03.272
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca॥
Markandeya said.
tataḥ śrutvā hataṁ saṅkhye kumbhakarṇaṁ sahānugam। prahastaṁ ca maheṣvāsaṁ dhūmrākṣaṁ cātitejasam ॥03-272-1॥
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)
putram indrajitaṃ śūraṃ rāvaṇaḥ pratyabhāṣata। jahi rāma-m-amitra-ghna sugrīvaṃ ca sa-lakṣmaṇam॥03-272-2॥
Rāvaṇa addressed his valiant son Indrajit: "Kill Rāma, the enemy-destroyer, Sugrīva, and Lakṣmaṇa as well." (03-272-2)
tvayā hi mama satputra yaśo dīptamupārjitam। jitvā vajradharaṃ saṅkhye sahasrākṣaṃ śacīpatim ॥03-272-3॥
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)
antarhitaḥ prakaśo vā divyaiḥ dattavaraiḥ śaraiḥ। jahi śatrūn amitra-ghna mama śastra-bhṛtāṃ vara ॥03-272-4॥
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)
rāma-lakṣmaṇa-sugrīvāḥ śara-sparśaṃ na te'naṅgha। samarthāḥ prati-saṃsoḍhuṃ kutas tad-anuyāyinaḥ ॥03-272-5॥
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)
akṛtā yā prahastena kumbhakarṇena ca anagha| kharasya apacitiḥ saṅkhye tāṃ gacchasva mahābhuja ॥03-272-6॥
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)
tvam adya niśitaiḥ bāṇaiḥ hatvā śatrūn sa-sainikān। pratinandaya māṃ putra purā baddhvaiva vāsavam॥03-272-7॥
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)
ity uktaḥ sa tathety uktvā ratham āsthāya daṁśitaḥ। prayayāv indrajid rājaṁs tūrṇam āyodhanaṁ prati॥03-272-8॥
Thus addressed and having agreed, Indrajit, O king, mounted his chariot, armed himself, and swiftly proceeded towards the battlefield. (03-272-8)
tatra viśrāvya vispaṣṭaṃ nāma rākṣasapuṅgavaḥ। āhvayāmāsa samare lakṣmaṇaṃ śubhalakṣaṇam ॥03-272-9॥
There, the foremost Rakshasa, after clearly announcing his name, called out to Lakshmana of auspicious signs in the battle. (03-272-9)
taṁ lakṣmaṇo'pyabhyadhāvat pragṛhya saśaraṁ dhanuḥ। trāsayaṁstalaghoṣeṇa siṁhaḥ kṣudramṛgaṁ yathā ॥03-272-10॥
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)
tayoḥ samabhavad yuddhaṃ sumahaj-jayagṛddhinoḥ। divyāstra-viduṣos tīvram anyonya-spardhinos tadā॥03-272-11॥
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)
rāvaṇis tu yadā nainaṃ viśeṣayati sāyakaiḥ। tato gurutaraṃ yatnam ātiṣṭhad balināṃ varaḥ॥03-272-12॥
But Rāvaṇi, when he could not pierce him with arrows, then the best among the powerful made a greater effort. (03-272-12)
tata enaṃ mahāvegair ardayāmāsa tomaraiḥ. tān āgatān sa ciccheda saumitrir niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ॥ te nikṛttāḥ śaraiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥ nyapatan vasudhātale ॥03-272-13॥
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)
tam-aṅgado vālisutaḥ śrīmān-udyamya pādapam। abhidrutya mahāvegaḥ tāḍayām āsa mūrdhani ॥03-272-14॥
Aṅgada, the illustrious son of Vāli, quickly raised a tree and struck him on the head with great force. (3-272-14)
tasyendrajidasaṁbhrāntaḥ prāsenorasi vīryavān। prahartum aicchat taṁ cāsya prāsaṁ ciccheda lakṣmaṇaḥ ॥03-272-15॥
Lakṣmaṇa, undaunted like Indrajit and powerful, desired to strike him upon the chest with a spear and cut his spear. (03-272-15)
tam abhyāśa-gatam vīram aṅgadam rāvaṇa-ātmajaḥ। gadayā atāḍayat savye pārśve vānarapuṅgavam॥03-272-16॥
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)
tam acintya prahāraṃ sa balavān vālinah sutaḥ। sa sarjendrajitaḥ krodhāc chālaskandham amitrajit ॥03-272-17॥
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)
so'ṅgadena ruṣotsṛṣṭo vadhāyendrajitastaruḥ। jaghānendrajitaḥ pārtha rathaṃ sāśvaṃ sasārathim ॥03-272-18॥
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)
tato hatāśvāt praskandya rathāt sa hatasārathiḥ. tatraiva antardadhe rājan māyayā rāvaṇātmajaḥ ॥03-272-19॥
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)
antarhitaṃ viditvā taṃ bahumāyaṃ ca rākṣasam। rāmas taṃ deśam āgamya tat sainyaṃ paryarakṣata ॥03-272-20॥
Realizing that the demon with many illusions had vanished, Rāma went to that place and protected that army on all sides. (03-272-20)
sa rāma-muddiśya śaraiḥ tato datta-varaiḥ tadā। vivyādha sarva-gātreṣu lakṣmaṇaṃ ca mahā-ratham॥03-272-21॥
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)
tam adṛśyaṃ śaraiḥ śūrau māyayā antarhitaṃ tadā। yodhayām āsatur ubhau rāvaṇiṃ rāma-lakṣmaṇau॥03-272-22॥
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)
sa ruṣā sarvagātreṣu tayoḥ puruṣasiṃhayoḥ। vyasṛjatsāyakānbhūyaḥ śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ॥03-272-23॥
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)
tam adṛśyaṃ vicinvantaḥ sṛjantaṃ aniśaṃ śarān| harayaḥ viviśur vyoma pragṛhya mahatīḥ śilāḥ ||03-272-24||
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)
tāṁś ca tau cāpy adṛśyaḥ sa śarair vivyādha rākṣasaḥ। sa bhṛśaṁ tāḍayan vīro rāvaṇir māyayāvṛtaḥ॥03-272-25॥
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)
tau śarair ācitau vīrau bhrātarau rāma-lakṣmaṇau। petatur gaganād bhūmiṃ sūryācandramasāv iva॥03-272-26॥
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)
