Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 44, Shloka 4
चतुश्चत्वारिंशः सर्गः (Sarga 44): निशायुद्धम्, धूलिरुधिरप्रवाहः, इन्द्रजितो मायायुद्धम्
जहिदारयचैहीतिकथंविद्रवसीतिच ।एवंसुतुमुलश्शब्दस्तस्मिंस्तमसिशुश्रुवे ।।।।कालाःकाञ्चनसन्नाहास्तस्मिंस्तमसिराक्षसाः ।सम्प्रदृश्यन्तशैलेन्द्रादीप्तौषधिवनाइव ।।।।
jahidāraya caihīti kathaṃ vidravasīti ca |
evaṃ sutumulaḥ śabdas tasmiṃs tamasi śuśruve ||
kālāḥ kāñcanasannāhās tasmiṃs tamasi rākṣasāḥ |
sampradṛśyanta śailendrā dīptauṣadhivanā iva ||
In der Finsternis erscholl ein gewaltiges Toben: „Schlag zu! Zerreiß ihn! Warum fliehst du?“ Und in jener Nacht erschienen die Rākṣasas, dunkel von Gestalt, doch in goldenen Rüstungen, wie Bergmassen, deren Wälder heilkräftiger Kräuter im Glanz erstrahlen.
That sinful son of Ravana, who is capable of encountering rising up remained invisible and shot sharp arrows.
FAQs
The verse frames war’s moral danger: in darkness and frenzy, discernment weakens. Dharma requires self-control and clarity even amid collective violence.
A night battle is underway; loud, confused battle-cries echo, and the rākṣasas—armoured in gold—are seen as eerie, luminous forms in the darkness.
Implicitly, the needed virtue is steadiness (dhairya) and vigilance—maintaining right judgment when fear and confusion dominate.