Shloka 3.25.42
खरसेनासङ्ग्रामः — The Battle with Khara’s Host at the Hermitage
सोष्णीषैरुत्तमाङ्गैश्च साङ्गदैर्बाहुभिस्तथा।ऊरुभिर्जानुभिश्छिन्नैर्नानारूपैविभूषणैः।।।।हयैश्च द्विपमुख्यैश्च रथैर्भिन्नैरनेकशः।चामरैर्व्यजनैश्छत्रैर्ध्वजैर्नानाविधैरपि।।।।रामस्य बाणाभिहतैर्विचित्रैश्शूलपट्टिसैः।खङ्गै खण्डीकृतैः प्रासैर्विकीर्णैश्च परश्वधैः।।।।चूर्णिताभिश्शिलाभिश्च शरैश्चित्रैरनेकशः।विच्छिन्नैस्समरे भूमिर्विकीर्णाऽभूद्भयङ्करा।।।।
sa teṣāṃ yātudhānānāṃ madhye rathagataḥ kharaḥ |
babhūva madhye tārāṇāṃ lohitāṅga ivoditaḥ ||
Amid those rākṣasas, seated in his chariot, Khara stood out among them like the red planet Mars risen in the midst of the stars.
Slain thus by Rama's arrows, the ground was littered with (bodies of) demons with limbs dismembered, headdresses and shoulders cut off, arms, thighs and knees decked with various ornaments amputated, chariots, horses, best of elephants, fans made of the tail of chamari deer (used as an insignia of royalty), umbrellas, several flags, and weapons like spears, swords, darts, battle-axes and stones crushed into pieces and arrows splintered and scattered all over. The ground looked frightening.ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē araṇyakāṇḍē pañcaviṅśassargaḥ৷৷Thus ends the twentyfifth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.
The verse highlights how power and prominence can dazzle like a celestial body; Dharma requires discernment—recognizing that outward brilliance (martial display) is not the same as righteousness.
Khara is positioned at the center of the rākṣasa host, visually dominating the battlefield scene as the confrontation with Rāma intensifies.
Not a virtue of Khara, but the narrative stresses commanding presence and martial confidence—qualities that, without Dharma, become instruments of adharma.