Chapter 106
Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
सारथिः स रथम् हृष्टं परसैन्यप्रधर्षणम्
गन्धर्वनगराकारं समुच्छ्रितपाताकिनम्
sārathiḥ sa ratham hṛṣṭaṃ parasainyapradharṣaṇam
gandharvanagarākāraṃ samucchritapātākinam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thrilling with rapture, that charioteer, the charioteer of Ravana, drove forward quickly, his chariot, a chariot, which was capable of attacking the army of enemies, a wonderful piece of art like Gandharva-city, an imaginary city in the sky, mounted with flags, yoked with horses of excellent quality adorned with golden necklaces, filled with war-implements, adorned with rows of flags and banners, which was devouring the sky as it were, making the earth resound, which was the destroyer of the army of adversaries and caused delight to its own.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Rama saw that Ravana's chariot, which was coming speedily with a noise, bearing a large flag-staff, yoked with black horses, endowed with a terrific luster, blazing like an aerial car in the sky, with a luster of the sun, filled with lightning-like flags and with a beautiful appearance of a rain-bow.
शरधारा विमुञ्चन्तन् धारासारमिवान्बुदम्
तन् दृष्ट्वा मेघसङ्काशमापतन्तन् रथं रिपोः
śaradhārā vimuñcantan dhārāsāramivānbudam
tan dṛṣṭvā meghasaṅkāśamāpatantan rathaṃ ripoḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Seeing that chariot, releasing streams of arrows, like a cloud releasing streams of rain, with a noise equal to that of a bursting mountain, struck with a diamond, Rama after stretching his bow in a crescent shape, spoke to Matali, Indra's charioteer as follows:
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O Matali! From the way in which the enemy is marching forward from left to right with a great speed in his chariot more, it appears that heart has been set by him upon destroying himself in the battle."
तदप्रमादमातिष्ठ प्रत्युद्गच्छ रथन् रिपोः
विध्वन्सयितुमिच्छामि वायुर्मेघमिवोत्थितम्
tadapramādamātiṣṭha pratyudgaccha rathan ripoḥ
vidhvansayitumicchāmi vāyurmeghamivotthitam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Therefore, take care and march forward, facing the chariot of the enemy I wish to destroy it, even as the wind would blow a cloud."
अविक्लवमसम्भ्रान्तमव्यग्रहृदयेक्षणम्
रश्मिसञ्चारनियतं प्रचोदय रथन् द्रुतम्
aviklavamasambhrāntamavyagrahṛdayekṣaṇam
raśmisañcāraniyataṃ pracodaya rathan drutam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Without fear and flurry and with a steady heart and vision, and the movement of the reins fully controlled, drive the chariot swiftly."
कामं न त्वन् समाधेयः पुरन्दररथोचितः
युयुत्सुरहमेकाग्रः स्मारये त्वां न शिक्षये
kāmaṃ na tvan samādheyaḥ purandararathocitaḥ
yuyutsurahamekāgraḥ smāraye tvāṃ na śikṣaye
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"You need not be instructed by me, accustomed as you are to drive the chariot of Indra the lord of celestials. Keen as I am to fight with a close attention, I am just reminding you and not teaching you."
परितुष्टः स रामस्य तेन वाक्येन मातलिः
प्रचोदयामास रथन् सुरसारथिसत्तमः
parituṣṭaḥ sa rāmasya tena vākyena mātaliḥ
pracodayāmāsa rathan surasārathisattamaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Extremely gratified with those words of Rama, that Matali the excellent charioteer of gods drove on the chariot.
अपसव्यन् ततः कुर्वन्रावणस्य महारथम्
चक्रोत्क्षिप्तेन रजसा रावणन् व्यवधूनयत्
apasavyan tataḥ kurvanrāvaṇasya mahāratham
cakrotkṣiptena rajasā rāvaṇan vyavadhūnayat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Passing the huge chariot of Ravana on the right, the charioteer then set Ravana shaking, by the dust risen from the wheels of his own chariot.
ततः क्रुद्धो दशग्रीवस्ताम्रविस्फारितेक्षणः
रथप्रतिमुखन् रामं सायकैरवधूनयत्
tataḥ kruddho daśagrīvastāmravisphāritekṣaṇaḥ
rathapratimukhan rāmaṃ sāyakairavadhūnayat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The enraged Ravana then, with his coppery eyes wide open, trembled Rama, who stood facing his chariot, with arrows.
धर्षणामर्षितो रामो धैर्यन् रोषेण लङ्घयन्
जग्राह सुमहावेगमैन्द्रन् युधि शरासनम्
dharṣaṇāmarṣito rāmo dhairyan roṣeṇa laṅghayan
jagrāha sumahāvegamaindran yudhi śarāsanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Meeting fortitude with anger, though provoked with assault, Rama took hold of Indra's bow, which was possessed of extra ordinary impulse in the battle-field.
शरांश्च सुमहातेजाः सूर्यरश्मिसमप्रभान्
तदुपोढं महद्युद्धमन्योन्यवधकाङ्क्षिणोः
śarāṃśca sumahātejāḥ sūryaraśmisamaprabhān
tadupoḍhaṃ mahadyuddhamanyonyavadhakāṅkṣiṇoḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
He also seized hold of arrows of exceeding swiftness, which were shining like sun-beams. Then began that great battle between the two warriors (Rama and Ravana) who were desirous of killing each other, while facing each other like two proud lions.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then, the gods along with the Gandharvas the celestial musicians, Siddhas the demigods and great sages, desirous of Ravana's ruin, arrived to see the battle of both the chariot-warrriors.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thereupon, terrific portents that caused one's hair to stand on end, appeared giving an augury of doom to Ravana and prosperity to Rama.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The god of rains poured blood on Ravana's chariot. Horrible winds blew from right to left, forming circles.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
A large flock of vultures, roaming about in the sky, was flying forward in the same direction in which Ravana's chariot was going.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Lanka was overcast with dusk, resembling a (red) Japa flower. The land in Lanka, as also the day appeared as if they were blazing.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Large meteors, along with lightnings fell with great noise. Those entities, inimical to Ravana, made demons to lament.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The earth on which Ravana was there, trembled. The arms of fighting demons looked as if they were clasped.
ताम्राः पीताः सिताः श्वेताः पतिताः सूर्यरश्मयः
tāmrāḥ pītāḥ sitāḥ śvetāḥ patitāḥ sūryaraśmayaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Fallen before Ravana, the rays of the sun appeared coppery, yellow, white and dark, like mineral ores on a mountain.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The she-jackals followed by vultures hastily uttered inauspicious howls, on beholding Ravana's face as also vomiting fire from their mouths.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Scattering the dust upwards over the battle-field and clouding the vision of that Ravana, the wind blew in a direction inimicable to him.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Even without the appearance of clouds, thunderbolts fell on his army on all sides, with a noise which was hard to endure.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
All the quarters and intermediate points of the compass became covered with darkness and due to outpourings of dust, the sky became difficult to be seen.
कुर्वन्त्यः कलहन् घोरन् सारिकास्तद्रथं प्रति
kurvantyaḥ kalahan ghoran sārikāstadrathaṃ prati
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hundreds of dreadful Sarika* birds, with their awful howls, terribly fighting there, fell down upon Ravana's chariot.
PURPORT
जघनेभ्यः स्फुलिङ्गांश्च नेत्रेभ्योअश्रूणि सन्ततम्
jaghanebhyaḥ sphuliṅgāṃśca netrebhyoaśrūṇi santatam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
His horses discharged sparks of fire from their hips and loins as also tears from their eyes, releasing out fire and water at the same time continuously.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Frightful portents in multitude thus sprang up, bringing danger and destruction to Ravana.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Pleasant and auspicious omens, depicting victory of Rama appeared on all sides, before Rama.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Seeing the pleasant omens depicting his victory, Rama was very much pleased and considered Ravana as (already) dead.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे आदिकाव्ये युद्धकाण्डे षडुत्तरशततमः सर्गः
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe ādikāvye yuddhakāṇḍe ṣaḍuttaraśatatamaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then Rama, with the knowledge of all omens, having seen those portents in his own way in the battle-field, obtained rejoice as well as extreme happiness and shown enhanced prowess in combat.
