Sri Ram – The Warrior
Following is an excerpt from Yuddha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana. After Indrajeet was slayed by Lakshman ji, furious Ravana directed all his army chiefs to march forward with horses, elephants, chariots and foot-soldiers, and encircle only Sri Ram; tear His limbs with sharp arrows and then he’ll kill Him. With sunrise, a tumultuous battle between demons and vanaras began. There, blood flowed like a river in which horses were like fishes and elephants and chariots were like its banks. Hundreds of monkeys attacked mountain-sized demons, like birds flying at fruit-laden trees. The vanaras soon sought Sri Ram’s protection. Sri Ram entered the battle-field and slayed the rakshasa army- Sage Valmiki’s description of this episode surely leaves the reader in awe of Sri Ram as the warrior unparalleled.
राक्षसैर्वध्यमानानान् वानराणां महाचमूः | शरण्यन् शरणं याता रामं दशरथात्मजम् ||
Rākśasairvadhyamānānān vānarānͅām mahācamūhͅ | Śaranͅyan śaranͅam yātā Rāmam Daśarathātmajam ||
Under the attack of rakshasas, the enormous army of vanaras asked Sri Ram, the protector, the son of Dasharatha, for protection.
ततो रामो महातेजा धनुरादाय वीर्यवान् | प्रविश्य राक्षसन् सैन्यं शरवर्षं ववर्ष च ||
Tato Rāmo mahātejā dhanurādāya vīryavān | Praviśya rākśasan sainyam śarvarṣam vavarṣa ca ||
Thence, greatly radiant, gallant Sri Ram picked His bow, and stepped amidst the rakshasa army streaming showers of arrows.
प्रविष्टन् तु तदा रामं मेघाः सूर्यमिवाम्बरे | नाभिजग्मुर्महाघोरा निर्दहन्तन् शराग्निना ||
Praviṣṭan tu tadā Rāmam meghāhͅ sūryamivāmbare | Nābhijagmurmahāghorā nirdahantan śarāgninā ||
Entering the rakshasa ranks, Sri Ram scorched them with the fire of His arrows, and those terrifying demons dare not come close to Him, like clouds cannot approach the burning sun in the sky.
कृतान्येव सुघोराणि रामेण रजनीचराः | रणे रामस्य ददृशुः कर्माण्यसुकराणि ते ||
Krͅtānyeva sughorānͅi Rāmenͅa rajanīcarāhͅ | Ranͅe Rāmasya dadrͅśuhͅ karmānͅyasukarānͅi te ||
Sri Ram performed terrible feats on the battlefield which are too difficult for others, and the rakshasas could only see those deeds, not the one performing them.
चालयन्तं महासैन्यं विधमन्तं महारथान् | ददृशुस्ते न वै रामन् वातं वनगतं यथा ||
Cālayantam mahāsainyam vidhamantam mahārathān | Dadrͅśuste na vai Rāman vātam vanagatam yathā ||
The rakshasas could not see Sri Ram, just as one cannot see windstorm in jungle, Sri Ram shook the great army, and blew away their huge chariots.
छिन्नं भिन्नं शरैर्दग्धं प्रभग्नं शस्त्रपीडितम् | बलन् रामेण ददृशुर्न रामं शीघ्रकारिणम् ||
Chinnam bhinnam śarairdagdham prabhagnam śastrapīdͅitam | Balan Rāmenͅa dadrͅśurna Rāmam śīghrakārinͅam ||
They could not see Sri Ram as he swiftly cut, cleaved, burned with His arrows, broke and tormented their army.
प्रहरन्तन् शरीरेषु न ते पश्यन्ति राघवम् | इन्द्रियार्थेषु तिष्ठन्तं भूतात्मानमिव प्रजाः ||
The rakshasas could not seed Sri Ram striking at their bodies, as people cannot see the spirit through senses.
एष हन्ति गजानीकमेष हन्ति महारथान् | एष हन्ति शरैस्तीक्ष्णैः पदातीन्वाजिभिः सह || इति ते राक्षसाः सर्वे रामस्य सदृशान्रणे | अन्योन्यकुपिता जघ्नुः सादृश्याद्राघवस्य तु ||
Eṣa hanti gajānīkameṣa hanti mahārathān | Eṣa hanti śaraistīkśnͅaihͅ padātīnvājibhihͅ saha || Iti te rākśasāhͅ sarve Rāmasya sadrͅśānranͅe | Anyonyakupitā jaghnuhͅ sādrͅśyādRāghavasya tu ||
The enraged rakshasas (confused) started hitting their own soldiers who bore similarity with Sri Ram, saying- here is Ram slaying the elephants, here is Ram destroying the warriors on chariots, here is Ram slaughtering the foot-soldiers and horses with his sharp arrows.
न ते ददृशिरे रामं दहन्तमपि वाहिनीम् | मोहिताः परमास्त्रेण गान्धर्वेण महात्मना ||
Na te dadrͅśire Rāmam dahantamapi vāhinīm | Mohitāhͅ paramāstrenͅa gāndharvenͅa mahātmanā ||
The rakshasas could not see Him even when he scorched them because they were mesmerized by the mighty Gandharvastra used by the great Sri Ram.
ते तु राम सहस्राणि रणे पश्यन्ति राक्षसाः | पुनः पश्यन्ति काकुत्स्थमेकमेव महाहवे ||
Te tu Rāma sahasrānͅi ranͅe paśyanti rākśasāhͅ | Punahͅ paśyanti Kākutsthamekameva mahāhave ||
The rakshasas were seeing a thousand Sri Rams, and at the same time they were seeing only one Sri Ram in the battlefield.
भ्रमन्तीन् कांचनीं कोटिं कार्मुकस्य महात्मनः | अलातचक्रप्रतिमान् ददृशुस्ते न राघवम् ||
Bhramantīn kāñcanīm koṭim kārmukasya mahātmanahͅ | Alātacakrapratimān dadrͅśuste na Rāghavam ||
They could not see Sri Ram, but they saw the golden tip of His bow whirling like the Alatachakra (circle of fire).
शरीरनाभिसत्त्वार्चिः शरारं नेमिकार्मुकम् | ज्याघोषतलनिर्घोषन् तेजोबुद्धिगुणप्रभम् || दिव्यास्त्रगुणपर्यन्तं निघ्नन्तन् युधि राक्षसान् | ददृशू रामचक्रन् तत्कालचक्रमिव प्रजाः ||
Śarīranābhisattvārcihͅ śarāram nemikārmukam | Jyāghoṣatalanirghoṣan tejobuddhigunͅaprabham || Divyāstragunͅaparyantam nighnantan yudhi rākśasān | Dadrͅśū Rāmacakran tatkālacakramiva prajāhͅ ||
Slaying the rakshasas, Sri Ram looked like chakra (discus weapon) - His navel was the chakra’s centre, His strength its flames, His arrows its spokes, His bow its rim, His bow’s twang and gaultlet’s tang its vibration, His sharp intellect and virtues its radiance, the power of His divine weapons were its blade. The rakshasas were seeing Sri Ram like cycle of death on doomsday.
अनीकन् दशसाहस्रन् रथानां वातरन्हसाम् | अष्टादशसहस्राणि कुंजराणान् तरस्विनाम् || चतुर्दशसहस्राणि सारोहाणान् च वाजिनाम् | पूर्णे शतसहस्रे द्वे राक्षसानां पदातिनाम् || दिवसस्याष्टभागेन शरैरग्निशिखोपमैः | हतान्येकेन रामेण रक्षसान् कामरूपिणाम् ||
Anīkan daśasāhasran rathānām vātaranhasām | Aṣṭādaśasahasrānͅi kunjarānͅān tarasvinām || Caturdaśasahasrānͅi sārohānͅān ca vājinām | Pūrnͅe śatasahasre dve rākśasānām padātinām || Divasasyāṣṭabhāgena śarairagniśikhopamaihͅ | Hatānyekena Rāmenͅa rakśasān kāmarūpinͅām |||
All by Himself, within eight part of day (1.5 hours), Sri Ram with His flame like arrows had slayed shape-shifting demons’ ten thousand chariots which were as fast as the wind, eighteen thousand elephants, fourteen thousand horses with their riders, and a total of two lakhs of foot soldiers.
ते हताश्वा हतरथाः शान्ता विमथितध्वजाः | अभिपेतुः पुरीन् लंकां हतशेषा निशाचराः ||
Te hatāśvā hatarathāhͅ śāntā vimathitadhvajāhͅ | Abhipetuhͅ purīn Laṅkām hataśeṣā niśācarāhͅ ||
Once their horses and chariots were destroyed and banners torn, the surviving nocturnals ran back to Lanka.
हतैर्गजपदात्यश्वैस्तद्बभूव रणाजिरम् | आक्रीडभूमी क्रुद्धस्य रुद्रस्येव महात्मनः ||
Hatairgajapadātyaśvaistadbabhūva ranͅājiram | Ākrīdͅabhūmī kruddhasya Rudrasyeva mahātmanahͅ ||
Filled with the slain elephants, horses and foot soldiers, the battle-field looked like angry Rudra’s playground.
ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः | साधु साध्विति रामस्य तत्कर्म समपूजयन् ||
Tato devāhͅ sagandharvāhͅ siddhāśca paramarṣayahͅ | Sādhu sādhviti Rāmasya tatkarma samapūjayan ||
Then, the gods, Gandharvas (celestial musicians), Siddhas and great sages thanked and praised Sri Ram’s feat.
अब्रवीच्च तदा रामः सुग्रीवं प्रत्यनन्तरम् | विभीषणं च धर्मात्मा हनूमन्तं च वानरम् || जाम्बवन्तं हरिश्रेष्ठं मैन्दं द्विविदमेव च | एतदस्त्रबलन् दिव्यं मम वा त्र्यम्बकस्य वा ||
Abravīcca tadā Rāmahͅ Sugrīvam pratyanantaram | Vibhīṣanͅam ca dharmātmā Hanūmantam ca vānaram || Jāmbavantam hariśreṣṭham Maindam Dvividameva ca | Etadastrabalan divyam mama vā Tryambakasya vā ||
The great Sri Ram said to Sugreeva, Vibhishana, Hanuman, Jambavan, Mainda the foremost of vanaras and Dvivida, who were standing near Him – only I or Lord Shiva has such divine power.
निहत्य तान् राक्षसवाहिनीन् | रामस्तदा शक्रसमो महात्मा | अस्त्रेषु शस्त्रेषु जितक्लमश् च | सन्स्तूयते देवगणैः प्रहृष्टैः ||
Nihatya tān rākśasavāhinīn | Rāmastadā Śakrasamo mahātmā || Astreṣu śastreṣu jitaklamaś ca | Sanstūyate devaganͅaihͅ prahrͅṣṭaihͅ ||
The great Sri Ram, equal to Indra, never tired of wielding weapons, having destroyed that army of rakshasas was being praised and worshipped by the elated gods.