SECTION XXX.
Cutting off the mace with his shafts, Rāghava attached unto righteousness with a smile said unto Khara these angry words, "Thou vilest of Rākshasas, this is the utmost of thy might, which thou hast displayed. Rendered more nerveless at my hands, in vain dost thou storm. Riven by my shafts, thy mace, belonging unto thee who art prolix in the matter of vocabulary, destroying thy confidence, hath saught the earth. And what thou hadst said,—'I will wipe the tears of the Rākshasas that have been slain,' hath also proved false. As Garuda stole ambrosia, will I deprive thee, O Rākshasa, who art base, of a mean disposition and a false character, of thy life. To day the earth shall drink the blood vitiated with foamy bubbles, of thee, having thy throat severed, and riven by my shafts. Having all thy body covered with dust, and thy two arms lopped off, thou shalt, difficult to win, take thy nap, embracing the earth, like a damsel difficult to win. On thee, disgrace of Rākshasas, lying down, and being fast asleep, this Dandaka shall be refuge of those that shall resort to it for shelter. O Rākshasa, in thy Janasthāna, with its (Rākshasas) slain by my shafts, ascetics shall fearlessly go about in the wood. Today Rākshasas, capable of exciting fear in others, rendered forlorn and with their friends slain, shall from fear, with their faces wet with tears, fly (this place). To day thy wives whose husband art thou of such a nature,—and who are of a like lineage (with thyself),—shall experience the sentiment of sorrow, and be deprived of their all. Thou of a cruel disposition, thou of ignoble soul, thou that art aye a thorn (in the side) of Brāhmanas, it is for thee that ascetics, frightened and dispirited, have so long been pouring the clarified butter." As Rāghava, influenced by anger, said this in the field, Khara from wrath, with accents rendered harsher, fell to censuring (Rāma). "Thou art wondrous proud: and thou art fearless albeit fear is present unto thee. And come under the sway of death, thou dost not understand what should be said and what left unspoken. Those persons that have been fast bound by the noose of death, do not in consequence of their senses having ceased to perform their functions, descern what is proper and what improper." Saying this unto Rāma, that ranger of the night (Khara), pursing his brows, espied a mighty sala hard by. And looking about him on all sides in the field for a weapon, he uprooted it, biting his nether lip. And raising up the tree with his arms, and uttering a roar, that exceedingly powerful one aiming at Rāma discharged it, exclaiming,—"Dead thou art." And as it descended, the puissant Rāma cut it off by means of a multitude of shafts, got into a mighty rage for the purpose of slaying Khara in battle. Then Rāma perspiring, with eyes reddened in wrath, pierced Khara in battle with a thousand shafts. And blood mixed with froth gushed by the sides of the shafts, like torrents flowing from fountain in a hill[44] stupified in battle by the shafts shot by Rāma, and maddened by the smell of blood, Khara furiously made for Rāma. And as he (Khara) was rushing on, bathed with blood, Rāma equipped with arms, suddenly summoning his strength walked backward two or three paces. Then with the view of bringing about (Khara's end) Rāma took up in the conflict an arrow resembling fire or another weapon of Brahmā himself. And that righteous one shot at Khara that (arrow), which had been conferred on him by the intelligent Maghavān. And discharged by Rāma from his bent bow that mighty arrow with the roaring of the thunderbolt fell at Khara' s breast. And burning in the fire of the arrow, Khara fell down on the earth, like the giant Andhaka[45] in the forest of Sweta, consumed by Rudra. And threat Khara slain fell down like Vritra slain by the thunder-bolt, or Namuchi by foam,[46] or Vala by Indra's Acani. After this, the celestials, assembled with the Chāranas, struck with wonder joyfully sounded kettledrums and showered blossoms on Rāma. "In over half a moment Rāma by means of sharpened shafts hath slain in mighty encounter fourteen thousand Rākshasas, wearing shapes at will, headed by Khara and Dushana. Ah! mighty is the feat achieved by Rāma knowing self. Ah! this mighty prowess, this mighty firmness, show like unto those of Vishnu himself." Saying this all the deities went to from where they had come. Then the Rājarshis in company with supreme saints, with Agastya (at their head), gladly paying homage unto Rāma, said the following words, "It is for this that the chastiser of Paka, the great Indra, Purandra, had paid a visit to the sacred asylum of Sarabhanga. And the Maharshis had dexterously brought thee to this place, for compassing the destruction of those foes—the wicked Rākshasas. And it is owing to this, that, O son of Daçaratha, thou hast performed this mighty deed. (Now) the Maharshis will carry on their proper pious offices in the Dandaka." After this, that hero, Lakshmana, accompanied with Sitā came out of the mountain cavern, and joyfully entered the asylum. Then the victorious and heroic, Rāma, honored by the Maharshis, entered the asylum, worshipped by Lakshmana. And seeing that destroyer of foes, and bringer of comfort unto the Maharshis, her husband, Vaidehi embraced him. And seeing the multitudes of Rākshasas slain, Janaka's daughter, beholding the undeteriorating Rāma, ministered unto him with supreme joy. And with a delightful countenance again embracing that destroyer of foes, who had been honored by the delighted Maharihis, Janaka's daughter became exceedingly happy.