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राम

Rāma's sacred narrative

Lakṣmaṇa revived and the great battle

Page unit 19 of 51 · printed page 19

Original · Devanagari

(सवैया) लच्छन लाल विचच्छन सूर, तुम्हारी कवी कीरति गेहै। त्यों रसरङ्गमणी मम प्रान, सही अवहीं तुम्हरे ढिग एहै॥ मो बिनु मीत सुकंठ जिए, नाह वानरहू वनमाहिं समेहै। हाय हिए अति सोच यही, अब कौन के भान विभीषन जेहै॥३७॥ (दोहा) मारुतसुत मनते चटक, जाय सजीवनि ल्याय। राम प्रानप्रिय लखन को, सुखी कियो शिर नाय॥५॥ कवित्त— जैसो इन्द्रजीत वीर अतिहीं अभीत, तैसो महाबली रामानुज दोऊ रण दक्ष दक्ष। जुद्धत विरुद्ध कुद्ध रुद्ध एक एकन को, कहें केतो भाग ना तो जमलोक गच्छ गच्छ॥ उद्धत प्रताप चाप खचि रसरङ्गमणी, छोड़े लक्ष जोरि शर लक्षमण लक्ष लक्ष। लक्षत राघव को बंधु मेघनादे मारि, लाघव सों समर उछाह छाको छेकियो विपक्ष पक्ष॥३८॥ रोषे रणधीर रघुवीर अरि वीरन पै, तजत शरासन को तानि शर झर झर। मारे रसरङ्गमणी रावण-अनी के सूर, केते होत चूर चूर केते अंग जर जर॥ धावे बिना साँस धर सीस परे धरा पर, करे चहूँओर सोर मार मार धर धर। केते बाण लागे प्रीतिप्राण हीं के पागे, भट रणभूमि त्यागे भारि भीति भागे भर भर॥३९॥ गगन के अनुहार गगन है निराधार, सागर अकार एक सागर महान है। अथवा अकास सम अम्बुधि बखान करें, अम्बुधि को कहें उपमान आसमान है॥ ऐसो आदिकाव्य को प्रसङ्ग रसरङ्ग, ताते कछू राम-रावण की समता निदान है। उपमा न आन कियो आदिकवि गान, राम-रावण को जुद्ध राम-रावण समान है॥४०॥ धारि दाढ़ा दशसीस भुजबीस, दश हाथन सों दश धनु तानि तजे वीर बाण—

Fresh English translation

Rāma laments: ‘Dear Lakṣmaṇa, discerning hero, poets will make your fame their dwelling. My very life remains here beside you. Without me Sugrīva might live, and the monkeys might remain in the forest; but alas, my heart’s deepest grief is this—under whose protection will Vibhīṣaṇa now remain?’ The son of the Wind springs away at the speed of thought and brings the life-restoring herb. Bowing his head, he revives Lakṣmaṇa, who is dear to Rāma as life itself. Indrajit is exceedingly fearless and heroic, while Rāma’s younger brother is equally mighty; both are supremely skilled in battle. Enraged, each blocks the other and cries, ‘Where will you flee? If nowhere, go to Yama’s realm!’ Drawing his bow in fierce splendour, Lakṣmaṇa releases volleys of arrows. Rāghava’s brother kills Meghanāda and, with astonishing lightness, checks the enemy host swollen with the exhilaration of combat. The steadfast Raghubīra grows wrathful against the enemy champions. He draws his bow and arrows pour like rain. The heroes of Rāvaṇa’s army are crushed; limbs burn and break. Some charge breathlessly, some fall headlong to the earth, and cries of ‘Strike! Seize!’ rise everywhere. Many are pierced by arrows and, overwhelmed with fear, abandon the battlefield and flee. The sky resembles nothing but the unsupported sky; the ocean is one vast ocean. One may call the ocean as wide as space, but then the sky itself becomes its comparison. So too, says Rasaraṅgamaṇi, the primordial epic offers no other comparison for the war between Rāma and Rāvaṇa: their battle is like nothing but the battle of Rāma and Rāvaṇa. The page ends as Rāvaṇa, bearing ten fanged heads and twenty arms, stretches ten bows in ten hands and looses heroic arrows.