# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 28 — Khara’s mace destroyed *Rāma condemns his attacks on the ṛṣis, Khara throws a blazing mace and Rāma shatters it with arrows* Portion: Khara’s march and the battle at Janasthāna · Verses: 28 · Ref format: 3.28. ## 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 (28.1–9) - he declares that he has come to punish those who harm others and that Khara will now face the fate of his victims (28.10–14) - Khara answers that killing ordinary troops is no reason to boast → he claims that his mace is enough to kill Rāma and cuts the argument short because sunset would interrupt their fight (28.15–23) - promising to avenge the fourteen thousand, he throws the blazing mace (28.24–25) - it burns trees and bushes as it flies toward Rāma → Rāma breaks it into pieces with arrows before it reaches him (28.26–28). ## Verses **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: **3.28.2** gajāśvarathasaṃbādhe bale mahati tiṣṭhatā kṛtaṃ sudāruṇaṃ karma sarvalokajugupsitam “Standing amid a great army thronging with elephants, horses, and chariots, you have done a most cruel deed, abhorred by all the world. **3.28.3** udvejanīyo bhūtānāṃ nṛśaṃsaḥ pāpakarmakṛt trayāṇām api lokānām īśvaro 'pi na tiṣṭhati One who is a terror to creatures, cruel, a doer of evil deeds, cannot survive, even were he the lord of all three worlds. **3.28.4** karma lokaviruddhaṃ tu kurvāṇaṃ kṣaṇadācara tīkṣṇaṃ sarvajano hanti sarpaṃ duṣṭam ivāgatam One who does a deed against the world, O night-roamer, all people, fierce as they are, kill, as they kill a venomous serpent that has come near. **3.28.5** lobhāt pāpāni kurvāṇaḥ kāmād vā yo na budhyate bhraṣṭaḥ paśyati tasyāntaṃ brāhmaṇī karakād iva He who, doing evil out of greed or lust, does not come to his senses, being fallen, sees his own end — as a brahmin woman is ruined by a karaka. [simile obscure] **3.28.6** vasato daṇḍakāraṇye tāpasān dharmacāriṇaḥ kiṃ nu hatvā mahābhāgān phalaṃ prāpsyasi rākṣasa By slaying the illustrious ascetics who dwell in the Daṇḍaka forest, practising dharma, what fruit will you gain, rākṣasa? **3.28.7** na ciraṃ pāpakarmāṇaḥ krūrā lokajugupsitāḥ aiśvaryaṃ prāpya tiṣṭhanti śīrṇamūlā iva drumāḥ Doers of evil, cruel, abhorred by the world, do not stand long after gaining power, like trees whose roots have rotted. **3.28.8** avaśyaṃ labhate kartā phalaṃ pāpasya karmaṇaḥ ghoraṃ paryāgate kāle drumaḥ puṣpam ivārtavam The doer inevitably reaps the dreadful fruit of an evil deed when the time comes round, as a tree bears its seasonal blossom. **3.28.9** nacirāt prāpyate loke pāpānāṃ karmaṇāṃ phalam saviṣāṇām ivānnānāṃ bhuktānāṃ kṣaṇadācara Before long, in this world, the fruit of evil deeds is reaped, O night-roamer, as the effect of poisoned foods that have been eaten. **3.28.10** pāpam āccaratāṃ ghoraṃ lokasyāpriyam icchatām aham āsādito rājā prāṇān hantuṃ niśācara For those committing dreadful evil and wishing harm to the world, I, the king, have come to take their lives, O night-roamer. **3.28.11** adya hi tvāṃ mayā muktāḥ śarāḥ kāñcanabhūṣaṇāḥ vidārya nipatiṣyanti valmīkam iva pannagāḥ For today the gold-adorned arrows loosed by me shall tear you and plunge in, as serpents enter an anthill. **3.28.12** ye tvayā daṇḍakāraṇye bhakṣitā dharmacāriṇaḥ tān adya nihataḥ saṃkhye sasainyo 'nugamiṣyasi Those practisers of dharma whom you devoured in the Daṇḍaka forest — them, slain in battle today with your army, you shall follow. **3.28.13** adya tvāṃ nihataṃ bāṇaiḥ paśyantu paramarṣayaḥ nirayasthaṃ vimānasthā ye tvayā hiṃsitāḥ purā Let those supreme seers whom you formerly harmed, now stationed in celestial cars, behold you today, slain by my arrows and cast into hell. **3.28.14** prahara tvaṃ yathākāmaṃ kuru yatnaṃ kulādhama adya te pātayiṣyāmi śiras tālaphalaṃ yathā Strike as you please, make your effort, basest of your race; today I shall bring down your head like a palmyra fruit.” **3.28.15** evam uktas tu rāmeṇa kruddhaḥ saṃraktalocanaḥ pratyuvāca tato rāmaṃ prahasan krodhamūrchitaḥ Thus addressed by Rāma, Khara, enraged, his eyes bloodshot, senseless with rage, then replied to Rāma, laughing: **3.28.16** prākṛtān rākṣasān hatvā yuddhe daśarathātmaja ātmanā katham ātmānam apraśasyaṃ praśaṃsasi “Having slain only common rākṣasas in battle, son of Daśaratha, why do you yourself praise yourself, though unworthy of praise? **3.28.17** vikrāntā balavanto vā ye bhavanti nararṣabhāḥ kathayanti na te kiṃ cit tejasā svena garvitāḥ Those bulls among men who are valiant and strong say nothing in boast, though proud in their own might. **3.28.18** prākṛtās tv akṛtātmāno loke kṣatriyapāṃsanāḥ nirarthakaṃ vikatthante yathā rāma vikatthase But base men of undisciplined soul, disgraces to the kṣatriya order in the world, boast to no purpose, just as you boast, Rāma. **3.28.19** kulaṃ vyapadiśan vīraḥ samare ko 'bhidhāsyati mṛtyukāle hi saṃprāpte svayam aprastave stavam What hero, in battle, would proclaim his lineage and utter self-praise, unprompted, when the hour of death has arrived? **3.28.20** sarvathā tu laghutvaṃ te katthanena vidarśitam suvarṇapratirūpeṇa tapteneva kuśāgninā In every way your pettiness has been revealed by your boasting, as base metal counterfeiting gold is exposed by fire kindled with kuśa-straw. **3.28.21** na tu mām iha tiṣṭhantaṃ paśyasi tvaṃ gadādharam dharādharam ivākampyaṃ parvataṃ dhātubhiś citam But you do not see me standing here, mace in hand, unshakable like an earth-supporting mountain heaped with minerals. **3.28.22** paryāpto 'haṃ gadāpāṇir hantuṃ prāṇān raṇe tava trayāṇām api lokānāṃ pāśahasta ivāntakaḥ I, mace in hand, am able to take your life in battle — as able as Death, noose in hand, to take the lives of all three worlds. **3.28.23** kāmaṃ bahv api vaktavyaṃ tvayi vakṣyāmi na tv aham astaṃ gacched dhi savitā yuddhavighras tato bhavet Though much might well be said to you, I shall say no more; for the sun would else set, and then there would be a hindrance to the fight. **3.28.24** caturdaśa sahasrāṇi rākṣasānāṃ hatāni te tvadvināśāt karomy adya teṣām aśrupramārjanam Fourteen thousand rākṣasas have been slain by you; by your destruction today I shall wipe away the tears shed for them. **3.28.25** ity uktvā paramakruddhas tāṃ gadāṃ paramāṅgadām kharaś cikṣepa rāmāya pradīptām aśaniṃ yathā Having said this, Khara, in utmost fury, hurled at Rāma that richly ornamented mace, blazing like a thunderbolt. **3.28.26** kharabāhupramuktā sā pradīptā mahatī gadā bhasmavṛkṣāṃś ca gulmāṃś ca kṛtvāgāt tatsamīpataḥ That great, blazing mace, loosed from Khara's arm, reducing trees and bushes to ashes, came near to him (Rāma). **3.28.27** tām āpatantīṃ jvalitāṃ mṛtyupāśopamāṃ gadā antarikṣagatāṃ rāmaś ciccheda bahudhā śaraiḥ That blazing mace, hurtling on like the noose of death while still in mid-air, Rāma cut into many pieces with his arrows. **3.28.28** sā viśīrṇā śarair bhinnā papāta dharaṇītale gadāmantrauṣadhibalair vyālīva vinipātitā Shattered and split by the arrows, it fell to the surface of the earth, like a she-serpent brought down by the power of anti-venom charms, spells, and herbs.