Chapter XXIX: Section XXX

Cutting off the mace with his shafts, Raghava attached unto righteousness with a smile said unto Khara these angry words, "Thou vilest of Rakshasas, this is the utmost of thy might, which thou hast displayed. Rendered more nerveless at my hands, in vain dost thou storm. Riven by my shafts, thy mace, belonging unto thee who art prolix in the matter of vocabulary, destroying thy confidence, hath saught the earth. And what thou hadst said,--'I will wipe the tears of the Rakshasas that have been slain,' hath also proved false. As Garuda stole ambrosia, will I deprive thee, O Rakshasa, who art base, of a mean disposition and a false character, of thy life. To day the earth shall drink the blood vitiated with foamy bubbles, of thee, having thy throat severed, and riven by my shafts. Having all thy body covered with dust, and thy two arms lopped off, thou shalt, difficult to win, take thy nap, embracing the earth, like a damsel difficult to win. On thee, disgrace of Rakshasas, lying down, and being fast asleep, this Dandaka shall be refuge of those that shall resort to it for shelter. O Rakshasa, in thy Janasthana, with its (Rakshasas) slain by my shafts, ascetics shall fearlessly go about in the wood. Today Rakshasas, capable of exciting fear in others, rendered forlorn and with their friends slain, shall from fear, with their faces wet with tears, fly (this place). To day thy wives whose husband art thou of such a nature,--and who are of a like lineage (with thyself),--shall experience the sentiment of sorrow, and be deprived of their all. Thou of a cruel disposition, thou of ignoble soul, thou that art aye a thorn (in the side) of Brahmanas, it is for thee that ascetics, frightened and dispirited, have so long been pouring the clarified butter." As Raghava, influenced by anger, said this in the field, Khara from wrath, with accents rendered harsher, fell to censuring (Rama). "Thou art wondrous proud: and thou art fearless albeit fear is present unto thee. And come under the sway of death, thou dost not understand what should be said and what left unspoken. Those persons that have been fast bound by the noose of death, do not in consequence of their senses having ceased to perform their functions, descern what is proper and what improper." Saying this unto Rama, that ranger of the night (Khara), pursing his brows, espied a mighty _sala_ hard by. And looking about him on all sides in the field for a weapon, he uprooted it, biting his nether lip. And raising up the tree with his arms, and uttering a roar, that exceedingly powerful one aiming at Rama discharged it, exclaiming,--"Dead thou art." And as it descended, the puissant Rama cut it off by means of a multitude of shafts, got into a mighty rage for the purpose of slaying Khara in battle. Then Rama perspiring, with eyes reddened in wrath, pierced Khara in battle with a thousand shafts. And blood mixed with froth gushed by the sides of the shafts, like torrents flowing from fountain in a hill[44] stupified in battle by the shafts shot by Rama, and maddened by the smell of blood, Khara furiously made for Rama. And as he (Khara) was rushing on, bathed with blood, Rama equipped with arms, suddenly summoning his strength walked backward two or three paces. Then with the view of bringing about (Khara's end) Rama took up in the conflict an arrow resembling fire or another weapon of Brahma himself. And that righteous one shot at Khara that (arrow), which had been conferred on him by the intelligent Maghavan. And discharged by Rama from his bent bow that mighty arrow with the roaring of the thunderbolt fell at Khara' s breast. And burning in the fire of the arrow, Khara fell down on the earth, like the giant Andhaka[45] in the forest of Sweta, consumed by Rudra. And threat Khara slain fell down like Vritra slain by the thunder-bolt, or Namuchi by foam,[46] or Vala by Indra's _Acani_. After this, the celestials, assembled with the Charanas, struck with wonder joyfully sounded kettledrums and showered blossoms on Rama. "In over half a moment Rama by means of sharpened shafts hath slain in mighty encounter fourteen thousand Rakshasas, wearing shapes at will, headed by Khara and Dushana. Ah! mighty is the feat achieved by Rama knowing self. Ah! this mighty prowess, this mighty firmness, show like unto those of Vishnu himself." Saying this all the deities went to from where they had come. Then the Rajarshis in company with supreme saints, with Agastya (at their head), gladly paying homage unto Rama, said the following words, "It is for this that the chastiser of Paka, the great Indra, Purandra, had paid a visit to the sacred asylum of Sarabhanga. And the Maharshis had dexterously brought thee to this place, for compassing the destruction of those foes--the wicked Rakshasas. And it is owing to this, that, O son of Dacaratha, thou hast performed this mighty deed. (Now) the Maharshis will carry on their proper pious offices in the Dandaka." After this, that hero, Lakshmana, accompanied with Sita came out of the mountain cavern, and joyfully entered the asylum. Then the victorious and heroic, Rama, honored by the Maharshis, entered the asylum, worshipped by Lakshmana. And seeing that destroyer of foes, and bringer of comfort unto the Maharshis, her husband, Vaidehi embraced him. And seeing the multitudes of Rakshasas slain, Janaka's daughter, beholding the undeteriorating Rama, ministered unto him with supreme joy. And with a delightful countenance again embracing that destroyer of foes, who had been honored by the delighted Maharihis, Janaka's daughter became exceedingly happy.

[44] The text varies slightly in other texts.--T.

[45] The Asura Andhaka was slain in the forest of _Sweta_ by Rudra.
This is related in the Puranas. Another reading is _Swetarayge
yathantaka like the Destroyer in the forest of Sweta_. Swa,
according to the _Kurma Purana Uttra Khanda_, in the Kalanyara
hill, by a kick with his left leg slew the Destroyer, engaged in
pennances, who had come to kill the Rajarshi Sweta, who was a
great votary of Siva.--T.

[46] Namuchi was slain by a thunder-bolt laid over with foam.--T.