Summary
Rama perceives good omens of victory, but to safeguard Seetha he sends her away with Lakshmana to take shelter in a mountain's cave till the war is over. Then he adopts a furious nature to annihilate demons. Gods and divinities watch from heavens as to how a war can occur between one against fourteen thousand demons.
Chapter [Sarga] 24 in Detail
aashramam prati yaate tu khare khara paraakrame |
taan eva autpaatikaan raamah saha bhraatraa dadarsha ha || 3-24-1
While fiercely valorous Khara proceeded towards Rama's hermitage, Rama along with his brother Lakshmana has indeed seen the very same auguries which have earlier appeared to Khara. [3-24-1]
taan utpaataan mahaaghoraan raamo dristvaa ati amarsana |
prajaanaam ahitaan dristvaa vaakyam laksmanam abraviit || 3-24-2
On looking at those very gruesomely bad omens, and perceiving them to be unpropitious to people, Rama spoke this sentence to Lakshmana. [3-24-2]
imaan pashya mahaabaaho sarva bhuuta apahaarinah |
samutthitaan mahaa utpaataan sa.mhartum sarva raaksasaan || 3-24-3
"Oh, dexterous Lakshmana, for the complete elimination of all the demons these great indications have arisen, as though betokening the annihilation of all beings. See them. [3-24-3]
amii rudhira dhaaraah tu visrija.nto khara svanaah |
vyomni meghaa nivartante parusaa gardabha arunaah || 3-24-4
"On their part these clouds are hovering on the sky with stark reddish-grey tint, thunderously braying and copiously [present in large quantity] showering streams of blood. [3-24-4]
sa dhuumaah ca sharaah sarve mama yuddha abhinanditaah |
rukma pristhaani caapaani vicestante vicakshana || 3-24-5
"All my arrows too are incensed to fuming in an ecstasy towards a war, and dorsally gold-plated bows of mine are incessantly spurring to hook up those arrows, telling apart the impeding conflict. [3-24-5]
yaadrishaa iha kuujanti paksino vana caarinah |
agrato nah bhayam praaptam sa.mshayo jiivitasya ca || 3-24-6
"Judging by the kind of wild birds that are shrieking here, danger is up ahead and coming upon us, along with uncertainty of our lives. [3-24-6]
sa.mprahaarah tu sumahaan bhavisyati na sa.mshayah |
ayam aakhyaati me baahuh sphuramaano muhur muhuh || 3-24-7
sa.nnikarse tu nah shuura jayam shatroh paraajayam |
suprabham ca prasannam ca tava vak.htram hi laksyate || 3-24-8
"This right hand of mine is indicating by its repeated throbbing that a critical and riotous conflict is going to occur, no doubt, but oh brave one, our victory and defeat to the enemies are also in vicinity, and for sure, your face is also appearing brightish and aglow, which itself is a good omen. [3-24-8] [3-24-7, 8]
udyataanaam hi yuddhaartham yesaam bhavati laksmanah |
nis.hprabham vadanam tesaam bhavati aayuh pariksayah || 3-24-9
"If the faces of those that are poised for a conflict loose luster, deem that the death is looming large on their longevity too. [3-24-9]
rakshasaam nardataam ghorah shruuyate ayam mahaadhvanih |
aahataanaam ca bheriinaam raakshasaih kruura karmabhih || 3-24-10
"This nasty noise which we hear pertains to the uproar of demons, and even to the drumming of war drums by the demons of fiendish activities, and this is ear-splitting. [3-24-10]
anaagata vidhaanam tu kartavyam shubham icchataa |
aapadam sha.nkamaanena purusena vipashcitaa || 3-24-11
"Preventive measures are to be effectuated for any imminent situation by any well-wishing person, or by a person with misgivings about a danger, or by a person of talent. [3-24-11]
tasmaat grihiitvaa vaidehiim shara paanih dhanur dharah |
guhaam aashraya shailasya durgaam paadapa sa.mkulaam || 3-24-12
"Hence, wield your bow, keep arrows ready at hand, and taking Vaidehi with you seek shelter in a impassable cave of a mountain overgrown with trees. [3-24-12]
pratikuulitum icchaami na hi vaakyam idam tvayaa |
shaapito mama paadaabhyaam gamyataam vatsa maa ciram || 3-24-13
"I wish you to gainsay me for this word of mine, my boy, have honor on my feet and be gone not before long. [3-24-13]
tvam hi shuurah ca balavaan hanyaa etaan na sa.mshayah |
svayam nihantum icchami sarvaan eva nishaacaraan || 3-24-14
"You are a stalwart, a forceful one, and for sure you can eliminate them all, it is doubtless, but I long to eliminate all of the nightwalkers, personally" Rama said thus to Lakshmana. [3-24-14]
evam uktah tu raamena laksmanah saha siitayaa |
sharaan aadaaya caapam ca guhaam durgaam samaashrayat || 3-24-15
When Rama said to him that way, Lakshmana picked up his bow and arrows, and together with Seetha he took shelter in an unreachable cave. [3-24-15]
tasmin praviste tu guhaam laksmane saha siitayaa |
hanta niryuktam iti uktvaa raamah kavacam aavishat || 3-24-16
On Lakshmana's entering into cave along with Seetha, Rama said to himself, "thank goodness, it is a good-idea!" and thus saying he donned his shield. [3-24-16]
sa tena agni nikaashena kavacena vibhuusitah |
babhuuva raamah timire mahaan agnir iva utthitah || 3-24-17
Well bedecked in a shield that has fire-like brilliance that Rama shone forth like a fumeless conflagration up-shot in utter darkness. [3-24-17]
sa caapam udyamya mahat sharaan aadaaya viiryavaan |
sa.mbabhuuva avasthitah tatra jyaa svanaih puurayan dishah || 3-24-18
On raising his imposing bow and drawing arrows, that valorous Rama firmed up and stood there, filling all the directions with the tinny sounds of bowstring. [3-24-18]
tato devaah sagandharvaah siddhaah ca saha caaranaih |
sameyuh ca mahaatmano yuddha darshana kaa.nkshayaa || 3-24-19
Gods with Gandharva-s and great-souled Siddha-s along with carana-s have then met one another and came there aspiring to see the war. [3-24-19]
risayah ca mahaatmano loke brahmarsi sattamaah |
sametya ca uuchuh sahitaah te anyonyam punya karmanah || 3-24-20
The great-souled sages and those that are known in worlds as eminent Brahma-sages, on their coming together those beings of pious exploits spoke to one another, among themselves. [3-24-20]
svasti go braahmanaanaam ca lokaanaam ca iti sa.msthitaah |
jayataam raaghavo yuddhe paulastyaan rajanii caraan || 3-24-21
cakra hasto yathaa yuddhe sarvaan asura pu.ngavaan |
"Let good betide cows, Brahmans and those people that are abiding in all the worlds. Raghava shall be victorious in the war over the clansmen of Sage Paulastya, the nightwalkers." Thus they talked among themselves. [3-24-21]
evam uktvaa punah pra uuchuh aalokya ca parasparam || 3-24-22
caturdasha sahasraani raksasaam bhiima karmanaam |
ekah ca raamo dharmaatmaa katham yuddham bhavisyati || 3-24-23
Thus speaking they also well-said again, looking at each other "the demons of fiendish deeds are fourteen thousand in number and this virtue-souled Rama is solitary... what would be the result of this war!" Thus the sages discussed among themselves. [3-24-22b, 23]
iti raajarsayah siddhaah sa ganaah ca dvijarsabhaah |
jaata kautuuhalaat tasthur vimaanasthaah ca devataa || 3-24-24
Thus the assemblages of kingly-sages, Siddha-s and the eminent Brahmans, along with gods that are staying in their aircrafts, tarried there in the firmament peering inquisitively at Rama. [3-24-24]
aavistam tejasaa raamam sa.ngraama shirasi sthitam |
dristvaa sarvaani bhuutaani bhayaat vivyathire tadaa || 3-24-25
Immured in an aura of invincibility Rama is standing up to the war in its vanguard, and then on seeing at him all beings went into the throes of dread. [3-24-25]
ruupam apratimam tasya raamasya aklista karmanah |
babhuuva ruupam kruddhasya rudrasya iva mahaatmanah || 3-24-26
That nonesuch aspect of Rama whose deeds are un-harmful to any, has become the aspect of wrathful supreme-souled Rudra. [3-24-26]
iti sambhaasyamaano tu deva ga.ndharva caaranaih |
tato ga.mbhiira nir.hhraadam ghora carma aayudha dhvajam ||3-24-27
aniikam yaatudhaanaanaam samantaat pratyadrishyata |
viira aalaapaan visrijataam anyonyam abhigacchataam || 3-24-28
caapaani vispharayataam jri.mbhataam ca api abhiiksnashah |
vipraghusta svanaanaam ca du.ndubhiim ca api nighnataam || 3-24-29
While gods, Gandharva-s, carana-s are conversing thus, then they have seen there the legions of the demons arriving from all over with boisterous noises, spouting cries of bravo, handling their grisly skins, shields, weaponry and war-flags, and onrushing at each other in disarray. With brassy twanging of bows, with the drumming of war drums, and even by their jumping, leaping and bouncing that area is filled with very loud and clamorous noise. [3-24-27, 28, 29]
tesaam sutumulah shabdah puurayaamaasa tad vanam |
tena shabdena vitrastaah shvaapadaa vana caarinah || 3-24-30
dudruvuh yatra nihshabdam pristhato na avalokayan |
When highly brutish cacophony of demons started to fill the forest, that jangling even panicked the brutes ranging in that forest, and those beasts dashed off to other places where silence prevailed, without looking back. [3-24-30, 31a]
tat ca aniikam mahaavegam raamam samanuvartata || 3-24-31
ghrita naanaa praharanam ga.mbhiiram saagaropamam |
And that foolhardy army of demons which in simile is like an un-navigable ocean steered towards Rama handling many assault weapons. [3-24-31b, 32a]
raamo api caarayan caksuh sarvato rana panditah || 3-24-32
dadarsha khara sainyam tat yuddha abhimukho gatah |
Casting his sight all-over even that war-expert Rama has seen that army of Khara lunging at a conflict. [3-24-32b, 33a]
vitatya ca dhanur bhiimam tuunyaah ca uddhritya saayakaan || 3-24-33
krodham aahaarayat tiivram vadhaartham sarva raksasaam |
Rama stretched his awesome bow to examine the taut of bowstring, and even whipped arrows out of quiver, and then adopted a mask of extreme wrath to eliminate all the demons. [3-24-33]
duspreksyashcaabhavat.hkruddhoyugaantaagnirivajvalan - yadvaa -
dus.hpreksyah ca abhavat kruddho yugaanta agnih iva jvalan || 3-24-34
tam dristvaa tejasaa aavistam praavyathan vana devataah |
tasya rustsya ruupam tu raamasya dadrishe tadaa |
dakshasya iva kratum hantum udyatasya pinaakinii || 3-24-35
The all-pacific aspect of that Rama then in his exasperation appeared to be like that of the all-ruinous Rudra, the wielder of bow called Pinaki, namely peaceful Shiva when enraged, at the time of Rudra's embarking on to ruin the Vedic ritual of Daksha Prajapati. [3-24-35]
tat kaarmukaih aabharanaih rathaih ca
tat var.hmaabhih ca agni samaana varnaih |
babhuuva sainyam pishita ashaninaam
suurya udaye niilam iva abhra jaalam || 3-24-36
That army of raw-flesh eaters with their bows, embellishments, and chariots, and also with their armors, all glittering with the dazzle of flaming fire, varied into a sky-blue colored cluster of clouds on which the dazzling sunrays will be glittering at the dawning of the sun. [3-24-36]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye aranya kaande catur vi.mshah sargah
Thus, this is the 24th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate