Chapter 58 — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 58

Valmiki Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda

Verse 58.26

हतवीरौघवप्रां तु भग्नायुधमहादुमाम्। शोणितौघमहातोयां यमसागरगामिनीम्॥ यकृत्प्लीहमहापदां विनिकीर्णान्त्रशैवलाम्। भिन्नकायशिरोमीनामङ्गावयवशाद्वलाम्॥ गृध्रहंसवराकीर्णा कङ्कसारससेविताम्। मेदःफेनसमाकीर्णामावर्तस्वननिःस्वनाम्॥ तां कापुरुषदुस्तारां युद्धभूमिमयीं नदीम्। नदीमिव घनापाये हंससारससेविताम्॥ राक्षसाः कपिमुख्यास्ते तेरुस्तां दुस्तरां नदीम्। यथा पद्मग्जोध्वस्तां नलिनी गजयूथपाः॥

hatavīraughavaprāṃ tu bhagnāyudhamahādumām| śoṇitaughamahātoyāṃ yamasāgaragāminīm|| yakṛtplīhamahāpadāṃ vinikīrṇāntraśaivalām| bhinnakāyaśiromīnāmaṅgāvayavaśādvalām|| gṛdhrahaṃsavarākīrṇā kaṅkasārasasevitām| medaḥphenasamākīrṇāmāvartasvananiḥsvanām|| tāṃ kāpuruṣadustārāṃ yuddhabhūmimayīṃ nadīm| nadīmiva ghanāpāye haṃsasārasasevitām|| rākṣasāḥ kapimukhyāste terustāṃ dustarāṃ nadīm| yathā padmagjodhvastāṃ nalinī gajayūthapāḥ||

English Meaning

As leaders of elephant-herds cross a lotus-tank covered with lotus-dust, those Rākşasas and choice monkeys crossed that river flowing in the field of conflict incapable of being crossed; having for her banks hosts of heroic warriors slain; for her mighty trees broken arms; for her volume of waters showers of blood; coursing to Yama resembling the Ocean; with livers and spleens for her vast slime; with scattered entrails for her moss; with riven bodies and heads for her fish; limbs for her lawns; swarming with vultures for her swans; with Kankas for her cranes, filled with fat representing her foam; with the roars (of warriors) for her sounds, incapable of being crossed by cravens, and resembling a real river swarming at the end of the rains with cranes and swans.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)