---
title: "Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 97"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/yuddha-kanda/sarga-97"
lang: "en"
---

# Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 97

> हन्यमाने बले तूर्णमन्योन्यं ते महामृधे।  
> सरसीव महाघर्मे सूपक्षीणे बभूवतुः॥ १॥

Being destroyed by each other in that major conflict, the aforesaid two armies were soon considerably attenuated like two lakes in midsummer when sunshine is the brightest. (1)

> स्वबलस्य तु घातेन विरूपाक्षवधेन च।  
> बभूव द्विगुणं क्रुद्धो रावणो राक्षसाधिपः॥ २॥

Rāvaṇa, the suzerain lord of ogres, for his part, got doubly enraged by the destruction of his own army and the fall of virūpākṣa.(2)

> प्रक्षीणं स्वबलं दृष्ट्वा वध्यमानं वलीमुखैः।  
> बभूवास्य व्यथा युद्धे दृष्ट्वा दैवविपर्ययम्॥ ३॥

He felt agonized to find his own army greatly thinned while being destroyed by the monkeys and to see the adverseness of his fate. (3)

> उवाच च समीपस्थं महोदरमनन्तरम्।  
> अस्मिन् काले महाबाहो जयाशा त्वयि मे स्थिता॥ ४॥

And he spoke as follows to Mahodara, standing immediately beside him: “At this juncture, O mighty armed one, the hope of my victory is centred in you. (4)

> जहि शत्रुचमूं वीर दर्शयाद्य पराक्रमम्।  
> भर्तृपिण्डस्य कालोऽयं निर्वेष्टुं साधु युध्यताम्॥ ५॥

“Exhibit your valour today and exterminate the hostile army. This is the time for you to repay the debt of your master (in the shape of subsistence received from him). Fight well.” (5)

> एवमुक्तस्तथेत्युक्त्वा राक्षसेन्द्रो महोदरः।  
> प्रविवेशारिसेनां स पतङ्ग इव पावकम्॥ ६॥

Saying “Amen!” when encouraged in these words, that ogre chief, Mahodara, penetrated deeply into the hostile army even as a moth would rush into a flame. (6)

> ततः स कदनं चक्रे वानराणां महाबलः।  
> भर्तृवाक्येन तेजस्वी स्वेन वीर्येण चोदितः॥ ७॥

Emboldened by the word of his master, the ogre who was endowed with extraordinary might and full of energy, then started playing havoc among the monkeys by dint of his own prowess. (7)

> वानराश्च महासत्त्वाः प्रगृह्य विपुलाः शिलाः।  
> प्रविश्यारिबलं भीमं जघ्नुस्ते सर्वराक्षसान्॥ ८॥

Seizing hold of huge rocks and penetrating into the redoubtable hostile army, the aforesaid monkeys too, who were highly courageous, started destroying all the ogres. (8)

> महोदरः सुसंक्रुद्धः शरैः काञ्चनभूषणैः।  
> चिच्छेद पाणिपादोरु वानराणां महाहवे॥ ९॥

Getting highly infuriated, Mahodara severed with his arrows, decked with gold, the hands, feet and thighs of the monkeys in that major combat. (9)

> ततस्ते वानराः सर्वे राक्षसैरर्दिता भृशम्।  
> दिशो दश द्रुताः केचित् केचित् सुग्रीवमाश्रिताः॥ १०॥

All the aforesaid monkeys were struck hard by the ogres. Some of them fled into the ten directions, while others took refuge with Sugrīva. (10)

> प्रभग्नं समरे दृष्ट्वा वानराणां महाबलम्।  
> अभिदुद्राव सुग्रीवो महोदरमनन्तरम्॥ ११॥

Seeing the mighty army of the monkeys routed in the encounter, Sugrīva, rushed towards Mahodara, who stood nearby. (11)

> प्रगृह्य विपुलां घोरां महीधरसमां शिलाम्।  
> चिक्षेप च महातेजास्तद्वधाय हरीश्वरः॥ १२॥

Firmly seizing hold of a huge and a formidable rock, which looked like a mountain, the king of monkeys, who was endowed with extraordinary energy, hurled it with a view to killing the ogre. (12)

> तामापतन्तीं सहसा शिलां दृष्ट्वा महोदरः।  
> असम्भ्रान्तस्ततो बाणैर्निर्बिभेद दुरासदाम्॥ १३॥

Seeing that rock falling all of a sudden, Mahodara, who was not the least agitated, forthwith cut it to pieces with his arrows, even though it was difficult to approach. (13)

> रक्षसा तेन बाणौघैर्निकृत्ता सा सहस्रधा।  
> निपपात तदा भूमौ गृध्रचक्रमिवाकुलम्॥ १४॥

Torn into a thousand and one fragments by that ogre with the streams of his shafts, the rock forthwith descended on the ground like a flock of frightened vultures. (14)

> तां तु भिन्नां शिलां दृष्ट्वा सुग्रीवः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः।  
> सालमुत्पाट्य चिक्षेप तं स चिच्छेद नैकधा॥ १५॥

Filled with fury on beholding that rock broken, and tearing up a sal tree, the celebrated Sugrīva for his part flung it at his adversary and Mahodora split it into many pieces. (15)

> शरैश्च विददारैनं शूरः परबलार्दनः।  
> स ददर्श ततः क्रुद्धः परिघं पतितं भुवि॥ १६॥

The hero, who was the scourge of hostile forces, also lacerated Sugrīva with his shafts. Provoked to anger, the latter then beheld an iron bludgeon lying on the ground. (16)

> आविध्य तु स तं दीप्तं परिघं तस्य दर्शयन्।  
> परिघेणोग्रवेगेन जघानास्य हयोत्तमान्॥ १७॥

Brandishing that flashing bludgeon and exhibiting his own quickness of hand to his adversary, Sugrīva for his part struck down the former’s excellent steeds with that bludgeon of terrific velocity. (17)

> तस्माद्धतहयाद् वीरः सोऽवप्लुत्य महारथात्।  
> गदां जग्राह संक्रुद्धो राक्षसोऽथ महोदरः॥ १८॥

Leaping down from that huge chariot, whose team of horses had been killed, highly provoked as he was, that valiant ogre, Mahodara, forthwith seized hold of his mace. (18)

> गदापरिघहस्तौ तौ युधि वीरौ समीयतुः।  
> नर्दन्तौ गोवृषप्रख्यौ घनाविव सविद्युतौ॥ १९॥

Carrying a mace and an iron bludgeon respectively in their hands, and roaring like two bulls and resembling two clouds charged with lightning, those two heroes closed in an encounter. (19)

> ततः क्रुद्धो गदां तस्मै चिक्षेप रजनीचरः।  
> ज्वलन्तीं भास्कराभासां सुग्रीवाय महोदरः॥ २०॥

Provoked to anger, the night-ranger, Mahodara, thereupon flung at the celebrated Sugrīva his flaming mace, which shone like the sun. (20)

> गदां तां सुमहाघोरामापतन्तीं महाबलः।  
> सुग्रीवो रोषताम्राक्षः समुद्यम्य महाहवे॥ २१॥  
> आजघान गदां तस्य परिघेण हरीश्वरः।  
> पपात तरसा भिन्नः परिघस्तस्य भूतले॥ २२॥

Seeing that exceedingly terrible mace, falling, and lifting up his bludgeon, Sugrīva, the lord of monkeys, who was endowed with extraordinary might and whose eyes had turned coppery through rage, struck the mace of the ogre with his bludgeon, so that the mace fell to the ground and his bludgeon too yielded to the velocity of the mace. (21-22)

> ततो जग्राह तेजस्वी सुग्रीवो वसुधातलात्।  
> आयसं मुसलं घोरं सर्वतो हेमभूषितम्॥ २३॥

The spirited Sugrīva thereupon picked up from the earth’s surface a formidable steel club encrusted with gold on all sides. (23)

> स तमुद्यम्य चिक्षेप सोऽप्यस्य प्राक्षिपद् गदाम्।  
> भिन्नावन्योन्यमासाद्य पेततुस्तौ महीतले॥ २४॥

Lifting it up, Sugrīva hurled it at the ogre and the ogre too flung his mace at Sugrīva. Colliding each with the other, the two missiles broke and fell to the ground. (24)

> ततो भिन्नप्रहरणौ मुष्टिभ्यां तौ समीयतुः।  
> तेजोबलसमाविष्टौ दीप्ताविव हुताशनौ॥ २५॥

Their weapons shattered, the two warriors, who were fully endowed with ardour and strength and resembled two lit fires, now contended with their fists. (25)

> जघ्नतुस्तौ तदान्योन्यं नदन्तौ च पुनः पुनः।  
> तलैश्चान्योन्यमासाद्य पेततुश्च महीतले॥ २६॥

Nay, roaring again and again, they then slapped each other and, meeting each other, rolled on the earth’s surface. (26)

> उत्पेततुस्तदा तूर्णं जघ्नतुश्च परस्परम्।  
> भुजैश्चिक्षिपतुर्वीरावन्योन्यमपराजितौ ॥ २७॥

They sprang on their feet at once and began to strike each other once more. Remaining undiscomfited, the two heroes pushed each other with their arms. (27)

> जग्मतुस्तौ श्रमं वीरौ बाहुयुद्धे परंतपौ।  
> आजहार तदा खड्गमदूरपरिवर्तिनम्॥ २८॥  
> राक्षसश्चर्मणा सार्धं महावेगो महोदरः।  
> तथैव च महाखड्गं चर्मणा पतितं सह।  
> जग्राह वानरश्रेष्ठः सुग्रीवो वेगवत्तरः॥ २९॥

The two champions, the scourge of their enemy, felt exhausted in the course of their wrestling. The ogre Mahodara, who was endowed with great impetuosity then picked up a sword alongwith a shield lying not very far. Likewise, Sugrīva, the foremost of the monkeys, too, who was even more impetuous, seized of a huge sword with a shield. (28-29)

> ततो रोषपरीताङ्गौ नदन्तावभ्यधावताम्।  
> उद्यतासी रणे हृष्टौ युधि शस्त्रविशारदौ॥ ३०॥

Thereupon the two warriors, who were adept in the use of weapons on the battlefield and whose limbs were seized with anger, sprang forward roaring with joy to meet each other with their swords upraised. (30)

> दक्षिणं मण्डलं चोभौ सुतूर्णं सम्परीयतुः।  
> अन्योन्यमभिसंक्रुद्धौ जये प्रणिहितावुभौ॥ ३१॥

Both moved with great rapidity from left to right and from right to left of each other to parry the strokes of their adversary. Both were enraged at each other and intent on conquering each other. (31)

> स तु शूरो महावेगो वीर्यश्लाघी महोदरः।  
> महावर्मणि तं खड्गं पातयामास दुर्मतिः॥ ३२॥

The evil-minded hero, Mahodara, for his part, who was endowed with great impetuosity and was proud of his own virility, let fall his aforesaid sword on the heavy mail of Sugrīva. (32)

> लग्नमुत्कर्षतः खड्गं खड्गेन कपिकुञ्जरः।  
> जहार सशिरस्त्राणं कुण्डलोपगतं शिरः॥ ३३॥

Sugrīva (an elephant among the monkeys) severed with his own sword the head of Mahodara, which was adorned with ear-rings, helmet and all, even while the latter was extracting his sword, which had got stuck into Sugrīva’s armour. (33)

> निकृत्तशिरसस्तस्य पतितस्य महीतले।  
> तद् बलं राक्षसेन्द्रस्य दृष्ट्वा तत्र न दृश्यते॥ ३४॥

Beholding the fall of Mahodara, the ogre chief, who lay on the earth’s surface, his head having been severed, his army could no longer be seen on the battlefield. (34)

> हत्वा तं वानरैः सार्धं ननाद मुदितो हरिः।  
> चुक्रोध च दशग्रीवो बभौ हृष्टश्च राघवः॥ ३५॥

Having made short work of Mahodara, the monkey, Sugrīva, began to cheer with the monkeys, delighted as he was; while Rāvaṇa, the ten-headed monster, flew into a rage and Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, looked happy. (35)

> विषण्णवदनाः सर्वे राक्षसा दीनचेतसः।  
> विद्रवन्ति ततः सर्वे भयवित्रस्तचेतसः॥ ३६॥

With their faces downcast all the ogres felt dejected. Nay, their mind stricken with fear, all fled away from the batlefield. (35)

> महोदरं तं विनिपात्य भूमौ  
> महागिरेः कीर्णमिवैकदेशम्।  
> सूर्यात्मजस्तत्र रराज लक्ष्म्या  
> सूर्यः स्वतेजोभिरिवाप्रधृष्यः॥ ३७॥

Having thrown to the ground the aforesaid Mahodara, who looked like a part of a huge mountain broken off, Sugrīva, son of the sun-god, shone in his glory on the battlefield like the sun, which is unassailable on account of its rays. (37)

> अथ विजयमवाप्य वानरेन्द्रः  
> समरमुखे सुरसिद्धयक्षसङ्घैः।  
> अवनितलगतैश्च भूतसङ्घै-  
> र्हरुषसमाकुलितैर्निरीक्ष्यमाणः ॥ ३८॥

Having scored a victory in the forefront of the battle, Sugrīva, the king of monkeys, continued to be gazed upon by the hosts of gods, Siddhas (a class of demigods who are endowed with mystic powers by virtue of their very birth) and Yakṣas (another class of demigods attending upon Kubera, the god of riches) as well as the multitudes of beings standing on the earth’s surface, who all felt overwhelmed with delight. (38)

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