, repeatedly appeared upon the heads of living beings.
अनेके पाणयश्छिन्ना वीराणां मुद्रिकाश्रियः । दृश्यंते अहिवत्तत्र चंदनादिकरूषिताः
Many severed hands of heroes, adorned with rings, could be seen there, stained with sandalwood and other ointments, lying like serpents.