Uttara Kanda: Chapter 69

तच्छुत्वा भाषितं तस्य शत्रुघ्नस्य महात्मनः। क्रोधमाहारयत्चीव्र तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत्॥
Hearing the words of the high-souled Śatrughna Lavaņa was greatly enraged and again and again asked him to wait.

पाणौ पाणिं स निष्पिष्य दन्तान्कटकटाय्य च। लवणो रघुशार्दूलमाह्वयामास चासकृत्॥
Clashing his hands and grinding his teeth he invited that foremost of Raghus to fight.

तं ब्रुवाण तथा वाक्यं लवणं घोरदर्शनम्। शत्रुघ्नो देवशत्रुघ्न इदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥
And Satrughna, the slayer of celestial's enemies, said to the dreadful Lavaņa, giving vent to those words.

शत्रुघ्नो न तदा जातो यदान्ये निर्जितास्त्वया। तदद्य बाणाभिहतो व्रज त्वं यमसादनम्॥
Śatrughna was not born when you did defeat other kings; do you therefore proceed to Death's abode being assailed by shafts.

ऋषयोऽप्यद्य पापात्मन्मया त्वां निहतं रणे। पश्यन्तु विप्रा विद्वांसस्त्रिदशा इव रावणम्॥
O you of a vicious soul, as did the celestials behold Rāvana slain so shall the Rșis and learned Brāhmaṇas behold you, destroyed by me.

त्वयि मद्वाणनिर्दग्धे पतितेऽद्य निशाचरे। पुरे जनपदे चापि क्षेममेव भविष्यति॥
O Rākşasa, forsooth shall good crown cities and villages when you shall fall down brunt by my arrow.

अद्य मदाहुनिष्क्रान्तः शरो वज्रनिभाननः। प्रवेक्ष्यते ते हृदयं पद्ममंशुरिवार्कजः॥
As the rays of the sun enter into lotus so shall arrows, hard as lightning, discharged by my hands, shall enter into your heart.

एवमुक्तो महावृक्षं लवणः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः। शत्रुघ्नोरसि चिक्षेप स च तं शतधाच्छिनत्॥
Being beside himself with ire on hearing those words of Śatrughna, Lavaņa threw a huge tree against his breast. And ſatrughna too sundered it into a hundred pieces.

तदृष्ट्वा विफलं कर्म राक्षसः पुनरेव तु। पादपान्सुबहूगृह्य शत्रुघ्नायासृजद्बली॥ शत्रुघ्नश्चापि तेजस्वी वृक्षानापततो बहून्। त्रिभिश्चतुर्भिरेकैकं चिच्छेद नतपर्वभिः॥
Beholding his own action baffled the Rākşasa again took up many trees and hurled them at Śatrughna, who, with three or four hundred bent arrow, cut them all, one by one, into pieces.

ततो बाणमयं वर्षं व्यसृजद्राक्षसोपरि। शत्रुघ्नो वीर्यसंपन्नो विव्यथे न स राक्षसः॥
Thereupon when the powerful Satrughna assailed him with arrows the Rākşasa was not the least pained.

ततः प्रहस्य लवणो वृक्षमुद्यम्य वीर्यवान्। शिरस्यभ्यहनच्छूरं स्रस्ताङ्गः स मुमोह वै॥
Rather laughing aloud the valiant Räksasa uprooted a tree and struck him with that on the head. With that stroke he was wounded and slain.

तस्मिन्निपतिते वीरे हाहाकारो महानभूत्। ऋषीणां देवसङ्घानां गन्धर्वाप्सरसां तथा॥
And that hero falling there arose a terrible uproar among the Rșis, celestials, Gandharvas and Apsarās.

तमवज्ञाय तु हतं शत्रुघ्नं भुवि पातितम्। रक्षो लब्धान्तरमपि न विवेश स्वमालयम्॥ नापि शूलं प्रजग्राह तं दृष्ट्वा भुवि पातितम्। ततो हत इति ज्ञात्वा तान्भक्षान्समुदावहत्॥
There upon considering Śatrughna slain the night-ranger did not enter his house albeit he got the opportunity; and moreover beholding him fallen and destroyed he did not take up his dart. He then began to carry his collected food.

मुहूर्ताल्लब्धसंज्ञस्तु पुनस्तस्थौ धृतायुधः। शत्रुघ्नो वै पुरद्वारि ऋषिभिः संप्रपूजितः॥
Regaining his sense within a moment, Śatrughna, with a weapon in his hand, stood at the city gate and the Rșis began to praise him.

ततो दिव्यममोघं तं जग्राह शरमुत्तमम्। ज्वलन्तं तेजसा घोरं पूरयन्तं दिशो दश॥
There upon, he having taken up an excellent arrow of unfailing aim the ten quarters were filled with its native brilliance.

वज्राननं वज्रवेगं मेरुमन्दरसंनिभम्। नतं पर्वसु सर्वेषु संयुगेष्वपराजितम्॥
Its face was like lightning and its velocity the same and it looked like Meru and Mandāra; its joints were all bent. None could defeat it in battle.

असृक्चन्दनदिग्धाङ्गं चारुपत्रं पतत्रिणम्। दानवेन्द्राचलेन्द्राणामसुराणां च दारुणम्॥ तं दीप्तमिव कालाग्निं युगान्ते समुपस्थितम्। दृष्ट्वा सर्वाणि भूतानि परित्रासमुपागमन्॥
It was pasted with red sandal resembling blood and its feathers were beautiful. Beholding that dart like to the fire of dissolution, and dreadful to lords of Dānavas, mountains and Asuras, the creatures were greatly terrified.

सदेवासुरगन्धर्वं मुनिभिः साप्सरोगणम्। जगद्धिसर्वमस्वस्थं पितामहमुपस्थितम्॥ ऊचुश्च देवदेवेशं वरदं प्रपितामहम्। देवानां भयसंमोहो लोकानां संक्षयं प्रति ॥
What more, being disturbed, the celestials, Asuras, Gandharvas, saints and Apsarās and all other creatures of the world approached the Great Patriarch, the conferrer of boons and said. The fear of the celestials and the destruction of the creatures has arrived.

तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः। भयकारणमाचष्ट देवानामभयंकरः॥ उवाच मधुरां वाणीं शृणुध्वं सर्वदेवताः। वधाय लवणस्याजौ शरः शत्रुघ्नदारितः॥
Hearing those words the Patriarch Brahmă replied Although it is a source of great fear still it is not dreadful to the celestials. There upon with sweet accents he said:-Hear, O you celestials, ſatrughna has taken up this arrow for the destruction of Pavana.

तेजसा तस्य संमूढाः सर्वे स्मः सुरसत्तमाः। एषो पूर्वस्य देवस्य लोककर्तुः सनातनः॥ शरस्तेजोमयो वत्सा येन वै भयमागतम्। एष वै कैटभस्यार्थे मधुनश्च महाशरः॥ सृष्टो महात्मना तेन वधार्थे दैत्ययोस्तयोः।
By the energy thereof we have all been overwhelmed. This effulgent, ever existing arrow was made by the Primeval, Deity, Vis nu-the lord of creatures. My children, the burning arrow, of which you are afraid, was made by the high-minded Vişņu for slaying the demons Madhu and Kaitabha.

एक एव प्रजानाति विष्णुस्तेजोमयं शरम् ॥ एषा एव तनुः पूर्वा विष्णोस्तस्य महात्मनः। इतो गच्छत पश्यध्वं वध्यमानं महात्मना॥ रामानुजेन वीरेण लवणं राक्षसोत्तमम्।
Vişņu alone is cognisant of its energy. This Śatrughna is the first portion of Vişnu's person; do you all go hence and behold the destruction of the foremost Raksasa, Lavana, by the highsouled, heroic Satrughna, the younger brother of Rama.

तस्य ते देवदेवस्य निशम्य वचनं सुराः।२९।। आजग्मुर्यत्र युध्येते शत्रुघ्नलवणावुभौ। तं शरं दिव्यसंकाशं शत्रुघ्नकरधारितम्॥ ददृशुः सर्वभूतानि युगान्ताग्निमिवोत्थितम्।
Hearing the words of the Patriarch Brahmă, the celestials arrived at the battle-field of Šatrughna and Lavana and saw that the arrow, held by Satrughna's hands, was burning like the fire of dissolution.

आकाशमावृतं दृष्ट्वा देवैर्हि रघुनन्दनः॥ सिंहनादं भृशं कृत्वा ददर्श लवणं पुनः। आहूतश्च पुनस्तेन शत्रुघ्नेन महात्मना ॥ लवणः क्रोधसंयुक्तो युद्धाय समुपस्थितः।
Beholding the welkin covered by the celestials, Satrughna, the descendant of Raghu, emitting leonine roars, again and again looked towards Lavaņa. And being again excited by the high-souled Śatrughna and enraged Lavaņa arrived for encounter.

आकर्णात्स विकृष्याथ तद्धनुर्धन्विनां वरः॥ स मुमोच महाबाणं लवणस्य महोरसि। उरस्तस्य विदार्यासु प्रविवेश रसातलम्॥ गत्वा रसातलं दिव्यः शरो विबुधपूजितः। पुनरेवागमत्तर्णमिक्ष्वाकुकुलनन्दनम्॥
There upon expanding his bow up to ears, Satrughna, the the most accomplished archer, discharged his arrow against the spacious breast of Lavaņa. And piercing his heart that arrow entered speedily into Rasātala and having entered Rasātala that arrow, honoured by the celestials, again came to the descendant of Raghu.

शत्रुघ्नशरनिर्भिन्नो लवणः स निशाचरः। पपात सहसा भूमौ वज्राहत इवाचलः॥
And being pierced by that shaft the nightranger Lavaņa fell down on earth like a mountain clapped by a thunder-bolt.

तच्च शूलं महद्दिव्यं हते लवणराक्षसे। पश्यतां सर्वदेवानां रुद्रस्य वशमन्वगात्॥
The Rākşasa being slain that celestial, huge arrow came into the possession of Rudra before the gods.

एकेषुपातेन भयं निपात्य लोकत्रयस्यास्य रघुप्रवीरः। स्तमः प्रणुद्येव सहस्ररश्मिः॥
Having removed the fear of the three worlds with one shaft, that heroic Raghu, Satrughnayounger brother of Lakşmaņa, holding excellent bow and arrow, appeared like the Sun of thousand rays removing darkness.

ततो हि देवा ऋषिपन्नगाश्च प्रपूजिरे ह्यप्सरसश्च सर्वाः स्त्यक्त्वा भयं सर्प इव प्रशान्तः॥
There upon chanting the glories of Satrughna, the celestials, Rşis, Pannagas, Apsarās, said “O son of Dasaratha, it is really fortunate, that you, renouncing fear, have acquired victory, and that the Rākṣasa Lavaņa has been vanquished like a serpent."