Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 23: Khara Disregards Evil Omens on the Way
Text 3.23.20
महोत्पातानिमान्सर्वानुत्थितान्घोरदर्शनान्।
न चिन्तयाम्यहं वीर्याद्बलवान्दुर्बलानिव॥
mahotpātān imān sarvān utthitān ghora-darśanān
na cintayāmy ahaṁ vīryād balavān durbalān iva
mahā-utpātān = great portents; imān = these; sarvān = about all; utthitān = that have appeared; ghora-darśanān = [even though] they are terrible to behold; na cintayāmi = don’t worry; aham = I; vīryāt = because of my prowess; balavān = a strong man; durbalān = [does not fear] weak men; iva = just as.
Just as a strong man [does not fear] weak men, I don’t worry about all these great portents that have appeared [even though] they are terrible to behold—because of my prowess.
In this verse Khara makes a declaration about his mission. Sāhitya-cintāmaṇi states:
kula-rūpa-vayo-vidyā-balaiśvarya-dhanādibhiḥ
yā bhaved ātmanaḥ ślāghā sa garva iti kathyate
udgrīvāvekṣaṇāvajñā-pratijñātir bhaved iha
“Pride is said to be praise upon oneself due to [birth in] a noble family, beauty, [youthful] age, knowledge, strength, lordship or opulence and so on. One then raises his neck while seeing [others or] makes a contemptuous declaration.”