Shloka 6.58.14
प्रहस्तवधः (The Slaying of Prahasta)
केचिव्दिधाकृताःखडगैःस्फुरन्तःपतिताभुवि ।।।।वानराराक्षसैश्शूलैपार्श्वतश्चावदारिताः ।
kecid vidhākṛtāḥ khaḍgaiḥ sphurantaḥ patitā bhuvi | vānārākṣasaiḥ śūlaiḥ pārśvataś cāvadāritāḥ ||
Some were cleft in two by swords and fell twitching upon the earth; and some Vānaras, ripped open at the sides by Rākṣasas with pikes, collapsed.
Few Vanaras cut into two by Rakshasas fell down and few Vanaras fell on the ground sides of the body cleft ceased life.
The verse serves as a cautionary depiction: when conflict escalates beyond restraint, suffering multiplies. Dharma in the epic is not pro-violence; it frames war as a last resort with tragic fallout.
A close-up battlefield image showing Vānaras being slain by Rākṣasas using swords and pikes.
Endurance and fearlessness are implicit on both sides, though the epic’s moral arc ultimately evaluates courage by whether it serves righteous ends.