by Daljit Nagra
Rama pressed the Choodamani to his chest and wept,
‘Sita’s father gave it her on our wedding day
and how it blazed in her hair.
Just as we throw water on the face of one
who is dying, splash words of Sita to revive me.’
Hanuman spoke beautifully. Then warned,
‘I am glad to have seen Raavana –
he is a terrifying warrior!
Even if not for Raavana, we have a fight on our hands –
Lanka will not be easy to reach or penetrate.’
He recalled Lanka’s perfect four-fold protection
of water, mountain, forest and fort
as it sat on top of a mountain with a golden rampart
studded on the inside with coral and tinted beryl
but worst of all: no sailing routes for the army.
‘I smashed some drawbridges,
filled up the serpent-and-shark-packed moats somewhat
and razed some of the city
but I fear all will be swiftly healed unless we can hurry.’
No one said a word in return.
Rama and his army walked south till they reached the ocean.
They gawped at the measureless waters
snapping with serpents
that were buoyed by smelling such vivid meat.
The ocean, underworlded with mountain ranges
and vicious peaks.
At night, Ocean’s violent snarling at the moon.
Water was like sky and sky like water.
How to separate the two in the blue-grey blur …
Water idly crashing out sparks
with a noise like drums on a battlefield.
Rama felt useless before the wild
till, after prolonged staring, he became so inflamed,
he called at the ocean
whilst preparing his mighty Brahmastra arrow,
‘If you refuse to clear a path
I will drain your channels dry.
If I pull this arrow you cannot save your teeming creatures.’
The sky shuddered and the deep waters churned upwards.
The waters stood up like a wall from the bed to the sky
and faced the shore!
The wind bounced back off the wall and blew back many a
soldier.
The ocean wall was the Ocean-God, Varuna, who spoke thus,
‘Rama,
Air, Earth, Space, Fire and Light pursue the ancient laws as they were ordained. I too am beholden to Nature’s laws. How can I depart from my deep and wave-crammed ways? I would offend the creator if I ceased from my duty. Yet there is one amongst you who is cursed or blessed in that whatever he throws onto water will not sink but will float. He alone can subdue me. Only for him I can relent my waves, only for him can I relent the serpents herein for your safe passage to and fro
Lanka.’
With that, Ocean went back to its splashy violent charge.
All looked around for the ONE.
Came forward from the millions monkeys
one from a remote south-eastern world, almost whispering,
‘Sorry please sirs, I am Nala.
’Tis most true I inherited a problem skill.
I would throw stones as a child
and bobbling on water they would stay
not ever a one would ever sink.
If my stones bobble perchance I may bobble a bridge?’
Asked Sugreeva, ‘What is it you know
about making bridges and whatnot?
‘But sir I am naturally boon’d with construction skills.
My brain, my fingers and all my parts
’tis geared to such perfection.
I am sorry I never before thought
it worth a mention.
And I never before been inquired after.’
Nala bowed before Sugreeva and Rama.
His chubby cheeks blushing at his own forwardness.
Nala was soon advising a thousand monkeys
to smash mountain peaks.
Whilst some animals made stakes and lines and measuring
rods,
Nala lay each rock and stone he was passed
upon the ocean.
Over the rocks a roadbed of poles was placed.
When they heard of the bridge-building,
it’s said the red squirrel tribes wet their fur in the surf
then rolled in the sand, then quickly ran onto Nala’s bridge
and shook themselves – filling all the tiny spaces
to make the bridge firm for the 100 yojanas to touchdown!
The completed bridge was straight as a lady’s hair-parting.
Nala returned to base and instructed,
‘Sirs, I am certain the ether is crammed with demons.
One power is mine to secure us.
Pleaseth you if we all formation as a dragon
then in safety will we cross with weapons and all.’
So it was the army organised themselves, with shady parasols,
banners and wave upon wave of arrows, into dragon parts.
Nala led troops at the dragon’s head,
Sugreeva led those of the upper lip,
Lakshmana those of the lower lip,
Chompoopan led troops comprising the dragon’s crest,
Komut and Soraram led those comprising the left and the
right eye,
Onkot commanded the body of the dragon,
Jambavan led the two front legs,
Tawipat led the hind legs,
Kesorn commanded the tongue,
several million monkeys became the scales, teeth and talons
and Hanuman tipped the tail.
Frustrated serpents gawped with their muzzled chops
whilst a prandial heads-down dragon
yomped as one
on the bobbing causeway.
Book Fifth: Attack of the Astras Mega-Fantastic to the Death!
CHAPTER ONE : PANURAT DREAM GARDENS
CHAPTER TWO: THE DOOSHMAN WITHIN
CHAPTER THREE: HAALAAHAALAA!
CHAPTER FOUR: ENTER THE VITAL INVISIBLE
CHAPTER FIVE: FEEL MY SHAKTI, BOY
CHAPTER SIX: PATRONISATION FOR COCKY SHOT
CHAPTER SEVEN: WAKEY WAKEY DIN-DIN TIME!
CHAPTER EIGHT: THE DREAM ARROW
CHAPTER NINE: ATTACK OF THE ASTRAS MEGA-FANTASTIC TO THE DEATH!
CHAPTER TEN: AMPLE HEAD OVER HEART LACKING
CHAPTER ELEVEN: DUTY
CHAPTER TWELVE: LET’S HAVE A CAK PARTY CALLING IT DIWALI!
EPILOGUE: PRAYER
Chapter One: Panurat Dream Gardens
Rama and his army arrive in dreamy Lanka.
Breaking out of the dragon in Lanka
Rama and his army landed on a perfect lawn with broad
exact paths. The trees suspended with showcase
fruits that did not fall but stood there ripe, enticing.
Heavenly Lanka with a calm polleny breeze
where the army fed on fruit
then dropped, on the shiny grass, asleep.
Rama sensed a worrisome perfection
and sent Hanuman to delve.
Shrinking
to a pip size
he dived
through
and about
the warm earth.
Once in the deep, he heard a raggedy breathing,
and as he pelted under the garden borders
he noticed the whole park
with its perfect trees and luscious grass
was decked upon the back of a beast.
A beast lying deep, deep under the park.
A beast with tentacles spiralling between the roots in the soil.
Unbeknown to Hanuman, it was the narrow-eyed
serpent, Panurat. Panurat being another in the long line
of monsters happy serving Raavana,
happy to consume all unwanted visitors …
Panurat who was always happy to have a whole
army upon his back
before flipping over to crush it
into his poison soups!
Panurat heard Hanuman crammed-in in front of his face
but before seeking to up-end the army
and feast on his mortal feed
he opened his mouth to swallow Hanuman.
Hanuman dinkily obliged but flewwwwwwwwwwwwwww
into Panurat’s spiky
mouth
so fast that he
pierced out,
in and out,
of his brains
thus killing that mute monster ever so quietly.
Hanuman, soaked in Panurat’s poisonous brain slime,
feared death
but then remembered his own
immortal state, that only he
can choose the manner of his own dying.
And dying in the heady slimes of a monster
did not seem top of his Death Wish list.
So he bathed in a lake
and watched the paradise garden
become sere and sink slowly back to sand
beneath each shuteye army head.
Chapter Two: The Dooshman Within
Raavana’s brother seeks to join forces with Rama.
What other dangers lurked in Lanka?
No sooner were the army awake
and away for the capital
when
coming their way – was that
Raavana’s brother, Vibishana?
Vibishana, it was,
seeking alliance with Rama.
Lakshmana was delighted,
‘He will be a useful tool in our hand
to break open
the citadel.’
Many stared around at each other
to gauge a response at this apparent defection.
Sugreeva stared at Vibishana and said,
‘What is a dooshman, an enemy, if not this, yo?
When a brother is ditching a brother,
in the midst of muddied calamity, can we defend him?
Who else might he back-stabbingly abandon
so his means win?’
Sugreeva’s nephew, Angada, looked up and said,
‘At least let’s watch his conduct closely, hey.’
Said Jambavan, the bear king,
‘Villainy if he hides it
what test will spy its crouching shadow?’
This Vibishana loyalty issue caused a well-phrased debate.
Then finally, Rama stared at all and opened his heart,
‘Who is not born of family? Whether it be the family
of the mother and onward to the families
of the inquiring imagining mind
and the widest world
where we earn our bread and our last breath …
Who is not ever subject
to all that lives? Would we ever desist hearing
all that lives around us is eternally speaking, is calling us
home?
Is there a head of such a home, such a rooted family? Surely
no man alone is mighty? And if there is mighty
then there must be mightier and even mightier
and onward goes the universal ascent.
Should I ever seek to live on high and refuse a hand?
Would it not be a turning away from my family?
From the world? Even if I am defeated
because I have been taken in
by this man’s word
I feel blissed
to have lived justly.
Could I reject whoever, however flawed,
especially if he comes bravely before me, seeking a friend?
I tell you, were Raavana seeking sanctuary
I would forgive him everything
so why would I shame his brother?
This is the law of my life.
Let us treat Vibishana as king-in-waiting.’
Lakshmana, from his brother’s shade, walked forth,
saying, ‘Is this a wonder?
Truly Rama, you are the miracle.’
Vibishana looked down at Rama’s feet
as though they had lightened his burdens,
‘Believe me, my purpose was about
seeking your grace and not Lanka’s kingdom.
Lord Rama, if you are conferring it, before all
I am accepting.’
The leaders of the army consulted Vibishana
and then refined their strategy.
Once more, Rama spoke
calmly again, ‘I implore all monkeys
to desist from magic, from changing into human, snake, ogre
or any other skin. I beg you, rage with the tide
firming your own clean flesh.
We are here to fight the good fight
so long as it is just, so long as we are clean,
so long as we wipe out the dooshman within ourselves,
there is no shame in defeat.
Only if we are true can we truly win.
Look around the borders of Lanka, when order is lost
chaos is come. Cows are giving birth to asses,
mongooses are rearing rats, cats are mating with leopards
and squabblesome mynah are flying into houses screaming
But putting laughter aside, today when we fight
it is not for Sita
who lies captive behind those towers, gates and barbicans,
nor is it you fight for me, nor is it for God.
Comes the time when each heart must be emptied
of desire, must be hungry for sacrifice.
One who serves an ideal will find eternal reward.
In sacrifice, in servitude,
in inner silence and in doing
we serve the ideal being,
the ideal being that harbours in ourselves –
somewhere in here
– albeit lost yet lodged in.
I say we fight for the spiritual battle raging in our souls.
I say we fight ramifying our powers of virtue
thus we become our own bowered path
seeking the immortal lane.’
Chapter Three: Haalaahaalaa!
The battle begins.
Sheer routes rose up to the palace.
Rama and Lakshmana went to the northern gate
for this was where Raavana was positioned.
Hanuman went towards the western gate with the bears.
Elsewhere went Sugreeva and the fiercest monkeys.
Raksassy being nocturnal revellers
they would struggle for a morning grapple
so at the sun’s zenith, in the dry winds,
Rama heralded showdown’s pageantry –
the earth-shaking din of conches and drums.
But then, Rama, being ever sober
and ever the stickler for correct procedure,
knew that prior to battle the enemy should be offered
a final stab at peace.
Sugreeva sent his own nephew, Angada,
to Raavana’s palace. He flew there and was taken
to the Great Hall where Raavana stood with his ministers.
Angada had Bali’s, his dad’s, coiled anger.
In other words, Angada got aggro!
In other words, Angada cruising to be bruising!
So perhaps his peace-offerings to Raavana
lacked creamy cadence. In any case, the diplomacy
was soon strained …
Raavana, ‘… you serve a mere man.’
Angada, ‘Rama a mere man? Then Love-God’s a mere archer,
Ganga a threadbare stream, heaven’s nectar
stinky juice, the great Garuda mere feathers —’ ‘Shutting it!
I am a hero, boy!
Kill this effrontery messenger.’
Angada, although attacked by two raksassy,
was tickled pink to be the first on show!
He slun
g each raksassy under an arm
then flew them scot-free upwards before freeing them
to fall blood-and-guts
slap on the marble slabs.
First blood on the death-toll war board for Rama.
On the palace borders the battlefield
where rival now clearly heard rival
and watched the dandy war-kit of garlands, leg-rings
and jangling sparkler ornaments.
Loudest were those chivvied by their preferred war-drink:
poppy heads with thickened milk
or infusion of mohua flowers
or fermented porridge of rag known as londaa. Yaaah!
Peace snuffed, each rival
four-division army of infantry and cavalry
came forth drawn by dogs, foxes, pigs, yalis,
donkeys, buffaloes and overhead from all directions
and encircling the world
flocks of vultures.
So many creatures partitioning the amorous gaze
between the boyish sky
and the girly green
meadows of Lanka.
The scene so black it could have made white-looking
that deadliest poison, deadliest for it was a by-product
churned by the gods, known as
haalaahaalaa!
The broad-field armies were catching at the fringes,
at the thick and from overhead as they swarmed
like the unvanquishable sway of Ocean-God,
with their legs and wings bursting at the speed of Wind-God,