Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 71, Shloka 2
अतिकायवधः
The Slaying of Atikāya
स्वबलंव्यथितंदृष्टवातुमुलंरोमहर्षणम् ।भ्रातृ़ंश्चनिहतान् दृष्टवाशक्रतुल्यपराक्रमान् ।।6.71.1।।पितृव्यौचापिसनृदृश्यसमरेसन्निघादितौ ।युद्धोन्मत्तं च मत्तं च भ्रातरौराक्षसर्षभौ ।।6.71.2।।चुकोप च महातेजाब्रह्मदत्तवरोयुधि ।अतिकायोऽद्रिसङ्काशोदेवदानवदर्पहा ।।6.71.3।।
svabalaṁ vyathitaṁ dṛṣṭvā tumulaṁ romaharṣaṇam |
bhrātṝṁś ca nihatān dṛṣṭvā śakratulya-parākramān ||
pitṛvyau cāpi sandṛśya samare sannighāditau |
yuddhonmattaṁ ca mattaṁ ca bhrātarau rākṣasarṣabhau ||
cukopa ca mahātejā brahmadatta-varo yudhi |
atikāyo ’drisaṅkāśo devadānava-darpahā ||
Als er sah, wie sein eigenes Heer zerschlagen war, inmitten eines gewaltigen, schaudererregenden Getöses, und als er seine Brüder, deren Tapferkeit der Śakras (Indras) glich, erschlagen daliegen sah; und als er auch seine Oheime erblickte, Stiere unter den Fürsten der Rākṣasas, die im Kampf gemeinsam niedergestreckt waren—die Brüder Yuddhonmatta und Matta—da entbrannte Atikāya, von großer Strahlkraft, einem Berge gleich, mit von Brahmā verliehenen Gaben gesegnet und Zermalmer des Hochmuts von Devas und Dānavas, in Zorn auf dem Schlachtfeld.
Highly energetic Atikaya, who was like a mountain in form, had huge body, obtained boons from Brahma, subdued the pride of Devas and Danavas, was equal to Indra in valour. Seeing his own army of Rakshasas that caused horripilation, uncles who were bulls among Rakshasas struck down in the battlefield and his own brothers Yuddhotama (Mahodara) and Matta (Mahaparsva) struck down, he flew in rage.
FAQs
The verse highlights how attachment and clan-loyalty can ignite uncontrolled anger; in dharma-terms, grief is natural, but rage that seeks retaliation without discernment leads further away from righteous conduct.
It truthfully reports the battlefield consequence of adharma-driven war: even mighty, boon-endowed warriors face loss and shock; the narrative’s satya is the impartial depiction of cause-and-effect—violence begets grief and wrath.