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.
ततः प्रहस्य लवणो वृक्षमुद्यम्य वीर्यवान् । शिरस्यभ्यहनच्छूरं स्रस्ताङ्गः स मुमोह वै ।। ७.६९.
Thereafter, Lavaṇa, mighty in strength, laughed, lifted a tree, and struck the hero on the head; Shatrughna's limbs slackened and he lost consciousness.
तस्मिन्निपतिते वीरे हाहाकारो महानभूत् । ऋषीणां देवसङ्घानां गन्धर्वाप्सरसां तथा ।। ७.६९.
When that hero fell, a great cry of distress arose among the sages, the hosts of gods, the gandharvas, and the apsaras.
तमवज्ञाय तु हतं शत्रुघ्नं भुवि पातितम् । रक्षो लब्धान्तरमपि न विवेश स्वमालयम् ।। ७.६९.
Disregarding the fallen and slain Shatrughna lying on the ground, the rakshasa, though he had the chance, did not return to his abode.
नापि शूलं प्रजग्राह तं दृष्ट्वा भुवि पातितम् । ततो हत इति ज्ञात्वा तान्भक्षान्समुदावहत् ।। ७.६९.
Nor did he seize his spear upon seeing Shatrughna fallen; knowing him to be slain, he gathered his food.
मुहूर्ताल्लब्धसञ्ज्ञस्तु पुनस्तस्थौ धृतायुधः । शत्रुघ्नो वै पुरद्वारि ऋषिभिः सम्प्रपूजितः ।। ७.६९.
After a moment, regaining his senses, Shatrughna stood again at the city gate, armed and honored by the sages.
ततो दिव्यममोघं तं जग्राह शरमुत्तमम् । ज्वलन्तं तेजसा घोरं पूरयन्तं दिशो दश ।। ७.६९.
Then he took up that divine, unfailing, supreme arrow, blazing with energy and filling all ten directions.
वज्राननं वज्रवेगं मेरुमन्दरसन्निभम् । नतं पर्वसु सर्वेषु संयुगेष्वपराजितम् ।। ७.६९.
It had the face and force of a thunderbolt, resembled Meru and Mandara mountains, was curved at all joints, and undefeated in battle.
असृक्चन्दनदिग्धाङ्गं चारुपत्रं पतत्रिणम् । दानवेन्द्राचलेन्द्राणामसुराणां च दारणम् ।। ७.६९.
Its shaft was smeared with blood and sandalwood, its feathers beautiful, and it was the destroyer of the lords of demons, mountains, and asuras.
तं दीप्तमिव कालाग्निं युगान्ते समुपस्थिते । दृष्ट्वा सर्वाणि भूतानि परित्रासमुपागमन् ।। ७.६९.
Seeing it blazing like the fire of destruction at the end of an age, all beings were seized with terror.
सदेवासुरगन्धर्वं मुनिभिः साप्सरोगणम् । जगद्धि सर्वमस्वस्थं पितामहमुपस्थितम् ।। ७.६९.
With gods, asuras, gandharvas, sages, and groups of apsaras, the whole world became disturbed, and approached the Grandfather.
उवाच देवदेवेशं वरदं प्रपितामहम् । देवानां भयसंमोहो लोकानां सङ्क्षयं प्रति ।। ७.६९.
They spoke to the lord of gods, the bestower of boons, the Grandfather, about the confusion and fear among the gods and the destruction of the worlds.
नेदृशं दृष्टपूर्वं च न श्रुतं प्रपितामह । देवानां भयसम्मोहो लोकानां सङ्क्षयं प्रति ।। ७.६९.
Nothing like this has ever been seen or heard before, O Grandfather: confusion and fear among the gods, and destruction threatening the worlds.
तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । भयकारणमाचष्ट लोकानामभयङ्करः । उवाच मधुरां वाणीं शृणुध्वं सर्वदेवताः ।। ७.६९.
Hearing their words, Brahma, the Grandfather of the worlds, who brings fearlessness to all, explained the cause of their fear, and spoke sweetly: 'Listen, all you gods.'
वधाय लवणस्याजौ शरः शत्रुघ्नधारितः । तेजसा तस्य सम्मूढाः सर्वे स्मः सुरसत्तमाः ।। ७.६९.
The arrow held by Shatrughna in battle is for the slaying of Lavaṇa; by its energy, all of us, O best of gods, have become bewildered.
एष पूर्वस्य देवस्य लोककर्तुः सनातनः । शरस्तेजोमयो वत्सा येन वै भयमागतम् ।। ७.६९.
This is the eternal arrow of the ancient god, the creator of worlds, composed of energy, O children, by which fear has arisen.
एष वै कैटभस्यार्थे मधुनश्च महाशरः । सृष्टो महात्मना तेन वधार्थे दैत्ययोस्तयोः ।। ७.६९.
This great arrow was indeed created by the high-souled one for the sake of slaying Kaitabha and Madhu, for the destruction of those two demons.
एक एव प्रजानाति विष्णुस्तेजोमयं शरम् । एषा एव तनुः पूर्वा विष्णोस्तस्य महात्मनः ।। ७.६९.
Only Viṣṇu knows this arrow made of pure energy; this very form was formerly that of the great-souled Viṣṇu.
इतो गच्छत पश्यध्वं वध्यमानं महात्मना । रामानुजेन वीरेण लवणं राक्षसोत्तमम् ।। ७.६९.
Go from here and see Lavaṇa, the foremost of Rākṣasas, being slain by the heroic younger brother of Rāma.