The Slaying of Sahasrarjuna

Verse 1 (skanda.6.67.1)

सूत उवाच॥ एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्तो रामो भ्रातृभिरन्वितः॥ फलानि कन्दमूलानि गृहीत्वाऽऽश्रमसम्मुखः

sūta uvāca etasminnaṁtare prāpto rāmo bhrātṛbhiranvitaḥ phalāni kandamūlāni gṛhītvā''śramasammukhaḥ

Suta said: Meanwhile, Rama arrived together with his brothers, carrying fruits and roots and bulbs, approaching the hermitage.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.67.2)

स दृष्ट्वा स्वाश्रमं ध्वस्तं पुलिन्दैर्बहुशो वृतम्॥ लकुटाश्मप्रहारैस्तु तां धेनुं जर्जरीकृताम्

sa dṛṣṭvā svāśramaṁ dhvastaṁ pulindairbahuśo vṛtam lakuṭāśmaprahāraistu tāṁ dhenuṁ jarjarīkṛtām

He saw his own hermitage devastated, surrounded on every side by Pulindas, and that cow battered and bruised by blows of clubs and stones.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.67.3)

पप्रच्छ किमिदं सर्वं व्याकुलत्वमुपागतम्॥ आश्रमास्पदमाभीरैः पुलिन्दैश्च समावृतम्

papraccha kimidaṁ sarvaṁ vyākulatvamupāgatam āśramāspadamābhīraiḥ pulindaiśca samāvṛtam

He asked: 'What is all this disorder that has come upon us? Why is this hermitage-site surrounded by cowherds and Pulindas?'

Verse 4 (skanda.6.67.4)

केनैषा मामिका धेनुः प्रहारैर्जर्जरीकृता॥ तापस्यस्तापसाः सर्वे कस्मादेते रुदन्ति च

kenaiṣā māmikā dhenuḥ prahārairjarjarīkṛtā tāpasyastāpasāḥ sarve kasmādete rudanti ca

'Who has battered this cow of mine so badly? And why are all these ascetics weeping so bitterly?'

Verse 5 (skanda.6.67.5)

क्व स मेऽद्य पिता वृद्धो माता च सुतवत्सला॥ न मामद्य यथापूर्वं स्नेहाच्चायाति सम्मुखी

kva sa me'dya pitā vṛddho mātā ca sutavatsalā na māmadya yathāpūrvaṁ snehāccāyāti sammukhī

'Where is my aged father today? And where is my mother, so devoted to her son? Unlike before, she does not come out lovingly to meet me today.'

Verse 6 (skanda.6.67.6)

अथ तस्य समाचख्युर्वृत्तांतं सर्वतापसाः॥ यथादृष्टं सुदुःखार्ता सहस्रार्जुनचेष्टितम्

atha tasya samācakhyurvṛttāṁtaṁ sarvatāpasāḥ yathādṛṣṭaṁ suduḥkhārtā sahasrārjunaceṣṭitam

Then all the ascetics, overwhelmed with grief, related to him the whole account, exactly as they had witnessed it, of Sahasrarjuna's deeds.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.67.7)

ततस्ते भ्रातरः सर्वे वज्रपातोपमं वचः॥ श्रुत्वा दृष्ट्वा च तं शस्त्रैः खंडितं जनकं निजम्

tataste bhrātaraḥ sarve vajrapātopamaṁ vacaḥ śrutvā dṛṣṭvā ca taṁ śastraiḥ khaṁḍitaṁ janakaṁ nijam

Then all those brothers, hearing that word which fell upon them like a thunderbolt, and seeing their own father cut apart by weapons —

Verse 8 (skanda.6.67.8)

मातरं क्षतसर्वाङ्गीं प्राणशेषां व्यथान्विताम्॥ रुरुदुः शोकसन्तप्ता मुक्त्वा रामं महाबलम्

mātaraṁ kṣatasarvāṅgīṁ prāṇaśeṣāṁ vyathānvitām ruruduḥ śokasantaptā muktvā rāmaṁ mahābalam

— and their mother, wounded in every limb, clinging to life with only its last remnant, and racked with pain, they all wept, overwhelmed with grief — all, that is, except the mighty Rama.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.67.9)

रुदित्वाथ चिरं कालं विप्रलप्य मुहुर्मुहुः॥ अन्त्येष्टिं चक्रिरे तस्य वेदोक्तविधिना ततः

ruditvātha ciraṁ kālaṁ vipralapya muhurmuhuḥ antyeṣṭiṁ cakrire tasya vedoktavidhinā tataḥ

Then, having wept for a long while and lamented again and again, they performed his last rites according to the procedure prescribed by the Vedas.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.67.10)

अथ दाहावसाने ते कृत्वा गर्तां यथोचिताम्॥ मुक्त्वा रामं ददुस्तोयं पितुः पुत्रास्तिलान्वितम्

atha dāhāvasāne te kṛtvā gartāṁ yathocitām muktvā rāmaṁ dadustoyaṁ pituḥ putrāstilānvitam

Then, at the conclusion of the cremation, having dug a proper pit, all the sons — except Rama — offered water mixed with sesame to their father.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.67.11)

अथान्यैस्तापसैः प्रोक्तो रामः शस्त्रभृतां वरः॥ न प्रयच्छसि कस्मात्त्वं प्रेतपित्रे जलांजलिम्

athānyaistāpasaiḥ prokto rāmaḥ śastrabhṛtāṁ varaḥ na prayacchasi kasmāttvaṁ pretapitre jalāṁjalim

Then Rama, foremost among the weapon-bearers, was asked by the other ascetics: 'Why do you not offer the handful of water to your departed father?'

Verse 12 (skanda.6.67.12)

अथासौ बहुधा प्रो क्तस्तापसैर्जमदग्निजः॥ प्रहारान्गणयन्मातुः शितशस्त्रविनिर्मितान्

athāsau bahudhā pro ktastāpasairjamadagnijaḥ prahārāngaṇayanmātuḥ śitaśastravinirmitān

Then, though repeatedly urged in many ways by the ascetics, the son of Jamadagni remained silent, counting the wounds inflicted upon his mother by sharpened weapons.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.67.13)

ततस्तानब्रवीद्रामो विनिःश्वस्य मुनीश्वरान्॥ निषेधस्तोयदानस्य श्रूयतां यन्मया कृतः

tatastānabravīdrāmo viniḥśvasya munīśvarān niṣedhastoyadānasya śrūyatāṁ yanmayā kṛtaḥ

Then Rama, sighing deeply, spoke to those lords among sages: 'Hear the reason why I have refused to offer the water.'

Verse 14 (skanda.6.67.14)

अपराधं विना तातः क्षत्रियेण हतोमम॥ एकविंशतिः प्रहाराणां मातुरंगे स्थिता मम

aparādhaṁ vinā tātaḥ kṣatriyeṇa hatomama ekaviṁśatiḥ prahārāṇāṁ māturaṁge sthitā mama

'My father was slain by a kshatriya, though wholly without fault. Twenty-one wounds remain upon my mother's body.'

Verse 15 (skanda.6.67.15)

तस्मान्निःक्षत्रियामुर्वीं यद्यहं न करोमि वै॥ प्रहारसंख्यया विप्रास्तन्मे स्यात्सर्वपातकम्

tasmānniḥkṣatriyāmurvīṁ yadyahaṁ na karomi vai prahārasaṁkhyayā viprāstanme syātsarvapātakam

'Therefore, O brahmins, if I do not rid the earth of kshatriyas — as many times over as the number of those wounds — then let every sin fall upon me.'

Verse 16 (skanda.6.67.16)

पितृमातृवधाज्जातं यत्कृतं तेन पाप्मना॥ क्षत्रियापसदेनात्र तथान्यदपि कुत्सितम्

pitṛmātṛvadhājjātaṁ yatkṛtaṁ tena pāpmanā kṣatriyāpasadenātra tathānyadapi kutsitam

'Whatever sin has arisen from the killing of my father and mother, done by that vile kshatriya, and whatever other despicable deed as well —'

Verse 17 (skanda.6.67.17)

ततस्तस्यैव चान्येषां क्षत्रियाणां दुरात्मनाम्॥ रुधिरैः पूरयित्वेमां गर्तां पितृजलोचिताम्॥ तर्पयिष्यामि रक्तेन पितरं नाहमंभसा

tatastasyaiva cānyeṣāṁ kṣatriyāṇāṁ durātmanām rudhiraiḥ pūrayitvemāṁ gartāṁ pitṛjalocitām tarpayiṣyāmi raktena pitaraṁ nāhamaṁbhasā

'— therefore, filling this very pit, meant for my father's water-offering, with the blood of that very man and of other wicked kshatriyas, I shall satisfy my father with blood, not with water.'

Verse 18 (skanda.6.67.18)

सूत उवाच॥ श्रुत्वा ते दारुणां तस्य प्रतिज्ञां तापसोत्तमाः॥ परं विस्मयमापन्ना नोचुः किंचित्ततः परम्

sūta uvāca śrutvā te dāruṇāṁ tasya pratijñāṁ tāpasottamāḥ paraṁ vismayamāpannā nocuḥ kiṁcittataḥ param

Suta said: Hearing his terrible vow, those foremost ascetics were struck with utter astonishment and said nothing more after that.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.67.19)

अथाशौचांतमासाद्य रामः क्रोधसमन्वितः॥ तीक्ष्णं परशुमादाय माहिष्मत्युन्मुखं ययौ

athāśaucāṁtamāsādya rāmaḥ krodhasamanvitaḥ tīkṣṇaṁ paraśumādāya māhiṣmatyunmukhaṁ yayau

Then, when the period of ritual mourning had ended, Rama, filled with wrath, took up his sharp axe and set out toward Mahishmati.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.67.20)

सर्वैस्तैः शबरैः सार्धं पुलिन्दैर्मेदकैस्तथा॥ बद्धगोधांगुलित्राणैर्वरबाणधनुर्धरैः

sarvaistaiḥ śabaraiḥ sārdhaṁ pulindairmedakaistathā baddhagodhāṁgulitrāṇairvarabāṇadhanurdharaiḥ

Together with all those Shabaras, and the Pulindas and Medas as well, their fingers bound with leather guards, bearing fine bows and arrows.

Verse 21 (skanda.6.67.21)

तथाऽर्जुनोऽपि तं श्रुत्वा समायातं भृगूत्तमम्॥ सैन्येन महता युक्तं प्रतिज्ञाधारिणं तथा

tathā'rjuno'pi taṁ śrutvā samāyātaṁ bhṛgūttamam sainyena mahatā yuktaṁ pratijñādhāriṇaṁ tathā

And Arjuna too, hearing that this foremost of the Bhrigus, joined with a great army, was coming, bearing such a vow —

Verse 22 (skanda.6.67.22)

ततस्तु सम्मुखो दृष्टो युद्धार्थं स विनिर्ययौ॥ सार्धं नानाविधैर्योधैः सर्वैर्देवासुरोपमैः

tatastu sammukho dṛṣṭo yuddhārthaṁ sa viniryayau sārdhaṁ nānāvidhairyodhaiḥ sarvairdevāsuropamaiḥ

— then, seeing him drawn up before him, he too marched out for battle, together with warriors of every kind, all as mighty as gods and demons.

Verse 23 (skanda.6.67.23)

अथाभवन्महायुद्धं पुलिन्दानां द्विजोत्तमाः॥ हैहयाधिपतेर्योधैः सार्धं देवासुरोपमैः

athābhavanmahāyuddhaṁ pulindānāṁ dvijottamāḥ haihayādhipateryodhaiḥ sārdhaṁ devāsuropamaiḥ

Then, O best of the twice-born, a great battle broke out between the Pulindas and the warriors of the Haihaya king, both sides resembling gods and demons.

Verse 24 (skanda.6.67.24)

ततस्ते हैहयाः सर्वे शरैराशीविषोपमैः॥ वध्यन्ते शबरैः संख्ये गर्जमानैर्मुहुर्मुहुः

tataste haihayāḥ sarve śarairāśīviṣopamaiḥ vadhyante śabaraiḥ saṁkhye garjamānairmuhurmuhuḥ

Then, in that battle, all the Haihayas began to be slain by the roaring Shabaras, struck by arrows like venomous serpents.

Verse 25 (skanda.6.67.25)

ब्रह्महत्यासमुत्थेन पातकेन ततश्च ते॥ जाता निस्तेजसः सर्वे प्रपतंति धरातले

brahmahatyāsamutthena pātakena tataśca te jātā nistejasaḥ sarve prapataṁti dharātale

And then, weighed down by the sin arising from the killing of a brahmin, all of them, drained of their very power, fell to the ground.

Verse 26 (skanda.6.67.26)

न कश्चित्पौरुषं तत्र संप्रदर्शयितुं क्षमः॥ पलायनपरा सर्वे वध्यन्ते निशितैः शरैः

na kaścitpauruṣaṁ tatra saṁpradarśayituṁ kṣamaḥ palāyanaparā sarve vadhyante niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ

Not one of them was able to show any valor there; all, bent only on fleeing, were cut down by sharpened arrows.

Verse 27 (skanda.6.67.27)

अथ भग्नं बलं दृष्ट्वा हैहयाधिपतिः क्रुधा॥ स्वचापं वाञ्छयामास सज्यं कर्तुं त्वरान्वितः॥ शक्नोति नारोपयितुं सुयत्नमपि चाश्रितः

atha bhagnaṁ balaṁ dṛṣṭvā haihayādhipatiḥ krudhā svacāpaṁ vāñchayāmāsa sajyaṁ kartuṁ tvarānvitaḥ śaknoti nāropayituṁ suyatnamapi cāśritaḥ

Then, seeing his army broken, the Haihaya king, in a fury, tried in haste to string his own bow — but, despite every effort, he could not manage to string it.

Verse 28 (skanda.6.67.28)

ततश्चाकर्षयामास खङ्गं कोशात्सुनिर्मलम्॥ आक्रष्टुं न च शक्रोति वैलक्ष्यं परमं गतः

tataścākarṣayāmāsa khaṅgaṁ kośātsunirmalam ākraṣṭuṁ na ca śakroti vailakṣyaṁ paramaṁ gataḥ

Then he tried to draw his bright, spotless sword from its sheath, but could not draw it out either, and fell into utter bewilderment.

Verse 29 (skanda.6.67.29)

गदया निर्जितो रौद्रो रावणो लोकरावणः॥ यया साप्यपतद्धस्तात्तत्क्षणात्पृथिवीतले

gadayā nirjito raudro rāvaṇo lokarāvaṇaḥ yayā sāpyapataddhastāttatkṣaṇātpṛthivītale

The very mace by which the terrible Ravana, tormentor of all the worlds, had once been overcome — even that mace fell from his hand to the ground in that same instant.

Verse 30 (skanda.6.67.30)

नर्मदायाः प्रवाहो यैः सहस्राख्यैः करैः शुभैः॥ विधृतस्तेन ते सर्वे बभूवुः कम्पविह्वलाः

narmadāyāḥ pravāho yaiḥ sahasrākhyaiḥ karaiḥ śubhaiḥ vidhṛtastena te sarve babhūvuḥ kampavihvalāḥ

Those same thousand splendid arms with which he had once dammed the flow of the Narmada river — all of them now became overcome with trembling.

Verse 31 (skanda.6.67.31)

न शस्त्रं शेकुरुद्धर्तुं दैवयोगात्कथंचन॥ दिव्यास्त्राणां तथा सर्वे मन्त्रा विस्मृतिमागताः

na śastraṁ śekuruddhartuṁ daivayogātkathaṁcana divyāstrāṇāṁ tathā sarve mantrā vismṛtimāgatāḥ

By the workings of fate, they were unable to lift a single weapon; and in the same way, all the mantras of his divine weapons vanished entirely from his memory.

Verse 32 (skanda.6.67.32)

एतस्मिन्नंतरे रामः संप्राप्तः क्रोधमूर्छितः॥ तीक्ष्णं परशुमुद्यम्य ततस्तं प्राह निष्ठुरम्

etasminnaṁtare rāmaḥ saṁprāptaḥ krodhamūrchitaḥ tīkṣṇaṁ paraśumudyamya tatastaṁ prāha niṣṭhuram

Meanwhile, Rama arrived, seized with fury, and, raising his sharp axe, spoke to him harshly.

Verse 33 (skanda.6.67.33)

हैहयाधिपते पाप यैः करैर्जनको मम॥ त्वया विनिहतस्तान्मे शीघ्रं दर्शय सांप्रतम्

haihayādhipate pāpa yaiḥ karairjanako mama tvayā vinihatastānme śīghraṁ darśaya sāṁpratam

'O sinful lord of the Haihayas, show me now, at once, those very arms with which you slew my father.'

Verse 34 (skanda.6.67.34)

ब्रह्मतेजोहतः सोऽपि प्रोक्तस्तेन सुनिष्ठुरम्॥ नोवाच चोत्तरं किंचिदालेख्ये लिखितो यथा

brahmatejohataḥ so'pi proktastena suniṣṭhuram novāca cottaraṁ kiṁcidālekhye likhito yathā

He too, struck down by the power of that brahmanical splendor, gave no answer at all to those harsh words, as though he were nothing but a figure drawn in a painting.

Verse 35 (skanda.6.67.35)

ततो भुजवनं तस्य रामः शस्त्रभृतां वरः॥ मुहुर्मुहुर्विनिर्भर्त्स्य प्रचकर्त शनैःशनैः

tato bhujavanaṁ tasya rāmaḥ śastrabhṛtāṁ varaḥ muhurmuhurvinirbhartsya pracakarta śanaiḥśanaiḥ

Then Rama, foremost among the wielders of weapons, reviling him again and again, slowly cut away that forest of his arms.

Verse 36 (skanda.6.67.36)

ततश्छित्त्वा शिरस्तस्य कुठारेण भृगूद्वहः॥ जग्राह रुधिरं यत्नात्प्रहारेभ्यः स्वयं द्विजाः

tataśchittvā śirastasya kuṭhāreṇa bhṛgūdvahaḥ jagrāha rudhiraṁ yatnātprahārebhyaḥ svayaṁ dvijāḥ

Then, O brahmins, that scion of Bhrigu, having severed his head with his axe, himself carefully gathered the blood flowing from those wounds.

Verse 37 (skanda.6.67.37)

पूरयित्वा महाकुम्भाञ्छबरेभ्यो ददौ ततः॥ म्लेच्छेभ्यो लुब्धकेभ्यश्च ततः प्रोवाच सादरम्

pūrayitvā mahākumbhāñchabarebhyo dadau tataḥ mlecchebhyo lubdhakebhyaśca tataḥ provāca sādaram

Filling great jars with it, he gave them to the Shabaras, to the barbarians, and to the hunters, and then spoke to them respectfully.

Verse 38 (skanda.6.67.38)

हाटकेश्वरजे क्षेत्रे गर्ता मे भ्रातृभिः कृता॥ पितृसंतर्पणार्थाय सलिलेन परिप्लुता

hāṭakeśvaraje kṣetre gartā me bhrātṛbhiḥ kṛtā pitṛsaṁtarpaṇārthāya salilena pariplutā

'In the field born of Hatakeshvara, a pit has been dug by my brothers for the offering of water to our father, and it now lies filled with water.'

Verse 39 (skanda.6.67.39)

प्रक्षिपध्वं द्रुतं गत्वा तस्यां रक्तमिदं महत्॥ पापस्यास्य सपत्नस्य ममादेशादसंशयम्

prakṣipadhvaṁ drutaṁ gatvā tasyāṁ raktamidaṁ mahat pāpasyāsya sapatnasya mamādeśādasaṁśayam

'Go there quickly and pour into it this great quantity of blood from this sinful enemy of mine — at my command, without any doubt.'

Verse 40 (skanda.6.67.40)

येन तातं निजं भक्त्या तर्पयित्वा विधानतः॥ ऋणस्य मुक्तिर्भवति येन मे पैतृकस्यच

yena tātaṁ nijaṁ bhaktyā tarpayitvā vidhānataḥ ṛṇasya muktirbhavati yena me paitṛkasyaca

'So that, having satisfied my own father with devotion and according to proper rite, I may become free from this debt I owe my father.'