Aranya Kanda · Sarga 23 of 76 · 34 verses
Ill Omens for Khara
As that terrible, ill-starred army marches, a huge, tumultuous cloud, grey-red as a donkey, rains blood on it. The swift horses yoked to Khara’s chariot stumble suddenly on a level, flower-strewn part of the royal road. A dark ring edged with blood forms round the sun, like a wheel of fire. A huge, very fearsome vulture alights and perches on the tall golden staff of his banner. Near Janasthana, harsh-voiced flesh-eating beasts and birds cry many discordant cries; in the blazing quarter terrible jackals howl with great voices, ill-omened for the rakshasas. Terrible clouds like rutting elephants, carrying water and blood, cover the whole sky. A dreadful, hair-raising darkness rises; neither the directions nor the intermediate directions can be clearly seen. A twilight the colour of wet blood appears out of its time. Terrible beasts and birds cry facing Khara; herons, jackals and vultures shriek, foretelling fear; terrible jackals, always ill-omened in war, howl at the army with mouths spitting flame. A headless trunk like an iron bar is seen near the sun. The great planet Rahu seizes the sun though it is not the time of an eclipse; the wind blows fiercely; the sun loses its light; stars shine like fireflies though it is not night. In the lotus pools the fish and birds hide and the lotuses wither; at that moment the trees are without flowers and fruit; dust rises without wind, red as a cloud. Mynas scream “chichi kuchi”; terrible meteors fall with a roar; the earth trembles with its mountains and forests. As wise Khara roars in his chariot, his left arm throbs, his voice catches, his eyes fill with tears as he looks all round, and pain arises in his forehead; yet in his delusion he does not turn back.
Seeing those great, hair-raising portents, Khara laughs and says to all the rakshasas: “I do not think about all these terrible great portents, by my strength, as a strong man does not think about the weak. I could bring down even the stars from the sky with sharp arrows; in my anger I could join Death himself to death. I will not turn back without killing with sharp arrows that Raghava, swollen with strength, and his brother Lakshmana. Let my sister have her wish, the cause of Rama’s and Lakshmana’s downfall, by drinking their blood. Never before have I met defeat in battle; you have seen it yourselves; I do not lie. In anger I could kill in battle even the king of the gods, riding his rutting Airavata, thunderbolt in hand; let alone those two men.” Hearing his roar, the great rakshasa army, bound by the noose of death, feels incomparable joy. The great-souled ones gather, wanting to see the battle: seers, gods, gandharvas, siddhas and charanas. Coming together, the doers of holy deeds say to one another: “Blessings on cows and brahmanas and on those honoured in the worlds. May Raghava conquer the night-roaming Paulastyas in battle, as Vishnu with the discus in his hand conquered all the best of asuras.” Saying this and much more, the supreme seers and the gods in their celestial chariots, full of curiosity, look at the army of those rakshasas whose lives are spent. Khara speeds out in his chariot ahead of the army. Twelve mighty rakshasas go around Khara: Shyenagamin, Prithugriva, Yajnashatru, Vihangama, Durjaya, Karaviraksha, Parusha, Kalakarmuka, Hemamalin, Mahamalin, Sarpasya and Rudhirashana. Four, Mahakapala, Sthulaksha, Pramatha and Trishiras, go at the front of the army and follow Dushana behind. That terrible, swift, very cruel army of rakshasa heroes, eager for battle, rushes suddenly upon the two princes, like a garland of planets upon the sun and moon.
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तत्प्रयातं बलं घोरमशिवं शोणितोदकम् । अभ्यवर्षन्महाघोरस्तुमुलो गर्दभारुणः ॥ १ ॥
On that terrible, ill-starred army as it set out, a very terrible, tumultuous cloud, grey-red as a donkey, rained water of blood.
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निपेतुस्तुरगास्तस्य रथयुक्ता महाजवाः । समे पुष्पचिते देशे राजमार्गे यदृच्छया ॥ २ ॥
His swift horses yoked to the chariot fell by chance on the royal road, in a level place strewn with flowers.
श्यामं रुधिरपर्यन्तं बभूव परिवेषणम् । अलातचक्रप्रतिमं प्रतिगृह्य दिवाकरम् ॥ ३ ॥
A dark ring edged with blood formed, enclosing the sun, like a wheel of fire.
ततो ध्वजमुपागम्य हेमदण्डं समुच्छ्रितम् । समाक्रम्य महाकायस्तस्थौ गृध्रः सुदारुणः ॥ ४ ॥
Then, coming to the tall banner with the golden staff, a very fearsome vulture of huge body alighted on it and stayed.
जनस्थानसमीपे च समाक्रम्य खरस्वनाः । विस्वरान् विविधान् नादान् मांसादा मृगपक्षिणः ॥ ५ ॥
व्याजह्रुरभिदीप्तायां दिशि वै भैरवस्वनम् । अशिवं यातुधानानां शिवा घोरा महास्वनाः ॥ ६ ॥
Near Janasthana, alighting, flesh-eating beasts and birds with harsh voices uttered discordant cries of many kinds; and in the blazing quarter terrible jackals with great voices howled with fearful sound, ill-omened for the yatudhanas.
प्रभिन्नगजसंकाशास्तोयशोणितधारिणः । आकाशं तदनाकाशं चक्रुर्भीमाम्बुवाहकाः ॥ ७ ॥
Terrible clouds like rutting elephants, carrying water and blood, made the sky no sky.
बभूव तिमिरं घोरमुद्धतं रोमहर्षणम् । दिशो वा प्रदिशो वापि सुव्यक्तं न चकाशिरे ॥ ८ ॥
A terrible, hair-raising darkness arose; neither the directions nor the intermediate directions shone clearly.
क्षतजार्द्रसवर्णाभा संध्या कालं विना बभौ । खरं चाभिमुखं नेदुस्तदा घोरा मृगाः खगाः ॥ ९ ॥
A twilight with the colour of wet blood appeared out of season; and terrible beasts and birds cried then facing Khara.
कङ्कगोमायुगृध्राश्च चुक्रुशुर्भयशंसिनः । नित्याशिवकरा युद्धे शिवा घोरनिदर्शनाः ॥ १० ॥
Herons, jackals and vultures shrieked, announcing fear; and jackals, always ill-omened in battle, of terrible appearance,
नेदुर्बलस्याभिमुखं ज्वालोद्गारिभिराननैः । कबन्धः परिघाभासो दृश्यते भास्करान्तिके ॥ ११ ॥
howled facing the army with mouths spitting flames. A headless trunk like an iron bar was seen near the sun.
जग्राह सूर्यं स्वर्भानुरपर्वणि महाग्रहः । प्रवाति मारुतः शीघ्रं निष्प्रभोऽभूद् दिवाकरः ॥ १२ ॥
The great planet Svarbhanu seized the sun, though not at the time of the junction; the wind blew swiftly; the sun lost its light.
उत्पेतुश्च विना रात्रिं ताराः खद्योतसप्रभाः । संलीनमीनविहगा नलिन्यः शुष्कपङ्कजाः ॥ १३ ॥
Stars like fireflies rose though it was not night; lotus pools had their fish and birds hidden and their lotuses withered.
तस्मिन् क्षणे बभूवुश्च विना पुष्पफलैर्द्रुमाः । उद्धूतश्च विना वातं रेणुर्जलधरारुणः ॥ १४ ॥
At that moment the trees became without flowers and fruit; and dust rose without wind, red as a cloud.
चीचीकूचीति वाश्यन्त्यो बभूवुस्तत्र सारिकाः । उल्काश्चापि सनिर्घोषा निपेतुर्घोरदर्शनाः ॥ १५ ॥
Mynas there screeched “chichi kuchi”; and meteors of terrible appearance fell with a roar.
प्रचचाल मही चापि सशैलवनकानना । खरस्य च रथस्थस्य नर्दमानस्य धीमतः ॥ १६ ॥
प्राकम्पत भुजः सव्यः स्वरश्चास्यावसज्जत । सास्रा सम्पद्यते दृष्टिः पश्यमानस्य सर्वतः ॥ १७ ॥
The earth too trembled, with its mountains, woods and forests. And as wise Khara stood roaring in his chariot, his left arm throbbed and his voice caught; his sight became tearful as he looked all round;
ललाटे च रुजो जाता न च मोहान्न्यवर्तत । तान् समीक्ष्य महोत्पातानुत्थितान् रोमहर्षणान् ॥ १८ ॥
and pain arose in his forehead; yet out of delusion he did not turn back. Seeing those great portents arisen, hair-raising,
अब्रवीद् राक्षसान् सर्वान् प्रहसन् स खरस्तदा । महोत्पातानिमान् सर्वानुत्थितान् घोरदर्शनान् ॥ १९ ॥
Khara then, laughing, said to all the rakshasas: “All these great portents that have arisen, terrible to see,
न चिन्तयाम्यहं वीर्याद् बलवान् दुर्बलानिव । तारा अपि शरैस्तीक्ष्णैः पातयेयं नभस्तलात् ॥ २० ॥
“I do not think about, because of my strength, as a strong man does not the weak. I could bring down even the stars from the sky with sharp arrows.
मृत्युं मरणधर्मेण संक्रुद्धो योजयाम्यहम् । राघवं तं बलोत्सिक्तं भ्रातरं चापि लक्ष्मणम् ॥ २१ ॥
“Angry, I could join Death himself to the law of dying. That Raghava, swollen with strength, and his brother Lakshmana too:
अहत्वा सायकैस्तीक्ष्णैर्नोपावर्तितुमुत्सहे । यन्निमित्तं तु रामस्य लक्ष्मणस्य विपर्ययः ॥ २२ ॥
“without killing them with sharp arrows I cannot bear to turn back. The cause of the reversal of Rama and Lakshmana,
सकामा भगिनीमेऽस्तु पीत्वा तु रुधिरं तयोः । न क्वचित् प्राप्तपूर्वो मे संयुगेषु पराजयः ॥ २३ ॥
“my sister, let her have her wish by drinking their blood. Never before has defeat come to me in battles;
युष्माकमेतत् प्रत्यक्षं नानृतं कथयाम्यहम् । देवराजमपि क्रुद्धो मत्तैरावतगामिनम् ॥ २४ ॥
“this is before your eyes; I do not speak falsely. Angry, I could kill in battle even the king of the gods, riding the rutting Airavata,
वज्रहस्तं रणे हन्यां किं पुनस्तौ च मानवौ । सा तस्य गर्जितं श्रुत्वा राक्षसानां महाचमूः ॥ २५ ॥
“thunderbolt in hand, let alone those two men.” Hearing his roar, that great army of rakshasas
प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे मृत्युपाशावपाशिता । समेयुश्च महात्मानो युद्धदर्शनकांक्षिणः ॥ २६ ॥
felt incomparable joy, bound by the noose of death. And the great-souled ones gathered, wishing to see the battle:
ऋषयो देवगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च सह चारणैः । समेत्य चोचुः सहितास्तेऽन्योन्यं पुण्यकर्मणः ॥ २७ ॥
seers, gods and gandharvas, siddhas with charanas. Coming together, the doers of holy deeds said to one another:
स्वस्ति गोब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तु लोकानां ये च सम्मताः । जयतां राघवो युद्धे पौलस्त्यान् रजनीचरान् ॥ २८ ॥
“Blessings on cows and brahmanas, and on those esteemed in the worlds. May Raghava conquer the night-roaming Paulastyas in battle,
चक्रहस्तो यथा विष्णुः सर्वानसुरसत्तमान् । एतच्चान्यच्च बहुशो ब्रुवाणाः परमर्षयः ॥ २९ ॥
“as Vishnu, discus in hand, conquered all the best of asuras.” Saying this and much else, the supreme seers,
जातकौतूहलास्तत्र विमानस्थाश्च देवताः । ददृशुर्वाहिनीं तेषां राक्षसानां गतायुषाम् ॥ ३० ॥
full of curiosity, and the deities standing in their celestial chariots, looked at the army of those rakshasas whose lives were spent.
रथेन तु खरो वेगात् सैन्यस्याग्राद् विनिःसृतः । श्येनगामी पृथुग्रीवो यज्ञशत्रुर्विहंगमः ॥ ३१ ॥
दुर्जयः करवीराक्षः परुषः कालकार्मुकः । हेममाली महामाली सर्पास्यो रुधिराशनः ॥ ३२ ॥
द्वादशैते महावीर्याः प्रतस्थुरभितः खरम् । महाकपालः स्थूलाक्षः प्रमाथस्त्रिशिरास्तथा । चत्वार एते सेनाग्रे दूषणं पृष्ठतोऽन्वयुः ॥ ३३ ॥
Khara went out with speed in his chariot ahead of the army. Shyenagamin, Prithugriva, Yajnashatru, Vihangama, Durjaya, Karaviraksha, Parusha, Kalakarmuka, Hemamalin, Mahamalin, Sarpasya and Rudhirashana: these twelve of great valour went around Khara. Mahakapala, Sthulaksha, Pramatha and Trishiras: these four at the front of the army followed Dushana behind.
सा भीमवेगा समराभिकांक्षिणी सुदारुणा राक्षसवीरसेना । तौ राजपुत्रौ सहसाभ्युपेता माला ग्रहाणामिव चन्द्रसूर्यौ ॥ ३४ ॥
That army of rakshasa heroes, of terrible speed, longing for battle, very cruel, suddenly rushed upon those two princes, like a garland of planets upon the moon and sun.