Chapter [Sarga] 78  

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    Book VI : Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War

Chapter [Sarga] 78

Introduction

Ravana orders Makaraksha to proceed to the battle-field with an army and to kill Rama, Lakshmana and the monkeys. Makaraksha, surrounded by his army of demons, set out for the encounter. Makaraksha’s whip and flag staff fall down all of a sudden, by the will of providence and a dust-storm ensued. Ignoring those portents, Makaraskha’s army march forward in the battle-field, to reach Rama and Lakshmana.

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nikumbhaM nihataM shrutvaa kumbham cha vinipaatitam |
raavaNaH paramaamarShii prajajvaalaanalo yathaa || 6-78-1
1. shrutvaa= hearing; nikumbham= Nikumbha; nihatam= was killed; kumbham cha= and Kumbha also; vinipaatitam= was lost; raavaNaH= Ravana; paramaamarShii= was very much enraged; prajajvaala= fiercely analoyathaa= like fire.
On hearing of Nikumbha and Kumbha having been killed, Ravana was very much flared up like fire.
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nairR^itaH krodhashokaabhyaaM dvaabhyaaM tu parimuurchitaH |
kharaputra vishaalaakShaM makaraakShamachodayat || 6-78-2
2. parimuurchchhitaH= pervaded with; dvaabhyaam krodha shokaabhyaam= both anger and sorrow; nairR^itaH= Ravana; achodayat= impelled; vishaalaakSham= the wide-eyed; makaraakSham= Makaraksha; kharaputram= the son of Khara (as follows):
Engulfed with both anger and sorrow, Ravana ordered the wide-eyed Makaraksha, the son of Khara (as follows):
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gachchha putra mayaajJNapto balenaabhisamanvitaH |
raaghavaM lakShmaNam chaiva jahi tau savanaukasau || 6-78-3
3. aaJNaptaH= commanded; mayaa= by me; abhisamanvitaH= and accompanied; balena= by an army; gachchha= go; putra= my son; jahi= and kill; tau= those; raaghavam= Rama; lakShmaNam chaiva= and even Lakshmana; savanaukasau= together with the monkeys.
“I am commanding you! Accompanied by an army, go my son! Kill Rama, Lakshmana and the monkeys.”
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taavaNasya vachaH shrutvaa shuuramaanii kharaatmajaH |
baaDhamityabraviiddhR^iShTo makaraakSho nishaachaaram || 6-78-4
4. shrutvaa= hearing; raavaNasya vachah= Ravana’s words; makaraakShaH= Makaraksha; kharaatmajaH= the son of Khara; shuuramaanii= thinking himself as a hero; hR^iShTaH= was please; abraviit= and spoke; nishaacharam= to Ravana; baaDham iti= that (he would do it) certainly.
Hearing Ravana’s words, Makaraksha, the son of Khara, thinking himself as a hero, was rejoiced and assured Ravana that he would do it certainly as commanded.
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so.abhivaadya dashagriivaM kR^itvaa chaapi pradakShiNam |
nirjagaama gR^ihaachchhubhraadraavaNasyaajJNayaa balii || 6-78-5
5. abhivaadya= having respectfully saluted; pradakShiNam kR^itvaa chaapi= even by performing circumambulation; balii= the mighty; saH= Makaraksha; aaJNayaa dashagriivam= by the orders of Ravana; nirjagaama= came forth; shubhraat gR^ihaat= from the shining palace (of Ravana).
Having respectfully saluted, even by performing circumambulation, the mighty Makaraksha, by the orders of Ravana, came forth from these shining palace of Ravana.
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samiipasthaM balaadhyakShaM kharaputro.abraviidvachaH |
rathamaaniiyataaM tuurNam sainyaM tvaaniiyataaM tvaraat || 6-78-6
6. kharaputraH= Makaraksha the son of Khara; abraviit= spoke; vachaH= the following words; balaadhyakSham= to the commander of an army; samiipastham= who was in the vicinity (as follows); ratham aaniiyataam= let a chariot be brought; tuurNam= quickly; sainyam= and the army; aaniiyataam= be arranged; tvaraat= swiftly.
Makaraksha the son of Khara asked the commander of an army who was in the vicinity to bring a chariot and the army swiftly.
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tasya tadvachanam shrutvaa balaadhyakSho nishaacharaH |
syandanaM cha balaM chaiva samiipaM pratyapaadayat || 6-78-7
7. shrutvaa= hearing; tasya tadvachanam= his words; nishaacharaH= a demons; balaadhyakShaH= being the commander of an army; pratyapaadayat= brought; syandavamcha= the chariot; balamchaiva= and the army; samiipam= to his proximity.
Hearing his words, the army-commander of the demons brought the chariot and the army to his proximity.
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pradakShiNaM rathaM kR^itvaa samaahuuya nishaacharaH |
suutaM saMchodayaamaasa shiigraM vai ratha maavaha || 6-78-8
8. pradakShiNam kR^itvaa= walking clockwise round; ratham= the chariot; samuuhaaya= and calling; suutam= the charioteer; nishaacharaH= Makaraksha; samchodayaamaasa= incited him; aavaha= to drive; ratham= the chariot; shiighram= quickly.
Walking clockwise round the chariot and ascending it, Makaraksha asked the charioteer to drive forward the chariot quickly to the battle-field.
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atha taan raakShasaan sarvaan makaraakSho.abraviididam |
yuuyaM sarve prayudhyadhvaM purastaanmama raakShasaaH || 6-78-9
.9. atha= then; makarakShaH= Makaraksha; abraviit= spoke; idam= these words; sarvaan= to all; raakShasaan= demons; sarve= all; yuuyam= of you; prayudhyadhvam= begin to fight; mama purastaat= in my presence; raakShasaaH= O, demons!.
Then Makaraksha spoke the following words to those demons, “O demons! All of you begin your fight before my presence.”
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ahaM raakShasaraajena raavaNena mahaatmanaa |
aajJNptaH samare hantuM raavubhau raamalkShmaNau || 6-78-10
10. aham= I; aJNaptaH= was commanded; mahaatmanaa raavaNena= by the mighty Ravana; raakShasa raajena= the king of demons; hantum= to kill; tau raamalakShmaNau= both Rama and Lakshmana; samara= in battle.
“The mighty Ravana, the king of demons commanded me to kill both Rama and Lakshmana in battle.”
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adya raamaM vadhiShyaami lakShmaNam cha nishaacharaaH |
shaakhaamR^igaM cha sugriivaM vaanaraaMshcha sharottamaiH || 6-78-11
11. adya= today; vadhiShyaami= I will kill; raamam= Rama; lakShmaNam cha= Lakshmana; sugriivam cha= Sugreeva; shaakhaamR^igam= the monkey; vaanaraan cha= and the (other) monkeys; sharottamaiH= with my excellent arrows; nishaacharaaH= O, demons!.
“Today, I will kill Rama, Lakshmana, Sugreeva the monkey and the other monkeys with my excellent arrows, O demons!”
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adya shuulanipaataishcha vaanaraaNaaM mahaachamuum |
pradahiShyaami saMpraaptaaM shuSkendhanamivaanalaH || 6-78-12
12. shuulanipaataiH= by the hurlings of spears; pradahiShyaami= I will completely destroy; mahaachamuum= the huge army; vaanaraaNaam= of monkeys; sampraaptaam= who arrived ; adya= today; analaH iva= like when the fire; shuShkendhanam= destroys dry wood.
“By hurling the spears, I will destroy completely the huge army of monkeys who arrived today to the battle-field, as the fire destroys the dry wood.”
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makaraakShasya tachchhrutvaa vachanaM te nishaacharaaH |
sarve naanaayudhopetaa balavantaH samaahitaaH || 6-78-13
13. shrutvaa= hearing; tat vachanam= those words; makaraakShasya= of Makaraksha; sarve= all; te= those; balavantaH= strong; nishaacharaaH= demons; naanaayudhopetaaH= wielding various kinds of weapons; samaahitaaH= were steadfast (to fight).
Hearing those words of Makaraksha, all those strong demons, wielding various kinds of weapons, were steadfast to fight.
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te kaamaruupiNaH kruuraa daMShTriNaH piN^galekShaNaaH |
maataN^ga iva nardanto dhvastakeshaa bhayaavahaaH || 6-78-14
parivaarya mahaakaayaa mahaakaayaM kharaatmajam |
abhijaghnastato hR^iShTaashchalayanto nabhastalam || 6-78-15
14, 15. te kruuraaH= the cruel demons; kaamaruupiNah= who can change their forms at will; damShTriNaH= with their protruding tusks; piN^galekShaNaaH= with tawny coloured eyes; dhvantakeshaaH= with their disheveled hair; bhayaavahaaH= creating terror; mahaakaayaaH= with their colossal bodies; tataH= then; nardantaH= roaring; maataNgaaH iva= like elephants; parivaarya= having surrounded; mahaakaayam kharaatmajam= the huge-bodied Makaraksha; hR^iShTaaH= were overjoyed; abhijaghnuH= and marched forward; chaalayantaH= shaking; nabhastalam= the firmament.
Those cruel demons, who can change their forms at will, who had protruding tusks, had tawny coloured eyes, had their disheveled hair, creating terror with their colossal bodies, then marched forward like roaring elephants, shaking the firmament and surrounded the huge-bodied Makaraksha.
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shaN^khabheriisahasraaNaamaahataanaaM samantataH |
kShvelitaasphoTitaanaaM cha tatra mahaanabhuut || 6-78-16
16. tatra abhuut= there arose; aahataanaam= sounded; samantataH= on all sides; mahaan= a great; shabdaH= tumult; shaN^kha bherii sahasraaNaam= of thousands of couches and kettle-drums; kShvelitaasphoTitaanaam cha= leonine roars and clapping of arms.
There arose a great tumult sounded, on all sides, of thousands of couches and kettle-drums including leonine roars and clapping of arms.
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prabhraShTo.atha karaattasya pratodaH saarathestadaa |
papaata sahasaa daivaaddhvajastasya tu rakShasaH || 6-78-17
17. atha= thereupon; tasya saarathaH karaat= from that charioteers hand; pratodaH= the long whip; tadaa= then; prabhraShTaH= fell down; dhvajaH= and the flag-staff; tasya rakShasaH= of that demon; sahasaa= suddenly; papaata= fell down; daivaat= by the will of the province.
The long whip then slipped down from the hands of Makaraksha’s charioteer and the flag-staff of that demon also suddenly fell down by the will of the province.
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tasya te rathasamyuktaa hayaa vikramavarjitaaH |
charaNairaakulairgatvaa diinaaH saasramukhaa yayuH || 6-78-18
18. te hayaaH= those horses; tasya ratha samyuktaaH= yoked to his chariot; vikramavarjitaaH= deprived of their diversified gait; gatvaa= were walking; aakulaiH charaNaiH= with flurried feet; yuyuH= and went; dinaaH= timidly; sasrumukhaaH= with tears in their eyes.
Those horses, yoked to his chariot, deprived of their diversified gait, were walking with flurried feet and went timidly, with tears in their eyes.
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pravaati pavanastasmin sapaaMsuH kharadaaruNaH |
niryaaNe tasya raudrasya makaraakShasya durmateH || 6-78-19
19. tasmin niryaaNe= at the time of marching; tasya makaraakShasya= of that Makaraksha; raudrasya= of dreadful appearance; durmateH= and of bad disposition of mind; pavanaH= the wind; sapaamsuH= with dust; khara daaruNaH= which was dreadfully harsh; pravaati= blew forth.
At the time of marching of that dreadful and evil-minded Makaraksha, a harsh and fearful dust-storm blew forth.
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taani dR^iShTvaa nimittaani raakShasaa viiryavattamaaH |
achintya nirgataaH sarve yatra tau raamalakShmaNau || 6-78-20
20. dR^iShTvaa= (Though) seeing; taani= all those; raakShasaaH= demons; viiryavattamaaH= of high prowess; achintya= ignoring (them); nirgataaH= set out; yatra= where; raamalakShmaNau= those Rama and Lakshmana (were there).
Though seeing those portents, all those highly valiant demons ignored them and set out to the place, where both Rama and Lakshmana were there.
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ghanagajamahiShaaN^gatulyavarNaaH |
samaramukheShvasakR^idgadaasibhinnaaH |
ahamahamiti yuddhakaushalaaste |
rajanicharaaH paribabhraamurnadantaH || 6-78-21
21. nadantaH= saying thunderously; aham aham iti= “I shall take the lead, I shall take the lead”; te rajaniicharaaH= those demons; ghanagajamahiShaaN^ga tulya varNaaH= who resembled black clouds, elephants and buffaloes in hue; gadaasi bhinnaaH asakR^it= who had been wounded with a pointed weapon more than once by maces and swords; samara mukheShu= in the battle-front; yuddha kaushalaaH= and who were skilled in martial art; paribabhramuH= moved hither and thither (in the battle-field).
Saying thunderously, “I shall take the lead”, those demons who resembled black clouds, elephants and buffaloes in hue, who had been wounded pointedly more than once by maces and swords in the battle-front and who were skilled in martial art, moved hither and thither in the battle-field.

ityaarShe shriimadraamaayaNe vaalmiikiiye aadikaavye yuddhakaaMDe aShTasaptatitamaH sargaH
Thus, this is the 78th chapter in Yuddha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.

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