विनिपन्ना मया दृष्टाः किमुतायं निशाचरः ।। ७.२२.
I have seen them all fall—what then of this night-wanderer?
मुञ्चं मां साधु धर्मज्ञ यावदेनं निहन्म्यहम् । नहि कश्चिन्मया दृष्टो बलवानपि जीवति ।। ७.२२.
Release me, O righteous one, so that I may slay him; for none whom I have seen, however strong, survives.
बलं मम न खल्वेतन्मर्यादैषा निसर्गतः । स दृष्टो न मया कालं मुहुर्तमापि जीवति ।। ७.२२.
This is not my own strength, but the natural order; one whom I have seen does not live even for a moment.
तस्यैवं वचनं श्रुत्वा धर्मराजः प्रतापवान् । अब्रवीत्तत्र तं मुत्युं त्वं तिष्ठैनं निहन्म्यहम् ।। ७.२२.
Hearing these words, the mighty Lord of Dharma said to Mṛtyu there: 'You wait; I shall slay him.'
ततः संरक्तनयनः क्रुद्धो वैवस्वतः प्रभुः । कालदण्डममोघं तु तोलयामास पाणिना ।। ७.२२.
Then Vaivasvata, the lord, his eyes reddened in anger, raised with his hand the infallible staff of Time.
यस्य पार्श्वेषु निखिला कालपाशाः प्रतिष्ठिताः । पावकाशनिसङ्काशो मुद्गरो मूर्तिमान्स्थितः ।। ७.२२.
At his sides were all the nooses of Time arrayed; a mace, blazing like fire and lightning, stood there in embodied form.
दर्शनादेव यः प्राणान्प्राणिनामपकर्षति । किं पुनः स्पृश्यमानस्य पात्यमानस्य वा पुनः ।। ७.२२.
By his very sight he draws out the life of living beings—how much more so when touched or struck by him?
स ज्वालापरिवारस्तु निर्दहन्निव राक्षसम् । तेन स्पृष्टो बलवता महाप्रहरणो ऽस्फुरत् ।। ७.२२.
Surrounded by flames, he seemed to burn the Rākṣasa; when struck by that mighty weapon, the great foe shuddered.
ततो विदुद्रुवुः सर्वे तस्मात्रस्ता रणाजिरे । सुराश्च क्षुभिताः सर्वे दृष्ट्वा दण्डोद्यतं यमम् ।। ७.२२.
Then all those present on the battlefield, terrified, fled from there; and all the gods were shaken when they saw Yama raising his staff.
तस्मिन्प्रहर्तुकामे तु यमे दण्डेन रावणम् । यमं पितामहः साक्षाद्दर्शयित्वेदमब्रवीत् ।। ७.२२.
As Yama prepared to strike Ravana with his staff, Brahma himself appeared before Yama and spoke these words.
वैवस्वत महाबाहो न खल्वमितविक्रम । न हन्तव्यस्त्वया तेन दण्डेनैव निशाचरः ।। ७.२२.
O Vaivasvata, mighty-armed one, this night-wanderer is not to be slain by you with that staff, for he is not within your power.
वरः खलु मयैतस्मै दत्तस्त्रिदशपुङ्गव । स त्वया नानृतः कार्यो यन्मया व्याहृतं वचः ।। ७.२२.
Indeed, I have granted him a boon, O foremost of the gods; therefore, you must not make false what I have declared.
यो हि मामनृतं कुर्याद्देवो वा मानुषो ऽपि वा । त्रैलोक्यमनृतं तेन कृतं स्यान्नात्र संशयः ।। ७.२२.
For whoever, whether god or human, would make my word false, would thereby make all three worlds false—of this there is no doubt.
क्रुद्धेन विप्रमुक्तो ऽयं निर्विशेषं प्रियाप्रिये । प्रजाः संहरते रौद्रो लोकत्रयभयावहः ।। ७.२२.
When released in anger, this fierce staff, making no distinction between friend and foe, destroys beings and brings fear to the three worlds.
अमोघो ह्येष सर्वेषां प्राणिनाममितप्रभः । कालदण्डो मया सृष्टः पूर्वं मृत्युपुरस्कृतः ।। ७.२२.
This staff of Time, unfailing and of immeasurable power for all beings, was created by me in the beginning, with Death as its forerunner.
तन्न खल्वेष ते सौम्य पात्यो रावणमूर्धनि । नह्यस्मिन्पतिते कश्चिन्मुहूर्तमपि जीवति ।। ७.२२.
Therefore, gentle one, this staff must not fall upon Ravana's head; for when it falls, no one survives even for a moment.
यदि ह्यन्मिन्निपतिते न म्रियेतैष राक्षसः । म्रियते वा दशग्रीवस्तदाप्युभयतो ऽनृतम् ।। ७.२२.
If, when this staff falls, this Rakshasa does not die, or if ten-headed Ravana does die, in either case, my word would be made false.
तन्निवर्तय लङ्केशं द्दण्डमेतं समुद्यतम् । सत्यं च मां कुरुष्वाद्य लोकांस्त्वं यद्यवेक्षसे ।। ७.२२.
Therefore, withdraw this upraised staff from the lord of Lanka, and uphold my truth today, if you care for the worlds.
एवमुक्तस्तु धर्मात्मा प्रत्युवाच यमस्तदा । एष व्यावर्तितो दण्डः प्रभविष्णुर्हि नो भवान् ।। ७.२२.
Thus addressed, the righteous Yama replied, 'This staff is withdrawn, for you, O Lord, are indeed supreme over us.'
किं न्विदानीं मया शक्यं कर्तुं रणगतेन हि । न मया यद्ययं शक्यो हन्तुं वरपुरस्कृतः ।। ७.२२.
What, then, can I do now, having come to the battlefield? If I am unable to slay him because of the boon, then nothing can be done by me.
एष तस्मात्प्रणश्यामि दर्शनादस्य रक्षसः । इत्युक्त्वा सरथः साश्वस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ।। ७.२२.
Therefore, I shall vanish from the sight of this Rakshasa; having said this, he disappeared there itself, along with his chariot and horses.
दशग्रीवस्तु तं जित्वा नाम विश्राव्य चात्मनः । आरुह्य पुष्पकं भूयो निष्क्रान्तो यमसादनात् ।। ७.२२.
But Ravana, having defeated him and proclaimed his own name, mounted the Pushpaka and departed again from Yama's abode.
स तु वैवस्वतो देवैः सह ब्रह्मपुरोगमैः । जगाम त्रिदिवं हृष्टो नारदश्च महामुनिः ।। ७.२२.
Then Vaivasvata, together with the gods led by Brahma, joyfully went to heaven, as did the great sage Narada.
ततो जित्वा दशग्रीवो यमं त्रिदशपुङ्गवम् । रावणस्तु रणश्लाघी स्वसहायान्ददर्श ह ।। ७.२३.
Having thus defeated Yama, the foremost among the gods, Ravana, proud of his prowess in battle, looked upon his own companions.
ततो रुधिरसिक्ताङ्गं प्रहारैर्जर्जरीकृतम् । रावणं राक्षसा दृष्ट्वा ह्यष्टवत् समुपागमन् ।। ७.२३.
Then the Rakshasas, seeing Ravana with his body drenched in blood and battered by blows, approached him with affection.
जयेन वर्धयित्वा च मारीचप्रमुखास्ततः । पुष्पकं भेजिरे सर्वे सान्त्विता रावणेन तु ।। ७.२३.
After congratulating him on his victory, Maricha and the others boarded the Pushpaka, all comforted by Ravana.
ततो रसातलं गच्छन् प्रविष्टः पयसां निधिम् । दैत्योरगगणाध्युष्टं वरुणेन सुरक्षितम् ।। ७.२३.
Then, descending to the netherworld, he entered the ocean, inhabited by hosts of Daityas and serpents, and guarded by Varuṇa.
स तु भोगवतीं गत्वा पुरीं वासुकिपालिताम् । कृत्वा नागान्वशे हृष्टो ययौ मणिमयीं पुरीम् ।। ७.२३.
He went to the city of Bhogavatī, ruled by Vāsuki; having subdued the serpents, he joyfully proceeded to the jeweled city.
निवातकवचास्तत्र दैत्या लब्धवरा वसन् । राक्षसान्तान्समागम्य युद्धाय समुपाह्वयत् ।। ७.२३.
There, the Nivātakavaca Daityas, who had obtained boons, dwelled; gathering the Rākṣasas, they summoned them to battle.
ते तु सर्वे सुविक्रान्ता दैतेया बलशालिनः । नानाप्रहरणास्तत्र प्रहृष्टा युद्धदुर्मदाः ।। ७.२३.
All those Daiteyas were exceedingly valiant and strong, equipped with various weapons, exultant and intoxicated by the prospect of war.