Ramayana Condensed in the Poet's Own Words /379

361
 
Then ensued an exceedingly fierce and

wondrous battle between them.
 
YUDDHAKANDA
 
,
 
तदैन्द्रमस्त्रं सौमित्रिः संयुगेष्वपराजितम् ।

सन्धाय धनुषि श्रेष्ठे विकर्षन्निदमब्रवीत् ॥
 

Then, fixing the Indra arrow which

never fails in battle to his excellent bow

and drawing it out, Lakshmana said :
 

 
धर्मात्मा सत्यसन्धश्च रामौ दाशरथिर्यदि ।

पौरुषे चा प्रतिद्वन्द्वः शरैनं जहि रावणिम् ॥
 

" If Rama the son of Dasaratha is

devoted to Dharma and rooted in truth

and unequalled in valour, O arrow, kill

this son of Ravana."
 

 
इत्युक्तवा बाणमाकर्णणं विकृष्य तमजिह्यगम् ।

लक्ष्मणः समरे वीरः ससर्जेन्द्रजितं प्रति ॥
 

Saying this and drawing the straight-

speeding arrow right up to his ear, the

heroic Lakshmana let it fly in the battle-

field against Indrajit.
 

 
स शिरः सशिरस्त्राणं श्रीमज्ज्वलित कुण्डलम् ।

प्रमथ्येन्द्रजितः : कायात् पातयामास भूतले ॥