प्राणश्यत तदा सर्वं हव्यं हुतमिवानले । युद्ध्वा च सुचिरं कालं कृत्वा विक्रममुत्तमम् ।। ७.१९.
Then all that army was destroyed, like an offering consumed in fire; after fighting for a long time and displaying supreme valor.
प्रज्वलन्तं तमासाद्य क्षिप्रमेवावशेषितम् । प्राविशत्सङ्कुलं तत्र शलभा इव पावकम् । नश्यति स्म बलं तत्र हव्यं हुतमिवानले ।। ७.१९.
Coming upon that blazing force, it was quickly annihilated; there, the army entered the tumult like moths into a flame, perishing as offerings in fire.
सो ऽपश्यत्तन्नरेन्द्रस्तु नश्यमानं महाबलम् । महार्णवं समासाद्य वनापगशतं यथा ।। ७.१९.
The king saw his mighty army being destroyed, like hundreds of forest streams entering the great ocean.
ततः शक्रधनुःप्रख्यं धनुर्विस्फारयन्स्वयम् । आससाद नरेन्द्रस्तं रावणं क्रोधमूर्च्छितः ।। ७.१९.
Then, stringing his bow, which resembled Indra's, the king himself, filled with wrath, confronted Rāvaṇa.
अनरण्येन ते ऽमात्या मारीचशुकसारणाः । प्रहस्तसहिता भग्ना व्यद्रवन्त मृगा इव ।। ७.१९.
By Anaraṇya, your ministers—Mārīca, Śuka, Sāraṇa, and Prahasta—were defeated and fled like deer.
ततो बाणशतान्यष्टौ पातयामास मूर्धनि । तस्य राक्षसराजस्य इक्ष्वाकुकुलनन्दनः ।। ७.१९.
Then the delight of the Ikṣvāku line rained down eight hundred arrows upon the head of the rākṣasa king.
तस्य बाणाः पतन्तस्ते चक्रिरे न क्षतं क्वचित् । वारिधारा इवाभ्रेभ्यः पतन्त्यो गिरिमूर्धनि ।। ७.१९.
But those arrows, as they fell, did not cause any injury, just as streams of rain falling from clouds do not harm a mountain's peak.
ततो राक्षसराजेन क्रुद्धेन नृपतिस्तदा । तलेनाभिहतो मूर्ध्नि स रथान्निपपात ह ।। ७.१९.
Then, the king was struck on the head by the enraged king of the Rākṣasas with his palm, and he fell from his chariot.
स राजा पतितो भूमौ विह्वलाङ्गः प्रवेपितः । वज्रदग्ध इवारण्ये सालो निपतितो यथा ।। ७.१९.
That king, fallen to the ground, his limbs unsteady and trembling, lay like a śāla tree struck down by a thunderbolt in the forest.
तं प्रहस्याब्रवीद्द्रक्ष इक्ष्वाकुं पृथिवीपतिम् । किमिदानीं फलं प्राप्तं त्वया मां प्रति युद्ध्यता ।। ७.१९.
Laughing, the Rākṣasa addressed the lord of the earth, Ikṣvāku: 'What fruit have you now gained by fighting against me?'
त्रैलोक्ये नास्ति यो द्वन्द्वं मम दद्यान्नराधिप । शङ्के प्रसक्तो भोगेषु न शृणोषि बलं मम ।। ७.१९.
'There is no one in the three worlds, O king of men, who could stand against me in single combat; I suspect you are too attached to pleasures and do not recognize my strength.'
तस्यैवं ब्रुवतो राजा मन्दासुर्वाक्यमब्रवीत् । किं शक्यमिह कर्तुं वै कालो हि दुरतिक्रमः ।। ७.१९.
To him speaking thus, the king, his senses dulled, replied: 'What can be done here? For time is impossible to overcome.'
नह्यहं निर्जितो रक्षस्त्वया चात्मप्रशंसिना । कालेनैव विपन्नो ऽहं हेतुभूतस्तु मे भवान् ।। ७.१९.
'I have not been defeated by you, O self-praising Rākṣasa; it is by time alone that I have fallen, and you are merely the occasion.'
किं त्विदानीं मया शक्यं कर्तुं प्राणपरिक्षये । नह्यहं विमुखी रक्षो युध्यमानस्त्वया हतः ।। ७.१९.
'What indeed can I do now, as my life comes to its end? I have not turned away in battle, nor have I been slain by you while fleeing.'
इक्ष्वाकुपरिभावित्वाद्वचो वक्ष्यामि राक्षस । यदि दत्तं यदि हुतं यदि मे सुकृतं तपः ७.१९.
'Out of respect for the Ikṣvāku line, I will speak these words to you, O Rākṣasa: if I have given, if I have offered, if I have performed good austerities—'
उत्पत्स्यते कुले ह्यस्मिन्निक्ष्वाकूणां महात्मनाम् । रामो दाशरथिर्नाम यस्ते प्राणान्हरिष्यति ।। ७.१९.
'Then, in this very lineage of the great-souled Ikṣvākus, a son named Rāma, son of Daśaratha, will be born—he will take your life.'
ततो जलधरोदग्रस्ताडितो देवदुन्दुभिः । तस्मिन्नुदाहृते शापे पुष्पवृष्टिश्च खाच्च्युता ।। ७.१९.
Then, as that curse was uttered, divine drums sounded, struck by the gods, and a rain of flowers fell from the sky.
ततः स राजा राजेन्द्र गतः स्थानं त्रिविष्टपम् । स्वर्गते च नृपे तस्मिन्राक्षसः सो ऽपसर्पत ।। ७.१९.
After that, the king, lord of kings, went to the realm of the gods; and when the king had ascended to heaven, the Rākṣasa withdrew.
ततो वित्रासयन्मर्त्यान्पृथिव्यां राक्षसाधिपः । आससाद घने तस्मिन्नारदं मुनिपुङ्गवम् ।। ७.२०.
Then, the lord of the Rākṣasas, terrifying mortals on earth, encountered Nārada, the foremost of sages, in a dense cloud.
तस्याभिवादनं कृत्वा दशग्रीवो निशाचरः । अब्रवीत्कुशलं पृष्ट्वा हेतुमागमनस्य च ।। ७.२०.
Having offered his respects and inquired after his welfare and the reason for his coming, Daśagrīva, the night-wanderer, spoke to him.
नारदस्तु महातेजा देवर्षिरमितप्रभः । अब्रवीन्मेघपृष्ठस्थो रावणं पुष्पके स्थितम् ।। ७.२०.
Nārada, the great and radiant sage among the gods, standing upon a cloud, addressed Rāvaṇa, who was seated in the Puṣpaka chariot.
राक्षसाधिपते सौम्य तिष्ठ विश्रवसः सुत । प्रीतो ऽस्म्यभिजनोपेतविक्रमैरूर्जितैस्तव ।। ७.२०.
'O gentle lord of the Rākṣasas, son of Viśravas, remain here; I am pleased with your noble lineage and your mighty deeds.'
विष्णुना दैत्यघातैश्च गन्धर्वोरगधर्षणैः । त्वया समं विमर्दैश्च भृशं हि परितोषितः ।। ७.२०.
'By your battles with Viṣṇu, your slaying of Daityas, your harassment of Gandharvas and serpents, and your contests, I am greatly satisfied.'
किंचिद्वक्ष्यामि तावत्ते श्रोतव्यं श्रोष्यसे यदि । श्रुत्वा चानन्तरं कार्यं त्वया राक्षससत्तम । तन्मे निगदतस्तात समाधिं श्रवणे कुरु ।। ७.२०.
'I will now tell you something, which you should hear, if you are willing to listen; and after hearing, you must act accordingly, O best of Rākṣasas. Therefore, my son, focus your mind and listen as I speak.'
किमयं वध्यते तात त्वया ऽवध्येन दैवतैः । हत एव ह्ययं लोको यदा मृत्युवशं गतः ।। ७.२०.
'My son, can this one be slain by you, when he is protected by the gods? Indeed, the world is already destroyed when it has fallen under the sway of death.'
्तम । देवदानवदैत्यानां यक्षगन्धर्वरक्षसाम् । अवध्येन त्वया लोकः क्लेष्टुं युक्तो न मानुषः ।। ७.२०.
You are fit to trouble the world, being invulnerable to gods, asuras, daityas, yakṣas, gandharvas, and rākṣasas, but not to humans.
नित्यं श्रेयसि सम्मूढं महद्भिर्व्यसनैर्वृतम् । हन्यात्कस्तादृशं लोकं जराव्याधिशतैर्युतम् ।। ७.२०.
Who would destroy such a world, always deluded regarding the highest good, surrounded by great misfortunes, and afflicted by countless diseases and old age?
तैस्तैरनिष्टोपगमैरजस्रं यत्र कुत्र कः । मतिमान्मानुषे लोके युद्धेन प्रणयी भवेत् ।। ७.२०.
In this human world, constantly beset everywhere by various misfortunes, who, being wise, would desire conflict?
क्षीयमाणं दैवहतं श्रुत्पिपासाजरादिभिः । विषादशोकसम्मूढं लोकं त्वं क्षपयस्व मा ।। ७.२०.
Do not destroy this world, which is wasting away, struck by fate, afflicted by hunger, thirst, old age, and confusion from sorrow and grief.
पश्य तावन्महाबाहो राक्षसेश्वर मानुषम् । मूढमेवं विचित्रार्थं यस्य न ज्ञायते गतिः ।। ७.२०.
Behold, O mighty-armed lord of rākṣasas, this human race is deluded and bewildering in its ways, its course unknown.