The Fall of Mahaparshva

Shloka 1 (yuddha.98.1)

महोदरे तु निहते महापार्श्वो महाबलः। सुग्रीवेण समीक्ष्याथ क्रोधात् संरक्तलोचनः ॥ 98.1 ॥

mahodare tu nihate mahāpārśvo mahābalaḥ| sugrīveṇa samīkṣyātha krodhāt saṃraktalocanaḥ || 98.1 ||

Seeing Mahodara slain by Sugriva, the mighty Mahaparshva, for his part, grew red-eyed with rage.

Shloka 2 (yuddha.98.2)

अङ्गदस्य चमूं भीमां क्षोभयामास मार्गणैः। स वानराणां मुख्यानामुत्तमाङ्गानि राक्षसः ॥ 98.2 ॥

aṅgadasya camūṃ bhīmāṃ kṣobhayāmāsa mārgaṇaiḥ| sa vānarāṇāṃ mukhyānāmuttamāṅgāni rākṣasaḥ || 98.2 ||

With his arrows he threw Angada's fearsome host into turmoil. That rakshasa struck the heads of the foremost monkeys

Shloka 3 (yuddha.98.3)

पातयामास कायेभ्यः फलं वृन्तादिवानिलः। केषांचिदिषुभिर्बाहूंश्चिच्छेदाथ स राक्षसः ॥ 98.3 ॥

pātayāmāsa kāyebhyaḥ phalaṃ vṛntādivānilaḥ| keṣāṃcidiṣubhirbāhūṃścicchedātha sa rākṣasaḥ || 98.3 ||

from their bodies, as the wind shakes fruit loose from its stalk. That rakshasa sheared off the arms of some monkeys with his arrows,

Shloka 4 (yuddha.98.4)

वानराणां सुसंरब्धः पार्श्वं केषांचिदाक्षिपत्। तेऽर्दिता बाणवर्षेण महापार्श्वेन वानराः ॥ 98.4 ॥

vānarāṇāṃ susaṃrabdhaḥ pārśvaṃ keṣāṃcidākṣipat| te'rditā bāṇavarṣeṇa mahāpārśvena vānarāḥ || 98.4 ||

and, in his towering fury, tore open the flanks of others. Tormented by Mahaparshva's rain of arrows, those monkeys

Shloka 5 (yuddha.98.5)

विषादविमुखाः सर्वे बभूवुर्गतचेतसः। निशम्य बलमुद्विग्नमङ्गदो राक्षसार्दितम् ॥ 98.5 ॥

viṣādavimukhāḥ sarve babhūvurgatacetasaḥ| niśamya balamudvignamaṅgado rākṣasārditam || 98.5 ||

all grew despondent, their faces downcast, their minds unstrung with sorrow. Learning that his army had been thrown into distress and tormented by the rakshasa, Angada,

Shloka 6 (yuddha.98.6)

वेगं चक्रे महावेगः समुद्र इव पर्वसु। आयसं परिघं गृह्य सूर्यरश्मिसमप्रभम् ॥ 98.6 ॥

vegaṃ cakre mahāvegaḥ samudra iva parvasu| āyasaṃ parighaṃ gṛhya sūryaraśmisamaprabham || 98.6 ||

himself full of great speed, surged forward like the ocean on the days of the full and new moon; taking up an iron bar, radiant as the sun's rays,

Shloka 7 (yuddha.98.7)

समरे वानरश्रेष्ठो महापार्श्वे न्यपातयत्। स तु तेन प्रहारेण महापार्श्वो विचेतनः ॥ 98.7 ॥

samare vānaraśreṣṭho mahāpārśve nyapātayat| sa tu tena prahāreṇa mahāpārśvo vicetanaḥ || 98.7 ||

that foremost of monkeys brought it down upon Mahaparshva in the battle. Struck senseless by that blow, Mahaparshva,

Shloka 8 (yuddha.98.8)

ससूतः स्यन्दनात् तस्माद् विसंज्ञश्चापतद् भुवि। तस्यर्क्षराजस्तेजस्वी नीलाञ्जनचयोपमः ॥ 98.8 ॥

sasūtaḥ syandanāt tasmād visaṃjñaścāpatad bhuvi| tasyarkṣarājastejasvī nīlāñjanacayopamaḥ || 98.8 ||

fell senseless from his chariot to the ground, along with his charioteer. Then the radiant lord of bears, dark as a heap of collyrium,

Shloka 9 (yuddha.98.9)

निष्पत्य सुमहावीर्यः स्वयूथान्मेघसंनिभात्। प्रगृह्य गिरिशृङ्गाभां क्रुद्धः स विपुलां शिलाम् ॥ 98.9 ॥

niṣpatya sumahāvīryaḥ svayūthānmeghasaṃnibhāt| pragṛhya giriśṛṅgābhāṃ kruddhaḥ sa vipulāṃ śilām || 98.9 ||

of tremendous might, burst forth from his cloud-like troop and, in fury, seized a huge boulder like a mountain peak;

Shloka 10 (yuddha.98.10)

अश्वाञ्जघान तरसा बभञ्ज स्यन्दनं च तम्। मुहूर्ताल्लब्धसंज्ञस्तु महापार्श्वो महाबलः ॥ 98.10 ॥

aśvāñjaghāna tarasā babhañja syandanaṃ ca tam| muhūrtāllabdhasaṃjñastu mahāpārśvo mahābalaḥ || 98.10 ||

with it he swiftly slew Mahaparshva's horses and shattered his chariot as well. But within a moment, the mighty Mahaparshva regained his senses,

Shloka 11 (yuddha.98.11)

अङ्गदं बहुभिर्बाणैर्भूयस्तं प्रत्यविध्यत। जाम्बवन्तं त्रिभिर्बाणैराजघान स्तनान्तरे ॥ 98.11 ॥

aṅgadaṃ bahubhirbāṇairbhūyastaṃ pratyavidhyata| jāmbavantaṃ tribhirbāṇairājaghāna stanāntare || 98.11 ||

and once more pierced Angada with a shower of arrows, and struck Jambavan with three arrows full in the chest.

Shloka 12 (yuddha.98.12)

ऋक्षराजं गवाक्षं च जघान बहुभिः शरैः। गवाक्षं जाम्बवन्तं च स दृष्ट्वा शरपीडितौ ॥ 98.12 ॥

ṛkṣarājaṃ gavākṣaṃ ca jaghāna bahubhiḥ śaraiḥ| gavākṣaṃ jāmbavantaṃ ca sa dṛṣṭvā śarapīḍitau || 98.12 ||

He struck the lord of bears and Gavaksha too with a multitude of arrows. Seeing Gavaksha and Jambavan thus tormented by arrows,

Shloka 13 (yuddha.98.13)

जग्राह परिघं घोरमङ्गदः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः। तस्याङ्गदः सरोषाक्षो राक्षसस्य तमायसम् ॥ 98.13 ॥

jagrāha parighaṃ ghoramaṅgadaḥ krodhamūrcchitaḥ| tasyāṅgadaḥ saroṣākṣo rākṣasasya tamāyasam || 98.13 ||

Angada, beside himself with rage, seized a terrible iron bar. That same iron bar, with eyes red in fury,

Shloka 14 (yuddha.98.14)

दूरस्थितस्य परिघं रविरश्मिसमप्रभम्। द्वाभ्यां भुजाभ्यां संगृह्य भ्रामयित्वा च वेगवत् ॥ 98.14 ॥

dūrasthitasya parighaṃ raviraśmisamaprabham| dvābhyāṃ bhujābhyāṃ saṃgṛhya bhrāmayitvā ca vegavat || 98.14 ||

gripping with both arms that gleaming rod, radiant as the sun's rays, and whirling it about with great force,

Shloka 15 (yuddha.98.15)

महापार्श्वस्य चिक्षेप वधार्थं वालिनः सुतः। स तु क्षिप्तो बलवता परिघस्तस्य रक्षसः ॥ 98.15 ॥

mahāpārśvasya cikṣepa vadhārthaṃ vālinaḥ sutaḥ| sa tu kṣipto balavatā parighastasya rakṣasaḥ || 98.15 ||

Vali's son hurled it to kill Mahaparshva, who stood some distance off. Hurled by that mighty warrior, the iron bar struck that rakshasa,

Shloka 16 (yuddha.98.16)

धनुश्च सशरं हस्ताच्छिरस्त्राणं च पातयत्। तं समासाद्य वेगेन वालिपुत्रः प्रतापवान् ॥ 98.16 ॥

dhanuśca saśaraṃ hastācchirastrāṇaṃ ca pātayat| taṃ samāsādya vegena vāliputraḥ pratāpavān || 98.16 ||

knocking the bow and arrow from his hand and the helmet from his head. Then, closing upon him swiftly, the mighty son of Vali,

Shloka 17 (yuddha.98.17)

तलेनाभ्यहनत् क्रुद्धः कर्णमूले सकुण्डले। स तु क्रुद्धो महावेगो महापार्श्वो महाद्युतिः ॥ 98.17 ॥

talenābhyahanat kruddhaḥ karṇamūle sakuṇḍale| sa tu kruddho mahāvego mahāpārśvo mahādyutiḥ || 98.17 ||

in fury struck him with the flat of his palm upon the root of the ear, earring and all. Then Mahaparshva, enraged, swift, and of great splendour,

Shloka 18 (yuddha.98.18)

करेणैकेन जग्राह सुमहान्तं परश्वधम्। तं तैलधौतं विमलं शैलसारमयं दृढम् ॥ 98.18 ॥

kareṇaikena jagrāha sumahāntaṃ paraśvadham| taṃ tailadhautaṃ vimalaṃ śailasāramayaṃ dṛḍham || 98.18 ||

with a single hand snatched up a huge battle-axe, oil-polished, spotless, sturdy, forged of the very essence of mountain ore.

Shloka 19 (yuddha.98.19)

राक्षसः परमक्रुद्धो वालिपुत्रे न्यपातयत्। तेन वामांसफलके भृशं प्रत्यवपातितम् ॥ 98.19 ॥

rākṣasaḥ paramakruddho vāliputre nyapātayat| tena vāmāṃsaphalake bhṛśaṃ pratyavapātitam || 98.19 ||

That rakshasa, in extreme fury, brought it down upon Vali's son; struck hard by it, Angada's left shoulder-blade was driven back.

Shloka 20 (yuddha.98.20)

अङ्गदो मोक्षयामास सरोषः स परश्वधम्। स वीरो वज्रसंकाशमङ्गदो मुष्टिमात्मनः ॥ 98.20 ॥

aṅgado mokṣayāmāsa saroṣaḥ sa paraśvadham| sa vīro vajrasaṃkāśamaṅgado muṣṭimātmanaḥ || 98.20 ||

Angada, in fury, freed himself from the force of that axe-blow. Then that hero clenched his fist, like a thunderbolt,

Shloka 21 (yuddha.98.21)

संवर्तयत् सुसंक्रुद्धः पितुस्तुल्यपराक्रमः। राक्षसस्य स्तनाभ्याशे मर्मज्ञो हृदयं प्रति ॥ 98.21 ॥

saṃvartayat susaṃkruddhaḥ pitustulyaparākramaḥ| rākṣasasya stanābhyāśe marmajño hṛdayaṃ prati || 98.21 ||

in towering rage, equal in prowess to his father, and, knowing the vital points of the body, aimed straight at the rakshasa's chest, toward the very heart,

Shloka 22 (yuddha.98.22)

इन्द्राशनिसमस्पर्शं स मुष्टिं विन्यपातयत्। तेन तस्य निपातेन राक्षसस्य महामृधे ॥ 98.22 ॥

indrāśanisamasparśaṃ sa muṣṭiṃ vinyapātayat| tena tasya nipātena rākṣasasya mahāmṛdhe || 98.22 ||

and let fall that fist, whose touch was like Indra's thunderbolt. By the fall of that blow in that great combat, the rakshasa's

Shloka 23 (yuddha.98.23)

पफाल हृदयं चास्य स पपात हतो भुवि। तस्मिन् विनिहते भूमौ तत् सैन्यं सम्प्रचुक्षुभे ॥ 98.23 ॥

paphāla hṛdayaṃ cāsya sa papāta hato bhuvi| tasmin vinihate bhūmau tat sainyaṃ sampracukṣubhe || 98.23 ||

heart burst asunder, and he fell dead to the ground. When he had thus fallen, his army was thrown into utter turmoil.

Shloka 24 (yuddha.98.24)

अभवच्च महान् क्रोधः समरे रावणस्य तु। वानराणां प्रहृष्टानां सिंहनादः सुपुष्कलः ॥ 98.24 ॥

abhavacca mahān krodhaḥ samare rāvaṇasya tu| vānarāṇāṃ prahṛṣṭānāṃ siṃhanādaḥ supuṣkalaḥ || 98.24 ||

In the battlefield, mighty anger seized Ravana. A great, resounding lion-roar rose up from the jubilant monkeys,

Shloka 25 (yuddha.98.25)

स्फोटयन्निव शब्देन लङ्कां साट्टालगोपुराम्। सहेन्द्रेणेव देवानां नादः समभवन्महान् ॥ 98.25 ॥

sphoṭayanniva śabdena laṅkāṃ sāṭṭālagopurām| sahendreṇeva devānāṃ nādaḥ samabhavanmahān || 98.25 ||

as though it would split apart Lanka, with all its watch-towers and city gates, by its very sound — a mighty roar, like the roar of the gods together with Indra.

Shloka 26 (yuddha.98.26)

अथेन्द्रशत्रुस्त्रिदशालयानां वनौकसां चैव महाप्रणादम्। श्रुत्वा सरोषं युधि राक्षसेन्द्रः पुनश्च युद्धाभिमुखोऽवतस्थे ॥ 98.26 ॥

athendraśatrustridaśālayānāṃ vanaukasāṃ caiva mahāpraṇādam| śrutvā saroṣaṃ yudhi rākṣasendraḥ punaśca yuddhābhimukho'vatasthe || 98.26 ||

Then Ravana, the foe of Indra, hearing that mighty clamour — as though risen both from the dwellers of heaven and from the forest-dwelling monkeys — stood up once more in the battle, enraged and turned to face the fight.