---
title: "Aranya Kanda, Sarga 29"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/aranya-kanda/sarga-29"
lang: "en"
---

# Aranya Kanda, Sarga 29

> खरं तु विरथं रामो गदापाणिमवस्थितम्।  
> मृदुपूर्वं महातेजाः परुषं वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥ १॥

Śrī Rāma, for his part, who was possessed of exceptional glory, addressed to Khara, who, having been deprived of his chariot, stood below, mace in hand, the following harsh words, though preceded by soft words: (1)

> गजाश्वरथसम्बाधे बले महति तिष्ठता।  
> कृतं ते दारुणं कर्म सर्वलोकजुगुप्सितम्॥ २॥

“Presiding over a huge army crowded with elephants, horses and chariots, a ruthless course of action despised by all people has been adopted by you. (2)

> उद्वेजनीयो भूतानां नृशंसः पापकर्मकृत्।  
> त्रयाणामपि लोकानामीश्वरोऽपि न तिष्ठति॥ ३॥

“He who oppresses all created beings, is hard-hearted and perpetrates sinful deeds does not survive, be he the ruler of all the three worlds. (3)

> कर्म लोकविरुद्धं तु कुर्वाणं क्षणदाचर।  
> तीक्ष्णं सर्वजनो हन्ति सर्पं दुष्टमिवागतम्॥ ४॥

“Everyone, O night-stalker, injures him who adopts a severe course of action running counter to the interests of the people, as one strikes a wicked serpent arrived near. (4)

> लोभात् पापानि कुर्वाणः कामाद् वा यो न बुध्यते।  
> हृष्टः पश्यति तस्यान्तं ब्राह्मणी करकादिव॥ ५॥

“He who does not awaken even though committing sins through greed or concupiscence, and feels delighted in doing so, sees with his own eyes the end of his sinful deeds alongwith his own as a Brāhmaṇī (a kind of venomless lizard) perceives its own end through the eating of hailstones. (5)

> वसतो दण्डकारण्ये तापसान् धर्मचारिणः।  
> किं नु हत्वा महाभागान् फलं प्राप्स्यसि राक्षस॥ ६॥

“What reward on earth will you get by killing highly blessed ascetics living in the Daṇḍaka forest and practising virtue, O ogre ! (6)

> न चिरं पापकर्माणः क्रूरा लोकजुगुप्सिताः।  
> ऐश्वर्यं प्राप्य तिष्ठन्ति शीर्णमूला इव द्रुमाः॥ ७॥

“Even on attaining lordship, cruel men perpetrating sinful deeds and despised by the people cannot live long any more than trees with rotten roots. (7)

> अवश्यं लभते कर्ता फलं पापस्य कर्मणः।  
> घोरं पर्यागते काले द्रुमः पुष्पमिवार्तवम्॥ ८॥

“The perpetrator of a sinful deed inevitably reaps its terrible consequence when the time comes, even as a tree puts forth its blossom in the proper season. (8)

> नचिरात् प्राप्यते लोके पापानां कर्मणां फलम्।  
> सविषाणामिवान्नानां भुक्तानां क्षणदाचर॥ ९॥

“The fruit of one’s sinful deeds, O night-stalker, is reaped not long after like that of poisoned foods eaten. (9)

> पापमाचरतां घोरं लोकस्याप्रियमिच्छताम्।  
> अहमासादितो राज्ञा प्राणान् हन्तुं निशाचर॥ १०॥

“I have been deputed by the king, my father, O night-stalker, to take the lives of those who commit terrible sins and wish evil to the people. (10)

> अद्य भित्त्वा मया मुक्ताः शराः काञ्चनभूषणाः।  
> विदार्यातिपतिष्यन्ति वल्मीकमिव पन्नगाः॥ ११॥

“Penetrating through your body and rending the earth, the arrows decked with gold discharged by me today will reach beyond the earth to the subterranean regions like serpents entering the ant-hill. (11)

> ये त्वया दण्डकारण्ये भक्षिता धर्मचारिणः।  
> तानद्य निहतः संख्ये ससैन्योऽनुगमिष्यसि॥ १२॥

“Killed in battle today, you will follow with your army those ascetics of pious deeds who have been eaten by you in the Daṇḍaka forest. (12)

> अद्य त्वां निहतं बाणैः पश्यन्तु परमर्षयः।  
> निरयस्थं विमानस्था ये त्वया निहताः पुरा॥ १३॥

“Let those great sages who were killed by you in the past see you from their aerial cars killed with my arrows and rotting in hell. (13)

> प्रहरस्व यथाकामं कुरु यत्नं कुलाधम।  
> अद्य ते पातयिष्यामि शिरस्तालफलं यथा॥ १४॥

“Strike as you will and do your best, O the disgrace of your race ! I shall this very day strike down your head like a palm fruit.” (14)

> एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण क्रुद्धः संरक्तलोचनः।  
> प्रत्युवाच ततो रामं प्रहसन् क्रोधमूर्च्छितः॥ १५॥

Enraged when spoken to as aforesaid, and laughing heartily, Khara, who was beside himself with anger, then replied as follows with blood-red eyes to Śrī Rāma: (15)

> प्राकृतान् राक्षसान् हत्वा युद्धे दशरथात्मज।  
> आत्मना कथमात्मानमप्रशस्यं प्रशंससि॥ १६॥

“Having killed ordinary ogres on the battle-field, O son of Daśaratha, how are you extolling yourself, though unworthy of praise? (16)

> विक्रान्ता बलवन्तो वा ये भवन्ति नरर्षभाः।  
> कथयन्ति न ते किंचित् तेजसा चातिगर्विताः॥ १७॥

“Those jewels among men, who are brave or mighty, do not speak anything about themselves, puffed up with pride of valour. (17)

> प्राकृतास्त्वकृतात्मानो लोके क्षत्रियपांसनाः।  
> निरर्थकं विकत्थन्ते यथा राम विकत्थसे॥ १८॥

“Only the vulgar, who have not subdued the self and are a disgrace to the Kṣatriyas in the world, brag in vain as you do, O Rāma ! (18)

> कुलं व्यपदिशन् वीरः समरे कोऽभिधास्यति।  
> मृत्युकाले तु सम्प्राप्ते स्वयमप्रस्तवे स्तवम्॥ १९॥

“In the course of a battle when the hour of death is at hand what heroic man indeed will utter his own praise without any occasion for it, mentioning his own race?(19)

> सर्वथा तु लघुत्वं ते कत्थनेन विदर्शितम्।  
> सुवर्णप्रतिरूपेण तप्तेनेव कुशाग्निना॥ २०॥

“Through self-praise baseness alone has been exhibited by you in every way, as is done by brass (bearing the semblance of gold) when heated in fire lighted for the purpose of refining gold. (20)

> न तु मामिह तिष्ठन्तं पश्यसि त्वं गदाधरम्।  
> धराधरमिवाकम्प्यं पर्वतं धातुभिश्चितम्॥ २१॥

“You do not see me wielding a mace and standing immovable like a principal mountain holding the earth in balance and enriched with minerals ! (21)

> पर्याप्तोऽहं गदापाणिर्हन्तुं प्राणान् रणे तव।  
> त्रयाणामपि लोकानां पाशहस्त इवान्तकः॥ २२॥

“Like Yama (the god of death) standing noose in hand, I, who hold a mace in hand, am strong enough to take your life as also the life of the inhabitants of all the three worlds. (22)

> कामं बह्वपि वक्तव्यं त्वयि वक्ष्यामि न त्वहम्।  
> अस्तं प्राप्नोति सविता युद्धविघ्नस्ततो भवेत्॥ २३॥

“Even though there is much to be said about you, I shall not speak more; for the sun is setting and interruption may be caused thereby in the combat. (23)

> चतुर्दश सहस्राणि राक्षसानां हतानि ते।  
> त्वद्विनाशात् करोम्यद्य तेषामश्रुप्रमार्जनम्॥ २४॥

“Fourteen thousand ogres stand killed by you. By bringing about your destruction I shall avenge their death and wipe away the tears of their dear ones.” (24)

> इत्युक्त्वा परमक्रुद्धः स गदां परमाङ्गदाम्।  
> खरश्चिक्षेप रामाय प्रदीप्तामशनिं यथा॥ २५॥

Saying so and getting highly enraged, he hurled his mace adorned with excellent gold rings and resembling a blazing thunderbolt at Śrī Rāma. (25)

> खरबाहुप्रमुक्ता सा प्रदीप्ता महती गदा।  
> भस्म वृक्षांश्च गुल्मांश्च कृत्वागात् तत्समीपतः॥ २६॥

Reducing to ashes the intervening trees and shrubs, that huge and blazing mace released from the hands of Khara drew near Śrī Rāma. (26)

> तामापतन्तीं महतीं मृत्युपाशोपमां गदाम्।  
> अन्तरिक्षगतां रामश्चिच्छेद बहुधा शरैः॥ २७॥

With his arrows Śrī Rāma split into pieces that huge mace, resembling the noose of Yama in its deadly action even as it came flying and while it was yet in the air. (27)

> सा विशीर्णा शरैर्भिन्ना पपात धरणीतले।  
> गदा मन्त्रौषधिबलैर्व्यालीव विनिपातिता॥ २८॥

Broken and smashed with the arrows, that mace fell on the ground like a female serpent thrown down by the power of charms and herbs. (28)

Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana

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