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Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 25: Dūṣaṇa’s death

Summary. Rāma severs his arms, kills three commanders and destroys the troops, leaving Khara & Triśiras as the principal opponents

Sequence

  1. Rāma meets the shower of trees and rocks with arrows and covers Dūṣaṇa's force with his own missiles (3.25.1–3)
  2. Dūṣaṇa takes a massive iron club, banded with gold and studded with spikes, and charges (3.25.4–6)
  3. Rāma cuts off both his arms with two arrows → the club drops, Dūṣaṇa falls dead, and the witnesses praise Rāma (3.25.7–10)
  4. Mahākapāla, Sthūlākṣa, and Pramāthin attack together with a spear, paṭṭiśa, and axe (3.25.11–12)
  5. Rāma cuts off Mahākapāla's head, strikes Pramāthin down with a mass of arrows, and kills Sthūlākṣa with arrows through the eyes (3.25.13–15)
  6. he continues attacking the remaining troops (3.25.16–17)
  7. he kills a hundred rākṣasas with a hundred arrows, and a thousand with a thousand (3.25.18)
  8. shattered armor, broken bows, and bloodied bodies cover the battlefield (3.25.19–21)
  9. the account summarizes the destruction as fourteen thousand rākṣasas slain by one man fighting on foot, then identifies Khara and Triśiras as the remaining principal opponents → Khara drives toward Rāma. (3.25.22–24)

Verses 3.25.1–24

3.25.1

tad drumāṇāṃ śilānāṃ ca varṣaṃ prāṇaharaṃ mahat
pratijagrāha dharmātmā rāghavas tīkṣṇasāyakaiḥ

That great, life-destroying rain of trees and rocks the righteous Rāghava met with his sharp arrows.

Words: tad — that; drumāṇāṃ — of trees; śilānāṃ — of rocks; ca — and; varṣaṃ — rain, shower; prāṇaharaṃ — life-destroying; mahat — great; pratijagrāha — received, warded off; dharmātmā — the righteous one; rāghavas — Rāghava; tīkṣṇasāyakaiḥ — with sharp arrows

3.25.2

pratigṛhya ca tad varaṃ nimīlita ivarṣabhaḥ
rāmaḥ krodhaṃ paraṃ bheje vadhārthaṃ sarvarakṣasām

Having borne that shower, like a bull that shuts its eyes before a downpour, Rāma gave way to supreme wrath for the slaying of all the rākṣasas.

Words: pratigṛhya — having received, borne; ca — and; tad — that; varaṃ — shower (of missiles); nimīlita — with eyes closed; ivarṣabhaḥ — like a bull; rāmaḥ — Rāma; krodhaṃ — wrath; paraṃ — supreme; bheje — resorted to, gave way to; vadhārthaṃ — for the slaying; sarvarakṣasām — of all the rākṣasas

3.25.3

tataḥ krodhasamāviṣṭaḥ pradīpta iva tejasā
śarair abhyakirat sainyaṃ sarvataḥ sahadūṣaṇam

Then, seized with wrath, blazing as if with his own splendour, he covered the army, along with Dūṣaṇa, with arrows on every side.

Words: tataḥ — then; krodhasamāviṣṭaḥ — seized with wrath; pradīpta — blazing; iva — as if; tejasā — with splendour; śarair — with arrows; abhyakirat — covered, scattered over; sainyaṃ — the army; sarvataḥ — on every side; sahadūṣaṇam — along with Dūṣaṇa

3.25.4

tataḥ senāpatiḥ kruddho dūṣaṇaḥ śatrudūṣaṇaḥ
jagrāha giriśṛṅgābhaṃ parighaṃ romaharṣaṇam

Then the enraged general Dūṣaṇa, tormentor of foes, seized an iron club, hair-raising, like a mountain-peak,

Words: tataḥ — then; senāpatiḥ — the general, commander; kruddho — enraged; dūṣaṇaḥ — Dūṣaṇa; śatrudūṣaṇaḥ — tormentor of foes; jagrāha — seized; giriśṛṅgābhaṃ — like a mountain-peak; parighaṃ — an iron club; romaharṣaṇam — hair-raising

3.25.5

veṣṭitaṃ kāñcanaiḥ paṭṭair devasainyābhimardanam
āyasaiḥ śaṅkubhis tīkṣṇaiḥ kīrṇaṃ paravasokṣitām

wound about with golden bands, a crusher of the armies of the gods, studded with sharp iron spikes, wet with the fat of foes,

Words: veṣṭitaṃ — wound about, wrapped; kāñcanaiḥ — with golden; paṭṭair — bands, plates; devasainyābhimardanam — a crusher of the armies of the gods; āyasaiḥ — of iron; śaṅkubhis — with spikes; tīkṣṇaiḥ — sharp; kīrṇaṃ — studded, strewn; paravasokṣitām — wet with the fat of foes

3.25.6

vajrāśanisamasparśaṃ paragopuradāraṇam
taṃ mahoragasaṃkāśaṃ pragṛhya parighaṃ raṇe
dūṣaṇo 'bhyapatad rāmaṃ krūrakarmā niśācaraḥ

of touch like thunderbolt and lightning, a shatterer of the enemy's gate-towers — seizing in the battle that iron club, like a great serpent, Dūṣaṇa, the night-roamer of cruel deeds, fell upon Rāma.

Words: vajrāśanisamasparśaṃ — of touch like thunderbolt and lightning; paragopuradāraṇam — shatterer of the enemy's gate-towers; taṃ — that; mahoragasaṃkāśaṃ — like a great serpent; pragṛhya — having seized; parighaṃ — the iron club; raṇe — in the battle; dūṣaṇo — Dūṣaṇa; 'bhyapatad — fell upon, attacked; rāmaṃ — Rāma; krūrakarmā — of cruel deeds; niśācaraḥ — the night-roamer

3.25.7

tasyābhipatamānasya dūṣaṇasya sa rāghavaḥ
dvābhyāṃ śarābhyāṃ ciccheda sahastābharaṇau bhujau

As Dūṣaṇa rushed on, Rāghava, with two arrows, cut off his two arms, hands and ornaments and all.

Words: tasyābhipatamānasya — of him rushing on; dūṣaṇasya — of Dūṣaṇa; sa — he; rāghavaḥ — Rāghava; dvābhyāṃ — with two; śarābhyāṃ — with arrows; ciccheda — cut off; sahastābharaṇau — with hands and ornaments; bhujau — the two arms

3.25.8

bhraṣṭas tasya mahākāyaḥ papāta raṇamūrdhani
parighaś chinnahastasya śakradhvaja ivāgrataḥ

The huge club, slipping from him whose hands were severed, dropped down before him on the field of battle, like Indra's banner lowered.

Words: bhraṣṭas — fallen, slipped; tasya — his; mahākāyaḥ — huge, massive; papāta — fell; raṇamūrdhani — on the front of battle; parighaś — the iron club; chinnahastasya — of (him) whose hands were severed; śakradhvaja — Indra's banner; ivāgrataḥ — as before (him)

3.25.9

sa karābhyāṃ vikīrṇābhyāṃ papāta bhuvi dūṣaṇaḥ
viṣāṇābhyāṃ viśīrṇābhyāṃ manasvīva mahāgajaḥ

With his two arms cut away, Dūṣaṇa fell to the ground, like a proud great elephant with its two tusks broken off.

Words: sa — he; karābhyāṃ — with the two arms/hands; vikīrṇābhyāṃ — scattered, severed; papāta — fell; bhuvi — on the ground; dūṣaṇaḥ — Dūṣaṇa; viṣāṇābhyāṃ — with the two tusks; viśīrṇābhyāṃ — broken off, shattered; manasvīva — like a proud, spirited one; mahāgajaḥ — a great elephant

3.25.10

dṛṣṭvā taṃ patitaṃ bhūmau dūṣaṇaṃ nihataṃ raṇe
sādhu sādhv iti kākutsthaṃ sarvabhūtāny apūjayan

Seeing Dūṣaṇa fallen on the ground, slain in the battle, all beings honoured Kākutstha with cries of “Well done! Well done!”

Words: dṛṣṭvā — having seen; taṃ — him; patitaṃ — fallen; bhūmau — on the ground; dūṣaṇaṃ — Dūṣaṇa; nihataṃ — slain; raṇe — in the battle; sādhu sādhv — 'well done! well done!'; iti — thus; kākutsthaṃ — Kākutstha (Rāma); sarvabhūtāny — all beings; apūjayan — honoured, praised

3.25.11

etasminn antare kruddhās trayaḥ senāgrayāyinaḥ
saṃhatyābhyadravan rāmaṃ mṛtyupāśāvapāśitāḥ
mahākapālaḥ sthūlākṣaḥ pramāthī ca mahābalaḥ

Meanwhile, three enraged leaders of the army, joining forces, rushed at Rāma, already bound in the noose of death — Mahākapāla, Sthūlākṣa, and the mighty Pramāthin.

Words: etasminn antare — in the meantime; kruddhās — enraged; trayaḥ — three; senāgrayāyinaḥ — leaders at the front of the army; saṃhatyābhyadravan — joining forces, rushed at; rāmaṃ — Rāma; mṛtyupāśāvapāśitāḥ — bound in the noose of death; mahākapālaḥ — Mahākapāla; sthūlākṣaḥ — Sthūlākṣa; pramāthī — Pramāthin; ca — and; mahābalaḥ — the mighty

3.25.12

mahākapālo vipulaṃ śūlam udyamya rākṣasaḥ
sthūlākṣaḥ paṭṭiśaṃ gṛhya pramāthī ca paraśvadham

The rākṣasa Mahākapāla raising a huge spear, Sthūlākṣa grasping a paṭṭiśa, and Pramāthin a battle-axe —

Words: mahākapālo — Mahākapāla; vipulaṃ — huge; śūlam — spear; udyamya — having raised; rākṣasaḥ — the rākṣasa; sthūlākṣaḥ — Sthūlākṣa; paṭṭiśaṃ — a paṭṭiśa (spiked mace); gṛhya — having grasped; pramāthī — Pramāthin; ca — and; paraśvadham — a battle-axe

3.25.13

dṛṣṭvaivāpatatas tāṃs tu rāghavaḥ sāyakaiḥ śitaiḥ
tīkṣṇāgraiḥ pratijagrāha saṃprāptān atithīn iva

As soon as he saw them rushing on, Rāghava received them with sharp, keen-tipped arrows, as one receives guests arrived at the door.

Words: dṛṣṭvaivāpatatas — as soon as he saw (them) rushing; tāṃs — them; tu — and; rāghavaḥ — Rāghava; sāyakaiḥ — with arrows; śitaiḥ — sharp; tīkṣṇāgraiḥ — keen-tipped; pratijagrāha — received, welcomed; saṃprāptān — arrived; atithīn — guests; iva — as, like

3.25.14

mahākapālasya śiraś ciccheda raghunaṅganaḥ
asaṃkhyeyais tu bāṇaughaiḥ pramamātha pramāthinam

The delight of the Raghus cut off Mahākapāla's head, and with countless floods of arrows crushed Pramāthin.

Words: mahākapālasya — of Mahākapāla; śiraś — head; ciccheda — cut off; raghunaṅganaḥ — the delight of the Raghus; asaṃkhyeyais — countless; tu — and; bāṇaughaiḥ — with floods of arrows; pramamātha — crushed, ground down; pramāthinam — Pramāthin

3.25.15

sthūlākṣasyākṣiṇī tīkṣṇaiḥ pūrayām āsa sāyakaiḥ
sa papāta hato bhūmau viṭapīva mahādrumaḥ

He filled the eyes of Sthūlākṣa with sharp arrows; slain, he fell to the ground like a great branching tree.

Words: sthūlākṣasyākṣiṇī — Sthūlākṣa's (two) eyes; tīkṣṇaiḥ — sharp; pūrayām āsa — filled; sāyakaiḥ — with arrows; sa — he; papāta — fell; hato — slain; bhūmau — on the ground; viṭapīva — like a branching tree; mahādrumaḥ — a great tree

3.25.16

tataḥ pāvakasaṃkāśair hemavajravibhūṣitaiḥ
jaghanaśeṣaṃ tejasvī tasya sainyasya sāyakaiḥ

Then, with arrows like fire, adorned with gold and diamond, the resplendent one slew the remnant of that army.

Words: tataḥ — then; pāvakasaṃkāśair — like fire; hemavajravibhūṣitaiḥ — adorned with gold and diamond; jaghanaśeṣaṃ — slew the remnant; tejasvī — the resplendent one; tasya — of that; sainyasya — army; sāyakaiḥ — with arrows

3.25.17

te rukmapuṅkhā viśikhāḥ sadhūmā iva pāvakāḥ
nijaghnus tāni rakṣāṃsi vajrā iva mahādrumān

Those gold-shafted arrows, like smoking fires, struck down those rākṣasas as thunderbolts shatter great trees.

Words: te — those; rukmapuṅkhā — gold-shafted; viśikhāḥ — arrows; sadhūmā — smoking; iva — like; pāvakāḥ — fires; nijaghnus — struck down, slew; tāni — those; rakṣāṃsi — rākṣasas; vajrā — thunderbolts; iva — like; mahādrumān — great trees

3.25.18

rakṣasāṃ tu śataṃ rāmaḥ śatenaikena karṇinā
sahasraṃ ca sahasreṇa jaghāna raṇamūrdhani

On the front of battle Rāma slew a hundred of the rākṣasas with a single hundred of barbed arrows, and a thousand with a thousand.

Words: rakṣasāṃ — of the rākṣasas; tu — and; śataṃ — a hundred; rāmaḥ — Rāma; śatenaikena — with a single hundred; karṇinā — with barbed arrows; sahasraṃ — a thousand; ca — and; sahasreṇa — with a thousand; jaghāna — slew; raṇamūrdhani — on the front of battle

3.25.19

tair bhinnavarmābharaṇāś chinnabhinnaśarāsanāḥ
nipetuḥ śoṇitādigdhā dharaṇyāṃ rajanīcarāḥ

Their armour and ornaments shattered, their bows cut and broken, the night-roamers, smeared with blood, fell to the ground.

Words: tair — by those (arrows); bhinnavarmābharaṇāś — with armour and ornaments shattered; chinnabhinnaśarāsanāḥ — their bows cut and broken; nipetuḥ — fell; śoṇitādigdhā — smeared with blood; dharaṇyāṃ — on the earth; rajanīcarāḥ — night-roamers

3.25.20

tair muktakeśaiḥ samare patitaiḥ śoṇitokṣitaiḥ
āstīrṇā vasudhā kṛtsnā mahāvediḥ kuśair iva

With them, their hair loosened, drenched in blood, fallen in the battle, the whole earth was strewn, as a great altar is strewn with kuśa grass.

Words: tair — with those; muktakeśaiḥ — with loosened hair; samare — in the battle; patitaiḥ — fallen; śoṇitokṣitaiḥ — drenched in blood; āstīrṇā — strewn, covered; vasudhā — the earth; kṛtsnā — whole, entire; mahāvediḥ — a great altar; kuśair — with kuśa grass; iva — as, like

3.25.21

kṣaṇena tu mahāghoraṃ vanaṃ nihatarākṣasaṃ
babhūva niraya prakhyaṃ māṃsaśoṇitakardamam

In a moment the great, dreadful forest, its rākṣasas slain, became like a hell, a mire of flesh and blood.

Words: kṣaṇena — in a moment; tu — and; mahāghoraṃ — great and dreadful; vanaṃ — forest; nihatarākṣasaṃ — with its rākṣasas slain; babhūva — became; niraya prakhyaṃ — like a hell; māṃsaśoṇitakardamam — a mire of flesh and blood

3.25.22

caturdaśa sahasrāṇi rakṣasāṃ bhīmakarmaṇām
hatāny ekena rāmeṇa mānuṣeṇa padātinā

Fourteen thousand rākṣasas of dreadful deeds were slain by Rāma alone, a man, on foot.

Words: caturdaśa — fourteen; sahasrāṇi — thousand; rakṣasāṃ — of rākṣasas; bhīmakarmaṇām — of dreadful deeds; hatāny — slain; ekena — by one, alone; rāmeṇa — by Rāma; mānuṣeṇa — a man, human; padātinā — on foot, a foot-soldier

3.25.23

tasya sainyasya sarvasya kharaḥ śeṣo mahārathaḥ
rākṣasas triśirāś caiva rāmaś ca ripusūdanaḥ

Of all that army, Khara the great warrior was left, and the rākṣasa Triśiras — and Rāma, the slayer of foes.

Words: tasya — of that; sainyasya — army; sarvasya — all, whole; kharaḥ — Khara; śeṣo — the remainder, left; mahārathaḥ — the great warrior; rākṣasas — the rākṣasa; triśirāś — Triśiras; caiva — and also; rāmaś — Rāma; ca — and; ripusūdanaḥ — the slayer of foes

3.25.24

tatas tu tad bhīmabalaṃ mahāhave samīkṣya rāmeṇa hataṃ balīyasā
rathena rāmaṃ mahatā kharas tataḥ samāsasādendra ivodyatāśaniḥ

Then, seeing that dreadful host slain by the mighty Rāma in the great battle, Khara thereupon, on his great chariot, bore down upon Rāma, like Indra with upraised thunderbolt.

Words: tatas — then; tu — and; tad — that; bhīmabalaṃ — the dreadful host; mahāhave — in the great battle; samīkṣya — having seen; rāmeṇa — by Rāma; hataṃ — slain; balīyasā — by the mightier one; rathena — on the chariot; rāmaṃ — Rāma; mahatā — great; kharas — Khara; tataḥ — thereupon; samāsasādendra — bore down upon (Rāma); (like) Indra; ivodyatāśaniḥ — like (him) with upraised thunderbolt

← 3.24 Battle at Janasthāna · Araṇya Kāṇḍa · 3.26 Triśiras loses his three heads →

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.

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