Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच— तस्मिन्नेव क्षणे तत्र परसैन्ये सुदुर्मदे। अकस्मादायुधमयी महावृष्टिरजायत॥१॥
Brahmā said: At that very moment, over the exceedingly arrogant enemy army, there suddenly arose a tremendous rain composed entirely of weapons.
Passage 2
नभसः पतमानानि शस्त्राण्यस्त्राणि भूरिशः। क्षणान्निर्दारणं चक्रुः परसैन्यस्य सत्वरम्॥२॥
Weapons and missiles falling thickly from the sky swiftly began tearing the enemy army apart in an instant.
Passage 3
खड्गैर्विदारिता योधा यवनाः सुमहोद्धताः। द्विधाफालीभूतवपुषो ह्रियन्ते स्म रणाङ्गणे॥३॥
The fiercely arrogant Yavana warriors were split open by swords; their bodies, cleft into two pieces, were swept across the field of battle.
Passage 4
प्रचण्डानिलचक्रायाः काण्डवृष्टिः समन्ततः। अजायत जवात्तत्र महानिःस्वनपूर्वकम्॥४॥
From every side a rain of arrows arose with the force of a violent whirlwind, rushing forward amid a tremendous roar.
Passage 5
अर्धचन्द्राकृतिधरैर्भल्लैः प्रबलपातिभिः। निकृत्तकण्ठा यवनाः शेरते स्म महीतले॥५॥
Their necks cut by forcefully falling, crescent-headed arrows, the Yavanas lay upon the ground.
Passage 6
क्षुरप्रैश्चण्डनिर्घातैर्द्विधासञ्जातविग्रहाः। विलपन्तः खलास्तत्र प्राणान्मुमुचुरञ्जसा॥६॥
Their bodies divided in two by the terrible blows of razor-headed arrows, the wicked men lamented there and quickly gave up their lives.
Passage 7
वह्निज्वालामयैः काण्डैरखण्डविनिपातिभिः। छिन्नभिन्नाः स्म धावन्ति शत्रूणां वाजिनो गजाः॥७॥
Struck without pause by arrows made of flames, the enemy's horses and elephants ran about cut and shattered.
Passage 8
छिन्नार्धचक्रनिपातेन भुशुण्डाः कारिणां रणे। मुञ्चन्ति स्म महोच्छ्वासान् भाङ्कारध्वनिभीषणाः॥८॥
The trunks of the elephants, severed by falling half-discs in battle, released great gasps accompanied by terrifying trumpeting sounds.
Passage 9
शूलपातैर्निकृन्तानां नरवारणवाजिनाम्। शरीराणि व्यदृश्यन्ते पोथितानि महीतले॥९॥
The bodies of men, elephants, and horses, cut down by falling spears, could be seen crushed upon the earth.
Passage 10
निपेतुरसयस्तत्र कुम्भदेशेषु दन्तिनाम्। शैलानामिव शृङ्गेषु कुलिशा व्योमदेशतः॥१०॥
Swords fell there upon the elephants' foreheads, like thunderbolts descending from the sky upon mountain peaks.
Passage 11
महाचक्रनिपातेन सहसैव विचूर्णितैः। रथैरातस्तरे भूमिर्विपर्यस्तैर्निपातितैः॥११॥
The ground was covered with overturned, fallen chariots, suddenly pulverized by the descent of great discs.
Passage 12
गदापातविदीर्णानां मुहुर्निःश्वसतां भुवि। वपूंषि दुष्टयोधानां लुठन्ति स्म समन्ततः॥१२॥
The bodies of wicked warriors, rent by falling maces and repeatedly gasping, rolled everywhere upon the ground.
Passage 13
प्रचण्डकरवालौघद्विधाभूतैरनेकशः। संस्तृता समरे तत्र मुण्डै रुण्डैश्च मेदिनी॥१३॥
The earth in that battle was strewn with heads and headless trunks, repeatedly split apart by torrents of terrible swords.
Passage 14
दिव्यायुधानां नभसः पततां घोरनादिनाम्। निर्घातैरभवत्सेना राहुकेतुमयीव सा॥१४॥
Under the crashing blows of fearsomely roaring divine weapons falling from the sky, that army appeared filled with Rāhu and Ketu—portents of destruction.
Passage 15
महोल्कानां ज्वलन्तीनां विनिपातात्समन्ततः। ज्वलन्ति ध्वजवस्त्राणि दृश्यन्ते रथमूर्धसु॥१५॥
As great blazing meteors fell on every side, the banners atop the chariots were seen burning.
Passage 16
धावतां गर्जमानानां गजानां शरवृष्टिषु। हयानां ह्रेषमाणानां शरणं नास किञ्चन॥१६॥
Amid the rain of arrows there was no refuge at all for the elephants running and roaring or for the neighing horses.
Passage 17
अकस्मात्परिजज्वाल कल्पान्तस्येव पावकः। तस्य ज्वालावलीलीढा विनेशुः परसैनिकाः॥१७॥
Suddenly a fire blazed up like the fire at the end of an age. Licked by its garland of flames, the enemy soldiers perished.
Passage 18
खड्गशूलगदाचक्रभुशुण्डीपरिघादिभिः। राक्षसानीकमखिलं क्षणेन विनिपातितम्॥१८॥
Swords, spears, maces, discs, firearms, iron clubs, and other weapons laid the entire rākṣasa force low in an instant. The Invaders Flee
Passage 19
हाहेति च प्रभाषन्तो धावमाना इतस्ततः। विनेशुर्यवनाः सर्वे वर्षायां पांसुभित्तिवत्॥१९॥
Crying “Alas!” and running here and there, all the Yavanas dissolved like a wall of dust in the rain.
Passage 20
केचिद्वीर्यमदोद्रिक्ता गृहीतविविधायुधाः। अनालक्ष्य परांस्तत्र बभ्रमुर्वितथोद्यमाः॥२०॥
Some, swollen with pride in their valor and holding various weapons, wandered there unable to see their attackers, their efforts rendered futile.
Passage 21
केचिदाकस्मिकीं वृष्टिमायुधानां समन्ततः। समालोक्य सुवित्रेसुर्हताः स्म इति वादिनः॥२१॥
Some saw the sudden rain of weapons on every side and became utterly terrified, saying, “We are slain!”
Passage 22
केचित्सन्नद्धकवचान्यस्त्राण्यादाय चोद्धताः। किमेतदिति तर्कन्तो विनेशुरसुरोद्भटाः॥२२॥
Some arrogant demonic champions, clad in armor and taking up their weapons, perished while wondering, “What is this?”
Passage 23
केचिद्दैवकृतं मत्वा कदनं घोरमात्मनः। इतो नैवं करिष्याम इत्याभाष्य विनेशिरे॥२३॥
Some, thinking that providence had brought this terrible destruction upon them, said, “We will not act so again,” and died.
Passage 24
नष्टेषु म्लेच्छराजस्य सैन्येषु सह नायकैः। मृते च राक्षसानीके शेषाः केचिद्दुद्रुवुः॥२४॥
When the mleccha king's forces and their commanders had been destroyed, and the rākṣasa host was dead, some who remained fled.
Passage 25
गृहीतवेशसाः केचिद्राजानः परपक्षगाः। भग्नसङ्कल्पसैन्यौघा दुद्रुवुः समराजिरात्॥२५॥
Some kings who had adopted disguises and gone over to the enemy fled from the battlefield, their resolve and masses of troops broken.
Passage 26
तेषां ध्वजेषु देहेषु रथेषु गजवाजिषु। रामनामाङ्किता एव निखाताः पत्रिणो रणे॥२६॥
The arrows embedded in their banners, bodies, chariots, elephants, and horses in the battle were all inscribed with Rāma's name.
Passage 27
ते वाचयित्वा रामस्य नाम पुङ्खेषु लेखितम्। ललज्जिरेतरां भूपा अनैवंकारिणः पुनः॥२७॥
When those kings read Rāma's name written upon the arrow-shafts, they felt profound shame and would not act in that way again.
Passage 28
नष्टनष्टेषु सैन्येषु परेषां सुप्रमादिनाम्। वितेनुर्दुन्दुभीघोषं रघूणां सैनिका जनाः॥२८॥
As the exceedingly heedless enemies' armies were utterly destroyed, Raghu's soldiers raised the sound of war drums. The Sandals' Protection
Passage 29
अकस्माद् दुर्दिनमिव प्रवातेन निवारितम्। वीक्ष्य राघवसैन्यस्था विस्मिता इव चाभवन्॥२९॥
Seeing the danger suddenly swept away like foul weather by a strong wind, the men in Rāghava's army were filled with wonder.
Passage 30
ऊचिरे च किमाश्चर्यं राजेन्द्रस्य वनौकसः। तपते पादुकायुग्मं महीराज्यप्रशासने॥३०॥
They said, “What wonder is this? While the king of kings dwells in the forest, the pair of sandals exercises its spiritual power in governing the realm.
Passage 31
महापदो निवर्तन्ते ययोः संस्मरणादपि। तयोः प्रभोः पादुकयोः किं चित्रं स्वीयरक्षणम्॥३१॥
“Great calamities turn back merely by remembering our Lord's two sandals. What wonder, then, that they protect their own people?”
Passage 32
परचक्रप्रमथनं निजचक्रप्रहर्षणम्। श्रीपादुकाभ्यां विहितं यः पठेन्मानवोत्तमः॥३२॥
The blessed sandals crushed the foreign army and delighted their own. Whoever, being an excellent person, recites what they accomplished—
Passage 33
आधयो व्याधयस्तस्य न भवन्ति कदाचन। उपस्थितानि दुःखानि कृत्स्नशो यान्ति दूरतः॥३३॥
—will never suffer mental afflictions or diseases, and every sorrow that has arisen will go far away.
Passage 34
कीर्तनीयमिदं पुण्यं प्रातरुत्थाय मानवैः। वसिष्ठस्तवनं चैव परसैन्यविनाशनम्॥३४॥
People should rise in the morning and recite this sacred account: Vasiṣṭha's hymn and the destruction of the enemy army.
Passage 35
रामराजेन्द्रवर्यस्य पादुकाराज्यमुत्तमम्। दुर्दैवभीतिशमनं भक्तानां सुखदायकम्॥३५॥
The excellent reign of the sandals of Rāma, foremost king of kings, allays fear of misfortune and bestows happiness upon devotees. *Thus ends Chapter Fifty-two, “The Laying Low of the Enemy Army,” in the Reign of the Sandals within the Southern Book of the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍi in the venerable primal Rāmāyaṇa.*