Shloka 23
निकुम्भवधः — The Slaying of Nikumbha
Hanuman’s Duel
अथनिनदतिसादितेनिकुम्भेपवनसुतेनरणेबभूवयुद्धम् ।दशरथसुतराक्षसेन्द्रसून्वोर्भृशतरमागतरोषयोस्सुभीमम् ।।।।
atha ninadati sā dite nikumbhe pavanasutena raṇe babhūva yuddham | daśarathasuta-rākṣasendra-sūnvor bhṛśataram āgata-roṣayoḥ subhīmam ||
Als Nikumbha, noch schreiend, auf dem Schlachtfeld vom Sohn des Windgottes erschlagen wurde, erhob sich ein überaus schrecklicher und wilder Kampf zwischen Daśarathas Sohn und dem Sohn des Rākṣasa-Königs, beide von heftigstem Zorn entflammt.
And thereafter as Nikumbha killed by windgod's son was crying aloud in the battlefield, a violent and fierce war took place between the highly disturbed son of Dasharatha and Rakshasa Makara.
FAQs
Dharma in conflict includes vigilance over anger: the verse notes furious wrath driving combat, implicitly contrasting raw rage with Rāma’s ideal of controlled righteous action.
After Nikumbha’s fall, the larger war intensifies, shifting focus to a fierce duel involving Rāma and a rākṣasa prince.
Rāma’s steadfast leadership under provocation—facing escalating violence while continuing the righteous campaign.