# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 22 — Omens on Khara’s march *Blood-coloured rain, darkness and bodily tremors warn of disaster, Khara dismisses them and advances with his leading warriors* Portion: Khara’s march and the battle at Janasthāna · Verses: 34 · Ref format: 3.22. ## Sequence - Ominous signs accompany the march: blood-colored rain, stumbling horses, a red-rimmed halo around the sun, and a vulture settling on Khara's standard (22.1–4) - predators cry, darkness spreads before twilight, jackals howl, the sun is obscured, and stars appear by day (22.5–12) - plants lose their flowers and fruit, dust rises without wind, meteors fall, and the earth shakes (22.13–15) - Khara's left arm trembles, his voice falters, his eyes fill with tears, and his forehead aches, but he does not turn back (22.16–17) - laughing at the portents, he boasts that he could defeat Death or Indra and will not return without killing the brothers (22.18–24) - his confidence encourages the army (22.25) - meanwhile ṛṣis, Devas, gandharvas, siddhas and cāraṇas gather and pray for Rāma's victory (22.26–29) - Khara drives to the front with twelve leading warriors around him; Mahākapāla, Sthūlākṣa, Pramāthin, and Triśiras follow Dūṣaṇa → the force bears down on the travelers (22.30–34). ## Verses **3.22.1** tat prayātaṃ balaṃ ghoram aśivaṃ śoṇitodakam abhyavarṣan mahāmeghas tumulo gardabhāruṇaḥ Upon that dreadful army as it marched, a great tumultuous cloud, ashen as a donkey, rained down inauspicious blood-water. **3.22.2** nipetus turagās tasya rathayuktā mahājavāḥ same puṣpacite deśe rājamārge yadṛcchayā His swift horses, yoked to the chariot, stumbled and fell, as if by chance, on the level, flower-strewn ground of the royal road. **3.22.3** śyāmaṃ rudhiraparyantaṃ babhūva pariveṣaṇam alātacakrapratimaṃ pratigṛhya divākaram A dark halo, rimmed with blood-red, like a whirling firebrand, formed, encircling the sun. **3.22.4** tato dhvajam upāgamya hemadaṇḍaṃ samucchritam samākramya mahākāyas tasthau gṛdhraḥ sudāruṇaḥ Then a huge, most fearful vulture, coming to the banner raised on its golden staff, alighted on it and perched there. **3.22.5** janasthānasamīpe ca samākramya kharasvanāḥ visvarān vividhāṃś cakrur māṃsādā mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ And near Janasthāna, harsh-voiced flesh-eating beasts and birds, gathering, made various discordant cries. **3.22.6** vyājahruś ca padīptāyāṃ diśi vai bhairavasvanam aśivā yātu dāhānāṃ śivā ghorā mahāsvanāḥ And in the blazing (southern) quarter, dreadful, loud-voiced jackals, inauspicious to the yātudhānas (demons), howled forth a frightful cry. **3.22.7** prabhinnagirisaṃkāśās toyaśoṣitadhāriṇaḥ ākāśaṃ tad anākāśaṃ cakrur bhīmā balāhakāḥ Fearsome clouds, resembling riven mountains, bearing waters now dried up, made that sky no-sky, blotting it out. **3.22.8** babhūva timiraṃ ghoram uddhataṃ romaharṣaṇam diśo vā vidiśo vāpi suvyaktaṃ na cakāśire A dreadful, thick darkness arose, hair-raising; neither the quarters nor the intermediate quarters shone forth distinctly. **3.22.9** kṣatajārdrasavarṇābhā saṃdhyākālaṃ vinā babhau kharasyābhimukhaṃ nedus tadā ghorā mṛgāḥ khagāḥ Though it was not twilight, (the sky) shone with a hue like that of moist blood; and then dreadful beasts and birds cried out facing Khara. **3.22.10** nityāśivakarā yuddhe śivā ghoranidarśanāḥ nedur balasyābhimukhaṃ jvālodgāribhir ānanaiḥ Jackals, ever bringers of ill fortune in battle, dreadful in aspect, howled facing the army, with flames pouring from their mouths. **3.22.11** kabandhaḥ parighābhāso dṛśyate bhāskarāntike jagrāha sūryaṃ svarbhānur aparvaṇi mahāgrahaḥ A headless-trunk shape, like an iron bar, was seen near the sun; and Svarbhānu (Rāhu), the great planet, seized the sun though it was not the eclipse juncture. **3.22.12** pravāti mārutaḥ śīghraṃ niṣprabho 'bhūd divākaraḥ utpetuś ca vinā rātriṃ tārāḥ khadyotasaprabhāḥ A wind blew swiftly, the sun grew lustreless, and the stars rose up though it was not night, shining faint as fireflies. **3.22.13** saṃlīnamīnavihagā nalinyaḥ puṣpapaṅkajāḥ tasmin kṣaṇe babhūvuś ca vinā puṣpaphalair drumāḥ The lotus-ponds, their fish and birds hidden away and their lotus-blossoms (closed); and at that moment the trees became bereft of flowers and fruit. **3.22.14** uddhūtaś ca vinā vātaṃ reṇur jaladharāruṇaḥ vīcīkūcīti vāśyanto babhūvus tatra sārikāḥ And without any wind, dust rose up, grey as a rain-cloud; and there the mynah-birds went on screeching “vīcīkūcī.” **3.22.15** ulkāś cāpi sanirghoṣā nipetur ghoradarśanāḥ pracacāla mahī cāpi saśailavanakānanā And meteors, with a crash, dreadful to see, fell down; and the earth too shook, with its mountains, woods, and forests. **3.22.16** kharasya ca rathasthasya nardamānasya dhīmataḥ prākampata bhujaḥ savyaḥ kharaś cāsyāvasajjata And as the crafty Khara stood roaring on his chariot, his left arm trembled and his voice grew hoarse and faltering. **3.22.17** sāsrā saṃpadyate dṛṣṭiḥ paśyamānasya sarvataḥ lalāṭe ca rujā jātā na ca mohān nyavartata As he looked about on every side, his sight became tearful, and a pain arose in his forehead; yet out of infatuation he did not turn back. **3.22.18** tān samīkṣya mahotpātān utthitān romaharṣaṇān abravīd rākṣasān sarvān prahasan sa kharas tadā Beholding those great portents that had arisen, hair-raising, Khara then, laughing, spoke to all the rākṣasas: **3.22.19** mahotpātān imān sarvān utthitān ghoradarśanān na cintayāmy ahaṃ vīryād balavān durbalān iva “All these great portents that have arisen, dreadful to behold, I heed not, in my strength — as a strong man heeds not the weak. **3.22.20** tārā api śarais tīkṣṇaiḥ pātayeyaṃ nabhastalāt mṛtyuṃ maraṇadharmeṇa saṃkruddho yojayāmy aham Even the stars I could bring down from the vault of heaven with my sharp arrows; enraged, I would subject Death itself to the law of dying. **3.22.21** rāghavaṃ taṃ balotsiktaṃ bhrātaraṃ cāpi lakṣmaṇam ahatvā sāyakais tīkṣṇair nopāvartitum utsahe Without slaying with my sharp arrows that Rāghava, puffed up with strength, and his brother Lakṣmaṇa too, I cannot bring myself to turn back. **3.22.22** sakāmā bhaginī me 'stu pītvā tu rudhiraṃ tayoḥ yannimittaṃ tu rāmasya lakṣmaṇasya viparyayaḥ Let my sister have her wish fulfilled, drinking the blood of those two, on whose account comes the undoing of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. **3.22.23** na kva cit prāptapūrvo me saṃyugeṣu parājayaḥ yuṣmākam etat pratyakṣaṃ nānṛtaṃ kathayāmy aham Never before have I met with defeat in battles; this is plain before your eyes — I speak no falsehood. **3.22.24** devarājam api kruddho mattairāvatayāyinam vajrahastaṃ raṇe hanyāṃ kiṃ punas tau ca mānuṣau Enraged, I could slay in battle even the king of the gods, riding his rutting Airāvata, thunderbolt in hand — how much more those two mortals? **3.22.25** sā tasya garjitaṃ śrutvā rākṣasasya mahācamūḥ praharṣam atulaṃ lebhe mṛtyupāśāvapāśitā Hearing that roar of the rākṣasa Khara, his great army, though bound in the noose of death, felt an unequalled joy. **3.22.26** sameyuś ca mahātmāno yuddhadarśanakāṅkṣiṇaḥ ṛṣayo devagandharvāḥ siddhāś ca saha cāraṇaiḥ And there gathered the great-souled seers, gods, gandharvas, and siddhas, together with the cāraṇas, eager to witness the battle. **3.22.27** sametya coruḥ sahitās te 'nyāyaṃ puṇyakarmaṇaḥ svasti gobrāhmaṇebhyo 'stu lokānāṃ ye ca saṃmatāḥ Having assembled, those of holy deeds spoke together of the injustice (of it): “May it be well with cows and brahmins, and with those esteemed among the worlds! **3.22.28** jayatāṃ rāghavo yuddhe paulastyān rajanīcarān cakrā hasto yathā yuddhe sarvān asurapuṃgavān May Rāghava conquer in battle the night-roaming descendants of Pulastya, as the discus-handed (Viṣṇu) conquered in battle all the bulls among asuras.” **3.22.29** etac cānyac ca bahuśo bruvāṇāḥ paramarṣayaḥ dadṛśur vāhinīṃ teṣāṃ rākṣasānāṃ gatāyuṣām Speaking this and much else besides, the supreme seers watched the host of those rākṣasas, whose lives were already forfeit. **3.22.30** rathena tu kharo vegāt sainyasyāgrād viniḥsṛtaḥ taṃ dṛṣṭvā rākṣasaṃ bhūyo rākṣasāś ca viniḥsṛtāḥ And Khara, on his chariot, sped swiftly forth from the front of the army; seeing that rākṣasa, the other rākṣasas too pressed forward again. **3.22.31** śyena gāmī pṛthugrīvo yajñaśatrur vihaṃgamaḥ durjayaḥ karavīrākṣaḥ paruṣaḥ kālakārmukaḥ Śyenagāmin, Pṛthugrīva, Yajñaśatru, Vihaṃgama, Durjaya, Karavīrākṣa, Paruṣa, Kālakārmuka, **3.22.32** meghamālī mahāmālī sarpāsyo rudhirāśanaḥ dvādaśaite mahāvīryāḥ pratasthur abhitaḥ kharam Meghamālin, Mahāmālin, Sarpāsya, and Rudhirāśana — these twelve of great valour marched on either side of Khara. **3.22.33** mahākapālaḥ sthūlākṣaḥ pramāthī triśirās tathā catvāra ete senāgryā dūṣaṇaṃ pṛṣṭhato 'nvayuḥ Mahākapāla, Sthūlākṣa, Pramāthin, and likewise Triśiras — these four, foremost of the army, followed behind Dūṣaṇa. **3.22.34** sā bhīmavegā samarābhikāmā sudāruṇā rākṣasavīra senā tau rājaputrau sahasābhyupetā mālāgrahāṇām iva candrasūryau That army of rākṣasa heroes, of terrible speed, eager for battle, most fearsome, suddenly fell upon those two princes, as grasping planets in a train fall upon the moon and the sun.