Uttara Kanda, Sarga 68

कथां कथयतां तेषां जयं चाकाङ्क्षतां शुभम् । व्यतीता रजनी शीघ्रं शत्रुघ्नस्य महात्मनः ।। 7.68.1 ।।

kathāṃ kathayatāṃ teṣāṃ jayaṃ cākāṅkṣatāṃ śubham | vyatītā rajanī śīghraṃ śatrughnasya mahātmanaḥ || 7.68.1 ||

While they were conversing and wishing for an auspicious victory, the night quickly passed for the great-souled Shatrughna.

ततः प्रभाते विमले तस्मिन्काले स राक्षसः । निर्गतस्तु पुराद्धीरो भक्ष्याहारप्रचोदितः ।। 7.68.2 ।।

tataḥ prabhāte vimale tasminkāle sa rākṣasaḥ | nirgatastu purāddhīro bhakṣyāhārapracoditaḥ || 7.68.2 ||

Then, in that clear morning, the brave demon, impelled by his hunger for food, came out of the city.

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे वीरः शत्रुघ्नो यमुनां नदीम् । तीर्त्वा मधुपुरद्वारि धनुष्पाणिरतिष्ठत ।। 7.68.3 ।।

etasminnantare vīraḥ śatrughno yamunāṃ nadīm | tīrtvā madhupuradvāri dhanuṣpāṇiratiṣṭhata || 7.68.3 ||

In the meantime, the brave Shatrughna, having crossed the Yamuna river, stood at the gate of Madhupura with his bow in hand.

ततो ऽर्धदिवसे प्राप्ते क्रूरकर्मा स राक्षसः । आगच्छद्बहुसाहस्रं प्राणिनां भारमुद्वहन् ।। 7.68.4 ।।

tato 'rdhadivase prāpte krūrakarmā sa rākṣasaḥ | āgacchadbahusāhasraṃ prāṇināṃ bhāramudvahan || 7.68.4 ||

Then, as midday arrived, that cruel demon came, carrying the burden of many thousands of living beings.

ततो ददर्श शत्रुघ्नं स्थितं द्वारि धृतायुधम् । तमुवाच ततो रक्षः किमनेन करिष्यसि ।। 7.68.5 ।।

tato dadarśa śatrughnaṃ sthitaṃ dvāri dhṛtāyudham | tamuvāca tato rakṣaḥ kimanena kariṣyasi || 7.68.5 ||

Then he saw Shatrughna standing at the gate, holding a weapon, and the demon then asked him, "What will you do with this?"

ईदृशानां सहस्राणि सायुधानां नराधम । भक्षितानि मया रोषात्कालमाकाङ्क्षसे नु किम् ।। 7.68.6 ।।

īdṛśānāṃ sahasrāṇi sāyudhānāṃ narādhama | bhakṣitāni mayā roṣātkālamākāṅkṣase nu kim || 7.68.6 ||

"O vilest of men, I have devoured thousands of armed individuals like you out of anger; do you indeed desire death?"

आहारश्चास्य सम्पूर्णो ममायं पुरुषाधम । स्वयं प्रविष्टो ऽद्य मुखं कथमासाद्य दुर्मते ।। 7.68.7 ।।

āhāraścāsya sampūrṇo mamāyaṃ puruṣādhama | svayaṃ praviṣṭo 'dya mukhaṃ kathamāsādya durmate || 7.68.7 ||

The demon, addressing Shatrughna, exclaims that Shatrughna, the vilest and evil-minded of men, has today entered his mouth by himself, thus becoming his complete meal.

तस्यैवं भाषमाणस्य हसतश्च मुहुर्मुहुः । शत्रुघ्नो वीर्यसम्पन्नो रोषादश्रूण्यवासृजत् ।। 7.68.8 ।।

tasyaivaṃ bhāṣamāṇasya hasataśca muhurmuhuḥ | śatrughno vīryasampanno roṣādaśrūṇyavāsṛjat || 7.68.8 ||

As the demon spoke thus and laughed repeatedly, the valiant Shatrughna shed tears out of intense anger.

तस्य रोषाभिभूतस्य शत्रुघ्नस्य महात्मनः । तेजोमया मरीच्यस्तु सर्वगात्रैर्विनिष्पतन् ।। 7.68.9 ।।

tasya roṣābhibhūtasya śatrughnasya mahātmanaḥ | tejomayā marīcyastu sarvagātrairviniṣpatan || 7.68.9 ||

From the great-souled Shatrughna, who was overcome by such rage, radiant rays of light emanated from all his limbs.

उवाच च सुसङ्क्रुद्धः शत्रुघ्नस्तं निशाचरम् । योद्धुमिच्छामि दुर्बुद्धे द्वन्द्वयुद्धं त्वया सह ।। 7.68.10 ।।

uvāca ca susaṅkruddhaḥ śatrughnastaṃ niśācaram | yoddhumicchāmi durbuddhe dvandvayuddhaṃ tvayā saha || 7.68.10 ||

And Shatrughna, greatly enraged, spoke to that demon, declaring his wish to engage in single combat with the evil-minded one.

पुत्रो दशरथस्याहं भ्राता रामस्य धीमतः । शत्रुघ्नो नित्यशत्रुघ्नो वधाकाङ्क्षी तवागतः ।। 7.68.11 ।।

putro daśarathasyāhaṃ bhrātā rāmasya dhīmataḥ | śatrughno nityaśatrughno vadhākāṅkṣī tavāgataḥ || 7.68.11 ||

I am Shatrughna, the son of Dasharatha and brother of the wise Rama, the eternal slayer of enemies, and I have come here desiring your death.

तस्य मे युद्धकामस्य द्वन्द्वयुद्धं प्रदीयताम् । शत्रुस्त्वं सर्वभूतानां न मे जीवन्गमिष्यसि ।। 7.68.12 ।।

tasya me yuddhakāmasya dvandvayuddhaṃ pradīyatām | śatrustvaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ na me jīvangamiṣyasi || 7.68.12 ||

Grant me, who desires battle, a single combat, for you are an enemy to all beings, and you shall not escape me alive.

तस्मिंस्तथा ब्रुवाणे तु राक्षसः प्रहसन्निव । प्रत्युवाच नरश्रेष्ठं दिष्ट्या प्राप्तो ऽसि दुर्मते ।। 7.68.13 ।।

tasmiṃstathā bruvāṇe tu rākṣasaḥ prahasanniva | pratyuvāca naraśreṣṭhaṃ diṣṭyā prāpto 'si durmate || 7.68.13 ||

As he spoke thus, the demon, as if laughing, replied to the best of men, "Fortunately, O evil-minded one, you have arrived!"

मम मातृष्वसुर्भ्राता रावणो राक्षसाधिपः । हतो रामेण दुर्बुद्धे स्त्रीहेतोः पुरुषाधम ।। 7.68.14 ।।

mama mātṛṣvasurbhrātā rāvaṇo rākṣasādhipaḥ | hato rāmeṇa durbuddhe strīhetoḥ puruṣādhama || 7.68.14 ||

O foolish one, O lowest of men, my maternal uncle Ravana, the lord of demons, was killed by Rama for the sake of a woman.

तच्च सर्वं मया क्षान्तं रावणस्य कुलक्षयम् । अवज्ञां पुरतः कृत्वा मया यूयं विशेषतः ।। 7.68.15 ।।

tacca sarvaṃ mayā kṣāntaṃ rāvaṇasya kulakṣayam | avajñāṃ purataḥ kṛtvā mayā yūyaṃ viśeṣataḥ || 7.68.15 ||

I tolerated all that, the destruction of Ravana's lineage, but I have especially shown contempt towards you all from the very beginning.

निहताश्च हि मे सर्वे परिभूतास्तृणं यथा । भूताश्चैव भविष्याश्च यूयं च पुरुषाधमाः ।। 7.68.16 ।।

nihatāśca hi me sarve paribhūtāstṛṇaṃ yathā | bhūtāścaiva bhaviṣyāśca yūyaṃ ca puruṣādhamāḥ || 7.68.16 ||

Indeed, all of them, past, present, and future, including you, O lowest of men, have been killed and insulted by me as if they were mere grass.

तस्य ते युद्धकामस्य युद्धं दास्यामि दुर्मते । तिष्ठं त्वं च मुहूर्तं तु यावदायुधमानये । ईप्सितं यादृशं तुभ्यं सज्जये यावदायुधम् ।। 7.68.17 ।।

tasya te yuddhakāmasya yuddhaṃ dāsyāmi durmate | tiṣṭhaṃ tvaṃ ca muhūrtaṃ tu yāvadāyudhamānaye | īpsitaṃ yādṛśaṃ tubhyaṃ sajjaye yāvadāyudham || 7.68.17 ||

O evil-minded one, I will give you the battle you desire; just wait for a moment until I bring and prepare the kind of weapon you wish for.

तमुवाचाशु शत्रुघ्नः क्व मे जीवन्गमिष्यसि । शत्रुर्यदृच्छया दृष्टो न मोक्तव्यः कृतात्मना ।। 7.68.18 ।।

tamuvācāśu śatrughnaḥ kva me jīvangamiṣyasi | śatruryadṛcchayā dṛṣṭo na moktavyaḥ kṛtātmanā || 7.68.18 ||

Shatrughna quickly said to him, "Where will you go alive from me? An enemy, once seen by chance, should not be released by a resolute person."

यो हि विक्लवया बुद्ध्या प्रसरं शत्रवे ददौ । स हतो मन्दबुद्धित्वाद्यथा कापुरुषस्तथा ।। 7.68.19 ।।

yo hi viklavayā buddhyā prasaraṃ śatrave dadau | sa hato mandabuddhitvādyathā kāpuruṣastathā || 7.68.19 ||

Indeed, whoever gives an advantage to an enemy with a wavering mind is killed due to his dull-wittedness, just like a coward.

तस्मात्सुदृष्टं कुरु जीवलोकं शरैः शितैस्त्वां विविधैर्नयामि । यमस्य गेहाभिमुखं हि पापं रिपुं त्रिलोकस्य च राघवस्य ।। 7.68.20 ।।

tasmātsudṛṣṭaṃ kuru jīvalokaṃ śaraiḥ śitaistvāṃ vividhairnayāmi | yamasya gehābhimukhaṃ hi pāpaṃ ripuṃ trilokasya ca rāghavasya || 7.68.20 ||

Therefore, take a good look at the world of the living, for I shall lead you, a sinful enemy of the three worlds and of Rama, towards Yama's abode with various sharp arrows. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे ऽष्टषष्टितमः सर्गः ।। 68 ।। Thus ends the sixty-eighth sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.