Paumacariya 27
English (machine translation) 27
- Language
- English
27.1
Then the king of Magadha, his heart filled with wonder, bowed to the sage / and, single-minded in heart, asked: "Relate the account of Rāma.
27.2
What greatness of Rāma did King Janaka see, / by which he assigned that Sītā, possessor of beauty, virtues, and youth, [to him]?"
27.3
Then the Gaṇādhīśa said: "Listen, O Śreṇika, to the cause / for which his daughter Sītā was assigned to Rāma by King Janaka.
27.4
South of Vaitāḍhya, to the north of Mount Kailāsa, / there are many lands, filled with villages, mines, and cities.
27.5
Right there is a land named Ardhabarbara, / devoid of restraint and virtue, crowded with many Mlecchas, terrible.
27.6
There, in the city of Mayūramālā crowded with Mleccha folk, / dwelt a king named Āyaraṅga, of firm courage resembling Yama.
27.7
The lands of Kāmboja, Śuka, Kapota, and others crowded with Śabaras— / the kings who ruled over these were the sons of Āyaraṅga.
27.8
Then once upon a time, the Barbara king, accompanied by an army of Kirātas, / set out to lay waste the country of Janaka.
27.9
Hearing that the land was being desolated by the non-Aryans, King Janaka / swiftly dispatched an envoy to King Daśaratha.
27.10
Having gone and bowed down, he related the whole arrival of the Mlecchas / and the destruction of the land, just as Janaka had instructed him:
27.11
"Master, Janaka, who is fond of his people, bows down and entreats you: / 'My entire province has been laid waste by the Ardhabarbaras.
27.12
Many śrāvakas and śramaṇas [are afflicted], and the shrines of the lord of Jinas have been destroyed; / for this reason, O lord, come quickly to protect them!'"
27.13
Having heard this spoken, the bull among kings summoned Rāma / and prepared to give him the kingdom along with all the hosts of forces.
27.14
Holding golden vessels in hand, warriors stood before Rāma / to perform the consecration, amid the loud sounds of drums and bards.
27.15
Seeing such pomp, Rāghava spoke these words: / "For what reason, O warriors, have you gathered with vessels in hand?"
27.16
Then Daśaratha said: "My son, an army of Mlecchas has arrived; / protect the earth, [while] I go out to confront them."
27.17
Smiling, Rāma said: "Why, O father of great renown, do you march against those beast-like creatures, / when you have me as your obedient son?
27.18
Hearing this speech, the king, delighted at heart, said: / "You are a mere boy, son! How will you conquer the Mleccha army in battle?"
27.19
Padma said: "O king, even a tiny fire burns a vast forest / completely in an instant; what difference does vastness make?"
27.20
Hearing the firm resolve of Rāma's words, the king said: / "My son, may you obtain the glory of warriors in battle!"
27.21
Making obeisance to their father, both princes, accompanied by a mighty army, / then set out from the city amid the sounding of musical instruments proclaiming victory.
27.22
Meanwhile, to the sons of Janaka who had set out earlier, / a distance of only two yojanas remained between the two armies.
27.23
Unable to bear the haughty pride of the enemy's forces, Janaka's warriors / plunged into the Mleccha army, as planets enter a cluster of clouds.
27.24
A terrible battle broke out between the Mlecchas and the Aryans, / with blazing showers of sparks bursting from the clash of weapons against one another.
27.25
Surrounded by the Mlecchas, who resembled dense darkness, / King Janaka fought them with his surrounding forces.
27.26
Then Janaka was encircled in an instant on all sides by the Barbaras, who broke through again and again, / just like the sun by a multitude of clouds.
27.27
In the meantime, Rāma, accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa and endowed with full army, / suddenly arrived at that vast army of Mlecchas.
27.28
Having cheered Janaka, Rāma threw that multitude of Mleccha warriors into destruction and flight, / just as an elephant devastates a lotus lake.
27.29
Likewise, Lakṣmaṇa also released arrows against the non-Aryan soldiers, / as if a cloud in the autumn season were raining over the great ocean.
27.30
Distressed by the merciless blows, the Mleccha army broke and fled in battle; / yet the son of Sumitrā, accompanied by his army, pursued them on their trail.
27.31
Seeing his own army broken and turned back by Lakṣmaṇa,
Ātaraṅga himself advanced together with his valiant warriors.
27.32
Some among them had the luster of collyrium; others there had the splendor of parrot feathers;
others were copper-colored, with dwarfish bodies and flat noses,
27.33
clad in bark garments and leaves, their bodies adorned with jeweled waist-cords,
their bodies smeared with mineral unguents, adorned with blossoms of majestic flower-clusters.
27.34
Together with warriors of such kinds, the bull among men, Ātaraṅga,
stood before Lakṣmaṇa, full of arrogant fury.
27.35
Bearing emblems of elephants, bulls, and lions, with hands clutching arrows, spears, and formidable lances,
the Mleccha warriors fought, agitating the host of the noble [Āryan] army.
27.36
Then Lakṣmaṇa's bow was shattered into two pieces by King Ātaraṅga;
and as soon as he seized his sword, he was quickly deprived of his chariot.
27.37
Seeing Lakṣmaṇa chariotless, Rāma himself arose,
felling the [enemy] army with hundreds of arrows, javelins, discuses, and clubs.
27.38
Struck by a heavy blow by Rāma, Ātaraṅga turned away [in defeat];
with his pride broken, he fled, gazing in all ten directions.
27.39
Having slain, destroyed, and routed the army in battle,
Rāghava did not abandon his path, and then returned with Lakṣmaṇa.
27.40
Great joy arose; the land was settled and freed from fear;
and Rāma, having attained fame, departed for the city with his mind at ease.
27.41
Seeing that touchstone of human prowess, the pleased lord of men,
Janaka, promised his own daughter, Sītā, to Rāma.
27.42
Thus through previous good deeds a heroic man attains victory in battle,
renowned in fame, celebrated in the world, like the moon, Rāma of spotless glory.
27.43
Thus ends the twenty-seventh chapter of the Paümacariya, entitled 'The Proclamation of the Defeat of the Mlecchas'.
Linked texts (1)
- Paümacariya — Vimalasūri, Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit