गर्दभारुणः dark like the colour of an ass, तुमुलः fierce, महामेघः huge cloud, तस्मिन् that army, याते marched, तत् there, घोरम् dreadful, बलम् army, अशिवम् inauspicious, शोणितोदकम् water red as blood, अभ्यवर्षत् rained.
Meaning
As the army marched from there (Janasthana) a huge dark cloud of the colour of an ass rained dreadful inauspicious water, red as blood.
nipetusturagāstasya rathayuktā mahājavāḥ| same puṣpacite deśe rājamārge yadṛcchayā||3.23.2||
Translation
रथयुक्ताः yoked to the chariot, महाजवाः of high speed, तस्य his, तुरगाः horses, राजमार्गे on the highway, पुष्पचिते समे sprinkled with flowers evenly, देशे place, यदृच्छया casually, निपेतुः stumbled.
Meaning
The swift horses yoked to the chariot stumbled casually while galloping on the plane highway sprinkled with flowers.
दिवाकरम् Sun, परिगृह्य took position, श्यामम् dark, रुधिरपर्यन्तम् red in the periphery, अलातचक्रप्रतिमम् moving firebrand creating a ring, परिवेषणम् surrounding, बभूव appeared,
Meaning
A dark ring, bloodred in colour appeared on the border of the Sun's orb, dark in the middle. This phenomenon of the Sun appeared like a ring of moving charcoal covering the Sun.
vyājahruśca pradīptāyāṃ diśi vai bhairavasvanam| aśivṃ yātudhānānāṃ śivā ghorā mahāsvanāḥ||3.23.6||
Translation
घोराः frightful, महास्वनाः ghastly howls, शिवाः jackals, प्रदीप्तायाम् in the illuminated, दिशि direction, भैरवस्वनम् terrible sound, यातुधानानाम् of demons, अशिवम् inauspicious, व्याजह्रुः indicated.
Meaning
The dreadful jackals making ghastly howls turning towards the illuminated direction and produced frightening sounds indicating inauspicious time for the demons.
प्रभिन्नगिरिसङ्काशाः those looking like shattered mountains, तोयशोणितधारिणः clouds bearing bloodlike water, भीमाः most frightening, वलाहकाः clouds, तत् that, आकाशम् sky, अनाकाशम् other than the sky, चक्रुः rendered.
Meaning
The clouds looked like shattered mountains pouring down bloodlike rain which filled the sky and made it appear frighteningly different.
babhūva timirṃ ghoramuddhatṃ romaharṣaṇam| diśo vā vidiśo vāpi na ca vyaktṃ cakāśire||3.23.8||
Translation
घोरम् terrible, उद्धतम् arose, रोमहर्षणम् horripilation, तिमिरम् darkness, बभूव became, दिशो वा whether quarters, विदिशो वापि or the intermediary, व्यक्तम् clearly, न चकाशिरे did not shine.
Meaning
A terrific darkness, spread all over, produced frightening horripilation. Even the four quarters and the intermediary zones were not discernible.
कालं विना before Sunset, क्षतजार्द्रसवर्णाभा glow like a fresh wound, सन्ध्या twilight, बभौ appeared, तदा then, घोरमृगाः dreadful animals, खगाः birds, खरस्य of Khara, अभिमुखाः directed towards, नेदुः produced sounds, कङ्कगोमायुगृध्राश्च kanka birds, jackals, and vultures, भयशंसिनः indicating danger, चक्रुशुः screeched.
Meaning
Even before Sunset the twilight looked like a fresh wound. Then wild animals, birds, kankas, jackals and vultures facing towards Khara screeched, indicating danger.
युद्धे in war, नित्याशुभकराः always ominous, घोरनिदर्शनाः dreadful premonitions, शिवाः jackals, ज्वालोद्गारिभिः as if emitting fire, आननैः with their faces, बलस्य of the army, अभिमुखम् facing towards, नेदुः produced sounds.
Meaning
Bad omens that always bring inauspiciousness were a dreadful evidence of what is going to happen. Jackals howled, facing Khara's army with their mouths emitting fire.
भास्करान्तिके close to the Sun, परिघाभासः appearing like an iron beam, कबन्ध: Ketu, दृश्यते seen, महाग्रहः a great planet, स्वर्भानुः Rahu, अपर्वणि other than the new Moon, सूर्यम् Sun, जग्राह eclipsed, मारुतः wind, शीघ्रम् swiftly, प्रवाति blew, दिवाकरः Sun, निष्प्रभः without lustre, अभूत् appeared.
Meaning
The planet Ketu appeared like an iron beam near the Sun. Although it was not the fullmoon or newmoon day, Rahu eclipsed the Sun. Wind blew hard and the Sun was lustreless.
खद्योतसम्प्रभाः glittering like fireflies, ताराः stars, विना without, रात्रिम् night, उत्पेतुः rose, संलीनमीनविहगाः fishes and birds disappear, नलिन्यः lotusponds, शुष्कपङ्कजाः have dried up lotuses, तस्मिन् in that, क्षणे moment, द्रुमाः trees, पुष्पफलैः flowers and fruits, विना without, बभूवुश्च became.
Meaning
The stars rose in the sky and glittered like fireflies even before night arrived. The fishes and the aquatic birds in the lotusponds hid themselves under water. Lotuses dried up in tanks and the trees stood bereft of flowers and fruits.
घोरदर्शनाः dreadful in appearance, सनिर्घाताः thunderstorms, उल्काश्चापि meteors, निपेतुः dropped down, सशैलवनकानना mountains, groves and forests, सर्वाः all, मही earth, प्रचचाल trembled.
Meaning
Dreadful to watch were the thunderstorms and the meteors that dropped down from the sky. The earth trembled all over with mountains, groves and forests.
sāsrā sampadyate dṛṣṭiḥ paśyamānasya sarvatḥ||3.23.17|| lalāṭe ca rujā jātā na ca mohānyavartata|
Translation
सर्वतः around, पश्यमानस्य while watching, दृष्टिः sight, सास्रा filled with tears, सम्पद्यते became, ललाटे on the forehead, रुजा च uneasiness, जाता had developed, मोहात् due to delusion, न not, च न्यवर्तत did not retreat.
Meaning
While watching all this, his eyes brimmed with tears. His forehead ached. Yet he was too deluded to beat a retreat.
mahotpātānimānsarvānutthitānghoradarśanān||3.23.19|| na cintayāmyahṃ vīryādbalavāndurbalāniva|
Translation
उत्थितान् produced, घोरदर्शनान् those terrific to see, इमान् these, महोत्पातान् the events boding calamity, सर्वान् all, अहम् I, वीर्यात् due to valour, बलवान् strong, दुर्बलानिव as he deals with the weak, न चिन्तयामि I do not take them seriously.
Meaning
Valiant and strong, I do not take seriously these terrifying omens boding calamity just as a strong man does not care for the weak.
tārā api śaraistīkṣṇaiḥ pātayāmi nabhassthalāt||3.23.20|| mṛtyuṃ maraṇadharmeṇa saṅkruddho yojayāmyaham|
Translation
अहम् I, ताराः stars, अपि even, तीक्ष्णैः with sharp, शरैः by arrows, नभस्स्थलात् from the sky, पातयामि I will dislodge, सङ्क्रुद्धः if angered, मृत्युम् god of death, मरणधर्मेण mortal nature, योजयामि will cause.
Meaning
With my sharp arrows I can even bring down the stars from the sky. If angered, I can cause mortality to the god of death.
बलोत्सिक्तम् man proud of his strength, तं राघवम् to that Rama, अस्य and his, भ्रातरम् brother, लक्ष्मणं च and Lakshmana, तीक्ष्णैः by sharp, सायकैः with arrows, अहत्वा without killing, उपावर्तितुम् to return, नोत्सहे I am not intending.
Meaning
I do not wish to return, without killing with my sharp arrows that Rama who is proud of his strength and his brother Lakshmana.
रामस्य Rama's, लक्ष्मणस्य Lakshmana's, विपर्ययः adversity, यन्निमित्तः for whose cause, मे भगिनी my sister, तयोः their, रुधिरम् blood, पीत्वा after drinking, सकामा her desire, अस्तु be fulfilled,
Meaning
Let my sister be satisfied by drinking the blood of both Rama and Lakshmana on whose account this adversity has come.
na kvacitprāptapūrvo me sṃyugeṣu parājayḥ||3.23.23|| yuṣmākametatpratyakṣṃ nānṛtṃ kathayāmyaham|
Translation
मे for me, संयुगेषु in wars, क्वचित् ever, पराजयः defeat, न प्राप्तपूर्वः never faced, एतत् this, युष्माकम् all of you, प्रत्यक्षम् directly witnessed, अहम् I, अनृतम् untruth, न कथयामि I am not telling.
Meaning
I have never faced defeat in wars, and all of you have seen it with your eyes. I am not telling you a lie.
क्रुद्धः angered, मत्तैरावतयायिनम् riding an intoxicated Airavata, वज्रहस्तम् one who wields thunderbolt, देवराजमपि even the king of the gods, रणे in war, हन्याम् I will kill, तौ both of them, कुमानुषौ human beings, किं पुनः should I say again.
Meaning
When angry, I can kill even (Indra) the wielder of the thunderbolt, rider of the intoxicated Airavata and lord of the gods. What to speak of these two petty humans?
मृत्युपाशावपाशिता fallen into the trap of death, सा that, महाचमूः great army, तस्य राक्षसस्य of the demon, गर्जितम् roaring, श्रुत्वा on hearing, अतुलम् immeasureable, प्रहर्षम् joy, लेभे experienced.
Meaning
Fallen into the deathtrap, the great army of the demon, felt very happy on hearing Khara roaring.
महात्मानः great souls, ऋषयः sages, देवगन्धर्वाः gods and gandharvas, सिद्धाश्च: siddhas (accomplished spiritually), चारणैः सह including celestial bards, युद्धदर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः desirous of seeing the war, समीयुः assembled.
Meaning
Great souls like sages, gods, gandharvas, and siddhas including celestial bards assembled to see the battle.
पुण्यकर्मणः holy men, ते they, समेत्य collecting together, अन्योन्यम् to one another, सहिताः together, गोब्राह्मणेभ्यः for cows and brahmins, लोकानां of the people, सर्वशः all over, स्वस्ति अस्तु let it be auspicious, ऊचुः they spoke, ये who, अमिसङ्गताः associated
Meaning
Holy men assembled and uttered benedictions, saying, 'let there be wellbeing for the cows and brahmins associated with men of pious deeds in all the (three) worlds.
चक्रहस्तः wielder of the wheel (Visnu), युद्धे in war, सर्वान् all, असुरपङ्गवान् chiefs of demons, यथा like, राघवः Rama, पौलस्त्यान् all descendants of Paulastya, सङ्ख्ये in war, रजनीचरान् nightrangers (demons), जयताम् let him win.
Meaning
'Let Rama conquer the descendants of Paulasthya in the war like Visnu, the wielder of the wheel had defeated great demons'.
एतच्चान्यच्च these matters, बहुशः more and more, ब्रुवाणाः while talking, परमर्षयः great ascetics, तत्र there, विमानस्थाः occupants of heavenly chariots, देवताश्च gods too, जातकौतूहलाः with much eagerness, गतायुषाम् those of reduced life span, तेषाम् of those, राक्षसानाम् of demons, वाहिनीम् army, ददृशुः saw.
Meaning
The great ascetics were talking thus and more. The gods waiting eagerly on heavenly chariots saw the army of the demons whose life span was shortened (who were doomed to death).
श्येनगामी moving like a hawk, पृथुग्रीवः Pruthugreeva (one with a big neck), यज्ञशत्रुः Yagnasatru (enemy of sacrifices), विहङ्गमः Vihangama (who knows how to move in the sky), दुर्जयः Durjaya (an invincible one), करवीराक्षः Karaviraksha (one whose eyes are like the oleander flower), परुषः Parusha (harsh), कालकार्मुकः Kalakarmuka (bow of death), मेघमाली Meghamali (clouds in a row), महामाली Mahamali (a long row), सर्पास्यः Sarpasya (serpentmouthed), रुधिराशनः Rudhirasana (one who feeds on blood), महावीर्याः Mahaveerya (mighty), एते all of them, द्वादश twelve, खरम् अभितः ahead of Khara, प्रतस्थुः marched.
Meaning
Surrounded by twelve valiant warriors like Syenagami, Pruthugreeva, Yagnasatru, Vihangama, Durjaya, Karaviraksha, Parusha, Kalakarmuka, Meghmali, Mahamali, Sarpasya and Rudhirasana, Khara proceeded.
महाकपालिः Mahakapali (one with a big skull), स्थूलाक्षः Sthulaksha (bigeyed), प्रमाथी Pramathi (crusher of enemy), तथा similarly, त्रिशिराः Trisira (threeheaded one), एते all of them, चत्वारः four, सेनान्यः army men, दूषणं परितः around Dusana, ययुः walked.
Meaning
Similarly Dusana proceeded with four Mahakapali, Sthulaksha, Pramathi and Trisira around him.
भीमवेगाः very fast, समराभिकामाः eager for war, महाबलाः mighty, सा that, राक्षसवीरसेना the heroic army of demons, सहसा at once, ग्रहाणाम् of planets, माला garland, चन्द्रसूर्यौ इव like Sun and Moon, तौ those, राजपुत्रौ king's sons, अभ्युपेता: attacked.
Meaning
The mighty, swiftfooted army of valiant demons surrounded the princes (Rama and Lakshmana) all on a sudden like the planets around the Sun and the Moon. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे त्रयोविंशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the twentythird sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.