Shloka 23
प्रहस्तनिर्याणम्
Prahasta’s Departure and the Muster of the Rakshasa Host
स्रजश्चविविधाकाराजगृहुस्त्वभिमन्त्रिताः ।सङ्ग्रामसज्जाःसम्हृष्टाधरायन्राक्षसास्तदा ।।।।
srajaś ca vividha-ākārā jagṛhus tv abhimantritāḥ |
saṅgrāma-sajjāḥ saṃhṛṣṭā dharāyan rākṣasās tadā ||
Da nahmen die Rākṣasas, erfreut und kampfbereit, mannigfaltig gestaltete, mit Mantras geweihte Girlanden und legten sie an.
A fragrant breeze blew past there with Rakshasas propitiating fire god, with offerings and by the worshipping of brahmins the air was pleasant filled with the fragrance of ghee and flowers.
FAQs
The verse underscores how war can be ‘sanctified’ through symbols and mantras; the Ramayana’s ethical lens asks whether the cause aligns with dharma, not merely the ritual.
Rākṣasas put on consecrated garlands as part of their battle readiness.
Cohesion and morale-building through shared rites (again, ethically dependent on the cause served).