Yuddha Kanda: Chapter 97

हन्यमाने बले तूर्णमन्योन्यं ते महामृधे। सरसीव महाधर्मे सूपक्षीणे बभूवतुः॥
Like to a pond in the summer both the armies became gradually reduce.

स्वबलस्य तु घातेन विरूपाक्षवधेन च। बभूव द्विगुणं क्रुद्धो रावणो राक्षसाधिपः॥
Beholding his own army and Virupaksa slain Ravana, the lord of Raksasas, was doubly excited with ire.

प्रक्षीणं स्वबलं दृष्ट्वा बध्यमानं बलीमुखैः। बभूवास्य व्यथा युद्धे दृष्ट्वा दैवविपर्ययम्॥
Observing his army reduced and slain by the heroic (monkeys) he perceived ill omens in the fight and was accordingly pained at heart,

उवाच च समीपस्थं महोदरमनन्तरम्। अस्मिन्काले महाबाहो जयाशा त्वयि मे स्थिता।।४
He addressed Mahodara who was near him saying, you of great arms, all my hopes of success are now centred in you.

जहि शत्रुचमूं वीर दर्शयाध पराक्रमम्। भर्तृपिण्डस्य कालोऽयं निर्देष्टुं साधु युध्यताम्॥
Do you slay the enemy's force, O hero, and display your prowess. Now has come the time of returning the favours of your master. Do you fight bravely.

एवमुक्तस्तथेत्युक्त्वा राक्षसेन्द्रो महोदरः। प्रविवेशारिसेनां स पतङ्ग इव पावकम्।६॥
Being thus accosted that Räkşasa chief Mahodara saying "so be it” entered the enemy's army like to a fly entering into a flame.

ततः स कदनं चक्रे वानराणां महाबलः। भर्तृवाक्येन तेजस्वी स्वेन वीर्येण चोदितः॥
Excited by his master's command and empowered by his won prowess that (Rākşasa) gifted with great strength began to assail the monkeys.

वानराश्च महासत्त्वाः प्रगृह्य विपुलाः शिलाः। प्रविश्यारिबलं भीमं जघ्नुस्ते सर्वराक्षसान्।८॥
The highly powerful monkeys too taking up huge crags dashed against the dreadful army of the enemies and crushed all the Rakşasas.

महोदरः सुसंक्रुद्धः शरैः काञ्चनभूषणैः। चिच्छेद पाणिपादोरु वानराणां महाहवे।९।।
And Mahodara, greatly angered, severed in that mighty encounter, with his arrows feathered in gold, the hands, feet and thighs of the monkeys.

ततस्ते वानराः सर्वे राक्षसानां महामृधे। दिशो दश दुताः केचित्केचित्सुग्रीवमाश्रिताः॥
Then the monkeys in fear of the Rākşasas, fled away to different quarters and some sought shelter of Sugriva.

प्रभग्नं समरे दृष्ट्वा वानराणां महाबलम्। अभिदुद्राव सुग्रीवो महोदरमनन्तरम्॥
And beholding his powerful monkeys force thus assailed in the conflict, Sugrīva dashed for ward and fronted Mahodara.

प्रगृह्या विपुलां घोरां महीधरसमं शिलाम्। चिक्षेप च महातेजास्तद्वधाय हरीश्वरः॥
And taking up a huge and dreadful crag resembling a mountain, the monkeys-king hurled it with great vehemence to slay him.

तामापतन्तीं सहसा शिलां दृष्ट्वा महोदरः। असंभ्रान्तस्ततो बाणैर्निर्बिभेद ततः शिलाम्॥
Thereupon finding that crag about to fall, Mahodara fearlessly severed it with his arrows.

रक्षसा तेन बाणौधैनिकृत्ता सा सहस्रधा। निपपात तदा भूमौ गृध्रचक्रमिवाकुलम्॥
And being sundered into a thousand pieces by the arrow of that Rākşasa, it fell down on the earth like to a band of vultures.

तां तु भिन्नां शिलां दृष्ट्वा सुग्रीवः क्रोधमुर्छितः। सालमुत्पाट्य चिक्षेप तं स चिच्छेद नैकधा॥ शरैश्च विददारैनं शूरः परबलार्दनः। स ददर्श ततः क्रुद्धः परिषं पतितं भुवि॥
Beholding that crag thus severed, Sugrīva was beside himself with ire; and uplifting a Sála tree hurled it; and the heroic Räkşasa the slayer of enemy's force, severed it into several pieces with his arrows. Thereupon excited with wrath he saw a parigha on the ground.

आविध्य तु स तं दीप्तं परिघं तस्य दर्शयन्। परिघेणोग्रवेगेन जघानास्य हयोचमान्॥ तस्माद्धतहयाद्वीरः सोऽवप्लुत्य महारथात्। गदां जग्राह संकृद्धो राक्षसोऽथ महोदरः॥
And hurling that flaming Parigha and displaying his (light-handedness) he stuck his excellent horse there with. And having his horse slain, that hero the Rakşasa Mahodara, ascended his car, and in great anger took up his club.

गदापरिघहस्तौ तौ युधि वीरौ समीयतुः। नर्दन्तौ गोवृषप्रख्यौ घनाविव सविद्युतौ॥
Those two heroes, with club and parigha in their hands, engaged in battle, roaring like two bulls or clouds accompanied with lightning.

ततः क्रुद्धो गदां तस्य चिक्षेप रजनीचरः। ज्वलन्ती भास्कराभासां सुग्रीवाय महोदरः॥
Thereupon the night-ranger Mahodara, inflamed with ire, hurled at Sugrīva, the club flaming like the Sun.

गदां तां सुमहाघोरामापतन्तीं महाबलः। सुग्रीवो रोषताम्राक्षः समुद्यम्य महाहवे॥ आजघान गदां तस्य परिषेण हरीश्वरः। पपात तरसा भिन्नः परिघस्तस्य भूतले॥
Beholding that dreadful club about to fall the highly powerful Sugrīva-the lord of monkeys, uplifting his parigha struck it there with. And parigha, being sundered, fell quickly down on the earth.

ततो जग्राह तेजस्वी सुग्रीवो वसुधातलात्। आयसं मुसलं घोरं सर्वतो हेमभूषितम्॥
Thereupon the effulgent Sugrīva picked up from the ground musala made of iron and ornamented with gold.

स तमुद्यम्य चिक्षेप सोऽप्यस्य प्राक्षिपगदाम्। भिन्नावन्योन्यमासाद्य पेततुस्तौ महीतले॥
Taking that musala up he hurled it at the Räkşasa and who again hurled a club; and both of them being severed fell down on the earth.

ततो भिन्नाहरणौ मुष्टिभ्यां तौ समीयतुः। तेजोबलसमाविष्टौ दीप्ताविव हुताशनौ ॥
Having their weapons baffled thus, those two heroes, gifted with great prowess and effulgence and resembling the burning fire, were ready to interchange blows.

जघ्नतुस्तौ तदान्योन्यं नदन्तौ च पुनः पुनः। तलैश्चान्योन्यमासाद्य पेततुश्च महीतले॥
They emitting roars again and again, stuck each other down on the earth with their clenched fists.

उत्पेततुस्तदा तूर्णं जघ्नतुश्च परस्परम्। भुजैश्चिक्षिपतुर्वीरावन्योन्यमपराजितौ॥
Then rising up speedily they again assailed each other. Thus those two heroes unsubdued, struck each other with their arms.

जग्मतुस्तौ श्रमं वीरौ बाहुयुद्धे परंतपौ। जहार च तदा खङ्गमदूरपरिवर्तिनम्॥
Thereupon both of them, highly proficient in fighting with arms, were greatly exhausted. Thereupon they took up daggers.

ततो रोषपरीताङ्गौ नदन्तावभ्यधावताम्। उद्यतासी रणे हृष्टौ युद्धे शस्त्रविशारदौ॥
Then uplifting them (those two heroes) with their persons trembling in ire, proficient in fighting and skilled in the use of weapons dashed on roaring.

दक्षिणं मण्डलं चोभौ सूतूर्णं संपरीयतुः। अन्योन्यमभिसंक्रुद्धौ जये प्रणिहितावुभौ॥
The both of them enraged with each other and anxious to score success, moving in circle on each other's right side, addressed themselves for action.

स तु शूरो महावेगो वीर्यश्लाघी महोदरः। महावर्मणि तं खङ्ग पातयामास दुर्मतिः॥
Thereupon the vicious-minded, heroic Mahodara, gifted with great vehemence and proud of his own heroism flung his dagger at (the monkey's) armour.

लग्नमुत्कर्षतः खङ्ग खङ्गेन कपिकुञ्जरः। जहार स शिरस्त्राणं कुण्डलोपगतं शिरः॥
And as he was about to extricate his dagger from the armour, that foremost of monkeys severed with his dagger that Rākşasa's head with helmet and kundalas.

निकृत्तशिरसस्तस्य पतितस्य महीतले। तलं राक्षसेन्द्रस्य दृष्ट्वा तत्र न दृश्यते ॥
Beholding the Rākşasa chief fall down on the earth with his head off, his forces fled away from the field.

हत्वा तं वानरैः सार्धं ननाद मुदितो हरिः। चुक्रोध च दशग्रीवो बभौ हृष्टश्च राघवः॥
Slaying him that monkey-chief, delighted, began to roar along with other monkeys. There upon the Ten-necked one became highly enraged and Rāghava greatly delighted.

विषण्णवदनाः सर्वे राक्षसा दीनचेतसः। विद्रवन्ति ततः सर्वे भयवित्रस्तचेतसः॥
All the Räksasas with their hearts broken and countenances rendered poorly and stricken with fear fled away to different quarters.

महोदरं तं विनिपात्य भूमौ महागिरेः कीर्ममिवैकदेशम्। सूर्यात्मजस्तत्र रराज लक्ष्म्या सूर्यः स्वतेजोभिरिवाप्रधृष्यः॥
Slaying and striking down on earth Mahodara like to a portion of a mighty hill severed that son of the Sun appeared resplendent in his own effulgence and became irrepressible like to the Sun.

अथ विजयमवाप्य वानरेन्द्रः समरमुखे सुरसिद्धयक्षसङ्घः। हर्षसमाकुलितैर्निरीक्षमाणः॥
And winning victory in the action that lord of monkeys was espied by the celestials Siddhas and Yaksas along with all creatures on earth, having their eyes flushed with joy.