# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 23 — Rāma prepares to fight alone *He reads the omens as signs of victory, sends Sītā & Lakṣmaṇa into a mountain cave and faces the fourteen thousand* Portion: Khara’s march and the battle at Janasthāna · Verses: 27 · Ref format: 3.23. ## Sequence - Rāma sees the portents too and interprets them as foretelling the rākṣasas' destruction (23.1–4) - his weapons seem eager for battle, birds signal danger, and his throbbing arm foretells combat → Lakṣmaṇa's bright, composed face gives him confidence in victory (23.5–9) - he nevertheless insists on taking precautions and orders Lakṣmaṇa to escort Sītā, armed, into a secluded mountain cave → he forbids any argument or delay (23.10–12) - Lakṣmaṇa obeys and enters the cave with Sītā (23.13) - Rāma puts on his armor, takes his bow and arrows, and sounds the bowstring (23.14–16) - the Devas, gandharvas, siddhas, cāraṇas and guhyakas wonder how one man can face fourteen thousand enemies (23.17–18) - the rākṣasa army arrives with shouting, drums, and twanging bows, driving the animals away (23.19–23) - Rāma surveys the formation and prepares to fight alone (23.24–27). ## Verses **3.23.1** āśramaṃ prati yāte tu khare kharaparākrame tān evautpātikān rāmaḥ saha bhrātrā dadarśa ha As Khara, of harsh valour, was marching toward the hermitage, Rāma, together with his brother, beheld those very portents. **3.23.2** tān utpātān mahāghorān utthitān romaharṣaṇān prajānām ahitān dṛṣṭvā vākyaṃ lakṣmaṇam abravīt Seeing those most dreadful, hair-raising portents that had arisen, boding ill to creatures, he spoke these words to Lakṣmaṇa: **3.23.3** imān paśya mahābāho sarvabhūtāpahāriṇaḥ samutthitān mahotpātān saṃhartuṃ sarvarākṣasān “Behold, mighty-armed one, these great portents that have arisen, carrying off all beings — (arisen) to destroy all the rākṣasas. **3.23.4** amī rudhiradhārās tu visṛjantaḥ kharasvanān vyomni meghā vivartante paruṣā gardabhāruṇāḥ Yonder harsh, donkey-grey clouds roll about in the sky, pouring down streams of blood with harsh cries. **3.23.5** sadhūmāś ca śarāḥ sarve mama yuddhābhinandinaḥ rukmapṛṣṭhāni cāpāni viveṣṭante ca lakṣmaṇa And all my arrows, rejoicing in the coming battle, are smoking, and my gold-backed bows quiver, Lakṣmaṇa. **3.23.6** yādṛśā iha kūjanti pakṣiṇo vanacāriṇaḥ agrato no bhayaṃ prāptaṃ saṃśayo jīvitasya ca From the manner in which the forest-roaming birds here cry, danger has come upon us, and a peril to our life lies ahead. **3.23.7** saṃprahāras tu sumahān bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ ayam ākhyāti me bāhuḥ sphuramāṇo muhur muhuḥ A very great battle will take place, no doubt; this arm of mine, throbbing again and again, foretells it. **3.23.8** saṃnikarṣe tu naḥ śūra jayaṃ śatroḥ parājayam suprabhaṃ ca prasannaṃ ca tava vaktraṃ hi lakṣyate It is close at hand, O brave one — our victory and the enemy's defeat; for your face is seen bright and serene. **3.23.9** udyatānāṃ hi yuddhārthaṃ yeṣāṃ bhavati lakṣmaṇaḥ niṣprabhaṃ vadanaṃ teṣāṃ bhavaty āyuḥ parikṣayaḥ For those who, roused for battle, have a lustreless face, O Lakṣmaṇa — for them comes the end of life. **3.23.10** anāgatavidhānaṃ tu kartavyaṃ śubham icchatā āpadaṃ śaṅkamānena puruṣeṇa vipaścitā Provision against what has not yet come should be made by a wise man who wishes good and who apprehends danger. **3.23.11** tasmād gṛhītvā vaidehīṃ śarapāṇir dhanurdharaḥ guhām āśrayaśailasya durgāṃ pādapasaṃkulām Therefore, taking Vaidehī, with arrows in hand and bow in grip, (go to) a cave of the sheltering mountain, hard of access, thick with trees. **3.23.12** pratikūlitum icchāmi na hi vākyam idaṃ tvayā śāpito mama pādābhyāṃ gamyatāṃ vatsa māciram I do not wish this word of mine to be opposed by you; you are adjured by my very feet — go, dear one, without delay. **3.23.13** evam uktas tu rāmeṇa lakṣmaṇaḥ saha sītayā śarān ādāya cāpaṃ ca guhāṃ durgāṃ samāśrayat Thus addressed by Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, taking his arrows and bow, betook himself with Sītā to a cave hard of access. **3.23.14** tasmin praviṣṭe tu guhāṃ lakṣmaṇe saha sītayā hanta niryuktam ity uktvā rāmaḥ kavacam āviśat When Lakṣmaṇa, with Sītā, had entered the cave, Rāma, saying, “Well, it is settled!”, donned his armour. **3.23.15** sā tenāgninikāśena kavacena vibhūṣitaḥ babhūva rāmas timire vidhūmo 'gnir ivotthitaḥ Adorned with that fire-like armour, Rāma became, in the darkness, like a smokeless fire blazing up. **3.23.16** sa cāpam udyamya mahac charān ādāya vīryavān babhūvāvasthitas tatra jyāsvanaiḥ pūrayan diśaḥ Raising his great bow and taking his arrows, the valiant one stood there, filling the quarters with the twang of his bowstring. **3.23.17** tato devāḥ sagandharvāḥ siddhāś ca saha cāraṇaiḥ ūcuḥ paramasaṃtrastā guhyakāś ca parasparam Then the gods with the gandharvas, and the siddhas together with the cāraṇas, and the guhyakas, greatly alarmed, said to one another: **3.23.18** caturdaśa sahasrāṇi rakṣasāṃ bhīmakarmaṇām ekaś ca rāmo dharmātmā kathaṃ yuddhaṃ bhaviṣyati “Fourteen thousand rākṣasas of dreadful deeds, and the righteous Rāma but one — how will the battle be?” **3.23.19** tato gambhīranirhrādaṃ ghoravarmāyudhadhvajam anīkaṃ yātudhānānāṃ samantāt pratyadṛśyata Then the army of the yātudhānas (demons), of deep roar, with dreadful armour, weapons, and banners, appeared on every side. **3.23.20** siṃhanādaṃ visṛjatām anyonyam abhigarjatām cāpāni vispharayatāṃ jṛmbhatāṃ cāpy abhīkṣṇaśaḥ Of (those rākṣasas) uttering lion-roars, bellowing at one another, twanging their bows, and stretching their limbs again and again — **3.23.21** vipraghuṣṭasvanānāṃ ca dundubhīṃś cāpi nighnatām teṣāṃ sutumulaḥ śabdaḥ pūrayām āsa tad vanam and (of those) shouting loud and beating kettle-drums — the tumultuous noise of them filled that forest. **3.23.22** tena śabdena vitrastāḥ śvāpadā vanacāriṇaḥ dudruvur yatra niḥśabdaṃ pṛṣṭhato nāvalokayan Terrified by that noise, the forest-roaming beasts of prey fled to wherever it was quiet, without looking back. **3.23.23** tat tv anīkaṃ mahāvegaṃ rāmaṃ samupasarpata ghṛtanānāpraharaṇaṃ gambhīraṃ sāgaropamam And that army, of great speed, bearing various weapons taken up, deep like the ocean, drew near to Rāma. **3.23.24** rāmo 'pi cārayaṃś cakṣuḥ sarvato raṇapaṇḍitaḥ dadarśa kharasainyaṃ tad yuddhābhimukham udyatam And Rāma too, skilled in war, casting his glance all around, beheld that army of Khara, arrayed and facing him for battle. **3.23.25** vitatya ca dhanur bhīmaṃ tūṇyāś coddhṛtya sāyakān krodham āhārayat tīvraṃ vadhārthaṃ sarvarakṣasām And drawing his fearsome bow and taking arrows from his quiver, he summoned up a fierce wrath for the slaying of all the rākṣasas. **3.23.26** duṣprekṣyaḥ so 'bhavat kruddho yugāntāgnir iva jvalan taṃ dṛṣṭvā tejasāviṣṭaṃ prāvyathan vanadevatāḥ Enraged, he became hard to look upon, blazing like the fire at the end of an age; seeing him filled with fiery energy, the forest-deities trembled. **3.23.27** tasya kruddhasya rūpaṃ tu rāmasya dadṛśe tadā dakṣasyeva kratuṃ hantum udyatasya pinākinaḥ Then the aspect of the enraged Rāma appeared like that of the trident-bearing Śiva when he rose up to destroy the sacrifice of Dakṣa.