Aranya Kanda, Sarga 28

Meaning

Seeing Dūṣaṇa killed in battle together with Triśirā, fear entered the mind of Khara too when he witnessed the prowess of Śrī Rāma. (1)

Meaning

Bewildered to see the very mighty and irresistible army of ogres as also Dūṣaṇa and Triśirā killed by Rāma single-handed, and also perceiving most of the troops wiped out, the ogre Khara attacked Śrī Rāma as did the demon Namuci attack Indra. (2-3)

Meaning

Pulling at full length his mighty bow, Khara discharged at Śrī Rāma blood-sucking arrows known by the name of Nārācas and resembling angry serpents. (4)

Meaning

Shaking the string of his bow in numerous ways and displaying (the use of) mystic missiles by virtue of his military practice, Khara in his chariot rode on the battlefield employing devices with his arrows. (5)

Meaning

That great chariot-warrior filled all the quarters as also the intermediate points with arrows. Seeing him, Śrī Rāma also took up his very mighty bow. (6)

Meaning

He covered the entire sky with his formidable arrows resembling sparks of fire as does the god of rain with showers. (7)

Meaning

Thickly set with arrows on all sides because of the sharp arrows discharged both by Khara and Śrī Rāma, the sky round about them was left without any empty space. (8)

Meaning

Screened by the network of arrows discharged by both the warriors, who were fiercely fighting in their zeal to kill each other, the sun was not visible at that time. (9)

Meaning

Then, like one striking a lordly elephant with a goad, Khara hit Śrī Rāma with arrows of various kinds such as, Nālīkas, Nārācas and sharp-pointed Vikarṇis on the field of battle. (10)

Meaning

All created beings saw that ogre rooted firmly in his chariot, bow in hand, like Death himself with a noose in his hand. (11)

Meaning

At that time Khara thought Śrī Rāma, the destroyer of his entire army, who was possessed of great might and intent on heroism, to be dead tired. (12)

Meaning

Śrī Rāma, however, did not feel perturbed in the least to see him bold as a lion and striding like one, any more than a lion would feel perturbed to see a small deer. (13)

Meaning

Then, in a large chariot blazing as the sun, Khara approached the celebrated Śrī Rāma even, as a moth would approach a fire. (14)

Meaning

Thereupon, displaying his dexterity of hand, Khara split the bow alongwith the arrow near the fist of the high-souled Śrī Rāma. (15)

Meaning

Again, taking seven more arrows, shining brightly as the thunderbolt of Indra, Khara, for his part, angrily discharged them at the vital parts of Śrī Rāma on the battlefield. (16)

Meaning

Then, hurting Śrī Rāma of unparalleled prowess with a thousand arrows, Khara uttered a loud roar on the battlefield. (17)

Meaning

Hit hard by the smooth-knobbed arrows discharged by Khara, the well-known armour of Śrī Rāma, bright like the sun, thereupon fell on the ground. (18)

Meaning

Getting enraged when pierced with arrows all over his limbs, Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) shone on the battlefield like a smokeless burning fire. (19)

Meaning

Then Śrī Rāma, the exterminator of his foes, strung another mighty bow, which made a deep sound, to bring about the end of his enemy. (20)

Meaning

Raising that excellent and very mighty bow belonging to Lord Viṣṇu, that had been gifted by the eminent sage, Agastya, he darted towards Khara. (21)

Meaning

Then, highly enraged, Śrī Rāma cut down the ensign of Khara on the battle-field by means of gold-feathered arrows with level nodes. (22)

Meaning

Split into many parts, that attractive gold ensign fell down on the earth like the sun at the command (imprecation) of gods. (23)

Meaning

With four arrows the angry Khara, who was aware of the vulnerable parts in a body, hit Rāma in his various limbs and particularly in his heart even as one would strike an elephant with javelins. (24)

Meaning

The aforesaid Śrī Rāma felt highly enraged when pierced with many arrows released from the bow of Khara and bathed in blood all over his body. (25)

Meaning

Grasping firmly his bow in that great battle, Śrī Rāma, the foremost of bowmen, who wielded a great bow, discharged six well-aimed arrows. (26)

Meaning

They say he pierced Khara in the head with one arrow, with two more the arms, and with three crescent-headed arrows hit him hard in the chest. (27)

Meaning

After that Śrī Rāma, who was exceptionally glorious, discharged at the ogre thirteen arrows whetted on the stone and blazing like the sun. (28)

Meaning

With one arrow he cut down the yoke of the chariot; with four, the spotted horses; and with the sixth he cut off the head of Khara’s charioteer on the battle-field. (29)

Meaning

Having cut down with three arrows the three shafts supporting the yoke, with two the axle and with the twelfth, which shone brightly like a thunderbolt, the bow and the arrow of Khara, Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) for his part, who was possessed of exceptional might and looked like Indra, pierced Khara in the heart as though laughing on the battle-field with the thirteenth. (30-31)

Meaning

Then, jumping down, Khara, who was deprived of his chariot and had his bow shattered, horses killed and charioteer slain, stood on the ground mace in hand. (32)

Meaning

Collecting in the fore-part of their aerial cars at that time, gods and eminent Ṛṣis too, who felt highly rejoiced, applauded in a body with joined palms that feat of Śrī Rāma, the great car-warrior. (33)