Chapter 78
Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
निकुम्भं निहतं श्रुत्वा कुम्भम् च विनिपातितम्
रावणः परमामर्षी प्रजज्वालानलो यथा
nikumbhaṃ nihataṃ śrutvā kumbham ca vinipātitam
rāvaṇaḥ paramāmarṣī prajajvālānalo yathā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On hearing of Nikumbha and Kumbha having been killed, Ravana was very much flared up like fire.
नैरृतः क्रोधशोकाभ्यां द्वाभ्यां तु परिमूर्चितः
खरपुत्र विशालाक्षं मकराक्षमचोदयत्
nairṛtaḥ krodhaśokābhyāṃ dvābhyāṃ tu parimūrcitaḥ
kharaputra viśālākṣaṃ makarākṣamacodayat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Engulfed with both anger and sorrow, Ravana ordered the wide-eyed Makaraksha, the son of Khara (as follows):
गच्छ पुत्र मयाज्ञप्तो बलेनाभिसमन्वितः
राघवं लक्ष्मणम् चैव जहि तौ सवनौकसौ
gaccha putra mayājñapto balenābhisamanvitaḥ
rāghavaṃ lakṣmaṇam caiva jahi tau savanaukasau
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I am commanding you! Accompanied by an army, go my son! Kill Rama, Lakshmana and the monkeys."
तावणस्य वचः श्रुत्वा शूरमानी खरात्मजः
बाढमित्यब्रवीद्धृष्टो मकराक्षो निशाचारम्
tāvaṇasya vacaḥ śrutvā śūramānī kharātmajaḥ
bāḍhamityabravīddhṛṣṭo makarākṣo niśācāram
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hearing Ravana's words, Makaraksha, the son of Khara, thinking himself as a hero, was rejoiced and assured Ravana that he would do it certainly as commanded.
सो।अभिवाद्य दशग्रीवं कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम्
निर्जगाम गृहाच्छुभ्राद्रावणस्याज्ञया बली
so|abhivādya daśagrīvaṃ kṛtvā cāpi pradakṣiṇam
nirjagāma gṛhācchubhrādrāvaṇasyājñayā balī
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Having respectfully saluted, even by performing circumambulation, the mighty Makaraksha, by the orders of Ravana, came forth from these shining palace of Ravana.
समीपस्थं बलाध्यक्षं खरपुत्रो।अब्रवीद्वचः
रथमानीयतां तूर्णम् सैन्यं त्वानीयतां त्वरात्
samīpasthaṃ balādhyakṣaṃ kharaputro|abravīdvacaḥ
rathamānīyatāṃ tūrṇam sainyaṃ tvānīyatāṃ tvarāt
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Makaraksha the son of Khara asked the commander of an army who was in the vicinity to bring a chariot and the army swiftly.
तस्य तद्वचनम् श्रुत्वा बलाध्यक्षो निशाचरः
स्यन्दनं च बलं चैव समीपं प्रत्यपादयत्
tasya tadvacanam śrutvā balādhyakṣo niśācaraḥ
syandanaṃ ca balaṃ caiva samīpaṃ pratyapādayat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hearing his words, the army-commander of the demons brought the chariot and the army to his proximity.
प्रदक्षिणं रथं कृत्वा समाहूय निशाचरः
सूतं संचोदयामास शीग्रं वै रथ मावह
pradakṣiṇaṃ rathaṃ kṛtvā samāhūya niśācaraḥ
sūtaṃ saṃcodayāmāsa śīgraṃ vai ratha māvaha
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Walking clockwise round the chariot and ascending it, Makaraksha asked the charioteer to drive forward the chariot quickly to the battle-field.
अथ तान् राक्षसान् सर्वान् मकराक्षो।अब्रवीदिदम्
यूयं सर्वे प्रयुध्यध्वं पुरस्तान्मम राक्षसाः
atha tān rākṣasān sarvān makarākṣo|abravīdidam
yūyaṃ sarve prayudhyadhvaṃ purastānmama rākṣasāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then Makaraksha spoke the following words to those demons, "O demons! All of you begin your fight before my presence."
अहं राक्षसराजेन रावणेन महात्मना
आज्ञ्प्तः समरे हन्तुं रावुभौ रामल्क्ष्मणौ
ahaṃ rākṣasarājena rāvaṇena mahātmanā
ājñptaḥ samare hantuṃ rāvubhau rāmalkṣmaṇau
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"The mighty Ravana, the king of demons commanded me to kill both Rama and Lakshmana in battle."
अद्य रामं वधिष्यामि लक्ष्मणम् च निशाचराः
शाखामृगं च सुग्रीवं वानरांश्च शरोत्तमैः
adya rāmaṃ vadhiṣyāmi lakṣmaṇam ca niśācarāḥ
śākhāmṛgaṃ ca sugrīvaṃ vānarāṃśca śarottamaiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Today, I will kill Rama, Lakshmana, Sugreeva the monkey and the other monkeys with my excellent arrows, O demons!"
अद्य शूलनिपातैश्च वानराणां महाचमूम्
प्रदहिष्यामि संप्राप्तां शुष्केन्धनमिवानलः
adya śūlanipātaiśca vānarāṇāṃ mahācamūm
pradahiṣyāmi saṃprāptāṃ śuṣkendhanamivānalaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"By hurling the spears, I will destroy completely the huge army of monkeys who arrived today to the battle-field, as the fire destroys the dry wood."
मकराक्षस्य तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं ते निशाचराः
सर्वे नानायुधोपेता बलवन्तः समाहिताः
makarākṣasya tacchrutvā vacanaṃ te niśācarāḥ
sarve nānāyudhopetā balavantaḥ samāhitāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hearing those words of Makaraksha, all those strong demons, wielding various kinds of weapons, were steadfast to fight.
ते कामरूपिणः क्रूरा दंष्ट्रिणः पिङ्गलेक्षणाः
मातङ्ग इव नर्दन्तो ध्वस्तकेशा भयावहाः
te kāmarūpiṇaḥ krūrā daṃṣṭriṇaḥ piṅgalekṣaṇāḥ
mātaṅga iva nardanto dhvastakeśā bhayāvahāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Those cruel demons, who can change their forms at will, who had protruding tusks, had tawny coloured eyes, had their disheveled hair, creating terror with their colossal bodies, then marched forward like roaring elephants, shaking the firmament and surrounded the huge-bodied Makaraksha.
शङ्खभेरीसहस्राणामाहतानां समन्ततः
क्ष्वेलितास्फोटितानां च तत्र महानभूत्
śaṅkhabherīsahasrāṇāmāhatānāṃ samantataḥ
kṣvelitāsphoṭitānāṃ ca tatra mahānabhūt
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
There arose a great tumult sounded, on all sides, of thousands of couches and kettle-drums including leonine roars and clapping of arms.
प्रभ्रष्टो।अथ करात्तस्य प्रतोदः सारथेस्तदा
पपात सहसा दैवाद्ध्वजस्तस्य तु रक्षसः
prabhraṣṭo|atha karāttasya pratodaḥ sārathestadā
papāta sahasā daivāddhvajastasya tu rakṣasaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The long whip then slipped down from the hands of Makaraksha's charioteer and the flag-staff of that demon also suddenly fell down by the will of the province.
तस्य ते रथसम्युक्ता हया विक्रमवर्जिताः
चरणैराकुलैर्गत्वा दीनाः सास्रमुखा ययुः
tasya te rathasamyuktā hayā vikramavarjitāḥ
caraṇairākulairgatvā dīnāḥ sāsramukhā yayuḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Those horses, yoked to his chariot, deprived of their diversified gait, were walking with flurried feet and went timidly, with tears in their eyes.
प्रवाति पवनस्तस्मिन् सपांसुः खरदारुणः
निर्याणे तस्य रौद्रस्य मकराक्षस्य दुर्मतेः
pravāti pavanastasmin sapāṃsuḥ kharadāruṇaḥ
niryāṇe tasya raudrasya makarākṣasya durmateḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
At the time of marching of that dreadful and evil-minded Makaraksha, a harsh and fearful dust-storm blew forth.
तानि दृष्ट्वा निमित्तानि राक्षसा वीर्यवत्तमाः
अचिन्त्य निर्गताः सर्वे यत्र तौ रामलक्ष्मणौ
tāni dṛṣṭvā nimittāni rākṣasā vīryavattamāḥ
acintya nirgatāḥ sarve yatra tau rāmalakṣmaṇau
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Though seeing those portents, all those highly valiant demons ignored them and set out to the place, where both Rama and Lakshmana were there.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये युद्धकांडे अष्टसप्ततितमः सर्गः
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye yuddhakāṃḍe aṣṭasaptatitamaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Saying thunderously, "I shall take the lead", those demons who resembled black clouds, elephants and buffaloes in hue, who had been wounded pointedly more than once by maces and swords in the battle-front and who were skilled in martial art, moved hither and thither in the battle-field.
