Devanagari
विप्लावितं स्वशिबिरं प्रतिस्रोत:सरिज्जलै: ।
नामृष्यत् तस्य तद् वीर्यं वीरमानी दशानन: ॥ २१ ॥
Verse text
viplāvitaṁ sva-śibiraṁ
pratisrotaḥ-sarij-jalaiḥ
nāmṛṣyat tasya tad vīryaṁ
vīramānī daśānanaḥ
Synonyms
viplāvitam
—
having been inundated
;
sva
—
śibiram — his own camp
;
pratisrotaḥ
—
which was flowing in the opposite direction
;
sarit
—
jalaiḥ — by the water of the river
;
na
—
not
;
amṛṣyat
—
could tolerate
;
tasya
—
of Kārtavīryārjuna
;
tat vīryam
—
that influence
;
vīramānī
—
considering himself very heroic
;
daśa
—
ānanaḥ — the ten-headed Rāvaṇa .
Translation
Because Kārtavīryārjuna made the water flow in the opposite direction, the camp of Rāvaṇa, which was set up on the bank of the Narmadā near the city of Māhiṣmatī, was inundated. This was unbearable to the ten-headed Rāvaṇa, who considered himself a great hero and could not tolerate Kārtavīryārjuna’s power.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Because Kārtavīryārjuna made the water flow in the opposite direction, the camp of Rāvaṇa, which was set up on the bank of the Narmadā near the city of Māhiṣmatī, was inundated. Rāvaṇa, considering himself a great hero, could not tolerate Kārtavīryārjuna's power.
Rāvaṇa, conquering the directions, was worshipping devatās at Māhiṣmatī. The river flowed back because of the obstruction created by Kārtavīryārjuna. Seeing his encampment flooded by the water of the Revā River, he could not tolerate Kārtavīryārjuna’s strength. He went to fight with him.
Purport
Rāvaṇa was out touring to gain victory over all other countries (
dig-vijaya
), and he had camped on the bank of the Narmadā River near the city of Māhiṣmatī.