Aranya Kanda · Sarga 27 of 76 · 20 verses
Trishiras
As Khara goes toward Rama, the army commander, the rakshasa named Trishiras, comes up and says: “Appoint me, valiant as I am, and turn back from this rashness. See mighty-armed Rama brought down in battle. I promise you truly, and I touch my weapon, that I will kill Rama, who deserves death from all the rakshasas. Either I will be his death in battle, or he will be mine. Restrain your eagerness for battle and be a witness for a moment. If Rama is killed, you will go happily to Janasthana; if I am killed, you will go to fight Rama.” Persuaded by Trishiras, who longs for death, Khara gives him leave: “Go and fight.” Trishiras goes toward Raghava, and in his bright horse-drawn chariot rushes at Rama in battle like a three-peaked mountain. Releasing masses of streams of arrows like a great cloud, he roars a sound like a drum wet with water. Seeing the rakshasa Trishiras coming, Raghava receives him with his bow, shaking sharp arrows. That clash between Rama and Trishiras, both very mighty, is tumultuous, like that of a lion and an elephant. Struck on the forehead by three arrows of Trishiras, Rama, angry and impatient, says in his fury: “Ah, such is the strength of this rakshasa, hero in valour, that I am wounded on the forehead by arrows as if by flowers! Take mine too, released from the bowstring.” Saying this, furious, he strikes fourteen arrows like venomous snakes into Trishiras’s chest. With four smooth-jointed arrows the splendid one brings down his four horses; with eight arrows he brings down the charioteer in the chariot; with an arrow he cuts his tall banner. As the night-ranger leaps from his ruined chariot, Rama pierces him in the heart with arrows, and he is stunned. Then, impatient, Rama of immeasurable self brings down the rakshasa’s three heads with three swift arrows. Spouting smoke and blood, tormented by Rama’s arrows, the night-ranger falls, standing in battle, among those already fallen. Then the rakshasas left alive, Khara’s dependants, broken, run away and will not stand, like deer frightened by a tiger. Seeing them run, Khara turns them back and, enraged, hurrying, rushes at Rama himself, as Rahu rushes at the moon.
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खरं तु रामाभिमुखं प्रयान्तं वाहिनीपतिः । राक्षसस्त्रिशिरा नाम संनिपत्येदमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
As Khara was going toward Rama, the army commander, the rakshasa named Trishiras, came up and said this:
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मां नियोजय विक्रान्तं त्वं निवर्तस्व साहसात् । पश्य रामं महाबाहुं संयुगे विनिपातितम् ॥ २ ॥
“Appoint me, valiant as I am, and turn back from this rashness. See mighty-armed Rama brought down in battle.
प्रतिजानामि ते सत्यमायुधं चाहमालभे । यथा रामं वधिष्यामि वधार्हं सर्वरक्षसाम् ॥ ३ ॥
“I promise you truly, and I touch my weapon, that I will kill Rama, who deserves death from all the rakshasas.
अहं वास्य रणे मृत्युरेष वा समरे मम । विनिवर्त्य रणोत्साहं मुहूर्तं प्राश्निको भव ॥ ४ ॥
“Either I will be his death in battle, or he will be mine in combat. Restraining your eagerness for battle, be a witness for a moment.
प्रहृष्टो वा हते रामे जनस्थानं प्रयास्यसि । मयि वा निहते रामं संयुगाय प्रयास्यसि ॥ ५ ॥
“If Rama is killed, you will go delighted to Janasthana; or if I am killed, you will go against Rama for battle.”
खरस्त्रिशिरसा तेन मृत्युलोभात् प्रसादितः । गच्छ युध्येत्यनुज्ञातो राघवाभिमुखो ययौ ॥ ६ ॥
Khara, won over by that Trishiras through his longing for death, gave leave: “Go, fight”; and he went toward Raghava.
त्रिशिरास्तु रथेनैव वाजियुक्तेन भास्वता । अभ्यद्रवद् रणे रामं त्रिशृङ्ग इव पर्वतः ॥ ७ ॥
And Trishiras, in his bright chariot yoked with horses, rushed at Rama in battle like a three-peaked mountain.
शरधारासमूहान् स महामेघ इवोत्सृजन् । व्यसृजत् सदृशं नादं जलार्द्रस्येव दुन्दुभेः ॥ ८ ॥
Releasing masses of streams of arrows like a great cloud, he let out a sound like that of a drum wet with water.
आगच्छन्तं त्रिशिरसं राक्षसं प्रेक्ष्य राघवः । धनुषा प्रतिजग्राह विधुन्वन् सायकान् शितान् ॥ ९ ॥
Seeing the rakshasa Trishiras coming, Raghava received him with his bow, shaking sharp arrows.
स सम्प्रहारस्तुमुलो रामत्रिशिरसोस्तदा । सम्बभूवातिबलिनोः सिंहकुञ्जरयोरिव ॥ १० ॥
That clash between Rama and Trishiras, both very mighty, then became tumultuous, like that of a lion and an elephant.
ततस्त्रिशिरसा बाणैर्ललाटे ताडितस्त्रिभिः । अमर्षी कुपितो रामः संरब्ध इदमब्रवीत् ॥ ११ ॥
Then, struck on the forehead by three arrows of Trishiras, Rama, impatient, angry, furious, said this:
अहो विक्रमशूरस्य राक्षसस्येदृशं बलम् । पुष्पैरिव शरैर्योऽहं ललाटेऽस्मि परिक्षतः ॥ १२ ॥
“Ah, such is the strength of this rakshasa, a hero in valour, that I am wounded on the forehead by arrows as if by flowers!
ममापि प्रतिगृह्णीष्व शरांश्चापगुणाच्च्युतान् । एवमुक्त्वा सुसंरब्धः शरानाशीविषोपमान् ॥ १३ ॥
“Receive mine too, released from the bowstring.” Having said this, furious, he struck arrows like venomous snakes,
त्रिशिरोवक्षसि क्रुद्धो निजघान चतुर्दश । चतुर्भिस्तुरगानस्य शरैः संनतपर्वभिः ॥ १४ ॥
fourteen, in anger, into Trishiras’s chest. With four smooth-jointed arrows at his horses
न्यपातयत तेजस्वी चतुरस्तस्य वाजिनः । अष्टभिः सायकैः सूतं रथोपस्थे न्यपातयत् ॥ १५ ॥
the splendid one brought down his four horses; with eight arrows he brought down the charioteer in the chariot’s seat.
रामश्चिच्छेद बाणेन ध्वजं चास्य समुच्छ्रितम् । ततो हतरथात् तस्मादुत्पतन्तं निशाचरम् ॥ १६ ॥
And Rama cut his tall banner with an arrow. Then, as the night-ranger leapt up from that ruined chariot,
चिच्छेद रामस्तं बाणैर्हृदये सोऽभवज्जडः । सायकैश्चाप्रमेयात्मा सामर्षस्तस्य रक्षसः ॥ १७ ॥
Rama pierced him with arrows in the heart, and he became stunned. And, impatient, he of immeasurable self, with arrows,
शिरांस्यपातयत् त्रीणि वेगवद्भिस्त्रिभिः शरैः । स धूमशोणितोद्गारी रामबाणाभिपीडितः ॥ १८ ॥
brought down three heads of that rakshasa with three swift arrows. He, spouting smoke and blood, tormented by Rama’s arrows,
न्यपतत् पतितैः पूर्वं समरस्थो निशाचरः । हतशेषास्ततो भग्ना राक्षसाः खरसंश्रयाः ॥ १९ ॥
fell, the night-ranger standing in battle, among those fallen before. Then the rakshasas left from the slain, broken, dependants of Khara,
द्रवन्ति स्म न तिष्ठन्ति व्याघ्रत्रस्ता मृगा इव । तान् खरो द्रवतो दृष्ट्वा निवर्त्य रुषितस्त्वरन् । राममेवाभिदुद्राव राहुश्चन्द्रमसं यथा ॥ २० ॥
ran and did not stand, like deer frightened by a tiger. Seeing them running, Khara, turning them back, enraged, hurrying, rushed at Rama himself, as Rahu at the moon.