Uttara Kanda, Sarga 32

Meaning

Not far from the place where, on the sandy bank of the Narmadā, the dread king of ogres was offering flowers to Lord Śiva, Arjuna, the powerful ruler of Māhiṣmatī and the foremost of conquerors, was sporting with his womenfolk in the waters of the Narmadā. (1-2)

Meaning

Standing in their midst, King Arjuna shone at the moment like an elephant in the midst of a thousand of she-elephants. (3)

Meaning

Seeking to know the maximum strength of his thousand arms, Arjuna for his part, who was endowed with numerous arms, blocked the Narmadā. (4)

Meaning

Reaching Rāvaṇa, who was offering flowers to Lord Śiva on a sandy bank of the Narmadā, when held up by the arms of Arjuna (son of Kṛtavīrya), the transparent waters of the Narmadā began to flow rapidly upstream. (5)

Meaning

The vehemence of the Narmadā, flowing as it did with its fishes, crocodiles and alligators as also with its flowers and layers of sacred Kuśa grass (spread out at a sacrifice), looked as it did during the monsoon. (6)

Meaning

That rapid flow of water, as though impelled by Arjuna (son of Kṛtavīrya), they say, swept away all the flowers that had been collected for being offered to Lord Śiva by Rāvaṇa. (7)

Meaning

Leaving the observance when it was only half-way through, Rāvaṇa looked at the Narmadā as if one would look upon one’s beloved wife turned refractory. (8)

Meaning

Surveying the rapid flow of water from the west gathering force on entering the east like the flood-tide in a sea, Rāvaṇa for his part found the river existing in its absolutely natural state, as was evident from the fact that the birds did not feel the least bewildered and thus resembling a lady free from agitation. (9-10)

Meaning

Without uttering a word with his mouth, that ten-headed monster directed with a finger of his right hand Śuka and Sāraṇa to seek out the cause of the rapid flow. (11)

Meaning

Commanded by Rāvaṇa, the two heroic brothers, Śuka and Sāraṇa, set out with their faces turned towards the west, coursing through the airspace. (12)

Meaning

Advancing half a Yojana (four miles) only, the aforesaid rangers of the night saw sporting with women in the waters a man resembling a huge sal tree, his hair tossed about in the waters, the corners of his eyes red through inebriety and his mind distracted through intoxication, and capable of crushing his enemy, blocking the river with his thousand arms, even as a mountain would block the earth with its thousand offshoots, and surrounded by a thousand comely young women like an elephant surrounded by a thousand she-elephants in rut. (13—16)

Meaning

Beholding that highly prodigious man, the ogres, Śuka and Sāraṇa turned back and, approaching Rāvaṇa, spoke to him as follows: (17)

Meaning

‘Blocking the Narmadā like a dyke, O ruler of ogres, an unknown person, resembling an enormous sal tree, is providing amusement to women. (18)

Meaning

‘With its waters blocked by him with his thousand arms, the river is repeatedly disgorging volumes of water resembling the flood-tide in a sea.’ (19)

Meaning

Saying “So it is!” Arjuna, on hearing the aforesaid Śuka and Sāraṇa speaking as above, the notorious Rāvaṇa sallied forth, thirsting for an encounter. (20)

Meaning

When Rāvaṇa, the suzerain lord of ogres, set forth with his face directed towards Arjuna, the wind blew furiously with a noise and dust. (21)

Meaning

A peal of thunder was emitted by the clouds with drops of blood. Nay, protected by Mahodara, Mahāpārśwa, Dhūmrākṣa, Śuka and Sāraṇa, the ruler of ogres for his part arrived at the place where Arjuna was sporting. In a short time that mighty ogre, who shone as antimony, reached the frightful pool forming part of the Narmadā. There the king of ogres saw at that moment King Arjuna surrounded by women as an elephant by she-elephants. His eyes red through anger, that ruler of ogres, who was arrogant by reason of his might, spoke as follows to the ministers of Arjuna in a deep tone: “O ministers, make it known quickly to the king of the Haihayas that a warrior, Rāvaṇa by name, has actually come to him for an encounter.” Hearing the challenge of Rāvaṇa, the aforesaid ministers of Arjuna forthwith sprang on their feet, armed with weapons, and submitted as follows to the notorious Rāvaṇa: “Well! The time suitable for a trial of strength is indeed well-known to you, O Rāvaṇa, in that you feel inclined to enter into a combat with a prince who is drunk and in the company of women! Since, O king, you seek to fight with one who stands in the presence of womenfolk, even as a tiger would seek to fight with an elephant in rut standing in the midst of she-elephants. Have patience today, O ten-headed monster, and let the night be spent here by you; if there is keenness in you for a combat, fight Arjuna tomorrow, O dear friend! (22—30)

Meaning

“If, however, you are in a hurry, O warrior seized with a thirst for combat, you will have an opportunity for an encounter with Arjuna only after overthrowing us in combat.” (31)

Meaning

The aforesaid ministers of King Arjuna for their part were thereupon killed in combat and devoured by the said ministers of Rāvaṇa who were all seized with hunger. (32)

Meaning

An uproar then arose on the bank of the Narmadā among the followers of King Arjuna and the ministers of Rāvaṇa. (33)

Meaning

The ministers of Arjuna rushed on all sides hitting the intruders including Rāvaṇa with arrows, iron-clubs, lances and tridents which tore up the skin like the thunderbolt. (34)

Meaning

The onrush of the warriors of the king of the Haihayas was fierce like the roar of a sea infested with crocodiles, fishes and alligators. (35)

Meaning

Provoked to anger, the aforesaid ministers of Rāvaṇa—Prahasta, Śuka and Sāraṇa, however, began to exterminate the army of Arjuna (son of Kṛtavīrya) with their might. (36)

Meaning

The aforesaid doing of Rāvaṇa accompanied by his ministers was, however, reported to the sporting Arjuna by his men, who were beside themselves through fear. (37)

Meaning

Saying to the womenfolk, “You need not be afraid,” on hearing the report, the celebrated Arjuna then emerged from the waters of the Narmadā even as Añjana (one of the elephants guarding the quarters) would emerge from waters of the Gaṅgā. (38)

Meaning

His eyes coloured through anger, the fiery Arjuna flared up like the most dreadful fire at the end of a world-cycle. (39)

Meaning

Seizing hold with all speed of a mace, Arjuna, who was adorned with a pair of excellent golden armlets, drove away the ogres even as the sun would dispel darkness. (40)

Meaning

Holding up his huge mace, which could be spun with one’s arms, and assuming the speed of Garuḍa (the king of birds), the celebrated Arjuna immediately rushed on the ogres. (41)

Meaning

Barring his path, even as the Vindhya mountain intercepted the orbit of the sun of yore, Prahasta stood unshakable like the Vindhya, pestle in hand. (42)

Meaning

Inflated with arrogance and provoked to anger, Prahasta thereupon hurled the dreadful copper-bound pestle at Arjuna and roared like Death. (43)

Meaning

At the tip of the pestle shot by the hand of Prahasta appeared a fire resembling the point of an Aśoka flower, which seemed to consume its Target. (44)

Meaning

Not the least perplexed, Arjuna, son of Kṛtavīrya, at that time completely confronted the pestle, which was coming with great speed, by means of his mace. (45)

Meaning

Whirling his massive mace, which was thrown with five hundred arms, the king of the Haihayas, who was still armed with a mace, thereupon rushed on Prahasta. (46)

Meaning

Struck with great vehemence by the mace at that time, Prahasta, who stood erect, thereupon fell prostrate like a hill struck by the thunderbolt of Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt. (47)

Meaning

Seeing Prahasta fallen, Mārīca, Śuka and Sāraṇa alongwith Mahodara and Dhūmrākṣa slipped away from the field of battle. (48)

Meaning

The ministers having fled away and Prahasta having been struck down, Rāvaṇa rushed with all speed towards Arjuna, the foremost of kings. (49)

Meaning

Then commenced a fierce fight, which caused one’s hair to stand on end, between the thousand-armed king and the twenty-armed ogre. (50)

Meaning

Seizing hold of a mace each, the ogre and King Arjuna, who looked at that time like two seas which were greatly ruffled, two mountains with moving bases, a pair of suns full of martial ardour, a couple of blazing fires, two elephants intoxicated with might, two bulls contending for a cow in heat, two thundering clouds, two lions proud of their might, like Rudra, the god of destruction, and Kāla, the Time-Spirit, provoked to anger, struck each other violently. (51—53)

Meaning

Even as the mountains withstood the formidable strokes of lightning at the beginning of creation, so did the two warriors, the human being, Arjuna, and the ogre, Rāvaṇa, endure the blows of each other’s mace. (54)

Meaning

Even as reverberations emanate from the peals of thunder, so did all the quarters resound with the clashes of their maces. (55)

Meaning

While being directed against the enemy’s breast, the well-known mace of Arjuna for its part rendered it golden even as a flash of lightning makes the sky assume a golden hue. (56)

Meaning

Being repeatedly directed against the breast of Arjuna by Rāvaṇa too, his mace likewise shone brightly like a meteor descending on a huge mountain. (57)

Meaning

Neither Arjuna nor the ruler of the hordes of ogres grew weary. Well-matched was their duel as that which took place between Bali and Indra of yore. (58)

Meaning

Striking each other violently with full force, the foremost of human beings as well as the jewel among the ogres fought even as a pair of bulls would do with their horns, or two elephants with their tusks. (59)

Meaning

The said mace was then hurled with all his strength by the enraged Arjuna on the mighty chest of Rāvaṇa. (60)

Meaning

Though hurled with full force on the breast of Rāvaṇa, which was protected by the bestowal of boons by Brahmā, the said mace fell on the ground, broken in two as though it were of meagre strength. (61)

Meaning

Under the blow of the mace directed by Arjuna, however, the notorious Rāvaṇa receded a bow’s length and sank down crying. (62)

Meaning

Springing forward all of a sudden on seeing Rāvaṇa (the ten-headed monster) confused at that time, Arjuna thereupon caught hold of him as Garuḍa (the king of birds) would seize a serpent. (63)

Meaning

Forcibly laying hold of Rāvaṇa with his thousand arms, the mighty king bound him even as Lord Nārāyaṇa in His descent as Vāmana bound Bali. (64)

Meaning

While Rāvaṇa (the ten-headed monster) was being bound, the Siddhas (a class of semi-divine beings credited with supernatural powers by virtue of their very birth), Cāraṇas (celestial bards) and gods (witnessing the scene from the skies) covered the airspace over the head of Arjuna with flowers, saying “Well done!” (65)

Meaning

Having captured Rāvaṇa even as a tiger would seize a deer or a lion would lay hold of an elephant, King Arjuna (the ruler of the Haihayas) thundered like a cloud again and again. (66)

Meaning

Provoked to anger on seeing Rāvaṇa (the ten-headed monster) bound, when fully restored to consciousness, the ogre Prahasta for his part rapidly rushed headlong on Arjuna. (67)

Meaning

The onrush of those assailing night-rangers grew in violence as that of clouds appearing on the sea at the end of summer. (68)

Meaning

The ogres rushed forth, repeatedly crying “Hurl the weapon! Hurl the weapon” and “Stay awhile, Stay awhile” and he (Prahasta) hurled pestles and darts on the battlefield. (69)

Meaning

Not at all confused, Arjuna, the destroyer of his foes, at that time speedily took hold of those weapons of the enemies of gods even before they reached him. (70)

Meaning

Piercing the ogres with those very weapons, which were most excellent and difficult even to hold, Arjuna drove them away even as the wind disperses clouds. (71)

Meaning

Arjuna, son of Kṛtavīrya, frightened the ogres at that time. Nay taking Rāvaṇa and surrounded by his friends, he entered the city. (72)

Meaning

Being covered with heaps of flowers and unbroken grains of rice by Brāhmaṇas (the twice-born) and other citizens on capturing Rāvaṇa, Arjuna, who closely resembled Indra (who is invoked by many), thereupon entered his well-known city even as Indra (the thousand-eyed god) entered his city after capturing Bali. (73)