Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 28: Śrī Rāma Attacks Khara
Text 3.28.15
ततोऽस्य सशरं चापं मुष्टिदेशे महात्मनः।
खरश्चिच्छेद रामस्य दर्शयन्पाणिलाघवम्॥
tato ’sya saśaraṁ cāpaṁ muṣṭi-deśe mahātmanaḥ
kharaś ciccheda rāmasya darśayan pāṇi-lāghavam
tataḥ = then; asya = of the; sa-śaram = and arrow; cāpam = the bow; muṣṭi-deśe = near the bow’s grip; mahā-ātmanaḥ = great soul; kharaḥ = Khara; ciccheda = cut; rāmasya = Śrī Rāma; darśayan = while exhibiting; pāṇi-lāghavam = the dexterity of his hands.
Then Khara cut the bow and arrow of the great soul Śrī Rāma near the bow’s grip while exhibiting the dexterity of his hands.
Mahātmanaḥ (“great soul”) indicates that [Lord Rāma] was [actually] capable of preventing the arrow from falling. It is implied that [Khara was able to break Rāma’s bow] because He had become slightly tired and hence inattentive.
The author then describes the dexterity of Khara’s hands in the next verse.