Part 7

Seeing Dushana slain in fight along with Tricira, Khara, witnessing Rama's prowess, was filled with fear. And seeing that irrisistible Rakshasa host--even Dushana and Tricira--slain by the mighty Rama alone, and seeing the great courage that was made in the army, that Rakshasa, Khara, was seized with despondency. Then as Namuchi advances against Vasava, Khara stretching his powerful bow, advanced against Rama. And Khara hurled at Rama narachas reveling in blood, resembling infuriated venomous snakes. And repeatedly twanging his bow, Khara, mounted on his car, began to range the field, displaying his weapons through his acquired skill. And that mighty car-warrior covered all sides with his shafts. And seeing this, Rama of a tremendous bow with shafts incapable of being borne, and resembling tongues of flaming fire, entirely enveloped the welkin, even as a cloud poureth down showers. And with the sharpened shafts shot by Khara and Rama, the entire firmament on all sides was thronged. And as each enraged was engaged in coping with the other, the sun, enveloped in a net-work of shafts, did not appear. And as a mighty elephant is struck with the goad, Rama in the conflict attacked (his opponent) with _nalikas_ and _narachas_ and sharp-pointed _vikirna_. And as that Rakshasa sat on his car, bow in hand, all creatures saw him, as if he were the very Destroyer with the noose in his hand. And at this time Khara thought that Destroyer of all his forces, established in his manliness, the exceedingly powerful Rama to be overcome with fatigue. And seeing that one powerful like the lion, and gifted with the vigorous gait of the lion, Rama was not moved, as a lion seeing a puny deer (is not moved). And then as an insect falls into a flame, Khara mounting a mighty car, resembling the sun, approached Rama. And, displaying his lightness of hand, Khara severed the bow of the magnanimous Rama, with the arrow (fixed on it) at the place where it is grasped. Then taking up seven other shafts, resplendent like the thunderbolt of Sakra, Khara, enraged, sent them into (Rama's) main-joints, and then afflicting Rama of unparalleled energy with a thousand shafts, Khara sent up in that conflict a loud shout. And riven by the shafts discharged by Khara, Rama's mail resembling the sun fell to the ground. And pierced with those arrows, all over his body, and inflamed with rage, Raghava appeared in the field, like a smokeless flaming fire. Then that destroyer of foes, Rama, for compassing the end of his enemy, stringed another mighty bow, sending forth solemn sounds,--the redoubtable Vaishnava bow that had been conferred on him by the Maharshi. And uplifting that superior bow, Rama rushed against Khara. Then with shafts having bent knots and golden feathers, Rama, wrought up with rage, severed in battle Khara's standard. And on that exceedingly graceful golden standard being hewn down it seemed as if the sun dropped to the earth at the behest of the celestials. And thereat Khara, understanding the import of things, fired with wrath, pierced Rama's breast with five arrows, like one striking an elephant with a goad. And Rama on being pierced with a good many shafts discharged from Khara's bow, and having his body bathed in blood, was highly wroth. Thereupon that foremost of bowmen, and weilder of a mighty bow, taking six shafts, let them go, after aiming at them. And with one shaft he pierced Khara's head, with two his arms; and with three arrows headed like half-moons, Rama wounded Khara in the chest. Then that highly energetic one, influenced by anger, assailed the Rakshasa with thirteen _narachas_ whetted on stone and with one that exceedingly powerful one, cut the yoke of the car, with four the four steeds, with the sixth the head of Khara's charioteer, with three the stout _trivenu_ of the car, with two the wheel, and with the twelfth, severing as if in sport Khara's bow with his hand,[40] with the thirteenth, resembling the thunder-bolt pierced Khara in the encounter. Then with his bow shattered, deprived of his car, (Khara) having his horses slain as well as his charioteer killed, taking a mace in his hand leaped to the ground, and stood there. And the celestials and Maharshis exceedingly rejoiced, assembled in the welkin in a body, and with joined hands extolled that feat of that mighty car-warrior Rama.

[40] Another text reads: _with the arrow set.--T._

SECTION XXIX.

And to Khara deprived of his car standing with a mace in his hand, that exceedingly energetic one, Rama, preluding his speech with mildness, spake, "Backed by this mighty host abounding in elephants and horses and cars, thou hast done an exceedingly wicked deed, execrated by all the worlds. Even if one happen to be the lord of the three worlds, one given to troubling creatures, and who is cruel and engaged in wicked acts, can not exist. All persons destroy, like a snake that hath intruded itself, him that doth cruel deeds, hostile to the interests of every one. People delightedly behold the end of him that doing an action either from covetuousness or desire, doth not like a Brahmain wallowing a Karaka, see the consequence thereof. What, O Rakshasa, dost thou gain by slaughtering exceedingly pious ascetics engaged in righteous acts, living in the forest of Dandaka? Like unto trees whose roots have been reduced, cruel persons, execrated of men, who perpetrate iniquitous acts, do not exist long. And as a tree puts forth blossoms in season, the doer of sinful deeds, at the hour (of repentance) inevitably reaps their fruit in the shape of dreadful anguish, of the spirit). And, O ranger of night, as the effect of having taken rice mixed with poison, appears without delay, even so also people readily reap the fruit of their own acts. O ranger of the night, it is to take the lives of the perpetrators of dreadful sins, who wish ill unto men, that I the king have come. Today the gold-decked arrows discharged by me, piercing (thy body), shall enter into the earth, cleaving it, like serpents falling into an ant-hill. Slain in battle, thou shalt in company with thy army, follow those people practising piety, whom thou hast devoured in the Dandaka forest. Today let those great saints, who had formerly been slain by thee, stationed in the sky, behold thee slain (in turn) with my arrows, and inhabiting hell. Do thou strike as thou lik. And thou that art of an odious race, do thou put forth thy energy. Today I will bring down thy head, even as a palm falls to the ground." Thus addressed by Rama, Khara enraged and beyond himself with passion, with eyes reddened, replied, "O son of Dacaratha, why having slain inferior Rakshasas in battle, dost thou praise thyself without reason? Those foremost of men that are puissant and powerful, do not, inflated with their energy, mouth (their own consequence). It is the mean-minded Kshatriyas of impure heads that magnify themselves among men, even as thou O Rama, dost. What hero, when the hour of his death hath approached, publishes in the field his own lofty lineage and sings his own hymn. As brass wearing the semblance of gold, displays its own defect on being heated,[41] with a fire lit with Kuca,[42] so thou hast betrayed thy own lightness by this speech of thine. Thou dost not see me staying here mace in hand, like a moveless mountain dyed in metals, bearing mobile and immobile things. I can, mace in hand, deprive thee and the three worlds to boot clean of your lives, like the very Destroyer with the noose in his hand. But I will not parley much with thee as much as I could wish: the sun is going to set, and our fight shall be interrupted. Fourteen thousand Rakshasas have been slaughtered by thee. I will for their deaths wipe their tears to-day." Saying this, Khara, highly enraged, hurled his mace[43] provided with golden rings at Rama, like unto the blazing thunder-bolt. Thereat, reducing to ashes trees and shrubs, that mighty flaming mace, discharged by Khara's arm, fell before Rama. And Rama severed in many fragments that mighty mace, resembling the noose of Death, as ascending the welkin, it was coming down. Thereupon, like a she-serpent brought down by force of incantations, the mace fell to the earth shattered and riven.

[41] _i.e. becomes dusky_, as Ramanuya intelligently remarks.--T.

[42] Another reading is, _lit with husks._

[43] Another reading is, _plaited with gold._

SECTION XXX.

Cutting off the mace with his shafts, Raghava attached unto righteousness with a smile said unto Khara these angry words, "Thou vilest of Rakshasas, this is the utmost of thy might, which thou hast displayed. Rendered more nerveless at my hands, in vain dost thou storm. Riven by my shafts, thy mace, belonging unto thee who art prolix in the matter of vocabulary, destroying thy confidence, hath saught the earth. And what thou hadst said,--'I will wipe the tears of the Rakshasas that have been slain,' hath also proved false. As Garuda stole ambrosia, will I deprive thee, O Rakshasa, who art base, of a mean disposition and a false character, of thy life. To day the earth shall drink the blood vitiated with foamy bubbles, of thee, having thy throat severed, and riven by my shafts. Having all thy body covered with dust, and thy two arms lopped off, thou shalt, difficult to win, take thy nap, embracing the earth, like a damsel difficult to win. On thee, disgrace of Rakshasas, lying down, and being fast asleep, this Dandaka shall be refuge of those that shall resort to it for shelter. O Rakshasa, in thy Janasthana, with its (Rakshasas) slain by my shafts, ascetics shall fearlessly go about in the wood. Today Rakshasas, capable of exciting fear in others, rendered forlorn and with their friends slain, shall from fear, with their faces wet with tears, fly (this place). To day thy wives whose husband art thou of such a nature,--and who are of a like lineage (with thyself),--shall experience the sentiment of sorrow, and be deprived of their all. Thou of a cruel disposition, thou of ignoble soul, thou that art aye a thorn (in the side) of Brahmanas, it is for thee that ascetics, frightened and dispirited, have so long been pouring the clarified butter." As Raghava, influenced by anger, said this in the field, Khara from wrath, with accents rendered harsher, fell to censuring (Rama). "Thou art wondrous proud: and thou art fearless albeit fear is present unto thee. And come under the sway of death, thou dost not understand what should be said and what left unspoken. Those persons that have been fast bound by the noose of death, do not in consequence of their senses having ceased to perform their functions, descern what is proper and what improper." Saying this unto Rama, that ranger of the night (Khara), pursing his brows, espied a mighty _sala_ hard by. And looking about him on all sides in the field for a weapon, he uprooted it, biting his nether lip. And raising up the tree with his arms, and uttering a roar, that exceedingly powerful one aiming at Rama discharged it, exclaiming,--"Dead thou art." And as it descended, the puissant Rama cut it off by means of a multitude of shafts, got into a mighty rage for the purpose of slaying Khara in battle. Then Rama perspiring, with eyes reddened in wrath, pierced Khara in battle with a thousand shafts. And blood mixed with froth gushed by the sides of the shafts, like torrents flowing from fountain in a hill[44] stupified in battle by the shafts shot by Rama, and maddened by the smell of blood, Khara furiously made for Rama. And as he (Khara) was rushing on, bathed with blood, Rama equipped with arms, suddenly summoning his strength walked backward two or three paces. Then with the view of bringing about (Khara's end) Rama took up in the conflict an arrow resembling fire or another weapon of Brahma himself. And that righteous one shot at Khara that (arrow), which had been conferred on him by the intelligent Maghavan. And discharged by Rama from his bent bow that mighty arrow with the roaring of the thunderbolt fell at Khara' s breast. And burning in the fire of the arrow, Khara fell down on the earth, like the giant Andhaka[45] in the forest of Sweta, consumed by Rudra. And threat Khara slain fell down like Vritra slain by the thunder-bolt, or Namuchi by foam,[46] or Vala by Indra's _Acani_. After this, the celestials, assembled with the Charanas, struck with wonder joyfully sounded kettledrums and showered blossoms on Rama. "In over half a moment Rama by means of sharpened shafts hath slain in mighty encounter fourteen thousand Rakshasas, wearing shapes at will, headed by Khara and Dushana. Ah! mighty is the feat achieved by Rama knowing self. Ah! this mighty prowess, this mighty firmness, show like unto those of Vishnu himself." Saying this all the deities went to from where they had come. Then the Rajarshis in company with supreme saints, with Agastya (at their head), gladly paying homage unto Rama, said the following words, "It is for this that the chastiser of Paka, the great Indra, Purandra, had paid a visit to the sacred asylum of Sarabhanga. And the Maharshis had dexterously brought thee to this place, for compassing the destruction of those foes--the wicked Rakshasas. And it is owing to this, that, O son of Dacaratha, thou hast performed this mighty deed. (Now) the Maharshis will carry on their proper pious offices in the Dandaka." After this, that hero, Lakshmana, accompanied with Sita came out of the mountain cavern, and joyfully entered the asylum. Then the victorious and heroic, Rama, honored by the Maharshis, entered the asylum, worshipped by Lakshmana. And seeing that destroyer of foes, and bringer of comfort unto the Maharshis, her husband, Vaidehi embraced him. And seeing the multitudes of Rakshasas slain, Janaka's daughter, beholding the undeteriorating Rama, ministered unto him with supreme joy. And with a delightful countenance again embracing that destroyer of foes, who had been honored by the delighted Maharihis, Janaka's daughter became exceedingly happy.

[44] The text varies slightly in other texts.--T.

[45] The Asura Andhaka was slain in the forest of _Sweta_ by Rudra. This is related in the Puranas. Another reading is _Swetarayge yathantaka like the Destroyer in the forest of Sweta_. Swa, according to the _Kurma Purana Uttra Khanda_, in the Kalanyara hill, by a kick with his left leg slew the Destroyer, engaged in pennances, who had come to kill the Rajarshi Sweta, who was a great votary of Siva.--T.

[46] Namuchi was slain by a thunder-bolt laid over with foam.--T.

SECTION XXXI.

Then Akampana bestiring himself, speedily issuing out of Janasthana, spake unto Ravana, "0 king, a great many Rakshasa living in Janasthana, have been slain, and Khara also hath been slain in battle. I alone have with much difficulty managed to come here." Thus addressed, the ten-necked one, flaming up in energy, with his eyes reddened in wrath, said this unto Akampana, "Who, having his days numbered, hath ravaged the dreadful Janasthana? Who shall no more wend the way of all beings? Doing me a bad turn, Maghavan himself, or Vaicravana, or Yama, or Vishnu, cannot attain happiness. I am the destroyer of the Destroyer himself; and I burn even very Fire. And I can bring death itself to mortality. I can by my impetus resist the force of the wind. And when enraged, I can by my energy consume the Sun and Fire." Thereat, Akampana, with joined hands, from fear replied to the ten-necked Ravana, in faltering words, beseeching courage. Thereat that foremost of Rakshasas, the ten-necked one, granted him courage. Then inspired with confidence, Akampana without fear spoke, "There is a son of Dacaratha, youthful, resembling a lion[47], named Rama of broad shoulders, and possessed of excellent beauty of long and mighty-arms. (He) is sable-hued, of high fame, and of matchless prowess and vigor. It is he that in Janasthana hath slain Khara with Dushana." Hearing Akampana's words, that lord of the Rakshasas, Ravana, breathing like a mighty serpent, said these words, "Tell me, O Akampana, hath Rama come to Janasthana, accompanied with the sovereign of the celestials and the body of the immortals? Again hearing Ravana's words, Akampana described the strength and energy of that high-souled one. (He) is named Rama, and is exceedingly energetic; the foremost of all bowmen-- furnished with celestial panoply; and is possessed of pre-eminent prowess in warfare. Like unto him in strength, of red eyes, and gifted with a voice like the sound of a kettledrum, his younger brother, Lakshmana has a countenance resembling the full-moon. He hath met with him (Rama) as the wind meeteth with a flame. He is endeued with grace, and is the foremost of monarchs. It is he who hath ravaged Janasthana. The magnanimous gods did not come there. No doubts need be entertained on this head. The feathered shafts, plated with gold near the plumed part, becoming five-mouthed serpents ate up the Rakshasas. Wherever oppressed with fear the Rakshasas go, they see Rama stationed before them. In this way, O sinless one, hath Janasthana been exterminated by him." Hearing Akampana's words, Ravana said, "I will go to Janasthana for slaying Rama with Lakshmana." When he had said this, Akampana said, "Hear, O king, the true report of Rama's prowess and manliness. Enraged, the highly famous Rama cannot by putting forth vigor be checked. And by means of his shafts, he can make river in full flood turn its course. And he can bring down from the sky its stars and planets, and that graceful one can recover the depressed Earth. And that lord can submerge all creatures by riving the continents of the sea, and with his shafts can resist the onset of the ocean, and the wind; and that illustrious one that foremost of persons by virtue of his vigor, destroying the worlds, can again create all creatures. O ten-necked one, forsooth, Rama cannot be subdued in conflict, either by thee or the world of Rakshasas, as heaven is incapable of being attained by a sinner. I deem him incapable of being slain by all the Gods and Asuras together. This alone is the means of slaying. Do thou heedfully listen to it! He has a wife of sterling worth in the world, and that slender-waisted one is known by the name of Sita. She is in the full bloom of youth, and hath a symmetrical person--a jewel among womankind embellished with jewels. And neither a goddess, nor a Gandharbi, nor yet an Apsari, nor a Pannagi is equal to her; and what is a human female? Thrashing him, do thou in the mighty forest, carry away his wife. Without Sita, Rama shall cease to exist." Thereupon, the lord of the Rakshasas, Ravana, happened to relish those words; and reflecting (a while), that mighty-armed one addressed Akampana, saying, "Excellent well. I will go there alone, accompanied by my charioteer only. I will this very morning with a glad heart bring Vaidehi to this spacious palace." Saying this, Ravana departed, lighting up all sides, on a sun-shiny car, yoked with mules. And coursing the firmament, that mighty car of that foremost of Rakshasas looked like the Moon among clouds. And proceeding far, he, approaching the asylum (of Taraka's son), presented himself before him. And Maricha entertained the king with meats and drinks passing human. And having entertained him personally with a seat and water (to wash the feet), Maricha spoke these pregnant words, "O king, O lord of the Rakshasas, is it well with the worlds? I am filled with fear: I apprehend that all is not right, since thou hast come hither (alone) in such post-haste speed." Thus addressed by Maricha, the highly energetic Ravana, versed in speech, said, "My child, the guards (of Janasthana) have been slain by Rama of untiring energy; and all Janasthana, incapable of being slain, hath (by him) been brought down in battle. Do thou, therefore, assist me in carrying away his wife." Hearing these words of the lord of Rakshasas, Maricha said, "What enemy of thine in the guise of a friend, hath spoken of Sita unto thee? And, O foremost of monarchs, who, having been, entertained by thee, doth not bear thee good will?[48] Tell me, who is it that hath told thee, 'Bring Sita hither?' Who is it that hath set his heart on severing the summit of the entire Rakshasa world? He must be thy enemy that excites thee to this. Of this there is not the least doubt. He wishes to extract through thy agency the fangs of a venomous snake. Who (intends) to lead thee astray by imposing on thee such a deed? Who, king, hath struck in the head, thee that wast slumbering in peace? Raghava in war is like a mad elephant, having an unblemished ancestry for his trunk, perspiration for his temporal exudation; and arms resting well beside him for his tusks. O Ravana, thou art not competent even to look at him. Thou ought not to rouse up the sleeping man-lion, that slayer of skillful Rakshasas resembling deer, with his sport in the field, for his joints and down; arrows for his body and sharp scimitar for his teeth. O Sovereign of the Rakshasas, thou ought not to plunge thyself into this dreadful, and abysslesss ocean, having the bow for its alligators, activity of arms for its shine, arrows for its billows, and engagement for its waters. Be propitious, O lord of Lanka! O foremost of Rakshasas, with a contented heart, thou hadst better go thy way to Lanka. Do thou ever sport with thy own wives: let Rama in company with his wife, sport in the woods." Thus addressed by Maricha, the ten-throated Ravana desisted, and entered Lanka the best of capitals.

[47] Another reading is _Viranga: rupopeta: possessed of handsome person._

[48] Another reading is--_ko na nandati ninditi; who having been insulted by thee, doth not rejoice (in thy prosperity)_, and, therefore, in the garb of friend-ship, hath done thee this wrong?--T.

SECTION XXXII.