Shloka 73
अतिकायवधः
The Slaying of Atikāya
सललाटेशरोमग्नस्तस्यभीमस्यरक्षसः ।।।।ददृशेशोणितेनाक्तःपन्नगेन्द्रइवाचले ।
sa lalāṭe śaro magnas tasya bhīmasya rakṣasaḥ | dadṛśe śoṇitenāktaḥ pannagendra ivācale ||
Anak panah itu tertancap dalam di dahi rākṣasa yang menggerunkan itu; berlumuran darah merah, ia tampak seperti raja ular di atas gunung batu.
That arrow stuck on the forehead of the terrific Rakshasa looked like a serpent on a mountain.
FAQs
The verse underscores consequence: actions in war bear immediate results; dharma demands awareness of the gravity of violence even when it is duty-bound.
Lakṣmaṇa’s arrow remains lodged in Atikāya’s forehead, vividly described through a striking simile.
For Lakṣmaṇa, steadiness in execution; for the narrative, the poetic clarity that makes moral and physical consequences visible.