Shloka 6.75.16
लङ्कादाह-प्रचोदनं तथा वानर-राक्षस-समरारम्भः (The Burning of Lanka and the Outbreak of Battle)
नानाविधान्गृहच्छन्दान्धदाहहुतभुक्तदा ।आवासान्राक्षसानां च सर्वेषांगृहगर्थिनाम् ।।6.75.14।।हेमचित्रतनुत्राणस्रग्दामाम्भरधारिणाम् ।शीधुपानचलाक्षाणांमद्विह्वलगामिनाम् ।।6.75.15।।कान्तालम्बितवस्त्राणांशत्रुसञ्जातमन्युनाम् ।गदाशूलासिहस्तानांखादतांपिबतामपि ।।6.75.16।।शयनेषुमहार्हेषुप्रसुप्तानांप्रियैस्सह ।त्रस्तानांगच्छतांतूर्णंपुत्रानादायसर्वतः ।।6.75.17।।तेषांशतसहस्राणितदालङ्कानिवासिनाम् ।अदहत्पावकस्तत्रजज्वाल च पुनःपुनः ।।6.75.18।।
kāntālambitavastrāṇāṃ śatrusañjātamanyūnām |
gadāśūlāsihastānāṃ khādatāṃ pibatām api || 6.75.16 ||
The fire seized even those rākṣasas who clung to their beloveds’ garments, who had risen in wrath against their foes, who held maces, tridents, and swords—and even those who were still eating and drinking.
The fire consumed many kinds of wonderful homes of Rakshasas, with loved ones on the best beds, their armour made of gold Rakshasas decked with garland s and best of attire their eyes inebriated with intoxication, shaking while walking slowly, holding their loved ones, seized with anger against enemies, holding mace and tridents in hand, eating, drinking and sleeping on the best beds, fast asleep some out of fear taking their sons going quickly and all of them dwelling there in hundreds and thousands were burning again and again.
Adharma ultimately brings unavoidable consequences: status, strength, and weapons cannot shield one when a society’s collective wrongdoing ripens into disaster.
During the burning of Laṅkā, the conflagration spreads through the city and overwhelms rākṣasas in ordinary life—armed, angry, feasting—without distinction.
Rāma’s dharmic cause is implicitly affirmed: the destruction is portrayed as the inevitable turning of events against Rāvaṇa’s adharma, rather than random cruelty.