पालयात्मानमाजिस्थं मच्छराघातपीडितः । पतिष्यसि महीपृष्ठे रुधिरेण परिप्लुतः
Protect yourself, standing in battle, afflicted by the blows of my arrows; you will fall upon the earth, drenched in blood.
एवमुक्तं समाकर्ण्य पुष्कलः कोपसंयुतः । रणे संयोधयामास लवं वीरं महाबलम्
Hearing these words, Puṣkala, filled with anger, engaged in battle with Lava, the mighty hero.
लवः प्रकुपितो बाणं तीक्ष्णं वैरिविदारणम् । जग्राह लवतः कोशादाशीविषमिव क्रुधा
Lava, enraged, took a sharp arrow, meant to tear the enemy, from his quiver, like a venomous serpent in wrath.
जाज्वल्यमानः सशरश्चापमुक्तो लवस्य च । हृदयं भेत्तुमुद्युक्तश्छिन्नो भारतिनाशु सः
Blazing, with arrow released from the bow, Lava was ready to pierce the heart, but it was swiftly cut by Bhārata.
छिन्ने भारतिना संख्ये शरेण प्राणहारिणा । अत्यंतं कुपितो घोरं शरमन्यं समाददे
When Bhārata cut it in battle with a life-taking arrow, Lava, extremely enraged, took up another terrible arrow.
आकर्णाकृष्टचापेन स मुक्तो निशितः शरः । बिभेद हृदयं तस्य पुष्कलस्य महारणे
With the bow drawn to his ear, he released the sharp arrow, and in the great battle pierced the heart of Puṣkala.
भिन्नो वक्षसि वीरेण सायकेनाशुगामिना । पपात धरणीपृष्ठे महाशूरशिरोमणिः
Struck in the chest by the swift-flying arrow of the hero, the foremost among great warriors fell to the earth.
पतितं तं समालोक्य पुष्कलं पवनात्मजः । गृहीत्वा राघवभ्रात्रे ददौ मूर्च्छासमन्वितम्
Seeing Puṣkala fallen, the son of the Wind took him, unconscious, and brought him to Rāma's brother.
मूर्च्छितं तं समालोक्य शोकविह्वलमानसः । हनूमंतं लवं हंतुं निदिदेश क्रुधान्वितः
Seeing him unconscious and his mind overcome with grief, Hanuman, filled with anger, was ordered to slay Lava.
हनूमान्क्रोधसंप्लुष्टो लवं संख्ये महाबलम् । विजेतुं तरसा प्रागाद्वृक्षमुद्यम्य शाल्मलिम्
Hanuman, ablaze with wrath, advanced swiftly in battle to conquer the mighty Lava, raising a śālmalī tree.
वृक्षेण हतवान्मूर्ध्नि लवस्य हनुमान्बली । तमापतंतं तरसा चिच्छेद शतधा लवः
Hanuman, powerful, struck Lava on the head with the tree, but Lava, rushing forward, cut it into a hundred pieces with force.
छिन्ने नगे पुनः कोपाद्वृक्षानुत्पाट्य मूलतः । ताडयामास हृदये मस्तके च महाबलः
When the tree was cut, Hanuman, enraged, uprooted other trees from their roots and struck Lava on the chest and head with great might.
यान्यान्वृक्षान्समाहृत्याताडयत्पवनात्मजः । तांस्तांश्चिच्छेद तरसा बलवान्नतपर्वभिः
Whatever other trees the Wind's son gathered and struck with, the strong Lava swiftly cut all of them apart with his curved arrows.
तदा शिलाः समुत्पाट्य गंडशैलोपमाः कपिः । पातयामास शिरसि क्षिप्रवेगेन मारुतिः
Then Hanuman, like a mountain, uprooted great boulders and hurled them with rapid force at Lava's head.
स आहतः शिलासंघैः संख्ये कोदंडमुन्नयन् । बाणैस्ताश्चूर्णयामास यंत्रिकाभिर्यथा कणाः
Struck in battle by the mass of rocks, Lava raised his bow and shattered them all with arrows, as a machine grinds grains.
तदात्यंतं प्रकुपितो मारुतिः पुच्छवेष्टनम् । चकार समरोपांते लवस्य बलिनः कृती
Then, exceedingly enraged, Hanuman, the son of the Wind, at the end of the fight, wrapped his tail around the powerful Lava.
स्वं पुच्छेन समाविद्धं वीक्ष्य स्वांबां हृदि स्मरन् । मुष्टिना ताडयामास लांगूलं मारुतेर्बली
Seeing himself bound by his own tail and remembering his mother in his heart, the mighty Lava struck Hanuman's tail with his fist.
तन्मुष्टिघातव्यथितो मारुतिस्तममूमुचत् । स मुक्तः पुच्छतो युद्धे शरान्मुंचन्नभूद्बली
Afflicted by the pain of that blow, Hanuman released him; freed from the tail in battle, the strong Lava began to shoot arrows.
दुर्वारशरघातेन संपीडिततनुः कपिः । बाणवर्षं मन्यमानो दुःसहं समरे बहु
Oppressed in body by the unbearable shower of arrows, Hanuman, considering the rain of arrows in battle to be intolerable, thought deeply.
किंकर्तव्यमितोऽस्माभिः पलाय्य यदि गम्यते । तदा मे स्वामिनो लज्जा ताडयेद्बालकोऽत्र माम्
What should I do now? If I flee from here, then I will be shamed before my master, and this boy will strike me here.
ब्रह्मदत्तवरत्वात्तु मूर्च्छा न मरणं नहि । दुःसहा बाणपीडात्र किं कर्तव्यं मयाधुना
Because of the boon granted by Brahma, I cannot die, only lose consciousness; but the torment of these arrows is unbearable—what should I do now?
शत्रुघ्नः समरे गत्वा जयं प्राप्नोतु बालकात् । अहं तावज्जयाकांक्षी शये कपटमूर्च्छया
Let Shatrughna go to battle and win victory from the boy; for now, desiring victory, I will lie down, feigning unconsciousness.
इत्येवं मानसे कृत्वा पपात रणमंडले । पश्यतां सर्ववीराणां कपटेन विमूर्च्छितः
Thus resolving in his mind, he fell on the battlefield, feigning unconsciousness before the eyes of all the warriors.
तं मूर्च्छितं समाज्ञाय हनूमंतं महाबलम् । जघान सर्वान्नृपतीञ्छरमोक्षविचक्षणः
Recognizing Hanuman as unconscious, the mighty and skilled archer began to strike down all the kings with arrows.
शेष उवाच। मूर्च्छितं मारुतिं श्रुत्वा शत्रुघ्नः शोकमाययौ । किंकर्तव्यं मया संख्ये बालकोऽयं महाबलः
Śeṣa said: Hearing that Māruti had fallen unconscious, Śatrughna was overcome with grief. In this battle, what should I do? This boy is mighty indeed.
स्वयं रथे हेममये तिष्ठन्वीरवरैः सह । योद्धुं प्रागाल्लवो यत्र विचित्ररणकोविदः
Standing himself upon a golden chariot, together with the foremost heroes, Lava—skilled in wondrous warfare—advanced to fight.
लवं ददर्श शिशुतां प्राप्तं राममिव क्षितौ । धनुर्बाणकरं वीरान्क्षिपंतं रणमूर्धनि
He saw Lava, though still a child, resembling Rāma upon the earth, holding bow and arrows, casting down heroes at the height of battle.
विचारयामास तदा कोऽयं रामस्वरूपधृक् । नीलोत्पलदलश्यामं वपुर्बिभ्रन्मनोहरम्
Then he pondered: Who is this, bearing the form of Rāma, with a charming body dark as a blue lotus petal?
एष वै देहतनुजा सुतो भवति नान्यथा । अस्मान्विजित्य समरे यास्यते मृगराडिव
Surely, he is the son born of that very body—there is no doubt. Having conquered us in battle, he will depart like a lion among beasts.
अस्माकं नो जयो भाव्यः शक्त्या विरहितात्मनाम् । अशक्ताः किं करिष्यामः समरे रणकोविदाः
Victory will not be ours, for we are deprived of strength. Though skilled in war, what can we do in battle when powerless?