Part 31

When the counsellors of Pulastya's son, hearing of Indrajit having been slain, speedily conveyed the tidings unto the Ten-necked one, who was ignorant[374] of the same. "O mighty monarch, in our very sight thy exceedingly effulgent son hath been slain by Lakshmana with the help of Bibhishana. And that hero confronted by the (other) hero, hath been vanquished in fight. And the hero, thy son, the conquerer of the celestial chief, hath also been slain by Lakshmana. And having gratified Lakshmana with his shafts, he hath repaired to the supreme regions". Hearing of that mighty terror, _viz._, the rueful and dreadful destruction of his son, Indrajit, in battle, he straightway swooned away. Then regaining his consciousness after a long while, that foremost of Rakshasas--the king--overwhelmed with grief for his son, and distressed, burst into lamentations, with his senses wildered,--thus,--"O foremost in the Rakshasa army! O my child endowed with high might! Having conquered Indra himself, wherefore to-day hast thou come under the sway of Lakshmana? Doubtless, thou enraged could pierce with thy arrows the Destroyer of Time himself, and the summit of Mandara,--what shall I say of Lakshmana in encounter? To-day king Viwacwata hath raised himself immensely in my estimation, for to-day he, O mighty-armed one, hath brought thee under the law of Time. But this is the way of capable warriors as well as celestials. He that layeth down his life for his lord, repaireth to heaven. To-day seeing Indrajit slain, the deities and the guardians of the worlds, and the mighty saints, their fear gone off, shall sleep peacefully. This triple world and this entire earth with her woods, reft of one--Indrajit--appear to me as vacant. To-day shall I hear the cries of the daughters of the Nairitas in my inner apartment, like unto the roars of she-elephants in a mountain-cavern. Renouncing thy state of an heir-apparent, and Lanka and the Rakshas, O subduer of enemies, and thy mother, and me, and thy wife--whither hast thou gone, (leaving) us all? O hero, I having gone to the region of Yama, thou ought to have performed my last rites, but thou standest in a relation the very reverse of this.[375] And Sugriva living and Lakshmana and Raghava, without extracting my dart, whither hast thou gone, leaving us all? And then vising from the disaster that had befallen his son, a mighty wrath overcame the lord of Rakshasas--Ravana, as he was thus indulging in lamentations. And even as in summer, the (Solar) rays flame up the Sun, the destruction of his son flamed up all the fiercer, him, who was naturally irascible. And as he kept yawning in passion, a flaming fire with smoke darted from his mouth, even as it did from the mouth of Vritra. And burning in grief for the destruction of his son, and coming under masterdom of passion, that hero--Ravana--reflecting (awhile) in his mind, resolved upon slaying Vaidehi. And naturally red, and reddened (still more) by the fire of wrath, Ravana's glowing eyes were dreadful (to behold). And his form, terrific by nature, in consequence of the fire of his wrath having possessed it entirely, resembled the form of the enraged Rudra. And from the eyes of that infuriated one fell drops of tears as drop from a flaming lamp drops of burning oil. And as he grinded his teeth, the gnashing resembled the sounds sent by the machine[376] drawn by the Danavas and churning the deep. The Rakshasas durst not approach that one eying round and resembling the Destroyer himself, intent, on devouring both mobile and immobile. Then exceedingly enraged, Ravana--lord of Rakshasas--spoke in the midst of the Rakshasas, inciting them to battle,--"I practised severe austerities for thousands of years; and gratified the Self-sprung at times. Neither from Asuras nor from celestials can any fear spring to me. My mail conferred on me by Brahma, which in effulgence resembles the Sun himself, was not broken by blows like unto thunder-bolt at the war between the deities and demons. To-day who will come forward against me in battle accoutred in that and mounted on a car in the conflict? Not even Purandara himself. Do ye, beating hundreds of drums, to-day raise that mighty and dreadful bow of mine which, with arrows, had been bestowed on one by the gratified Self-sprung at the war of the gods and Asuras,--so that I may therewith compass the destruction of Rama and Lakshmana in mighty battle". Burning (in grief) for the destruction of his son, the fell Ravana, coming under the influence of anger, reflecting (in his mind), resolved to slay Sita. And eying round, that copper-eyed and dreadful one of a terrific aspect, distressed, in a piteous voice addressed all the night-rangers, saying,--"By his power of illusion, my beloved child, for deceiving the wood-rangers, slaying something (else), had shown it unto them as Sita. Now will I do that good office myself,--Vaidehi will I slay--even her that is devoted to that friend of Kshatriyas". Having spoken thus unto his counsellors, he swiftly took up a sword; and raising it, of excellent temper and of cerulean hue, he rushed out vehemently, surrounded by his wives and counsellors. From grief for his son. Ravana with his consciousness wildered, taking up a sword, in rage, rushed towards the place where Mithila's daughter was. Seeing the Rakshasa rising on, some, emitted leonine roars, and seeing the Rakshasa enraged, embracing each other, said,--"To-day those two brothers, seeing this one, will be exceedingly pained. By this one, influenced with passion were the four guardians of the worlds conquered; and many other foes were brought down in battle. Procuring gems from the three worlds, Ravana enjoyeth them. Neither in strength nor in prowess is there any one on earth who is his compeer". As they were speaking thus, Ravana, reft of his senses by wrath, rushed against Vaidehi, who had taken up her abode in the Acoka wood. And dissuaded by his friends endowed with good intelligence, he, wrought up with high wrath, darted (against Sita), even as an enraged planet[377] rusheth against Rohini[378] in the firmament. And the blameless daughter of Mithila protected by the Rakshasis, saw the infuriated Ravana bearing that best of blades in his hand. Seeing (Ravana) approach, sword in hand, despite the earnest entreaties of his friends, Janaka's daughter, Sita, pained and overcome by grief, said, weeping,--"From the way in which, wrought up with wrath, this wicked-minded one is rushing on at me personally, it appears that he will slay me, who have a lord, as one who hath not. He did urge me much ever devoted to my lord, saying 'Be thou my wife but forsooth I disregarded him. And plainly in consequence of my refusal, he hath given way to despair. And overcome by anger and passion, he is ready to slay me. Or it may be that to-day for me those foremost of men, the brothers--Rama and Lakshmana--have been slain in encounter by this inglorious one. I heard a furious and fearful uproar raised by countless Rakshasas rejoicing, and expressing their delight.--Alas! O fie! For me those princes have met with destruction. Or it may be that not without slaying Rama and Lakshmana, this terrific Rakshasa, having his heart set on sin, from grief for his son, will slay me. Fool that I am, I did not then act agreeably to Hanuman's words. If I had gone away seated on his back, without waiting for the victory (of my lord), I devoted to him, placed on his lap, should not have come by this repentance. When Kaucalya, having an only son, will hear of her son slain in battle, I fancy, her heart shall burst. And, weeping, she will remember that high-souled one's birth and boyhood, and youth and pious acts and loveliness. And that one bereft of her consciousness, filled with despair, after having performed his _sraddha_[379] will doubtless enter into fire or water. Shame on the unchaste and hump-backed Manthara, having her heart fixed in sin, for whose sake this grief shall exercise Kaucalya!" Seeing the distressed daughter of Mithila lament thus, like unto Rohini come under the sway of a planet in the absence of the Moon, in the meanwhile his[380] pure and good courtier, named Suparcwa, endowed with intelligence, albeit prevented by other courtiers, spoke unto Ravana, foremost of Rakshasas,--"Wherefore, O Ten-necked one, O thou who art the very younger brother of Vaicravana himself, Dost thou desire to slay Vaidehi, forsaking righteousness? Why, O hero! O lord of Rakshasas! having led the Brahmacharyya mode of life, studied the Vedas, and returned from the house of thy spiritual guide, and ever engaged in religious acts, to-day dost thou intend to slay a woman? Do thou, O king, now stay expecting Mithila's daughter[381] endowed with loveliness; and do thou along with us vent thy wrath on him.[382] To-day being the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, do thou this very day prepare for conflict; at _amavasya_,[383] environed with thy forces, do thou march for victory. Heroic, and intelligent, a mighty car-warrior and swordsman, thou, mounted on a car, slaying the redoubtable son of Dacaratha, wilt obtain Mithila's daughter". Thus exhorted by his friend, the unrighteous Ravana accepted his virtuous speech; and then that powerful one went (back) to his house, and, surrounded by his friends, entered the court.

[374] _Avajuaya_. Ramanuya says it means "ignorant of the same". Tirtha says it means, 'Seeing.' Then the sense would be, 'the counsellors, having first _seen_ Indrajit slain, informed Ravana of it.'--T.

[375] I have to perform thy last rites, thou having fallen in fight while I am alive.--T.

[376] Meaning the mountain Mandara.

[377] Kuja, _etc_

[378] Hesperus.

[379] Funereal rites performed in accordance with the injunctions of the Hindu Scriptures.--T.

[380] Ravana's.

[381] Explains the commentator: "till thou slayest Rama in battle".--T.

[382] Rama.

[383] _i.e._ to-morrow.

SECTION LXLIV.

Entering his court, the king, distressed, and exceedingly aggrieved, sat him down on the foremost seat sighing like an enraged lion. And stricken with grief in consequence of his son's death, that highly powerful Ravana, with folded hands, addressed all the heroic Rakshasas, saying:--"Do ye all proceed to battle with elephants, horses and cars. And encircling Rama only and discharging shafts at him, delightedly, like unto clouds, in the rainy season, pouring water, do ye slay him. Or I shall slay him to-morrow in the presence of all, wounded by you in the mighty encounter with sharpened arrows". Hearing the speech of their lord the Rakshasas, with a huge army and a host of cars, speedily issued out for battle. And they all threw at the monkeys life-destroying _Parighas_, _Patticas_, arrows, daggers and _Paraskwadhas_. And the monkeys too threw crags and trees at the Rakshasas. Thus on the eve of sun set there arose a terrible conflict between the Rakshasas and the monkeys. And they struck each other in the conflict with clubs, _chitras_, _Prasas_, daggers and _Paraskwadhas_. The conflict being thus carried on, there arose a mighty dust which was again destroyed by the current of blood gushing out of the persons of the Rakshasas and the monkeys. Elephants and cars were like the banks of that river of blood, the arrows were like the fishes, and the flags were the trees on their banks and the corpses were like planks afloat there. Being thus wounded and assailed by the Rakshasas, those heroic monkeys leaped and broke down the flags, armours, cars, horses and other weapons. And with their sharp teeth and nails they scratched the hair, ears, foreheads and the noses of the Rakshasas. Like unto vultures falling upon a felled tree, hundreds of monkeys fell upon one Rakshasa in that encounter. And the Rakshasas resembling mountains, with huge clubs, _prasas_, daggers and _parashwadhas_, struck the monkeys (in their turn). Being thus assailed by the Rakshasas, the mighty host of monkeys took refuge of Rama, the son of Dacaratha, the worthy refuge of all creatures. Thereupon the highly effulgent and powerful Rama, taking up his bow, entered the Rakshasa host and began to make a downpour of arrows. And Rama entering the field, those terrible Rakshasas, being burnt with the fire of his arrows, could not stand before him like unto clouds disappearing before the Sun in the welkin. And the night-rangers only espied the dreadful feats performed by Rama and which were above the power of others. Except when guiding the huge army or driving the cars they could not see Rama like unto the wind invisible in a forest. They all beheld the Rakshasa force scattered, wounded, burnt down with arrows, broken and assailed with weapons, by Rama, but none could see the quick-moving Rama. As people cannot see the soul which governs all objects of sense so they could not see Rama, who was thus inflicting wounds on them. "It is he who is destroying the soldiers riding the elephants, it is he who is breaking down the mighty cars, and it is he who with sharp arrows is slaying the cavalry--rider and horse". Thus saying those Rakshasas, in that conflict and in the very presence of Rama, highly enraged, began to slay each other. They were all bewildered by the huge Gandharba weapon discharged by the high-souled Rama and so they could not see Rama, who was thus burning down their force. And the Rakshasas sometimes beheld thousands of Rama in the battle field and again saw one Rama only. They at times saw the quick-moving golden end of the bow of that high-souled one, resembling a circular fire brand but they did not behold Raghava. And he looked like _kala chakra_, having his middle body as its navel, his own strength as its lustre, the arrow for its radius or spoke, the bow for the circumference, the twang of the bow for its sound, his power and intelligence for its brightness, and the aim of the celestial weapons for its limit. And in the eighth division of the time by Rama alone with arrows resembling the flame of fire were destroyed ten thousands swift-coursing cars, eighteen thousand elephants fourteen thousands horses and riders and two million Rakshasa infantry assuming shapes at will. And those night-rangers, who were still left, having their horses killed, cars and flags broken, fled in fear of life to the city of Lanka. And the battle field, filled with slain horses elephants and infantry, looked like the high-souled and enraged Rudra's arena of sports. Thereupon the celestials with Gandharbas, Siddhas and the great ascetics glorified the wonderful feat of Rama. And the virtuous-souled Rama addressed Sugriva, Bibhishana the monkey Hanuman, the leading monkey Jambavan, Mainda and Divida who were near him, saying--"This is the power of my weapons and as well as that of Rudra". The high-souled Rama, equalling Sakra in prowess, thus slaying the huge host of the lord of Rakshasas and assailing them with shafts and weapons--the celestials, delighted, sang his praises.

SECTION LXLV.

By Rama, of unwearied actions, with flaming arrows feathered in burning gold, were destroyed thousands of elephants--many horses with their riders, many a car crested with flaming banners; thousands of heroic Rakshasas assuming shapes at will, engaged by Ravana, and armed with clubs and _parighas_; and golden pennons. Beholding and hearing of this the remaining night-rangers assembled and were greatly bewildered, poorly and stricken with anxiety. The widows and those who had lost their children or kinsmen approached those Rakshasas and overwhelmed with grief, bewailed piteously,--"Alas! why did the aged and grim-visaged Surpanakha, having her belly extending down-ward, behold in the forest Rama graceful like Kandarpa. And beholding him of great beauty and prowess, ever engaged in the welfare of all creatures, that ugly one, worthy of being slain by people, was excited with lust. Why did that ugly-faced she-demon, devoid of all qualities, address Rama, having a beautiful countenance, gifted with many virtues and great effulgence? Alas for the misfortune of the Rakshasas, the aged Rakshasee brought before him such a vile proposal, hated of all and worthy of creating laughter. For the destruction of Khara, Dushana and other Rakshasas that ugly one approached Raghava with such a vile intention. It was for her that Ravana created enmity (with Rama) and Sita was carried away by the Ten-necked Rakshasa. But he could not spread his influence upon Sita the daughter of king Janaka and deep rooted and eternal became the enmity with the highly powerful Raghava. And beholding the Rakshasa Biradha slain by Rama alone--(Ravana) wishing Vaidehi should have regarded that as a sufficient proof of his prowess. And fourteen thousand Rakshasas of terrible deeds were slain by him in Janasthana with shafts resembling the flame of fire. Khara, Dushana as well as Tricira were slain by him in conflict with arrows resembling the Sun--this was a sufficient proof (of his power). Yoyanabahu and Kavandha, drinking blood, were slain by him, roaring with wrath--this too was a sufficient proof of his power. Rama slew the powerful Vali, the son of the thousand eyed one, resembling the cloud--that too was the sufficient proof of his prowess. By him Sugriva, poorly and living in the mount Rishyamukha, having all his desires frustrated, was placed on the throne--that too even was the sufficient proof of his power. He (Ravana) from foolishness did not like the becoming speech of Bibhishana conducive to the acquirement of piety and wealth and securing the welfare of the Rakshasas. Had the younger brother of the lord of wealth (Ravana) observed the words of Bibhishana, Lanka would not have been overwhelmed with grief and reduced to the state of a cremation ground. Hearing of the destruction of the highly powerful Kumbhakarna by Rama. of the irrepressible Atikaya by Lakshmana as well as of his beloved son Indrajit, Ravana did not come to his senses.[384] There is audible in every house of the Rakshasas, the cry,--'My son, my brother, my husband is slain in battle.' In conflict have been destroyed by the heroic Rama, thousand cars, horses, serpents and infantry. Perhaps Rudra, Vishnu, Mahendra or the performer of hundred sacrifices, or even Death, in the shape of Rama, is slaying us. By Rama all the heroes have been slain--despair has taken possession of our minds--we do not behold the end of our terror and are bewailing being deprived of our lords. Does not the Ten-necked hero, who has obtained boons (from Brahma) perceive that a mighty disaster shall befall him from Rama? Neither the celestials, Gandharbas, Picachas nor Rakshasas shall be able to save him from Rama in conflict. In every battle many an accident befalls Ravana--this bespeaks of his destruction at the hands of Rama. The great Patriarch, being pleased, conferred upon Ravana the boon that no fear would proceed unto him from the celestials, the Danavas or the Rakshasas--but he did not beg of him, security from men. Forsooth, he is that fearful man who shall slay Ravana and the Rakshasas. The celestials, being thus oppressed by Ravana, who had obtained the boon, worshipped the great Patriarch with severe austerities. And being propitiated with them, the high-souled Patriarch, for their welfare, addressed the celestials, with the following pregnant speech. "From to-day shall the Rakshasas and Danavas roam for ever, afraid of the celestials". Thereupon the celestials headed by Indra engaged in propitiating Mahadeva, the slayer of Tripura, and who rides upon a bull. And being pleased, Mahadeva addressed them, saying,--"For your welfare there will be born a woman who shall be the cause of the destruction of the Rakshasas". As hunger, being engaged by the celestials, did destroy in olden time, all the Danavas, so shall she (Sita) the root of the extinction of Rakshasa race destroy us all with Ravana. Alas! for the foolishness of the vicious-minded and insolent Ravana destruction has faced us and we are overwhelmed with grief. We do not see any such being in the world who can afford us shelter. Raghava has attacked us like unto the fire of dissolution. There is no refuge for us who have been stricken with fear as no help reaches the elephants in a forest beset with fire. The high-souled Bibhishana did the just thing in proper time--he took shelter of him from whom he expected danger". Thus bewailed piteously and loudly--the she-demons holding each other by the neck and being stricken with fear and grief.

[384] One _sloka_ has been omitted here by some of the editors, which when translated stands thus:--When one monkey only Hanuman killed the prince Akshaya and reduced the whole city to ashes with the fire of his tail. Ravana should have come to his senses.

SECTION LXLVI.