Chapter 23
Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest
तत् प्रयातम् बलम् घोरम् अशिवम् शोणित उदकम्
अभ्यवर्षत् महा मेघः तुमुलो गर्दभ अरुणः
tat prayātam balam ghoram aśivam śoṇita udakam
abhyavarṣat mahā meghaḥ tumulo gardabha aruṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
A massy and tumultuous ass-coloured cloud rained ill-omened bloody water while that fiendish force is advancing. [3-23-1]
निपेतुः तुरगाः तस्य रथ युक्ता महाजवाः
समे पुष्पचिते देशे राजमार्गे यदृच्छ्हया
nipetuḥ turagāḥ tasya ratha yuktā mahājavāḥ
same puṣpacite deśe rājamārge yadṛcchhayā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The highly speedy horses paired to Khara's chariot have tottered in a trice, even though that place on the highway is with even surface and spread with flowers. [3-23-2]
श्यामम् रुधिर पर्यन्तम् बभूव परिवेषणम्
अलात चक्र प्रतिमम् प्रतिगृह्य दिवाकरम्
śyāmam rudhira paryantam babhūva pariveṣaṇam
alāta cakra pratimam pratigṛhya divākaram
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Capturing the sun a blackish corona with blood-red outer circle has formed and nested around it like the fiery ring formed by circling a fireball. [3-23-3]
PURPORT
ततो ध्वजम् उपागम्य हेम दण्डम् समुच्छ्ह्रितम्
समाक्रम्य महाकायः तस्थौ गृध्रः सुदारुणः
tato dhvajam upāgamya hema daṇḍam samucchhritam
samākramya mahākāyaḥ tasthau gṛdhraḥ sudāruṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then, nearing the golden shaft of the flag of the chariot with a very lofty flagstaff, an awful eagle with massive body occupied and perched atop of that golden shaft. [3-23-4]
जनस्थान समीपे च समाक्रम्य खर स्वनाः
विस्वरान् विविधान् च चक्रुः मांस आदा मृग पक्षिणः
janasthāna samīpe ca samākramya khara svanāḥ
visvarān vividhān ca cakruḥ māṃsa ādā mṛga pakṣiṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Cacophonous and carnivorous predators and vultures took over the nearby places of Janasthaana and they made raucous sounds of many kinds. [3-23-5]
व्याजह्रुः च पदीप्तायाम् दिशि वै भैरव स्वनम्
अशिवा यातुधानानाम् शिवा घोरा महास्वनाः
vyājahruḥ ca padīptāyām diśi vai bhairava svanam
aśivā yātudhānānām śivā ghorā mahāsvanāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Turning towards the stretch scorched by the sun, fearsome and loud noised jackals have howled emitting awful sounds, that which is inauspicious to the demons. [3-23-6]
प्रभिन्नगजसंकाशतोयशोणितधारिणः
यद्वा
प्रभिन्न गज संकाश तोय शोणित धारिणः
आकाशम् तत् अनाकाशम् चक्रुः भीम अंबु वाहकाः
prabhinnagajasaṃkāśatoyaśoṇitadhāriṇaḥ
- yadvā -
prabhinna gaja saṃkāśa toya śoṇita dhāriṇaḥ
ākāśam tat anākāśam cakruḥ bhīma aṃbu vāhakāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then frightening clouds similar to bursting mountains carrying bloodlike water have rendered the firmament less of leeway. [3-23-7]
बभूव तिमिरम् घोरम् उद्धतम् रोम हर्षणम्
दिशो वा प्रदिशो वा अपि सुव्यक्तम् न चकाशिरे
babhūva timiram ghoram uddhatam roma harṣaṇam
diśo vā pradiśo vā api suvyaktam na cakāśire
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
There chanced an abominable, cataclysmic, hair-raising darkness whereby the milieus or inter-milieus are not very clearly brightened. [3-23-8]
क्षतज आर्द्र सवर्णाभा संध्या कालम् विना बभौ
खरम् च अभिमुखम् नेदुः तदा घोरा मृगाः
खगाः
kṣataja ārdra savarṇābhā saṃdhyā kālam vinā babhau
kharam ca abhimukham neduḥ tadā ghorā mṛgāḥ
khagāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
An untimely eventide glistened with a colour similar to the one drenched in blood, and then horrendous brutes and birds have clamoured facing Khara directly, and the vultures, jackals and eagles too have screamed portending danger. [3-23-9, 10a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Jackals, that too female jackals, are always the agents of inauspiciousness in wars with demonstrable calamities brought forth by their portending howling, and such jackals have now howled in front of Khara's army with their snouts spewing blazes. [3-23-10]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
A spherical object like that of a human trunk is revealed near at the sun, while the sun is rendered shineless as though Rahu, the great eclipsing-planet, has eclipsed him inopportunely, and the wind too whirled frantically. [3-23-11b, 12]
उत्पेतुः च विना रात्रिम् ताराः खद्योतन प्रभाः
संलीन मीन विहगा नलिन्यः शुष्क पंकजाः
utpetuḥ ca vinā rātrim tārāḥ khadyotana prabhāḥ
saṃlīna mīna vihagā nalinyaḥ śuṣka paṃkajāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Stars sprang up with the brilliance of fireflies though it is not night, and at that moment fishes and waterfowls stood still in lakes, lotuses have dried up, flowers and fruits have dropped from trees as though it is night. [3-23-13, 14a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Without any puffing of wind dust in brownish-red colour is heaved up, and there the songbirds like Maina started to twitter as 'cii cii kuu cii'. [3-23-14b, 15a]
PURPORT
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Meteors horrible in their look have fallen down thunderously, and even the earth together with its mountains, woods and forests quaked shakily. [3-23-15b, 16a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
He who is raving while sitting in his chariot that clever Khara's left shoulder thrilled excessively, and his voice too quavered. [3-23-16b, 17a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
While he is seeing everywhere his eyes spawned tears for no good reason, his forehead ached, but he did not retrace his steps owing to his own vanity. [3-23-17b, 18a]
तान् समीक्ष्य महोत्पातान् उत्थितान् रोम हर्षणान्
tān samīkṣya mahotpātān utthitān roma harṣaṇān
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On observing those worst auguries stemming up at that moment with hair-raising nature, Khara laughed them off and said this to all of the demons. [3-23-18b, 19a]
महा उत्पातान् इमान् सर्वान् उत्थितान् घोर दर्शनान्
mahā utpātān imān sarvān utthitān ghora darśanān
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"These awful auguries with their horrible nature have arisen, but owing to my own valour I am unbothered about all of them as with a mighty one unworried of the mightless. [3-23-19b, 20a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"With the excruciating arrows of mine I can hurtle stars from the face of sky, and if highly infuriated, I can even enjoin mortality to Death himself. [3-23-20b, 21a]
राघवम् तम् बल उत्सिक्तम् भ्रातरम् च अस्य लक्ष्मणम्
rāghavam tam bala utsiktam bhrātaram ca asya lakṣmaṇam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I am reluctant to return without killing that Rama, a haughty one by his might, together with his brother Lakshmana, with my incisive arrows. [3-23-21b, 22a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"In whose respect both Rama and Lakshmana behaved perversely, let that sister of mine be contented in drinking the blood of those two. [3-23-22b, 23a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"No defeat has chanced on me in combats at anytime and anywhere, that to you all is obvious and I tell no untruth. [3-23-23b, 24a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"If I am infuriated I can eliminate even the king of gods, wielder of Thunderbolt and a trekker on ruttish elephant Iravata, namely Indra in a war, then why talk about these two humans." Thus Khara addressed his troops. [3-23-24b, 25a]
सा तस्य गर्जितम् श्रुत्वा राक्षसाअनाम् महा चमूः
sā tasya garjitam śrutvā rākṣasāanām mahā camūḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On hearing that thundering speech of Khara that sizeable army of demons which is tied down by the noose of death obtained an incomparable rejoice. [3-23-25b, 26a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then desiring to see the war of Khara with Rama, great-souls like sages, gods, gandharva-s along with carana-s and siddha-s have come together in firmament. [3-23-26b, 27a]
समेत्य च ऊचुः सहिताः ते अन्यायम् पुण्यकर्मणः
sametya ca ūcuḥ sahitāḥ te anyāyam puṇyakarmaṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On gathering at a place those great souls met one another and said, "let good betide cows, Brahmans and those that are held respectful by the people at large." [3-23-27b, 28a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Let Raghava triumph over these mighty night walkers from the lineage of Pulastya, as with Vishnu who once conquered all the mighty demons in war." So said celestials to one another. [3-23-28]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
While the great sages are speaking about this and many other topics, they and the gods abiding in their aircrafts have inquisitively seen the flow of army of demons, whose longevity is now beyond hope. [3-23-29, 30]
रथेन तु खरो वेगात् सैन्यस्य अग्रात् विनिःसृतः
श्येनगामी पृथुग्रीवो यज्ञशत्रुः विहंगमः
rathena tu kharo vegāt sainyasya agrāt viniḥsṛtaḥ
śyenagāmī pṛthugrīvo yajñaśatruḥ vihaṃgamaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Khara speedily bolted in his chariot to the van of his legions, and on seeing that demon Khara going in front other important demons too rushed to fore. They are Shyenagaami, Prithugviira, Yajnashatru, Vihamgama and also Durjaya, Karaviiraaksha, Parusha, Kaalakaarmuka, Hemamaali, Mahaamaali, Sarpaasya, Rudhiraaksha. These twelve highly valorous demons cruised in a semicircle around Khara. [3-23-31]
महाकपालः स्थूलाक्षः प्रमाथी त्रिशिराः तथा
चत्वार एते सेना अग्रे दूषणम् पृष्ठतो अन्वयुः
mahākapālaḥ sthūlākṣaḥ pramāthī triśirāḥ tathā
catvāra ete senā agre dūṣaṇam pṛṣṭhato anvayuḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Likewsie Mahakapaala, Stuulaaksha, Pramaathii, Trishira are the four commanders of demonic forces and they followed Duushana marching at his behind. [3-23-33]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे त्रयो विंशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye araṇya kāṇḍe trayo viṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
That army of valiant demons which is highly execrable, infernally speedy, and readily inspirited for a battle quickly rushed towards those two princes, Rama and Lakshmana, as though a festoon of planets would rush towards the Moon and Sun so as to put them to rout. [3-23-34]
