Aranya Kanda · Sarga 24 of 76 · 36 verses
Rama Prepares to Fight Alone
As Khara of harsh valour approaches the hermitage, Rama and his brother see the same portents. Seeing those very terrible portents, harmful to creatures, Rama, unable to bear it, says to Lakshmana: “See, mighty-armed one, these great portents arisen, which take away all beings, to destroy all the rakshasas. These harsh-voiced clouds, grey-red as donkeys, are pouring streams of blood and wheeling in the sky. All my arrows, eager for battle, are smoking, and the gold-backed bows are quivering, wise one. From the way the forest birds here are crying, danger has come before us, and doubt of life. There will surely be a very great battle; this arm of mine tells me so, throbbing again and again. But near us, hero, your face looks bright and clear: victory for us and defeat for the enemy. For those who go out to battle with lustreless faces, Lakshmana, life is at an end. The terrible great noise of roaring rakshasas is heard, and of drums beaten by rakshasas of cruel deeds. A wise man who wants good fortune and suspects danger must make provision for what has not yet come. So take Vaidehi, arrows in hand and bow ready, and shelter in a cave on the mountain, hard to reach, thick with trees. I do not want you to oppose this word; you are sworn by my feet; go, child, without delay. You are brave and strong and could surely kill them; but I want to kill all the night-rangers myself.” Told this by Rama, Lakshmana takes arrows and bow and goes with Sita to the inaccessible cave.
When Lakshmana has entered the cave with Sita, Rama says, “Good, it is done,” and puts on his armour. Adorned with that fire-like armour, Rama looks like a great fire risen in the darkness. Raising his great bow and taking his arrows, the mighty one stands there, filling the directions with the twang of his bowstring. Then the gods, gandharvas, siddhas and charanas, great-souled ones, gather, wanting to see the battle; and great-souled seers, the best of the brahmarshis in the world, come together and, doers of holy deeds, say to one another: “Blessings on cows, brahmanas and the worlds. May Raghava conquer the night-roaming Paulastyas in battle, as the bearer of the discus conquered all the bull-like asuras.” Saying this and looking at one another, they say again: “Fourteen thousand rakshasas of terrible deeds, and Rama, righteous, alone: how will the battle go?” So the royal seers, the siddhas with their hosts, the best of the twice-born and the gods in their celestial chariots stand full of curiosity. Seeing Rama, filled with splendour, standing at the head of the battle, all beings tremble with fear. The incomparable form of Rama of unwearied deeds becomes, in his anger, like the form of great-souled Rudra. As gods, gandharvas and charanas speak so, the army of yatudhanas, with a deep roar, with terrible shields, weapons and banners, comes up on every side: shouting heroic challenges, coming at one another, twanging bows, yawning again and again, roaring loudly and beating drums. Their tumultuous noise fills the forest; frightened by it, the beasts of prey run where there is silence, never looking back. That army, very swift, holding many kinds of weapons, deep as the ocean, advances on Rama. Rama, skilled in battle, casting his eyes all round, sees Khara’s army and goes forward to fight. Stretching his terrible bow and drawing arrows from his quiver, he summons fierce anger to kill all the rakshasas, and, angry, becomes hard to look at, blazing like the fire at the end of an age. Seeing him filled with splendour, the forest deities tremble. The form of angry Rama is then seen like that of Pinakin (Shiva) rising to destroy Daksha’s sacrifice. With its bows, ornaments and chariots, and its armour the colour of fire, the army of flesh-eaters looks like a mass of dark clouds at sunrise.
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आश्रमं प्रतियाते तु खरे खरपराक्रमे । तानेवौत्पातिकान् रामः सह भ्रात्रा ददर्श ह ॥ १ ॥
When Khara of harsh valour had set out toward the hermitage, Rama with his brother saw those very portents.
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Rama Prepares to Fight Alone 1 min read.
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तानुत्पातान् महाघोरान् रामो दृष्ट्वात्यमर्षणः । प्रजानामहितान् दृष्ट्वा वाक्यं लक्ष्मणमब्रवीत् ॥ २ ॥
Seeing those very terrible portents, harmful to creatures, Rama, very impatient, said these words to Lakshmana:
इमान् पश्य महाबाहो सर्वभूतापहारिणः । समुत्थितान् महोत्पातान् संहर्तुं सर्वराक्षसान् ॥ ३ ॥
“See these, mighty-armed one, great portents arisen, which carry off all beings, to destroy all the rakshasas.
अमी रुधिरधारास्तु विसृजन्ते खरस्वनाः । व्योम्नि मेघा निवर्तन्ते परुषा गर्दभारुणाः ॥ ४ ॥
“These harsh clouds, with harsh voices, grey-red like donkeys, pour streams of blood and wheel in the sky.
सधूमाश्च शराः सर्वे मम युद्धाभिनन्दिताः । रुक्मपृष्ठानि चापानि विचेष्टन्ते विचक्षण ॥ ५ ॥
“All my arrows, rejoicing in battle, are smoking, and the gold-backed bows are quivering, discerning one.
यादृशा इह कूजन्ति पक्षिणो वनचारिणः । अग्रतो नोऽभयं प्राप्तं संशयो जीवितस्य च ॥ ६ ॥
“From the way the forest-roaming birds cry here, danger has come before us, and doubt of life.
सम्प्रहारस्तु सुमहान् भविष्यति न संशयः । अयमाख्याति मे बाहुः स्फुरमाणो मुहुर्मुहुः ॥ ७ ॥
“There will be a very great battle, there is no doubt; this arm of mine tells me so, throbbing again and again.
संनिकर्षे तु नः शूर जयं शत्रोः पराजयम् । सुप्रभं च प्रसन्नं च तव वक्त्रं हि लक्ष्यते ॥ ८ ॥
“But near us, hero, victory, and defeat for the enemy; for your face is seen to be bright and clear.
उद्यतानां हि युद्धार्थं येषां भवति लक्ष्मण । निष्प्रभं वदनं तेषां भवत्यायुः परिक्षयः ॥ ९ ॥
“For those who are ready for battle and whose face is lustreless, Lakshmana, there is an end of life.
रक्षसां नर्दतां घोरः श्रूयतेऽयं महाध्वनिः । आहतानां च भेरीणां राक्षसैः क्रूरकर्मभिः ॥ १० ॥
“This great, terrible noise of roaring rakshasas is heard, and of drums beaten by rakshasas of cruel deeds.
अनागतविधानं तु कर्तव्यं शुभमिच्छता । आपदं शङ्कमानेन पुरुषेण विपश्चिता ॥ ११ ॥
“Provision for what has not come must be made by a wise man who wishes for good, suspecting danger.
तस्माद् गृहीत्वा वैदेहीं शरपाणिर्धनुर्धरः । गुहामाश्रय शैलस्य दुर्गां पादपसंकुलाम् ॥ १२ ॥
“So, taking Vaidehi, arrows in hand, bearing your bow, take refuge in a cave of the mountain, hard to reach, thick with trees.
प्रतिकूलितुमिच्छामि न हि वाक्यमिदं त्वया । शापितो मम पादाभ्यां गम्यतां वत्स मा चिरम् ॥ १३ ॥
“I do not wish this word to be opposed by you. You are sworn by my feet; go, child, without delay.
त्वं हि शूरश्च बलवान् हन्या एतान् न संशयः । स्वयं निहन्तुमिच्छामि सर्वानेव निशाचरान् ॥ १४ ॥
“For you are brave and strong and would kill these without doubt; but I wish to kill all the night-rangers myself.”
एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण लक्ष्मणः सह सीतया । शरानादाय चापं च गुहां दुर्गां समाश्रयत् ॥ १५ ॥
Spoken to so by Rama, Lakshmana with Sita, taking arrows and bow, took refuge in an inaccessible cave.
तस्मिन् प्रविष्टे तु गुहां लक्ष्मणे सह सीतया । हन्त निर्युक्तमित्युक्त्वा रामः कवचमाविशत् ॥ १६ ॥
When Lakshmana had entered the cave with Sita, Rama, saying “Ah, it is well done,” put on his armour.
स तेनाग्निनिकाशेन कवचेन विभूषितः । बभूव रामस्तिमिरे महानग्निरिवोत्थितः ॥ १७ ॥
Adorned with that armour like fire, Rama became like a great fire risen in darkness.
स चापमुद्यम्य महच्छरानादाय वीर्यवान् । सम्बभूवास्थितस्तत्र ज्यास्वनैः पूरयन् दिशः ॥ १८ ॥
Raising his great bow and taking his arrows, the mighty one stood there, filling the directions with the twang of his bowstring.
ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च सह चारणैः । समेयुश्च महात्मानो युद्धदर्शनकांक्षया ॥ १९ ॥
Then the gods with gandharvas, and siddhas with charanas, great souls, gathered, wishing to see the battle.
ऋषयश्च महात्मानो लोके ब्रह्मर्षिसत्तमाः । समेत्य चोचुः सहितास्तेऽन्योन्यं पुण्यकर्मणः ॥ २० ॥
And the great-souled seers, the best of the brahmarshis in the world, came together and, doers of holy deeds, said to one another:
स्वस्ति गोब्राह्मणानां च लोकानां चेति संस्थिताः । जयतां राघवो युद्धे पौलस्त्यान् रजनीचरान् ॥ २१ ॥
“Blessings on cows and brahmanas and the worlds!” Standing so: “May Raghava conquer the night-roaming Paulastyas in battle,
चक्रहस्तो यथा युद्धे सर्वानसुरपुंगवान् । एवमुक्त्वा पुनः प्रोचुरालोक्य च परस्परम् ॥ २२ ॥
“as the bearer of the discus conquered in battle all the bull-like asuras.” Having said this, they spoke again, looking at one another:
चतुर्दश सहस्राणि रक्षसां भीमकर्मणाम् । एकश्च रामो धर्मात्मा कथं युद्धं भविष्यति ॥ २३ ॥
“Fourteen thousand rakshasas of terrible deeds, and Rama alone, righteous: how will the battle be?”
इति राजर्षयः सिद्धाः सगणाश्च द्विजर्षभाः । जातकौतूहलास्तस्थुर्विमानस्थाश्च देवताः ॥ २४ ॥
So the royal seers and siddhas with their hosts, and the bulls among the twice-born, stood full of curiosity, and the deities in their celestial chariots.
आविष्टं तेजसा रामं संग्रामशिरसि स्थितम् । दृष्ट्वा सर्वाणि भूतानि भयाद् विव्यथिरे तदा ॥ २५ ॥
Seeing Rama filled with splendour, standing at the head of the battle, all beings then trembled with fear.
रूपमप्रतिमं तस्य रामस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः । बभूव रूपं क्रुद्धस्य रुद्रस्येव महात्मनः ॥ २६ ॥
The incomparable form of Rama of unwearied deeds, as he grew angry, became like the form of great-souled Rudra.
इति सम्भाष्यमाणे तु देवगन्धर्वचारणैः । ततो गम्भीरनिर्ह्रादं घोरचर्मायुधध्वजम् ॥ २७ ॥
अनीकं यातुधानानां समन्तात् प्रत्यपद्यत । वीरालापान् विसृजतामन्योन्यमभिगच्छताम् ॥ २८ ॥
While gods, gandharvas and charanas were speaking so, then the army of yatudhanas, with a deep roar, with terrible shields, weapons and banners, came up on every side, uttering heroic speeches, coming at one another,
चापानि विस्फारयतां जृम्भतां चाप्यभीक्ष्णशः । विप्रघुष्टस्वनानां च दुन्दुभींश्चापि निघ्नताम् ॥ २९ ॥
twanging their bows, yawning again and again, with loud shouting voices, and beating drums.
तेषां सुतुमुलः शब्दः पूरयामास तद् वनम् । तेन शब्देन वित्रस्ताः श्वापदा वनचारिणः ॥ ३० ॥
Their very tumultuous noise filled that forest; frightened by that noise, the beasts of prey roaming the forest
दुद्रुवुर्यत्र निःशब्दं पृष्ठतो नावलोकयन् । तच्चानीकं महावेगं रामं समनुवर्तत ॥ ३१ ॥
fled where there was silence, not looking back. And that very swift army advanced on Rama,
धृतनानाप्रहरणं गम्भीरं सागरोपमम् । रामोऽपि चारयंश्चक्षुः सर्वतो रणपण्डितः ॥ ३२ ॥
holding many kinds of weapons, deep, like the ocean. Rama too, skilled in battle, casting his eye all round,
ददर्श खरसैन्यं तद् युद्धायाभिमुखो गतः । वितत्य च धनुर्भीमं तूण्याश्चोद्धृत्य सायकान् ॥ ३३ ॥
saw that army of Khara and went forward facing it for battle. Stretching his terrible bow and drawing arrows from his quiver,
क्रोधमाहारयत् तीव्रं वधार्थं सर्वरक्षसाम् । दुष्प्रेक्ष्यश्चाभवत् क्रुद्धो युगान्ताग्निरिव ज्वलन् ॥ ३४ ॥
he summoned fierce anger for the killing of all the rakshasas; and, angry, he became hard to look at, blazing like the fire at the end of an age.
तं दृष्ट्वा तेजसाऽऽविष्टं प्राव्यथन् वनदेवताः । तस्य रुष्टस्य रूपं तु रामस्य ददृशे तदा । दक्षस्येव क्रतुं हन्तुमुद्यतस्य पिनाकिनः ॥ ३५ ॥
Seeing him filled with splendour, the forest deities trembled. The form of angry Rama was then seen like that of Pinakin rising to destroy Daksha’s sacrifice.
तत्कार्मुकैराभरणै रथैश्च तद्वर्मभिश्चाग्निसमानवर्णैः । बभूव सैन्यं पिशिताशनानां सूर्योदये नीलमिवाभ्रजालम् ॥ ३६ ॥
With its bows and ornaments and chariots, and its armour the colour of fire, the army of the flesh-eaters looked like a mass of dark clouds at sunrise.