स तु दिव्यो महाभीमः सज्ज एव महारथः । उपस्थितो मातलिना वाह्यमानो महाजवः ।। ७.२८.
That divine, most formidable chariot, always ready, drawn by Matali with great speed, was brought forth.
ततो मेघा रथे तस्मिंस्तडित्त्वन्तो महाबलाः । अग्रतो वायुचपला नेदुः परमनिःस्वनाः ।। ७.२८.
Then clouds, massive and charged with lightning, moved before the chariot, driven by the wind, resounding with tremendous thunder.
नानावाद्यानि वाद्यन्त गन्धर्वाश्च समाहिताः । ननृतुश्चाप्सरःसङ्घा निर्याते त्रिदशेश्वरे ।। ७.२८.
Various instruments were played, the Gandharvas stood attentive, and groups of Apsaras danced as the lord of the gods set out.
रुद्रैर्वसुभिरादित्यैस्साध्यैश्च समरुद्गणैः । वृतो नानाप्रहरणैर्निर्ययौ त्रिदशाधिपः ।। ७.२८.
Surrounded by Rudras, Vasus, Adityas, Sadhyas, and Maruts, all bearing diverse weapons, the lord of the gods departed.
निर्गच्छतस्तु शक्रस्य परुषं पवनो ववौ । भास्करो निष्प्रभश्चासीन्महोल्काश्च प्रपेदिरे ।। ७.२८.
As Shakra set out, a harsh wind blew, the sun lost its brilliance, and great meteors fell.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे शूरो दशग्रीवः प्रतापवान् । आरुरोह रथं दिव्यं निर्मितं विश्वकर्मणा ।। ७.२८.
Meanwhile, the valiant ten-headed one, full of might, mounted his celestial chariot, crafted by Vishvakarman.
पन्नगैः सुमहाकार्यैर्वेष्टितं रोमहर्षणैः । तेषां निःश्वासवातेन प्रदीप्तमिव संयुगे ।। ७.२८.
Encircled by great and awe-inspiring serpents, whose breath made it seem ablaze in battle, that chariot inspired terror.
दैत्यैर्निशाचरैश्चैव स रथः परिवारितः । समराभिमुखो दैत्यो महेन्द्रं सो ऽभ्यवर्तत ।। ७.२८.
That chariot, surrounded by Daityas and night-wandering demons, advanced toward Mahendra, the Daitya eager for battle.
पुत्रं तं वारयित्वा तु स्वयमेव व्यवस्थितः । सो ऽपि युद्धाद्विनिष्क्रम्य रावणिः समुपाविशत् ।। ७.२८.
Having restrained his son, Ravani himself took his stand; withdrawing from the battle, he approached Ravana and sat down.
ततो युद्धं प्रवृत्तं तु सुराणां राक्षसैः सह । शस्त्राणि वर्षतां घोरं मेघानामिव संयुगे ।। ७.२८.
Then a battle broke out between the gods and the rākṣasas, as they rained down terrible weapons in the conflict like storm clouds.
कुम्भकर्णस्तु दुष्टात्मा नानाप्रहरणोद्यतः । नाज्ञायत तदा युद्धे सह केनाप्ययुध्यत ।। ७.२८.
But Kumbhakarṇa, wicked in mind and armed with many weapons, could not be recognized in the fight, nor was it clear whom he was battling.
दन्तैः भुजाभ्यां पद्मां च शक्तितोमरसायकैः । येन केनैव संरब्धस्ताडयामास वै सुरान् ।। ७.२८.
With his teeth, arms, lotuses, spears, maces, and arrows—whatever he could seize in his fury—he struck at the gods.
ततो रुद्रैर्महाघोरैः सङ्गम्याथ निशाचरः । प्रयुद्धस्तैश्च सङ्ग्रामे क्षतः शस्त्रैर्निरन्तरम् ।। ७.२८.
Then that night-wanderer engaged in battle with the fierce Rudras, and was continually wounded by their weapons in the fight.
बभौ शस्त्राचिततनुः कुम्भकर्णः क्षरन्नसृक् । विद्युत्स्तनितनिर्घोषो धारवानिव तोयदः ।। ७.२८.
Kumbhakarṇa, his body covered in weapons and streaming with blood, shone like a raincloud heavy with lightning and thunder.
ततस्तद्राक्षसं सैन्यं प्रयुद्धं समरुद्गणैः । रणे विद्रावितं सर्वं नानाप्रहरणैः शितैः ।। ७.२८.
Then that rākṣasa army, fighting against the hosts of Maruts, was entirely routed in battle by sharp and varied weapons.
केचिद्विनिहताः कृत्ताश्चेष्टन्ति स्म महीतले । वाहनेष्ववसक्ताश्च स्थिता एवापरे रणे ।। ७.२८.
Some, slain and cut down, writhed on the ground; others, still clinging to their vehicles, remained standing on the battlefield.
रथान्नागान्खरानुष्ट्रान्पन्नगांस्तुरगान् रणे । शिंशुमारान्वराहांश्च पिशाचवदनान्तथा ।। ७.२८.
Chariots, elephants, donkeys, camels, serpents, horses, porpoises, boars, and those with faces of piśācas—all were seen in the fight.
तान्समालिङ्ग्य बाहुभ्यां विष्टब्धाः केचिदुच्छ्रुताः । देवैस्तु शस्त्रसम्भिन्ना मम्रिरे च निशाचराः ।। ७.२८.
Some, embracing each other with their arms, stood upright, but struck by the gods' weapons, the night-wanderers perished.
चित्रकर्म इवाभाति स तेषां रणसम्प्लवः । निहतानां प्रमत्तानां राक्षसानां महीतले ।। ७.२८.
That turmoil of battle among the slain and maddened rākṣasas on the earth appeared like a work of art.
शोणितोदकनिष्पन्दकङ्कगृध्रसमाकुला । प्रवृत्ता संयुगमुखे शस्त्रग्राहवती नदी ।। ७.२८.
At the onset of the battle, a river seemed to flow, filled with blood for water, crowded with vultures and crows, and carrying weapons as reeds.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे क्रुद्धो दशग्रीवः प्रतापवान् । निरीक्ष्य तद्बलं कृत्स्नं दैवतैर्विनिपातितम् ।। ७.२८.
Meanwhile, the mighty and enraged ten-headed Rāvaṇa, seeing his entire army struck down by the gods,
स तं प्रति विगाह्याशु प्रवृद्धं सैन्यसागरम् । त्रिदशान्समरे निघ्नञ्छक्रमेवाभ्यवर्तत ।। ७.२८.
quickly plunged into that vast ocean of troops, and began to attack the gods in battle, slaying them one after another.
आगाच्छक्रो महच्चापं विस्फार्य सुमहास्वनम् । यस्य विस्फारघोषेण स्तनन्ति स्म दिशो दश ।। ७.२८.
Then Indra came, drawing his great bow with a mighty sound, whose twanging echoed through all ten directions.
तद्विकृष्य महच्चापमिन्द्रो रावणमूर्धनि । निपातयामास शरान्पावकादित्यवर्चसः ।। ७.२८.
Drawing his great bow, Indra rained down arrows blazing like fire and the sun upon Rāvaṇa's heads.
तथैव च महाबाहुर्दशग्रीवो व्यवस्थितः । शक्रं कार्मुकविभ्रष्टैः शरवर्षैरवाकिरत् ।। ७.२८.
In the same way, the mighty-armed ten-headed one stood firm and showered Indra with volleys of arrows, knocking away his bow.
प्रयुध्यतोरथ तयोर्बाणवर्षैः समन्ततः । न ज्ञायते तदा किञ्चित्सर्वं हि तमसा वृतम् ।। ७.२८.
As the two fought, covering each other with showers of arrows on all sides, nothing could be seen, for everything was shrouded in darkness.
ततस्तमसि सञ्जाते सर्वे ते देवराक्षसाः । अयुद्ध्यन्त बलोन्मत्ताः सूदयन्तः परस्परम् ।। ७.२९.
Then, as darkness fell, all those gods and rākṣasas, maddened by battle, fought no longer but turned upon each other in confusion.
ततस्तु देवसैन्येन राक्षसानां बृहद्बलम् । दशांशं स्थापितं युद्धे शेषं नीतं यमक्षयम् ।। ७.२९.
Then, in the battle, the great force of the Rākṣasas was reduced by the army of the gods to one-tenth, and the rest were sent to the abode of Yama.
तस्मिंस्तु तामसे युद्धे सर्वे ते देवराक्षसाः । अन्योन्यं नाभ्यजानन्त युध्यमानाः परस्परम् ।। ७.२९.
In that darkened battle, all those gods and Rākṣasas, fighting with one another, could not recognize each other.
इन्द्रश्च रावणश्चैव रावणिश्च महाबलः । तस्मिंस्तमोजालवृते मोहमीयुर्न ते त्रयः ।। ७.२९.
Indra, Rāvaṇa, and the mighty son of Rāvaṇa, in that mass of darkness, fell into delusion—those three.