शेष उवाच। इति वाक्येन संतुष्टा जानकी शुभलक्षणा । सर्वं प्रादादस्त्रवृंदं जयाशीर्भिर्नियुज्यतम्
Shesha said: Thus, pleased by his words, Janaki, auspicious in marks, gave him all the weapons, and sent him forth with blessings for victory.
प्रयाहि पुत्र संग्रामं लवं मोचय मूर्च्छितम् । इत्याज्ञप्तः कुशः संख्ये कवची कुंडली बली
Go, my son, to battle, and free Lava, who has fallen unconscious; thus commanded, Kusha, strong, donned armor and earrings.
मुकुटी करवाली च चर्मधारी धनुर्धरः । अक्षयाविषुधी कृत्वा स्कंधयोः सिंहवीर्ययोः
He put on a crown, took up the sword, bore a shield, and grasped the bow; making inexhaustible quivers on his lion-like shoulders.
जगाम तरसा नत्वा मातृपादौ रथाग्रणीः । वेगेन यावद्युद्धाय गच्छति क्षिप्रमाहवे
He, leader of chariots, swiftly went, bowing to his mother's feet; as he hurried to the battle with speed, eager for the fight.
तावद्ददर्श स्वलवं वैरिवृंदनिपातकम् । आयांतं तं कुशं वीरा ददृशुः सुमहाभटाः
At that moment, they saw Svalava, the destroyer of enemy hosts, approaching; the mighty warriors beheld Kuśa coming.
कृतांतमिव संहर्तुं सर्वं विश्वमुपस्थितम् । लवो महाबलं दृष्ट्वा कुशं भ्रातरमागतम्
Seeing Kuśa, his brother, of immense strength, arriving as if to bring an end to all creation, Lava stood ready.
अत्यंतं वह्निवद्युद्धे दिदीपे वायुना समम् । रथादुन्मुच्य चात्मानं युद्धाय स विनिर्गतः
In battle, he shone intensely like fire, together with the wind; leaping from his chariot, he advanced for combat.
कुशः सर्वान्रणस्थान्वै वीरान्पूर्वदिशि क्षिपत् । पश्चिमायां दिशि लवः कोपात्सर्वान्समैरयत्
Kuśa hurled all the warriors standing in the battlefield toward the eastern direction; out of anger, Lava drove them all toward the west.
कुशबाणव्यथाव्याप्ता लवसायकपीडिताः । सैन्ये जना मुने सर्वे उत्कल्लोलांबुधिभ्रमाः ४७ उत्कल। कुशेन च लवेनाथ शरव्रातैः प्रपीडितम् । न शर्म लेभे सकलं सैन्यं वीरप्रपूरितम्
All the people in the army, O sage, afflicted by Kuśa's arrows and tormented by Lava's shafts, were like waves in a stormy ocean; the army, overwhelmed by the showers of arrows from Kuśa and Lava, found no peace, though filled with valiant men.
इतस्ततः प्रभग्नं तद्बलं त्रस्तं पुनः पुनः । न कुत्रचिद्रणे स्थित्वा युद्धमैच्छद्बलान्वितः
That force was repeatedly broken and terrified, fleeing here and there; nowhere in battle did it stand, nor did it desire to fight, though possessing strength.
एतस्मिन्समये राजा शत्रुघ्नः परतापनः । कुशं वीरं ययौ योद्धुं तादृशं लवसन्निभम्
At that time, King Śatrughna, the tormentor of foes, went to fight with the heroic Kuśa, who was equal to Lava.
कुशं दृष्ट्वा बलाक्रांतं राममूर्तिसमप्रभम् । रथे तिष्ठन्हेममये जगाद परवीरहा
Seeing Kuśa, possessed of strength and radiant like the form of Rāma, Śatrughna, standing in his golden chariot, spoke, the slayer of enemy heroes.
शत्रुघ्न उवाच। कोऽसि त्वं सन्निभो भ्रात्रा लवेन सुमहाबलः । किं नामासि महावीर कस्ते तातः क्व ते प्रसूः
Śatrughna said: Who are you, resembling your brother Lava and possessed of great strength? What is your name, mighty hero? Who is your father, and where is your birthplace?
कथं वने द्विजैर्जुष्टे तिष्ठसि त्वं नरर्षभ । सर्वं शंस यथायुध्ये त्वया सह महाबल
How do you, O best among men, dwell in this forest frequented by sages? Tell me everything, so that I may fight with you, O mighty one.
इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य कुशः प्रोवाच भूमिपम् । मेघगंभीरया वाचा नादयन्रणमंडलम्
Hearing these words, Kuśa spoke to the king, his voice deep as a cloud, resounding throughout the battlefield.
केवलं सुषुवे सीता पतिव्रतपरायणा । वने वसावो वाल्मीकेश्चरणार्चनतत्परौ
Only Sītā, devoted to her husband, gave birth to us; we lived in the forest, dedicated to worship at the feet of Vālmīki.
मातृसेवासमुद्युक्तौ सर्वविद्याविशारदौ । कुशो लव इति प्रख्यामागतौ भूपतेऽनघ
Engaged in service to our mother and skilled in all knowledge, we are known as Kuśa and Lava, O sinless king.
कस्त्वं वीरो रणश्लाघी किमर्थं हयसत्तमः । मुक्तोऽस्ति समरे त्वद्य जेतासि बलसंयुतः
Who are you, heroic and proud of battle? For what purpose, O best of horses, have you been released in combat today, equipped with strength to conquer?
युध्यस्व त्वं मया सार्द्धं यदि वीरोऽसि भूमिप । इदानीं पातयिष्यामि भवंतं रणमूर्धनि
Fight with me, O king, if you are a hero; now I will bring you down on the battlefield.
शत्रुघ्नस्तं सुतं ज्ञात्वा सीताया रामसंभवम् । विसिष्माय स्वयं चित्ते कोपाद्धनुरुपाददत्
Śatrughna, recognizing him as Sītā's son, born of Rāma, was astonished in his heart; out of anger, he took up his bow.
तमात्तधनुषं दृष्ट्वा कुशः कोपसमन्वितः । विस्फारयामास धनुः स्वीयं सुदृढमुत्तमम्
Seeing him with his bow in hand, Kuśa, filled with wrath, drew his own excellent and sturdy bow.
मुमोच बाणान्निशिताञ्छत्रुघ्नः सर्वशस्त्रवित् । तांश्चिच्छेद कुशः सर्वांल्लीलया प्रहसन्रणे
Śatrughna, master of all weapons, released sharp arrows; Kuśa, laughing in battle, effortlessly cut them all.
बाणाश्च शतसाहस्राः कुशस्य च नृपस्य च । भुवनं व्याप्नुवन्सर्वं तच्चित्रमभवन्मुने
Hundreds of thousands of arrows from Kuśa and the king filled the whole world, O sage; that was indeed a marvelous sight.
अग्न्यस्त्रेण कुशः सर्वान्ददाह तरसा बली । शमयामास तं भूपः पर्जन्यास्त्रेण वीर्यवान्
Kuśa, powerful and swift, burned everything with the weapon of fire; the valiant king subdued it with the weapon of rain.
शमयामास तं भूपो वायव्येनातिविक्रमः । तदा वायुरभूत्तीव्रः सर्वतो रणमंडले । पर्वतास्त्रेण तं वायुं क्षोभयंतं समावृणोत्
The exceedingly mighty king subdued that weapon with the wind weapon; then, in the circle of battle, a fierce wind arose everywhere, which he covered with the mountain weapon as it agitated all around.
वज्रास्त्रेण नृपः संख्ये चिच्छेद सनगोपलान् । तदा नारायणास्त्रं स मुमोच कुश उद्भटः । नारायणं तदा भूपं नाशकत्परिबाधितुम्
In the battle, the king cut down the mountains along with their herdsmen with the thunderbolt weapon; then Kuśa, formidable, released the Nārāyaṇa weapon, but it could not harm the king.
तदा प्रकुपितोऽत्यतं कुशः कोपपरायणः । उवाच भूपं शत्रुघ्नं महाबलपराक्रमम्
Then Kuśa, exceedingly enraged and absorbed in wrath, spoke to the king Śatrughna, who was endowed with great strength and valor.
जानामि त्वां महावीरं संग्रामे जयकारिणम् । यत्त्वां नारायणास्त्रं मे न बबाधे भयानकम्
I know you, great hero, victorious in battle; that even my fearsome Nārāyaṇa weapon could not harm you.
इदानीं पातयाम्यद्य भूमौ त्वां नृपते शरैः । त्रिभिश्चेन्नकरोम्येतत्प्रतिज्ञां तर्हि मे शृणु
Now, O king, today I will bring you down to the earth with arrows; if I do not accomplish this with three, then hear my vow.
यो मनुष्यवपुः प्राप्य दुर्लभं पुण्यकोटिभिः । तन्नाद्रियेत संमोहात्तस्य मेस्त्वत्र पातकम्
Whoever, having attained a human body—which is difficult to obtain even with millions of merits—does not value it out of delusion, for him, I declare, there is fault here.