Yuddha KandaSarga 4528 Verses

Sarga 45

इन्द्रजितः अन्तर्धानयुद्धं — Indrajit’s Concealed Assault and the Fall of Rama and Lakshmana

युद्धकाण्ड

This sarga stages a tactical reversal driven by Indrajit’s concealment (antardhāna) and missile-saturation. Rama, seeking Indrajit’s whereabouts, deploys ten Vanara leaders in multiple directions for reconnaissance. The Vanaras surge skyward with uprooted trees as improvised weapons, but are checked by Indrajit’s swift, expertly released arrows; darkness and concealment prevent visual acquisition of the attacker, likened to the sun obscured by clouds. Indrajit then addresses Rama and Lakshmana from concealment, asserting that even Indra cannot discern him in battle, and declares his intent to send the brothers to Yama’s abode. He follows with sustained volleys—varied arrowheads and serpent-like missiles—driving shafts into vital points (marma), binding and exhausting the brothers so rapidly they cannot retaliate. Rama falls first; Lakshmana, seeing Rama down, collapses emotionally. The battlefield response is communal: Vanaras gather around the fallen princes in grief, while the text emphasizes the total bodily saturation of wounds—no fingerbreadth left unpierced—presenting a grim meditation on vulnerability, endurance, and the ethical weight of deceptive warfare.

Shlokas

Verse 6.45.1

सतस्यगतिमन्विच्छन्राजपुत्रःप्रतापवान् ।दिदेशातिबलोरामोदशवानरयूथपान् ।।6.45.1।।

Seeking to learn his movements, Rama—the mighty prince—dispatched ten leaders of Vānara troops to find out his whereabouts.

Verse 6.45.2

द्वौसुषेणस्यदायादौनीलंचप्लवगर्षपम् ।अङ्गदंवालिपुत्रंचशरभंचतरस्विनम् ।।6.45.2।।विनतंजाम्बवन्तंचसानुप्रस्थंमहाबलम् ।ऋषभंचर्षभस्कन्थमादिदेशपरन्तपः ।।6.45.3।।

Rāma, the scorcher of foes, issued orders to muster: the two heirs of Suṣeṇa; Nīla, foremost of the Vānaras; Aṅgada, Vāli’s son; and the swift Śarabha.

Verse 6.45.3

But Rāvaṇi—skilled in weapons and master of supreme missiles—checked the onrush of those swift Vānaras with arrows swifter still.

Verse 6.45.4

तेसम्प्रहृष्टाहरयोभीमानुद्यम्यपादपान् ।आकाशंविविशुस्सर्वेमार्गमाणादिशोदशः ।।6.45.4।।

Though, in terror, they rushed about searching the ten directions, the Vānara warriors—their bodies torn by iron shafts—could not see him in the darkness, like the sun veiled by clouds.

Verse 6.45.5

तेषांवेगवतांवेगमिषुभिर्वेगवत्तरैः ।अस्त्रवित्परमास्तैरैस्तुवारयामासरावणिः ।।6.45.5।।

Rāvaṇi, triumphant in battle, drove again and again body-piercing arrows into the bodies of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.

Verse 6.45.6

तंभीममार्गमाणादिशोदशःवेगाहरयोनाराचैःक्षतविग्रहाः ।अन्धकारेनददृशुर्मेघैस्सूर्यमिवावृतम् ।।6.45.6।।

Both the heroic Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa were struck all over by the enraged Indrajit with arrows that had taken the form of serpents.

Verse 6.45.7

रामलक्ष्मणयोरेवसर्वदेहभिदश्शरान् ।भृशमावेशयामासरावणिस्समितिञ्जयः ।।6.45.7।।

From the tracks of their wounds, blood flowed in abundance; yet the two brothers shone, like kiṃśuka trees in full bloom.

Verse 6.45.8

निरन्तरशीरीरौतुतावुभौरामलक्ष्मणौ ।क्रुद्धेनेन्द्रजितावीरौपन्नगैश्शरतांगतैः ।।6.45.8।।

Even the Vānaras, seeing him thus, were seized by extreme anguish; tormented by grief, they cried out terribly, their eyes brimming with tears.

Verse 6.45.9

तयोःक्षतजमार्गेणसुस्रावरुधिरंबहु ।तावुभौचप्रकाशेतेपुष्पिताविवकिंशुकौ ।।6.45.9।।

When the two heroes lay fallen and bound, the Vānaras stood all around them; gathered under the leadership of the Son of the Wind, they were stricken with grief and sank into the deepest despondency.

Verse 6.45.10

ततःपर्यन्तरक्ताक्षोभिन्नाञ्जनचयोपमः ।रावणिर्भ्रातरौवाक्यमन्तर्धानगतोऽब्रवीत् ।।6.45.10।।

Then Ravana’s son—his eyes reddened at the corners, dark like a crushed mass of collyrium—vanished from sight and spoke these words to the two brothers.

Verse 6.45.11

युध्यमानमनालक्षयंशक्रोऽपित्रिदशेश्वरः ।द्रष्टुमासादितुंवापिनशक्तःकिंपुनर्युवाम् ।।6.45.11।।

“Even Śakra, lord of the gods, cannot see me—or reach me—while I fight unseen; how much less can you two?”

Verse 6.45.12

प्रावृताविषुजालेनराघवौकङ्कपत्रिणा ।एषरोषपरीतात्मानयामियमसादनम् ।।6.45.12।।

“O Rāghavas, covered over by a net of arrows feathered with heron-plumes—now, possessed by wrath, I shall send you to Yama’s abode.”

Verse 6.45.13

एवमुक्त्वातुधर्मज्ञौभ्रातरौरामलक्ष्मणौ ।निर्बिभेदशितैर्बाणैःप्रजहर्षननादच ।।6.45.13।।

Having spoken thus, he pierced the two righteous brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, with sharp arrows; exulting, he roared aloud.

Verse 6.45.14

भिन्नाञ्जनचयश्यामोविष्फार्यविपुलंधनुः ।भूयोभूयश्शरान्घोरान् विससर्जमहामृथे ।।6.45.14।।

Dark as a crushed heap of collyrium, he drew his great bow and, again and again, loosed dreadful arrows in that mighty battle.

Verse 6.45.15

ततोमर्मसुमर्मज्ञोमज्जयननिशितान् शरान् ।रामलक्ष्मणयोर्वीरोननदाचमुहुर्मुहुः ।।6.45.15।।

Then that warrior, skilled in striking vital points, drove sharp arrows into the vulnerable spots of Rama and Lakshmana, roaring again and again.

Verse 6.45.16

बद्धौतुशरशब्देनतावुभौरणमूर्धनि ।निमेषान्तरमात्रेणनशेकतुदीक्षितुम् ।।6.45.16।।

At the very forefront of battle, within the span of a single blink, both were bound fast by a storm of arrows and could not answer with a counterstroke.

Verse 6.45.17

ततोविभिन्नसर्वाङ्गौशरशल्याचितावुभौ ।ध्वजाविवमहेन्द्रस्यरज्जुमुक्तौप्रकम्पितौ ।।6.45.17।।तौसम्प्रचलितौवीरौमर्मभेदेनकर्शितौ ।निपेततुर्महेष्वासौजगत्यांजगतीपती ।।6.45.18।।

Then the two heroes, pierced in every limb and bristling with arrowheads, shook violently—like Indra’s banners when loosed from their cords.

Verse 6.45.18

Those two heroic great bowmen—lords of the world—staggered, tormented by wounds that pierced their vital points, and then fell upon the earth.

Verse 6.45.19

तौवीरशयनेवीरौशयानौरुधिरोक्षितौ ।शरवेष्टितसर्वाङ्गैवार्तौपरमपीडितौ ।।6.45.19।।

There the two heroes lay upon the warriors’ bed, drenched in blood; every limb wrapped round with arrows, anguished and grievously distressed.

Verse 6.45.20

नह्यविद्धंतयोर्गात्रेबभूवाङ्गुळमन्तरम् ।नानिर्भिन्नंनचास्तब्दमाकराग्रादजिह्मगैः ।।6.45.20।।

On their bodies not even a finger’s breadth remained unpierced; from head to toe there was no spot left unbroken or unshaken by those straight-flying shafts.

Verse 6.45.21

तौतुक्रूरेणनिहतौरक्षसाकामरूपिणा ।असृक्सुस्रुवतुस्तीव्रंजलंप्रस्रवणाविव ।।6.45.21।।

Struck down by that cruel rākṣasa who could assume forms at will, the two poured forth blood in torrents—like water gushing from twin springs.

Verse 6.45.22

पपातप्रथमंरामोविद्धोमर्मसुमार्गणैः ।क्रोधादिन्द्रजितायेनपुराशक्रोविनिर्जितः ।।6.45.22।।

Rāma fell first, pierced in his vital points by keen arrows loosed in fury by Indrajit—the same who in former days had utterly defeated Śakra (Indra).

Verse 6.45.23

रुक्मपुङ्खैःप्रसन्नाग्रैरधोगतिभिराशुगैः ।नाराचैरर्धनाराचैर्भल्लैरञ्जलिकैरपि ।।6.45.23।।विव्याधवत्सदन्तैश्चसिंहदंष्ट्रैःक्षुरैस्तथा ।

He pierced him with arrows whose shafts were gold-feathered and whose tips shone bright—swift and plunging straight—using nārācas, half-nārācas, bhallas, añjalikas, and also those shaped like a calf’s teeth, a lion’s fangs, and razor-edged blades.

Verse 6.45.24

सवीरशयनेशिश्येविज्यमादायकार्मुकम् ।।6.45.24।।भिन्नमुष्टिपरीणाहंत्रिणतंरुक्मभूषितम् ।

He lay upon the warriors’ bed, having let his bow go slack—the gold-adorned weapon, thick at the grip and bent in three places.

Verse 6.45.25

बाणपातान्तरेरामंपतितंपुरुषर्षभम् ।।6.45.25।।सतत्रलक्ष्मणोदृष्टवानिराशोजीवितेऽभवत् ।

Seeing Rāma—the best of men—fallen within the range of arrows, Lakṣmaṇa there lost hope even for his own life.

Verse 6.45.26

रामंकमलपत्राक्षंशरबन्धपरिक्षतम् ।।6.45.26।।शुशोचभ्रातरंदृष्टवापतितंधरणीतले ।

Beholding his brother Rāma—lotus-petalled-eyed—wounded by the bondage of arrows and fallen upon the earth, Lakṣmaṇa grieved deeply.

Verse 6.45.27

हरयश्चापितंदृष्टवासन्तापंपरमंगताः ।।6.45.27।।शोकार्ताश्चुक्रशुर्घोरमश्रुपूरितलोचनाः ।

Rāma, the scorcher of enemies, commanded the two heirs of Suṣeṇa, as well as Nīla the foremost of the Vānaras, Aṅgada the son of Vāli, the swift Śarabha, Vinata, Jāmbavān, mighty Sānuprastha, and also Ṛṣabha and Ṛṣabhaskandha.

Verse 6.45.28

बद्धौतुवीरौपतितौशयानौतेवानरास्सम्परिवार्यतस्थुः ।समागतावायुसुतप्रमुख्याविषादमार्ताःपरमंचजग्मुः ।।6.45.28।।

Those Vānaras, greatly exhilarated, lifted up huge and fearsome trees; and all sprang into the sky, searching through the ten directions.