Aranya Kanda, Sarga 27

खरं तु रामाभिमुखं प्रयान्तं वाहिनीपतिः। राक्षसस्त्रिशिरा नाम सन्निपत्येदमब्रवीत्।।3.27.1।।

kharaṃ tu rāmābhimukhaṃ prayāntaṃ vāhinīpatiḥ| rākṣasastriśirā nāma sannipatyedamabravīt

As Khara advanced towards Rama, Trisira the chief of the army approached him and said these words:

मां नियोजय विक्रान्त सन्निवर्तस्व साहसात्। पश्य रामं महाबाहुं संयुगे विनिपातितम्।।3.27.2।।

māṃ niyojaya vikrānta sannivartasva sāhasāt| paśya rāmaṃ mahābāhuṃ saṃyuge vinipātitam

O valiant one assign this work to me. Refrain from this audacity. See how I am going to put down the mightyarmed Rama in the battle.

प्रतिजानामि ते सत्यमायुधं चाहमालभे। यथा रामं वधिष्यामि वधार्हं सर्वरक्षसाम्।।3.27.3।।

pratijānāmi te satyamāyudhaṃ cāhamālabhe| yathā rāmaṃ vadhiṣyāmi vadhārhaṃ sarvarakṣasām

I promise you on my weapon that I will kill Rama.He who killed all demons deserves to be slain.

अहं वास्य रणे मृत्युरेष वा समरे मम। विनिवृत्य रणोत्साहान्मुहूर्तं प्राश्निको भव।।3.27.4।।

ahaṃ vāsya raṇe mṛtyureṣa vā samare mama| vinivṛtya raṇotsāhānmuhūrtaṃ prāśniko bhava

Restrain yourself for a moment from the enthusiasm to fight the war. Please act as an arbitrator and see who is killing whom.

प्रहृष्टो वा हते रामे जनस्थानं प्रयास्यसि। मयि वा निहते रामं संयुगायोपयास्यसि।।3.27.5।।

prahṛṣṭo vā hate rāme janasthānaṃ prayāsyasi| mayi vā nihate rāmaṃ saṃyugāyopayāsyasi

If Rama is killed be happy and go to Janasthana or else if I am killed you can fight.

खरस्त्रिशिरसा तेन मृत्युलोभात्प्रसादितः। गच्छ युध्येत्यनुज्ञातो राघवाभिमुखो ययौ।।3.27.6।।

kharastriśirasā tena mṛtyulobhātprasāditaḥ| gaccha yudhyetyanujñāto rāghavābhimukho yayau

When Khara was prevailed upon by Trisara in that manner with a wish to face death, Khara permitted him by saying 'You may go and fight'.Accordingly he advanced towards Rama.

त्रिशिराश्च रथेनैव वाजियुक्तेन भास्वता। अभ्यद्रवद्रणे रामं त्रिशृङ्ग इव पर्वतः।।3.27.7।।

triśirāśca rathenaiva vājiyuktena bhāsvatā| abhyadravadraṇe rāmaṃ triśṛṅga iva parvataḥ

Trisira who looked a mountain with three peaks also got horses harnessed to a shining chariot and to attack Rama proceeded.

शरधारासमूहान्स महामेघ इवोत्सृजन्। व्यसृजत्सदृशं नादं जलार्द्रस्य तु दुन्दुभेः।।3.27.8।।

śaradhārāsamūhānsa mahāmegha ivotsṛjan| vyasṛjatsadṛśaṃ nādaṃ jalārdrasya tu dundubheḥ

Trisira unleashed a stream of arrows like a huge cloud (releasing rain). They produced sound, a drum drenched with water, creates.

आगच्छन्तं त्रिशिरसं राक्षसं प्रेक्ष्य राघवः। धनुषा प्रतिजग्राह विधुन्वन्सायकान् शितान्।।3.27.9।।

āgacchantaṃ triśirasaṃ rākṣasaṃ prekṣya rāghavaḥ| dhanuṣā pratijagrāha vidhunvansāyakān śitān

On seeing demon Trisira advancing towards him, Rama shook sharp arrows off his bow.

स सम्प्रहारस्तुमुलो रामत्रिशिरसोर्महान्। बभूवातीव बलिनोस्सिंहकुञ्जरयोरिव।।3.27.10।।

sa samprahārastumulo rāmatriśirasormahān| babhūvātīva balinossiṃhakuñjarayoriva

The tumultuous combat between Rama and Trisira looked like the strong fight between a lion and an elephant.

ततस्त्रिशिरसा बाणैर्ललाटे ताडितस्त्रिभिः। अमर्षी कुपितोरामस्संरब्धमिदमब्रवीत्।।3.27.11।।

tatastriśirasā bāṇairlalāṭe tāḍitastribhiḥ| amarṣī kupitorāmassaṃrabdhamidamabravīt

Then Rama hit with three arrows on the forehead by Trisira flew into a fury and said in a state of great excitement:

अहो विक्रमशूरस्य राक्षसस्येदृशं बलम्। पुष्पैरिव शरैर्यस्य ललाटेऽस्मिन्परिक्षतः।।3.27.12।।

aho vikramaśūrasya rākṣasasyedṛśaṃ balam| puṣpairiva śarairyasya lalāṭe'sminparikṣataḥ

Oh see the strength of this undaunted demon whose arrows fell like flowers on my forehead and only left a scratch.

ममापि प्रतिगृह्णीष्व शरांश्चापगुणाच्च्युतान्। एवमुक्त्वा तु संरब्धश्शरानाशीविषोपमान्।3.27.13।। त्रिशिरोवक्षसि क्रुद्धो निजघान चतुर्दश।

mamāpi pratigṛhṇīṣva śarāṃścāpaguṇāccyutān| evamuktvā tu saṃrabdhaśśarānāśīviṣopamān|3.27.13|| triśirovakṣasi kruddho nijaghāna caturdaśa|

Receive the arrows released from my bowstring. Saying so, the angry and agitated Rama discharged fourteen arrows, venomous like a snake, on the chest of Trisira .

चतुर्भिस्तुरगानस्य शरैः सन्नतपर्वभिः।।3.27.14।। न्यपातयत तेजस्वी चतुरस्तस्य वाजिनः।

caturbhisturagānasya śaraiḥ sannataparvabhiḥ nyapātayata tejasvī caturastasya vājinaḥ|

With four arrows having strong joints, the mighty hero (Rama) threw down his enemy's four swiftfooted horses.

अष्टभिस्सायकैस्सूतं रथोपस्थान्न्यपातयत्।।3.27.15।। रामश्चिच्छेद बाणेन ध्वजं चास्य समुच्छ्रितम्।

aṣṭabhissāyakaissūtaṃ rathopasthānnyapātayat rāmaściccheda bāṇena dhvajaṃ cāsya samucchritam|

Rama brought down the charioteer with eight arrows and with one tore down the lofty banner of the chariot to shreds.

ततो हतरथात्तस्मादुत्पतन्तं निशाचरम्।।3.27.16।। बिभेद रामस्तं बाणैर्हृदये सोऽभवज्जडः।

tato hatarathāttasmādutpatantaṃ niśācaram bibheda rāmastaṃ bāṇairhṛdaye so'bhavajjaḍaḥ|

Rama then hit the demon with arrows on his chest while he was running away from the broken chariot. The demon became numb.

सायकैश्चाप्रमेयात्मा सामर्षस्तस्य रक्षसः।।3.27.17।। शिरांस्यपातयद्रामो वेगवद्भिस्त्रिभिश्शितैः।

sāyakaiścāprameyātmā sāmarṣastasya rakṣasaḥ śirāṃsyapātayadrāmo vegavadbhistribhiśśitaiḥ|

The mighty Rama in fury dismembered the heads of that demon with three sharp and swift arrows.

स भूमौ रुधिरोद्गारी रामबाणाभिपीडितः।।3.27.18।। न्यपतत्पतितैः पूर्वं स्वशिरोभिर्निशाचरः।

sa bhūmau rudhirodgārī rāmabāṇābhipīḍitaḥ nyapatatpatitaiḥ pūrvaṃ svaśirobhirniśācaraḥ|

The demon with his heads decapitated, hit by Rama's arrows a little while ago, fell down, vomitting blood.

हतशेषास्ततो भग्ना राक्षसाः खरसंश्रया।।3.27.19।। द्रवन्ति स्म न तिष्ठन्ति व्याघ्रत्रस्ता मृगा इव।

hataśeṣāstato bhagnā rākṣasāḥ kharasaṃśrayā dravanti sma na tiṣṭhanti vyāghratrastā mṛgā iva|

Those surviving demons who were under the protection of Khara got scared and retreated fast and fled like deer frightened by a tiger.

तान्खरो द्रवतो दृष्ट्वा निवर्त्य रुषितस्स्वयम्।।3.27.20।। राममेवाभिदुद्राव राहुश्चन्द्रमसं यथा।

tānkharo dravato dṛṣṭvā nivartya ruṣitassvayam rāmamevābhidudrāva rāhuścandramasaṃ yathā|

Personally persuading the fleeing army to come back, the angry Khara leaped forward towards Rama just as Rahu approaches the moon. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे सप्तविंशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the twentyseventh sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.