स तु दृष्ट्वा विनिर्यान्तं बलेन महता वृतम्। राक्षसाधिपतिः श्रीमान् रावणः पुत्रमब्रवीत्
Seeing him emerge, surrounded by a great army, the illustrious king of the rakshasas, Ravana, spoke to his son.
त्वमप्रतिरथः पुत्र त्वया वै वासवो जितः। किं पुनर्मानुषं धृष्यं निहनिष्यसि राघवम्
Son, you are unmatched in battle; even Indra was defeated by you. What then is a mere mortal? You will surely slay Raghava.
तथोक्तो राक्षसेन्द्रेण प्रत्यगृह्णान्महाशिषः। ततस्त्विन्द्रजिता लङ्का सूर्यप्रतिमतेजसा
Thus addressed by the king of the rakshasas, the mighty son accepted the great blessing; then Indrajit, radiant like the sun, entered Lanka.
रराजाप्रतिवीर्येण द्यौरिवार्केण भास्वता। स सम्प्राप्य महातेजा युद्धभूमिमरिंदमः
He shone with unrivaled strength, like the sky with the blazing sun; that mighty one, destroyer of foes, reached the battlefield.
स्थापयामास रक्षांसि रथं प्रति समन्ततः। ततस्तु हुतभोक्तारं हुतभुक्सदृशप्रभः
He stationed the rakshasas all around his chariot for protection; then, with a brilliance like fire, he prepared to offer oblations.
जुहुवे राक्षसश्रेष्ठो विधिवन्मन्त्रसत्तमैः। स हविर्लाजसत्कारैर्माल्यगन्धपुरस्कृतैः
The foremost rakshasa offered oblations to the fire according to ritual, with the best mantras; the offerings were accompanied by barley, garlands, and fragrances.
जुहुवे पावकं तत्र राक्षसेन्द्रः प्रतापवान्। शस्त्राणि शरपत्राणि समिधोऽथ बिभीतकाः
There, the powerful king of the rakshasas offered to the fire weapons, arrow-feathers, kindling, and bibhitaka fruits.
लोहितानि च वासांसि स्रुवं कार्ष्णायसं तथा। स तत्राग्निं समास्तीर्य शरपत्रैः सतोमरैः
He also offered red garments and a ladle of black iron; there, he arranged the fire with arrow-feathers and spears.
छागस्य कृष्णवर्णस्य गलं जग्राह जीवतः। सकृदेव समिद्धस्य विधूमस्य महार्चिषः
He seized the throat of a living black goat; at the very moment the fire blazed up, smokeless and with great flames.
बभूवुस्तानि लिङ्गानि विजयं यान्यदर्शयन्। प्रदक्षिणावर्तशिखस्तप्तकाञ्चनसंनिभः
Those were the signs that appeared, indicating victory: the fire's flame turned clockwise, glowing like heated gold.
हविस्तत् प्रतिजग्राह पावकः स्वयमुत्थितः। सोऽस्त्रमाहारयामास ब्राह्ममस्त्रविशारदः
The fire itself accepted the offering, rising up; then, skilled in the Brahma weapon, he invoked the weapon.
धनुश्चात्मरथं चैव सर्वं तत्राभ्यमन्त्रयत्। तस्मिन्नाहूयमानेऽस्त्रे हूयमाने च पावके। सार्कग्रहेन्दुनक्षत्रं वितत्रास नभस्थलम्
He consecrated his bow, chariot, and all his equipment; as the weapon was invoked and the fire was offered, the sky trembled, with sun, moon, and stars.
स पावकं पावकदीप्ततेजा हुत्वा महेन्द्रप्रतिमप्रभावः। सचापबाणासिरथाश्वसूतः खेऽन्तर्दधेऽऽत्मानमचिन्त्यवीर्यः
Having offered to the fire, his brilliance blazing like fire, with the power of mighty Indra, armed with bow, arrows, sword, chariot, horses, and charioteer, he vanished in the sky, his strength unfathomable.
ततो हयरथाकीर्णं पताकाध्वजशोभितम्। निर्ययौ राक्षसबलं नर्दमानं युयुत्सया
Then the rakshasa army, filled with horses and chariots, adorned with banners and flags, marched out, roaring, eager for battle.
ते शरैर्बहुभिश्चित्रैस्तीक्ष्णवेगैरलंकृतैः। तोमरैरङ्कुशैश्चापि वानराञ्जघ्नुराहवे
With many sharp and swift arrows, decorated in various ways, and with spears and goads, they struck the vanaras in the fight.
रावणिस्तु सुसंक्रुद्धस्तान् निरीक्ष्य निशाचरान्। हृष्टा भवन्तो युध्यन्तु वानराणां जिघांसया
But Ravana, greatly enraged as he looked upon those night-stalkers, said, 'Be joyful and fight, intent on destroying the monkeys!'
ततस्ते राक्षसाः सर्वे गर्जन्तो जयकांक्षिणः। अभ्यवर्षंस्ततो घोरं वानरान् शरवृष्टिभिः
Then all the rakshasas, roaring and eager for victory, rained down a terrible shower of arrows upon the monkeys.
स तु नालीकनाराचैर्गदाभिर्मुसलैरपि। रक्षोभिः संवृतः संख्ये वानरान् विचकर्ष ह
Covered in battle by the rakshasas with nalikas, narachas, maces, and clubs, he drove back the monkeys.
ते वध्यमानाः समरे वानराः पादपायुधाः। अभ्यवर्षन्त सहसा रावणिं शैलपादपैः
Those monkeys, being struck down in the fight, seized trees as weapons and suddenly showered Ravana with mountain peaks and trunks.
इन्द्रजित् तु तदा क्रुद्धो महातेजा महाबलः। वानराणां शरीराणि व्यधमद् रावणात्मजः
Then Indrajit, son of Ravana, furious, of great energy and might, struck down the bodies of the monkeys.
शरेणैकेन च हरीन् नव पञ्च च सप्त च। बिभेद समरे क्रुद्धो राक्षसान् सम्प्रहर्षयन्
In his wrath, he pierced monkeys in battle—one with a single arrow, others five, seven, or nine—delighting the rakshasas.
स शरैः सूर्यसंकाशैः शातकुम्भविभूषणैः। वानरान् समरे वीरः प्रममाथ सुदुर्जयः
That unconquerable hero, with arrows shining like the sun and adorned with gold, crushed the monkeys in battle.
ते भिन्नगात्राः समरे वानराः शरपीडिताः। पेतुर्मथितसंकल्पाः सुरैरिव महासुराः
Those monkeys, their bodies pierced and tormented by arrows in the fight, fell, their resolve shattered, like great asuras struck down by the gods.
ते तपन्तमिवादित्यं घोरैर्बाणगभस्तिभिः। अभ्यधावन्त संक्रुद्धाः संयुगे वानरर्षभाः
But the foremost monkeys, enraged, rushed at him in battle, as if at a blazing sun, with his dreadful arrows like rays.
ततस्तु वानराः सर्वे भिन्नदेहा विचेतसः। व्यथिता विद्रवन्ति स्म रुधिरेण समुक्षिताः
Then all the monkeys, their bodies wounded and minds bewildered, fled in pain, drenched in blood.
रामस्यार्थे पराक्रम्य वानरास्त्यक्तजीविताः। नर्दन्तस्तेऽनिवृत्तास्तु समरे सशिलायुधाः
Yet, for Rama's sake, the monkeys, having abandoned concern for their lives, roared and did not retreat in battle, fighting with stones as weapons.
ते द्रुमैः पर्वताग्रैश्च शिलाभिश्च प्लवंगमाः। अभ्यवर्षन्त समरे रावणिं समवस्थिताः
Those monkey warriors, standing firm in battle, showered Ravana with trees, mountain peaks, and rocks.
तं द्रुमाणां शिलानां च वर्षं प्राणहरं महत्। व्यपोहत महातेजा रावणिः समितिंजयः
But Ravana, the victorious and mighty, repelled that great, life-destroying rain of trees and rocks.
ततः पावकसंकाशैः शरैराशीविषोपमैः। वानराणामनीकानि बिभेद समरे प्रभुः
Then the lord, with arrows blazing like fire and resembling venomous serpents, pierced the ranks of the monkeys in battle.
अष्टादशशरैस्तीक्ष्णैः स विद्ध्वा गन्धमादनम्। विव्याध नवभिश्चैव नलं दूरादवस्थितम्
With eighteen sharp arrows he struck Gandhamadana, and with nine more, from afar, he wounded Nala.