Chapter 25
Aranya Kanda - Book Of Forest
अवष्टब्ध धनुम् रामम् क्रुद्धम् च रिपु घातिनम्
ददर्श आश्रमम् आगम्य खरः सह पुरःसरैः
avaṣṭabdha dhanum rāmam kruddham ca ripu ghātinam
dadarśa āśramam āgamya kharaḥ saha puraḥsaraiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Khara on arriving at the hermitage along with forerunning soldiers saw the enemy-eliminator and wrathful Rama holding fast to his bow. [3-25-1]
तम् दृष्ट्वा सगुणम् चापम् उद्यम्य खर निःस्वनम्
रामस्य अभिमुखम् सूतम् चोद्यताम् इति अचोदयत्
tam dṛṣṭvā saguṇam cāpam udyamya khara niḥsvanam
rāmasya abhimukham sūtam codyatām iti acodayat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On seeing Rama that bawling Khara raised his string-taut bow that makes an ass-like braying twang, drove his charioteer crazy saying, "drive to the fore of that Rama..." [3-25-2]
स खरस्य आज्ञया सूतः तुरगान् समचोदयत्
यत्र रामो महाबाहुः एको धुन्वन् धनुः स्थितः
sa kharasya ājñayā sūtaḥ turagān samacodayat
yatra rāmo mahābāhuḥ eko dhunvan dhanuḥ sthitaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On the orders of Khara the charioteer drove the horses to there where the mighty armed Rama is standing single-handedly while swaying his bow. [3-25-3]
तम् तु निष्पतितम् दृष्ट्वा सर्वे ते रजनी चराः
मुंचमाना महानादम् सचिवाः पर्यवारयन्
tam tu niṣpatitam dṛṣṭvā sarve te rajanī carāḥ
muṃcamānā mahānādam sacivāḥ paryavārayan
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On seeing Khara descending on Rama then all those nightwalkers who are the deputies of Khara encircled Khara venting out loud battle cries. [3-25-4]
स तेषाम् यातुधानानाम् मध्ये रथः गतः खरः
बभूव मध्ये ताराणाम् लोहिता।ंग इव उदितः
sa teṣām yātudhānānām madhye rathaḥ gataḥ kharaḥ
babhūva madhye tārāṇām lohitā|ṃga iva uditaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Khara staying on his chariot in the thick of those demons appeared to be like coppery-red planet Mars up-shot in the thick of stars. [3-25-5]
ततः शर सहस्रेन रामम् अप्रतिम ओजसम्
अर्दयित्वाअ महानादम् ननाद समरे खरः
tataḥ śara sahasrena rāmam apratima ojasam
ardayitvāa mahānādam nanāda samare kharaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
In his proneness to war then Khara assaulted that uniquely forceful Rama with a thousand arrows and blared a roaring battle cry. [3-25-6]
ततः तम् भीम धन्वानम् क्रुद्धाः सर्वे निशाचराः
रामम् नाना विधैः शस्त्रैः अभ्यवर्षन्त दुर्जयम्
tataḥ tam bhīma dhanvānam kruddhāḥ sarve niśācarāḥ
rāmam nānā vidhaiḥ śastraiḥ abhyavarṣanta durjayam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
All of those infuriated nightwalkers then incessantly rained diverse weapons on that invincibleRama who is handling a horrific bow. [3-25-7]
मुद्गरैः आयसैः शूलैः प्रासैः खड्गैः परश्वधैः
राक्षसाः समरे रामम् निजघ्नू रोष तत्पराः
mudgaraiḥ āyasaiḥ śūlaiḥ prāsaiḥ khaḍgaiḥ paraśvadhaiḥ
rākṣasāḥ samare rāmam nijaghnū roṣa tatparāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Those demons that are already caught up with rancour bombarded Rama with bludgeons, lances, tridents, darts and hatchets. [3-25-8]
ते वलाहक संकाशा महाकाया महाबलाः
अभ्यधावन्त काकुत्स्थम् रथैः वाजिभिः एव च
te valāhaka saṃkāśā mahākāyā mahābalāḥ
abhyadhāvanta kākutstham rathaiḥ vājibhiḥ eva ca
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Those massive bodied and exceptionally mighty demons came jostling like immense clouds in their eagerness to kill Rama in that war, while some mounted on chariots and horsebacks, and some more riding mountain-ridges like elephants rushed in on Rama. [3-25-9,10a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
And those bands of demons have outpoured arrows on Rama, as with enormous black-clouds disemboguing torrents on a lofty mountain. [3-25-10b, 11a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When hemmed in with those grisly-looking demons Rama appeared like Rudra surrounded by his divine retinue called prathama gaNa -s, on certain days, whereupon he starts his all-destructive cosmic-dance. [3-25-11b, 12a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
That Raghava has pre-empted those arrows discharged by the demons with his excruciatingly pointed arrows as an ocean would do with the river's onrush. [3-25-12b, 13a]
स तैः प्रहरणैः घोरैः भिन्न गात्रो न विव्यथे
sa taiḥ praharaṇaiḥ ghoraiḥ bhinna gātro na vivyathe
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Even if his body is gashed with those gruesome assault weapons Rama is not enfeebled, as with the enormous Mt. Meru that can withstand even if battered by very many highly blazing thunderbolts of Indra. [3-25-13, 14a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Bruised and bedaubed with blood on all his limbs that Rama of Raghu's dynasty took shape of the sun enshrouded by cloudscapes at eventide. [3-25-14b, 15a]
PURPORT
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On seeing lone Rama beset by many demons, then the gods, celestials, saints and sublime-sages are dispirited. [3-25-15b, 16a]
ततो रामः तु सुसंक्रुद्धो मण्डली कृत कार्मुकः
tato rāmaḥ tu susaṃkruddho maṇḍalī kṛta kārmukaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
But Rama on becoming highly infuriated curved his bow to a full circularity on stretching the bowstring up to his ear, and then jetted out trenchant arrows in hundreds. Why hundreds? He surged them in thousands. [3-25-16b, 17a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
In that war Rama sportily discharged eagle-feathered arrows adorned in gold which are unstoppable and intolerable, and which in simile are the leads of Time-god. [3-25-17b, 18a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Those arrows that are playfully discharged on the army of enemy have grabbed the lives of demons like the tethers flung by the Time-god. [3-25-18b, 19a]
भित्त्वा राक्षस देहान् ताम् ते शरा रुधिर आप्लुताः
bhittvā rākṣasa dehān tām te śarā rudhira āplutāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On impaling the bodies demons, the arrows swamped in blood have gone into welkin, where they are aglow with flares equalling inflamed flames. [3-25-19b, 20a]
PURPORT
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Innumerable and highly frightening arrows fusilladed from the nimbus of the bow of Rama that resulted as the filchers of the lives of demons. [3-25-20b, 21a]
तैः धनूंषि ध्वज अग्राणि चर्माणि च शिरांसि च
taiḥ dhanūṃṣi dhvaja agrāṇi carmāṇi ca śirāṃsi ca
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
In that war, shooting now with hundreds, and now with thousands of such arrows, Rama shredded those many bows, pinnacles of war-flags, armours and the like. And even shred are the heads of demons, along with their ornamented arms and thighs similar to the trunks of elephants. [3-25-21b, 22]
हयान् कांचन सन्नाहान् रथ युक्तान् स सारथीन्
गजाम् च स गज आरोहान् स हयान् सारधिनः तदा
hayān kāṃcana sannāhān ratha yuktān sa sārathīn
gajām ca sa gaja ārohān sa hayān sāradhinaḥ tadā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
With the arrows flung from the bow-bowstring-nimbus of Rama, he indeed shredded and scraped the horses hitched with golden harnesses, and the chariots to which they are yoked, and even their charioteers. Likewise, he even ripped off the elephants along with their riders, and the horses along with their cavaliers. And on eliminating infantrymen in that war Rama led them to the abode of Yama, the Time-god. [3-25-23, 24] [3-25-23]
ततो नालीक नाराचैः तीक्ष्ण अग्रैः विकर्णिभिः
भीमम् आर्त स्वरम् चक्रुः छ्हिद्यमाना निशाचराः
tato nālīka nārācaiḥ tīkṣṇa agraiḥ vikarṇibhiḥ
bhīmam ārta svaram cakruḥ chhidyamānā niśācarāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
While ripped to pieces with tubular arrows, with arrows made of iron, and with sharp-edged and crescent-tipped arrows those demons have let out disgusting cries of anguish. [3-25-25]
तत् सैन्यम् निशितैः बाणैः अर्दितम् मर्म भेदिभिः
न रामेण सुखम् लेभे शुष्कम् वनम् इव अग्निना
tat sainyam niśitaiḥ bāṇaiḥ arditam marma bhedibhiḥ
na rāmeṇa sukham lebhe śuṣkam vanam iva agninā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When those arrows that gore the critical parts are thus harrowing, that army is discomposed like a forest burnt to a cinder by wild-fire. [3-25-26]
केचिद् भीम बलाः शूराः प्रासान् शूलान् परश्वधान्
चिक्षिपुः परम क्रुद्धा रामाय रजनीचराः
kecid bhīma balāḥ śūrāḥ prāsān śūlān paraśvadhān
cikṣipuḥ parama kruddhā rāmāya rajanīcarāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Some of the grotesquely sinewy and braving nightwalkers are highly enraged and dashed their darts, tridents, and hatchets towards Rama. [3-25-27]
तेषाम् बाणैः महाबाहुः शस्त्राणि आवार्य वीर्यवान्
जहार समरे प्राणान् चिच्छ्हेद च शिरो धरान्
teṣām bāṇaiḥ mahābāhuḥ śastrāṇi āvārya vīryavān
jahāra samare prāṇān cicchheda ca śiro dharān
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On fending off those weapons with his arrows that mighty armed and valorous Rama filched away their lives by shearing off their necks in that war. [3-25-28]
ते छ्हिन्न शिरसः पेतुः छ्हिन्न चर्म शरासनाः
सुपर्ण वात विक्षिप्ता जगत्याम् पादपा यथा
te chhinna śirasaḥ petuḥ chhinna carma śarāsanāḥ
suparṇa vāta vikṣiptā jagatyām pādapā yathā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Those demons crashed down to earth with their heads severed and shields and bows wrecked, like the trees strewn around on earth owing to the gust raised by Garuda, the Divine Eagle, when he takes a sudden flight in heavens. [3-25-29]
अवशिष्टाः च ये तत्र विषण्णाः ते निशाचराः
खरम् एव अभ्यधावन्त शरणार्थम् शर आहताः
avaśiṣṭāḥ ca ye tatra viṣaṇṇāḥ te niśācarāḥ
kharam eva abhyadhāvanta śaraṇārtham śara āhatāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Those nightwalkers that are battered by those arrows and remaining there, they desperately rushed towards Khara alone seeking shelter. [3-25-30]
तान् सर्वान् धनुर् आदाय समाश्वास्य च दूषणः
अभ्यधावत सुसंक्रुद्धः क्रुद्धः [रुद्रम्] क्रुद्ध
इव अन्तकः
tān sarvān dhanur ādāya samāśvāsya ca dūṣaṇaḥ
abhyadhāvata susaṃkruddhaḥ kruddhaḥ [rudram] kruddha
iva antakaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Comforting all of them and taking his bow, very highly infuriated Duushana rushed towards that infuriated Rama like the furious Eliminator Yama. That highly infuriated Duushana rushed towards Rama as highly infuriated Yama rushes towards Rudra, where Rudra being the ultimate eliminator himself, angry rush of Yama towards Rudra is therefore futile. [3-25-31]
PURPORT
निवृत्ताः तु पुनः सर्वे दूषण आश्रय निर्भयाः
रामम् एव अभ्यधावन्त साल ताल शिल आयुधाः
nivṛttāḥ tu punaḥ sarve dūṣaṇa āśraya nirbhayāḥ
rāmam eva abhyadhāvanta sāla tāla śila āyudhāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Coming under the shelter of Duushana all of those demons are but emboldened and returned, and they once again rushed towards Rama with saala trees, palm trees and boulders as their weapons. [3-25-32]
शूल मुद्गर हस्ताः च पाश हस्ता महाबलाः
सृजन्तः शर वर्षाणि शस्त्र वर्षाणि संयुगे
śūla mudgara hastāḥ ca pāśa hastā mahābalāḥ
sṛjantaḥ śara varṣāṇi śastra varṣāṇi saṃyuge
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Handling tridents, maces, and leashes those great-mighty demons have created torrents of arrows, missiles, trees and boulders, and inundated Rama in that war. [3-25-33, 34a]
तद् बभूव अद्भुतम् युद्धम् तुमुलम् रोम हर्षणम्
tad babhūva adbhutam yuddham tumulam roma harṣaṇam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Again there chanced a highly gruesome war between Rama and those demons that is tumultuous, stunning, and a hair-raising. [3-25-34b, 35a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Those demons have resurfaced from all around pressurising Raghava in high dudgeon. On seeing the reappearance of demons from everywhere, with whom all the directions and inter-directions are fully filled, and who are storming torrents of arrows, then that exceptionally forceful Rama made a thunderous sound and launched an extremely blazing missile among the gather of demons, called gandharva missile. [3-25-35b, 36, 37]
ततः शर सहस्राणि निर्ययुः चाप मण्डलात्
सर्वा दश दिशो बानैः आपूर्यन्त समागतैः
tataḥ śara sahasrāṇi niryayuḥ cāpa maṇḍalāt
sarvā daśa diśo bānaiḥ āpūryanta samāgataiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then from the nimbus of his bow, arrows in thousand have scurried out, and with them thus arrived all the ten sides are cramped up. [3-25-38]
न आददानाम् शरान् घोरान् विमुंचंतम् शर उत्तमान्
विकर्षमाणम् पश्यन्ति राक्षसाः ते शर आर्दिताः
na ādadānām śarān ghorān vimuṃcaṃtam śara uttamān
vikarṣamāṇam paśyanti rākṣasāḥ te śara ārditāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Either the drawing of those supreme arrows from the quiver, or the traction of bowstring on placing them, or unloosing them from the bow is unperceived by those demons that are harrowing under those arrows. [3-25-39]
शर अन्धकारम् आकाशम् आवृणोत् स दिवाकरम्
बभूव अवस्थितो रामः प्रक्षिपन् इव तान् शरान्
śara andhakāram ākāśam āvṛṇot sa divākaram
babhūva avasthito rāmaḥ prakṣipan iva tān śarān
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Darkness caused by the thick of the arrows overspread the sky including its sun, while Rama happened to persevere spewing forth his arrows. [3-25-40]
PURPORT
युगपत् पतमानैः च युगपच्च हतैः भ्रिशम्
युगपत् पतितैः चैव विकीर्णा वसुधा अभवत्
yugapat patamānaiḥ ca yugapacca hataiḥ bhriśam
yugapat patitaiḥ caiva vikīrṇā vasudhā abhavat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Far and wide the earth is scattered with herds that are falling instantaneously, hosts that have fallen instantly, and huddles that are already felled with an instantaneity. [3-25-41]
PURPORT
निहताः पतिताः क्षीणा च्छ्हिन्न भिन्न विदारिताः
तत्र तत्र स्म दृश्यन्ते राक्षसाः ते सहस्रशः
nihatāḥ patitāḥ kṣīṇā cchhinna bhinna vidāritāḥ
tatra tatra sma dṛśyante rākṣasāḥ te sahasraśaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thousands of demons are noticeable hither and yon, killed, fallen and enfeebled, and slashed, gashed and ripped. [3-25-42]
PURPORT
स उष्णीषैः उत्तम अंगैः च स अ।ंगदैः बाहुभिः तथा
ऊरुभिः बाहुभिः च्छ्हिन्नैः नाना रूपैः
विभूषणैः
sa uṣṇīṣaiḥ uttama aṃgaiḥ ca sa a|ṃgadaiḥ bāhubhiḥ tathā
ūrubhiḥ bāhubhiḥ cchhinnaiḥ nānā rūpaiḥ
vibhūṣaṇaiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Some severed heads still have their headgears and some bare, some arms are with armlets and some bare, while some with their arms cut off, some with their thighs cut off, some with their divers patterns of ornaments on their bodies have fallen on ground. Numerous horses and elephants are felled. Chariots, royal-fans, royal-parasols, war-flags of very many kinds are ravaged in many ways. Hit down by Rama's arrows spears and tridents are variously splintered, swords broken to pieces, darts and hatchets shattered and strewn around. Also the boulders are pulverised, various amazing arrows have gone to rack and ruin in many ways. Spread with such wreckage the earth has become horrifying for a glance. [3-25-43, 44, 45, 46]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अरण्य काण्डे पंच विंशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye araṇya kāṇḍe paṃca viṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On seeing the killed demons all the surviving demons have become enervated and they are rendered incapable to make a move towards Rama, the conqueror of enemy's capitals. [3-25-47]