Shloka 6.52.21
धूम्राक्षवधः (The Slaying of Dhumrākṣa)
केचिद्विनिहताश्शूलैरुधिरार्द्रावनौकसः ।केचिद्विद्रावितानष्टाःसङ्क्रुद्धैराक्षसैर्युधि ।।6.52.21।।
kecid vinihatāḥ śūlair udhirārdrā vanaukasaḥ | kecid vidrāvitā naṣṭāḥ saṅkruddhair ākṣasair yudhi ||6.52.21||
In battle, some Vanaras were slain by tridents and lay drenched in blood; others were driven back and destroyed by enraged Rakshasas.
In the battlefield some Vanaras, attacked by Rakshasas, were floating on the ground in blood, dead.
It reinforces the Ramayana’s moral realism: defending dharma may entail loss, yet retreat before adharma can also lead to destruction—hence the need for disciplined courage.
Amid furious Rakshasa resistance, parts of the Vanara host are killed or scattered; the verse depicts localized rout and bloodshed.
The implied virtue is resilience—an army aligned to a righteous cause must regroup after setbacks rather than collapse into fear.