Sarga 32

Not far from the place on the Narmada's sandbank where the very fierce lord of Rakshasas (Ravana) was performing his flower offering, another event was unfolding.

Kartavirya Arjuna, the best among the victorious, the powerful lord of Mahishmati, was sporting with women near the waters of the Narmada.

King Kartavirya Arjuna, situated amidst those women, shone splendidly, just like a male elephant standing in the midst of a thousand female elephants.

Desirous of testing the supreme strength of his thousand arms, he indeed obstructed the flow of the Narmada river with his many arms.

That pure water, held back by Kartavirya's arms, then rushed upstream, overflowing and making an offering to the river banks.

That current of the Narmada's water, filled with fish, crocodiles, and alligators, and strewn with flowers and kusha grass, appeared like the rainy season itself.

That current, as if propelled by Kartavirya's water, indeed carried away all of Ravana's flower offerings.

Then Ravana, abandoning his half-finished worship, gazed upon the lovely Narmada flowing backward like a beloved turned away in displeasure.

Having seen that increasing current of water, resembling the gushing forth of the ocean, entering the eastern direction from the west.

Then Ravana saw the river, where birds were flying around, situated in a state of cessation of its natural flow, appearing like an unperturbed woman.

Ravana, with the finger of his right hand, loudly ordered Shuka and Sarana to investigate the effect of the current.

Those two heroes, the brothers Shuka and Sarana, ordered by Ravana, set out facing west, having ascended into the sky.

Having gone only half a Yojana, those two night-wanderers saw a man playing in the water with a woman.

He was like a great sala tree, his hair dishevelled by water, his eyes red at the corners from intoxication, and his might disturbed by the same.

He was obstructing the river with his thousand arms, like a mountain with a thousand feet obstructing the earth, a true destroyer of enemies.

He was surrounded by a thousand young, excellent women, just as a male elephant is surrounded by a thousand female elephants in rut.

Having seen that most astonishing being, the two rakshasas, Shuka and Sarana, returned, approached Ravana, and then spoke to him.

They asked, "O lord of rakshasas, who is this being, resembling a great sala tree, who has obstructed the Narmada river like a dam and is sporting with women?"

Due to his thousand arms obstructing its waters, the river repeatedly emitted eruptions of water resembling the ocean's surges.

Having heard Shuka and Sarana speaking thus, Ravana, eager for battle, declared "Arjuna!" and set forth.

As Ravana, the lord of Rakshasas, faced Arjuna, a fierce, roaring wind blew, and divine dust arose, indicating ill omens.

A single bloody cry was emitted by the clouds as an omen, while Ravana was accompanied by Mahodara, Mahaparshva, Dhumraksha, Shuka, and Sarana.

The lord of Rakshasas, surrounded by his retinue, quickly arrived at the terrible Narmada pool where Arjuna was, that powerful Rakshasa himself shining like collyrium.

The king of Rākṣasas, Ravana, there saw that King Arjuna, the king of men, surrounded by women, just like an elephant surrounded by female elephants.

He, the king of Rākṣasas, arrogant with his power, had his eyes red with anger.

He thus spoke to Arjuna's ministers in a deep voice, saying, "O ministers, quickly inform the Haihaya king."

Having heard Ravana's words, "A Rākṣasa named Ravana, desirous of battle, has arrived," those ministers of Arjuna then stood up with their weapons and missiles and spoke to Ravana.

The ministers said, "The time for battle should be known; well done, O Ravana, well done!"

Ravana's ministers, having heard Arjuna's ministers, questioned Ravana why he desired to fight an intoxicated king surrounded by women, comparing it to a tiger attacking an intoxicated elephant amidst female elephants.

Ravana's ministers advised him to forgive Arjuna for today and spend the night, suggesting that if he still desired battle, he could fight Arjuna tomorrow.

The ministers further challenged Ravana, stating that if he was still consumed by the thirst for battle today, he would first have to defeat them before he could fight Arjuna.

Subsequently, Arjuna's ministers were killed and even devoured in battle by Ravana's hungry ministers.

Then, a great tumultuous sound arose on the bank of the Narmada, emanating from the followers of Arjuna and the ministers of Ravana.

They attacked from all sides, tormenting Ravana and his forces with arrows, lances, spears, tridents, and thunderbolt-like weapons.

The force of the Haihaya king's warriors was exceedingly terrible, like the roar of an ocean filled with crocodiles, fish, and alligators.

Ravana's ministers, Prahasta, Shuka, and Sarana, enraged, were indeed destroying Kartavirya's army with their fierce might.

That deed of Ravana and his ministers was indeed reported to Arjuna, who was then engaged in sport, by the gatekeepers.

Having heard the news, Arjuna then reassured the womenfolk not to fear, and emerged from the water like the Anjana mountain rising from the waters of the Ganga.

Then, Arjuna, whose eyes were red with anger and who was like a blazing fire, shone forth with terrible intensity, like the destructive fire at the end of an eon.

Adorned with splendid golden armlets, he swiftly seized his mace and charged at the Rākṣasas, just as the sun dispels darkness.

Lifting his mighty mace, which caused his arms to swing, Arjuna rushed forward with the speed of Garuda.

Prahasta, armed with a mace, stood in Arjuna's path, obstructing him like the Vindhya mountain blocking the sun, and was as unshakable as the Vindhya itself.

Then, the enraged and arrogant Prahasta hurled his terrible, iron-bound mace at Arjuna and roared like a thunderous cloud.

In front of the mace released by Prahasta's hand, a fire, resembling a garland of Ashoka flowers, appeared as if burning.

Then, Kartavirya Arjuna, of unimpaired valor and holding his mace, skillfully dodged that incoming mace.

Thereafter, the lord of Haihayas rushed towards Prahasta, whirling his heavy mace, which was as high as five hundred arms.

Thus struck by the mace with great force, Prahasta then fell down, like a standing mountain struck by Indra's thunderbolt.

Having seen Prahasta fallen, Maricha, Shuka, Sarana, along with Mahodara and Dhumraksha, indeed fled from the battlefield.

After his ministers had retreated and Prahasta was killed, Ravana quickly rushed towards Kartavirya Arjuna, the best among kings.

There, a terrible and hair-raising battle began between the king with a thousand arms (Arjuna) and the demon with twenty arms (Ravana).

They were enraged like two oceans, like two mountains with their roots shaking, like two suns full of splendor, and like two burning fires.

They were like two elephants arrogant with strength, like two bulls fighting over a cow, like two roaring clouds, and like two exceedingly strong lions.

Then, those two, the demon Ravana and Arjuna, enraged like Rudra and Kala, fiercely struck each other with their maces.

Just as mountains endure terrible thunderbolt strikes, so too did the man (Arjuna) and the demon (Ravana) endure each other's mace strikes in that battle.

Just as an echo arises from the sounds of thunder, similarly, all directions reverberated with the impacts of their maces.

Arjuna's mace, when struck upon the enemy's (Ravana's) chest, made the sky appear golden-hued, just like a flash of lightning.

Similarly, Ravana's mace, struck repeatedly on Arjuna's chest, shone like a meteor striking a great mountain.

Neither Arjuna nor the lord of the demon hosts (Ravana) showed any weariness, and their battle was like the ancient conflict between Bali and Indra.

The two, the best among humans and demons, struck each other like two bulls fighting with their horns or two elephants with the tips of their tusks.

Then, the enraged Arjuna, with all his might, hurled that mace at Ravana's broad chest, between his breasts.

That mace, striking Ravana's chest which was protected by boons, split into two and fell to the ground as if it were weak, despite its full force.

But Ravana, struck by the mace released by Arjuna, recoiled a bow's length, sat down, and groaned.

Perceiving Dashagriva to be bewildered, Arjuna then suddenly leaped up and seized him, just as Garuda seizes a serpent.

The powerful King Kārtavīrya Arjuna, using his thousand arms, forcibly seized Daśānana (Rāvaṇa) and bound him, just as Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu) had bound Bali.

As Daśagrīva was being bound, the Siddhas, Chāraṇas, and deities, exclaiming "excellent!", scattered flowers upon Arjuna's head.

The Haihaya king (Kārtavīrya Arjuna) roared repeatedly with joy, like a tiger seizing a deer or a lion capturing an elephant, and like a thundering cloud.

But Prahasta, having recovered from his shock upon seeing Daśānana bound, became enraged and, along with those Rākṣasas, rushed towards the king.

The rush of those charging Rākṣasas appeared like the gathering of monsoon clouds over the ocean at the end of the hot season.

Then, Ravana's army repeatedly hurled maces and spears at Arjuna, shouting "release, release" and "stop, stop."

Then, the undisturbed Arjuna, the destroyer of enemies, quickly caught those weapons of the Rakshasas even before they reached him.

Then, with those very formidable and excellent weapons, Arjuna pierced and dispersed the Rakshasas, just as the wind scatters clouds.

Then, after frightening the Rakshasas, Kartavirya Arjuna seized Ravana and entered the city, surrounded by his friends.

Then, Arjuna, resembling Indra, entered that city, being showered with heaps of flowers and unbroken rice grains by Brahmins and citizens, just as the thousand-eyed Indra entered after capturing Bali. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे द्वात्रिंशः सर्गः ।। 32 ।। Thus ends the thirty-second sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.