Shloka 42
खरसेनासङ्ग्रामः
The Battle with Khara’s Host at the Hermitage
सोष्णीषैरुत्तमाङ्गैश्च साङ्गदैर्बाहुभिस्तथा।ऊरुभिर्जानुभिश्छिन्नैर्नानारूपैविभूषणैः।।।।हयैश्च द्विपमुख्यैश्च रथैर्भिन्नैरनेकशः।चामरैर्व्यजनैश्छत्रैर्ध्वजैर्नानाविधैरपि।।।।रामस्य बाणाभिहतैर्विचित्रैश्शूलपट्टिसैः।खङ्गै खण्डीकृतैः प्रासैर्विकीर्णैश्च परश्वधैः।।।।चूर्णिताभिश्शिलाभिश्च शरैश्चित्रैरनेकशः।विच्छिन्नैस्समरे भूमिर्विकीर्णाऽभूद्भयङ्करा।।।।
soṣṇīṣair uttamāṅgaiś ca sāṅgadair bāhubhis tathā |
ūrubhir jānubhiś chinnaiḥ nānārūpair vibhūṣaṇaiḥ ||
hayaiś ca dvipamukhyaiś ca rathair bhinnair anekaśaḥ |
cāmarair vyajanaiś chatrair dhvajair nānāvidhair api ||
rāmasya bāṇābhihatair vicitraiḥ śūlapaṭṭiśaiḥ |
khaṅgaiḥ khaṇḍīkṛtaiḥ prāsair vikīrṇaiś ca paraśvadhaiḥ ||
cūrṇitābhiḥ śilābhiś ca śaraiś citrair anekaśaḥ |
vicchinnaiḥ samare bhūmir vikīrṇā 'bhūd bhayaṅkarā ||
Bị mũi tên của Rāma đánh gục, chiến địa rải đầy những thủ cấp còn đội mũ giáp, những cánh tay đeo vòng, cùng đùi gối bị chém lìa, trang sức muôn vẻ. Khắp nơi còn ngổn ngang xe chiến vỡ nát, ngựa và voi lớn gục ngã; lại có phất trần đuôi yak, quạt, lọng và đủ loại cờ xí. Vũ khí cũng vung vãi: giáo mác gãy vụn, kiếm bể, lao và rìu chiến tung toé; đá bị nghiền nát, vô số mũi tên vỡ vụn. Vì thế mặt đất trong trận ấy bị xé nát, rải rác kinh hoàng, trông thật ghê rợn.
With his bow and chariot broken, charioteer and horses killed, Dusana took up a spear in his hand that appeared like a huge mountain top. Bound by golden bands, covered the iron nails, wetted with the enemy's marrow it created a horripilation. It appeared as though it could crush the army of gods and render the enemy powerless. It carried the killing touch of the thunderbolt and could break open the enemy's fort.
FAQs
The verse forces attention to the cost of adharma: violence erupts into horrific consequences. In the Ramayana’s dharmic lens, righteous force may be necessary to protect, but the aftermath remains grave—warning against aggression, arrogance, and unjust war.
After Rāma’s successful counterattack, the narrator depicts the battlefield: dismembered bodies, broken royal insignia, shattered vehicles, and scattered weapons, making the ground look terrifying.
Rāma’s protective valor (vīrya aligned with Dharma) is implicit—his arrows end the threat—while the description also underscores his role as a restorer of order against violent wrongdoers.