Summary
Rama and Khara exchange a haughty wordy duel and when the demon Khara charges at Rama, Rama eliminates him with his all-powerful arrow and gods and sages shower flowery rain. Seetha and Lakshmana return from their hiding cave and Seetha becomes very happy on seeing her victorious and indefatigable husband.
Chapter [Sarga] 30 in Detail
bhittvaa tu taam gadaam baanaih raaghavo dharma vatsalah |
smayamaanah kharam vaakyam sa.mrabdham idam abraviit || 3-30-1
On smashing the mace with arrows Raghava spoke this sentence to Khara smiling him out of temper, without assaulting weaponless and flustering Khara, because Rama is the patron of virtue following the protocol of righteous war. [3-30-1]
etat te bala sarvasvam darshitam raaksasaadhama |
shakti hiinataro matto vrithaa tvam upagar.hjasi || 3-30-2
"So, this is all the strength of yours and your army that is displayed and nothing more to display, is it! You wretched demon, it is paltriest compared to my strength, yet you vaunt aloud futilely! [3-30-2]
esaa baana vinirbhinnaa gadaa bhuumi talam gataa |
abhidhaana pragalbhasya tava pratyaya ghaatinii || 3-30-3
"This mace of yours in which you repose your bombastic aplomb, now completely battered with my arrows has gone onto the surface of earth, so also is your vanity. [3-30-3]
yat tvayaa uktam vinastaanaam idam ashru pramaarjanam |
raaksasaanaam karomi iti mithyaa tat api te vacah || 3-30-4
"What that is said by you, 'I will dab the tears of the demons whose kinfolk are dead here...' even this word of yours is a fake. [3-30-4]
niicasya ksudra shiilasya mithyaa vrittasya raksasah |
praanaan apaharisyaami garutmaan amritam yathaa || 3-30-5
"In boasting you are knavish, in character roguish, and in behavior ghoulish, such a demon as you are, I will take your life away as the Divine Eagle Garuda took away Ambrosia. [3-30-5]
adya te bhinna kanthasya phena budbuda bhuusitam |
vidaaritasya mat baanaih mahii paasyati shonitam || 3-30-6
"Now, my arrows will rip and chop off your throat, and then the earth will guzzle the blood gushed there from garnished with froth and foam. [3-30-6]
paa.msu ruusita sarvaangah srasta nyasta bhuja dvayah |
svapsyase gaam samaashlisya durlabhaam pramadaam iva || 3-30-7
"You will go to eternal sleep embracing the earth as you embrace an un-gainable lady, when both of your arms are knocked down to slide on earth, and limbs smeared with dirt. [3-30-7]
pravriddha nidre shayite tvayi raaksasa paa.msane |
bhavisyanti asharanyaanaam sharanyaa dandakaa ime || 3-30-8
"While you are in profound sleep, oh, notorious demon, this Dandaka forest becomes a shelter to the shelter-worthy sages and saints. [3-30-8]
janasthaane hata sthaane tava raaksasa mat sharaih |
nirbhayaa vicarisyanti sarvato munayo vane || 3-30-9
"When the strongholds of demons in your Janasthaana are ruined with my arrows, the sages in this forest will move about everywhere, fearlessly. [3-30-9]
adya viprasarisyanti raaksasyo hata baandhavaah |
baaspa aardra vadanaa diinaa bhayaat anya bhayaavahaah || 3-30-10
"The demoness who terrorized others so far will be pitiably terrorized now, and they flee away very quickly with tear-wet faces as their kinsmen are killed. [3-30-10]
adya shoka rasajnaah taah bhavisyanti nirarthakaah |
anuruupa kulaah patnyo yaasaam tvam patih iidrishah || 3-30-11
"To which demoness your kind of grievous demon is the husband, they must have taken birth in a befittingly grievous family like that of yours, and must be well-matched to you in grievous atrocities, and though they might not have tasted a grievous situation so far, since their lives have become meaningless, now they will become the enjoyers of the empathy of grief. [3-30-11]
nrisha.msa shiila ksudra aatman nityam braahmana kantaka |
tvat krite shankitaih agnau munibhih paatyate havih || 3-30-12
"You are atrocious in conduct because you countervail against Veda-s, debased by conscience because you counteract to Vedic rituals, and you are countermanding Vedic procedures because you have always been bothersome to Brahmans, and those Brahmans becoming skeptical of your deeds of hindrance, they are hesitatingly consigning oblations into Ritual-Fire, which are to be swiftly dropped into fire to the chants of hymns and even on time, hence you are countervailing against Veda-s and counteracting to their rituals, and countermanding their procedures." Thus Rama spoke to Khara irefully. [3-30-12]
tam evam abhisa.mrabdham bruvaanam raaghavam rane |
kharo nirbhartsayaamaasa rosaat kharatara svarah || 3-30-13
While Raghava is speaking that way with such an impetuosity in that forest, Khara started to intimidate him rancorously in a voice stridulous [making a shrill creaking sound] than braying. [3-30-13]
dridham khalu avalipto asi bhayesu api ca nirbhayah |
vaacya avaacyam tato hi tvam mrityu vashyo na budhyase || 3-30-14
"Priding yourself resolutely you are un-fearing even in a fearful situation, thereby you have indeed gone into the control of death, and for sure you are unmindful of what is speakable and what is not." Thus, Khara started his tongue-lashing. [3-30-14]
kaala paasha pariksiptaa bhava.nti purusaa hi ye |
kaarya akaaryam na jaananti te nirasta sad indriyaah || 3-30-15
"Such of those men on whom the Lead of the Time verily closes in, they will not know what is to be done and what not, for all of their six senses will be rendered insensible." Thus Khara intimidated Rama. [3-30-15]
evam uktvaa tato raamam sa.mrudhya bhrikutim tatah |
sa dadarsha mahaa saalam aviduure nishaacarah || 3-30-16
rane praharanasya arthe sarvato hi avalokayan |
Saying so to Rama that nightwalker Khara then knitting his brows tightly saw everywhere for an assault weapon for use in that combat, and then he indeed found one not far away from him, namely a huge Sala tree. [3-30-16, 17a]
sa tam utpaatayaamaasa sa.mdasta dashana cchadam || 3-30-17
tam samutksipya baahubhyaam vinarditvaa mahaabalah |
raamam uddishya ciksepa hatah tvam iti ca abraviit || 3-30-18
He curled his lips in frown and started to extricate that Sala tree, and that great-mighty Khara on forcefully uprooting that tree with both of hands hurled it aiming at Rama, braying loudly and shouting at him 'you are dead...' [3-30-17b, 18]
tam aapatantam baana oghaih cchittvaa raamah prataapavaan |
rosam aahaarayat tiivram niha.ntum samare kharam || 3-30-19
But that adventurous Rama on shredding that tree which is swooping down with a torrent of arrows, and deciding to eliminate that Khara in that war evoked an unusual rancor, which rancor is equally an unusual facet of Rama. [3-30-19]
jaata svedah tato raamo rosaat rakta anta locanah |
nir.hbibheda sahasrena baanaanaam samare kharam || 3-30-20
Rama whose body is perspiring and whose eyes are acrimoniously bloodshot at ends, he utterly shredded Khara with a thousand arrows in that war. [3-30-20]
tasya baana a.ntaraat raktam bahu susraava phenilam |
gireh prasravanasya iva dhaaraanaam ca parisravah || 3-30-21
Copious frothy blood gushed out from the gashes of arrows on the mountainous body of Khara, like the rapids on Mt. Prasavana, and it overflowed on earth too. [3-30-21]
vikala sa krito baanaih kharo raamena sa.myuge |
matto rudhira gandhena tam eva abhyadravat drutam || 3-30-22
When Khara is tormented with the arrows of Rama in that conflict he is bedeviled [spoilt] and with his blood stinking body he quickly bolted towards that Rama alone. [3-30-22]
tam aapata.ntam sa.mrabdham krita astro rudhira aaplutam |
apasarpat dvi tri padam ki.mcit tvarita vikramah || 3-30-23
When Khara is descending on boisterously with his body bathed in blood, that adept one in the Science of Archery, Dhanur Veda, the scripture on archery, and that valorous Rama, in swiftness lurched a little...say, two or three steps... [3-30-23]
tatah paavaka sa.mkaasham vadhaaya samare sharam |
kharasya raamo jagraaha brahma dandam iva aparam || 3-30-24
Then, Rama snatched an arrow which is similar to the Ritual-fire, and secondary only to the ultimate missile, namely the Brahma-missile, for the elimination of Khara in war. [3-30-24]
sa tat dattam maghavataa sura raajena dhiimataa |
sa.mdadhe ca sa dharmaatmaa mumoca ca kharam prati || 3-30-25
That particular arrow is made available to Rama through Sage Agastya by the king of gods, namely Indra, because Indra is a sensible one about the future course of events, and he is also prosperous in securing impossible weaponry, and now Rama fitted such an arrow on his bow and released it towards Khara. [3-30-25]
sa vimukto mahaabaano nirghaata sama nihsvanah |
raamena dhanuraayamya kharasya urasi ca aapatat || 3-30-26
That formidable arrow is promptly released on Rama's stretching the bowstring up to his ear, bending bow almost to a circularity, and which arrow is thunderous while in egress like the thunder of a thunderbolt, and that has come and plunged inthe chest of Khara. [3-30-26]
sa papaata kharo bhuumau dahyamaanah shara agninaa |
rudrena eva vinirhdagdhah shveta aranye yathaa andhakah || 3-30-27
Khara fell down on to earth and on being burnt by the radiation of that arrow he is like demon Andhaka, who once was very completely burnt by Rudra in Shveta-aranya, the White-forest. [3-30-27]
sa vritra iva vajrena phenena namucir yathaaa |
balo vaa indra ashani hato nipapaata hatah kharah || 3-30-28
As with fall of demon Vritta or fall of demon Bala who are eliminated by Indra with his Thunderbolt, or as with the collapse of demon Namuchi who is eliminated by the same Indra just with forth or foam, Khara too is brought down. [3-30-28]
etasmin a.ntare devaah caaranayoh saha sa.ngataah |
dundubhih ca abhinighna.ntah puspa varsa sama.ntatah || 3-30-29
raamasya upari sa.mhristaa vavarsuh vismitaah tadaa |
In this meantime gods gathering along with carana-s drummed celestial drums from all over and showered flowers on Rama from all over. [3-30-29, 30a]
artha adhika muhuurtena raamena nishitaih sharaih || 3-30-30
catur dasha sahasraani rakshsaam kaama ruupinaam |
khara duusana mukhyaanaam nihataani mahaamridhe || 3-30-31
And those gods and other celestials in their amazement said among themselves that 'in one and half hours, say seventy two minutes of this extreme crack-down Rama with his sharp arrows has eradicated fourteen thousand guise changing demons, including their chieftains Khara and Duushana. [3-30-30b, 31]
aho bata mahat karma raamasya vidita aatmanah |
aho viiryam aho daar.hdhyam visnoh iva hi drishyate || 3-30-32
iti evam uktvaa te sarve yayuh devaa yathaa aagatam|
"Aha! Surprising is this great deed of Rama, the shrewd-soul, what a valor, what a fortitude, really, his valor and fortitude are like those of Vishnu..." Thus saying that way all of those gods have gone away as the have come. [3-30-32, 33a]
tato raaja risayah sarve samgataah parama risayah || 3-30-33
sabhaajya muditaa raamam sa agastyaa idam abruvan |
All the kingly-sages and elite-sages along with Sage Agastya, who as incidentally came here to witness the victory of Rama, then on foregathering near at Rama delightedly said this on adoring him. [3-30-33b, 34a]
etat artham mahaatejaa mahendrah paaka shaasanah || 3-30-34
sharabha.nga aashramam punyam aajagaama pura.ndarah |
"He that great-resplendent one, the controller of demon Paaka, and the destroyer of enemy's cities, namely Indra, once came to the meritorious hermitage of Sage Sharabhanga only for the purpose such an elimination of demons. [3-30-34b, 35a]
aaniitah tvam imam desham upaayena mahar.hsibhih || 3-30-35
esaam vadha artham shatruunaam raksasaam paapa karmanaam |
"For the purpose of eradicating these demons who are the evildoers by nature and the natural enemies to saintly people you are led to this countryside by the great sages with an ideation. [3-30-35b, 36a]
tat idam nah kritam kaaryam tvayaa dasharatha aatmaja || 3-30-36
sva dharmam pracarisyanti dandakesu maharsayah |
"That which is the task of ours it is accomplished by you, oh, son of Dasharatha, now that Dandaka is unimpeded these great-sages will be practicing their respective sacred devoirs in it." Thus, the sages expressed their thanksgiving. [3-30-36b, 37a]
etasmin ana.ntare viiro laksmanah saha siitayaa || 3-30-37
giri durgaat vinis.hkramya sa.mvivesha aashramam sukhii |
In the meanwhile the brave Lakshmana exiting from the mountain cave came along with Seetha to their hermitage, and he is charmed at the victory of his brother Rama. [3-30-37b, 38a]
tato raamah tu vijayii puujyamaano mahar.hsibhih || 3-30-38
pravivesha aashramam viiro laksmanena abhipuujitah |
And then that brave and victories Rama too came towards hermitage while great-sages reverenced him, and he entered the hermitage while Lakshmana came forward to greet him. [3-30-38b, 39a]
tam dristvaa shatru ha.ntaaram maharsiinaam sukha aavaham || 3-30-39
babhuuva hristaa vaidehii bhartaaram parisvaje |
And Seetha on seeing her husband, the eliminator of enemies and accorder of happiness to sages, embraced her husband Rama, rejoicing. [3-30-39b, 40a]
mudaa paramayaa yuktaa dristvaa raksho ganaan hataan |
raamam ca eva avyayam dristaa tutosa janaka aatmajaa || 3-30-40
Janaka's daughter Seetha on seeing the hordes of demons eliminated, and even on observing her husband is also scatheless [not injure], she is all-smiles for him smiling sniggeringly [to laugh in a covert or partly suppressed manner]. [3-30-40]
tatah tu tam raakshasa sa.ngha mardanam
sa puujyamaanam muditaih mahaatmabhih |
punah parisvajya mudaa anvita aananaa
babhuuva hristaa janaka aatmajaa tadaa || 3-30-41
She whose face is beaming with delight that Seetha, the daughter Janaka, on seeing Rama who has eliminated demonic troops, and whom great-sages are worshipping, again embraced him and became rapturous. [3-30-41]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye aranya kaande tri.msha sargah
Thus, this is the 30th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate