बालोऽयमिति विज्ञाय न चावज्ञातुमर्हसि। बालो वा यदि वा वृद्धो मृत्युं जानीहि संयुगे
Do not look down on me, thinking I am a boy; whether young or old, know that death awaits in battle.
बालेन विष्णुना लोकास्त्रयः क्रान्तास्त्रिविक्रमैः। लक्ष्मणस्य वचः श्रुत्वा हेतुमत् परमार्थवत्। अतिकायः प्रचुक्रोध बाणं चोत्तममाददे
By a boy, Viṣṇu, the three worlds were traversed in three strides; hearing Lakṣmaṇa's words, full of reason and truth, Atikāya grew furious and took up an excellent arrow.
ततो विद्याधरा भूता देवा दैत्या महर्षयः। गुह्यकाश्च महात्मानस्तद् युद्धं द्रष्टुमागमन्
Then, Vidyādharas, Bhūtas, gods, demons, great sages, and mighty spirits came to witness that battle.
ततोऽतिकायः कुपितश्चापमारोप्य सायकम्। लक्ष्मणाय प्रचिक्षेप संक्षिपन्निव चाम्बरम्
Then Atikāya, enraged, fitted an arrow to his bow and released it at Lakṣmaṇa, as if contracting the very sky.
तमापतन्तं निशितं शरमाशीविषोपमम्। अर्धचन्द्रेण चिच्छेद लक्ष्मणः परवीरहा
That sharp arrow, rushing forth like a venomous serpent, was cut down by Lakṣmaṇa, the destroyer of enemies, with a crescent-headed shaft.
तं निकृत्तं शरं दृष्ट्वा कृत्तभोगमिवोरगम्। अतिकायो भृशं क्रुद्धः पञ्च बाणान् समादधे
Seeing his arrow severed, like a snake with its hood cut off, Atikāya, greatly enraged, took up five more arrows.
तान् शरान् सम्प्रचिक्षेप लक्ष्मणाय निशाचरः। तानप्राप्तान् शितैर्बाणैश्चिच्छेद भरतानुजः
That night-stalker released those arrows at Lakṣmaṇa, but Bharata's younger brother cut them down with his own sharp shafts before they could reach him.
स तान् छित्त्वा शितैर्बाणैर्लक्ष्मणः परवीरहा। आददे निशितं बाणं ज्वलन्तमिव तेजसा
Having cut down those arrows with his own sharp shafts, Lakṣmaṇa, destroyer of enemies, took up a blazing, keen arrow.
पूर्णायतविसृष्टेन शरेण नतपर्वणा। ललाटे राक्षसश्रेष्ठमाजघान स वीर्यवान्
With a full-drawn, curved arrow, he struck the foremost of the rākṣasas on the forehead, displaying his valor.
स ललाटे शरो मग्नस्तस्य भीमस्य रक्षसः। ददृशे शोणितेनाक्तः पन्नगेन्द्र इवाचले
That arrow, embedded in the forehead of the fierce rākṣasa, appeared, drenched in blood, like the king of serpents on a mountain.
राक्षसः प्रचकम्पेऽथ लक्ष्मणेषु प्रपीडितः। रुद्रबाणहतं घोरं यथा त्रिपुरगोपुरम्
The rākṣasa trembled, tormented by Lakṣmaṇa's arrows, like the dreadful fortress of Tripura struck by Rudra's shaft.
चिन्तयामास चाश्वास्य विमृश्य च महाबलः। साधु बाणनिपातेन श्लाघनीयोऽसि मे रिपुः
The mighty one, regaining his composure and reflecting, thought: 'Well done! By this shower of arrows, my enemy is worthy of praise.'
विधायैवं विदार्यास्यं नियम्य च महाभुजौ। स रथोपस्थमास्थाय रथेन प्रचचार ह
Having thus steadied himself, controlling his mighty arms and mounting the chariot platform, he moved about with his chariot.
एवं त्रीन् पञ्च सप्तेति सायकान् राक्षसर्षभः। आददे संदधे चापि विचकर्षोत्ससर्ज च
In this way, the foremost of rākṣasas took up, fitted, drew, and released three, five, and then seven arrows.
ते बाणाः कालसंकाशा राक्षसेन्द्रधनुश्च्युताः। हेमपुङ्खा रविप्रख्याश्चक्रुर्दीप्तमिवाम्बरम्
Those arrows, like the very embodiment of death, shot from the rākṣasa lord's bow, with golden feathers and shining like the sun, made the sky appear ablaze.
ततस्तान् राक्षसोत्सृष्टान् शरौघान् राघवानुजः। असम्भ्रान्तः प्रचिच्छेद निशितैर्बहुभिः शरैः
Then Rāghava’s younger brother, undisturbed, cut down those torrents of arrows released by the rākṣasa with many sharp arrows.
तान् शरान् युधि सम्प्रेक्ष्य निकृत्तान् रावणात्मजः। चुकोप त्रिदशेन्द्रारिर्जग्राह निशितं शरम्
Seeing his arrows cut down in battle, Rāvaṇa’s son, the enemy of the gods, grew enraged and seized a sharp arrow.
स संधाय महातेजास्तं बाणं सहसोत्सृजत्। तेन सौमित्रिमायान्तमाजघान स्तनान्तरे
That mighty and radiant warrior fitted the arrow to his bow and swiftly released it, striking Saumitri as he approached, in the chest.
अतिकायेन सौमित्रिस्ताडितो युधि वक्षसि। सुस्राव रुधिरं तीव्रं मदं मत्त इव द्विपः
Struck in the chest in battle by Atikāya, Saumitri shed a torrent of blood, like a maddened elephant exuding ichor.
स चकार तदात्मानं विशल्यं सहसा विभुः। जग्राह च शरं तीक्ष्णमस्त्रेणापि समाददे
At that moment, the great Saumitri quickly made himself arrowless, seized a sharp arrow, and invoked a missile weapon.
आग्नेयेन तदास्त्रेण योजयामास सायकम्। स जज्वाल तदा बाणो धनुष्यस्य महात्मनः
Then, with the missile of fire, he prepared his arrow; that arrow blazed forth on the bow of the great-souled one.
अतिकायोऽतितेजस्वी रौद्रमस्त्रं समाददे। तेन बाणं भुजङ्गाभं हेमपुङ्खमयोजयत्
Atikāya, of immense energy, took up a fierce missile and fitted to it an arrow like a serpent, with a golden shaft.
तदस्त्रं ज्वलितं घोरं लक्ष्मणः शरमाहितम्। अतिकायाय चिक्षेप कालदण्डमिवान्तकः
Lakṣmaṇa hurled that blazing, dreadful missile-charged arrow at Atikāya, like Death casting the rod of destruction.
आग्नेयास्त्राभिसंयुक्तं दृष्ट्वा बाणं निशाचरः। उत्ससर्ज तदा बाणं रौद्रं सूर्यास्त्रयोजितम्
Seeing the arrow charged with the missile of fire, the night-stalker then released a fierce arrow equipped with the missile of the sun.
तावुभावम्बरे बाणावन्योन्यमभिजघ्नतुः। तेजसा सम्प्रदीप्ताग्रौ क्रुद्धाविव भुजङ्गमौ
Both those arrows clashed in the sky, striking each other, their tips blazing with energy, like two enraged serpents.
तावन्योन्यं विनिर्दह्य पेततुः पृथिवीतले
Burning each other up, the two fell to the earth.
निरर्चिषौ भस्मकृतौ न भ्राजेते शरोत्तमौ। तावुभौ दीप्यमानौ स्म न भ्राजेते महीतले
No longer flaming, reduced to ashes, those two excellent arrows did not shine; both, though blazing, did not gleam upon the earth.
ततोऽतिकायः संक्रुद्धस्त्वाष्ट्रमैषीकमुत्सृजत्। ततश्चिच्छेद सौमित्रिरस्त्रमैन्द्रेण वीर्यवान्
Then Atikāya, enraged, released the Tvaṣṭṛ’s reed missile; but Saumitri, strong in valor, cut it down with the Indra missile.
ऐषीकं निहतं दृष्ट्वा कुमारो रावणात्मजः। याम्येनास्त्रेण संक्रुद्धो योजयामास सायकम्
Seeing the reed missile destroyed, the prince, son of Rāvaṇa, furious, fitted an arrow with the Yama missile.
ततस्तदस्त्रं चिक्षेप लक्ष्मणाय निशाचरः। वायव्येन तदस्त्रेण निजघान स लक्ष्मणः
Then the night-stalker hurled that missile at Lakṣmaṇa, but Lakṣmaṇa struck it down with the wind missile.