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.
सावधानो भवानत्र भवतु प्रधनांगणे । पातयामि क्षितौ सद्य इत्युक्त्वा स्वशरासने
Be attentive here in the main arena of battle; I will bring you down to the ground at once—so saying, he took up his bow.
शरं संरोपयामास घोरं कालानलप्रभम् । लक्षीकृत्य रिपोर्वक्षो विपुलं कठिनं महत्
He fitted a terrible arrow, blazing like the fire of destruction, aiming at the broad, hard, and mighty chest of his enemy.
तं संधितं शरं दृष्ट्वा शत्रुघ्नः कोपमूर्च्छितः । मुमोच बाणान्निशितान्कुशत्वग्भेदकारकान्
Seeing that arrow fitted, Śatrughna, overcome with anger, released sharp arrows capable of piercing Kuśa's skin.
स बाणो हृदयं तस्य भेत्तुं तत्प्रचचाल वै । घोररूपो वह्निसमआशीविषवदुच्छ्वसन्
That arrow moved forward to pierce his heart, terrifying in form, blazing like fire, hissing like a venomous serpent.
स बाणो नृपवर्येण रामं स्मृत्वाशुलक्षितः । चिच्छेद कुशमुक्तं स सायकं शितपर्वकम्
Then the foremost king, remembering Rāma and taking aim, cut down that sharp-feathered arrow released by Kuśa.
तदात्यंतं प्रकुपितः कुशो बाणस्य कृंतनात् । अपरं सायकं चापे दधार शितपर्वकम्
Then Kuśa, extremely enraged by the cutting of his arrow, placed another sharp-feathered arrow on his bow.
स यावत्तदुरो भेत्तुं करोति च बलोद्धुरः । तं तावदच्छिनत्तस्य शरं कालानलप्रभम्
As the powerful Kuśa was about to release it to pierce his foe, that blazing arrow was cut down at once.
तदा कुशो मातृपादौ स्मृत्वा रोषसमन्वितः । तृतीयं चापके स्वीये दधार शरमद्भुतम्
Then Kuśa, filled with anger and remembering his mother's feet, placed a wondrous third arrow on his own bow.
शत्रुघ्नस्तमपि क्षिप्रं च्छेत्तुं बाणं समाददे । तावद्विद्धः शरेणासौ पपात धरणीतले
Śatrughna quickly took up an arrow to cut that one as well, but he was struck by the arrow and fell to the ground.
हाहाकारो महानासीच्छत्रुघ्ने विनिपातिते । जयमापकुशस्तत्र स्वबाहुबलदर्पितः
A great cry of 'Alas!' arose when Śatrughna fell; there Kuśa, proud of the strength of his own arms, claimed victory.