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राम

दक्षिणखण्ड · अध्याय 184

Sugrīva Is Defeated in the First Battle

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Chapter context and opening material

Sugrīva challenges Vālin outside Kiṣkindhā. Their combat escalates from wrestling to clubs, weapons, trees, rocks, and crushing blows. Because the two brothers have identical form, dress, and prowess, Rāma cannot safely identify his friend and withholds the arrow. Vālin's blows finally drive Sugrīva from the field. Sugrīva Challenges Vālin

Passage 1

ब्रह्मोवाच— तस्याः परिसरे स्थित्वा गाढमास्फोट्य दोर्भ्याम्। कृत्वा सिंहनिनादं स आपूर्य ध्वनिभिर्दिशः॥१॥

Brahmā said: Standing outside the city, Sugrīva struck his arms forcefully and filled the directions with a lion's roar.

Passage 2

कृत्वा किलकिलाशब्दं मुखेनापूरयन् नभः। आजुहावाग्रजं युद्धे संरम्भादाततायिनम्॥२॥

Filling the sky with his shrill cry, he furiously summoned his aggressive elder brother to battle. The Brothers Clash

Passage 3

अयुध्यतां मिथो युक्तौ तावुभावाततायिनौ। दोर्दण्डविहितास्फोटौ संरब्धौ युद्धदुर्मदौ॥३॥

The two aggressors met in combat, angrily slapping their staff-like arms and intoxicated with battle.

Passage 4

कृतान्योन्यसुनिर्घातौ नानाबन्धविशारदौ। मल्लकक्षस्फुरज्जङ्घौ साक्षाद्वीररसाविव॥४॥

Skilled in many wrestling holds, they struck each other violently; thighs flexing in the arena, they seemed valor embodied.

Passage 5

आरक्तनयनद्वन्द्वौ भ्रुकुटीभङ्गभीषणौ। अन्योन्यजीवितान्तेच्छू अन्योन्योद्धोषकारिणौ॥५॥

Their eyes were blood-red and their broken frowns terrible; each sought the other's death and shouted challenges.

Passage 6

मुष्टीमुष्टिकृताघातौ दन्तादन्ति नखानखि। हस्ताहस्तिकृतोत्क्षेपौ पादापादिप्रहारिणौ॥६॥

They traded fist for fist, tooth for tooth, claw for claw, hand throws, and blows of foot against foot.

Passage 7

दण्डादण्डिकृतावेगप्रहारौ वीर्यवत्तमौ। शक्तीशक्तिप्रहरणौ शूलाशूलि गदागदि॥७॥

Supremely powerful, they answered staff with staff, spear with spear, pike with pike, and mace with mace.

Passage 8

हलाहलिदृढाघातं युध्यमानौ परस्परम्। खङ्गाखङ्गिखराघातं ताडयन्तौ महाबलौ॥८॥

The immensely strong pair struck each other with hard plow-blows and keen sword against sword.

Passage 9

नागायुतबलोपेतौ तलशब्दप्रहारिणौ। दर्शयन्तावुभौ युद्धे ह्यन्योन्यप्लुतिलाघवम्॥९॥

Each possessed the strength of ten thousand elephants; striking with resounding palms, they displayed agile leaps against one another.

Passage 10

परस्परं घातयन्तावुत्क्षिपन्तौ परस्परम्। परस्परं घोषयन्तौ दिशः किलकिलारवैः॥१०॥

They battered and hurled one another, filling the directions with their mutual battle cries.

Passage 11

अङ्गवीरावेशशोणैः पुलकौघविसंस्थुलौ। वलन्तौ विचलन्तौ च कुर्वन्तौ भूर्युपक्रमम्॥११॥

Their limbs reddened by heroic fury and bristling with horripilation, they wheeled, shifted, and launched many attacks. Vālin Taunts Sugrīva

Passage 12

एह्येहि दुष्ट दुर्ग्रीव त्वं मया युद्धमिच्छसि। तारां च राज्यलक्ष्मीं च भोक्तुकामोऽसि लोलुप॥१२॥

Vālin cried: “Come, come, wicked, ugly-necked creature! You seek battle with me, greedy to enjoy Tārā and royal fortune.

Passage 13

तत्ते दूरे द्वयमपि मत्तो मृत्युस्तु सन्निधौ। अतस्त्वं मर्तुकामो मां सम्प्राप्तो दर्पगर्वितः॥१३॥

“Both lie far beyond you; only death from me stands near. Proud with arrogance, you have approached me because you desire to die.

Passage 14

किं किं न कुर्वते प्रायो मर्तुकामा जना इह। अतो विमूढहृदयः संजातोऽस्यधुना रिपो॥१४॥

“What will people who desire death not do? Enemy, your heart has now become utterly deluded.

Passage 15

एकेनैव प्रहारेण त्वां नयामि यमक्षयम्। इत्युक्त्वा बलवान् वाली प्रजघ्ने गदयैव तम्॥१५॥

“With one blow I shall send you to Yama's abode.” Having spoken, mighty Vālin struck him with his mace.

Passage 16

सोऽपि वेगात् समुत्तोल्य गदां सुमहतीं रिपोः। जघान वक्षसि क्रुद्धः सा तस्य पुष्पमिवाभवत्॥१६॥

Sugrīva swiftly raised an enormous mace and angrily struck his enemy's chest, but against Vālin it was like a flower. Weapons, Trees, and Rocks

Passage 17

ततोऽन्योन्यं गदाघातैः समरे तावयुध्यताम्। अध ऊर्ध्वं समन्ताच्च दर्शयन्तौ गदे उभे॥१७॥

They then fought with mace-blows, displaying their weapons below, above, and on every side.

Passage 18

परस्परप्रहारैस्ते चूर्णतामागते गदे। ततः शङ्करयष्टिशूलासिभुशुण्डीपरिघादिभिः॥१८॥

Their maces were pulverized by mutual blows; then they took up clubs, pikes, swords, bhuśuṇḍī weapons, iron bars, and more.

Passage 19

वरश्वधप्रासकुन्ततोमरादिभिरायुधैः। प्रजघ्नतुस्तावन्योन्यं रोषावेशप्रहारिणौ॥१९॥

Overcome by rage, they attacked each other with battle-axes, darts, lances, javelins, and other arms.

Passage 20

भग्नेष्वायुधपूगेषु तरुशैलशिलादिभिः। अयुध्यतां मिथो रक्तौ रोषावेशवशं गतौ॥२०॥

When their masses of weapons broke, the enraged pair fought with trees, mountains, and rocks.

Passage 21

तयोः प्रहरतोर्गाढं शिलाभिस्तरुभिस्तथा। निर्घातघोषः समभूद्गर्जतोर्घनयोरिव॥२१॥

As they struck fiercely with stones and trees, the crash resembled two roaring thunderclouds.

Passage 22

शिलाश्च भग्नतां नीताः काठिन्यादङ्गयोस्तयोः। समूलोत्पाटितास्तुङ्गास्तरवश्च त्रुटद्भुजाः॥२२॥

Rocks shattered against their hard bodies, while towering trees were uprooted and their branches broken.

Passage 23

ताभ्यां वज्रप्रहारिभ्यां गर्जद्भ्यां घोरनिःस्वनम्। समन्तात्संक्षयं नीता अद्रिकूटा महोन्नताः॥२३॥

Roaring like thunderbolt-wielders with dreadful sound, they destroyed lofty mountain peaks all around.

Passage 24

भञ्जिताश्चैव तरवः स्कन्धैर्घे गगनस्पृशः। ततोऽवतीर्णौ समरे मुष्टीमुष्टिप्रहारिणौ॥२४॥

They broke sky-touching trees with their shoulders and then descended into fist-to-fist combat. The Final Wrestling Contest

Passage 25

तयोर्मुष्टिप्रहारैस्तैर्घोरैर्घनारवैः। कम्पिता धरणी कृत्स्ना शब्दायितमभून्नभः॥२५॥

Their terrible, thunderous fist-blows shook the whole earth and made the sky resound.

Passage 26

कोटिवज्रनिपातोत्थैरारवैरिव सर्वतः। अरुद्धां रोदसी शब्दैर्मुष्टिप्रहारजैः॥२६॥

The sounds born of their punches filled heaven and earth like the crash of ten million thunderbolts.

Passage 27

तलप्रहारैः प्रखरैर्मुष्टिभिश्चातिदारुणैः। जङ्घाबाहुप्रहारैश्च रोदसी संततं वृते॥२७॥

Sharp palm-strikes, terrible fists, thighs, and arms continuously filled the worlds with noise.

Passage 28

उपर्यधश्च मथ्नन्तौ तावन्योन्यस्य वर्ष्मणी। मोटयन्तौ क्षिपन्तौ च युधि भूरि प्रजहतुः॥२८॥

Crushing each other's bodies above and below, they twisted, threw, and struck repeatedly.

Passage 29

मल्लयुद्धेन युद्ध्यन्तौ प्रहारापातदारुणौ। अन्योन्याङ्ककृताक्षेपावन्योन्यपरिमर्दनौ॥२९॥

They wrestled with dreadful falling blows, lifting one another against their bodies and grinding each other down.

Passage 30

अन्योन्याङ्गकृताक्रान्ती अन्योन्यजयकाङ्क्षिणौ। अन्योन्यमूर्धहरणमिच्छन्तौ बद्धवेशसौ॥३०॥

Each pressed upon the other's limbs and sought victory, their garments bound tight as each tried to seize the other's head. Rāma Cannot Distinguish His Friend

Passage 31

एकरूपावेकवेशावेकशीलपराक्रमौ। युध्यमानौ मिथो युद्धे रामेणैवं वितर्कितौ॥३१॥

As the two fought, identical in form, dress, bearing, and prowess, Rāma began to reason.

Passage 32

अहो ममेह को मित्रमनयोर्युध्यमानयोः। द्वयोः प्लवगयोर्मध्ये समानतनुरूपयोः॥३२॥

“Alas, which of these fighting monkeys is my friend? Their bodies and appearances are the same.

Passage 33

किं च मित्रस्य चिह्नं स्यादिति मे मुह्यते मनः। इत्येवं तर्कमाणेऽस्मिन्मर्त्यलीलानुकारिणि॥३३॥

“What mark could identify my friend?” Thus the mind of the one imitating mortal play became uncertain.

Passage 34

रामे दाशरथौ देवे बलिना तेन वालिना। इन्द्रस्य तनयेनायं सूर्यसूनुः पराजितः॥३४॥

While Daśaratha's divine son Rāma thus deliberated, mighty Vālin, Indra's son, defeated Sugrīva, the sun's son.

Passage 35

वीर्यौघभाजा बलिनां वरेण तेनायमुच्चैर्युधि युध्यमानः। मुष्टिप्रहारैः सपदि प्रसह्य विद्रावितः सङ्गरतोऽर्कसूनुः॥३५॥

As he fought fiercely, the sun's son was suddenly and forcibly driven from the battlefield by the fist-blows of Vālin, foremost of the mighty and filled with a flood of valor.