Rama Binds His Matted Locks and Faces the Army Like a Lion
Aranya Kanda, Chhand 3
Doha 18 · Movement 2 of 3
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Rama strings the mighty Kodanda and binds the mass of matted locks upon his head. The solitary forest exile becomes terrible in beauty, every deliberate movement answering the uproar gathering across the field.
Against the emerald mountain of his body, his two great arms appear as a pair of serpents contending with millions of lightning flashes. The quiver is fastened firmly at his waist. Bow and readied arrow gather within those powerful arms.
Then he looks upon the demon host. The poet sees a lion surveying a gathered mass of lordly elephants and knowing the measure of his own strength. No haste disturbs Rama's composure. The army fills the horizon, yet the power that will break it has gathered silently into stance, gaze, bowstring, and shaft.
Lightning plays over the emerald mountain of Rama's form as the lion fixes his gaze upon the elephant host.
Read the passage from the Manas
कोदंड कठिन चढ़ाइ सिर जट जूट बाँधत सोह क्यों। मरकत सयल पर लरत दामिनि कोटि सों जुग भुजग ज्यों।। कटि कसि निषंग बिसाल भुज गहि चाप बिसिख सुधारि कै।। चितवत मनहुँ मृगराज प्रभु गजराज घटा निहारि कै।।
How splendid the Lord appears, stringing that mighty kodanda and binding His matted jata upon His head! Like ten million bolts of lightning playing across emerald mountains, His two great arms gleam and flash. With His nishanga (quiver) fastened at His waist and His powerful hands gripping bow and arrow, He gazes out like the king of lions who has sighted a lordly elephant among the clouds.