Rama's Wheel of Destruction

Shloka 1 (yuddha.93.1)

स प्रविश्य सभां राजा दीनः परमदुःखितः। निषसादासने मुख्ये सिंहः क्रुद्ध इव श्वसन् ॥ 93.1 ॥

sa praviśya sabhāṃ rājā dīnaḥ paramaduḥkhitaḥ| niṣasādāsane mukhye siṃhaḥ kruddha iva śvasan || 93.1 ||

That king, dejected and utterly wretched, having entered the assembly hall, sat down upon his throne, breathing hard like an enraged lion.

Shloka 2 (yuddha.93.2)

अब्रवीच्च स तान् सर्वान् बलमुख्यान् महाबलः। रावणः प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यं पुत्रव्यसनकर्शितः ॥ 93.2 ॥

abravīcca sa tān sarvān balamukhyān mahābalaḥ| rāvaṇaḥ prāñjalirvākyaṃ putravyasanakarśitaḥ || 93.2 ||

And that mighty Ravana, worn thin by the calamity of his son's death, joined his palms and addressed all those army commanders:

Shloka 3 (yuddha.93.3)

सर्वे भवन्तः सर्वेण हस्त्यश्वेन समावृताः। निर्यान्तु रथसङ्घैश्च पादातैश्चोपशोभिताः ॥ 93.3 ॥

sarve bhavantaḥ sarveṇa hastyaśvena samāvṛtāḥ| niryāntu rathasaṅghaiśca pādātaiścopaśobhitāḥ || 93.3 ||

"Let all of you march out, surrounded by our entire strength of elephants and horses, resplendent with columns of chariots and foot-soldiers."

Shloka 4 (yuddha.93.4)

एकं रामं परिक्षिप्य समरे हन्तुमर्हथ। वर्षन्तः शरवर्षाणि प्रावृट्काल इवाम्बुदाः ॥ 93.4 ॥

ekaṃ rāmaṃ parikṣipya samare hantumarhatha| varṣantaḥ śaravarṣāṇi prāvṛṭkāla ivāmbudāḥ || 93.4 ||

"Encircling Rama alone, you should slay him in battle, pouring down showers of arrows like clouds pouring rain in the monsoon."

Shloka 5 (yuddha.93.5)

अथवाहं शरैस्तीक्ष्णैर्भिन्नगात्रं महाहवे। भवद्भिः श्वो निहन्तास्मि रामं लोकस्य पश्यतः ॥ 93.5 ॥

athavāhaṃ śaraistīkṣṇairbhinnagātraṃ mahāhave| bhavadbhiḥ śvo nihantāsmi rāmaṃ lokasya paśyataḥ || 93.5 ||

"Or else, once his body has been torn by your sharp arrows in the great battle, I myself shall slay Rama tomorrow before the eyes of the whole world."

Shloka 6 (yuddha.93.6)

इत्येतद् वाक्यमादाय राक्षसेन्द्रस्य राक्षसाः। निर्ययुस्ते रथैः शीघ्रैर्नानानीकैश्च संयुताः ॥ 93.6 ॥

ityetad vākyamādāya rākṣasendrasya rākṣasāḥ| niryayuste rathaiḥ śīghrairnānānīkaiśca saṃyutāḥ || 93.6 ||

Taking these words of the rakshasa king to heart, the rakshasas marched forth, joined by swift chariots and troops of every kind.

Shloka 7 (yuddha.93.7)

परिघान् पट्टिशांश्चैव शरखड्गपरश्वधान्। शरीरान्तकरान् सर्वे चिक्षिपुर्वानरान् प्रति ॥ 93.7 ॥

parighān paṭṭiśāṃścaiva śarakhaḍgaparaśvadhān| śarīrāntakarān sarve cikṣipurvānarān prati || 93.7 ||

All of them hurled iron bars, spears, arrows, swords and axes—weapons capable of ending life—against the monkeys.

Shloka 8 (yuddha.93.8)

वानराश्च द्रुमान् शैलान् राक्षसान् प्रति चिक्षिपुः। स संग्रामो महाभीमः सूर्यस्योदयनं प्रति ॥ 93.8 ॥

vānarāśca drumān śailān rākṣasān prati cikṣipuḥ| sa saṃgrāmo mahābhīmaḥ sūryasyodayanaṃ prati || 93.8 ||

And the monkeys hurled trees and boulders against the rakshasas. That most terrible battle, as the sun rose,

Shloka 9 (yuddha.93.9)

रक्षसां वानराणां च तुमुलः समपद्यत। ते गदाभिश्च चित्राभिः प्रासैः खड्गैः परश्वधैः ॥ 93.9 ॥

rakṣasāṃ vānarāṇāṃ ca tumulaḥ samapadyata| te gadābhiśca citrābhiḥ prāsaiḥ khaḍgaiḥ paraśvadhaiḥ || 93.9 ||

between the rakshasas and the monkeys grew tumultuous. With brightly wrought maces, javelins, swords and axes,

Shloka 10 (yuddha.93.10)

अन्योन्यं समरे जघ्नुस्तदा वानरराक्षसाः। एवं प्रवृत्ते संग्रामे ह्यद्भुतं सुमहद्रजः ॥ 93.10 ॥

anyonyaṃ samare jaghnustadā vānararākṣasāḥ| evaṃ pravṛtte saṃgrāme hyadbhutaṃ sumahadrajaḥ || 93.10 ||

the monkeys and rakshasas then struck at one another in that battle. As the fight raged on thus, the astonishing, enormous dust it raised

Shloka 11 (yuddha.93.11)

रक्षसां वानराणां च शान्तं शोणितविस्रवैः। मातंगरथकूलाश्च शरमत्स्या ध्वजद्रुमाः ॥ 93.11 ॥

rakṣasāṃ vānarāṇāṃ ca śāntaṃ śoṇitavisravaiḥ| mātaṃgarathakūlāśca śaramatsyā dhvajadrumāḥ || 93.11 ||

was settled only by the streams of blood flowing from rakshasas and monkeys alike. Rivers of gore appeared, with elephants and chariots as their banks, arrows as their fish, and standards as their trees,

Shloka 12 (yuddha.93.12)

शरीरसंघाटवहाः प्रसस्रुः शोणितापगाः। ततस्ते वानराः सर्वे शोणितौघपरिप्लुताः ॥ 93.12 ॥

śarīrasaṃghāṭavahāḥ prasasruḥ śoṇitāpagāḥ| tataste vānarāḥ sarve śoṇitaughapariplutāḥ || 93.12 ||

carrying rafts of corpses upon their currents, those rivers of blood surged forth. Then all those monkeys, drenched in torrents of blood,

Shloka 13 (yuddha.93.13)

ध्वजवर्मरथानश्वान् नानाप्रहरणानि च। आप्लुत्याप्लुत्य समरे वानरेन्द्रा बभञ्जिरे ॥ 93.13 ॥

dhvajavarmarathānaśvān nānāpraharaṇāni ca| āplutyāplutya samare vānarendrā babhañjire || 93.13 ||

leaping again and again in that battle, the monkey chiefs shattered standards, armour, chariots, horses, and weapons of every kind.

Shloka 14 (yuddha.93.14)

केशान् कर्णललाटं च नासिकाश्च प्लवंगमाः। रक्षसां दशनैस्तीक्ष्णैर्नखैश्चापि व्यकर्तयन् ॥ 93.14 ॥

keśān karṇalalāṭaṃ ca nāsikāśca plavaṃgamāḥ| rakṣasāṃ daśanaistīkṣṇairnakhaiścāpi vyakartayan || 93.14 ||

With their sharp teeth and claws, the monkeys tore at the rakshasas' hair, ears, foreheads, and noses.

Shloka 15 (yuddha.93.15)

एकैकं राक्षसं संख्ये शतं वानरपुंगवाः। अभ्यधावन्त फलिनं वृक्षं शकुनयो यथा ॥ 93.15 ॥

ekaikaṃ rākṣasaṃ saṃkhye śataṃ vānarapuṃgavāḥ| abhyadhāvanta phalinaṃ vṛkṣaṃ śakunayo yathā || 93.15 ||

A hundred foremost monkeys would rush upon each single rakshasa in that battle, as birds swoop down upon a tree laden with fruit.

Shloka 16 (yuddha.93.16)

तदा गदाभिर्गुर्वीभिः प्रासैः खड्गैः परश्वधैः। निर्जघ्नुर्वानरान् घोरान् राक्षसाः पर्वतोपमाः ॥ 93.16 ॥

tadā gadābhirgurvībhiḥ prāsaiḥ khaḍgaiḥ paraśvadhaiḥ| nirjaghnurvānarān ghorān rākṣasāḥ parvatopamāḥ || 93.16 ||

And then those rakshasas, huge as mountains, struck down the fearsome monkeys with heavy maces, javelins, swords and axes.

Shloka 17 (yuddha.93.17)

राक्षसैर्वध्यमानानां वानराणां महाचमूः। शरण्यं शरणं याता रामं दशरथात्मजम् ॥ 93.17 ॥

rākṣasairvadhyamānānāṃ vānarāṇāṃ mahācamūḥ| śaraṇyaṃ śaraṇaṃ yātā rāmaṃ daśarathātmajam || 93.17 ||

As the rakshasas kept striking them down, the great host of monkeys turned for refuge to Rama, son of Dasharatha, the giver of protection.

Shloka 18 (yuddha.93.18)

ततो रामो महातेजा धनुरादाय वीर्यवान्। प्रविश्य राक्षसं सैन्यं शरवर्षं ववर्ष च ॥ 93.18 ॥

tato rāmo mahātejā dhanurādāya vīryavān| praviśya rākṣasaṃ sainyaṃ śaravarṣaṃ vavarṣa ca || 93.18 ||

Then Rama, radiant and mighty, taking up his bow, plunged into the army of rakshasas and rained down a shower of arrows.

Shloka 19 (yuddha.93.19)

प्रविष्टं तु तदा रामं मेघाः सूर्यमिवाम्बरे। नाधिजग्मुर्महाघोरा निर्दहन्तं शराग्निना ॥ 93.19 ॥

praviṣṭaṃ tu tadā rāmaṃ meghāḥ sūryamivāmbare| nādhijagmurmahāghorā nirdahantaṃ śarāgninā || 93.19 ||

But those most terrible rakshasas could not come near Rama, burning them with the fire of his arrows as he moved among them, any more than clouds can approach the sun in the sky.

Shloka 20 (yuddha.93.20)

कृतान्येव सुघोराणि रामेण रजनीचराः। रणे रामस्य ददृशुः कर्माण्यसुकराणि ते ॥ 93.20 ॥

kṛtānyeva sughorāṇi rāmeṇa rajanīcarāḥ| raṇe rāmasya dadṛśuḥ karmāṇyasukarāṇi te || 93.20 ||

Those night-wandering demons could see only the already-accomplished results of Rama's most terrible, near-impossible feats in that battle.

Shloka 21 (yuddha.93.21)

चालयन्तं महासैन्यं विधमन्तं महारथान्। ददृशुस्ते न वै रामं वातं वनगतं यथा ॥ 93.21 ॥

cālayantaṃ mahāsainyaṃ vidhamantaṃ mahārathān| dadṛśuste na vai rāmaṃ vātaṃ vanagataṃ yathā || 93.21 ||

They could not actually see Rama shaking their vast army and scattering great chariot-warriors, just as one cannot see the wind moving through a forest.

Shloka 22 (yuddha.93.22)

छिन्नं भिन्नं शरैर्दग्धं प्रभग्नं शस्त्रपीडितम्। बलं रामेण ददृशुर्न रामं शीघ्रकारिणम् ॥ 93.22 ॥

chinnaṃ bhinnaṃ śarairdagdhaṃ prabhagnaṃ śastrapīḍitam| balaṃ rāmeṇa dadṛśurna rāmaṃ śīghrakāriṇam || 93.22 ||

They saw only their army cut down, pierced, scorched, and shattered, torn apart by weapons—Rama himself, so swift in action, they never saw.

Shloka 23 (yuddha.93.23)

प्रहरन्तं शरीरेषु न ते पश्यन्ति राघवम्। इन्द्रियार्थेषु तिष्ठन्तं भूतात्मानमिव प्रजाः ॥ 93.23 ॥

praharantaṃ śarīreṣu na te paśyanti rāghavam| indriyārtheṣu tiṣṭhantaṃ bhūtātmānamiva prajāḥ || 93.23 ||

They could not see Raghava striking their bodies, just as living beings cannot see the indwelling soul residing amid the objects of the senses.

Shloka 24 (yuddha.93.24)

एष हन्ति गजानीकमेष हन्ति महारथान्। एष हन्ति शरैस्तीक्ष्णैः पदातीन् वाजिभिः सह ॥ 93.24 ॥

eṣa hanti gajānīkameṣa hanti mahārathān| eṣa hanti śaraistīkṣṇaiḥ padātīn vājibhiḥ saha || 93.24 ||

"Here he is, slaying the elephant-corps! Here he is, destroying the great chariot-warriors! Here he is, with his sharp arrows, cutting down foot-soldiers along with the cavalry!"

Shloka 25 (yuddha.93.25)

इति ते राक्षसाः सर्वे रामस्य सदृशान् रणे। अन्योन्यं कुपिता जघ्नुः सादृश्याद् राघवस्य तु ॥ 93.25 ॥

iti te rākṣasāḥ sarve rāmasya sadṛśān raṇe| anyonyaṃ kupitā jaghnuḥ sādṛśyād rāghavasya tu || 93.25 ||

Crying thus, all those rakshasas, enraged, struck down one another in the battle wherever they resembled Rama—simply because of their likeness to Raghava.

Shloka 26 (yuddha.93.26)

न ते ददृशिरे रामं दहन्तमपि वाहिनीम्। मोहिताः परमास्त्रेण गान्धर्वेण महात्मना ॥ 93.26 ॥

na te dadṛśire rāmaṃ dahantamapi vāhinīm| mohitāḥ paramāstreṇa gāndharveṇa mahātmanā || 93.26 ||

Bewildered by the great-souled Rama's supreme Gandharva missile, they could not see him at all, even as he scorched their army.

Shloka 27 (yuddha.93.27)

ते तु रामसहस्राणि रणे पश्यन्ति राक्षसाः। पुनः पश्यन्ति काकुत्स्थमेकमेव महाहवे ॥ 93.27 ॥

te tu rāmasahasrāṇi raṇe paśyanti rākṣasāḥ| punaḥ paśyanti kākutsthamekameva mahāhave || 93.27 ||

Those rakshasas would see thousands of Ramas in the battle, and then again would see only a single Kakutstha in that great fight.

Shloka 28 (yuddha.93.28)

भ्रमन्तीं काञ्चनीं कोटिं कार्मुकस्य महात्मनः। अलातचक्रप्रतिमां ददृशुस्ते न राघवम् ॥ 93.28 ॥

bhramantīṃ kāñcanīṃ koṭiṃ kārmukasya mahātmanaḥ| alātacakrapratimāṃ dadṛśuste na rāghavam || 93.28 ||

They saw only the golden tip of that great-souled one's bow, whirling like a fiery wheel—Raghava himself they never saw.

Shloka 29 (yuddha.93.29)

शरीरनाभि सत्त्वार्चिः शरारं नेमिकार्मुकम्। ज्याघोषतलनिर्घोषं तेजोबुद्धिगुणप्रभम् ॥ 93.29 ॥

śarīranābhi sattvārciḥ śarāraṃ nemikārmukam| jyāghoṣatalanirghoṣaṃ tejobuddhiguṇaprabham || 93.29 ||

With his body for its hub, his valor for its flame, arrows for its spokes, his bow for its rim, the twang of the bowstring and the slap of his gauntlet for its rumble, and his splendor, intellect and virtue for its radiance,

Shloka 30 (yuddha.93.30)

दिव्यास्त्रगुणपर्यन्तं निघ्नन्तं युधि राक्षसान्। ददृशू रामचक्रं तत् कालचक्रमिव प्रजाः ॥ 93.30 ॥

divyāstraguṇaparyantaṃ nighnantaṃ yudhi rākṣasān| dadṛśū rāmacakraṃ tat kālacakramiva prajāḥ || 93.30 ||

and the power of his celestial weapons for its very rim's edge, all beings saw that wheel of Rama, slaying rakshasas in battle, as though it were the very wheel of Time.

Shloka 31 (yuddha.93.31)

अनीकं दशसाहस्रं रथानां वातरंहसाम्। अष्टादश सहस्राणि कुञ्जराणां तरस्विनाम् ॥ 93.31 ॥

anīkaṃ daśasāhasraṃ rathānāṃ vātaraṃhasām| aṣṭādaśa sahasrāṇi kuñjarāṇāṃ tarasvinām || 93.31 ||

Ten thousand chariots swift as the wind, eighteen thousand mighty elephants,

Shloka 32 (yuddha.93.32)

चतुर्दश सहस्राणि सारोहाणां च वाजिनाम्। पूर्णे शतसहस्रे द्वे राक्षसानां पदातिनाम् ॥ 93.32 ॥

caturdaśa sahasrāṇi sārohāṇāṃ ca vājinām| pūrṇe śatasahasre dve rākṣasānāṃ padātinām || 93.32 ||

fourteen thousand horses with their riders, and a full two hundred thousand rakshasa foot-soldiers—

Shloka 33 (yuddha.93.33)

दिवसस्याष्टभागेन शरैरग्निशिखोपमैः। हतान्येकेन रामेण रक्षसां कामरूपिणाम् ॥ 93.33 ॥

divasasyāṣṭabhāgena śarairagniśikhopamaiḥ| hatānyekena rāmeṇa rakṣasāṃ kāmarūpiṇām || 93.33 ||

this whole army of shape-shifting rakshasas was slain by Rama alone, within an eighth part of the day, with arrows like tongues of flame.

Shloka 34 (yuddha.93.34)

ते हताश्वा हतरथाः शान्ता विमथितध्वजाः। अभिपेतुः पुरीं लङ्कां हतशेषा निशाचराः ॥ 93.34 ॥

te hatāśvā hatarathāḥ śāntā vimathitadhvajāḥ| abhipetuḥ purīṃ laṅkāṃ hataśeṣā niśācarāḥ || 93.34 ||

Those surviving demons, their horses slain, their chariots destroyed, their spirit crushed, their standards broken, fled back into the city of Lanka.

Shloka 35 (yuddha.93.35)

हतैर्गजपदात्यश्वैस्तद् बभूव रणाजिरम्। आक्रीडभूमिः क्रुद्धस्य रुद्रस्येव महात्मनः ॥ 93.35 ॥

hatairgajapadātyaśvaistad babhūva raṇājiram| ākrīḍabhūmiḥ kruddhasya rudrasyeva mahātmanaḥ || 93.35 ||

That battlefield, strewn with slain elephants, foot-soldiers, and horses, became like the playground of the great, wrathful Rudra.

Shloka 36 (yuddha.93.36)

ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः। साधु साध्विति रामस्य तत् कर्म समपूजयन् ॥ 93.36 ॥

tato devāḥ sagandharvāḥ siddhāśca paramarṣayaḥ| sādhu sādhviti rāmasya tat karma samapūjayan || 93.36 ||

Then the gods, together with the gandharvas, the siddhas, and the great sages, praised that feat of Rama, crying, "Well done! Well done!"

Shloka 37 (yuddha.93.37)

अब्रवीच्च तदा रामः सुग्रीवं प्रत्यनन्तरम्। विभीषणं च धर्मात्मा हनूमन्तं च वानरम् ॥ 93.37 ॥

abravīcca tadā rāmaḥ sugrīvaṃ pratyanantaram| vibhīṣaṇaṃ ca dharmātmā hanūmantaṃ ca vānaram || 93.37 ||

Then the righteous Rama spoke to Sugriva who stood close beside him, and to Vibhishana, and to the monkey Hanuman,

Shloka 38 (yuddha.93.38)

जाम्बवन्तं हरिश्रेष्ठं मैन्दं द्विविदमेव च। एतदस्त्रबलं दिव्यं मम वा त्र्यम्बकस्य वा ॥ 93.38 ॥

jāmbavantaṃ hariśreṣṭhaṃ maindaṃ dvividameva ca| etadastrabalaṃ divyaṃ mama vā tryambakasya vā || 93.38 ||

and to Jambavan, and to Mainda and Dvivida, foremost among the monkeys: "This divine power of celestial weapons belongs only to me, or else to the three-eyed Rudra."

Shloka 39 (yuddha.93.39)

निहत्य तां राक्षसराजवाहिनीं रामस्तदा शक्रसमो महात्मा। अस्त्रेषु शस्त्रेषु जितक्लमश्च संस्तूयते देवगणैः प्रहृष्टैः ॥ 93.39 ॥

nihatya tāṃ rākṣasarājavāhinīṃ rāmastadā śakrasamo mahātmā| astreṣu śastreṣu jitaklamaśca saṃstūyate devagaṇaiḥ prahṛṣṭaiḥ || 93.39 ||

Having thus destroyed that army of the rakshasa king, Rama, the great-souled one equal to Indra, tireless in the mastery of weapons and missiles, was acclaimed by the joyful hosts of gods.