Aranya Kanda · Sarga 26 of 76 · 38 verses
Dushana and the Fourteen Thousand Fall
Seeing his own army being destroyed, mighty-armed Dushana orders five thousand rakshasas of terrible speed, hard to approach, who never turn back in battle. With spears, axes, swords, showers of rocks and trees, and unbroken showers of arrows, they rain on him from every side. Righteous Raghava receives that great, life-taking rain of trees and stones with sharp arrows, and, having received it, as a bull with half-closed eyes, Rama feels supreme anger for the killing of all the rakshasas. Filled with anger, as if blazing with splendour, he covers the whole army, with Dushana, with arrows on every side. Then the commander Dushana, destroyer of enemies, angry, holds back Raghava with arrows like thunderbolts. Very angry, the hero Rama cuts his great bow with a razor-headed arrow in battle, kills his four horses with four sharp arrows, takes his charioteer’s head with a crescent arrow, and pierces the rakshasa in the chest with three. His bow cut, without chariot, horses or charioteer, he takes a hair-raising iron bar like a mountain peak, bound with gold bands, crusher of the armies of the gods, studded with sharp iron spikes, smeared with the fat of enemies, with a touch like the thunderbolt, breaker of enemy city gates. Holding that bar like a great serpent, Dushana, night-ranger of cruel deeds, rushes at Rama in battle. As Dushana rushes on, Raghava cuts off both his arms with their ornaments with two arrows. The huge bar falls from his cut-off hands at the front of the battle, like Indra’s banner before him. With his arms scattered, Dushana falls to the ground like a proud great elephant whose tusks have broken. Seeing Dushana fallen on the ground, killed in battle, all beings honour Kakutstha, crying “Well done, well done!”
Meanwhile three angry leaders of the vanguard, bound by the noose of death, rush together at Rama: Mahakapala, Sthulaksha and mighty Pramathin; Mahakapala raising a huge spear, Sthulaksha taking an axe, Pramathin a hatchet. Seeing them rush on, Raghava receives them with sharp-pointed arrows like guests who have arrived. The delight of the Raghus cuts off Mahakapala’s head, crushes Pramathin with countless floods of arrows, and fills Sthulaksha’s large eyes with arrows; he falls dead to the ground like a great branching tree. In a moment, in anger, he kills Dushana’s five thousand followers with five thousand arrows and sends them to Yama’s abode. Hearing that Dushana has been killed with his followers, Khara, angry, orders his mighty commanders: “Dushana has been killed in battle with his followers. Fight this wretched man Rama with a great army, all you rakshasas, and kill him with weapons of many kinds.” Saying this, angry Khara rushes at Rama. Shyenagamin, Prithugriva, Yajnashatru, Vihangama, Durjaya, Karaviraksha, Parusha, Kalakarmuka, Hemamalin, Mahamalin, Sarpasya and Rudhirashana, these twelve mighty commanders with their soldiers, rush at Rama himself, releasing excellent arrows. Then, with fire-like arrows adorned with gold and diamonds, the splendid one kills the rest of that army. Those gold-feathered arrows, like smoking fires, kill those rakshasas as thunderbolts kill great trees. Rama kills a hundred rakshasas with one hundred barbed arrows, and a thousand with a thousand, at the front of the battle. Their armour and ornaments broken, their bows cut and split, the night-rangers fall to the ground smeared with blood. With them fallen in battle, their hair loosened, drenched in blood, the whole earth is strewn as a great altar is with kusha. In that moment the very terrible forest, its rakshasas killed, becomes like hell, a mire of flesh and blood. Fourteen thousand rakshasas of terrible deeds have been killed by one man, Rama, a human on foot. Of that whole army only the great chariot-warrior Khara is left, and the rakshasa Trishiras, and Rama, slayer of enemies. The rest, very mighty rakshasas, terrible and hard to bear, have all been killed at the front of the battle by Lakshmana’s elder brother. Seeing that army of terrible strength killed in the great battle by mightier Rama, Khara comes at Rama in his great chariot, like Indra with his thunderbolt raised.
Press › to begin with verse 1.
दूषणस्तु स्वकं सैन्यं हन्यमानं विलोक्य च । संदिदेश महाबाहुर्भीमवेगान् दुरासदान् ॥ १ ॥
राक्षसान् पञ्चसाहस्रान् समरेष्वनिवर्तिनः । ते शूलैः पट्टिशैः खड्गैः शिलावर्षैर्द्रुमैरपि ॥ २ ॥
But Dushana, seeing his own army being killed, the mighty-armed one ordered five thousand rakshasas of terrible speed, hard to approach, never turning back in battles.
Commentary on the whole sarga
Dushana and the Fourteen Thousand Fall 1 min read.
Read the commentary
शरवर्षैरविच्छिन्नं ववर्षुस्तं समन्ततः । तद् द्रुमाणां शिलानां च वर्षं प्राणहरं महत् ॥ ३ ॥
With spears, axes and swords, with showers of rocks and trees too, with showers of arrows, they rained on him unbroken from every side.
प्रतिजग्राह धर्मात्मा राघवस्तीक्ष्णसायकैः । प्रतिगृह्य च तद् वर्षं निमीलित इवर्षभः ॥ ४ ॥
That great, life-taking shower of trees and rocks righteous Raghava received with sharp arrows; and having received that shower, like a bull with eyes closed,
रामः क्रोधं परं लेभे वधार्थं सर्वरक्षसाम् । ततः क्रोधसमाविष्टः प्रदीप्त इव तेजसा ॥ ५ ॥
Rama felt supreme anger for the killing of all the rakshasas. Then, filled with anger, as if blazing with splendour,
शरैरभ्यकिरत् सैन्यं सर्वतः सहदूषणम् । ततः सेनापतिः क्रुद्धो दूषणः शत्रुदूषणः ॥ ६ ॥
he covered the army on every side with arrows, together with Dushana. Then the angry army commander Dushana, destroyer of enemies,
शरैरशनिकल्पैस्तं राघवं समवारयत् । ततो रामः सुसंक्रुद्धः क्षुरेणास्य महद् धनुः ॥ ७ ॥
held back that Raghava with arrows like thunderbolts. Then the very angry Rama cut his great bow with a razor-headed arrow,
चिच्छेद समरे वीरश्चर्तुभिश्चतुरो हयान् । हत्वा चाश्वान् शरैस्तीक्ष्णैरर्धचन्द्रेण सारथेः ॥ ८ ॥
the hero, in battle, and with four arrows his four horses. And having killed the horses with sharp arrows, with a crescent arrow
शिरो जहार तद्रक्षस्त्रिभिर्विव्याध वक्षसि । स च्छिन्नधन्वा विरथो हताश्वो हतसारथिः ॥ ९ ॥
he took the charioteer’s head, and pierced that rakshasa in the chest with three. His bow cut, without chariot, his horses killed, his charioteer killed,
जग्राह गिरिशृङ्गाभं परिघं रोमहर्षणम् । वेष्टितं काञ्चनैः पट्टैर्देवसैन्याभिमर्दनम् ॥ १० ॥
he took up an iron bar like a mountain peak, hair-raising, bound with golden bands, crusher of the armies of the gods,
आयसैः शङ्कुभिस्तीक्ष्णैः कीर्णं परवसोक्षितम् । वज्राशनिसमस्पर्शं परगोपुरदारणम् ॥ ११ ॥
strewn with sharp iron spikes, sprinkled with the fat of enemies, with a touch like the thunderbolt, breaker of enemy gates.
तं महोरगसंकाशं प्रगृह्य परिघं रणे । दूषणोऽभ्यपतद् रामं क्रूरकर्मा निशाचरः ॥ १२ ॥
Taking up that iron bar like a great serpent in battle, Dushana, the night-ranger of cruel deeds, rushed at Rama.
तस्याभिपतमानस्य दूषणस्य च राघवः । द्वाभ्यां शराभ्यां चिच्छेद सहस्ताभरणौ भुजौ ॥ १३ ॥
As that Dushana rushed on, Raghava cut off his two arms with their hand-ornaments with two arrows.
भ्रष्टस्तस्य महाकायः पपात रणमूर्धनि । परिघश्छिन्नहस्तस्य शक्रध्वज इवाग्रतः ॥ १४ ॥
His huge iron bar, dropped from his cut hands, fell at the front of the battle, like Shakra’s banner before him.
कराभ्यां च विकीर्णाभ्यां पपात भुवि दूषणः । विषाणाभ्यां विशीर्णाभ्यां मनस्वीव महागजः ॥ १५ ॥
With his hands scattered, Dushana fell on the ground, like a proud great elephant with its tusks broken.
दृष्ट्वा तं पतितं भूमौ दूषणं निहतं रणे । साधु साध्विति काकुत्स्थं सर्वभूतान्यपूजयन् ॥ १६ ॥
Seeing that Dushana fallen on the ground, killed in battle, all beings honoured Kakutstha with “Well done, well done!”
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे क्रुद्धास्त्रयः सेनाग्रयायिनः । संहत्याभ्यद्रवन् रामं मृत्युपाशावपाशिताः ॥ १७ ॥
Meanwhile three angry leaders of the vanguard, bound by the noose of death, rushed together at Rama:
महाकपालः स्थूलाक्षः प्रमाथी च महाबलः । महाकपालो विपुलं शूलमुद्यम्य राक्षसः ॥ १८ ॥
Mahakapala, Sthulaksha and very mighty Pramathin. The rakshasa Mahakapala, raising a huge spear,
स्थूलाक्षः पट्टिशं गृह्य प्रमाथी च परश्वधम् । दृष्ट्वैवापततस्तांस्तु राघवः सायकैः शितैः ॥ १९ ॥
Sthulaksha taking an axe, and Pramathin a hatchet: as soon as he saw them rushing, Raghava, with sharpened arrows
तीक्ष्णाग्रैः प्रतिजग्राह सम्प्राप्तानतिथीनिव । महाकपालस्य शिरश्चिच्छेद रघुनन्दनः ॥ २० ॥
with sharp points, received them like guests who had arrived. The delight of the Raghus cut off Mahakapala’s head,
असंख्येयैस्तु बाणौघैः प्रममाथ प्रमाथिनम् । स्थूलाक्षस्याक्षिणी स्थूले पूरयामास सायकैः ॥ २१ ॥
crushed Pramathin with countless floods of arrows, and filled Sthulaksha’s large eyes with arrows.
स पपात हतो भूमौ विटपीव महाद्रुमः । दूषणस्यानुगान् पञ्चसाहस्रान् कुपितः क्षणात् ॥ २२ ॥
He fell dead on the ground, like a great tree with branches. In anger, in a moment, Dushana’s five thousand followers
हत्वा तु पञ्चसाहस्रैरनयद् यमसादनम् । दूषणं निहतं श्रुत्वा तस्य चैव पदानुगान् ॥ २३ ॥
he killed with five thousand arrows and sent to Yama’s abode. Hearing that Dushana had been killed, and his followers too,
व्यादिदेश खरः क्रुद्धः सेनाध्यक्षान् महाबलान् । अयं विनिहतः संख्ये दूषणः सपदानुगः ॥ २४ ॥
Khara, angry, ordered his very mighty army commanders: “This Dushana has been killed in battle with his followers.
महत्या सेनया सार्धं युद्ध्वा रामं कुमानुषम् । शस्त्रैर्नानाविधाकारैर्हनध्वं सर्वराक्षसाः ॥ २५ ॥
“Having fought this wretched man Rama with a great army, kill him, all you rakshasas, with weapons of many kinds and forms.”
एवमुक्त्वा खरः क्रुद्धो राममेवाभिदुद्रुवे । श्येनगामी पृथुग्रीवो यज्ञशत्रुर्विहंगमः ॥ २६ ॥
दुर्जयः करवीराक्षः परुषः कालकार्मुकः । हेममाली महामाली सर्पास्यो रुधिराशनः ॥ २७ ॥
द्वादशैते महावीर्या बलाध्यक्षाः ससैनिकाः । राममेवाभ्यधावन्त विसृजन्तः शरोत्तमान् ॥ २८ ॥
Having said this, Khara, angry, rushed at Rama himself. Shyenagamin, Prithugriva, Yajnashatru, Vihangama, Durjaya, Karaviraksha, Parusha, Kalakarmuka, Hemamalin, Mahamalin, Sarpasya and Rudhirashana: these twelve very mighty army commanders with their soldiers rushed at Rama himself, releasing excellent arrows.
ततः पावकसंकाशैर्हेमवज्रविभूषितैः । जघान शेषं तेजस्वी तस्य सैन्यस्य सायकैः ॥ २९ ॥
Then with arrows like fire, adorned with gold and diamonds, the splendid one killed the rest of his army.
ते रुक्मपुङ्खा विशिखाः सधूमा इव पावकाः । निजघ्नुस्तानि रक्षांसि वज्रा इव महाद्रुमान् ॥ ३० ॥
Those gold-feathered arrows, like smoking fires, killed those rakshasas as thunderbolts kill great trees.
रक्षसां तु शतं रामः शतेनैकेन किर्णना । सहस्रं तु सहस्रेण जघान रणमूर्धनि ॥ ३१ ॥
Rama killed a hundred rakshasas with one hundred barbed arrows, and a thousand with a thousand, at the front of the battle.
तैर्भिन्नवर्माभरणाश्छिन्नभिन्नशरासनाः । निपेतुः शोणितादिग्धा धरण्यां रजनीचराः ॥ ३२ ॥
Their armour and ornaments broken by them, their bows cut and split, the night-rangers fell on the ground smeared with blood.
तैर्मुक्तकेशैः समरे पतितैः शोणितोक्षितैः । विस्तीर्णा वसुधा कृत्स्ना महावेदिः कुशैरिव ॥ ३३ ॥
With them fallen in battle, their hair loosened, drenched with blood, the whole earth was strewn as a great altar with kusha.
तत्क्षणे तु महाघोरं वनं निहतराक्षसम् । बभूव निरयप्रख्यं मांसशोणितकर्दमम् ॥ ३४ ॥
In that moment the very terrible forest, its rakshasas killed, became like hell, a mire of flesh and blood.
चतुर्दशसहस्राणि रक्षसां भीमकर्मणाम् । हतान्येकेन रामेण मानुषेण पदातिना ॥ ३५ ॥
Fourteen thousand rakshasas of terrible deeds were killed by one Rama, a human on foot.
तस्य सैन्यस्य सर्वस्य खरः शेषो महारथः । राक्षसस्त्रिशिराश्चैव रामश्च रिपुसूदनः ॥ ३६ ॥
Of that whole army, Khara, the great chariot-warrior, was left, and the rakshasa Trishiras, and Rama, slayer of enemies.
शेषा हता महावीर्या राक्षसा रणमूर्धनि । घोरा दुर्विषहाः सर्वे लक्ष्मणस्याग्रजेन ते ॥ ३७ ॥
The rest, very mighty rakshasas, all terrible and hard to bear, were killed at the front of the battle by Lakshmana’s elder brother.
ततस्तु तद्भीमबलं महाहवे समीक्ष्य रामेण हतं बलीयसा । रथेन रामं महता खरस्ततः समाससादेन्द्र इवोद्यताशनिः ॥ ३८ ॥
Then, seeing that army of terrible strength killed in the great battle by mightier Rama, Khara then came at Rama in his great chariot, like Indra with his thunderbolt raised.