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The Ramayana Book 3

Chapter 23

1 āśramaṃ prati yāte tu khare kharaparākrame
tān evautpātikān rāmaḥ saha bhrātrā dadarśa ha
2 tān utpātān mahāghorān utthitān romaharṣaṇān
prajānām ahitān dṛṣṭvā vākyaṃ lakṣmaṇam abravīt
3 imān paśya mahābāho sarvabhūtāpahāriṇaḥ
samutthitān mahotpātān saṃhartuṃ sarvarākṣasān
4 amī rudhiradhārās tu visṛjantaḥ kharasvanān
vyomni meghā vivartante paruṣā gardabhāruṇāḥ
5 sadhūmāś ca śarāḥ sarve mama yuddhābhinandinaḥ
rukmapṛṣṭhāni cāpāni viveṣṭante ca lakṣmaṇa
6 yādṛśā iha kūjanti pakṣiṇo vanacāriṇaḥ
agrato no bhayaṃ prāptaṃ saṃśayo jīvitasya ca
7 saṃprahāras tu sumahān bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ
ayam ākhyāti me bāhuḥ sphuramāṇo muhur muhuḥ
8 saṃnikarṣe tu naḥ śūra jayaṃ śatroḥ parājayam
suprabhaṃ ca prasannaṃ ca tava vaktraṃ hi lakṣyate
9 udyatānāṃ hi yuddhārthaṃ yeṣāṃ bhavati lakṣmaṇaḥ
niṣprabhaṃ vadanaṃ teṣāṃ bhavaty āyuḥ parikṣayaḥ
10 anāgatavidhānaṃ tu kartavyaṃ śubham icchatā
āpadaṃ śaṅkamānena puruṣeṇa vipaścitā
11 tasmād gṛhītvā vaidehīṃ śarapāṇir dhanurdharaḥ
guhām āśrayaśailasya durgāṃ pādapasaṃkulām
12 pratikūlitum icchāmi na hi vākyam idaṃ tvayā
śāpito mama pādābhyāṃ gamyatāṃ vatsa māciram
13 evam uktas tu rāmeṇa lakṣmaṇaḥ saha sītayā
śarān ādāya cāpaṃ ca guhāṃ durgāṃ samāśrayat
14 tasmin praviṣṭe tu guhāṃ lakṣmaṇe saha sītayā
hanta niryuktam ity uktvā rāmaḥ kavacam āviśat
15 sā tenāgninikāśena kavacena vibhūṣitaḥ
babhūva rāmas timire vidhūmo 'gnir ivotthitaḥ
16 sa cāpam udyamya mahac charān ādāya vīryavān
babhūvāvasthitas tatra jyāsvanaiḥ pūrayan diśaḥ
17 tato devāḥ sagandharvāḥ siddhāś ca saha cāraṇaiḥ
ūcuḥ paramasaṃtrastā guhyakāś ca parasparam
18 caturdaśa sahasrāṇi rakṣasāṃ bhīmakarmaṇām
ekaś ca rāmo dharmātmā kathaṃ yuddhaṃ bhaviṣyati
19 tato gambhīranirhrādaṃ ghoravarmāyudhadhvajam
anīkaṃ yātudhānānāṃ samantāt pratyadṛśyata
20 siṃhanādaṃ visṛjatām anyonyam abhigarjatām
cāpāni vispharayatāṃ jṛmbhatāṃ cāpy abhīkṣṇaśaḥ
21 vipraghuṣṭasvanānāṃ ca dundubhīṃś cāpi nighnatām
teṣāṃ sutumulaḥ śabdaḥ pūrayām āsa tad vanam
22 tena śabdena vitrastāḥ śvāpadā vanacāriṇaḥ
dudruvur yatra niḥśabdaṃ pṛṣṭhato nāvalokayan
23 tat tv anīkaṃ mahāvegaṃ rāmaṃ samupasarpata
ghṛtanānāpraharaṇaṃ gambhīraṃ sāgaropamam
24 rāmo 'pi cārayaṃś cakṣuḥ sarvato raṇapaṇḍitaḥ
dadarśa kharasainyaṃ tad yuddhābhimukham udyatam
25 vitatya ca dhanur bhīmaṃ tūṇyāś coddhṛtya sāyakān
krodham āhārayat tīvraṃ vadhārthaṃ sarvarakṣasām
26 duṣprekṣyaḥ so 'bhavat kruddho yugāntāgnir iva jvalan
taṃ dṛṣṭvā tejasāviṣṭaṃ prāvyathan vanadevatāḥ
27 tasya kruddhasya rūpaṃ tu rāmasya dadṛśe tadā
dakṣasyeva kratuṃ hantum udyatasya pinākinaḥ


Next: Chapter 24