Chapter 23

[English text for this chapter is available]

śeṣa uvāca |
kṣaṇaṃ sthitvā tṛṇānyattvā yayau vājī manojavaḥ |
vīraśreṇīvṛtaḥ patraṃ bhāle dhṛtvā sacāmaraḥ || 1 ||
[Analyze grammar]

śatrughnena suvīreṇa lakṣmīnidhi nṛpeṇa ca |
puṣkalenogravāhena pratāpāgryeṇa rakṣitaḥ || 2 ||
[Analyze grammar]

yayau purīṃ sa cakrāṃkāṃ subāhuparirakṣitām |
anekavīrakoṭībhī rakṣito'nugataḥ prabho || 3 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tadā putrosya damano mṛgayāmāsthito mahān |
dadarśāśvaṃ bhālapatraṃ caṃdanādikacarcitam || 4 ||
[Analyze grammar]

vilokya sevakaṃ prāha kasyāśvo me'kṣigocaraḥ |
bhāle patraṃ dhṛtaṃ kiṃ nu cāmaraṃ kiṃtu śobhanam || 5 ||
[Analyze grammar]

iti rājñovacaḥ śrutvā sevakaḥ prayayau tataḥ |
yatrāsau vartate vājī bhālapatraḥ suśobhanaḥ || 6 ||
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gṛhītvā taṃ keśasaṃghe ratnamālāvibhūṣitam |
nināya cāgre bhūpasya subāhukuladhāriṇaḥ || 7 ||
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sa patraṃ vācayāmāsa suṃdarākṣaraśobhitam |
ayodhyādhipatiścāsīdrājā daśaratho balī || 8 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tasyātmajo rāmabhadraḥ sarvaśūraśiromaṇiḥ |
nānyosti tatsamaḥ pṛthvyāṃ dhanurdharaṇavikramaḥ || 9 ||
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tenāsau mocito vājī caṃdanādikacarcitaḥ |
taṃ pālayati dharmātmā śatrughnaḥ paravīrahā || 10 ||
[Analyze grammar]

ye ca śūrā vayaṃ vīrā dhanurhastā ime vayam |
te gṛhṇaṃtu balādvāhaṃ ratnamālāvibhūṣitam || 11 ||
[Analyze grammar]

taṃ ca mokṣyati śatrughnaḥ sarvavīraśiromaṇiḥ |
anyathā pādayostasya praṇatiṃ yāṃtu dhanvinaḥ || 12 ||
[Analyze grammar]

ityabhiprāyamālokya jagāda nṛpanaṃdanaḥ |
rāma eva dhanurdhārī na vayaṃ kṣattriyāḥ smṛtāḥ || 13 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tāte me'vasthite pṛthvyāṃ ko'yaṃ garvo mahānbhuvi |
prāpnotu garvasya phalaṃ mama nirmuktasāyakaiḥ || 14 ||
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adya me niśitā bāṇāḥ śatrughnaṃ kiṃśukaṃ yathā |
puṣpitaṃ vidadhatvaddhā kṣatāvṛtaśarīrakam || 15 ||
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dārayaṃtu kapolāṃśca sāyakā mama daṃtinām |
aśvānpaśyaṃtu śataśo rudhiraughapariplutān || 16 ||
[Analyze grammar]

pibaṃtu yoginīsaṃghā rudhirāṇi nṛmastakaiḥ |
śivā bhavaṃtu saṃtuṣṭā madvairikravyabhakṣaṇaiḥ || 17 ||
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paśyaṃtu subhaṭāstasya mama bāhubalaṃ mahat |
kodaṃḍadaṃḍanirmuktāḥ śarakoṭīrvimuṃcataḥ || 18 ||
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itthamuktvā mahīpasya tanujo damanābhidhaḥ |
svapuraṃ preṣayitvā taṃ prahṛṣṭo'bhavadudbhaṭaḥ || 19 ||
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senāpatimuvācedaṃ sajjīkuru mahāmate |
senāṃ parimitāṃ mahyaṃ vairivṛṃdanivāraṇe || 20 ||
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sajjāṃ senāṃ vidhāyāśu saṃmukho raṇamaṃḍale |
sthitavānyā vadatyugrastāvatprāptā hayānugāḥ || 21 ||
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kvāsau hayo mahārājño bhālapatreṇa cihnitaḥ |
papracchuste tu cānyonyamativyākulitā muhuḥ || 22 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tāvaddadarśa purataḥ pratāpāgryaḥ paraṃtapaḥ |
sajjībhūtaṃ tu kaṭakaṃ vīraśabdanināditam || 23 ||
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tatrāvadañjanāḥ kecinnīto'śvo'nena bhūpate |
anyathā saṃmukhastiṣṭhetkathaṃ vīro balānugaḥ || 24 ||
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ityākarṇya pratāpāgryaḥ preṣayāmāsa sevakam |
sa gatvā tatra papraccha kutrāśvo rāmabhūpateḥ || 25 ||
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kena nītaḥ kuto nīto rāmaṃ jānāti no kudhīḥ |
yaṃ śakrapramukhā devā balimādāya sannatāḥ || 26 ||
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tasya vai dharmarājasya kupitaṃ tu balaṃ mahat |
sarvathā hi grasiṣyeta praṇatiṃ cenna yāsyati || 27 ||
[Analyze grammar]

itthamuktaṃ samākarṇya tadā rājasuto balī |
taṃ vai dhikkārayāmāsa vāgjālena sudurmanāḥ || 28 ||
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mayānīto yajñahayaḥ patracihnādyalaṃkṛtaḥ |
ye śūrāste tu māṃ jitvā mocayaṃtu balādiha || 29 ||
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sevakastadvacaḥ śrutvā roṣapūrṇo hasanyayau |
rājñe nivedayāmāsa yathāvadupavarṇitam || 30 ||
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tacchrutvā roṣatāmrākṣaḥ pratāpāgryo mahābalaḥ |
yayau yoddhuṃ rājaputraṃ mahāvīrapuraskṛtam || 31 ||
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rathena kanakāṃgena caturvājisuśobhinā |
sukūbareṇa sarvāstrapūritena yayau balī || 32 ||
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dhanuṣṭaṃkārayāmāsa mahābalasamanvitaḥ |
punaḥpunarjahāsoccaiḥ kopādudgamitāśrukaḥ || 33 ||
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aśvavāhā gajārūḍhāḥ khaḍgollasitapāṇayaḥ |
anvayuste pratāpāgryaṃ roṣapūrṇākulekṣaṇam || 34 ||
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hastinaḥ pattayaścaiva koṭiśaḥ pradhanodyatāḥ |
cirakālamabhīpsaṃto raṇaṃ vīreṇakāritam || 35 ||
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tadodyataṃ samājñāya ripusainyaṃ nṛpātmajaḥ |
pratyujjagāma vīrāgryo mahābalaparīvṛtaḥ || 36 ||
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sannaddhaḥ kavacī khaḍgī śarāsanadharo yuvā |
līlayaiva yayau yoddhuṃ mṛgarāḍgajatāmiva || 37 ||
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tadā yodhāḥ prakupitāḥ parasparavadhaiṣiṇaḥ |
chiṃdhi bhiṃdhīti bhāṣaṃto raṇakāryaviśāradāḥ || 38 ||
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pattayaḥ pattisaṃghena gajārūḍhāśca sādibhiḥ |
rathārūḍhā rathasthaiśca vāhārūḍhāśvasaṃsthitaiḥ || 39 ||
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gajā bhinnā dvidhā jātā hayāśca dvidalīkṛtāḥ |
anekanaramastiṣkairmedinīpūritā hyabhūt || 40 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tadā prakupito rājā pratāpāgryo mahābalaḥ |
svasainyakadanodyuktaṃ rājaputraṃ samīkṣya ca || 41 ||
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uvāca sārathiṃ tatra prāpayāśvānyato mama |
sainyasya kadanāsakto rājaputro mahārathaḥ || 42 ||
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atha vīraśiroratna namitāṃghrirnṛpātmajaḥ |
yayau saṃmukhamevāsya pratāpāgryasya vīryavān || 43 ||
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sārathiḥ prāpayāmāsa pratāpāgryasya vājinaḥ |
yatrāsau damano vīraḥ sarvaśūraśiromaṇiḥ || 44 ||
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gatvā tamāhvayāmāsa rājaputraṃ raṇodyatam |
rathe puraṭanirṇikte tiṣṭhankodaṃḍadaṃḍabhṛt || 45 ||
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re rājaputra ka śiśo tvayā baddho'śvasattamaḥ |
na jñātosi mahārājaḥ sarvavīreṃdra sevitaḥ || 46 ||
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yasya pratāpaṃ daityeṃdro na śaktaḥ soḍhumadbhutam |
tasya tvaṃ vājinaṃ nītvā gato'si puṭabhedanam || 47 ||
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māṃ jānīhi puraḥ prāptaṃ kālarūpaṃ tu vairiṇam |
muṃcāśvamarbha gacchāśu bālakrīḍanakaṃ kuru || 48 ||
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kasyātmajastvaṃ kutratyaḥ kathaṃ no'dīrghadarśinā |
dhṛto'śvastvatha saṃjātā ghṛṇā mama śiśo tvayi || 49 ||
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itthamākarṇya damanaḥ smitaṃ cakre mahāmanāḥ |
uvāca ca pratāpāgryaṃ tṛṇīkurvaṃśca tadbalam || 50 ||
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damana uvāca |
mayā baddho balādaśvo nītaḥ svapuṭabhedanam |
nārpayiṣye'dya saprāṇaḥ kuru yuddhaṃ mahābala || 51 ||
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tvayā yaduktaṃ bālastvaṃ gatvā krīḍanakaṃ kuru |
tanme paśya mahārāja krīḍanaṃ raṇamūrdhani || 52 ||
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śeṣa uvāca |
ityuktvā saguṇaṃ cāpaṃ vidhāya subhujāṃ gajaḥ |
śarāṇāṃ śatamādhatta pratāpāgryasya vakṣasi || 53 ||
[Analyze grammar]

saṃdhāya bāṇaśatakaṃ śaṃkhaṃ dadhmau pratāpavān |
tena śaṃkhaninādena kātarāṇāṃ bhayaṃ hyabhūt || 54 ||
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tāḍayāmāsa hṛdaye bāṇānāṃ śatakena saḥ |
pratāpāgryaḥ praciccheda laghuhastaḥ suparvaṇaḥ || 55 ||
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sa bāṇacchedanaṃ dṛṣṭvā kupito vyasṛjaccharān |
kaṃkapakṣānvitāṃstīkṣṇabhallānrājātmajo balī || 56 ||
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ākāśe bhuvi madhye ca bāṇā dadṛśire'ñcitāḥ |
svanāmacihnitāstīkṣṇadhārāpātasuśobhitāḥ || 57 ||
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śarāstadbāhu hṛdaye lagnā vahnikaṇānbahūn |
sṛjaṃtaḥ kurvate sainyadāhanaṃ tadabhūnmahat || 58 ||
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pratāpāgryaḥ prakupitastiṣṭhatiṣṭheti ca bruvan |
śareṇa daśasaṃkhyena tāḍayāmāsa mūrdhani || 59 ||
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te bāṇā rājaputrasya lalāṭe pariniṣṭhitāḥ |
virājaṃte sma ca mune daśaśākhāstaroriva || 60 ||
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tena bāṇaprahāreṇa vivyathena mahāmanāḥ |
yaṣṭikāprahato yadvatkuṃjaraḥ saptavarṣakaḥ || 61 ||
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bāṇāndhanuṣi saṃdhāya mumoca triśatāñchubhān |
suvarṇapuṃkharacitānmahākālānalopamān || 62 ||
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te bāṇāstu pratāpāgrya vakṣo bhittvā gatā hyadhaḥ |
śoṇitāktā yathā rāmacaṃdra bhakti parāṅmukhāḥ || 63 ||
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pratāpāgryaḥ prakupitaḥ śarānmuṃcansahasraśaḥ |
akarodvirathaṃ sūnuṃ subāhostatkṣaṇāddrutam || 64 ||
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caturbhiśca turo vāhāndvābhyāṃ dhvajamaśātayat |
ekena sāratheḥ kāyācchiro mahyāmapātayat || 65 ||
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caturbhistāḍayāmāsa taṃ sūnuṃ nṛpateḥ punaḥ |
tatkṣaṇāccāpamekena guṇayuktaṃ tu cicchide || 66 ||
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so'nyarathaṃ samāruhya hayaratnasuśobhitam |
dhanuḥ kare samādāya sajyaṃ cakre mahāmanāḥ || 67 ||
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pratyuvāca pratāpāgryaṃ tvayā vikrāṃtamadbhutam |
paśyedānīṃ parākrāṃtiṃ dhanuṣo mama sadbhaṭa || 68 ||
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evamuktvā tu damano bāṇāndaśa samādade |
caturbhiścaturo vāhānnināya yamasādanam || 69 ||
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caturbhistilaśaḥ kṛtto rathaścakrasamanvitaḥ |
ekena hṛdi vivyādha bāṇenaikena sārathim || 70 ||
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jagarja śaṃkhamāpūrya śaṃkhaśabdasamanvitaḥ |
tatkarma pūjayāmāsa sādhu vīra mahābala || 71 ||
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iti vikrāṃtamālokya pratāpāgryo ruṣānvitaḥ |
anyaṃ rathaṃ samāsthāya yayau yoddhuṃ nṛpātmajam || 72 ||
[Analyze grammar]

uvāca vīra paśya tvaṃ mama vikrāṃtamadbhutam |
ityuktvāśu mumocaughāñcharāṇāṃ śitaparvaṇām || 73 ||
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śarāḥ sarvatra dṛśyaṃte kuṃjareṣu hayeṣu ca |
parabrahmeva sarvatra vyāptāścāṃtaragocarāḥ || 74 ||
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taṃ rājaputraṃ śitabāṇakoṭibhi |
rvyāptaṃ vidhāyāśu jagarja vikramī |
saṃharṣayansvīyagaṇānparānmahān |
kurvanhṛdā śūnyatamāngatāsukān || 75 ||
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sa rājaputraḥ śitasāyakavrajaiḥ |
saṃpūrṇamātmānamavekṣya roṣitaḥ |
jagrāha śastrāṇi duraṃtavikramo |
dhanuśca dhunvanbhujadaṃḍayormahān || 76 ||
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cakarta sarvāṇyastrāṇi śastrāṇi ca mahābalaḥ |
roṣatāmrekṣaṇo muṃcañcharānvairividāriṇaḥ || 77 ||
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tacchastrajālaṃ nirdhūya rājaputro jagāda tam |
kṣamasvaikaṃ prahāraṃ me yadi śūrosi māriṣa || 78 ||
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yadyanena bhavaṃtaṃ vai rathāccetpātayāmi na |
pratijñāṃ śṛṇu me vīra mama garveṇa nirmitām || 79 ||
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vedaṃ niṃdaṃti ye mattā hetuvādavicakṣaṇāḥ |
teṣāṃ pāpaṃ mamaivāstu narakārṇavamajjakam || 80 ||
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ityuktvā bāṇamāsādya kodaṃḍe kālasannibham |
jvālāmālākulaṃ tīkṣṇaṃ niṣaṃgāduddhṛtaṃ varam || 81 ||
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sa mukto nṛpavaryeṇa hṛdi lakṣyīkṛtaḥ śaraḥ |
jagāma tarasā taṃ vai kālānalasamaprabhaḥ || 82 ||
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pratāpāgryaḥ śaraṃ dṛṣṭvā svapātanasamudyatam |
bāṇāndhanuṣyathādhatta śaracchedāyavai śitān || 83 ||
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sa bāṇaḥ sarvabāṇāṃstāṃśchiṃdanmadhyata eva hi |
jagāma vai pratāpāgryahṛdayaṃ dhairyasaṃyutam || 84 ||
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saṃlagno hṛdi nālīkaḥ praviveśa tadaṃtaram |
rājākṛtaprahārastu papāta dharaṇītale || 85 ||
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mūrcchitaṃ cetanāhīnaṃ rathopasthādgataṃ bhuvi |
sārathistaṃ samādāyāpovāha raṇamaṃḍalāt || 86 ||
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hāhākāromahānāsīdbalaṃ bhagnaṃ gataṃ tataḥ |
yatra śatrughnanāmāsau vīrakoṭiparīvṛtaḥ || 87 ||
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rājātmajo jayaṃ prāpya pratāpāgryaṃ vijitya saḥ |
pratīkṣāṃ tu cakārāsya śatrughnasya ca bhūpateḥ || 88 ||
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iti śrīpadmapurāṇe pātālakhaṃḍe śeṣavātsyāyanasaṃvāde rāmāśvamedhe |
rājaputrayuddhakathanaṃnāma trayoviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 23 ||
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