# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 19 — Rāma kills the fourteen *He offers withdrawal, cuts down their fourteen spears with one volley and kills them with fourteen further arrows* Portion: Śūrpaṇakhā and the first retaliation · Verses: 25 · Ref format: 3.19. ## Sequence - Śūrpaṇakhā points out Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa in the hut (19.1–2) - Rāma tells Lakṣmaṇa to stay beside Sītā while he confronts the arrivals (19.3–5) - he strings his bow, identifies the travelers, and asks why the rākṣasas wish to harm them → he declares his commitment to stop attacks on the munis but gives these attackers the chance to withdraw (19.6–10) - they reject the warning, mock the prospect of one man resisting their numbers, and threaten to kill him for provoking Khara (19.11–15) - they rush forward and throw fourteen spears (19.16) - Rāma cuts down the spears with fourteen arrows, then takes fourteen more and shoots the attackers (19.17–20) - the shafts pierce their chests and enter the earth; all fourteen fall dead (19.21–22) - terrified and furious, Śūrpaṇakhā cries out, returns to Khara, and reports their destruction (19.23–25). ## Verses **3.19.1** tataḥ śūrpaṇakhā ghorā rāghavāśramam āgatā rakṣasām ācacakṣe tau bhrātarau saha sītayā Then the dreadful Śūrpaṇakhā, having come to Rāghava's hermitage, pointed out to the rākṣasas those two brothers together with Sītā. **3.19.2** te rāmaṃ parṇaśālāyām upaviṣṭaṃ mahābalam dadṛśuḥ sītayā sārdhaṃ vaidehyā lakṣmaṇena ca They saw the mighty Rāma seated in the leaf-hut, together with Sītā (Vaidehī) and Lakṣmaṇa. **3.19.3** tān dṛṣṭvā rāghavaḥ śrīmān āgatāṃ tāṃ ca rākṣasīm abravīd bhrātaraṃ rāmo lakṣmaṇaṃ dīptatejasaṃ Seeing them, and that rākṣasī who had come, the glorious Rāma spoke to his brother Lakṣmaṇa of blazing splendour: **3.19.4** muhūrtaṃ bhava saumitre sītāyāḥ pratyanantaraḥ imān asyā vadhiṣyāmi padavīm āgatān iha “For a moment, Saumitri, stay close beside Sītā; I shall slay these who have come here along her track. **3.19.5** vākyam etat tataḥ śrutvā rāmasya viditātmanaḥ tatheti lakṣmaṇo vākyaṃ rāmasya pratyapūjayat Then, hearing this speech of the wise Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa honoured Rāma's word with a “So be it.” **3.19.6** rāghavo 'pi mahac cāpaṃ cāmīkaravibhūṣitam cakāra sajyaṃ dharmātmā tāni rakṣāṃsi cābravīt And the righteous Rāghava strung his great bow adorned with gold, and spoke to those rākṣasas: **3.19.7** putrau daśarathasyāvāṃ bhrātarau rāmalakṣmaṇau praviṣṭau sītayā sārdhaṃ duścaraṃ daṇḍakāvanam “We two are sons of Daśaratha, the brothers Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, entered with Sītā into the impassable Daṇḍaka forest. **3.19.8** phalamūlāśanau dāntau tāpasau dharmacāriṇau vasantau daṇḍakāraṇye kimartham upahiṃsatha Living on fruits and roots, self-controlled, ascetics practising dharma, dwelling in the Daṇḍaka wilderness — why do you seek to harm us? **3.19.9** yuṣmān pāpātmakān hantuṃ viprakārān mahāvane ṛṣīṇāṃ tu niyogena prāpto 'haṃ saśarāsanaḥ By the command of the seers I have come, bow in hand, to slay you evil-souled doers of outrage in the great forest. **3.19.10** tiṣṭhataivātra saṃtuṣṭā nopasarpitum arhatha yadi prāṇair ihārtho vo nivartadhvaṃ niśācarāḥ Stay right there, content; you should not draw near. If you have any care for your lives, turn back, O night-roamers! **3.19.11** tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā rākṣasās te caturdaśa ūcur vācaṃ susaṃkruddhā brahmaghnaḥ śūlapāṇayaḥ Hearing those words of his, those fourteen rākṣasas, greatly enraged, slayers of brahmins, spears in hand, spoke (these) words — **3.19.12** saṃraktanayanā ghorā rāmaṃ raktāntalocanam paruṣā madhurābhāṣaṃ hṛṣṭādṛṣṭaparākramam their eyes bloodshot, dreadful and harsh — (they addressed) Rāma, whose eyes were red at the corners, sweet in speech, delighted, his prowess (as yet) unseen: **3.19.13** krodham utpādya no bhartuḥ kharasya sumahātmanaḥ tvam eva hāsyase prāṇān adyāsmābhir hato yudhi “Having provoked the wrath of our lord, the great-souled Khara, you alone shall lose your life, slain by us today in battle. **3.19.14** kā hi te śaktir ekasya bahūnāṃ raṇamūrdhani asmākam agrataḥ sthātuṃ kiṃ punar yoddhum āhave What power have you, a single one, even to stand before us many on the front of battle — let alone to fight in combat? **3.19.15** ebhir bāhuprayuktair naḥ parighaiḥ śūlapaṭṭiśaiḥ prāṇāṃs tyakṣyasi vīryaṃ ca dhanuś ca karapīḍitam By these clubs, spears, and paṭṭiśas wielded by our arms, you shall give up your life, your valour, and the bow gripped in your hand.” **3.19.16** ity evam uktvā saṃrabdhā rākṣasās te caturdaśa udyatāyudhanistriṃśā rāmam evābhidudruvuḥ cikṣipus tāni śūlāni rāghavaṃ prati durjayam Having spoken thus, those fourteen furious rākṣasas, their weapons and swords upraised, rushed straight at Rāma, and hurled those spears at the invincible Rāghava. **3.19.17** tāni śūlāni kākutsthaḥ samastāni caturdaśa tāvadbhir eva ciccheda śaraiḥ kāñcanabhūṣaṇaiḥ Kākutstha (Rāma) cut down all those fourteen spears together with just as many gold-adorned arrows. **3.19.18** tataḥ paścān mahātejā nārācān sūryasaṃnibhān jagrāha paramakruddhaś caturdaśa śilāśitān Then, afterwards, the greatly resplendent one, in utmost fury, took up fourteen iron arrows, bright as the sun, whetted on stone. **3.19.19** gṛhītvā dhanur āyamya lakṣyān uddiśya rākṣasān mumoca rāghavo bāṇān vajrān iva śatakratuḥ Taking his bow and drawing it, aiming at the rākṣasas as his targets, Rāghava loosed his arrows, as Śatakratu (Indra) his thunderbolts. **3.19.20** rukmapuṅkhāś ca viśikhāḥ pradīptā hemabhūṣaṇāḥ antarikṣe maholkānāṃ babhūvus tulyavarcasaḥ And the arrows, gold-shafted, blazing, adorned with gold, became in the sky equal in brilliance to great meteors. **3.19.21** te bhittvā rakṣasāṃ vegād vakṣāṃsi rudhirāplutāḥ viniṣpetus tadā bhūmau nyamajjantāśanisvanāḥ Piercing the breasts of the rākṣasas with force and drenched in blood, they then sprang out and sank into the ground with the sound of thunderbolts. **3.19.22** te bhinnahṛdayā bhūmau chinnamūlā iva drumāḥ nipetuḥ śoṇitārdrāṅgā vikṛtā vigatāsavaḥ Their hearts pierced, they fell to the ground like trees with severed roots, their bodies wet with blood, mangled, their life-breaths gone. **3.19.23** tān bhūmau patitān dṛṣṭvā rākṣasī krodhamūrchitā paritrastā punas tatra vyasṛjad bhairavaṃ ravam Seeing them fallen on the ground, the rākṣasī, senseless with rage and terrified, once again let out a dreadful cry there. **3.19.24** sā nadantī mahānādaṃ javāc chūrpaṇakhā punaḥ upagamya kharaṃ sā tu kiṃ cit saṃśuṣka śoṇitā papāta punar evārtā saniryāseva vallarī Uttering a great roar, Śūrpaṇakhā swiftly approached Khara once more and, her blood now somewhat dried, fell down again in anguish, like a creeper oozing sap. **3.19.25** nipātitān prekṣya raṇe tu rākṣasān pradhāvitā śūrpaṇakhā punas tataḥ vadhaṃ ca teṣāṃ nikhilena rakṣasāṃ śaśaṃsa sarvaṃ bhaginī kharasya sā Seeing the rākṣasas struck down in battle, Śūrpaṇakhā then sped off again; and that sister of Khara related everything in full — the slaughter of all those rākṣasas.