03.274
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca॥
Markandeya said.
tataḥ kruddho daśagrīvaḥ priye putre nipātite। niryayau ratham āsthāya hemaratnavibhūṣitam ॥03-274-1॥
Then, Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa), enraged upon his beloved son's fall, mounted his chariot adorned with gold and jewels and set out. (03-274-1)
saṃvṛto rākṣasair ghorair vividha-āyudha-pāṇibhiḥ. abhidudrāva rāmaṃ sa pothayan hari-yūthapān ॥03-274-2॥
Surrounded by terrible rākṣasas bearing various weapons in their hands, he rushed at Rāma, striking the leaders of the monkeys. (03-274-2)
tam ādravantaṃ saṅkruddhaṃ mainda-nīla-nalāṅgadāḥ hanūmān jāmbavāṃś caiva sa-sainyāḥ paryavārayan ॥03-274-3॥
As he was rushing forward in anger, Mainda, Nila, Nala, Angada, Hanuman, and Jambavan, along with their armies, surrounded him. (03-274-3)
te daśagrīvasainyaṃ tadṛkṣavānarayūthapāḥ. drumair vidhvaṃsayāṃ cakrur daśagrīvasya paśyataḥ ॥03-274-4॥
Those chiefs of bears and monkeys attacked and destroyed the army of Daśagrīva with trees, as Daśagrīva watched. (03-274-4)
tataḥ svasainyam ālokya vadhyamānam arātibhiḥ. māyāvī vyadadhān māyāṃ rāvaṇaḥ rākṣaseśvaraḥ ॥03-274-5॥
Then, seeing his army being slain by the enemies, Rāvaṇa, the master of illusion and lord of the rākṣasas, created a magical illusory display. (03-274-5)
tasya dehād viniṣkrāntāḥ śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ। rākṣasāḥ pratyadṛśyanta śaraśaktyṛṣṭipāṇayaḥ॥03-274-6॥
From his body, rākṣasas by hundreds and thousands, bearing arrows, spears, and lances in their hands, were seen manifesting. (03-274-6)
tān rāmo jaghnivān sarvān divyena astreṇa rākṣasān। atha bhūyaḥ api māyām saḥ vyadadhāt rākṣasādhipaḥ॥03-274-7॥
Rāma killed all those rākṣasas with a divine weapon. Then again, the lord of the rākṣasas created an illusion. (03-274-7)
kṛtvā rāmasya rūpāṇi lakṣmaṇasya ca bhārata। abhidudrāva rāmaṃ ca lakṣmaṇaṃ ca daśānanaḥ ॥03-274-8॥
O Bhārata, having assumed the forms of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, the ten-headed one (Rāvaṇa) rushed at Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. (03-274-8)
tatas te rāmaṁ ārchanto lakṣmaṇam ca kṣapā-carāḥ। abhipetus tadā rājan pragṛhīta-uccha-kārmukāḥ॥03-274-9॥
Then those night-wanderers, O king, with bows raised, rushed at Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.
tāṁ dṛṣṭvā rākṣasendrasya māyām ikṣvākunandanaḥ। uvāca rāmaṁ saumitriḥ asambhrāntaḥ bṛhad-vacaḥ॥03-274-10॥
Having seen the magic of the king of rākṣasas, Saumitri, the descendant of Ikṣvāku, unagitated, said great words to Rāma. (03-274-10)
jahīmān rākṣasān pāpān ātmanaḥ pratirūpakān। jaghāna rāmas tāṃś ca anyān ātmanaḥ pratirūpakān॥03-274-11॥
Destroying the evil demons who resembled himself, Rama killed them as well as other demons resembling himself. (03-274-11)
tato haryaśvayuktena rathenādityavarcasā| upatasthe raṇe rāmaṃ mātaliḥ śakrasārathiḥ ॥03-274-12॥
Then Mātali, the charioteer of Śakra (Indra), approached Rāma in battle, riding a chariot hitched to green horses and shining with the brilliance of the sun. (03-274-12)
mātalir uvāca॥
Mātali said.
ayaṁ haryaśvayug-jaitro maghonaḥ syandanottamaḥ। anena śakraḥ kākutstha samare daitya-dānavān ॥ śataśaḥ puruṣavyāghra rathodāreṇa jaghnivān ॥03-274-13॥
This excellent, victorious chariot of Maghavan, yoked with tawny horses—O descendant of Kakutstha—Śakra (Indra) slew hundreds of Daityas and Dānavas in battle with this chariot, O tiger among men. (03-274-13)
tadanena naravyāghra mayā yattena saṃyuge। syandanena jahi kṣipraṃ rāvaṇaṃ mā ciraṃ kṛthāḥ॥03-274-14॥
O tiger among men, with this chariot prepared by me for battle, quickly kill Rāvaṇa; do not delay. (03-274-14)
ityukto rāghavas tathyaṃ vaco'śaṅkata mātaleḥ। māyeyaṃ rākṣasasyeti tamuvāca vibhīṣaṇaḥ॥03-274-15॥
When thus addressed, Rāghava suspected the true words of Matali. Vibhīṣaṇa then said to him, "This is the illusion of the demon." (03-274-15)
neyaṃ māyā naravyāghra rāvaṇasya durātmanaḥ। tadātiṣṭha rathaṃ śīghramimamaindraṃ mahādyute॥03-274-16॥
This is not the illusion of Rāvaṇa, O tiger among men; therefore, O greatly resplendent one, quickly mount this chariot of Indra. (03-274-16)
tataḥ prahṛṣṭaḥ kākutsthas tathety uktvā vibhīṣaṇam। rathenābhipapātāśu daśagrīvaṃ ruṣānvitaḥ॥03-274-17॥
Then Kākutstha, gladdened, having said 'so be it' to Vibhīṣaṇa, swiftly rushed at Daśagrīva in his chariot, filled with anger. (03-274-17)
hāhākṛtāni bhūtāni rāvaṇe samabhidrute। siṃhanādāḥ sa-paṭahā divi divyāś ca nānadan ॥03-274-18॥
When Rāvaṇa was advancing, the beings uttered cries of wailing. In the sky, the divine beings also roared like lions along with drums. (03-274-18)
sa rāmāya mahāghoraṃ visasarja niśācaraḥ। śūlam indrāśaniprakhyaṃ brahmadaṇḍam ivodyatam ॥03-274-19॥
The night-stalker sent forth at Rāma a very dreadful spear, resembling Indra's thunderbolt and upraised like the staff of Brahmā. (03-274-19)
tac chūlam antarā rāmaś ciccheda niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ। tad dṛṣṭvā duṣkaraṃ karma rāvaṇaṃ bhayam āviśat ॥03-274-20॥
Rāma cut that spear in mid-air with sharp arrows. When he saw that difficult feat, fear entered Rāvaṇa. (03-274-20)
tataḥ kruddhaḥ sasarjāśu daśagrīvaḥ śitāñśarān। sahasrāyu taśo rāme śastrāṇi vividhāni ca ॥03-274-21॥
Then, enraged, the ten-headed Rāvaṇa quickly launched sharp arrows and all sorts of weapons, thousands and tens of thousands in number, at Rāma. (03-274-21)
tato bhuśuṇḍīḥ śūlāṁś ca musalāni paraśvadhān। śaktīś ca vividhākārāḥ śataghniś ca śitakṣurāḥ ॥03-274-22॥
Then there were slings, spears, clubs, battle-axes, javelins of various forms, machines for killing hundreds, and sharp weapons. (03-274-22)
tāṃ māyāṃ vikṛtāṃ dṛṣṭvā daśagrīvasya rakṣasaḥ। bhayāt pradudruvuḥ sarve vānarāḥ sarvatodiśam ॥03-274-23॥
Seeing that distorted magic of Daśagrīva, the demon, all the monkeys fled in all directions out of fear. (03-274-23)
tataḥ supatraṃ sumukhaṃ hemapuṅkhaṃ śarottamam। tūṇād ādāya kākutsthaḥ brahmāstreṇa yuyoja ha ॥03-274-24॥
Then Rāma, descendant of Kakutstha, took the best arrow—well-feathered, well-pointed, and with a golden tail—from his quiver and fixed it with the Brahma-weapon. (03-274-24)
taṃ bāṇavaryaṃ rāmeṇa brahmāstreṇābhimantritam। jahṛṣur devagandharvā dṛṣṭvā śakrapurogamāḥ ॥03-274-25॥
When Rāma consecrated that excellent arrow with the Brahmā-weapon, the gods and gandharvas, led by Indra, rejoiced on seeing it. (03-274-25)
alpāvaśeṣam āyuś ca tato' manyanta rakṣasaḥ। brahmāstroddīraṇāc chatror deva-gandharva-kiṁnarāḥ ॥03-274-26॥
Then, after the unleashing of the brahmāstra, the gods, gandharvas, and kinnaras considered that only a little of the enemy rāksasa's lifespan remained. (03-274-26)
tataḥ sasarja taṃ rāmaḥ śaram apratima-ojasam। rāvaṇāntakaraṃ ghoraṃ brahmadaṇḍam ivodyatam॥03-274-27॥
Then Rāma released that arrow of unparalleled power, dread and destructive to Rāvaṇa, which was like the upraised staff of Brahmā. (03-274-27)
sa tena rākṣasaśreṣṭhaḥ sarathaḥ sāśvasārathiḥ। prajajvāla mahājvālenāgninābhipariṣkṛtaḥ॥03-274-28॥
He, that best among rākṣasas, together with his chariot, horses, and charioteer, was entirely enveloped by fire and blazed forth with a great flame. (03-274-28)
tataḥ prahṛṣṭās tridaśāḥ sagandharvāḥ sacāraṇāḥ। nihataṃ rāvaṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā rāmeṇākliṣṭakarmaṇā॥03-274-29॥
Then the gods, along with the gandharvas and chāraṇas, rejoiced when they saw Rāvaṇa slain by Rāma, who acts without effort. (03-274-29)
tatyajus taṃ mahābhāgaṃ pañca bhūtāni rāvaṇam। bhraṃśitaḥ sarvalokeṣu sa hi brahmāstratejasā ॥03-274-30॥
The five elements deserted the highly fortunate Rāvaṇa. Deprived in all worlds, he was indeed overcome by the power of the Brahmāstra. (03-274-30)
śarīradhātavo hy asya māṃsaṃ rudhiram eva ca। neśur brahmāstranirdagdhā na ca bhasmāpy adṛśyata॥03-274-31॥
Indeed, the body elements, flesh, and blood of this person, having been burned by the Brahma-weapon, did not remain; and even ashes were not seen. (03-274-31)
