युध्यमानौतुतौदृष्टवाप्रसक्तौनरराक्षसौ ।प्रभिन्नाविवमातङ्गौपरस्परवधैषिणौ ।।।।तौद्रष्टुकामस्सङ्ग्रामेपरस्परगतौबली ।शूरस्सरावणभ्रातातस्थौसङ्ग्राममूर्धनि ।।।।
yudhyamānau tu tau dṛṣṭvā prasaktau nara-rākṣasau |
prabhinnāv iva mātaṅgau paraspara-vadhaiṣiṇau ||
tau draṣṭu-kāmaḥ saṅgrāme paraspara-gatau balī |
śūraḥ sa rāvaṇa-bhrātā tasthau saṅgrāma-mūrdhani ||
Als er jene beiden — den Menschen und den Rākṣasa — im Kampf verstrickt sah, jeder auf den Tod des anderen aus, wie zwei rasende Elefanten, die einander zerschmettern, stellte sich der tapfere Held, Rāvaṇas Bruder (Vibhīṣaṇa), an die Spitze des Schlachtfeldes, begierig, ihren Zweikampf zu schauen.
Lakshmana (man) and Indrajith (Rakshasa) were fond of battle and intending to win in the fight overcoming each other. Each of them were like elephants but were broken into pieces. Vibheeshana, with eagerness to witness the battle stood in the forefront of the battlefield watching the fight.
The verse frames war as a grave, consequential act: it highlights the destructive mutual intent, implicitly reminding that dharma must govern conflict, not mere bloodlust.
Lakṣmaṇa and Indrajit are fiercely engaged in battle; Vibhīṣaṇa stands at the front to observe the clash.
Steadfast courage and attentiveness—Vibhīṣaṇa’s readiness to witness and assess a pivotal battle moment.