Hari Om.
Let us begin the twenty second sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Having got her nose and ears cutoff in the foolish misadventure, burning with revenge, SUrpaNakha approached khara to settle scores with rAma. He sends fourteen demons who were mitigated without breaking sweat by rAma. The ogress returns to khara and throws tantrums. She incites him and insults him in front of other demons, questions his ability and prophecies his doom along with the scores of demons. She desperately blasts him and rolling on the floor cries out loudly lamenting her misfortune and khara’s inaction! Onwards…
Thus reviled by SUrpaNakha in presence of his peers, khara got livid and spoke these words –
“My anger is swelling on account of your insult and is surging like the waves of the sea. I don’t consider the short-lived rAma to be valorous He will pay for his misdeeds now through his life. Wipe your tears and shed your confusion, I shall send rAma and his brother to the god of death. You shall drink the blood of rAma vanquished by my axe in the battlefield soon”.
These boastful words coming from khara pleased SURpaNakha and she stupidly began praising the same demon she had lambasted so badly a while ago! Bloated by her praise, khara immediately ordered his commander dUshaNa –
“O khara get an army of fourteen thousand demons, loyal to me, swift footed warriors who have never run away from the battlefield, having dark and terrifying looks and deeds, mighty, violent, reveling in perpetration of violence, powerful like the tigers and arrogant ones ready for the battle. Present my chariot soon loaded with missiles, my bows, arrows and variety of swords. I wish to lead the pack of warriors of the clan of pulasthya to ensure the defeat of rAma”.
Ordered thus, dUshaNa got the golden hued chariot yoked with horses ready in no time and the haughty khara mounted that gigantic chariot resembling the mount mEru, studded with gold, having golden wheels, decorated with figures of fish, flowers, trees, birds and stars and sporting flags and bells. Invincible warriors wielding weapons watching khara and dUshaNa mount the chariot stood ready surrounding them. Surveying them, the chief khara ordered them to march. They all setout with great clamour and with great speed. The fourteen thousand demons, loyal to khara set out wielding, bows, arrows, maces, spears, axes, swords, missiles, iron clubs and left janasthAna. The chariot of khara moved behind the large marching army that was headed towards rAma. Gauging the impatience of khara, his charioteer prodded the horses to run faster. As the chariot moved faster, khara let out a mighty roar and set out to vanquish the enemy and in that anger he asked the charioteer to speed up his chariot further.
Here we conclude the the twenty second sarga of the araNya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 3.23. khara charges along ignoring the omens
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 