Ravana Sends Makaraksha to War

Shloka 1 (yuddha.78.1)

निकुम्भं निहतं श्रुत्वा कुम्भं च विनिपातितम्। रावणः परमामर्षी प्रजज्वालानलो यथा ॥ 78.1 ॥

nikumbhaṃ nihataṃ śrutvā kumbhaṃ ca vinipātitam| rāvaṇaḥ paramāmarṣī prajajvālānalo yathā || 78.1 ||

Hearing that Nikumbha had been slain and Kumbha too had fallen, Ravana, filled with towering rage, blazed up like fire.

Shloka 2 (yuddha.78.2)

नैर्ऋतः क्रोधशोकाभ्यां द्वाभ्यां तु परिमूर्च्छितः। खरपुत्रं विशालाक्षं मकराक्षमचोदयत् ॥ 78.2 ॥

nairṛtaḥ krodhaśokābhyāṃ dvābhyāṃ tu parimūrcchitaḥ| kharaputraṃ viśālākṣaṃ makarākṣamacodayat || 78.2 ||

Overcome by both anger and grief, the lord of the rakshasas gave his command to the wide-eyed Makaraksha, son of Khara.

Shloka 3 (yuddha.78.3)

गच्छ पुत्र मयाऽऽज्ञप्तो बलेनाभिसमन्वितः। राघवं लक्ष्मणं चैव जहि तौ सवनौकसौ ॥ 78.3 ॥

gaccha putra mayā''jñapto balenābhisamanvitaḥ| rāghavaṃ lakṣmaṇaṃ caiva jahi tau savanaukasau || 78.3 ||

"Go, my son, commanded by me and accompanied by your army — kill Rama and Lakshmana, together with their monkey host."

Shloka 4 (yuddha.78.4)

रावणस्य वचः श्रुत्वा शूरमानी खरात्मजः। बाढमित्यब्रवीद्धृष्टो मकराक्षो निशाचरम् ॥ 78.4 ॥

rāvaṇasya vacaḥ śrutvā śūramānī kharātmajaḥ| bāḍhamityabravīda‍्dhṛṣṭo makarākṣo niśācaram || 78.4 ||

Hearing Ravana's words, Makaraksha, son of Khara, who thought himself a hero, rejoiced and answered the night-ranger, "So be it."

Shloka 5 (yuddha.78.5)

सोऽभिवाद्य दशग्रीवं कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम्। निर्जगाम गृहाच्छुभ्राद् रावणस्याज्ञया बली ॥ 78.5 ॥

so'bhivādya daśagrīvaṃ kṛtvā cāpi pradakṣiṇam| nirjagāma gṛhācchubhrād rāvaṇasyājñayā balī || 78.5 ||

Bowing to the ten-necked Ravana and circling him in reverence, the mighty Makaraksha, by Ravana's command, went forth from that gleaming palace.

Shloka 6 (yuddha.78.6)

समीपस्थं बलाध्यक्षं खरपुत्रोऽब्रवीद् वचः। रथमानीयतां तूर्णं सैन्यं त्वानीयतां त्वरात् ॥ 78.6 ॥

samīpasthaṃ balādhyakṣaṃ kharaputro'bravīd vacaḥ| rathamānīyatāṃ tūrṇaṃ sainyaṃ tvānīyatāṃ tvarāt || 78.6 ||

Khara's son spoke to the army-commander standing near him: "Let a chariot be brought at once, and let the army be assembled swiftly."

Shloka 7 (yuddha.78.7)

तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा बलाध्यक्षो निशाचरः। स्यन्दनं च बलं चैव समीपं प्रत्यपादयत् ॥ 78.7 ॥

tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā balādhyakṣo niśācaraḥ| syandanaṃ ca balaṃ caiva samīpaṃ pratyapādayat || 78.7 ||

Hearing his words, the demon army-commander brought both the chariot and the army before him.

Shloka 8 (yuddha.78.8)

प्रदक्षिणं रथं कृत्वा समारुह्य निशाचरः। सूतं संचोदयामास शीघ्रं वै रथमावह ॥ 78.8 ॥

pradakṣiṇaṃ rathaṃ kṛtvā samāruhya niśācaraḥ| sūtaṃ saṃcodayāmāsa śīghraṃ vai rathamāvaha || 78.8 ||

Circling the chariot and mounting it, the night-ranger urged his charioteer, "Drive the chariot forward swiftly!"

Shloka 9 (yuddha.78.9)

अथ तान् राक्षसान् सर्वान् मकराक्षोऽब्रवीदिदम्। यूयं सर्वे प्रयुध्यध्वं पुरस्तान्मम राक्षसाः ॥ 78.9 ॥

atha tān rākṣasān sarvān makarākṣo'bravīdidam| yūyaṃ sarve prayudhyadhvaṃ purastānmama rākṣasāḥ || 78.9 ||

Then Makaraksha spoke these words to all the demons: "All of you, O demons, fight on ahead of me."

Shloka 10 (yuddha.78.10)

अहं राक्षसराजेन रावणेन महात्मना। आज्ञप्तः समरे हन्तुं तावुभौ रामलक्ष्मणौ ॥ 78.10 ॥

ahaṃ rākṣasarājena rāvaṇena mahātmanā| ājñaptaḥ samare hantuṃ tāvubhau rāmalakṣmaṇau || 78.10 ||

"I have been commanded by the great Ravana, king of the rakshasas, to kill both Rama and Lakshmana in battle."

Shloka 11 (yuddha.78.11)

अद्य रामं वधिष्यामि लक्ष्मणं च निशाचराः। शाखामृगं च सुग्रीवं वानरांश्च शरोत्तमैः ॥ 78.11 ॥

adya rāmaṃ vadhiṣyāmi lakṣmaṇaṃ ca niśācarāḥ| śākhāmṛgaṃ ca sugrīvaṃ vānarāṃśca śarottamaiḥ || 78.11 ||

"Today, O night-rangers, with my finest arrows I shall slay Rama, Lakshmana, the monkey Sugriva, and the other monkeys."

Shloka 12 (yuddha.78.12)

अद्य शूलनिपातैश्च वानराणां महाचमूम्। प्रदहिष्यामि सम्प्राप्तां शुष्केन्धनमिवानलः ॥ 78.12 ॥

adya śūlanipātaiśca vānarāṇāṃ mahācamūm| pradahiṣyāmi samprāptāṃ śuṣkendhanamivānalaḥ || 78.12 ||

"Today, with volleys of my spear, I shall consume this vast host of monkeys now arrived, as fire consumes dry fuel."

Shloka 13 (yuddha.78.13)

मकराक्षस्य तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं ते निशाचराः। सर्वे नानायुधोपेता बलवन्तः समाहिताः ॥ 78.13 ॥

makarākṣasya tacchrutvā vacanaṃ te niśācarāḥ| sarve nānāyudhopetā balavantaḥ samāhitāḥ || 78.13 ||

Hearing these words of Makaraksha, all those mighty night-rangers, armed with weapons of every kind, made themselves ready.

Shloka 14 (yuddha.78.14)

ते कामरूपिणः क्रूरा दंष्ट्रिणः पिङ्गलेक्षणाः। मातंगा इव नर्दन्तो ध्वस्तकेशा भयावहाः ॥ 78.14 ॥

te kāmarūpiṇaḥ krūrā daṃṣṭriṇaḥ piṅgalekṣaṇāḥ| mātaṃgā iva nardanto dhvastakeśā bhayāvahāḥ || 78.14 ||

Those cruel demons, shape-shifters at will, with jutting tusks and tawny eyes, their hair disheveled, roaring like elephants in rut, were terrible to behold.

Shloka 15 (yuddha.78.15)

परिवार्य महाकाया महाकायं खरात्मजम्। अभिजग्मुस्ततो हृष्टाश्चालयन्तो वसुन्धराम् ॥ 78.15 ॥

parivārya mahākāyā mahākāyaṃ kharātmajam| abhijagmustato hṛṣṭāścālayanto vasundharām || 78.15 ||

Those colossal demons, surrounding the colossal Makaraksha, advanced joyfully, making the very earth tremble beneath them.

Shloka 16 (yuddha.78.16)

शङ्खभेरीसहस्राणामाहतानां समन्ततः। क्ष्वेलितास्फोटितानां च तत्र शब्दो महानभूत् ॥ 78.16 ॥

śaṅkhabherīsahasrāṇāmāhatānāṃ samantataḥ| kṣvelitāsphoṭitānāṃ ca tatra śabdo mahānabhūt || 78.16 ||

On every side there arose a mighty tumult — of thousands of conches and war-drums being sounded, mingled with lion-roars and the slapping of arms.

Shloka 17 (yuddha.78.17)

प्रभ्रष्टोऽथ करात् तस्य प्रतोदः सारथेस्तदा। पपात सहसा दैवाद् ध्वजस्तस्य तु रक्षसः ॥ 78.17 ॥

prabhraṣṭo'tha karāt tasya pratodaḥ sārathestadā| papāta sahasā daivād dhvajastasya tu rakṣasaḥ || 78.17 ||

Then, by the working of fate, the whip suddenly slipped from his charioteer's hand, and that demon's banner-staff, too, abruptly fell.

Shloka 18 (yuddha.78.18)

तस्य ते रथसंयुक्ता हया विक्रमवर्जिताः। चरणैराकुलैर्गत्वा दीनाः सास्रमुखा ययुः ॥ 78.18 ॥

tasya te rathasaṃyuktā hayā vikramavarjitāḥ| caraṇairākulairgatvā dīnāḥ sāsramukhā yayuḥ || 78.18 ||

The horses yoked to his chariot, their gait faltering, moved forward with stumbling feet, wretched, tears streaming from their eyes.

Shloka 19 (yuddha.78.19)

प्रवाति पवनस्तस्मिन् सपांसुः खरदारुणः। निर्याणे तस्य रौद्रस्य मकराक्षस्य दुर्मतेः ॥ 78.19 ॥

pravāti pavanastasmin sapāṃsuḥ kharadāruṇaḥ| niryāṇe tasya raudrasya makarākṣasya durmateḥ || 78.19 ||

As that dreadful, evil-minded Makaraksha set forth, a harsh and dust-laden wind, fierce and dire, began to blow.

Shloka 20 (yuddha.78.20)

तानि दृष्ट्वा निमित्तानि राक्षसा वीर्यवत्तमाः। अचिन्त्य निर्गताः सर्वे यत्र तौ रामलक्ष्मणौ ॥ 78.20 ॥

tāni dṛṣṭvā nimittāni rākṣasā vīryavattamāḥ| acintya nirgatāḥ sarve yatra tau rāmalakṣmaṇau || 78.20 ||

Though those most valiant demons saw these portents, they paid them no heed and marched forth, all of them, to where Rama and Lakshmana were.

Shloka 21 (yuddha.78.21)

घनगजमहिषाङ्गतुल्यवर्णाः समरमुखेष्वसकृद्गदासिभिन्नाः। अहमहमिति युद्धकौशलास्ते रजनिचराः परिबभ्रमुर्मुहुस्ते ॥ 78.21 ॥

ghanagajamahiṣāṅgatulyavarṇāḥ samaramukheṣvasakṛda‍्gadāsibhinnāḥ| ahamahamiti yuddhakauśalāste rajanicarāḥ paribabhramurmuhuste || 78.21 ||

Dark as storm-clouds, elephants, or buffaloes, their bodies scarred again and again by maces and swords in the forefront of battle, those night-rangers skilled in warfare surged about again and again, each roaring, "I first! I first!"