एतस्मिन्नन्तरे वीरः शत्रुघ्नो यमुनां नदीम् । तीर्त्वा मधुपुरद्वारि धनुष्पाणिरतिष्ठत ।। ७.६८.
Meanwhile, the heroic Śatrughna, having crossed the Yamunā river, stood at the gate of Madhupura, holding his bow.
ततो ऽर्धदिवसे प्राप्ते क्रूरकर्मा स राक्षसः । आगच्छद्बहुसाहस्रं प्राणिनां भारमुद्वहन् ।। ७.६८.
When half the day had passed, that cruel Rākṣasa arrived, carrying the burden of many thousands of living beings.
ततो ददर्श शत्रुघ्नं स्थितं द्वारि धृतायुधम् । तमुवाच ततो रक्षः किमनेन करिष्यसि ।। ७.६८.
Then he saw Śatrughna standing at the gate, weapon in hand, and the Rākṣasa said to him: 'What will you do with this?'
ईदृशानां सहस्राणि सायुधानां नराधम । भक्षितानि मया रोषात्कालमाकाङ्क्षसे नु किम् ।। ७.६८.
'Thousands like you, armed, O lowest of men, have been devoured by me in anger—do you too now desire your time?'
आहारश्चास्य सम्पूर्णो ममायं पुरुषाधम । स्वयं प्रविष्टो ऽद्य मुखं कथमासाद्य दुर्मते ।। ७.६८.
'My hunger is now satisfied with you, O wretch among men, who have come of your own accord today into my mouth—how did you approach, O wicked-minded one?'
तस्यैवं भाषमाणस्य हसतश्च मुहुर्मुहुः । शत्रुघ्नो वीर्यसम्पन्नो रोषादश्रूण्यवासृजत् ।। ७.६८.
As he spoke thus, laughing again and again, Śatrughna, endowed with valor, shed tears of anger.
तस्य रोषाभिभूतस्य शत्रुघ्नस्य महात्मनः । तेजोमया मरीच्यस्तु सर्वगात्रैर्विनिष्पतन् ।। ७.६८.
Overcome by wrath, the great-souled Śatrughna radiated beams of energy from all his limbs.
उवाच च सुसङ्क्रुद्धः शत्रुघ्नस्तं निशाचरम् । योद्धुमिच्छामि दुर्बुद्धे द्वन्द्वयुद्धं त्वया सह ।। ७.६८.
Then Śatrughna, greatly enraged, said to that night-wanderer: 'I wish to fight you, O wicked one, in single combat.'
पुत्रो दशरथस्याहं भ्राता रामस्य धीमतः । शत्रुघ्नो नित्यशत्रुघ्नो वधाकाङ्क्षी तवागतः ।। ७.६८.
'I am the son of Daśaratha, the brother of wise Rāma; I am Śatrughna, ever the destroyer of enemies, come here desiring your death.'
तस्य मे युद्धकामस्य द्वन्द्वयुद्धं प्रदीयताम् । शत्रुस्त्वं सर्वभूतानां न मे जीवन्गमिष्यसि ।। ७.६८.
Grant me a duel, for I desire battle; you are the enemy of all beings, and you shall not escape alive from me.
तस्मिंस्तथा ब्रुवाणे तु राक्षसः प्रहसन्निव । प्रत्युवाच नरश्रेष्ठं दिष्ट्या प्राप्तो ऽसि दुर्मते ।। ७.६८.
When he spoke thus, the rakshasa, laughing as if in scorn, replied to the foremost of men: 'By fate you have come here, O wicked-minded one.'
मम मातृष्वसुर्भ्राता रावणो राक्षसाधिपः । हतो रामेण दुर्बुद्धे स्त्रीहेतोः पुरुषाधम ।। ७.६८.
My mother's sister's son, Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, was slain by Rama, O evil-minded one, lowest of men, for the sake of a woman.
तच्च सर्वं मया क्षान्तं रावणस्य कुलक्षयम् । अवज्ञां पुरतः कृत्वा मया यूयं विशेषतः ।। ७.६८.
All that—the destruction of Ravana's lineage—has been endured by me; disregarding it openly, especially you all, I have borne it.
निहताश्च हि मे सर्वे परिभूतास्तृणं यथा । भूताश्चैव भविष्याश्च यूयं च पुरुषाधमाः ।। ७.६८.
All those who were slain by me have been treated with contempt, like grass; both those who have been and those who will be, and you, O lowest of men.
तस्य ते युद्धकामस्य युद्धं दास्यामि दुर्मते । तिष्ठं त्वं च मुहूर्तं तु यावदायुधमानये । ईप्सितं यादृशं तुभ्यं सज्जये यावदायुधम् ।। ७.६८.
For you, who desire battle, I shall grant combat, O wicked-minded one; wait a moment while I fetch my weapon, whichever you wish, so I may prepare it.
तमुवाचाशु शत्रुघ्नः क्व मे जीवन्गमिष्यसि । शत्रुर्यदृच्छया दृष्टो न मोक्तव्यः कृतात्मना ।। ७.६८.
Shatrughna quickly said to him: 'Where will you escape alive from me? An enemy encountered by chance should not be released by one who is resolved.'
यो हि विक्लवया बुद्ध्या प्रसरं शत्रवे ददौ । स हतो मन्दबुद्धित्वाद्यथा कापुरुषस्तथा ।। ७.६८.
He who, with a wavering mind, gives an opening to the enemy, is slain due to his foolishness, just like a coward.
तस्मात्सुदृष्टं कुरु जीवलोकं शरैः शितैस्त्वां विविधैर्नयामि । यमस्य गेहाभिमुखं हि पापं रिपुं त्रिलोकस्य च राघवस्य ।। ७.६८.
Therefore, behold the world of the living well; with sharp arrows of many kinds, I shall lead you, O wicked one, enemy of the three worlds and of Raghava, toward the abode of Yama.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे ऽष्टषष्टितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the sixty-eighth sarga of the glorious Uttarakanda in the noble Ramayana, the first epic composed by the sage Valmiki.
तच्छ्रुत्वा भाषितं तस्य शत्रुघ्नस्य महात्मनः । क्रोधामाहारयत्तीव्रं तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत् ।। ७.६९.
Hearing the words of Shatrughna, the great-souled one, he summoned intense anger and shouted, 'Stand, stand!'
पाणौ पाणिं विनिष्पिष्य दन्तान्कटकटाय्य च । लवणो रघुशार्दूलमाह्वयामास चासकृत् ।। ७.६९.
Pressing his palm against his palm and grinding his teeth, Lavana repeatedly challenged the tiger of the Raghu line.
तं ब्रुवाणं तथा वाक्यं लवणं घोरदर्शनम् । शत्रुघ्नो देवशत्रुघ्न इदं वचनमब्रवीत् ।। ७.६९.
To Lavana, who spoke thus and appeared terrifying, Shatrughna, the slayer of foes, spoke these words.
न शत्रुघ्नस्तथा जातो यथा ऽन्ये निर्जितास्त्वया । तदद्य बाणाभिहतो व्रज त्वं यमसादनम् ।। ७.६९.
Shatrughna is not as those others whom you have conquered; today, struck by my arrows, go to the abode of Yama.
ऋषयो ऽप्यद्य पापात्मन्मया त्वां निहतं रणे । पश्यन्तु विप्रा विद्वांसस्त्रिदशा इव रावणम् ।। ७.६९.
Today, O evil-minded one, may the sages, the learned brahmins, and the gods witness you slain by me in battle, just as they saw Ravana.
त्वयि मद्बाणनिर्दग्धे पतिते ऽद्य निशाचर । पुरे जनपदे चापि क्षेममेव भविष्यति ।। ७.६९.
When you, O night-wanderer, are burned by my arrows and fall today, peace will prevail in the city and the land.
अद्य मद्बाहुनिष्क्रान्तः शरो वज्रनिभाननः । प्रवेक्ष्यते ते हृदयं पद्ममंशुरिवार्कजः ।। ७.६९.
Today, an arrow launched from my arm, with a face like thunderbolt, will enter your heart like a sunbeam enters a lotus.
एवमुक्तो महावृक्षं लवणः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः । शत्रुघ्नोरसि चिक्षेप स च तं शतधाच्छिनत् ।। ७.६९.
Thus addressed, Lavana, overwhelmed by anger, hurled a great tree at Shatrughna's chest, and he split it into a hundred pieces.
तद्दृष्ट्वा विफलं कर्म राक्षसः पुनरेव तु । पादपान्सुबहून्गृह्य शत्रुघ्नायासृजद्बली ।। ७.६९.
Seeing his efforts fail, the powerful rakshasa again seized many trees and hurled them at Shatrughna.
शत्रुघ्नश्चापि तेजस्वी वृक्षानापततो बहून् । त्रिभिश्चतुर्भिरेकैकं चिच्छेद नतपर्वभिः ।। ७.६९.
But Shatrughna, radiant in energy, cut down each of the many falling trees with three or four blows of his curved weapons.
ततो बाणमयं वर्षं व्यसृजद्राक्षसोरसि । शत्रुघ्नो वीर्यसम्पन्नो विव्यथे न स राक्षसः ।। ७.६९.
Then Shatrughna, endowed with valor, unleashed a shower of arrows upon the rakshasa's chest, yet the rakshasa was not shaken.