ते बाणवर्षविहता रणमध्ये सुकोपनाः । केचित्पलायिताः केचिन्मुमुहुर्युद्धमंडले
Struck down by the rain of arrows in the midst of battle, some, enraged, fled, while others became bewildered on the field of war.
तावत्स राजा शत्रुघ्नो मूर्च्छां संत्यज्य संगरे । लवं प्रायान्महावीरं योद्धुं बलसमन्वितः
Then King Shatrughna, having shaken off his faintness in the fight, advanced with his forces to engage the mighty Lava.
आगत्य तं लवं प्राह धन्योसि शिशुसन्निभः । न बालस्त्वं सुरः कश्चिच्छलितुं मां समागतः
Approaching Lava, he said: 'Fortunate are you, though you appear as a mere child; you are no boy, but some god who has come to deceive me.'
केनापि नहि वीरेण पातितो रणमंडले । त्वयाहं प्रापितो मूर्च्छां समक्षं मम पश्यतः
No hero has ever cast me down on the battlefield; yet you have brought me to unconsciousness, right before my own eyes.
इदानीं पश्य मे वीर्यं त्वां संख्ये पातयाम्यहम् । सहस्व बाणमेकं त्वं मापलायस्व बालक
Now witness my valor—I shall strike you down in this contest. Endure a single arrow from me, boy, and do not flee.
इत्युक्त्वा समरे बालं शरमेकं समाददे । यमवक्त्रसमं घोरं लवणो येन घातितः
Having spoken thus, he took up a single arrow in battle, one as dreadful as the jaws of Death, by which Lavana had been slain.
संधाय बाणं जाज्वल्यं हृदि भेत्तुं मनो दधत् । लवं वीरसहस्राणां वह्निवत्सर्वदाहकम्
Fitting the blazing arrow, intent on piercing Lava's heart, he aimed it—an arrow that could burn up thousands of heroes like fire.
तं बाणं प्रज्वलंतं स द्योतयंतं दिशो दश । दृष्ट्वा सस्मार बलिनं कुशं वैरिनिपातिनम्
Seeing that flaming arrow, lighting up the ten directions, Lava remembered his powerful brother Kusha, the destroyer of enemies.
यद्यस्मिन्समये वीरो भ्राता स्याद्बलवान्मम । तदा शत्रुघ्नवशता न मे स्याद्भयमुल्बणम्
'If at this moment my mighty brother were here, then I would have no great fear of Shatrughna's power.'
एवं तर्कयतस्तस्य लवस्य च महात्मनः । हृदि लग्नो महाबाणो घोरः कालानलोपमः
While the high-souled Lava was thinking thus, the terrible arrow, like the fire of destruction, struck and lodged in his heart.
मूर्च्छां प्राप तदा वीरो भूपसायकसंहतः । संगरे सर्ववीराणां शिरोभिः समलंकृते
Then the hero, struck by the king's arrow, fell unconscious on the battlefield, which was adorned with the heads of all the warriors.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पातालखण्डे शेषवात्स्यायनसंवादे रामाश्वमेधे लवमूर्च्छानाम द्विषष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixty-second chapter, called 'The Fainting of Lava,' in the dialogue of Shesha and Vatsyayana, in the Patala Khanda of the glorious Padma Purana, concerning Rama's Ashvamedha.
शेष उवाच। लवं विमूर्च्छितं दृष्ट्वा बलिवैरिविदारणम् । शत्रुघ्नो जयमापेदे रणमूर्ध्नि महाबलः
Shesha said: Seeing Lava, the destroyer of mighty foes, fallen unconscious, the powerful Shatrughna gained victory at the height of battle.
लवं बालं रथे स्थाप्य शिरस्त्राणाद्यलंकृतम् । रामप्रतिनिधिं मूर्त्या ततो गंतुमियेष सः
Placing the boy Lava, adorned with a helmet, upon his chariot as Rama's representative in form, he then set out to depart.
स्वमित्रं शत्रुणा ग्रस्तमिति दुःखसमन्विताः । बालामात्रेऽस्य सीतायै त्वरिताः संन्यवेदयन्
His friends, filled with grief that their companion had been seized by the enemy, quickly reported to Sita that her child had been captured.
बाला ऊचुः। मातर्जानकि ते पुत्रो बलाद्वाहमपाहरत् । कस्यचिद्भूपवर्यस्य बलयुक्तस्य मानिनः
The boys said: 'Mother Janaki, your son has been forcibly taken by a certain proud and powerful king.'
ततो युद्धमभूद्घोरं तस्य सैन्येन जानकि । तदा वीरेण पुत्रेण तव सर्वं निपातितम्
Then there was a fierce battle with that king's army, O Janaki, and your heroic son destroyed them all.
पश्चादपि जयं प्राप्तः सुतस्तव मनोहरः । तं भूपं मूर्छितं कृत्वा जयमाप रणांगणे
Even afterwards, your charming son won victory, having caused that king to fall unconscious and triumphed on the field of war.
ततो मूर्च्छां विहायैष राजा परमदारुणः । संकुप्य पातयामास तव पुत्रं रणांगणे
Then, casting off his faintness, that king, exceedingly cruel, became enraged and struck down your son on the battlefield.
अस्माभिर्वारितः पूर्वं मा गृहाण हयोत्तमम् । अस्मान्सर्वांश्च धिक्कृत्य ब्राह्मणान्वेदपारगान्
We had previously warned him: 'Do not seize the excellent horse.' Disregarding all of us, the Brahmins learned in the Vedas, he scorned us.
इति वाक्यं शिशूनां सा समाकर्ण्य सुदारुणम् । पपात भूतलोपस्थे दुःखयुक्ता रुरोद ह
Hearing these harsh words spoken by the children, she, overwhelmed by sorrow, fell to the ground and wept.
सीतोवाच। कथं नृपो दयाहीनो बालेन सह युध्यति । अधर्मकृतदुर्बुद्धिर्यो मद्बालं न्यपातयत्
Sita spoke: How can a king devoid of compassion fight against a child? He, acting unrighteously and with evil intent, has struck down my boy.
लव वीरभवान्कुत्र वर्ततेऽति बलान्वितः । कथं त्वं निष्कृपस्याहो राज्ञोऽहार्षीद्धयोत्तमम्
Where is Lava, endowed with heroic strength? How did you, alas, bring the excellent horse to the merciless king?
त्वं बालस्ते दुराक्रांताः सर्वशस्त्रविशारदाः । रथस्था विरथस्त्वं वै कथं युद्धं समं भवेत्
You are a child, while they are all experts in weapons and difficult to overcome. You were on foot, they in chariots—how could the battle have been equal?
ताताहं तु त्वया सार्द्धं रामत्यागासुखं जहौ । इदानीं रहिता युष्मत्कथं जीवामि कानने
My dear, together with you I abandoned the comfort of Rama's home; now, bereft of you, how shall I live in the forest?
एहि मां मुंच यज्ञाश्वं गच्छत्वेष महीपतिः । मद्दुःखं नाभिजानासि मम दुःखप्रमार्जकः
Come to me, release the sacrificial horse; let the king depart. He does not know my sorrow, nor is he the remover of my grief.
कुशो यद्यभविष्यत्स रणे वीरशिरोमणिः । अमोचयिष्यदधुना भवंतं भूपपार्श्वतः
If Kusha, the foremost among warriors, had been present in battle, he would have freed you from the king's side by now.
सोऽपि मद्दैवतो नास्ति समीपे किं करोम्यतः । दैवमेव ममाप्यत्र कारणं दुःखसंभवे
But even my own deity is not near me—what can I do now? Fate alone is the cause of my suffering here.
एवमादि बहुश्रीमत्येषा वै विललाप ह । पादांगुष्ठेन लिखती भूमिं नेत्रद्वयाश्रुभिः
Thus, in many ways, this noble lady lamented, tracing the earth with her toe, her two eyes streaming with tears.
बालान्प्रति जगादासौ पृथुकः स च भूपतिः । कथं मत्सुतमापात्य रणे कुत्र गमिष्यति
Addressing the children, the king Pṛthuka spoke: 'After striking down my son in battle, where will he go?'