सर्वे भवन्तः सर्वेण हस्त्यश्वेन समावृताः। निर्यान्तु रथसङ्घैश्च पादातैश्चोपशोभिताः
Let all of you, fully arrayed with elephants and horses, set out, adorned with chariots and foot soldiers.
एकं रामं परिक्षिप्य समरे हन्तुमर्हथ। वर्षन्तः शरवर्षाणि प्रावृट्काल इवाम्बुदाः
Surround Rāma alone in battle and slay him, pouring down showers of arrows like clouds in the rainy season.
अथवाहं शरैस्तीक्ष्णैर्भिन्नगात्रं महाहवे। भवद्भिः श्वो निहन्तास्मि रामं लोकस्य पश्यतः
Or else, tomorrow, before all the world, I myself will slay Rāma in the great battle with sharp arrows, even if my body is wounded by you.
इत्येतद् वाक्यमादाय राक्षसेन्द्रस्य राक्षसाः। निर्ययुस्ते रथैः शीघ्रैर्नानानीकैश्च संयुताः
Having received these words from the lord of the rakshasas, the rakshasas went out swiftly in chariots, equipped with various divisions.
परिघान् पट्टिशांश्चैव शरखड्गपरश्वधान्। शरीरान्तकरान् सर्वे चिक्षिपुर्वानरान् प्रति
All of them hurled iron clubs, spears, arrows, swords, and axes—deadly weapons—at the vanaras.
वानराश्च द्रुमान् शैलान् राक्षसान् प्रति चिक्षिपुः। स संग्रामो महाभीमः सूर्यस्योदयनं प्रति
The monkeys hurled trees and rocks at the rākṣasas; that battle became exceedingly terrifying as the sun was about to rise.
रक्षसां वानराणां च तुमुलः समपद्यत। ते गदाभिश्च चित्राभिः प्रासैः खड्गैः परश्वधैः
A tumultuous clash arose between the rākṣasas and the monkeys; they struck each other with varied maces, spears, swords, and axes.
अन्योन्यं समरे जघ्नुस्तदा वानरराक्षसाः। एवं प्रवृत्ते संग्रामे ह्यद्भुतं सुमहद्रजः
Then, in that battle, monkeys and rākṣasas struck one another; as the fight raged on, a wondrous and immense dust arose.
रक्षसां वानराणां च शान्तं शोणितविस्रवैः। मातंगरथकूलाश्च शरमत्स्या ध्वजद्रुमाः
The blood that flowed from the rākṣasas and monkeys subdued the dust; elephants and chariots lay scattered, with arrows like fish and banners like trees.
शरीरसंघाटवहाः प्रसस्रुः शोणितापगाः। ततस्ते वानराः सर्वे शोणितौघपरिप्लुताः
Rivers of blood, carrying heaps of bodies, flowed forth; then all the monkeys were drenched in torrents of blood.
ध्वजवर्मरथानश्वान् नानाप्रहरणानि च। आप्लुत्याप्लुत्य समरे वानरेन्द्रा बभञ्जिरे
The monkey chiefs, leaping again and again in battle, shattered banners, armor, chariots, horses, and various weapons.
केशान् कर्णललाटं च नासिकाश्च प्लवंगमाः। रक्षसां दशनैस्तीक्ष्णैर्नखैश्चापि व्यकर्तयन्
The monkeys tore out the hair, ears, foreheads, and noses of the rākṣasas with their sharp teeth and claws.
एकैकं राक्षसं संख्ये शतं वानरपुंगवाः। अभ्यधावन्त फलिनं वृक्षं शकुनयो यथा
A hundred foremost monkeys rushed at each rākṣasa in battle, like birds flocking to a fruit-laden tree.
तदा गदाभिर्गुर्वीभिः प्रासैः खड्गैः परश्वधैः। निर्जघ्नुर्वानरान् घोरान् राक्षसाः पर्वतोपमाः
Then the rākṣasas, massive as mountains, struck down the fierce monkeys with heavy maces, spears, swords, and axes.
राक्षसैर्वध्यमानानां वानराणां महाचमूः। शरण्यं शरणं याता रामं दशरथात्मजम्
The great host of monkeys, being slain by the rākṣasas, sought refuge with Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, as their protector.
ततो रामो महातेजा धनुरादाय वीर्यवान्। प्रविश्य राक्षसं सैन्यं शरवर्षं ववर्ष च
Then Rāma, mighty and radiant, took up his bow and, entering the rākṣasa army, unleashed a shower of arrows.
प्रविष्टं तु तदा रामं मेघाः सूर्यमिवाम्बरे। नाधिजग्मुर्महाघोरा निर्दहन्तं शराग्निना
When Rāma entered, the terrifying rākṣasas could not approach him, as clouds cannot approach the sun burning in the sky with the fire of his arrows.
कृतान्येव सुघोराणि रामेण रजनीचराः। रणे रामस्य ददृशुः कर्माण्यसुकराणि ते
The night-stalkers saw Rāma perform truly dreadful and difficult deeds in battle.
चालयन्तं महासैन्यं विधमन्तं महारथान्। ददृशुस्ते न वै रामं वातं वनगतं यथा
They saw him shaking the great army and scattering mighty warriors, but could not see Rāma himself, like the wind in the forest.
छिन्नं भिन्नं शरैर्दग्धं प्रभग्नं शस्त्रपीडितम्। बलं रामेण ददृशुर्न रामं शीघ्रकारिणम्
They saw their forces cut down, shattered, burned by arrows, and broken by weapons, but did not see swift-acting Rāma.
प्रहरन्तं शरीरेषु न ते पश्यन्ति राघवम्। इन्द्रियार्थेषु तिष्ठन्तं भूतात्मानमिव प्रजाः
They did not see Rāghava striking their bodies, just as creatures do not see the embodied soul abiding in the senses.
एष हन्ति गजानीकमेष हन्ति महारथान्। एष हन्ति शरैस्तीक्ष्णैः पदातीन् वाजिभिः सह
This one slays the elephant divisions, this one slays the great chariot-warriors, this one slays the infantry with sharp arrows along with their horses.
इति ते राक्षसाः सर्वे रामस्य सदृशान् रणे। अन्योन्यं कुपिता जघ्नुः सादृश्याद् राघवस्य तु
Thus, all the rākṣasas, angered in battle, struck each other, mistaking one another for Rāma because of his likeness.
न ते ददृशिरे रामं दहन्तमपि वाहिनीम्। मोहिताः परमास्त्रेण गान्धर्वेण महात्मना
They could not see Rama, even as he was burning down the army, for they were deluded by the supreme Gandharva weapon of the great-souled one.
ते तु रामसहस्राणि रणे पश्यन्ति राक्षसाः। पुनः पश्यन्ति काकुत्स्थमेकमेव महाहवे
But the Rakshasas saw thousands of Ramas on the battlefield, and then again saw only the single Kakutstha in the great combat.
भ्रमन्तीं काञ्चनीं कोटिं कार्मुकस्य महात्मनः। अलातचक्रप्रतिमां ददृशुस्ते न राघवम्
They saw a whirling golden disk, like a blazing wheel, belonging to the great-souled archer, but they did not see Raghava.
शरीरनाभि सत्त्वार्चिः शरारं नेमिकार्मुकम्। ज्याघोषतलनिर्घोषं तेजोबुद्धिगुणप्रभम्
With a body as its hub, blazing with the energy of his spirit, with arrows as its spokes and the bow as its rim, resounding with the twang of the bowstring, shining with the qualities of brilliance, intellect, and power—
दिव्यास्त्रगुणपर्यन्तं निघ्नन्तं युधि राक्षसान्। ददृशू रामचक्रं तत् कालचक्रमिव प्रजाः
That Rama-chakra, encircled by the qualities of divine weapons, striking down Rakshasas in battle, appeared to them like the wheel of Time to living beings.
अनीकं दशसाहस्रं रथानां वातरंहसाम्। अष्टादश सहस्राणि कुञ्जराणां तरस्विनाम्
Ten thousand chariots, swift as the wind, and eighteen thousand mighty elephants—
चतुर्दश सहस्राणि सारोहाणां च वाजिनाम्। पूर्णे शतसहस्रे द्वे राक्षसानां पदातिनाम्
Fourteen thousand horsemen with riders, and two full hundred thousand foot-soldiers among the Rakshasas—