Yuddha Kanda: Chapter 44

युध्यतामेव तेषां तु तदा वानररक्षसाम्। रविरस्तं गतो रात्रिः प्रवृत्ता प्राणहारिणी॥
As the monkeys and the Rākşasas thus faught on, the sun set, ant the fatal Night came.

अन्योन्यं बद्धवैराणां घोराणां जयमिच्छताम्। संप्रवृत्तं निशायुद्धं तदा वानररक्षसाम्॥
Then commenced a night-engagement between the dreadful Rākşasas and the monkeys of fixed hostility, each party burning for victory.

राक्षसोऽसीति हरयो वानरोऽसीति राक्षसाः। अन्योन्यं समरे जघ्नुस्तस्मिंस्तमसि दारुणे॥
In that profound darkness, the monkeys and the Rākşasas began to slay each other, exclaiming, You are a Raksasa,' and 'you are a monkey.'

हत दारय चैहीति कथं विद्रवसीति च। एवं सुतुमुलः शब्दस्तस्मिन्सैन्ये तु शुश्रुवे॥
And in that army there was heard a mighty uproar of 'slain,' 'rive!" 'come!' 'why fliest?'

कालाः काञ्चनसंनाहास्तरिमम्मरसि राक्षसाः। संप्रदृश्यन्त शैलेन्द्रा दीप्तौषधिवना इव ॥
And, dark-hued, the Raksasas, equipped in golden mail, in that deep darkness appeared like elevated hills clad with woods of flaming incdicinal herbs.

तस्मिंस्तमसि दुष्पारे राक्षसाः क्रोधमूच्छिताः। परिपेतुर्महावेगा भक्षयन्ता प्लवंगमान्॥
And in that limitless gloom, the Rākṣasas, transported with wrath, advanced with impetuous speed, devouring monkeys.

ते हयान्काञ्चनापीडान्ध्वजश्चिशीविषोपमान्। आप्लुत्य दशनैस्तीक्ष्णैर्भीमकोपा व्यदारयन्॥
And, fired with terrible wrath, they, bounding up, with their sharp tecih tore up steeds caparisoned in gold, and standards resembling venomous serpents. *i.e. the monkeys, as appears from the context.

वानरा बलिनो युद्धेऽक्षोभयनराक्षसी चमूम्। कुञ्जरान्कुञ्जरारोहान्पताकाध्वजिनो रथात्॥ चकर्षुश्च ददंशुश्च दशनैः क्रोधमूर्च्छिताः।
The lusty monkeys in battle agitated the Rāks asa host, and, waxing furious, with their teeth pulled and bit elephants and the riders there of, and cars furnished with flags and standards.

लक्ष्मणश्चापि रामश्च शरैराशीविषोपमैः।।।। दृश्यादृश्यानि रक्षांसि प्रवराणि निजघ्नतुः।
Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with shafts resembling venomous serpents, slaughtered the foremost among the Rakşasas-both those that were seen and those that were not.

तुरंगखुरविध्वस्तं रथनेमिसमुत्थितम्॥ रुरोध कर्णनेत्राणि युध्यतां धरणीरजः।
The dust of the earth arising from warring combatants, and from the hoofs of horses and the wheels of cars, choked up eye and ear.

वर्तमाने तथा घोरे सङ्ग्रामे लोमहर्षणे।। रुधिरौघा महाघोरा नद्यस्तत्र विसुनुवुः॥
And as the mighty envounter, capable of making people's hair stand on end, went on, there flowed a fearful river of gore.

ततो भेरीमृदङ्गानां पणवानां च निःस्वनः। शङ्खनेमिस्वनोन्मिश्रः संबभूवाद्भुतोपमः॥
The sounds of kettle-drums and Mşdangas and Panavas, mingled with those of conchs and carwheels, were wonderful (to hear).

हयानां स्तनमानानां राक्षसानां च नि:स्वनः। शस्तानां वानराणां च संबभूवात्र दारुणः॥
The sounds of steeds neighing, and Rāks asas (roaring) and monkeys, rejoicing, were something tremendous.

हतैर्वानरमुख्यैश्च शक्तिशूलपरश्वधैः। निहतैः पर्वताकारै राक्षसैः कारूपिभिः॥ शस्त्रपुष्पोपहारा च तवासीधुद्धमेदिनी। दुर्जेया दुर्निवेशा च शोणितास्रावकर्दमा॥
And, with able monkeys slain; and darts and javelins and axes; and slaughtered Raksasa wearing forms at pleasure, lying mountain likethe field of battle, seeming to have offerings of arms representing flowers, became difficult to recognise, and inaccessible; and the earth was drenched with streams of blood.

सा बभूव निशा घोरा हरिराक्षसहारिणी। कालरात्रीव भूतानां सर्वेषां दुरतिक्रमा॥
That Night, destructive to monkeys and Rākş asas, was dreadful, and difficult of being outsped by all, like to the Fatal Night of beings.

ततस्ते राक्षसास्तत्र तस्मिंस्तमसि दारुणे। राममेवाभ्यवर्तन्त संहृष्टाः शरवृष्टिभिः॥
And in that attacked Rama with a shower of shafts.

तेषामापततां शब्दः कुद्धानामपि गर्जताम्। उद्वर्त इव सत्त्वानां समुद्राणामभूत्स्वनः॥
The roars of those beings as they advanced, sending up shouts in anger, resembled the dashing of the Ocean at the time of the universal dissolution.

तेषां रामः शरैः षड्भिः षड् जघान निशाचरान्। निमेषान्तरमात्रेण शरैरग्निशिखोपमैः॥ यज्ञशत्रुश्च दुर्धर्षो महापार्श्वमहोदरौ। वज्रदंष्ट्रो महाकायस्तौ चोभौ शुकसारणौ॥
In the twinkling of an eye, Räma by means of six shafts resembling tongues of flames, struck six of the night-rangers, viz., Yajñaśatru, irrepressible (in fight), and Mahaparsva, and Mahodara, and the huge bodied Vajradanstra, and those two-Suka and Sarana.

ते तु रामेण बाणौधैः सर्वमर्मसु ताडिताः। युद्धादपसृतास्तत्र सावशेषायुषोऽभवन् ॥
And, pierced in their vitals with Rama's shafts, they, having only their lives left to them, disappeared from the field.

निमेषान्तरमात्रेण घोरैरग्निशिखोपमैः। दिशश्चकार विमलाः प्रदिशश्च महारथः॥ ये त्वन्ये राक्षसा वीरा रामस्याभिमुखे स्थिताः। तेऽपि नष्टाः समासाद्य पतङ्गा इव पावकम्॥
Then in the twinkling of an eye, that Mahāratha rendered all sides clear (of all gloom) by means of arrows resembling tongues of fire; and those other heroic Raksasas that were in front of Rāma, were destroyed on approaching the place, like insects approaching a fire.

सुवर्णपुङ्खैर्विशिखैः संपतद्भिः समन्ततः। बभूव रजनी चित्रा खद्योतैरिव शारदी॥
And with shafts plated with gold lying in all directions the night resembled one in autumn decked with fire-flies.

राक्षसानां च निनदैर्भेरीणां चैव निःस्वनैः। सा बभूव निशा घोरा भूयो घोरतराभवत्॥
And in consequence of the uproar occasioned by the Rakşasas, and the sounds of drums, that night, already dreadful (in itself), became all the more so,

तेन शब्देन महता प्रवृद्धेन समन्ततः। त्रिकूटः कन्दरः कीर्णः प्रव्याहरदिवाचलः॥
On that sound attaining dimensions on all sides, it seemed as if the mount Trikuta, containing numerous caverns, had been speaking.

गोलाङ्गूला महाकायास्तमसा तुल्यवर्चसः। संपरिष्वज्य बाहुभ्यां भक्षयन्रजनीचरान्॥
And huge-bodied Golangulas of equal lustre with darkness itself binding fast the nightrangers with their arms, began to swallow them up.

अङ्गदस्तु रणे शत्रूत्रिहन्तुं समुपस्थितः। रावणिं निजघानाशु सारथिं च हयानपि। वर्तमाने तदा घोरे संग्रामे भृशदारुणे।। इन्द्रजित्तु रथं त्यक्त्वा हताश्वो हतसारथिः। अङ्गदेन महायस्तस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत॥
And Angada was present in the encounter, for slaying foes. And Indrajit, fairing sadly at the hands of Angada, abandoning his vehicle, and having his horses as well as his charioteer slain, vanished then and there.

तत्कर्म वालिपुत्रस्य सर्वे देवाः सहर्षिभिः। तुष्टवुः पूजनार्हस्य तौ चोभौ रामलक्ष्मणौ॥
That feat of Väli's son, worthy of being honoured, all the celestials with the saints and both Rāma and Lakşmaņa lauded to the height.

प्रभावं सर्वभूतानि विदुरिन्द्रजितो युधि। ततस्तेन महात्मानं दृष्ट्वा तुष्टाः प्रधर्षितम्॥
All beings were acquainted with the might of Indrajit in battle; and, therefore, witnessing his discomfiture, and seeing that high-souled one, they refoiced exceedingly.

ततः प्रहृष्टाः कपयः ससुग्रीवविभीषणाः। साधुसाध्विति नेदुश्च दृष्ट्वा शत्रु पराजितम्॥
Seeing the enemy vanquished, all the .monkeys with Sugrīva and Vibhisana, experiencing high delight, exclaimed, "Excellent !" "Excellent!"

इन्द्रजित्तु तदानेन निर्जितो भीमकर्मणा। संयुगे वालिपुत्रेण क्रोधं चक्रे सुदारुणम्॥
In the battle field beaten by Valr's son , of dreadful deeds, Indrajit was fired with a mighty wrath.

सोऽन्तर्धानगतः पापो रावणी रणकर्शितः। ब्रह्मदत्तवरो वीरो रावणिः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः॥ अदृश्यो निशितान्बाणान्मुमोचाशनिवर्चसः।
And, being handled hard in battle, and having vanished from the field, the heroic and wicked son to Răvana, who had received a boon from Brahmä, transported with passion, remaining invisible, began to discharge sharpened shafts of the splendour of the thunder-bolt.

रामं च लक्ष्मणं चैव घोरैनागमयैः शरैः॥ बिभेद समरे क्रुद्धः सर्वगात्रेषु राघवौ।
And worked up into rage, he in the conflict pierced Raghu's sons, Rāma and Lakşmaņa all over their bodies, with terrific arrows consisting of serpents.

मायया संवृतस्तत्र मोहयराघवौ युधि॥ अदृश्यः सर्वभूतानां कूटयोधी निशाचरः। बबन्ध शरबन्धेन भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ॥
And himself engirt with illusion, that nightranger, given to fighting in crooked ways, remaining invisible to all creatures, stupefied the descendants of Raghu in battle; and by means of his shafts bound the brothers, Rāma and Laksmana.

तौ तेन पुरुषव्याघ्रौ क्रुद्धनाशीविषैः शरैः। सहसाभिहतौ वीरौ तदा प्रेक्षन्त वानराः ॥
Then in the sight of the monkeys, those heroes and foremost of men were suddenly overpowered with shafts by the enraged (Indrajit).

प्रकाशरूपस्तु यदा न शक्तस्तौ बाधितुं राक्षराजपुत्रः। मायां प्रयोक्तुं समुपाजगाम बबन्ध तौ राजसुतौ दुरात्मा॥
And when the son of the Rākşasa monarch felt himself incompetent to cope with them openly, then that impious one, resorting to illusion, bound those princes (by that means).