Part 34

Hearing the words uttered by Lakshmana, that slayer of hostile heroes--Raghava--endued with prowess, taking his bow, set shafts on it, and in the brunt of battle began to discharge dreadful arrows at Ravana. And mounted on another car, Ravana--lord of Rakshasas--rushed against Kakutstha, even as Swarbhanu rusheth against the Sun. And even as a mass of clouds poureth down torrents on a mighty mountain, the Ten-necked one, mounted on his car, smote Rama with shafts resembling thunder-bolts. And in the encounter Rama, concentrating his thoughts, showered on the Ten-necked one arrows embellished with gold and looking like living fire. And celestials and Gandharvas and Kinnaras declared that there had been no other battle like unto the encounter of Rama stationed on the ground and the Raksha mounted on his car. Then the foremost of celestials--Sakra--hearing their ambrosial speech, summoning Matali, said,--"Taking my car, hie to the best of the Raghus. And reaching the earth, do thou, welcoming (him), bring about great good unto the gods". Thus accosted by the sovereign of the celestials, Matali--celestial charioteer--bending down his head, addressed that celestial, saying,--"Speedily shall I go, O lord of the celestials; and I shall also do the office of a charioteer (unto Raghava)". Then yoking with steeds that best of cars, curiously wrought with gold; adorned with hundreds of small bells; resembling the Sun new risen; having its pole studded with lapises; yoked with excellent horses caparisoned in gold; furnished with white chowris,--drawn by steeds resembling the Sun; decked with golden net-works,--and provided with a golden standard,--the graceful car of the sovereign of the celestials,--Matali, commanded by the king of the immortals, ascending the car, went out of the celestial regions and came to Kakutstha. And with his hand holding the reins, the charioteer of the thousand-eyed (Deity) with joined hands addressed Rama, saying,--"O Kakutstha, in order that thou mayst obtain the victory, the thousand-eyed (god) hath sent thee this car. And, O exceedingly powerful one! O graceful (hero)! thou that slayest thy foes! this is the redoubtable bow of Indra,--and this is the mail resembling fire,--and these are the arrows looking like the very Sun; and this is the dart shining and fraught with fair fortune. Ascend thou this car, O hero. Slay the Rakshasa--Ravana, with me as thy charioteer, even as the lord of the celestials slayeth Danavas". Thus addressed, Rama, going round the car and saluting it, ascended the same, illumining the worlds with his splendour. And the encounter that took place between the two cars with the mighty-armed Rama (on one side), and the Raksha--Ravana--(on the other), was wonderful to behold. And Raghava highly proficient in weapons with a Gandharva weapon resisted the Gandharva weapon of the Rakshasa king, and with a celestial weapon, his celestial weapon. And then that lord of Rakshasas--the night-ranger--fired with high rage, again discharged an exceedingly dreadful Rakshasa weapon. And the gold-decked shafts shot from Ravana's bow, becoming furiously venomous serpents, covered Kakutstha. And vomitting living flames, they of terrific aspect, having flaming faces, showered over Rama with gaping mouths. And those flaming venomous serpents, having the feel of Vasuki himself, covered all sides and enveloped all quarters. And seeing those serpents descending in the encounter, Rama employed a dreadful Garuda weapon. And discharged from Raghava's bow, those arrows plated with gold at the feathered parts, and furnished with the splendour of peacocks, becoming golden birds--began to range (the field of battle) as the enemies of the serpents. And the shafts of Rama capable of wearing forms at will, turned into birds, destroyed all the exceedingly swift-coursing arrows having the forms of serpents. On his weapon having been baffled, Ravana--lord of Rakshasas--waxing Wroth, poured tremendous showers of shafts on Rama. And smiting Rama of untiring deeds with thousands of shafts, (Ravana) pierced Matali with vollies of arrows. And with an arrow, Ravana severed the standard; and having brought down the golden standard on the floor of the car, Ravana wounded even Indra's steeds with a net-work of arrows. And seeing Rama hard pressed, celestials and Gandharvas, and Charanas along with Danavas, and Siddhas, and the supreme saints were overcome with sadness; and the foremost monkeys together with Bihhishana were aggrieved. And seeing a Moon of Rama Chandra in the grasp of a Rahu of Ravana, that bringer of evil unto creatures--Budha--stood, assailing the Prayapatya star--Rohini--beloved of the Moon. And the enraged Ocean, heaving with smoking surges, and flaming as it were, swelled up, seeming to the touch the Sun. And the Sun was blackened and assumed a stern aspect, with his rays dimmed. And he was seen with a headless trunk on his lap, and he was in conjunction with a comet. And that star of the Kocalas, relating to the deities--Indra and Agni--Angaraka--stood in the sky, attacking Vicakha. And the Ten-necked one, having ten faces and twenty arms, equipped with his bow, looked like the mountain--Mainaka. And Rama reduced to sore straits by the Ten-necked Raksha, could not discharge his arrows in the conflict. And then the enraged Rama with his eyes slightly red, flew into a tremendous passion, as if burning up the Rakshasas. Seeing the face of the enraged Rama endued with understanding, all the creatures were overwhelmed with fear and the Earth herself shook. And mountains abounding with lions and tigers began to tremble, and trees to shiver. And even the deep--lord of streams--was wrought up wondrously. And rough and terrific clouds in the sky sent forth fierce roars. And stormy clouds rumbling went about the heavens. And seeing Rama wrought up with a mighty passion, and the fearful disastrous omens, all creatures were possessed by fright and Ravana was struck with dismay. And then stationed in the sky, celestials and Gandharvas and mighty serpents and saints and Danavas and Daityas and those related to Garuda--fowls--beheld that conflict like unto the universal tumbling, as the two heroes fought on with various dire arms. And as they looked on the mighty encounter, the celestials and the Asuras, who had come to the conflict, from feeling of regard[397] cheerfully spoke (these words). And the Asuras staying there said unto the Ten-necked one, 'Be victorious!' and the celestials again and again said unto Rama, 'Be victorious!' In the meantime, the impious Ravana, desirous of slaying Raghava, from wrath took up a mighty weapon, fraught with the essence of the thunder-bolt; sending terrible sounds; capable of destroying all foes,--furnished with forks resembling mountain-peaks; tending to strike terror unto mind and sight; sharp-pointed, resembling the smoking fire risen at the hour of universal dissolution; exceedingly terrible; irrisistible (in battle); unbearable even by the Destroyer,--the terror of all creatures--terrific; and competent to rive (all things). Flaming up with wrath, Ravana took this dart. And fired with furious wrath, that powerful one took the dart in the encounter, surrounded in that contest by many heroic Rakshasas. And uplifting (the dart), the huge-bodied Ravana, with his eyes reddened in passion, emitted mighty roars. And the shouts of the Rakshasa sovereign made the earth and the sky and the cardinal quarters and all sides tremble. And at the roars of that wicked-minded and huge-bodied one, all creatures were struck with terror, and the sea was vexed.[398] And the exceedingly energetic Ravana, taking that mighty dart, and sending up furious shouts, addressed Rama in a harsh speech, saying,--"O Rama, I in wrath uplift this dart having the strength of the levin. This will utterly deprive of life thee who art assisted by thy brother. O thou that delightest in battle, to-day swiftly slaying thee, I shall make thee even with those heroic Rakshas slain in the van of the forces. Stay now. O Raghava, thee shall I slay with this dart". Saying this, the lord of the Rakshasas hurled the dart. And discharged from Ravana's hand, (the dart), surrounded with garlands of lightning, furnished with eight bells, sending mighty roars,--rising to the sky, looked exceedingly splendid. Seeing the dart, flaming and of terrific aspect, Raghu's son--Rama--endowed with prowess, drawing his bow, discharged arrows. And with vollies of shafts Raghava resisted the descending (dart), even as Vasava extinguished the fire of doomsday with his showers. Then even as a flame consumeth insects, the mighty dart of Ravana burnt up those shafts shot from the bow of Rama. Seeing those shafts reduced to ashes and crushed on coming in contact with the dart, as they were coursing in the sky, Raghava was transported with passion. And then waxing wondrous wroth,--Raghu's son--Raghava--took up a javelin, liked by Vasava himself, brought by Matali. And on being wielded by that strong one, the javelin, resonant with bells, made the welkin blaze up, like a burning meteor on the occasion of universal rack. And when hurled, it alighted on that same dart of the Rakshasa-chief. And thereat, with its splendour lost, the mighty dart, riven, dropped (to the earth.) Then Rama, shooting straight-speeding arrows, pierced his (Ravana's) exceedingly fleet steeds. And then he pierced Ravana in the chest with whetted arrows. And the energetic Raghava hit (Ravana) in the temples with three feathered shafts. And thereat with all his limbs pierced (with arrows), and his body laved in blood, the lord of Rakshasas furnished with many limbs, looked like a flowering Acoka. And with his person pierced with the shafts of Rama, the lord of night-rangers having his body drenched with blood, was stricken with sadness in the midst of his forces,--and was also overwhelmed with terrific wrath.

[397] _i.e._ each party out of regard for the warrior to whom it wished well.--T.

[398] 'The still-_vexed_ Bermoothes.'--_Tempest._

SECTION CIV.

On being greatly harassed by Kakutstha in anger, Ravana, delighting in battle, came under the sway of a towering passion. And with his eyes aglow, that powerful one from wrath and fury assailed Raghava in mighty encounter. And even as clouds pour down from the sky on a pool, Ravana showered thousands of arrows on Raghava. And covered with vollies of shafts discharged from (Ravana's) bow in the conflict, Kakutstha like unto a mighty mountain did not shake. And that one endowed with prowess stood in the field, resisting those networks of arrows, and took up shafts resembling the rays of the Sun. Then the fleet-handed night-ranger, fired with rage, discharged a thousand arrows at the chest of the high-souled Raghava.--And thereat in that encounter Lakshmana's elder brother, with his body bathed in Mood, appeared like a mighty Kincuka tree in a forest. And with his ire aroused by the blows he received, the exceedingly energetic Kakutstha took up arrows resembling the Sun risen at the time of the universal dissolution. And in the darkness spread by the arrows (discharged), Rama and Ravana both fired with wrath could not be discovered of each other. Then that hero--Dacaratha's son--Rama, overcome with wrath, addressed Ravana, laughing, in a harsh speech, saying,--"Thou vilest of Rakshasas, in consequence of having through lack of sense carried off my wife from Janasthana and brought her under thy subjection, thou hast been deprived of thy prowess. Having forcibly carried away Vaidehi staying in that mighty forest, forlorn and without me, thou thinkest--'I am a hero.' Outraging the helpless wives of others,--doing this craven deed, thou thinkest--'I am a hero.' O thou having thy dignity destroyed! shameless wight! O thou of volatile character, having through thy violence brought destruction on thyself, thou thinkest,--'I am a hero.' A great and' famous act hath been performed by thee,--a hero, and the brother of the Bestower of riches, surrounded with thy forces! To-day receive the mighty fruit of that infamous act done through pride, productive of evil.[399] O wicked-minded one, thou thinkest of thyself--'I am a hero;' but thou that hast taken away Sita like a thief, hast no feeling of shame. Hadst thou forcibly outraged Sita in my very presence, thou, slain by my shafts, wouldst have seen thy brother--Khara. By luck, O thou of an evil soul, thou hast come within the range of my vision. To-day by means of sharp shafts shall I bring thee to death's door. To-day beasts of pray will drag thy head having burning ear-rings, severed by my shafts and covered with the dust of the battle-field. O Ravana, vultures will alight on thy breast, as thou wilt lie low on the ground; and, athirst, they will drink the blood gushing out from thy wounds. To-day fowls of the air will keep pulling at thee pierced with my shafts, and lying lifeless, as birds do serpents". Having spoken thus, that slayer of foes--Rama--showered arrows on the lord of Rakshasas, staying before. And the prowess and strength and spirits and force of arms of Rama burning for the destruction of his foe, were doubled. And all the Weapons[400] presented themselves before that one cognisant of self; and the fleet-handedness of that exceedingly powerful one increased immensely from exhilaration of spirits. Seeing all these auspicious omens coming of themselves, Rama, finisher of Rakshasas, set about smiting his foe more energetically than ever. And assailed with stones by the monkeys and showers of shafts by Raghava, the Ten-necked one felt his heart undergoing a revolution.[401] And when through the stupifaction of his inner self, he could not discharge any weapon, or draw his bow, or put forth his prowess, (Rama) did not persist in smiting him. And the shafts and various arms discharged by him betokened his death; and his last moments were present. And his charioteer, driving his car, perceiving this, calmly took the car away from the field of fight. And then, seeing the king shorn of prowess, and dropt, his charioteer, struck with fear, swiftly turned away his dreadful car having the clatter of clouds, and went away from the field of battle.

[399] Remarks Ramanuya, 'here and in the next world.'

[400] _i.e._ the presiding deities of them.

[401] _Vighurnahridayah:_ had his heart paralysed, according to the commentator. I prefer the sense given as more graphic.--T.

SECTION CV.

After gradually regaining his senses, Ravana, urged on by the force of the Finisher, getting into a furious passion, with his eyes reddened in wrath, addressed the charioteer, saying,--"O thou of perverse sense, disregarding me as devoid of prowess, and incompetent, and bereft of vigor,--as cowardly, light, nerveless and shorn of energy,--and as divorced by the power of illusion and debarred by arms,--thou actest on thine own understanding. Wherefore disregarding me, and not minding my purpose, hast thou taken away my car from before the presence of the enemy? O abject one! by thee have my long-earned renown and energy and prowess and credit been brought to naught. In the very sight of an enemy of renowned prowess, and one capable of being gratified with valorous deeds, hast thou made me, burning for battle, look as if I were a coward. As, O wicked-minded one, thou dost not even through heedlessness, take the car to the field of battle, I infer for certain that thou hast been bribed by the foe. The act that thou hast done, doth not appear as that of a friend seeking our welfare; but to-day thou hast acted like an enemy. If thou hast been maintained by me, if thou rememberest my merit, do thou swiftly turn the car before my enemy has departed". Thus admonished by him of slender sense, the charioteer possessed of intelligence, humbly spake onto Ravana words fraught with good,--"I am not afraid, nor stupified, nor have I been bribed by the foe, nor am I negligent. And I have not forgotten thy affection or thy good offices. And studious of thy welfare, I have saved thy fame; and with a mind over-flowing with affection I have done (unto thee) this unpalatable good. O mighty monarch, for this, thou shouldst not, like a frivolous and base one, criminate me that am ever engaged in what is good and dear unto thee. Listen! I shall render thee reason why I turned away from the field the car, rushing like a river when the sea is swelled up.[402] I knew that thou hadst been fatigued in consequence of thy mighty exertions in the fight. And I could not perceive that thy prowess then stood superior (to that of the foe).[403] And the steeds of my car were worn out by carrying it; and they were battered, and helpless, and perspired like kine in a shower. And bad omens fast sprang up before us. And on these occurring, I perceived that things would go against us. O thou endowed with exceeding might, a charioteer should be conversant with season and place, with omens, and the expressions of emotions; as also with depression of spirits, exhilaration, and grief. And he should have a knowledge of low, level and uneven grounds, and the time for conflict, and he should be able to perceive the shortcomings of the enemy. And a charioteer mounted on a car, should know when to draw near an enemy, when to turn away from him; when to stay; and when to turn round from before the foe--all these (he should know). What I, for bringing respite unto thee as well as the horses of the car, have done by way of removing the terrific exhaustion, is proper. I did not, O hero, turn away the car of my own sheer will. What I have done, O lord, had been dictated by my affection for thee. Command me. What thou sayest, O destroyer of foes; I will do every way, O hero, with my whole soul". Thereat, well-pleased with the speech of the charioteer, Ravana, eager for encounter, after praising him in various ways, said,--"O charioteer, do thou swiftly take the car towards Raghava. Without slaying his foe in fight; Ravana turneth not away (from the field)". Speaking thus, Ravana--lord of Rakshasas--gave the charioteer on the car an excellent ornament for the hand. Hearing Ravana's words, the charioteer drove the car. And urged on by the speech of Ravana, the charioteer drove on the steeds,--and in a moment the mighty chariot of the Rakshasa chief appeared before Rama in the field of battle.

[402] On the ascension of the Moon.

[403] Two negatives in this verse amounting to an affirmitive. This is the only instance of double negatives in Valmiki.--T.

SECTION CVI.