Shatrughna Challenges Lavana

Shloka 1 (uttara.68.1)

कथां कथयतां तेषां जयं चाकाङ्क्षतां शुभम् । व्यतीता रजनी शीघ्रं शत्रुघ्नस्य महात्मनः ।। 68.1 ।।

kathāṃ kathayatāṃ teṣāṃ jayaṃ cākāṅkṣatāṃ śubham | vyatītā rajanī śīghraṃ śatrughnasya mahātmanaḥ || 68.1 ||

As they spoke together in this way, wishing for a fair victory, the night passed swiftly for the great-souled Shatrughna.

Shloka 2 (uttara.68.2)

ततः प्रभाते विमले तस्मिन्काले स राक्षसः । निर्गतस्तु पुराद्धीरो भक्ष्याहारप्रचोदितः ।। 68.2 ।।

tataḥ prabhāte vimale tasminkāle sa rākṣasaḥ | nirgatastu purāddhīro bhakṣyāhārapracoditaḥ || 68.2 ||

Then, at that bright dawn hour, that bold rakshasa, driven by the need for food, went forth from the city.

Shloka 3 (uttara.68.3)

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे वीरः शत्रुघ्नो यमुनां नदीम् । तीर्त्वा मधुपुरद्वारि धनुष्पाणिरतिष्ठत ।। 68.3 ।।

etasminnantare vīraḥ śatrughno yamunāṃ nadīm | tīrtvā madhupuradvāri dhanuṣpāṇiratiṣṭhata || 68.3 ||

Meanwhile, the hero Shatrughna, having crossed the river Yamuna, stood at the gate of Madhupuri, bow in hand.

Shloka 4 (uttara.68.4)

ततो ऽर्धदिवसे प्राप्ते क्रूरकर्मा स राक्षसः । आगच्छद्बहुसाहस्रं प्राणिनां भारमुद्वहन् ।। 68.4 ।।

tato 'rdhadivase prāpte krūrakarmā sa rākṣasaḥ | āgacchadbahusāhasraṃ prāṇināṃ bhāramudvahan || 68.4 ||

Then, as midday approached, that cruel-deeded rakshasa came along, bearing the burden of many thousands of creatures.

Shloka 5 (uttara.68.5)

ततो ददर्श शत्रुघ्नं स्थितं द्वारि धृतायुधम् । तमुवाच ततो रक्षः किमनेन करिष्यसि ।। 68.5 ।।

tato dadarśa śatrughnaṃ sthitaṃ dvāri dhṛtāyudham | tamuvāca tato rakṣaḥ kimanena kariṣyasi || 68.5 ||

Then he saw Shatrughna standing at the gate, weapon in hand. The rakshasa said to him, "What will you do with that?

Shloka 6 (uttara.68.6)

ईदृशानां सहस्राणि सायुधानां नराधम । भक्षितानि मया रोषात्कालमाकाङ्क्षसे नु किम् ।। 68.6 ।।

īdṛśānāṃ sahasrāṇi sāyudhānāṃ narādhama | bhakṣitāni mayā roṣātkālamākāṅkṣase nu kim || 68.6 ||

O basest of men, I have devoured thousands of such armed men in my fury. Do you, too, seek your own death?

Shloka 7 (uttara.68.7)

आहारश्चास्य सम्पूर्णो ममायं पुरुषाधम । स्वयं प्रविष्टो ऽद्य मुखं कथमासाद्य दुर्मते ।। 68.7 ।।

āhāraścāsya sampūrṇo mamāyaṃ puruṣādhama | svayaṃ praviṣṭo 'dya mukhaṃ kathamāsādya durmate || 68.7 ||

O basest of men, my meal today is already complete -- how is it, O foolish one, that you have come and thrust yourself into my very mouth?

Shloka 8 (uttara.68.8)

तस्यैवं भाषमाणस्य हसतश्च मुहुर्मुहुः । शत्रुघ्नो वीर्यसम्पन्नो रोषादश्रूण्यवासृजत् ।। 68.8 ।।

tasyaivaṃ bhāṣamāṇasya hasataśca muhurmuhuḥ | śatrughno vīryasampanno roṣādaśrūṇyavāsṛjat || 68.8 ||

As he spoke thus, laughing again and again, the valiant Shatrughna, in his fury, shed tears of rage.

Shloka 9 (uttara.68.9)

तस्य रोषाभिभूतस्य शत्रुघ्नस्य महात्मनः । तेजोमया मरीच्यस्तु सर्वगात्रैर्विनिष्पतन् ।। 68.9 ।।

tasya roṣābhibhūtasya śatrughnasya mahātmanaḥ | tejomayā marīcyastu sarvagātrairviniṣpatan || 68.9 ||

From every limb of the great-souled Shatrughna, overcome by fury, radiant beams of fiery splendor began to blaze forth.

Shloka 10 (uttara.68.10)

उवाच च सुसङ्क्रुद्धः शत्रुघ्नस्तं निशाचरम् । योद्धुमिच्छामि दुर्बुद्धे द्वन्द्वयुद्धं त्वया सह ।। 68.10 ।।

uvāca ca susaṅkruddhaḥ śatrughnastaṃ niśācaram | yoddhumicchāmi durbuddhe dvandvayuddhaṃ tvayā saha || 68.10 ||

Shatrughna, greatly enraged, said to that night-wanderer, "O fool, I wish to fight you in single combat.

Shloka 11 (uttara.68.11)

पुत्रो दशरथस्याहं भ्राता रामस्य धीमतः । शत्रुघ्नो नित्यशत्रुघ्नो वधाकाङ्क्षी तवागतः ।। 68.11 ।।

putro daśarathasyāhaṃ bhrātā rāmasya dhīmataḥ | śatrughno nityaśatrughno vadhākāṅkṣī tavāgataḥ || 68.11 ||

I am the son of Dasharatha and the brother of the wise Rama; my name is Shatrughna, ever the destroyer of foes, and I have come here desiring your death.

Shloka 12 (uttara.68.12)

तस्य मे युद्धकामस्य द्वन्द्वयुद्धं प्रदीयताम् । शत्रुस्त्वं सर्वभूतानां न मे जीवन्गमिष्यसि ।। 68.12 ।।

tasya me yuddhakāmasya dvandvayuddhaṃ pradīyatām | śatrustvaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ na me jīvangamiṣyasi || 68.12 ||

Grant me, who desire battle, this single combat. You are the enemy of all beings; you shall not go from me alive.

Shloka 13 (uttara.68.13)

तस्मिंस्तथा ब्रुवाणे तु राक्षसः प्रहसन्निव । प्रत्युवाच नरश्रेष्ठं दिष्ट्या प्राप्तो ऽसि दुर्मते ।। 68.13 ।।

tasmiṃstathā bruvāṇe tu rākṣasaḥ prahasanniva | pratyuvāca naraśreṣṭhaṃ diṣṭyā prāpto 'si durmate || 68.13 ||

As he spoke thus, the rakshasa, as if laughing, replied to that best of men, "O fool, by good fortune you have come here today.

Shloka 14 (uttara.68.14)

मम मातृष्वसुर्भ्राता रावणो राक्षसाधिपः । हतो रामेण दुर्बुद्धे स्त्रीहेतोः पुरुषाधम ।। 68.14 ।।

mama mātṛṣvasurbhrātā rāvaṇo rākṣasādhipaḥ | hato rāmeṇa durbuddhe strīhetoḥ puruṣādhama || 68.14 ||

The lord of the rakshasas, Ravana, was the brother of my mother's sister; O foolish, basest of men, he was slain by Rama over a mere woman.

Shloka 15 (uttara.68.15)

तच्च सर्वं मया क्षान्तं रावणस्य कुलक्षयम् । अवज्ञां पुरतः कृत्वा मया यूयं विशेषतः ।। 68.15 ।।

tacca sarvaṃ mayā kṣāntaṃ rāvaṇasya kulakṣayam | avajñāṃ purataḥ kṛtvā mayā yūyaṃ viśeṣataḥ || 68.15 ||

All of that -- the destruction of Ravana's clan -- I endured; even setting your contempt before my eyes, I bore it, and especially patiently.

Shloka 16 (uttara.68.16)

निहताश्च हि मे सर्वे परिभूतास्तृणं यथा । भूताश्चैव भविष्याश्च यूयं च पुरुषाधमाः ।। 68.16 ।।

nihatāśca hi me sarve paribhūtāstṛṇaṃ yathā | bhūtāścaiva bhaviṣyāśca yūyaṃ ca puruṣādhamāḥ || 68.16 ||

For all my own kin have been struck down, treated with contempt like straw -- those who have been and those who shall be -- and you too, basest of men.

Shloka 17 (uttara.68.17)

तस्य ते युद्धकामस्य युद्धं दास्यामि दुर्मते । तिष्ठं त्वं च मुहूर्तं तु यावदायुधमानये । ईप्सितं यादृशं तुभ्यं सज्जये यावदायुधम् ।। 68.17 ।।

tasya te yuddhakāmasya yuddhaṃ dāsyāmi durmate | tiṣṭhaṃ tvaṃ ca muhūrtaṃ tu yāvadāyudhamānaye | īpsitaṃ yādṛśaṃ tubhyaṃ sajjaye yāvadāyudham || 68.17 ||

"O fool, since you desire battle, I shall give you battle -- but wait a moment while I fetch my weapon; let me arm myself, whatever weapon you may wish for."

Shloka 18 (uttara.68.18)

तमुवाचाशु शत्रुघ्नः क्व मे जीवन्गमिष्यसि । शत्रुर्यदृच्छया दृष्टो न मोक्तव्यः कृतात्मना ।। 68.18 ।।

tamuvācāśu śatrughnaḥ kva me jīvangamiṣyasi | śatruryadṛcchayā dṛṣṭo na moktavyaḥ kṛtātmanā || 68.18 ||

Shatrughna at once said to him, "Where will you go from me, alive? A resolute man must never let go an enemy who has chanced to appear before him.

Shloka 19 (uttara.68.19)

यो हि विक्लवया बुद्ध्या प्रसरं शत्रवे ददौ । स हतो मन्दबुद्धित्वाद्यथा कापुरुषस्तथा ।। 68.19 ।।

yo hi viklavayā buddhyā prasaraṃ śatrave dadau | sa hato mandabuddhitvādyathā kāpuruṣastathā || 68.19 ||

Whoever, through faltering judgment, gives an enemy room to escape, is, through that very folly, slain -- just as a coward is slain.

Shloka 20 (uttara.68.20)

तस्मात्सुदृष्टं कुरु जीवलोकं शरैः शितैस्त्वां विविधैर्नयामि । यमस्य गेहाभिमुखं हि पापं रिपुं त्रिलोकस्य च राघवस्य ।। 68.20 ।।

tasmātsudṛṣṭaṃ kuru jīvalokaṃ śaraiḥ śitaistvāṃ vividhairnayāmi | yamasya gehābhimukhaṃ hi pāpaṃ ripuṃ trilokasya ca rāghavasya || 68.20 ||

So take a good last look at this world of the living, for with my many sharpened arrows I shall send you -- sinful enemy of the three worlds and of Raghava -- straight to the abode of Yama."