Yuddha KandaSarga 10432 Verses

Sarga 104

रावणशूलप्रक्षेपः — Ravana Hurls the Trident; Rama Counters with Indra’s Javelin

युद्धकाण्ड

Sarga 104 intensifies the duel through omenology and weapon-poetics. The chapter opens with cosmic fear: on seeing Rama’s enraged countenance, beings tremble, mountains shake, and the ocean churns; portentous clouds circle the sky. Aerial spectators—devas, gandharvas, nāgas, sages, daityas, and khecaras—watch a battle likened to world-dissolution, while opposing chants of victory arise (asuras for Daśagrīva, devas for Rama). Ravana, red-eyed and roaring, seizes a terrifying, thunderbolt-hard trident with mountain-peak spikes, proclaims lethal intent against Rama (and his brother), and hurls it; the weapon blazes with lightning garlands and bell-like clangor. Rama counters by loosing arrow volleys, yet the trident incinerates them like moths in fire, provoking Rama’s controlled fury. Rama then takes up a divine śakti (javelin) brought by Matali and esteemed by Indra; its radiance lights the sky like an end-time meteor. The javelin strikes and breaks Ravana’s trident, which falls bereft of splendor. Rama follows with swift, straight arrows that shatter Ravana’s horses and pierce Ravana’s chest and forehead; Ravana, bleeding profusely, appears like a blossoming aśoka tree—sorrowful yet violently enraged amid his assembly.

Shlokas

Verse 6.104.1

तस्यक्रुद्धस्यवदनंदृष्टवारामस्यधीमतः ।।।।सर्वभूतानिवित्रेसुःप्राकम्पत च मेदिनी ।

Seeing the face of the wise Rāma in wrath, all beings were struck with fear, and even the earth trembled.

Verse 6.104.2

सिंहशार्दूलान्शैलस्सञ्चचालचलद्द्रुमः ।बभूवचापिक्षुभितःसमुद्रःसरिताम्पतिः ।।।।

The mountains—haunts of lions and tigers—shuddered, their trees trembling; and even the ocean, lord of rivers, grew violently disturbed.

Verse 6.104.3

खराश्चखरनिर्घोषागगनेपरुषाघनाः ।औत्पातिकानिनर्दन्तस्समन्तात्परिचक्रमुः ।।।।

Seeing Rāma blazing with fury—and the dreadful portents as well—all beings trembled; fear arose even in Rāvaṇa.

Verse 6.104.4

रामंदृष्टवासुसङ्क्रुद्धमुत्पातांश्चैवसुदारुणान् ।वित्रेसुस्सर्वभूतानिरावणस्याभवद्भयम् ।।।।

Then mighty Rama shattered Ravana's swift horses with sharp, high-speed arrows that flew straight and true.

Verse 6.104.5

विमानस्थास्तदादेवागन्धर्वाश्चमहोरगाः ।ऋषिदावनदैत्याश्चगरुत्मन्तश्चखेचराः ।।।।ददृशुस्तेतदायुद्धंलोकसम्वर्तसंस्थितम् ।नानाप्रहरणैर्भीमैश्शूरयोस्सम्प्रयुध्यतोः ।।।।

Raghava, fully focused, then pierced Ravana on the forehead with three sharp, feathered arrows.

Verse 6.104.6

विमानस्थास्तदादेवागन्धर्वाश्चमहोरगाः ।ऋषिदावनदैत्याश्चगरुत्मन्तश्चखेचराः ।।6.104.5।।ददृशुस्तेतदायुद्धंलोकसम्वर्तसंस्थितम् ।नानाप्रहरणैर्भीमैश्शूरयोस्सम्प्रयुध्यतोः ।।6.104.6।।

With his body pierced by arrows and blood flowing from his limbs, the Lord of Rakshasas shone like a flowering Ashoka tree.

Verse 6.104.7

ऊचुस्सुरासुरास्सर्वेतदाविग्रहमागताः ।प्रेक्षमाणामहर्युद्धंवाक्यंभक्त्याप्रहृष्टवत् ।।।।

Pierced all over by Rāma’s arrows, his body drenched in the blood of his wounds, the king of the night-roamers sank into anguish in the midst of the assembly—and at that very moment he kindled a fierce, overwhelming wrath.

Verse 6.104.8

दशग्रीवंजयेत्याहुरसुराःसमवस्थिताः ।देवाराममवोचंस्तेत्वंजयेतिपुनःपुनः ।।।।

The Asuras, firmly stationed, cried, “Victory to the Ten-necked One (Rāvaṇa)!” while the Devas, for their part, said to Rāma again and again, “May you be victorious!”

Verse 6.104.9

एतस्मिन्नन्तरेक्रोधाद्राघवस्य स रावणः ।प्रहर्तुकामोदुष्टात्मास्पृशन् प्रहरणंमहत् ।।।।वज्रसारंमहानादंसर्वशत्रुनिबर्हणम् ।शैलशृङ्गनिभैःकूटैश्चित्तदृष्टिभयावहम् ।।।।सधूममिवतीक्ष्णाग्रंयुगान्ताग्निचमोपमम् ।अतिरौद्रमनासाद्यंकालेनापिदुरासदम् ।।।।त्रासनंसर्वभूतानांदारणंभेदनंतथा ।प्रदीप्तमिवरोषेणशूलंजग्राहरावणः ।।।।

Just then, Rāvaṇa—evil at heart—burning with anger at Rāghava and eager to strike, laid his hand upon a mighty weapon. Hard as a vajra, it roared aloud, fit to crush every foe; its spikes were like mountain-peaks, dreadful even to imagine. Keen-pointed as a razor, as though wreathed in smoke, it blazed like the fire at the end of an age—fierce, unapproachable, and hard to withstand even for Death itself. A terror to all beings, tearing and splitting, Rāvaṇa, inflamed with rage, seized that blazing śūla (trident/spear) to attack.

Verse 6.104.10

एतस्मिन्नन्तरेक्रोधाद्राघवस्य स रावणः ।प्रहर्तुकामोदुष्टात्मास्पृशन् प्रहरणंमहत् ।।6.104.9।।वज्रसारंमहानादंसर्वशत्रुनिबर्हणम् ।शैलशृङ्गनिभैःकूटैश्चित्तदृष्टिभयावहम् ।।6.104.10।।सधूममिवतीक्ष्णाग्रंयुगान्ताग्निचमोपमम् ।अतिरौद्रमनासाद्यंकालेनापिदुरासदम् ।।6.104.11।।त्रासनंसर्वभूतानांदारणंभेदनंतथा ।प्रदीप्तमिवरोषेणशूलंजग्राहरावणः ।।6.104.12।।

Hard as a vajra and thunderous in its roar, it could destroy every foe; set with spikes like mountain-peaks, it inspired dread even to behold and to contemplate.

Verse 6.104.11

Its keen point seemed wreathed in smoke, like the fire at the end of an age—exceedingly dreadful, unapproachable, and hard to withstand, even like Death itself.

Verse 6.104.12

A terror to all beings—rending and splitting—Rāvaṇa seized that trident, as though it blazed with his fury.

Verse 6.104.13

तच्छूलंपरमक्रुद्धोमध्येजग्राहवीर्यवान् ।अनेकैःसमरेश्शूरैराक्षसैःपरिवारितः ।।।।

Fiercely enraged, the mighty warrior seized that trident at its middle, surrounded in battle by many heroic rākṣasas.

Verse 6.104.14

समुद्यम्यमहाकायोननादयुधिभैरवम् ।संरक्तनयनोरोषात्स्वसैन्यमभिहर्षयन् ।।।।

Raising it, the gigantic warrior roared a fearsome cry in battle; his eyes reddened with rage as he exulted and roused his own army.

Verse 6.104.15

पृथिवींचान्तरिक्षं च दिशश्चप्रदिशस्तथा ।प्राकम्पयत्तदाशब्दोराक्षसेन्द्रस्यदारुणः ।।।।

Then the dreadful sound of the lord of rākṣasas made the earth and the sky quake, along with all the directions and sub-directions.

Verse 6.104.16

अतिनादस्य्यदानेनतेनतस्यदुरात्मनः ।सर्वभूतानिवित्रेसुस्सागरश्चप्रचुक्षुभे ।।।।

By that deafening roar of the wicked-souled one, all creatures were struck with fear, and even the ocean heaved in agitation.

Verse 6.104.17

स गृहीत्वामहावीर्यश्शूलंतद्रावणोमहत् ।विनद्यसुमहानादंरामंपरुषमब्रवीत् ।।।।

Having taken up that great trident, mighty Rāvaṇa, roaring in a very loud voice, spoke harshly to Rāma.

Verse 6.104.18

शूलोऽयंवज्रसारस्तेरामरोषान्मयोद्यतः ।तवभ्रातृसहायस्यसम्यक् प्राणान् हरिष्यति ।।।।

O Rama, this trident—hard as a thunderbolt—raised by me in fury, will surely take the life of you and your brother who stands as your ally.

Verse 6.104.19

रक्षसामद्यशूराणांनिहतानांचमूमुखे ।त्वांनिहत्यरणश्लाघीकरोमितरसासमम् ।।।।

Today, after killing you swiftly at the very front of the host, I—one who prides himself on war—will make you join those Rakshasa heroes who have already fallen.

Verse 6.104.20

तिष्ठेदानींनिहमनित्वामेषशूलेनराघव ।एवमुक्त्वा स चिक्षेपतच्छूलंराक्षसाधिपः ।।।।

“Stand where you are now, O Raghava—this very trident will kill you!” Saying so, the lord of the Rakshasas hurled that trident.

Verse 6.104.21

तद्रावणकरान्मुक्तंविद्युन्मालासमावृतम् ।अष्टघण्टंमहानादंवियद्गतमशोभत ।।।।

Released from Ravana’s hand, that trident blazed—wreathed in garlands of lightning; bearing eight bells and roaring mightily, it shone as it sped through the sky.

Verse 6.104.22

तच्छूलंराघवोदृष्टवाज्वलन्तंघोरदर्शनम् ।ससर्जविशिखान्रामश्चापमायम्यवीर्यवान् ।।।।

Seeing that blazing trident, dreadful to behold, the valiant Rāma drew his bow and loosed a volley of arrows against it.

Verse 6.104.23

आपतन्तंशरौघेणवारयामासराघवः ।उत्पतन्तंयुगान्तानगिंजलौघैरिववासवः ।।।।

As it rushed on, Rāghava checked it with a torrent of arrows—like Vāsava quenching the upsurging fire of the world’s end with floods of water.

Verse 6.104.24

निर्ददाह स तान्बाणान्रामकार्मुकनिःसृतान् ।रावणस्यमहान् शूलःपतङ्गानिवपावकः ।।।।

Rāvaṇa’s great trident burned up those arrows released from Rāma’s bow—like fire consuming moths.

Verse 6.104.25

तान्दृष्टवाभस्मसाद्भूतान्शूलसम्स्पर्शचूर्णितान् ।सायकानन्तरिक्षस्थान् राघवःक्रोधमाहरत् ।।।।

Seeing his arrows in mid-air crushed to dust by the trident’s touch and reduced to ash, Rāghava was seized by anger.

Verse 6.104.26

स तांमातलिनानीतांशक्तिंवासवसम्मताम् ।जग्राहपरमक्रुद्धोराघवोरघुनन्दनः ।।।।

Then Rāghava—delighter of the Raghu line—greatly angered, took up that Śakti (javelin) brought by Mātali and approved by Vāsava (Indra).

Verse 6.104.27

सातोलिताबलवताशक्तिर्घण्टाकृतस्वना ।नभःप्रज्वालयामासयुगान्तोल्केवसप्रभा ।।।।

Lifted by the mighty one, that Śakti—ringing with a bell-like sound—set the sky ablaze with its radiance, like a meteor at the end of an age.

Verse 6.104.28

साक्षिप्ताराक्षसेन्द्रस्यतस्मिन्कूलेपपात ह ।भिन्नःशक्त्यामहान् शूलोनिपपातहतद्युतिः ।।।।

Hurled, it struck the Rākṣasa-king’s trident; the great trident, split by the Śakti, lost its splendor and fell to the ground.

Verse 6.104.29

निर्भिभेदततोबाणैर्हयानस्यमहाजवान् ।रामस्त्रीक्ष्णैर्महावेगैर्भाणवद्भिरजिह्मगैः ।।।।

Portentous, dreadful clouds—harsh and heavy—brayed in the sky like donkeys and wheeled about on every side, signaling ominous turns in the battle.

Verse 6.104.30

निर्बिभेदोरपितदारावणंनिशितैश्शरैः ।राघवःपरमायत्तोललाटेपत्रतिभिस्त्रिभिः ।।।।

Then the gods, stationed in aerial cars (vimānas)—along with Gandharvas, great Nāgas, Ṛṣis, Dānavas and Daityas, and Garuḍa-like sky-goers—beheld that battle, like the world’s dissolution, as the two heroes fought on with many terrifying weapons.

Verse 6.104.31

स शरैर्भिन्नसर्वाङ्गोगात्रप्रसृतशोणितः ।राक्षसेन्द्रस्समूहस्थःफुल्लाशोकइवाबभौ ।।।।

Then all the Suras and Asuras, witnessing the great battle with excitement, spoke words filled with devotion and joy.

Verse 6.104.32

स रामबाणैरतिविद्धगात्रोनिशाचरेन्द्रःक्षतजार्द्रगात्रः ।जगामखेदं च समाजमध्येक्रोधं च चक्रेसुभृशंतदानीम् ।।।।

The Asuras cried out, "Victory to Dashagriva!" while the Devas said to Rama again and again, "May you be victorious!"