Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 71, Shloka 22
अतिकायवधः
The Slaying of Atikāya
रक्तगण्ठगुणोधीरोमहापर्वतसन्निभः ।कालःकालमहावक्त्रोमेघस्थइवभास्करः ।।।।
rakta-gaṇṭha-guṇo dhīraḥ mahā-parvata-sannibhaḥ | kālaḥ kāla-mahā-vaktro meghastha iva bhāskaraḥ ||
കഴുത്തിൽ രക്തവർണ്ണ മാല ധരിച്ച്, ധീരനായി മഹാപർവ്വതസദൃശമായ ദൃഢകായൻ; മരണത്തെപ്പോലെ ഭയങ്കരൻ, കാലനെപ്പോലെ കറുത്തും മഹാവക്ത്രനുമായവൻ—മേഘാവൃതനായ സൂര്യനെപ്പോലെ പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ടു.
"Wearing red garland s round the neck, brave, like a mountain in form, dark with large mouth, like death, like sun veiled by clouds he seems."
FAQs
The verse highlights how adharma manifests as terror and oppressive grandeur; Dharma is understood by contrast—righteous power does not rely on dread alone.
A fearsome figure is being described through powerful similes (Death; sun behind clouds) to convey battlefield dread.
Not virtue but formidable presence: the steadiness (dhairya) of the warrior is noted, though it serves a destructive cause in context.