21 shlokas
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 ||
Translation
While they were telling that tale and longing for an auspicious victory, the night of the great-souled Shatrughna passed swiftly away.
ततः प्रभाते विमले तस्मिन्काले स राक्षसः । निर्गतस्तु पुराद्धीरो भक्ष्याहारप्रचोदितः ।। 7.68.2 ।।
tataḥ prabhāte vimale tasminkāle sa rākṣasaḥ | nirgatastu purāddhīro bhakṣyāhārapracoditaḥ || 7.68.2 ||
Translation
Then at that time, in the clear dawn, that bold Rakshasa, driven by the need for food to eat, went forth from the city.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे वीरः शत्रुघ्नो यमुनां नदीम् । तीर्त्वा मधुपुरद्वारि धनुष्पाणिरतिष्ठत ।। 7.68.3 ।।
etasminnantare vīraḥ śatrughno yamunāṃ nadīm | tīrtvā madhupuradvāri dhanuṣpāṇiratiṣṭhata || 7.68.3 ||
Translation
Meanwhile the hero Shatrughna, having crossed the river Yamuna, took his stand at the gate of Madhupura, 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 ||
Translation
Then, when half the day had passed, that Rakshasa of cruel deeds came on, carrying a load of many thousands of living creatures.
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 ||
Translation
Then he beheld Shatrughna standing at the gate, weapon in hand; and the Rakshasa thereupon said to 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 ||
Translation
"Thousands of such men, bearing weapons, have been devoured by me in my fury, O lowest of men; for what then do you await your 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 ||
Translation
"And this meal of mine is now complete, O vilest of men; how is it that today, O fool, you have come and entered my mouth of your own accord?"
तस्यैवं भाषमाणस्य हसतश्च मुहुर्मुहुः । शत्रुघ्नो वीर्यसम्पन्नो रोषादश्रूण्यवासृजत् ।। 7.68.8 ।।
tasyaivaṃ bhāṣamāṇasya hasataśca muhurmuhuḥ | śatrughno vīryasampanno roṣādaśrūṇyavāsṛjat || 7.68.8 ||
Translation
As he spoke thus and laughed again and again, Shatrughna, endowed with valor, shed tears out of rage.
तस्य रोषाभिभूतस्य शत्रुघ्नस्य महात्मनः । तेजोमया मरीच्यस्तु सर्वगात्रैर्विनिष्पतन् ।। 7.68.9 ।।
tasya roṣābhibhūtasya śatrughnasya mahātmanaḥ | tejomayā marīcyastu sarvagātrairviniṣpatan || 7.68.9 ||
Translation
And from the great-souled Shatrughna, overcome with rage, fiery rays of brilliance burst forth 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 ||
Translation
And greatly enraged, Shatrughna said to that night-roaming demon, "I wish to fight you, O evil-minded one, in single combat."
पुत्रो दशरथस्याहं भ्राता रामस्य धीमतः । शत्रुघ्नो नित्यशत्रुघ्नो वधाकाङ्क्षी तवागतः ।। 7.68.11 ।।
putro daśarathasyāhaṃ bhrātā rāmasya dhīmataḥ | śatrughno nityaśatrughno vadhākāṅkṣī tavāgataḥ || 7.68.11 ||
Translation
"I am the son of Dasharatha, the brother of the wise Rama; I am Shatrughna, the eternal slayer of foes, come 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 ||
Translation
"To me, who desire battle, grant single combat; you are the foe of all beings, and you shall not depart from 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 ||
Translation
When he had spoken thus, the Rakshasa, as if laughing, replied to the best of men: "By good fortune you have come, O wicked-minded one."
मम मातृष्वसुर्भ्राता रावणो राक्षसाधिपः । हतो रामेण दुर्बुद्धे स्त्रीहेतोः पुरुषाधम ।। 7.68.14 ।।
mama mātṛṣvasurbhrātā rāvaṇo rākṣasādhipaḥ | hato rāmeṇa durbuddhe strīhetoḥ puruṣādhama || 7.68.14 ||
Translation
"Ravana, the lord of the Rakshasas, the brother of my mother's sister, was slain by Rama for the sake of a woman, O dull-witted one, O vilest of men."
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 ||
Translation
"All that destruction of Ravana's line I endured, holding you in contempt before all, and you in particular."
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 ||
Translation
"For all my kinsmen were slain and scorned like blades of grass — those of the past and those to come — and you too are the vilest of men."
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 ||
Translation
"To you, O wicked-minded one, who desire battle, I shall give battle; but wait a moment while I fetch my weapon, until I have made ready such a weapon as you would wish."
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 ||
Translation
Shatrughna swiftly said to him: "Where will you go alive from me? An enemy spotted by chance must not be released by a resolute man."
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 ||
Translation
"For he who, through a faltering mind, grants an enemy free rein, is slain on account of his dull wits, even as a coward is."
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 ||
Translation
"Therefore look well upon the world of the living, for with my various sharp arrows I shall send you, O sinner, toward the abode of Yama — you who are an enemy of the three worlds and of Raghava."
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे ऽष्टषष्टितमः सर्गः ।। 68 ।।
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye śrīmaduttarakāṇḍe 'ṣṭaṣaṣṭitamaḥ sargaḥ || 68 ||
Translation
Thus ends the sixty-eighth canto in the venerable Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic poem composed by the sage Valmiki.