Hari Om.
Let us begin the twenty eighth sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The huge fourteen thousand strong army of demons boasting and chest beating led by khara, dUshaNa, triSirA and a host of other generals came to attack rAma. Single handedly rAma vanquished them all. They had no clue when he held his bow, when he took his arrow, when he aimed and when he shot. It was happening with such mind boggling speed that all they saw was rAma spitting fire at them and destroying them in tens and hundreds. Every arrow was unerring and it took out the life of who it was intended for. The chief of the army dUshaNa came to attack and bit dust along with his army. Now only the triSirA and khara remained. They competed with each other to face rAma and finally khara relented and let triSirA face rAma. He managed to hit rAma on the forehead. Making fun of the arrows that cannot injure someone fatally rAma hit back and killed triSirA in no time. Now only khara remained. Onwards…
Beholding the mighty valor of rAma that vanquished dUshaNa and triSirA, khara was terrified. He also looked at the mighty and invincible army of demons annihilated by rAma along with their generals. With some nervousness he proceeded towards rAma to wage war just like the demon namuchi approached indra. Setting his bow ready he announced himself with a twang and riding on the chariot khara unleashed deadly arrows resembling poisonous snakes thus demonstrating his skill at weapons. Sizing up the arrows hurled at him, rAma too took his bow and retaliated strongly and filled all the directions with his arrows. As the two of them rained arrows, the sky could hardly be seen and the Sun light didn’t touch the earth covered by the arrows. Unleashing the vikarNi and nAlIkA arrows, khara menacingly advanced towards rAma and on the chariot he verily appeared like the god of death wielding the death noose. He thought that the power of rAma might now be exhausted having fought all this while with his army.
The warrior khara, mighty like the lion accosted rAma like a lion, but rAma was hardly perturbed just like a lion is not perturbed at the sight of a weak beast.
तं सिंहमिव विक्रान्तं सिंहविक्रान्तगामिनम्।
दृष्ट्वा नोद्विजते रामः सिंहः क्षुद्रमृगं यथा।।3.28.13।।
Standing atop his glowing chariot khara hurtled towards rAma like the insects are drawn towards fire! He shot seven arrows at rAma resembling the thunderbolt of indra, displaying great skill and as they hit rAma, his shining armor came off and fell on the ground. Then, perched on an advantageous chariot, playing above a leveled field, khara unleashed thousands of arrows at rAma, injured him and roared loudly! Hit all over his body and bleeding, rAma stood like a raging smokeless flame in the war! And then, livid at the charge of khara and determined to put fear into him, he changed his bow, picked a mightier one and the twang reverberated all over.
सुमहद्वैष्णवं यत्तदतिसृष्टं महर्षिणा।
वरं तद्धनुरुद्यम्य खरं समभिधावत।।3.28.21।।
Putting the grand vaishnava bow given to him by sage agstya, rAma went after khara. Aiming at the flag of khara’s chariot, rAma hit it unerringly and the shining golden and radiant flag broke into pieces and fell on the ground and looked shiny as if the Sun had descended on the earth upon the order of the gods.
Then the expert khara retaliated and shot four arrows aiming at the vitals of rAma. Hit on his body and bleeding all over, rAma was outraged. Wielding his bow, the best among the archers and the supreme marksman, taking aim, he shot six arrows and hit khara with one on his head, two on his shoulders and with three in the form of crescent moon on his chest. Then determined to kill khara, rAma took thirteen arrows and unleashed them unerringly.
Of the thirteen arrows, the first one broke the yoke of khara’s chariot, next four killed the four horses, sixth one accounted for the charioteer, the next three broke the pole of the chariot, the following two the axle of the chariot. The twelth arrow destroyed the bow and arrows present in the hands of khara. As if making fun of khara, the thirteenth one like the thunderbolt of indra hit khara on his body!
ततोऽस्य युगमेकेन चतुर्भिश्चतुरो हयान्।
षष्ठेन तु शिरस्सङ्ख्ये खरस्य रथसारथेः।।3.28.29।।
त्रिभिस्त्रिवेणुं बलवान्द्वाभ्यामक्षं महाबलः।
द्वादशेन तु बाणेन खरस्य सशरं धनुः।।3.28.30।।
छित्वा वज्रनिकाशेन राघवः प्रहसन्निव।
त्रयोदशेनेन्द्रसमो बिभेद समरे खरम्।।3.28.31।।
With his charioteer and horses dead and chariot completely destroyed and bereft of bow and arrows, khara stood on the ground with his mace. That unparallel destruction of khara’s prowess was witnessed by the air-borne gods and sages and they were extremely delighted at rAma’s charge and eulogised him profusely from their aerial cars.
तत्कर्म रामस्य महारथस्य समेत्य देवाश्च महर्षयश्च।
अपूजयन्प्राञ्जलयः प्रहृष्टाः तदा विमानाग्रगतास्समेताः।।3.28.33।।
Here we conclude the the twenty eighth 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: 3.29. Verbal war before the final flourish
Previous: 3.27. triSIrA hurtles to his end
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
