विमर्दं द्रष्टुमनयोर्यमराक्षसयोः स्वयम् ।। ७.२०.
I will myself witness the encounter between Yama and the Rākṣasa.
एवं सञ्चिन्त्य विप्रेन्दो जगाम लघुविक्रमः । आख्यातुं तद्यथावृत्तं यमस्य सदनं प्रति ।। ७.२१.
Thus reflecting, the foremost of Brahmins swiftly went to the abode of Yama, to recount all that had transpired.
अपश्यत्स यमं तत्र देवमग्निपुरस्कृतम् । विधानमुपतिष्ठन्तं प्राणिनो यस्य यादृशम् ।। ७.२१.
There he saw Yama, the god, attended by Agni, administering the destinies of beings according to their deeds.
स तु दृष्ट्वा यमः प्राप्तं महर्षिं तत्र नारदम् । अब्रवीत्सुखमासीनमर्घ्यमावेद्य धर्मतः ।। ७.२१.
Seeing the great sage Nārada arrive, Yama, after offering him due hospitality, spoke to him as he sat comfortably, in accordance with righteousness.
कच्चित्क्षेमं तु देवर्षे कच्चिद्धर्मो न नश्यति । किमागमनकृत्यं ते देवगन्धर्वसेवित ।। ७.२१.
"Is all well, O divine sage? Is righteousness not declining? For what purpose have you come, you who are honored by gods and Gandharvas?"
अब्रवीत्तु तदा वाक्यं नारदो भगवानृषिः । श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि विधानं च विधीयताम् ।। ७.२१.
Then the venerable sage Nārada spoke these words: "Listen, I will tell you; let the proper measures be taken."
एष नाम्नो दशग्रीवः पितृराज निशाचरः । उपयाति वशं नेतुं विक्रमैस्त्वां सुदुर्जयम् ।। ७.२१.
"This ten-headed night-wanderer, O king of ancestors, is coming with his might to bring you under his control, though you are very difficult to conquer."
एतेन कारणेनाहं त्वरितो ह्यागतः प्रभो । दण्डप्रहरणस्याद्य तव किं नु भविष्यति ।। ७.२१.
"For this reason, O lord, I have come quickly. What will happen today to your rod of punishment?"
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे दुरादंशुमन्तमिवोदितम् । ददृशुर्दीप्तमायान्तं विमानं तस्य रक्षसः ।। ७.२१.
Meanwhile, they saw a radiant aerial chariot approaching, shining like the sun, difficult to look at, belonging to that Rākṣasa.
तं देशं प्रभया तस्य पुष्पकस्य महाबलः । कृत्वा वितिमिरं सर्वं समीपं सो ऽभ्यवर्तत ।। ७.२१.
With the brilliance of that Puṣpaka chariot, the mighty one made the whole region dark, and he drew near.
सो ऽपश्यत्स महाबाहुर्दशग्रीवस्ततस्ततः । प्राणिनः सुकृतं कर्म भुञ्जानांश्चैव दुष्कृतम् ।। ७.२१.
There, the mighty-armed ten-headed one saw beings enjoying the results of good deeds and also those of evil deeds.
अपश्यत्सैनिकांश्चास्य यमस्यानुचरैः सह । यमस्य पुरुषैरुग्रैर्घोररूपैर्भयानकैः ।। ७.२१.
He saw the soldiers of Yama together with his attendants—Yama’s fierce men, terrifying in form and dreadful in appearance.
ददर्श वध्यमानांश्च क्लिश्यमानांश्च देहिनः । क्रोशतश्च महानादं तीव्रनिष्टनतत्परान् ।। ७.२१.
He saw embodied beings being slain and tormented, crying out with loud wails, intensely groaning in agony.
कृमिभिर्भक्ष्यमाणांश्च सारमेयैश्च दारुणैः ।। ७.२१.
He saw them being devoured by worms and by savage dogs.
क्षोत्रायासकरा वाचो वदतश्च भयावहाः । सन्तार्यमाणान्वैतरणीं बहुशः शोणितोदकाम् ।। ७.२१.
He heard voices uttering fearful words, and saw many being forced across the Vaitarani river, whose waters were blood.
वालुकासु च तप्तासु तप्यमानान्मुहूर्मुहुः । असिपत्रवने चैव भिद्यमानानधार्मिकान् ।। ७.२१.
He saw those suffering again and again on burning sands, and the unrighteous being pierced in the forest of sword-leaves.
रौरवे क्षारनद्यां च क्षुरधारासु चैव हि । पानीयं याचमानांश्च तृषितान्क्षुधितानपि ।। ७.२१.
He saw them in the Raurava hell, in the river of brine, and on razor-sharp blades, begging for water, thirsty and hungry.
शवभूतान्कृशान्दीनान्विवर्णान्मुक्तमूर्धजान् । मलपङ्कधरान्दीनान्रूक्षांश्च परिधावतः ।। ७.२१.
He saw corpses—emaciated, miserable, discolored, with loose hair—covered in filth and mud, wretched, and running about in distress.
ददर्श रावणो मार्गे शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः । कांश्चिच्च गृहमुख्येषु गीतवादित्रनिःस्वनैः । प्रमोदमानानद्राक्षीद्रावणः सुकृतैः स्वकैः ।। ७.२१.
Ravana saw, along the way, hundreds and thousands; and some, in the chief houses, rejoicing with songs and music, enjoying themselves through their own good deeds.
गौरसं गोप्रदातारो ह्यन्नं चैवान्नदायिनः । गृहांश्च गृहदातारः स्वकर्मफलमश्नतः ।। ७.२१.
He saw those who gave cows and land, those who gave food, and those who gave houses, enjoying the fruits of their own actions.
सुवर्णमणिमुक्ताभिः प्रमदाभिरलङ्कृतान् ।। ७.२१.
He saw them adorned with gold, jewels, pearls, and surrounded by women.
धार्मिकानपरांस्तत्र दीप्यमानान्स्वतेजसा । ददर्श सुमहाबाहू रावणो राक्षसाधिपः ।। ७.२१.
There, Ravana, the mighty-armed lord of the rakshasas, saw the righteous shining with their own brilliance, surpassing all others.
ततस्तान्भिद्यमानांश्च कर्मभिर्दुष्कृतैः स्वकैः । रावणो मोचयामास विक्रमेण बलाद्बली ।। ७.२१.
Then Ravana, powerful and strong, rescued those being tormented by their own evil deeds, by force and valor.
प्राणिनो मोचितास्तेन दशग्रीवेण रक्षसा । सुखमापुर्मुहूर्तं ते ह्यतर्कितमचिन्तितम् ।। ७.२१.
Those beings, freed by the ten-headed rakshasa, experienced happiness for a moment—unexpected and unimagined.
प्रेतेषु मुच्यमानेषु राक्षसेन महीयसा । प्रेतगोपाः सुसङ्क्रुद्धा राक्षसेन्द्रमभिद्रवन् ।। ७.२१.
As the departed were being released by the great rakshasa, the guardians of the dead, enraged, rushed at the king of the rakshasas.
ततो हलहलाशब्दः सर्वदिग्भ्यः समुत्थितः । धर्मराजस्य योधानां शूराणां सम्प्रधावताम् ।। ७.२१.
Then a tumultuous sound arose from all directions, as the warriors of the lord of justice, the valiant ones, charged forward.
ते प्रासैः परिघैः शूलैर्मुसलैः शक्तितोमरैः । पुष्पकं समवर्षन्त शूराः शतसहस्रशः ।। ७.२१.
Those heroes, by the hundreds and thousands, showered the Pushpaka with spears, clubs, tridents, maces, darts, and javelins.
तस्यासनानि प्रासादान्वेदिकास्तोरणानि च । पुष्पकस्य बभञ्जुस्ते शीघ्रं मधुकरा इव ।। ७.२१.
They quickly shattered the seats, palaces, railings, and gateways of the Pushpaka, like bees breaking apart honeycombs.
देवनिष्ठानभूतं तद्विमानं पुष्पकं मृधे । भज्यमानं तथैवासीदक्षयं ब्रह्मतेजसा ।। ७.२१.
That celestial chariot, Pushpaka, which was established for the gods, was being broken in battle, yet remained undestroyed due to the power of Brahma.
असङ्ख्या सुमहत्यासीत्तस्य सेना महात्मनः । शूराणामग्रयातऽणां सहस्राणि शतानि च ।। ७.२१.
The army of that great-souled one was countless and vast; there were hundreds and thousands of foremost heroes at its head.