Shloka 24
खरस्य सैन्योद्योगः
Khara Mobilizes the Janasthana Host
ततस्ताञ्छबलानश्वास्तप्तकाञ्चनभूषितान्।खरस्य मतिमाज्ञाय सारथिस्समचोदयत्।।3.22.24।।
tatas tāñ chabalān aśvān taptakāñcanabhūṣitān |
kharasya matim ājñāya sārathiḥ samacodayat ||
பின்பு கரனுடைய எண்ணத்தை அறிந்து, தீப்பொன் அலங்காரங்களால் அலங்கரிக்கப்பட்ட புள்ளிப்புள்ளி குதிரைகளைத் தேரோட்டி வேகமாகச் செலுத்தினான்।
Khara in extreme anger hastened, like Yama, to slay his enemy. He roared loudly like a cloud raining hail stones and impelled his charioteer to speed up.ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālalmīkīya ādikāvyē araṇyakāṇḍē dvāviṅśassargaḥ৷৷Thus ends the twentysecond sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.
FAQs
The verse raises the ethical question of service: competence and loyalty (here, the charioteer’s) become morally meaningful only when aligned with dharma rather than an adharmic master’s intent.
Khara’s charioteer reads his master’s desire to advance and immediately accelerates the chariot horses.
Attentiveness and skill in service are emphasized—though the epic context warns that such virtues can be misused when serving adharma.