तच्चाग्निसदृशं दीप्तं रावणस्य शरावरम्। पक्षाभ्यां च महातेजा व्यधुनोत् पतगेश्वरः
The king of birds, of great brilliance, shook off Rāvaṇa’s blazing, fire-like shower of arrows with his wings.
काञ्चनोरश्छदान् दिव्यान् पिशाचवदनान् खरान्। तांश्चास्य जवसम्पन्नाञ्जघान समरे बली
He struck down Rāvaṇa’s swift, divine horses, covered in golden armor and bearing faces like demons, in battle.
अथ त्रिवेणुसम्पन्नं कामगं पावकार्चिषम्। मणिसोपानचित्राङ्गं बभञ्ज च महारथम्
Then he broke the magnificent chariot, adorned with three banners, moving at will, blazing like fire, and decorated with jeweled steps.
पूर्णचन्द्रप्रतीकाशं छत्रं च व्यजनैः सह। पातयामास वेगेन ग्राहिभी राक्षसैः सह
He swiftly knocked down the umbrella, shining like the full moon, along with the fans and the rakṣasas who held them.
सारथेश्चास्य वेगेन तुण्डेन च महच्छिरः। पुनर्व्यपहनच्छ्रीमान् पक्षिराजो महाबलः
With his beak, the mighty king of birds struck and again tore off the large, splendid head of Rāvaṇa’s charioteer.
स भग्नधन्वा विरथो हताश्वो हतसारथिः। अङ्केनादाय वैदेहीं पपात भुवि रावणः
His bow broken, chariot lost, horses and charioteer slain, Rāvaṇa fell to the ground, holding Vaidehī in his arms.
दृष्ट्वा निपतितं भूमौ रावणं भग्नवाहनम्। साधु साध्विति भूतानि गृध्रराजमपूजयन्
Seeing Rāvaṇa fallen on the earth, his vehicle destroyed, the beings praised the king of vultures, saying, 'Well done, well done!'
परिश्रान्तं तु तं दृष्ट्वा जरया पक्षियूथपम्। उत्पपात पुनर्हृष्टो मैथिलीं गृह्य रावणः
Seeing the bird chief exhausted and aged, Rāvaṇa, delighted, seized Maithilī and sprang up again.
तं प्रहृष्टं निधायाङ्के रावणं जनकात्मजाम्। गच्छन्तं खड्गशेषं च प्रणष्टहतसाधनम्
Placing Janaka’s daughter on his lap, Rāvaṇa, with only his sword left and all his means lost and destroyed, began to depart.
गृध्रराजः समुत्पत्य रावणं समभिद्रवत्। समावार्य महातेजा जटायुरिदमब्रवीत्
The king of vultures, Jatāyu, rose up and rushed at Rāvaṇa, blocking him, and spoke these words with great brilliance.
वज्रसंस्पर्शबाणस्य भार्यां रामस्य रावण। अल्पबुद्धे हरस्येनां वधाय खलु रक्षसाम्
Rāvaṇa, of little understanding, you are taking Rāma’s wife, whose arrows are like the touch of thunderbolts, for the destruction of the rākṣasas.
समित्रबन्धुः सामात्यः सबलः सपरिच्छदः। विषपानं पिबस्येतत् पिपासित इवोदकम्
With friends, relatives, ministers, army, and attendants, you drink poison as if it were water, because you thirst for it.
अनुबन्धमजानन्तः कर्मणामविचक्षणाः। शीघ्रमेव विनश्यन्ति यथा त्वं विनशिष्यसि
Those who do not know the consequences of their actions, lacking discernment, quickly perish, just as you will perish.
बद्धस्त्वं कालपाशेन क्व गतस्तस्य मोक्ष्यसे। वधाय बडिशं गृह्य सामिषं जलजो यथा
You are bound by the noose of time; where will you go to escape it? Like a fish caught with bait, you are seized for destruction.
नहि जातु दुराधर्षौ काकुत्स्थौ तव रावण। धर्षणं चाश्रमस्यास्य क्षमिष्येते तु राघवौ
O Rāvaṇa, the two sons of Raghu, who are descended from Kakutstha, will never tolerate either your assault or the violation of this hermitage.
यथा त्वया कृतं कर्म भीरुणा लोकगर्हितम्। तस्कराचरितो मार्गो नैष वीरनिषेवितः
The act you have committed, cowardly and condemned by the world, is the way of thieves, not the path followed by heroes.
युद्ध्यस्व यदि शूरोऽसि मुहूर्तं तिष्ठ रावण। शयिष्यसे हतो भूमौ यथा भ्राता खरस्तथा
If you are truly a warrior, then fight! Stand for a moment, Rāvaṇa. You will lie slain on the ground, just as your brother Khara did.
परेतकाले पुरुषो यत् कर्म प्रतिपद्यते। विनाशायात्मनोऽधर्म्यं प्रतिपन्नोऽसि कर्म तत्
At the time of death, whatever action a man undertakes, if it is unrighteous, it leads only to his own destruction—and such a deed you have now chosen.
पापानुबन्धो वै यस्य कर्मणः को नु तत् पुमान्। कुर्वीत लोकाधिपतिः स्वयंभूर्भगवानपि
Who indeed would perform an act whose consequence is sin? Not even the lord of the world, the self-born, the divine one himself, would do so.
एवमुक्त्वा शुभं वाक्यं जटायुस्तस्य रक्षसः। निपपात भृशं पृष्ठे दशग्रीवस्य वीर्यवान्
Having spoken these auspicious words, the mighty Jatāyu fell forcefully upon the back of the ten-headed Rāvaṇa.
तं गृहीत्वा नखैस्तीक्ष्णैर्विददार समन्ततः। अधिरूढो गजारोहो यथा स्याद् दुष्टवारणम्
Seizing him, Jatāyu tore at him on all sides with his sharp claws, just as a skilled elephant-rider might attack a vicious elephant.
विददार नखैरस्य तुण्डं पृष्ठे समर्पयन्। केशांश्चोत्पाटयामास नखपक्षमुखायुधः
With his beak pressing down on Rāvaṇa's back, he ripped at him with his claws, and, armed with claws, wings, and beak, he began to tear out his hair.
स तथा गृध्रराजेन क्लिश्यमानो मुहुर्मुहुः। अमर्षस्फुरितोष्ठः सन् प्राकम्पत च राक्षसः
Thus tormented again and again by the king of vultures, the Rākṣasa's lips quivered with rage, and he began to tremble.
सम्परिष्वज्य वैदेहीं वामेनाङ्केन रावणः। तलेनाभिजघानार्तो जटायुं क्रोधमूर्च्छितः
Rāvaṇa, holding Vaidehī on his left thigh, struck the suffering Jatāyu with his palm, his mind overcome by anger.
जटायुस्तमतिक्रम्य तुण्डेनास्य खगाधिपः। वामबाहून् दश तदा व्यपाहरदरिंदमः
But Jatāyu, the lord of birds, evaded him and, with his beak, tore off ten of Rāvaṇa's left arms.
संछिन्नबाहोः सद्यो वै बाहवः सहसाभवन्। विषज्वालावलीयुक्ता वल्मीकादिव पन्नगाः
The arms, just severed, instantly grew back, blazing with streams of poison, like serpents from an anthill.
ततः क्रोधाद् दशग्रीवः सीतामुत्सृज्य वीर्यवान्। मुष्टिभ्यां चरणाभ्यां च गृध्रराजमपोथयत्
Then, filled with rage, the mighty ten-headed one cast Sītā aside and struck the king of vultures with his fists and feet.
ततो मुहूर्तं संग्रामो बभूवातुलवीर्ययोः। राक्षसानां च मुख्यस्य पक्षिणां प्रवरस्य च
Thereafter, a fierce battle took place for a moment between the chief of the Rākṣasas and the foremost of birds, both possessing great strength.
तस्य व्यायच्छमानस्य रामस्यार्थे स रावणः। पक्षौ पादौ च पार्श्वौ च खड्गमुद्धृत्य सोऽच्छिनत्
As he struggled for Rāma's sake, Rāvaṇa drew his sword and cut off his wings, feet, and sides.
स च्छिन्नपक्षः सहसा रक्षसा रौद्रकर्मणा। निपपात महागृध्रो धरण्यामल्पजीवितः
With his wings severed by the fierce deed of the Rākṣasa, the great vulture, his life nearly spent, fell suddenly to the earth.