निहतानाममात्यानां रुद्धस्य नगरस्य च। दुःखमेवापनेष्यामि हत्वा तौ रामलक्ष्मणौ
I will dispel my sorrow for my slain ministers and my besieged city by killing those two, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.
रामवृक्षं रणे हन्मि सीतापुष्पफलप्रदम्। प्रशाखा यस्य सुग्रीवो जाम्बवान् कुमुदो नलः
In battle, I will cut down the tree that is Rāma, which gives Sītā as its flower and fruit, whose branches are Sugrīva, Jāmbavān, Kumuda, and Nala.
द्विविदश्चैव मैन्दश्च अङ्गदो गन्धमादनः। हनूमांश्च सुषेणश्च सर्वे च हरियूथपाः
And also Dvivida, Mainda, Aṅgada, Gandhamādana, Hanūmān, Suṣeṇa, and all the chiefs of the monkey hosts.
स दिशो दश घोषेण रथस्यातिरथो महान्। नादयन् प्रययौ तूर्णं राघवं चाभ्यधावत
That mighty chariot-warrior, resounding in all ten directions with the roar of his chariot, swiftly set out and rushed toward Rāghava.
पूरिता तेन शब्देन सनदीगिरिकानना। संचचाल मही सर्वा त्रस्तसिंहमृगद्विजा
By that sound, the earth along with its mountains and forests was filled; the whole land trembled, and lions, deer, and birds were terrified.
तामसं सुमहाघोरं चकारास्त्रं सुदारुणम्। निर्ददाह कपीन् सर्वांस्ते प्रपेतुः समन्ततः
He unleashed a most dreadful, dark, and terrible weapon, burning all the monkeys, who scattered in every direction.
उत्पपात रजो भूमौ तैर्भग्नैः सम्प्रधावितैः। नहि तत् सहितुं शेकुर्ब्रह्मणा निर्मितं स्वयम्
Dust rose up on the ground as they were broken and fled; for they could not withstand that weapon, which had been created by Brahmā himself.
तान्यनीकान्यनेकानि रावणस्य शरोत्तमैः। दृष्ट्वा भग्नानि शतशो राघवः पर्यवस्थितः
Seeing hundreds of Rāvaṇa's armies shattered by his excellent arrows, Rāghava stood firm.
ततो राक्षसशार्दूलो विद्राव्य हरिवाहिनीम्। स ददर्श ततो रामं तिष्ठन्तमपराजितम्
Then the tiger among rākṣasas, having scattered the monkey army, saw Rāma standing there, undefeated.
लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा विष्णुना वासवं यथा। आलिखन्तमिवाकाशमवष्टभ्य महद् धनुः
With his brother Lakṣmaṇa beside him, as Viṣṇu stands with Indra, he seemed to draw on the sky itself, grasping his great bow.
पद्मपत्रविशालाक्षं दीर्घबाहुमरिंदमम्। ततो रामो महातेजाः सौमित्रिसहितो बली
With eyes broad as lotus petals, long-armed, destroyer of foes—then Rāma, mighty and radiant, stood with Saumitri at his side.
वानरांश्च रणे भग्नानापतन्तं च रावणम्। समीक्ष्य राघवो हृष्टो मध्ये जग्राह कार्मुकम्
Seeing the monkeys broken in battle and Rāvaṇa advancing, Rāghava, delighted, seized his bow in the midst of the field.
विस्फारयितुमारेभे ततः स धनुरुत्तमम्। महावेगं महानादं निर्भिन्दन्निव मेदिनीम्
He began to string his excellent bow, which thundered with great force and sound, as if splitting the earth.
रावणस्य च बाणौघै रामविस्फारितेन च। शब्देन राक्षसास्तेन पेतुश्च शतशस्तदा
By the volleys of Rāvaṇa's arrows and the twanging of Rāma's bow, the rākṣasas fell by the hundreds at that moment.
तयोः शरपथं प्राप्य रावणो राजपुत्रयोः। स बभौ च यथा राहुः समीपे शशिसूर्ययोः
When Rāvaṇa reached the path of arrows of the two princes, he shone like Rāhu approaching the moon and sun.
तमिच्छन् प्रथमं योद्धुं लक्ष्मणो निशितैः शरैः। मुमोच धनुरायम्य शरानग्निशिखोपमान्
Wishing to fight first, Lakṣmaṇa drew his bow and released sharp arrows, blazing like tongues of fire.
तान् मुक्तमात्रानाकाशे लक्ष्मणेन धनुष्मता। बाणान् बाणैर्महातेजा रावणः प्रत्यवारयत्
As soon as those arrows were released into the sky by Lakṣmaṇa, the mighty Rāvaṇa countered them with his own arrows.
एकमेकेन बाणेन त्रिभिस्त्रीन् दशभिर्दश। लक्ष्मणस्य प्रचिच्छेद दर्शयन् पाणिलाघवम्
With a single arrow he cut one, with three he cut three, and with ten he cut ten of Lakshmana’s arrows, displaying the dexterity of his hand.
अभ्यतिक्रम्य सौमित्रिं रावणः समितिंजयः। आससाद रणे रामं स्थितं शैलमिवापरम्
Surpassing Saumitri, Ravana, the conqueror in battle, approached Rama on the field, standing firm like another mountain.
स राघवं समासाद्य क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनः। व्यसृजच्छरवर्षाणि रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः
Confronting Raghava, his eyes reddened with rage, Ravana, lord of the Rakshasas, unleashed showers of arrows.
शरधारास्ततो रामो रावणस्य धनुश्च्युताः। दृष्ट्वैवापतिताः शीघ्रं भल्लाञ्जग्राह सत्वरम्
Then Rama, seeing the streams of arrows shot from Ravana’s bow swiftly falling, quickly seized razor-sharp shafts.
ताञ्छरौघांस्ततो भल्लैस्तीक्ष्णैश्चिच्छेद राघवः। दीप्यमानान् महाघोराञ्छरानाशीविषोपमान्
Thereupon, Raghava cut down those torrents of blazing, dreadful arrows, as fierce as deadly serpents, with his own sharp shafts.
राघवो रावणं तूर्णं रावणो राघवं तथा। अन्योन्यं विविधैस्तीक्ष्णैः शरवर्षैर्ववर्षतुः
Raghava swiftly attacked Ravana, and Ravana likewise attacked Raghava; each showered the other with various sharp volleys of arrows.
चेरतुश्च चिरं चित्रं मण्डलं सव्यदक्षिणम्। बाणवेगात् समुत्क्षिप्तावन्योन्यमपराजितौ
For a long time, the two, undefeated by each other, circled left and right in a wondrous pattern, lifted by the force of their arrows.
तयोर्भूतानि वित्रेसुर्युगपत् सम्प्रयुध्यतोः। रौद्रयोः सायकमुचोर्यमान्तकनिकाशयोः
As the two fierce archers, resembling Yama and Antaka, fought simultaneously, all beings were seized with terror.
सततं विविधैर्बाणैर्बभूव गगनं तदा। घनैरिवातपापाये विद्युन्मालासमाकुलैः
At that time, the sky was continually filled with various arrows, crowded like masses of clouds with garlands of lightning, obscuring the sun’s heat.
गवाक्षितमिवाकाशं बभूव शरवृष्टिभिः। महावेगैः सुतीक्ष्णाग्रैर्गृध्रपत्रैः सुवाजितैः
The sky became as if latticed with showers of arrows, swift and keen-tipped, feathered with vulture wings and well-fitted.
शरान्धकारमाकाशं चक्रतुः परमं तदा। गतेऽस्तं तपने चापि महामेघाविवोत्थितौ
Those arrows then made the sky utterly dark, as if great clouds had arisen when the sun had set.
तयोरभून्महायुद्धमन्योन्यवधकांक्षिणोः। अनासाद्यमचिन्त्यं च वृत्रवासवयोरिव
A great battle arose between the two, each intent on the other’s destruction, inconceivable and unapproachable, like that of Vritra and Indra.
उभौ हि परमेष्वासावुभौ युद्धविशारदौ। उभावस्त्रविदां मुख्यावुभौ युद्धे विचेरतुः
Both were supreme archers, both skilled in battle, both foremost among wielders of weapons; both moved about the field.