“Om Sri Lakshmi Narashimhan Nahama”
Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 27
Rama Slays Trishira Summary
Trishira, the demon, supersedes Khara to fight Rama at his turn. He hits Rama with arrows for which Rama says that it is no more than the patting with flowers. Then a combat ensues and Rama becoming infuriated eliminates Trishira in the battle.
Chapter [Sarga] 27 in Detail
kharam tu raama abhimukham prayaa.ntam vaahinii patih |
raaksasah trishiraa naama sa.mnipatya idam abraviit || 3-27-1
But when Khara is about to lunge to the forefront of Rama, nearing him the commander of demonic forces named Trishira spoke this to him. [3-27-1]
maam niyojaya vikraa.ntam tvam nivartasva saahasaat |
pashya raamam mahaabaahum sa.myuge vinipaatitam || 3-27-2
"Desisting from your personal adventure you enjoin me for I am an invader, and then you are certain to see me felling that mighty-armed Rama in combat. [3-27-2]
pratijaanaami te satyam aayudham ca aham aalabhe |
yathaa raamam vadhisyaami vadhaarham sarva raksasaam || 3-27-3
"Taking oath on my weapon I promise to you that I truly wish to kill this Rama, as he deserves ill of all the demons by killing. [3-27-3]
aham vaa asya rane mrityuh esa vaa samare mama |
vinivartya rana utsaaham muhuurtam praashniko bhava || 3-27-4
"Hold back your combative-adventurism and become an examiner to decide whether I am going to become his god of death in this combat, or he becomes mine. [3-27-4]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 27 prahristo vaa hate raame janasthaanam prayaasyasi |
mayi vaa nihate raamam sa.myugaaya prayaasyasi || 3-27-5
"If I were to kill Rama you may gladly proceed to Janasthaana, else if Rama kills me then you can adventurously proceed against him for a combat." Thus Trishira spoke to Khara. [3-27-5]
kharah trishirasaa tena mrityu lobhaat prasaaditah |
gaccha yudhya iti anujnaato raaghava abhimukho yayau || 3-27-6
By that death-greedy demon Trishira, Khara is maneuvered and Khara to him said 'begone [departed]... combat...' and thus permitted, Trishira proceeded to the forefront of Rama. [3-27-6]
trishiraah tu rathena eva vaaji yuktena bhaasvataa |
abhyadravat rane raamam tri shri.nga iva parvatah || 3-27-7
Trishira with a lustrous chariot that is yoked with equally lustrous horses hurried towards Rama in that war, like a tri-peaked mountain, for they say, he is a tri-headed demon. [3-27-7]
shara dhaaraa samuuhaan sa mahaamegha iva utsrijan |
vyasrijat sadrisham naadam jala aardrasya iva dundubheh || 3-27-8
Discharging hosts of arrow-torrents like a hefty-arrow-cloud, he readily discharged a noise similar to the thudding drumbeat when a water-wet war-drum is beaten, rather than a blast from a heated drum. [3-27-8]
aagaccha.ntam trishirasam raaksasam preksya raaghavah |
dhanusaa pratijagraaha vidhunvan saayakaan shitaan || 3-27-9
On seeing the oncoming of that demon Trishira, Raghava welcomed him by speedily winnowing smarting arrows from his bow. [3-27-9]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 27 sa samprahaarah tumulo raama trishirasoh tadaa |
sa.mbabhuuva atiiva balinoh si.mha ku.n~jarayoh iva || 3-27-10
That grave and tumultuous encounter chanced between Rama and Trishira is like the extremely forceful encounter between a loin and an elephant. [3-27-10]
tatah trishirasaa baanaih lalaate taaditah tribhih |
amarsii kupito raamah sa.mrabdham idam abraviit || 3-27-11
Later when Trishira smote on the forehead of highly enraged Rama with three arrows, Rama's ire is intensified and he franticly said this to that demon. [3-27-11]
aho vikrama shuurasya raaksasasya iidrisham balam |
puspaih iva sharaih yasya lalaate asmi pariksatah || 3-27-12
"Oho! What an energy of a triumphing adventurer is this! A demon with this sort of energy is adventuring me, whose arrows rap my forehead peripherally, like flowers! [3-27-12]
mama api pratigrihniis.hva sharaan caapa guna cyutaan |
evam uktvaa susa.mrabdhah sharaan aashiivisa upamaan || 3-27-13
trishiro vaksasi kruddho nijaghaana catur dasha |
"Now you accept arrows plunging from the string of my bow..." saying thus, that infuriated Rama with his alacritous swiftness hit the chest of Trishira with fourteen arrows similar to venomous snakes. [3-27-13, 14a]
caturbhih turagaan asya sharaih sa.mnata par.hvaabhih || 3-27-14
nyapaatayata tejasvii caturah tasya vaajinah |
With four of his straight shooting arrows that have hook-like barbs that resplendent Rama hewed down four of the speedy horses of Trishira's chariot. [3-27-14b, 15a]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 27 astabhih saayakaih suutam ratha upasthe nyapaatayat || 3-27-15
raamah ciccheda baanena dhvajam ca asya samucchritam |
With eight arrows Rama felled the charioteer from his settle on the chariot, and with one arrow ripped off the high flying flag on that chariot. [3-27-15b, 16a]
tato hata rathaat tasmaat utpata.ntam nishaacaram || 3-27-16
ciccheda raamah tam baanaih hridaye so abhavat jadah |
When that nightwalker is vaulting from that smashed chariot Rama with his arrows tore his chest to shreds and he that Trishira became inert. [3-27-16b, 17a]
saayakaih ca aprameya aatmaa saamarsah tasya raksasah || 3-27-17
shiraa.msi apaatayat triini vegavadbhih tribhih shataih |
And with three sharp and rapid arrows, and even with his own exasperation, Rama of inestimable aptitude rolled the three heads that demon. [3-27-17b, 18a]
sa dhuuma shonita udgaarii raama baana abhipiiditah || 3-27-18
nyapatat patitaih puurvam samarastho nishaacarah |
When that nightwalker is highly tortured with Rama's arrows he collapsed spewing blood with fumes, whereat he is standing in war, at where his three heads rolled just now. [3-27-18b, 19a]
hata shesaah tato bhagnaa raaksasaah khara sa.mshrayaah || 3-27-19
dravanti sma na tisthanti vyaaghra trastaa mrigaa iva |
As with the fleeing of deer alarmed by a tiger, the demons remaining after liquidation, whom Khara has protected so far and whose confidence is now shattered, are running away, and they gave Khara the run-around. [3-27-19b, 20a]
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Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 27 taan kharo dravato dristvaa nivartya rusitah tvaran |
raamam eva abhidudraava raahuh candramasam yathaa || 3-27-20
On seeing at those deserters Khara is piqued and quickly brought them back to his control, and then as with the scampering of eclipsing planet Rahu towards moon during lunar- eclipse, he scurried towards Rama alone. [3-27-20b, c]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye aranya kaande sapta vi.mshah sargah
Thus, this is the 27th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate
References
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao. (1998). Aranya Kanda - Forest track.
Merriam-Webster. (2007). At http://www.m-w.com.
Reference.com. (2007). At http://www.reference.com.
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