# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 29 — Rāma kills Khara with Indra’s arrow *He shatters Khara’s thrown tree, kills him and hears the ṛṣis’ plan, Sītā returns to embrace him* Portion: Khara’s march and the battle at Janasthāna · Verses: 35 · Ref format: 3.29. ## Sequence - Rāma tells Khara that the shattered mace has exposed the emptiness of his threats (29.1–5) - he predicts Khara's death and the freedom it will bring to munis who have lived in fear of Janasthāna (29.6–12) - Khara angrily accuses him of arrogance, looks around for another weapon, and uproots a sāla tree (29.13–17) - he throws it, but Rāma cuts it apart and strikes him with a thousand arrows (29.18–21) - bleeding heavily, Khara rushes straight at Rāma → Rāma steps back and takes a blazing arrow, identified here as a gift of Indra (29.22–25) - he shoots it into Khara's chest, and Khara falls dead (29.26–28) - the assembled munis rejoice and explain that Indra's earlier visit to Śarabhaṅga and their own arrangements were intended to bring Rāma here to destroy these attackers → they say the tapasvins can now practice safely (29.29–32) - Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā leave the cave and return to the hermitage → Rāma joins them, and Sītā joyfully embraces him (29.33–35). ## Verses **3.29.1** bhittvā tu tāṃ gadāṃ bāṇai rāghavo dharmavatsalaḥ smayamānaḥ kharaṃ vākyaṃ saṃrabdham idam abravīt Having shattered that mace with his arrows, Rāghava, devoted to dharma, smiling, spoke to Khara these vehement words: **3.29.2** etat te balasarvasvaṃ darśitaṃ rākṣasādhama śaktihīnataro matto vṛthā tvam upagarjitam This whole sum of your strength has now been displayed, O basest of rākṣasas; weaker than I, you have roared in vain. **3.29.3** eṣā bāṇavinirbhinnā gadā bhūmitalaṃ gatā abhidhānapragalbhasya tava pratyayaghātinī This mace, split apart by my arrows, has fallen to the ground, destroying the self-assurance of you who are so bold in speech. **3.29.4** yat tvayoktaṃ vinaṣṭānām idam aśrupramārjanam rākṣasānāṃ karomīti mithyā tad api te vacaḥ And what you said — 'I shall perform this wiping-away of the tears shed for the slain rākṣasas' — that word of yours too is false. **3.29.5** nīcasya kṣudraśīlasya mithyāvṛttasya rakṣasaḥ prāṇān apahariṣyāmi garutmān amṛtaṃ yathā I shall carry off the life of you, a base rākṣasa of mean character and false conduct, as Garuḍa carried off the nectar. **3.29.6** adya te bhinnakaṇṭhasya phenabudbudabhūṣitam vidāritasya madbāṇair mahī pāsyati śoṇitam Today the earth shall drink the blood — adorned with foam and bubbles — of you whose throat is cut and body torn open by my arrows. **3.29.7** pāṃsurūṣitasarvāṅgaḥ srastanyastabhujadvayaḥ svapsyase gāṃ samāśliṣya durlabhāṃ pramadām iva With all your limbs smeared with dust and both arms flung down limp, you shall sleep clasping the earth as one clasps a hard-won mistress. **3.29.8** pravṛddhanidre śayite tvayi rākṣasapāṃsane bhaviṣyanty aśaraṇyānāṃ śaraṇyā daṇḍakā ime When you, disgrace of the rākṣasas, lie in deep sleep, these Daṇḍaka forests shall become a refuge for those who had none. **3.29.9** janasthāne hatasthāne tava rākṣasamaccharaiḥ nirbhayā vicariṣyanti sarvato munayo vane With your seat at Janasthāna destroyed by my arrows, O rākṣasa, the sages will roam everywhere in the forest without fear. **3.29.10** adya viprasariṣyanti rākṣasyo hatabāndhavāḥ bāṣpārdravadanā dīnā bhayād anyabhayāvahāḥ Today the rākṣasa women, their kinsmen slain, faces wet with tears and wretched — they who once brought terror to others — shall flee in fear. **3.29.11** adya śokarasajñās tā bhaviṣyanti niśācara anurūpakulāḥ patnyo yāsāṃ tvaṃ patir īdṛśaḥ Today, O night-roamer, those wives of befitting family, whose husband is one such as you, shall come to know the taste of grief. **3.29.12** nṛśaṃsaśīla kṣudrātman nityaṃ brāhmaṇakaṇṭaka tvatkṛte śaṅkitair agnau munibhiḥ pātyate haviḥ O cruel-natured, mean-souled one, ever a thorn in the brahmins' side — because of you the sages, in dread, cast their oblation into the fire. **3.29.13** tam evam abhisaṃrabdhaṃ bruvāṇaṃ rāghavaṃ raṇe kharo nirbhartsayām āsa roṣāt kharatara svanaḥ As Rāghava spoke thus, deeply roused, in the battle, Khara — his voice grown harsher out of rage — reviled him. **3.29.14** dṛḍhaṃ khalv avalipto 'si bhayeṣv api ca nirbhayaḥ vācyāvācyaṃ tato hi tvaṃ mṛtyuvaśyo na budhyase Truly you are exceedingly arrogant, fearless even amid perils; therefore, in death's grip, you do not discern what should and should not be said. **3.29.15** kālapāśaparikṣiptā bhavanti puruṣā hi ye kāryākāryaṃ na jānanti te nirastaṣaḍindriyāḥ For those men who are caught in the noose of Time do not know what should and should not be done, their six senses undone. **3.29.16** evam uktvā tato rāmaṃ saṃrudhya bhṛkuṭiṃ tataḥ sa dadarśa mahāsālam avidūre niśācaraḥ Having spoken thus to Rāma, and knitting his brow, the night-roamer then caught sight of a great sāla tree not far off. **3.29.17** raṇe praharaṇasyārthe sarvato hy avalokayan sa tam utpāṭayām āsa saṃdṛśya daśanacchadam Looking all around for a weapon in the fight, he uprooted it, biting his lip. [saṃdṛśya: source reading; sense as saṃdaśya, 'biting'.] **3.29.18** taṃ samutkṣipya bāhubhyāṃ vinarditvā mahābalaḥ rāmam uddiśya cikṣepa hatas tvam iti cābravīt Lifting it up with both arms and roaring, the mighty one hurled it at Rāma and cried, 'You are slain!' **3.29.19** tam āpatantaṃ bāṇaughaiś chittvā rāmaḥ pratāpavān roṣam āhārayat tīvraṃ nihantuṃ samare kharam Cutting it apart with floods of arrows as it flew at him, the mighty Rāma worked up fierce anger to slay Khara in battle. **3.29.20** jātasvedas tato rāmo roṣād raktāntalocanaḥ nirbibheda sahasreṇa bāṇānāṃ samare kharam Then Rāma, breaking into sweat, the corners of his eyes reddened with rage, pierced Khara in battle with a thousand arrows. **3.29.21** tasya bāṇāntarād raktaṃ bahu susrāva phenilam gireḥ prasravaṇasyeva toyadhārāparisravaḥ From between his arrow-wounds much foaming blood streamed forth, like a gushing torrent of water from a mountain spring. **3.29.22** vihvalaḥ sa kṛto bāṇaiḥ kharo rāmeṇa saṃyuge matto rudhiragandhena tam evābhyadravad drutam Made faint by Rāma's arrows in the encounter, Khara, maddened by the smell of blood, rushed swiftly straight at him. **3.29.23** tam āpatantaṃ saṃrabdhaṃ kṛtāstro rudhirāplutam apasarpat pratipadaṃ kiṃ cit tvaritavikramaḥ As he rushed on furiously, drenched in blood, the master of weapons, swift in valor, drew back just a step. **3.29.24** tataḥ pāvakasaṃkāśaṃ badhāya samare śaram kharasya rāmo jagrāha brahmadaṇḍam ivāparam Then, to slay Khara in battle, Rāma took up an arrow bright as fire, like a second staff of Brahmā. **3.29.25** sa tad dattaṃ maghavatā surarājena dhīmatā saṃdadhe ca sa dharmātmā mumoca ca kharaṃ prati That (arrow), given by the wise Maghavan, king of the gods — the righteous one fitted it to his bow and loosed it at Khara. **3.29.26** sa vimukto mahābāṇo nirghātasamaniḥsvanaḥ rāmeṇa dhanur udyamya kharasyorasi cāpatat That great arrow, loosed by Rāma who raised his bow, with a sound like a thunderclap, fell upon Khara's chest. **3.29.27** sa papāta kharo bhūmau dahyamānaḥ śarāgninā rudreṇaiva vinirdagdhaḥ śvetāraṇye yathāndhakaḥ Khara fell to the ground, burning in the fire of the arrow, like Andhaka consumed by Rudra himself in the Śveta forest. **3.29.28** sa vṛtra iva vajreṇa phenena namucir yathāa balo vendrāśanihato nipapāta hataḥ kharaḥ As Vṛtra by the thunderbolt, as Namuci by the foam, or as Bala struck by Indra's bolt — so Khara, slain, fell down. [yathāa: source spelling for yathā.] **3.29.29** tato rājarṣayaḥ sarve saṃgatāḥ paramarṣayaḥ sabhājya muditā rāmam idaṃ vacanam abruvan Then all the royal seers and the great seers, gathered together, joyfully honored Rāma and spoke these words: **3.29.30** etadarthaṃ mahātejā mahendraḥ pākaśāsanaḥ śarabhaṅgāśramaṃ puṇyam ājagāma puraṃdaraḥ It was for this very purpose that the mighty Mahendra, chastiser of Pāka, the sacker of citadels, came to the holy hermitage of Śarabhaṅga. **3.29.31** ānītas tvam imaṃ deśam upāyena maharṣibhiḥ eṣāṃ vadhārthaṃ krūrāṇāṃ rakṣasāṃ pāpakarmaṇām You were brought to this region by a device of the great seers, for the slaying of these cruel rākṣasas of evil deeds. **3.29.32** tad idaṃ naḥ kṛtaṃ kāryaṃ tvayā daśarathātmaja sukhaṃ dharmaṃ cariṣyanti daṇḍakeṣu maharṣayaḥ This task of ours has been accomplished by you, O son of Daśaratha; now the great seers will practice dharma at ease in the Daṇḍaka forests. **3.29.33** etasminn antare vīro lakṣmaṇaḥ saha sītayā giridurgād viniṣkramya saṃviveśāśramaṃ sukhī Meanwhile the hero Lakṣmaṇa, together with Sītā, came out from the mountain stronghold and, contented, entered the hermitage. **3.29.34** tato rāmas tu vijayī pūjyamāno maharṣibhiḥ praviveśāśramaṃ vīro lakṣmaṇenābhivāditaḥ Then victorious Rāma, honored by the great seers and greeted by Lakṣmaṇa, the hero, entered the hermitage. **3.29.35** taṃ dṛṣṭvā śatruhantāraṃ maharṣīṇāṃ sukhāvaham babhūva hṛṣṭā vaidehī bhartāraṃ pariṣasvaje Seeing him, the slayer of foes who brought comfort to the great seers, Vaidehī grew joyful and embraced her husband.