Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 71, Shloka 15
अतिकायवधः
The Slaying of Atikāya
धनूंषिचास्यसज्जानिहेमपृष्ठानिसर्वशः ।शोभयन्तिरथश्रेष्ठंशक्रचापमिवाम्बरम् ।।।।
dhanūṃṣi cāsya sajjāni hemapṛṣṭhāni sarvaśaḥ | śobhayanti rathaśreṣṭhaṃ śakracāpam ivāmbaram ||
அவனுடைய எங்கும் தயார் நிலையில் உள்ள பொன்-பின்புறம் கொண்ட வில்லுகள் அந்தச் சிறந்த தேரை அலங்கரிக்கின்றன; அது இந்திரவில்லு வானத்தை அழகுபடுத்துவது போலவே।
"His bows decorated with gold on the back, are like a rainbow in the sky on all sides and makes the chariot excellent."
FAQs
Dharma distinguishes outer splendor from inner righteousness: beauty and power can belong to adharma-aligned forces too, so judgment must rest on truth and conduct, not spectacle.
The enemy’s chariot and weaponry are described as dazzling, using the rainbow as an image of radiant display.
Discernment—seeing beyond ornamentation to the moral alignment of the combatant.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.