Sarga 24

While returning, the exceedingly wicked Ravana, greatly delighted, abducted maidens of kings, sages, gods, and gandharvas along his path.

Whenever that demon saw a beautiful maiden or woman, he would kill her relatives and then confine her in his aerial car.

In this manner, he also made serpent-maidens, demonesses, asura women, human women, and yaksha and danava maidens ascend into his aerial car.

All of them simultaneously shed tears born of sorrow, which resembled flames of fire, arising from the intense sorrow and fear they experienced.

That aerial car was filled with the tears of fear, sorrow, and inauspiciousness from those blameless women, just as the ocean is filled by rivers.

Hundreds of daughters of Nagas, Gandharvas, great sages, Daityas, and Danavas were weeping in the aerial car.

These women possessed long hair, very beautiful limbs, faces like the full moon, full breasts, and waists slender like the middle of a sacrificial altar.

These charming women, resembling celestial nymphs, had hip regions broad like chariot poles and shone with the radiance of refined gold.

These slender-waisted women, distressed by sorrow, misery, and fear, were so agitated that the very atmosphere around them was inflamed by the wind of their sighs.

Those women, having fallen under the sway of Daśagrīva, appeared like an Agnihotra ritual whose fire and flowers have been extinguished, overwhelmed by sorrow.

These young women, with their sad, curved glances, were like does under the control of a lion, and some among them wondered if he would devour them.

Some, greatly distressed, wondered if Rāvaṇa would kill them, and thus, remembering their mothers, fathers, husbands, and brothers, all the women together lamented, overcome by pain and sorrow.

They lamented, "How will my son fare without me? How will my mother and brother, immersed in an ocean of sorrow, endure?"

"Alas, how shall I live without that husband? O Death, I implore you, take me, who am burdened with such sorrow."

What evil deed did we indeed commit in a previous life?

Thus, all of us are distressed and fallen into an ocean of sorrow, and we indeed see no end to this suffering of ours now.

Alas, shame upon the human race, for there is indeed nothing lower than this, that our husbands are weak before the mighty Ravana.

Just as stars are destroyed by the rising sun, so too are our husbands, and alas, the very strong demon Ravana is engaged in means of killing.

Alas, having resorted to evil conduct, he indeed does not despise himself, and in every way, the valor of this wicked one is indeed fitting.

This act of molesting other men's wives is indeed unseemly, because this vilest of Rākṣasas delights in other women.

Therefore, this evil-minded one will indeed meet his death only on account of a woman, thus spoke the chaste and excellent women.

Celestial drums resounded and a shower of flowers fell, and he, cursed by the women, became lusterless as if his vigor was lost.

He became as if disheartened by the chaste and virtuous women; listening to their lamentation, the foremost of Rākṣasas entered the city of Lanka, being honored by the night-wanderers.

In the meantime, that terrible Rākṣasī, Rāvaṇa's sister, who could assume any form at will, suddenly fell on the ground.

Ravana, having raised his sister up and consoled her, asked her what she quickly wished to tell him.

With her eyes red and obstructed by tears, she spoke, saying, "O king, I have been forcibly made a widow by you, the powerful one."

O king, these brave Daityas, known as the fourteen thousand Kalakeyas, were killed by you in battle.

Among them was my mighty-armed husband, who was dearer to me even than my own life.

O dear one, even he was killed by you, an enemy hostile to your own kin; O king, I myself have certainly been destroyed by you, my own kinsman.

The speaker laments that she will become a widow because of the king's actions, questioning how he could kill his own son-in-law in battle, whom he was supposed to protect, without any shame.

Thus addressed by his wailing sister, Ravana consoled her and spoke these soothing words.

Ravana told her to stop weeping and not to fear, promising to satisfy her with great effort through gifts, honors, and favors.

Ravana explained that in the heat of battle, intoxicated and distracted by the desire for victory while showering arrows, he cannot distinguish between his own people and enemies.

Ravana confessed that, maddened by the battle, he did not recognize his son-in-law while striking and thus inadvertently killed her husband in the conflict.

At this time, I will do what is beneficial for you; dwell by the side of your brother Khara, who is endowed with power.

Your brother will be the lord of fourteen thousand very powerful Rakshasas, commanding them in expeditions and bestowing gifts.

There, your cousin and brother Khara, the lordly night-wanderer, will always execute your commands.

Let this hero quickly go to protect the Dandaka forest, and the very powerful Dushana will be his commander of forces.

There, the brave Khara will always execute your commands, and he will be the lord of the Rakshasas who can change their form at will.

Having spoken thus, Dashagriva (Ravana) indeed ordered an army of fourteen thousand valorous Rakshasas for Khara.

Surrounded by all those Rakshasas of terrible appearance, Khara quickly and fearlessly came to the Dandaka forest.

Khara established a kingdom free from enemies there, and Shurpanakha also resided in the Dandaka forest. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे चतुर्विंशः सर्गः ।। 24 ।। Thus ends the twenty-fourth sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.