03.272
मार्कण्डेय उवाच॥
Markandeya said.
ततः श्रुत्वा हतं सङ्ख्ये कुम्भकर्णं सहानुगम्। प्रहस्तं च महेष्वासं धूम्राक्षं चातितेजसम् ॥०३-२७२-१॥
Then he heard that Kumbhakarṇa along with his followers, as well as Prahasta the mighty archer and Dhūmrākṣa of great energy, had been slain in battle. (03-272-1)
पुत्रमिन्द्रजितं शूरं रावणः प्रत्यभाषत। जहि रामममित्रघ्न सुग्रीवं च सलक्ष्मणम् ॥०३-२७२-२॥
Rāvaṇa addressed his valiant son Indrajit: "Kill Rāma, the enemy-destroyer, Sugrīva, and Lakṣmaṇa as well." (03-272-2)
त्वया हि मम सत्पुत्र यशो दीप्तमुपार्जितम्। जित्वा वज्रधरं सङ्ख्ये सहस्राक्षं शचीपतिम् ॥०३-२७२-३॥
Indeed, my good son, illustrious fame has been acquired by you by defeating the wielder of the thunderbolt, the thousand-eyed lord of Śacī, in battle. (03-272-3)
अन्तर्हितः प्रकाशो वा दिव्यैर्दत्तवरैः शरैः। जहि शत्रूनमित्रघ्न मम शस्त्रभृतां वर ॥०३-२७२-४॥
Whether hidden or visible, with divine arrows bestowed as boons, slay the enemies, O destroyer of foes, my best among wielders of weapons. (03-272-4)
रामलक्ष्मणसुग्रीवाः शरस्पर्शं न तेऽनघ। समर्थाः प्रतिसंसोढुं कुतस्तदनुयायिनः ॥०३-२७२-५॥
O sinless one, Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Sugrīva themselves are not able to endure the touch of arrows in return; how then could their followers (be able to endure it)? (03-272-5)
अकृता या प्रहस्तेन कुम्भकर्णेन चानघ। खरस्यापचितिः सङ्ख्ये तां गच्छस्व महाभुज ॥०३-२७२-६॥
O mighty-armed one, pursue that honor in battle for Khara, which was not achieved by Prahasta or by Kumbhakarṇa, O sinless one. (03-272-6)
त्वमद्य निशितैर्बाणैर्हत्वा शत्रून्ससैनिकान्। प्रतिनन्दय मां पुत्र पुरा बद्ध्वेव वासवम् ॥०३-२७२-७॥
Today, my son, after you slay the enemies and their armies with sharp arrows, welcome me back, just as I once welcomed Indra when he had been bound. (03-272-7)
इत्युक्तः स तथेत्युक्त्वा रथमास्थाय दंशितः। प्रययाविन्द्रजिद्राजंस्तूर्णमायोधनं प्रति ॥०३-२७२-८॥
Thus addressed and having agreed, Indrajit, O king, mounted his chariot, armed himself, and swiftly proceeded towards the battlefield. (03-272-8)
तत्र विश्राव्य विस्पष्टं नाम राक्षसपुङ्गवः। आह्वयामास समरे लक्ष्मणं शुभलक्षणम् ॥०३-२७२-९॥
There, the foremost Rakshasa, after clearly announcing his name, called out to Lakshmana of auspicious signs in the battle. (03-272-9)
तं लक्ष्मणोऽप्यभ्यधावत्प्रगृह्य सशरं धनुः। त्रासयंस्तलघोषेण सिंहः क्षुद्रमृगं यथा ॥०३-२७२-१०॥
Lakṣmaṇa also rushed at him, seizing his bow with an arrow, causing terror with resounding noise, just as a lion (does) to a small animal. (03-272-10)
तयोः समभवद्युद्धं सुमहज्जयगृद्धिनोः। दिव्यास्त्रविदुषोस्तीव्रमन्योन्यस्पर्धिनोस्तदा ॥०३-२७२-११॥
At that time, a very great and intense mutual battle arose between those two, each desiring victory and skilled in divine weapons, both vying with each other. (03-272-11)
रावणिस्तु यदा नैनं विशेषयति सायकैः। ततो गुरुतरं यत्नमातिष्ठद्बलिनां वरः ॥०३-२७२-१२॥
But Rāvaṇi, when he could not pierce him with arrows, then the best among the powerful made a greater effort. (03-272-12)
तत एनं महावेगैरर्दयामास तोमरैः। तानागतान्स चिच्छेद सौमित्रिर्निशितैः शरैः ॥ ते निकृत्ताः शरैस्तीक्ष्णैर्न्यपतन्वसुधातले ॥०३-२७२-१३॥
Then, with great speed, he struck him with spears. Those who came, Saumitri cut down with sharp arrows. Severed by the sharp arrows, they fell down upon the earth. (03-272-13)
तमङ्गदो वालिसुतः श्रीमानुद्यम्य पादपम्। अभिद्रुत्य महावेगस्ताडयामास मूर्धनि ॥०३-२७२-१४॥
Aṅgada, the illustrious son of Vāli, quickly raised a tree and struck him on the head with great force. (3-272-14)
तस्येन्द्रजिदसम्भ्रान्तः प्रासेनोरसि वीर्यवान्। प्रहर्तुमैच्छत्तं चास्य प्रासं चिच्छेद लक्ष्मणः ॥०३-२७२-१५॥
Lakṣmaṇa, undaunted like Indrajit and powerful, desired to strike him upon the chest with a spear and cut his spear. (03-272-15)
तमभ्याशगतं वीरमङ्गदं रावणात्मजः। गदयाताडयत्सव्ये पार्श्वे वानरपुङ्गवम् ॥०३-२७२-१६॥
The son of Rāvaṇa struck the heroic Aṅgada, the foremost among the vānaras, with a mace on his left side as he approached. (03-272-16)
तमचिन्त्य प्रहारं स बलवान्वालिनः सुतः। ससर्जेन्द्रजितः क्रोधाच्छालस्कन्धममित्रजित् ॥०३-२७२-१७॥
The mighty son of Vāli hurled at him an incredible blow. Indrajit, in anger, threw the trunk of a Śāla tree as the conqueror of his enemies. (03-272-17)
सोऽङ्गदेन रुषोत्सृष्टो वधायेन्द्रजितस्तरुः। जघानेन्द्रजितः पार्थ रथं साश्वं ससारथिम् ॥०३-२७२-१८॥
He, enraged, hurled by Aṅgada a tree to kill Indrajit, and Indrajit struck down the chariot, its horses, and the charioteer, O son of Pṛthā. (03-272-18)
ततो हताश्वात्प्रस्कन्द्य रथात्स हतसारथिः। तत्रैवान्तर्दधे राजन्मायया रावणात्मजः ॥०३-२७२-१९॥
Then, O king, the son of Rāvaṇa, whose horses and charioteer had been killed, leapt down from the chariot and, right there, disappeared by means of magic. (03-272-19)
अन्तर्हितं विदित्वा तं बहुमायं च राक्षसम्। रामस्तं देशमागम्य तत्सैन्यं पर्यरक्षत ॥०३-२७२-२०॥
Realizing that the demon with many illusions had vanished, Rāma went to that place and protected that army on all sides. (03-272-20)
स राममुद्दिश्य शरैस्ततो दत्तवरैस्तदा। विव्याध सर्वगात्रेषु लक्ष्मणं च महारथम् ॥०३-२७२-२१॥
At that time, he, having aimed at Rāma, then with arrows endowed with boons, pierced Lakṣmaṇa—the great chariot-warrior—in all his limbs. (03-272-21)
तमदृश्यं शरैः शूरौ माययान्तर्हितं तदा। योधयामासतुरुभौ रावणिं रामलक्ष्मणौ ॥०३-२७२-२२॥
Then Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, the two heroes, fought with arrows against the son of Rāvaṇa, who had been made invisible by illusion. (03-272-22)
स रुषा सर्वगात्रेषु तयोः पुरुषसिंहयोः। व्यसृजत्सायकान्भूयः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ॥०३-२७२-२३॥
Filled with anger, he released arrows again and again in hundreds and then thousands at all the limbs of those two lion-like men. (03-272-23)
तमदृश्यं विचिन्वन्तः सृजन्तमनिशं शरान्। हरयो विविशुर्व्योम प्रगृह्य महतीः शिलाः ॥०३-२७२-२४॥
While searching for him who was invisible and as arrows were being ceaselessly released, the monkeys entered the sky, seizing great rocks. (03-272-24)
तांश्च तौ चाप्यदृश्यः स शरैर्विव्याध राक्षसः। स भृशं ताडयन्वीरो रावणिर्माययावृतः ॥०३-२७२-२५॥
The demon, though invisible, pierced those and those two with arrows; he, the heroic son of Rāvaṇa, enveloped by magic, struck them very fiercely. (3-272-25)
तौ शरैराचितौ वीरौ भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ। पेततुर्गगनाद्भूमिं सूर्याचन्द्रमसाविव ॥०३-२७२-२६॥
Those two heroic brothers, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, covered with arrows, fell from the sky to the ground like the sun and the moon. (03-272-26)
