Part 3

"And hearing of the activity of the celestials, the night-ranger—Malyavān—addressed his heroic brothers, saying,—’The immortals and sages, going to Sankara, spake these words, desirous of our destruction,—The terrific sons of Sukeça, puffed up, and swollen on account of their strength flowing from the boon, are crossing us at every step. We have been overpowered by the Rākshasas. And, O lord of creatures, from fear of those wicked-minded ones, we cannot remain in our own homes. Therefore, to do us good, do thou, O three-eyed one, destroy them; and, O best of consuming ones, do thou with thy roars, burn them up.—Thus addressed by the deities, the slayer of Andhaka, hearing their speech, said, shaking his head and hands,—Ye gods, Sukeça’s sons are incapable of being slain by me in battle. But I shall tell you the means whereby they may be slain. Do ye seek the shelter of him who holdeth the discus and mace in his hands, and who is clad in a yellow attire,—of Janārdana, Hari, even of the auspicious Nārāyana.—Having received this counsel of Hara, they, rendering reverence unto that enemy of Kāma, came to the abode of Nārāyana and communicated everything unto him. Then Nārāyana spoke unto the celestials with Indra at their head,—I will slay those foes of the celestials. Ye gods, cast off all fear!—O foremost of Rākshasas, Hari promised unto the frightened celestials that he would slay us. Therefore do ye think as to what is fit. Hiranyakaçipu hath met with death (at the hands of Hari), as also other enemies of the immortals. And Namuchi and Kālanemi, and that foremost of heroes,—Sanhrāda—and Rādheya, and Vahumāyi, and the virtuous Lokapāla, and Yāmala, and Arjuna, and Hārdikya, and Sumbha and Niçumbhaka,—Asuras and Dānavas endowed with strength and possessed of terrific prowess—all these, who, having come to the field, had never been heard of as worsted, who had performed hundreds of sacrifices, who had been well skilled in illusion, who had been versed in every branch of knowledge, and who were the terrors of their foes—have by hundreds and by thousands been destroyed by Nārāyana. Learning this, it behoveth you to do what would conduce to the behoof of all. It is a sore task to defeat Nārāyana, who wisheth to slay us.’ Thereat Sumāli and Māli, hearing the words of Mālyavān, said unto their eldest brother, like the Acwins addressing Vāsava,—’We have studied, performed sacrifices, practised charity, and obtained riches; and attaining long health and long life, we have established sterling righteousness in our path. And with arms plunging into the sea of celestials, we have conquered our unrivalled enemies. Therefore, we have no fear touching death. Even Nārāyana and Rudra, Sakra and Yama, ever fear to stay before us (in the field). And, O lord of Rākshasas, there is no occasion for Vishnu’s displeasure of us. The mind of Vishnu hath wavered in consequence of the evil caused by the celestials. Therefore will we even avenge ourselves on the gods, from whom hath sprung this wrong.’ Having taken counsel together, those powerful ones conciliated their forces. And proclaiming (their order) that preparations were to be made, all the foremost Nairitas sallied forth for battle, like unto those led by Jamva and Vritra. And, O Rāma, having thus taken counsel together, with all the preparations complete, those huge-bodied and redoubtable Rakshas marched forth for conflict, mounted on cars, and elephants, and horses resembling elephants, and mules, and kine, and camels, and purpoises,¹⁸ and serpents, _makaras_, and tortoises, and fishes, and fowls resembling Garuda himself, lions and tigers and boars and _Srimaras_¹⁹ and _Chāmaras_.²⁰ And puffed up with pride of prowess, the Rakshas march, leaving Lankā, and the enemies of the celestials went to the heavenly regions for battle. And perceiving the destruction of Lankā at hand, those deities that had taken up their quarters there, everywhere were struck with fear and felt their spirits depressed. And mounting the best of cars, the Rākshasas by hundreds and thousands with intent minds swiftly sallied forth for the celestial regions. And the deities (aforementioned) followed the tract of the Rākshasas. And at the command of Kāla, terrible evil omens foreshadowing the destruction of the Rākshasa-chiefs began to arise on the earth well as in the sky. The clouds showered down bones and hot blood. The oceans overleapt their continents;²¹ and the mountains shook. And jackals of terrific forms, having voices resembling the roaring of clouds,—bursting out into a horse-laugh, began to emit cries frightfully. Creatures were one after another seen to drop down; and mighty swarms of vultures, with mouths belching forth flames, began to wheel over the Rākshasa, like unto Kāla himself. And blood-footed pigeons and Sārikās²² darted off (around). And crows and two-legged cats began to cry in loud accents. But fast bound with the noose of Death, the Rākshasas, proud of their strength, disregarding these omens, march on, and do not stay their course,—Mālyavān and Sumāli possessed of prodigious strength, going before the Rākshasas, like flaming fires. And even as the gods take refuge under Dhata, the night-rangers take refuge under Malyavān resembling the mountain, Malyavān. And under the command of Māli, that host of Rākshasas, roaring like mighty clouds, inspired with the desire of victory, went to the celestial regions. And the lord Nārāyana, hearing of the preparations of the Rākshasas from a celestial messenger, set his heart on fight. And equipped with weapons and quivers, he mounted on Vinata’s offspring.²³ And donning on his mail furnished with the effulgence of a thousand suns, fastening his spotless quivers filled with shafts, being engirt with his waist-band and bright falchion, and equipped with his conch, discus, mace, _Sārnga_,²⁴ sword, and other superior weapons, that lotus-eyed lord, seated on Vinata’s offspring like a very mountain, set out speedily for compassing the destruction of the Rākshasas. And seated on Suparna’s²⁵ back, the blue-brown Hari clad in yellow attire resembled a mass of clouds on the crest of the golden mountain, with lightning playing through it. And hymned by Siddhas and celestials and sages and mighty (semi-divine) serpents and Gandharvas and Yakhas, the enemy of the Asura hosts presented himself, bearing in his hands the discus, sword, that weapon—_Sārnga_—and the conch. And the Rākshasa-hosts, struck by the wind produced by the wings of Suparna, with their pennons swinging to and fro and their weapons scattered about, quaked like the blue summit of a mountain with its crags tossed about. Then the night-rangers, hemming in Mādhava,²⁶ began to pierce him with thousands of excellent sharpened weapons dyed in flesh and blood, and resembling the fire of Doomsday."

¹⁷ The Hindu Cupid. Mahādeva had burnt to ashes Kāma, when he had the fool-hardiness to disturb the contemplation of the former. By the way, Kālidāsa has reared his faery fabric, entitled _Kumāra Sambhava_, on the basis of this legend.—T.

¹⁸ How purpoises could be pressed into the service passes my conception, unless _Siçumāra_ have any other meaning.—T.

¹⁹ Wilson gives the meanings: (i) ’a kind of animal’ and (2) ’a young deer’.—T.

²⁰ _Bos Grunniens._

²¹ Used in the Shakesperean sense: _Vide Macbeth_.

²² A species of harlot.

²³ Garuda, Nārāyana’s vehicle.

²⁴ The bow of Vishnu is so named.

²⁵ Lit. _fair-feathered_—a name of Garuda.

²⁶ One of the many designations of Vishnu,

SECTION VII.

"And as clouds assail a mountain with showers, then the Rākshasas, representing clouds, setting up shouts, began to assail Nārāyana representing a mountain. And Vishnu of a bright brown-blue hue, being surrounded by the flower of the night-rangers with dark visages, resembled the mountain, Anjana, on which the clouds pour down. And as locusts (flood) a field, gnats (throng) about a flame, gad-flies (cluster) around a pot of honey, or _makaras_ (range) the deep, so the shafts shot by the bows of the Rakhas, having (the energy of) the thunder-bolt and endowed with (the velocity of) the wind or thought, pierce Hari as if at the universal dissolution. And those mounted on cars (assailed him) with their cars, and those mounted on the backs of elephants (assailed him) with their elephants, and those riding horses (assailed him) with their horses, and the foot-soldiers attacked him, stationed in the sky; and the foremost of Rākshasas resembling mountains, by means of darts, _rishtis_ and _tomaras_, suspended the respiration of Hari even as the _prānāyāma_²⁷ doth that of a twice-born one. On being sore tried by the night-rangers, like the great Ocean by the fishes (residing in it), that invincible one, taking his _Sārnga_, showered shafts among the Rākshasas. And with sharpened arrows resembling the thunder, and endowed with the velocity of the wind, shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch, Vishnu cut off (Rākshasas) by hundreds and by thousands. And dashing away (the Rākshasa ranks) with his arrowy shower, even as the wind aroused dasheth away a downpour, that best of male beings blew his mighty conch—Pānchajanya. And winded by Hari with his utmost might, that water-sprung king of conchs, endowed with terrific blares, roared, as if afflicting the three worlds. And the sounds of that king of conchs struck terror into the Rākshasas, even as in a mighty forest a lion (strikes terror into the hearts of) elephants in rut. And thereat the horses could not keep their ground, and the elephants were reft of their temporal flow, and shorn of their virtue at the roars of the conch, heroes began to topple down from their cars. And dight with dainty feathered parts having heads, the shafts discharged from the _Sārnga_, resembling thunder-bolts, riving those Rakshas, entered the earth. And in that conflict, pierced by the arrows discharged from Nārāyana’s arm, the Rākshasas began to drop to the ground like mountains struck with the thunder-bolt. And the wounds on the persons of the foes inflicted by the discus of Vishnu discharge blood in streams, like mountains discharging streams of red chalk. And the sounds of that king of conchs, as well as those of the _Sārnga_, combined with the roars emitted by Vishnu himself, swallowed up the roars of the Rākshasas. And Hari by means of his shafts cut off their necks, and arrows, and standards, and bows, and cars, and ensigns, and quivers. And like fierce rays streaming about from the sun, like torrents dashing from the ocean, like elephants coming down a mountain, or like showers descending from clouds, the shafts shot by Nārāyana pursue (the foes) by hundreds and by thousands. And even as an elephant pursueth a tiger, a tiger a wolf, a wolf a dog, a dog a cat, a cat a snake, or a snake a rat, so the mighty Vishnu pursueth the Rākshasa host; and others, (struck down by him), measure their lengths on the ground. Then, having despatched thousands of Rākshasas, the destroyer of Madhu blew his water-sprung (conch), even as the sovereign of the celestials filleth clouds (with rain). And agitated by the arrows of Nārāyana, with their senses bewildered by the blares of the conch, the broken Rākshasa forces made for Lankā. And on the Rākshasa army having been broken in consequence of the beating it got at the hands of Nārāyana, Sumāli with showers of shafts resisted Hari in the encounter; and as a mist envelopes the Sun, he enveloped him (with his arrows). Thereat, the Rākshasas again summoned up their fortitude. And fired with rage, that Rākshasa, inflated with insolence on account of his strength, setting up a tremendous roar, darted at his antagonist in the conflict, thereby seeming to revive the Rākshasas. And as an elephant flourishes its trunk, that Rākshasa, lifting up his arm adorned with ornaments, began to roar from rapture, like a mass of clouds lighted up with lightning. And (Vishnu) cut off the head flaming with ear-rings of the charioteer of the shouting Sumāli; and thereat the horses of that Rākshasa aimlessly strayed hither and thither. And with his bewildered steeds Sumāli wanders like a person deprived of patience, whose senses are under a hallucination. And on Sumāli’s car being drawn at random by his steeds, Māli, taking his bow and equipped therewith, darted at Vishnu’s car and assailed that mighty-armed one as he was descending on the field of fight. And like birds entering the Krauncha,²⁸ the arrows discharged from Māli’s bow, graced with gold, hit Hari and entered (into his body). And thereat, as a person holding his senses under subjection is not thrown out of his mental balance, Vishnu, assailed in that encounter with thousands of arrows shot by Māli, was not disturbed ever so little. And then that creator of all beings, the reverend Gadādhara,²⁹ twanging his bow-string, showered vollies of shafts on Māli. And getting at Māli’s body, the arrows furnished with the luminousness of lightning, drink his blood, like unto serpents drinking nectar. And baffling Māli, the holder of the conch, discus, and mace, brought down Māli’s crown, standard, bow and steeds. And then that foremost of night-rangers, on being deprived of his car, sprang forward, mace in hand, even as a lion bounds up from the brow of a hillock. And he with his mace smote at the forehead of that lord of birds, even as the Destroyer had smitten Içāna,³⁰ or as Indra smiteth a mountain with his thunder-bolt. On being severely struck by Māli with his mace, Garuda, writhing in torments, moved the god away from the field of battle. On the god having been removed from the field by Māli as well as Garuda, there arose a mighty din of Rakshas roaring (in chorus). And hearing the cheers of the Rakshas, Indra’s younger brother, the reverend Hari, sitting awry on that lord of birds, albeit moved off from the scene of conflict, waxing enraged, from a desire of slaying (Māli) hurled his disc at him. And thereat the disc, possessed of the splendour of the solar disc, and resembling the wheel³¹ itself of Kāla, flooding all the heavens with radiance, brought down Māli’s head to the ground. And that head of the lord of Rākshasas, terrific to behold, on being cut off (by Vishnu), vomitting blood, fell down before (the Rākshasas), as formerly Rāhu’s head’ had fallen. And then the deities experiencing excess of joy set up leonine cheers with might and main, crying,—’Excellent, O god.’ Seeing Māli slain, Sumāli and Malyavān, burning in grief, fled precipitately towards Lankā along with their forces. And Garuda, being cheered, turned round, and growing enraged, as before drove the Rākshasas with the wind of his wings. And (some) with their lotus-faces cut by the discus, (some) with their chests crushed with the mace, (some) with their necks torn off by the plough, (some) with their heads riven by the club, and some hewn by the sword, and others pierced by arrows, the Rākshasas began to drop fast from the sky into the waters of the ocean. And as the thunder-bolt with lightning (riveth) a mighty mass of clouds, Nārāyana by means of the thunder-bolts of his arrows discharged from his bow, rived the night-rangers with their hair dishevelled and streaming (in the wind). And the forces having their umbrellas rent, their arms falling off, their goodly garments scattered, their entrails coming out and their eyes rolling,—became incapable of distinguishing their own party from that of the foe. And even like (the roars and the vehemence) displayed by elephants on being attacked by lions, the roars and the vehemence of the night-rangers and their elephants, sore assailed by the Primaeval Lion,³² were equal. And driven by Hari’s networks of arrows, and discharging (all the while) their own showers of shafts, those night-rangers resembling the clouds of doom, are driven like the veritable clouds of the universal dissolution drifted by the wind. And hewn in twain with swords, the foremost Rākshasas fell like unto hills (toppling headlong). And the Earth was seen to be (covered) with night-rangers resembling dark clouds, adorned with jewelled necklaces and ear-rings,—falling down,—as if covered with dark mountains dropping down."

²⁷ The practice of regulating respiration and finally suspending the same. This is practised by the Yogis of India, who attribute wonderful virtues to it.—T.

²⁸ The mountain so named.

²⁹ Lit. _the holder of the mace_, a name of Vishnu.

³⁰ There took place an encounter between Rudra and Yama in the Sweta forest, for the protection of Mārkandeya and a certain king. In this battle, Yama had smitten Rudra. This is narrated in the Purānas.—T.

³¹ The wheel of Kāla or Time, representing the Reaper consists, remarks Rāmānuja, of days, months, years, decades, centuries, aeons, _etc._—T.

³² Vishnu as a _man-lion_ had formerly taken the conceit out of Hiranyakaçipu—the Asura king—and slain him, to rid his devotee—Prahlāda—of his mortal foe in the form of a father.—T.

SECTION VIII.

"On that host being sore pressed at its back by Padmanābha,³³ Mālyavān turned back even as the ocean doth on meeting with its shore. And with his eyes reddened, that night-ranger waxing wroth, shaking his head, addressed that prime of male persons—Padmanābha,—saying,—’O Nārāyana, thou art ignorant of the time-honored morality of Kshatriyas; and therefore like a base wight thou slayest us, desisting from fight and exercised with fear. O lord of the celestials, he that commits the crime of slaying one that desists from fight, cannot go to the celestial regions as the fruit of meritorious acts. If thou art bent upon battle, O holder of the conch, the discus and the mace, taking up my post (here), I shall see (thy strength). Do thou show (me) the same.’ Seeing Mālyavān resembling the mountain, Mālyavān, stay, the powerful younger brother of the sovereign of the celestials spoke unto him,—’I have removed the fear of the deities, affrighted at you, by promising that I will make root and branch work with the Rākshasas; and that same promise I am now fulfilling. I should always lay down my life for serving the celestials; and you I will slay even if ye should go to the nethermost regions.’ As that god of gods having eyes resembling red lotuses was speaking thus, the lord of Rākshasas in high wrath pierced his breast with a dart. And hurled by the hand of Mālyavān, the dart resonant with bells, appeared graceful on Hari’s breast like lightning embosomed in clouds. Thereat drawing out the same dart, that one dear unto the Wielder of the Dart,³⁴ having eyes resembling red lotuses, aiming at Mālyavān, hurled it at him. Thereat the dart discharged by the hand of Govinda like unto the Dart discharged by the hand of Skanda, rushing towards the Rākshasa like a meteor coursing towards the Anjana mountain, descended on the spacious chest of the lord of Rākshasas decked with the weight of a chain, even as the thunder-clap bursts at the summit of a mountain. And on having his mail rent, Mālyavān was utterly deprived of his senses; but (anon) reposing for a while, he again stood like a moveless hill. Then taking up a javelin made of black iron girt with many a thorn, he furiously smote that deity on the chest. And that night-ranger delighting in battle, dealing a box at Vāsava’s younger brother, moved away to a distance measuring a bow’s length. And now there arose a mighty tumult in the sky of ’Excellent!’ ’Excellent!’ And having struck Vishnu, the Rākshasa also hit Garuda. Thereat Vinatā’s son, growing enraged, drove the Rākshasas away with the wind of his wings, even as a lusty wind bloweth about sere leaves. And seeing his elder brother driven by the wind produced by the wing’s of that bird, Sumāli along with his forces, made for Lankā. And pushed off by the violence of the wind of (Garuda’s) wings, the Rākshasa Mālyavān also, joined by his own forces, departed for Lankā, covered with shame. Thus, O Rāma, O lotus-eyed one, (the Rākshasas) had innumerable warriors beaten down and their foremost leaders slain. And albeit inflated with pride, they, incapable of coping with Vishnu, leaving Lankā, went to the nether regions with their wives for dwelling there. O best of the Raghus, these Rākshasas of celebrated prowess, related to the race of Sālakantankatā, remained under the leadership of the Rākshasa Sumāli. All those exalted Rākshasas going under the name of Paulastya that had been headed by Sumāli, Malyavān and Māli, were stronger than Rāvana. No other than the god Nārāyana, holding the conch, the discus and the mace, could slay those Rākshasas—foes to the celestials and thorns in the side of the deities. And thou art that eternal god—the four armed Nārāyana,—the lord, undeteriorating and unconquerable, sprung to exterminate Rākshasas. The creator of beings—that one ever cherishing those seeking his refuge—appeareth at times to compass the destruction of marauders, bringing the religion of people to rack and ruin.³⁵ Thus, O lord of men, to-day I have truly related unto thee at length the origin of the Rākshasas. Again, foremost of the Raghus, do thou understand the matchless birth and potency of Rāvana and his sons related in detail. And that powerful Rākshasa, Sumāli, afflicted with the fear of Vishnu, along with his sons and grand-sons for a long time ranged the nether regions, and the lord of riches resided in Lankā."

³³ Lit. _the lotus-naveled_—a name of Vishnu.

³⁴ A name of Kārtikeya—the celestial generalissimo.

³⁵ This tallies wonderfully with the corresponding view given in the Bible. Great men appear in the fullness of time to bring about reforms in religion, when, as was the case before the birth of Christ, men have wandered farthest from the true path.—T

SECTION IX.