Araṇya Kāṇḍa 28: Khara’s mace destroyed · 3.28.2 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.28.1

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 28: Khara’s mace destroyed. Rāma condemns his attacks on the ṛṣis, Khara throws a blazing mace and Rāma shatters it with arrows

In the sequence: Facing the now dismounted Khara, Rāma condemns his cruelty and the killing of tapasvins → he says power cannot protect someone forever from the consequences of such actions

3.28.1

kharaṃ tu virathaṃ rāmo gadāpāṇim avasthitam
mṛdupūrvaṃ mahātejāḥ paruṣaṃ vākyam abravīt

To Khara, chariotless, standing mace in hand, the greatly resplendent Rāma spoke harsh words, though mildly prefaced:

Words: kharaṃ — Khara; tu — and; virathaṃ — chariotless; rāmo — Rāma; gadāpāṇim — mace in hand; avasthitam — standing; mṛdupūrvaṃ — gently prefaced, mildly begun; mahātejāḥ — the greatly resplendent one; paruṣaṃ — harsh; vākyam — words; abravīt — spoke

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. 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.