Aranya Kanda: Chapter 29

खरं तु विरथं रामो गदापाणिमवस्थितम्। मृदुपूर्वं महातेजाः परुषं वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥
And to Khara deprived of his car standing with a mace in his hand, that exceedingly energetic one, Rāma, precluding his speech with mildness, spoke.

गजाश्वरथसम्बाधे बले महति तिष्ठता। कृतं ते दारुणं कर्म सर्वलोकजुगुप्सितम्॥ उद्वेजनीयो भूतानां नृशंसः पापकर्मकृत्। त्रयाणामपि लोकानामीश्वरोऽपि स तिष्ठति ॥ कर्म लोकविरुद्धं तु कुर्वाणं क्षणदाचर। तीक्ष्णं सर्वजनो हन्ति सष दुष्टमिवागतम्॥
Backed by this mighty host abounding in elephants and horses and cars, you have done an exceedingly wicked deed, execrated by all the worlds. Even if one happen to be the lord of the three worlds, one given to troubling creatures, and who is cruel and engaged in wicked acts, can not exist. All persons destroy, like a snake that has intruded itself, him that dose cruel deeds, hostile to the interests of every one.

लोभात् पापानि कुर्वाणः कामाद् वा यो न बुध्यते। हृष्टः पश्यति तस्यान्तं ब्राह्मणी करकादिव॥
People delightedly behold the end of him that doing an action either from covetousness or desire, dose not like a Brāhmaṇi swallowing a Karakā, see the consequence thereof.

वसतो दण्डकारण्ये तापसान् धर्मचारिणः। किं नु हत्वा महाभागान् फलं प्राप्स्यसि राक्षस॥
What, O Rākṣasa, do you gain by slaughtering exceedingly pious ascetics engaged in righteous acts, living in the forest of Dandaka?

न चिरं पापकर्माणः क्रूरा लोकजुगुप्सिताः। ऐश्वर्यं प्राप्य तिष्ठन्ति शीर्णमूला इव द्रुमाः।७।।
Like to trees whose roots have been reduced, cruel persons, execrated of men, who perpetrate iniquitous acts, do not exist long.

अवश्यं लभते कर्ता फलं पापस्य कर्मणः। घोरं पर्यागते काले द्रुमः पुष्पमिवार्तवम् ॥
As a tree puts forth blossoms in season, the doer of sinful deeds, at the hour (of repentance) inevitably reaps their fruit in the shape of dreadful anguish (of the spirit).

न चिरात् प्राप्यते लोके पापानां कर्मणां फलम्। सविषाणामिवान्नानां भुक्तानां क्षणदाचर॥
O ranger of night, as the effect of having taken rice mixed with poison, appears without delay, even so also people readily reap the fruit of their own acts.

पापमाचरतां घोरं लोकस्याप्रियमिच्छताम्। अहमासादितो राज्ञा प्राणान् हन्तुं निशाचर ॥
O ranger of the night, it is to take the lives of the perpetrators of dreadful sins, who wish ill to men, that I the king have come.

अद्य भित्वा मया मुक्ताः शराः काञ्चनभूषणाः। विदार्यातिपतिष्यन्ति वल्मीकमिव पन्नगाः॥
Today the gold-decked arrows discharged by ine, piercing (your body), shall enter into the carth, cleaving it, like serpents falling into an ant-hill.

ये त्वया दण्डकारण्ये भक्षिता धर्मचारिणः। तानद्य निहतः संख्ये ससैन्योऽनुगमिष्यसि ॥
Slain in battle, you shall in company with your army, follow those people practising piety, whom you have devoured in the Dandaka forest.

अद्य त्वां निहतं बाणैः पश्यन्तु परमर्षयः। निरयस्थं विमानस्था ये त्वया निहताः पुरा॥
Today let those great saints, who had formerly been slain by you, stationed in the sky, behold you slain (in turn) with my arrows, and inhabiting hell.

प्रहरस्व यथाकामं कुरु यत्नं कुलाधम। अद्य ते पातयिष्यामि शिरस्तालफलं यथा॥
Do you strike as you like. And youl that are of an odious race, do you put forth your energy. Today I will bring down your head, even as a palm falls to the ground.

एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण क्रुद्धः संरक्तलोचनः। प्रत्युवाच ततो रामं प्रहसन् क्रोधमूच्छितः॥
Thus addressed by Rāma, Khara enraged and beyond himself with passion, with eyes reddened, replied.

प्राकृतान् राक्षसान् हत्वा युद्धे दशरथात्मज। आत्मना कथमात्मानमप्रशस्यं प्रशंससि॥
O son of Dasaratha, why having slain inferior Rākṣasas in battle, do you praise yourself without reason?

विक्रान्ता बलवन्तो वा ये भवन्ति नरर्षभाः। कथयन्ति न ते किंचित् तेजसा चातिगर्विताः॥
Those foremost of men that are puissant and powerful, do not, inflated with their energy, mouth (their own consequence).

प्राकृतास्त्वकृतात्मानो लोके क्षत्रियपांसनाः। निरर्थकं विकत्थन्ते यथा राम विकत्थसे ॥
It is the mean-minded Kșatriyas of impure hearts that magnify themselves among men, even as you, O Rama,do.

कुलं वपदिशन् वीरः समरे कोऽभिधास्यति। मृत्युकाले तु सम्प्राप्ते स्वयमप्रस्तवे स्तवम्॥
What hero, when the hour of his death has approached, publishes in the field his own lofty lineage and sings his own hymn.

सर्वथा तु लघुत्वं ते कत्थनेन विदर्शितम्। सुवर्णप्रतिरूपेण तप्तेनेव कुशाग्निना॥
As brass wearing the semblance of gold, displays its own defect on being heated*, with a fire lit with Kusa, so you have betrayed your own lightness by this speech of yours. i.c. becomes dusky, (Ramanuja).

न तु मामिह तिष्ठन्तं पश्यसि त्वं गदाधरम्। धराधरमिवाकम्प्यं पर्वतं धातुभिश्चितम्॥
You do not see me staying here mace in hand, like a moveless mountain dyed in metals, bearing mobile and immobile things.

पर्याप्तोऽहं गदापाणिर्हन्तुं प्राणान् रणे तव। त्रयाणामपि लोकानां पाशहस्त इवान्तकः॥
I can, mace in hand, deprive you and the three worlds to boot clean of your lives, like the very Destroyer with the noose in his hand.

कामं बह्वपि वक्तव्यं त्वयि वक्ष्यामि न त्वहम्। अस्तं प्राप्नोति सविता युद्धविघ्नस्ततो भवेत्॥
But I will not parley much with you as much as I could wish: the sun is going to set, and our fight shall be interrupted.

चतुर्दश सहस्राणि राक्षसानां हतानि ते। त्वद्विनाशात् करोम्यद्य तेषामथुप्रमार्जनम्॥
Fourteen thousand Räksasas have been slaughtered by you. I will for their deaths wipe their tears to-day.

इत्युक्त्वा परमक्रुद्धः स गदां परमाङ्गदाम्। खरश्चिक्षेप रामाय प्रदीप्तामशनि यथा ॥
Saying this Khara, highly enraged, hurled his mace+ provided with golden rings at Rāma, like to the blazing thunderbolt. Another reading is, plaited with gold.

खरबाहुप्रमुक्ता सा प्रदीप्ता महती गदा। भस्मवृक्षांश्च गुल्मांश्च कृत्वागात् तत्समीपतः॥
Thereat, reducing to ashes trees and shrubs, that mighty flaming mace, discharged by Khara's arm, fell before Rama.

तामापतन्ती महती मृत्युपाशोपमां गदाम्। अन्तरिक्षगती रामश्चिच्छेद बहुधा शरैः॥
And Rāma severed in many fragments that mighty mace, resembling the noose of Death, as ascending the welkin, it was coming down.

सा विशीर्णा शरैर्भिन्ना पपात धरणीतले। गदा मन्त्रौषधिबलैालीव विनिपातिता॥
Thereupon, like a she-serpent brought down by force of incantations, the mace fell to the earth shattered and riven.