Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 43, Shloka 38
द्वन्द्वयुद्धप्रवृत्तिः
Dvandva-Yuddha: The Onset of Single Combats
तमापतन्तंगदयाविद्युन्मालीनिशाचरः ।वक्षस्यभिजघानाशुसुषेणंहरिपुङ्गवः ।।6.43.38।।
tam āpatantaṃ gadayā vidyunmālī niśācaraḥ | vakṣasy abhijaghāna āśu suṣeṇaṃ haripuṅgavam ||6.43.38||
Tandis que Suṣeṇa fondait à l’assaut, Vidyunmālī, le rākṣasa rôdeur de la nuit, frappa aussitôt de sa massue la poitrine de ce chef des Vānara.
Then Vidyunmali, seeing the leader of monkeys getting the huge rock, hit him on the chest with the mace.
FAQs
The verse underscores the reality of harm in war: dharma is not sentimental; it recognizes danger and demands preparedness, discipline, and protection of one’s leaders.
Vidyunmālī meets Suṣeṇa’s charge by delivering a quick mace-blow to his chest.
For Suṣeṇa, resilience under attack; for Vidyunmālī, tactical responsiveness and speed.