मातापितृविनिर्मुक्ता बालकास् तिमिरावलीः । मथ्नन्तो ऽङ्गेषु रथ्यासु कुड्यपातेन हा हताः
Children, bereft of mother and father, wander through the darkness, beaten and destroyed in the streets by the collapse of walls.
वत विद्रावितान्धस्य करिणो रणमूर्धनि । पतदङ्गारकागारभारिणः कटुकूजितम्
The elephants, driven away by the blind, roar harshly in the midst of battle, their bodies heavy with falling embers and burning coals.
हा कष्ठम् असिनिर्भिन्नस्कन्धे सन्नदृढोल्मुके । पतितो यन्त्रपाषाणः पुरुषस्याशनिर् यथा
Alas, the stone, split by the sword and firmly embedded in the shoulder, falls upon a man like a thunderbolt from a machine.
गवाश्वमहिषाजोष्ट्रश्वशृगालवृकैर् अहो । घोरो रण इहारब्धो मार्गरोधक आकुलैः
Cows, horses, buffaloes, camels, dogs, and wolves—how terrible is the battle here, begun by those blocking the roads in confusion.
पटैः पटपटाशब्दैर् ज्वलज्ज्वालालिमारुतैः । आक्रन्दिन्यस् स्त्रियो यान्ति स्थलपद्माचिता इव
With the crackling sounds of burning cloths and the winds of blazing flames, the wailing women go forth, as if adorned with ground lotuses.
स्त्रीणां ज्वालालवाः पश्य लिहन्त्य् अलकवल्लरीः । कुर्वन्तो ऽशोकपुष्पाभां करभा इव पन्नगीः
See how the tongues of flame from the women lick at their flowing locks, making them resemble the blossoms of the ashoka tree, like elephants playing with serpents.
हा हा हरिणशावाक्ष्याः पक्ष्मलेक्षणपक्ष्मसु । कुशाग्रेष्व् इव विश्रान्तिम् एति कार्षाणवी शिखा
Alas, the slender flame, resting on the blades of grass, reaches the eyelash-fringed eyes of the doe-eyed women.
दह्यमानो ऽपि निर्याति न कलत्रं विना नरः । अहो बत दुरुच्छेदाः प्राणिनां स्नेहवागुराः
Even while burning, a man does not depart without his wife; ah, how hard to break are the snares of affection for living beings.
करी रभसनिर्भिन्नज्वलदङ्गारपादपैः । प्लुष्टपुष्करकः कोपान् मथ्नात्य् उत्पुष्करं सरः
The elephant, agitated, shatters the flaming trees with force; enraged, he churns the pond, already filled with withered lotuses, with his trunk.
धूमोऽम्बुदपदं प्राप्य लोलालाततडिल्लतम् । ज्वलदङ्गारनाराचनिकरं परिवर्षति
The smoke, reaching the place of the clouds, with its restless, broad flashes, rains down a multitude of blazing, fiery arrows.
इह धूमस् स्फुरद्वह्निकण आवर्तवृत्तिमान् । स्थित आपीडवान् व्योम्नि रत्नपूर इवाम्बरे
Here, the smoke, full of flickering sparks and moving in circular currents, stands amassed in the sky, like a heap of jewels in the firmament.
गौरम् अम्बरम् आभाति ज्वालाशिखरतेजसा । मृत्योर् इवोत्सवे दत्तः कुङ्कुमाङ्कः कदर्थकः
The sky shines pale with the brilliance of the flame-crests, marked with saffron as if for the festival of death, a sign of destruction.
अहो नु विषमं वैरं वर्तते वृत्तिवर्जितम् । ह्रियन्ते राजनार्यो ऽपि वरवीरैर् उदायुधैः
Alas, how terrible and unjust is this enmity, devoid of all virtue; even noble kings are slain by mighty warriors bearing excellent weapons.
लोलस्रग्दामकुसुमैर् मार्गप्रकरकारिकाः । अर्धनिर्दग्धकवरीकीर्णवक्षस्स्थलाम्बराः
With garlands and ornaments loosened and flowers scattered, the women who once adorned the royal paths now have their garments half-burnt and their breasts and chests strewn with ashes.
आलोलाम्बरसंलक्ष्यनितम्बजघनस्थलाः । पतन्माणिक्यवलया वलितावनिमण्डलाः
Their hips and loins are revealed as their garments sway and fall, jeweled bracelets slip from their arms to the ground, and their bodies bend toward the earth.
छिन्नहारलताजालविकीर्णामलमौक्तिकाः । दृष्टादृष्टस्तनश्रोणिपार्श्वोद्यत्कनकप्रभाः
Necklaces and strings of pearls are broken and scattered, and the golden radiance from their breasts, hips, and sides—some seen, some hidden—shines forth.
कुररीकर्कशाक्रन्दमन्दीकृतरणारवाः । धारापात्यस्रुनाराचभिन्नपार्श्वस्थचेतनाः
The tumult of battle is subdued by the harsh cries of vultures, and the wounded, pierced by arrows and bleeding, lie senseless on the ground.
रक्तकर्दमबाष्पाम्बुक्लिन्नग्रथितवाससः । भुजमूलार्पितभुजैर् नीयमाना बलान् नृभिः
Their garments are soaked with tears, blood, and mud; their arms rest on the shoulders of others as they are led away by the soldiers.
क इवास्मत्परित्राता स्याद् इत्य् आदीनवीक्षितैः । उत्पलैर् इव वर्षद्भिः परिरोदितसैनिकाः
With eyes full of distress, as if asking, 'Who will save us now?', the soldiers weep, their tears falling like a shower of lotuses.
मृणालकोमलाच्छोरुमूलजालैस् सुनिर्मलैः । स्वच्छाम्बरतलालक्ष्यैर् आकाशनलिनीनिभाः
With thighs as soft as lotus stalks, adorned with pure, delicate anklets, and garments clear as crystal, they resemble lotuses blooming in the sky.
आलोलमाल्यवसनाभरणाङ्गरागा ईर्ष्याकुलाननचलालकवल्लरीकाः । आनन्दसुन्दरनिरङ्कुशमथ्यमानात् कामार्णवात् समुदिता इव राजलक्ष्म्यः
With garlands, garments, ornaments, and cosmetics in disarray, their faces agitated by jealousy and their curling locks trembling, the royal ladies seemed as if they had arisen from the ocean of desire, being churned by the unbridled rod of delightful beauty.
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे राजमहिषी मत्तयौवना । तद् विवेश गृहं लक्ष्मीर् इव पङ्कजकोटरम्
Meanwhile, the queen, intoxicated by youth, entered the palace like Lakshmi entering the heart of a lotus.
आलोलमाल्यवसना च्छिन्नहारलताकुला । अनुयाता वयस्याभिर् दासीभिर् भयविह्वला
Her garlands and garments were disordered, her necklace of creepers broken and tangled; accompanied by her friends and maidservants, she was overcome with fear.
चन्द्राननावदाताङ्गी श्वासोत्कम्पिपयोधरा । तारकाकारदशना स्थिता द्यौर् इव रूपिणी
Her face was like the moon, her limbs spotless, her breasts heaving with anxious breath; her teeth shone like stars, and she stood there, a celestial beauty like the sky embodied.
अथ तस्या वयस्यैका राजानं तं व्यजिज्ञपत् । वृत्रसङ्ग्रामसंरभ्दम् अमरेन्द्रम् इवाप्सराः
Then one of her companions informed the king, just as an apsara might announce to Indra, excited in the battle with Vritra.
देव देवी सहास्माभिः पलाय्यान्तःपुरान्तरात् । शरणं देवम् आयाता वातार्तेव लता द्रुमम्
O lord, the queen has come with us, fleeing from the inner chambers, seeking your protection, like a creeper blown by the wind seeking refuge with a tree.
राजदारा हृतास् स्तेनैर् बलवद्भिर् उदायुधैः । ऊर्मिजालैर् महाब्धीनां तीरे द्रुमलता इव
The royal women have been seized by powerful, well-armed thieves, like creepers on the shore of the great ocean caught in a net of waves.
अन्तःपुराधिपास् सर्वे पिष्टाश् शत्रुभिर् उद्धतैः । अशङ्किताभिपतितैर् वातैर् इव वनद्रुमाः
All the chiefs of the inner apartments have been crushed by bold enemies who attacked unexpectedly, like forest trees struck down by sudden winds.
पूरेणाशङ्कम् आयातैः परैर् नः पुरम् आहृतम् । रात्रौ वर्षास्व् इवोद्गारैर् उदकप्लववारिभिः
Our city has been seized by outsiders who arrived suddenly and unexpectedly, like torrents of floodwaters overflowing during the rainy night.
धूम्रवर्मभिर् उन्नादैर् लेलिहानाग्रहेतिभिः । वह्निभिर् नः पुरं व्याप्तं परयोधैश् च भूरिभिः
Our city has been overrun by enemy warriors in great numbers, with blazing fires whose smoky armor roars and whose licking flames brandish their sharp tips.