Rama Cuts the Rain of Weapons to Sesame and Draws to His Ear
Aranya Kanda, Doha 20
Doha 20 · Movement 3 of 3
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The demons recover from the bow's dreadful resonance and recognize the strength before them. They charge with renewed attention, releasing missiles and weapons of many kinds until the air above Rama becomes a descending storm.
Raghuvira answers before the rain can reach him. His arrows cut the enemy weapons into fragments as small as sesame seeds, turning the dark assault into harmless particles scattered across the field.
Then Rama draws his own bowstring back to the ear. The gesture holds a breath of perfect stillness between defense and destruction. The host has shown its force and watched it reduced to dust. Now Rama releases the arrows that belong to him, and the battle passes wholly into the command of the solitary archer.
The enemy's iron storm falls as sesame dust, and Rama's answering bow reaches the ear.
Read the passage from the Manas
सावधान होइ धाए जानि सबल आराति। लागे बरषन राम पर अस्त्र सस्त्र बहु भाँति।।19(क)।। तिन्ह के आयुध तिल सम करि काटे रघुबीर। तानि सरासन श्रवन लगि पुनि छाँड़े निज तीर।।19(ख)।।
Recovering their senses, they charged with renewed care, knowing their enemy was mighty. They began raining weapons of every kind upon Rama. Raghubira cut their missiles down to the size of sesame seeds. Then, drawing his bowstring to his ear, he released his own arrows.