Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 71, Shloka 106
अतिकायवधः
The Slaying of Atikāya
तंब्रह्मणोऽस्त्रेणनियुज्यचापेशरंसुपुङ्खंयमदूतकल्पम् ।सौमित्रिरिन्द्रारिसुतस्यतस्यससर्जबाणंयुधिवज्रकल्पम् ।।।।
taṃ brahmaṇo’streṇa niyujya cāpe śaraṃ supuṅkhaṃ yamadūta-kalpam |
saumitrir indrāri-sutasya tasya sasarja bāṇaṃ yudhi vajra-kalpam ||
Saumitri legte auf seinen Bogen jenen wohlbefiederten Pfeil, vom Brahmā‑Waffenzauber erfüllt und einem Boten Yamas gleich; und mitten im Kampf ließ er auf den Sohn des Feindes Indras (Atikāya) den blitzgleichen Schaft fahren.
Golden feathered arrow, which resembled thunderbolt, was released on Atikaya, enemy of Indra for whom it was like a messenger of death. It was charged with Brahma's mystic by Saumithri and released on fixing it.
FAQs
Lakṣmaṇa’s act is framed as disciplined, purposeful combat: a righteous warrior uses divinely sanctioned power with focus to stop an adharma-aligned aggressor, protecting the just cause rather than indulging in cruelty.
Satya here is the fidelity to rightful intent and duty: the narrative presents Lakṣmaṇa’s action as aligned with the truthful commitment to Rāma’s cause—defeating forces that uphold falsehood and tyranny—rather than as arbitrary violence.