इत्युक्तः क्रोधताम्राक्षस्तप्तकाञ्चनकुण्डलः। राक्षसेन्द्रोऽभिदुद्राव पतगेन्द्रममर्षणः॥
While Jatayu, the king of birds, spake this, Rāvana, the lord of Rākşasas, wearing pendants made of pure gold, having his eyes reddened with ire, darted towards him.
स सम्प्रहारस्तुमुलस्तयोस्तस्मिन् महामृधे। बभूव वातो तयोर्मेघयोर्गगने यथा॥
Thereupon they began a terrible conflict in the welkin, like to clouds driven by wind.
तद् बभूवाद्भुतं युद्धं गृध्रराक्षसयोस्तदा। सपक्षयोर्माल्यवतोर्महापर्वतयोरिव॥
There occurred a mighty conflict between Jatayu, the lord of vultures, and Ravana, the lord of Raksasas, like to two Malyavān* hills supplies with wings. A mountainous range described as one of the smaller mountains of India proper, lying eastward of mount Meru.—
ततो नालीकनाराचैस्तीक्ष्णाग्रैश्च विकर्णिभिः। अभ्यवर्षन्महाघोरैध्रराजं महाबलम्॥
Thereat Răvaņa began to shower continually terrible and sharpened pikes, iron arrows and Vikarnis upon the mighty lord of vultures.
स तानि शरजालानि गृध्रः पत्ररथेश्वरः। जटायुः प्रतिजग्राह रावणास्त्राणि संयुगे॥ तस्य तीक्ष्णनखाभ्यां तु चरणाभ्यां महाबलः। चकार बहुधा गात्रे व्रणान् पतगसत्तमः॥
Jatayu, the king of birds, began to withstand in conflict the arrows and weapons darted by Rāvana, and wounded Rāvana's person with his feet supplies with sharpened talons.
अथ क्रोधाद् दशग्रीवो जग्राह दश मार्गणान्। मृत्युदण्डनिभान् घोराशत्रोनिधनकासया॥ स तैर्बाणैर्महावीर्यः पूर्णमुक्तैरजिह्मगैः। बिभेद निशितैस्तीक्ष्णैधं घोरैः शिलीमुखैः॥
Thereupon, to destroy his enemy, that mighty hero, the Ten-necked Ravana, being exercised with ire, took up ten terrible arrows like to the sceptre of Death, and stretching the bow to the full he shot those straight-coursing sharpened shafts at Jatayu, the king of birds.
स राक्षसरथे पश्यञ्जानकी बाष्पलोचनाम्। अचिन्तयित्वा बाणांस्तान् राक्षसं समभिद्रवत्॥ ततोऽस्य सशरं चापं मुक्तामणिविभूषितम्। चरणाभ्यां महातेजा बभञ्ज पतगोत्तमः॥
Beholding Jānaki with tears in her eyes in that Raksasa's car, Jatayu, the king of birds, disregarding those arrows, darted towards Rāvana, and with his feet broke asunder his bow with the arrows, adorned with pearls and diamonds.
ततोऽन्यद् धनुरादाय रावणः क्रोधमूर्छितः। ववर्ष शरवर्षाणि शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः॥
Thereat Rävana, almost beside himself with wrath, taking up another bow, began to shower arrows by hundreds and thousands.
शैररावारितस्तस्य संयुगे पतगेश्वरः। कुलायमभिसम्प्राप्तः पक्षिवच्च बभौ तदा॥
Being covered with those arrows, the lord of birds appeared like a bird lying in his nest.
स तानि शरजालानि पक्षाभ्यां तु विधूय ह। चरणाभ्यां महातेजा बभञ्जास्य महद् धनुः॥ तच्चाग्निसदृशं दीप्तं रावणस्य शरावरम्। पक्षाभ्यां च महातेजा व्यधुनोत् पतगेश्वरः॥
Pushing away these arrows by the wind of his wings, he again snapped that mighty bow with his feet, and with a stroke of his wings shattered Rāvaņa's flaming shield like to burning fire.
काञ्चनोरश्छदान् दिव्यान् पिशाचवदनान् खरान्। तांश्चास्य जवसम्पन्नाञ्जघान समरे बली॥
Thereupon moving away with the wind of his wings Rāvana's blazing cuirass resembling flaming fire, Jațāyu in that conflict made away with his fleet-coursing asses having the faces of demons.
अथ त्रिवेणुसम्पन्नं कामगं पावकार्चिषम्। मणिसोपानचित्राङ्गं बभञ्ज च महारथम्॥ पूर्णचन्द्रप्रतीकाशं छत्रं च व्यजनैः सह। पातयामास वेगेन ग्राहिभी राक्षसैः सह ॥ सारथेश्चास्य वेगेन तुण्डेन च महच्छिरः। पुनर्व्यपहनच्छ्रीमान् पक्षिराजो महाबलः॥
Next crumbling into pieces with his impetus the mighty chariot of Rāvana, coursing at will, flaming like fire having steps studded with jewels, and a wooden pole, and throwing down the umbrella and chowris like to the full moon along with the Rākşasas engaged in carrying them, the effulgent and mighty lord of birds shattered the head of the charioteer with the strokes of his beak.
स भग्नधन्वा विरथो हताश्वो हतसारथिः। अङ्केनादाय वैदेहीं पपात भुवि रावणः॥
Having his bow snapped and deprived of his car, horses and charioteer, Rāvana fell down to the earth, taking Vaidehi on his lap.
दृष्ट्वा निपतितं भूमौ रावणं भग्नवाहनम्। साधु साध्विति भूतानि गृध्रराजमपूजयन्॥
Beholding Rāvaņa fallen on the ground and of broken conveyance, all creatures praised the king of vultures again and again and worshipped him.
परिश्रान्तं तु तं दृष्ट्वा जरया पक्षियूथपम्। उत्पपात पुनर्हष्टो मैथिली गृह्य रावणः॥
Thereupon, finding the lord of birds worn out on account of his old age, Ravana, highly encouraged, again rose high up in the welkin, taking Maithill with him.
तं प्रहृष्टं निधायाङ्के रावणं जनकात्मजाम्। गच्छन्तं खङ्गशेषं च प्रणष्टहतसाधनम्॥ गृध्रराजः समुत्पत्य रावणं समभिद्रवत्। समावार्य महातेजा जटायुरिदमब्रवीत्॥
He had all his weapons broken in the conflict, and had but his dagger left to him. beholding him proceed thus pleased, taking the daughter of Janaka on his lap, all his weapons having been lost, with his sword alone left, the mighty and powerful lord of vultures, Jațāyu, rose up and, darting towards Rāvana, resisted him and said,
वज्रसंस्पर्शबाणस्य भार्या रामस्य रावण। अल्पबुद्धे हरस्येनां वधाय खलु रक्षसाम्॥
O Rāvana of feeble sense, it is for the destruction of the whole line of Rākşasas that you carries away this spouse of Răma, having arrows like to thunderbolts.
समित्रबन्धुः सामात्यः सबल: सपरिच्छदः। विषपानं पिबस्येतत् पिपासित इवोदकम्॥
Like one thirsty drinking water, you do address yourself to drinking poison along with your friends, courtiers, four-fold forces, servants and relatives.
अनुबन्धमजानन्तः कर्मणामविचक्षणाः। शीघ्रमेव विनश्यन्ति यथा त्वं विनशिष्यसि॥
Foolish persons unaware of the fruit of their actions, meet in a short time with their own destruction, so shall you very soon meet with your own end.
बद्धस्त्वं कालपाशेन क्व गतस्तस्य मोक्षसे। वधाय बडिशं गृह्य सामिषं जलजो यथा॥
You have been bound up by the noose of Death; and, proceeding whither, shall you save yourself, like to fish eating up baits with hooks for their own destruction?
नहि जातु दुराधर्षों काकुत्स्थौ तव रावण। धर्षणं चाश्रमस्यास्य क्षमिष्येते तु राघवौ ॥
O Rāvana, it is beyond your power to defeat the Kakutsthas. They shall not forgive you for this your encroachment upon their asylum.
यथा त्वया कृतं कर्म भीरुणा लोकगर्हितम्। तस्कराचरितो मार्गो नैष वीरनिषेवितः॥
What have been perpetrated by you coward, is blamed by all, and is the way taken recourse to by thieves and not by heroes.
युध्यस्व यदि शूरोऽसि मुहूर्तं तिष्ठ रावण। शयिष्यसे हतो भूमौ यथा भ्राता खरस्तथा॥
Do you fight. O Ravana, if you are a hero, or wait for a moment and you shall lie down on the earth like to your brother Khara.
परेतकाले पुरुषो यत् कर्म प्रतिपद्यते। विनाशायात्मनोऽधयं प्रतिपन्नोऽसि कर्म तत्॥
Truly have you for your own destruction engaged yourself in these impious acts, which are perpetrated by men on the eve of their death.
पापानुबन्धो वै यस्य कर्मणः को नु तत् पुमान्। कुर्वीत लोकाधिपतिः स्वयंभूर्भगवानपि ॥
What person do that which lead solely into sin? neither the lord of celestials nor the selfcreate Deity do engage in such an action.
एवमुक्त्वा शुभं वाक्यं जटायुस्तस्य रक्षसः। निपपात भृशं पृष्ठे दशग्रीवस्य वीर्यवान् ॥ तं गृहीत्वा नखैस्तीक्ष्णैर्विददार समन्ततः। अधिरूढो गजारोहो यथा स्याद् दुष्टावारणम्॥ विददार नखैरस्य तुण्डपृष्ठे समर्पयन्। केशांश्चोत्पाटयामास नखपक्षमुखायुधः॥
Addressing these moral words, the mighty Jațāyu swooped on the back of that Ten-necked Răkşasa. Like to the rider of a mad elephant, the lord of vultures began to tcar Rāvana with his sharpened claws, and that one having for his weapons his beak, talons, and wings, began to rive Rāvana's back with his beak and claws, and to uproot his hair,
स तथा गृध्रराजेन क्लिश्यमानो मुहुर्मुहुः। अमर्षस्फुरितोष्ठः सन् प्राकम्पत च राक्षसः॥
Being thus afflicted again and again by the king of vultures, the Răkşasa shook, with his lips quivering in anger.
सम्परिष्वज्य वैदेही वामेनाङ्केन रावणः। तलेनाभिजघाना” जटायुं क्रोधमूछितः॥
Beside himself with anger, Ravana, holding Jānaki fast by her left flank, struck Jațāyu with his palms.
जटायुस्तमतिक्रम्य तुण्डेनास्य खगाधिपः। वामबाहून् दश तदा व्यपाहरदरिंदमः॥
Jatayu, the subduer of foes, bearing the strokes, tore into pieces his ten left arms with his beak.
संछिन्नबाहोः सद्यो वै बाहवः सहसाभवन्। विषज्वालावलीयुक्ता वल्मीकादिव पन्नगाः॥
His arms cut off, instantly sprang up as many others, like to serpents issuing out of ant-hills, being exercised with the pangs of poison.
ततः क्रोधाद् दशग्रीवः सीतामुत्सृज्य वीर्यवान्। मुष्टिभ्यां चरणाभ्यां च गृध्रराजमपोथयत्॥
The mighty Ten-necked one, leaving aside Sitä, out of anger bore down Jațāyu with his fists and feet.
ततो मुहूर्तं संग्रामो बभूवातुलवीर्ययोः। राक्षसानां च मुख्यस्य पक्षिणां प्रवरस्य च॥
Thereupon arose a mighty conflict between the lord of vultures and the lord of Rākṣasas of incomparable prowess.
तस्य व्यायच्छमानस्य रामस्यार्थे स रावणः। पक्षौ पादौ च पाश्वौं च खङ्गमुद्धृत्य सोऽच्छिनत्।।४२
Jațāyu addressing himself to displaying his prowess for the benefit of Rāma, Rāvaņa taking out his dagger, cut off his two wings, two legs and two sides.
स च्छिन्नपक्षः सहसा रक्षसा रौद्रकर्मणा। निपपात महागृध्रो धरण्यामल्पजीवितः॥
The ranger of the night of cruel deeds having şundered his wings, the king of vultures approaching well-nigh the verge of death, fell। down on the earth.
तं दृष्ट्वा पतितं भूमौ क्षतजा जटायुषम्। अभ्यधावत वैदेही स्वबन्धुमिव दुःखिता॥
Beholding him fallen on the ground with his person bathed in blood, Sītā became exceedingly aggrieved and darted towards him like to a friend.
तं नीलजीमूतनिकाशकल्पं सपाण्डुरोरस्कमुदारवीर्यम्। ददर्श लङ्काधिपतिः पृथिव्यां जटायुषं शान्तमिवाग्निदावम् ॥
The lord of Lankā beheld Jațāyu, fallen on the ground, resembling sable clouds, having a yellow breast and of exceeding prowess, like to an extinguished forest-fire.
ततस्तु तं पत्ररथं महीतले निपातितं रावणवेगमर्दितम्। पुनश्च संगृह्य शशिप्रभानना रुरोद सीता जनकात्मजा तदा।॥
Then Sītā the daughter of Janaka, having a moon-like countenance began lamenting, clasping with her hands Jațāyu, crushed and fallen on the ground by the vehemence of Rāvana's prowess.