यद्यहं मनसा वाचा कर्मणा कुतुकान्वितः । भजामि रामं तर्ह्याशु दर्शयिष्यति स्वां तनुम्
'If with mind, speech, or action, filled with longing, I worship Rāma, then he will quickly reveal his own form.'
अन्यथा हनुमन्मुख्या वीरा बध्नंतु मां बलात् । गृह्णंतु वाहं तरसा रामभक्तिसमन्विताः
'Otherwise, let the foremost heroes among the monkeys bind me by force, or let them seize me swiftly, filled with devotion to Rāma.'
गच्छ त्वं नृप शत्रुघ्नं कथयस्व ममोदितम् । सज्जीभवंतु सुभटा एष यामि रणे बली
'Go, O king, to Śatrughna and tell him what I have said. Let the warriors be ready; I am going to the battle, strong in might.'
स विचार्य यथायुक्तं करिष्यति रणांगणे । मोचयंतु महावाहं न वामा मा ददंतु ते
'He will consider properly and act in the field of battle. Release the great mount; do not give it to your left side.'
शेष उवाच। इति श्रुत्वास्मि तं कृत्वा ययौ वीरो यतो नृपः । गत्वा निवेदयामास यथोक्तं सुरथेन वै
Śeṣa said: Having heard this, and having done as instructed, the hero went to where the king was; arriving there, he reported to him exactly as Suratha had said.
शेष उवाच। तच्छ्रुत्वा भाषितं तस्य सुरथस्यांगदाननात् । सज्जीभूता रणे सर्वे रथस्था रणकोविदाः
Śeṣa said: Hearing the words of Suratha, spoken through Aṅgada, all the chariot-borne warriors, skilled in battle, became ready for war.
पटहानां निनादोऽभूद्भेरीनादस्तथैव च । वीराणां गर्जनानादाः प्रादुर्भूता रणांगणे
The sound of war drums arose, as did the blare of trumpets; the roars and shouts of the heroes resounded on the battlefield.
रथचीत्कारशब्देन गजानां बृंहितेन च । व्याप्तं तत्सकलं विश्वं दिवं यातो महारवः
With the noise of chariot wheels and the trumpeting of elephants, that great tumult filled the whole world, and the mighty clamor reached the heavens.
रणोत्साहेन संयुक्ता वीरा रणविशारदाः । कुर्वंति विविधान्नादान्कातरस्य भयंकरान्
The warriors, filled with the enthusiasm of battle and skilled in warfare, made various terrifying sounds to strike fear into the faint-hearted.
एवं कोलाहले वृत्ते सुरथो नाम भूमिपः । स्वसुतैः सैनिकैश्चाथ वृतः प्रायाद्रणांगणे
Amidst such tumult, the king named Suratha, surrounded by his sons and soldiers, then proceeded to the battlefield.
गजैरथैर्हयैः पत्तिव्रजैः पूर्णां तु मेदिनीम् । कुर्वन्समुद्रइव तां प्लावयन्ददृशे भटैः
With elephants, chariots, horses, and companies of infantry, he made the earth appear as if flooded by an ocean of warriors.
शंखनादेन संघुष्टं जयनादैस्तथैव च । वीक्ष्य तं प्रधनोद्युक्तं सुमतिं प्राह भूमिपः
Hearing the tumult of conch shells and victory shouts, and seeing the enemy ready for the main battle, the king spoke to Sumati.
शत्रुघ्न उवाच। एष राजा समायातो महासैन्यपरीवृतः । अत्र यत्कृत्यमस्माकं तद्वदस्व महामते
Śatrughna said: Here comes the king, surrounded by a great army; O wise one, tell us what we should do in this situation.
सुमतिरुवाच। योद्धव्यमत्र बहुभिर्वीरै रणविशारदैः । पुष्कलादिभिरत्युग्रैः सर्वशस्त्रास्त्रकोविदैः
Sumati said: Here, many mighty warriors, skilled in battle—such as Puṣkala and others, all experts in every weapon and missile—must fight.
राज्ञा सह समीरस्य पुत्रः परमशौर्यवान् । युद्धं करोतु सुबलः परयुद्धविशारदः
Let the valiant son of Samīra, strong and skilled in opposing armies, engage in battle along with the king.
शेष उवाच। इति ब्रूते महामात्यो यावत्तावन्नृपात्मजाः । रणांगणे धनूंष्यद्धा स्फारयामासुरुद्धताः
Śeṣa said: As the great minister spoke thus, the princes on the battlefield, seizing their bows, strung and drew them with force.
तान्वीक्ष्य योधाः सुबलाः पुष्कलाद्या रणोत्कटाः । अभिजग्मुः स्यंदनैः स्वैर्धनुर्बाणकरा मताः
Seeing them, the mighty warriors—Puṣkala and others, eager for battle—approached in their own chariots, holding bows and arrows.
चंपकेन महावीरः पुष्कलः परमास्त्रवित् । द्वैरथेनैव युयुधे महावीरेण शालिना
The great hero Puṣkala, master of supreme weapons, fought a duel in chariots with the mighty hero Campaka.
मोहकं योधयामास जानकिः स कुशध्वजः । रिपुंजयेन विमलो दुर्वारेण सुबाहुकः
Kuśadhvaja, son of Janaka, fought Mohaka; Vimalā faced Ripumjaya, and Subāhuka fought Durvāra.
प्रतापिना प्रतापाग्र्यो बलमोदेन चांगदः । हर्यक्षेण नीलरत्नः सहदेवेन सत्यवान्
Pratāpin, foremost in valor, fought Balamoda; Aṅgada faced Haryakṣa, Nīlaratna fought Satyavān, and Sahadeva joined the battle.
राजा वीरमणिर्भूरि देवेन युयुधे बली । असुतापेन चोग्राश्वो युयुधे बलसंयुतः
The king Vīramaṇi, powerful and abundant in might, fought Deva; Ugrāśva, endowed with strength, fought Asutāpa.
द्वैरथं तु महद्युद्धमकुर्वन्युद्धकोविदाः । सर्वे शस्त्रास्त्रकुशलाः सर्वे युद्धविशारदाः
All these experts in battle and skilled in every weapon engaged in great duels, each displaying mastery in the art of war.
एवं प्रवृत्ते संग्रामे सुरथस्य सुतैस्तदा । अत्यंतं कदनं तत्र बभूव मुनिसत्तम
As the battle thus unfolded with Suratha’s sons, O best of sages, a fierce slaughter took place there.
पुष्कलश्चंपकं प्राह किं नामासि नृपात्मज । धन्योसि यो मया सार्धं रणमध्यमुपेयिवान्
Puṣkala said to Caṃpaka: ‘What is your name, prince? Blessed are you, who have come to the midst of battle with me.’
इदानीं तिष्ठ किं यासि कथं ते जीवितं भवेत् । एहि युद्धं मया सार्धं सर्वशस्त्रास्त्रकोविद
Now stand your ground—why do you flee? How will your life be preserved? Come, fight with me, skilled in all weapons and missiles.
इत्यभिव्याहृतं तस्य श्रुत्वा राजात्मजो बली । जगाद पुष्कलं वीरो मेघगंभीरया गिरा
Hearing these words, the mighty prince replied to Puṣkala, his voice deep as thunder, O hero.
चंपक उवाच। न नाम्ना न कुलेनेदं युद्धमत्र भविष्यति । तथापि तव वक्ष्येऽहं स्वनामबलपूर्वकम्
Caṃpaka said: ‘Here, battle is not determined by name or lineage; yet, I shall tell you my name and strength as you ask.’
मम माता राघवेशो मत्पिता राघवः स्मृतः । मम बंधू रामचंद्र स्वःजनो मम राघवः
My mother is devoted to Rāghava, my father is known as Rāghava; my kin is Rāmacandra, and my people are Rāghava’s.
मन्नाम रामदासश्च सदा रामस्य सेवकः । तारयिष्यति मां युद्धे रामो भक्तकृपाकरः
My name is Rāmadāsa, always a servant of Rāma; Rāma, the ocean of compassion for his devotees, will deliver me in battle.
लोकानां मतमास्थाय प्रब्रवीमि तवाधुना । सुरथस्य सुतश्चाहं माता वीरवतीमम
Accepting the opinion of the world, I now declare to you: I am the son of Suratha, and my mother is a woman of valor.