by Vanamali
“All of you must know that I have abducted Sita, the consort of Rama. It appears as if she is some enchanted being conjured by the demon Mayan who is full of magic tricks. Looking at her fair and lovely countenance, I have become a slave of passion and am no longer my own master. Having been told of our stronghold by the monkey Hanuman, it appears that Rama and Lakshmana are already encamped on the other shore with their army of monkeys. I know that we have nothing to fear from these mere mortals leading a host of irresponsible monkeys. However, it is best to be prepared for whatever may come and thus we must immediately devise a plan to kill those two wretched brothers.”
His brother Kumbhakarna was already annoyed at being woken up from his beautiful slumber and when he heard this declaration of passion by Ravana, he flew into a mighty rage and said in a thunderous voice, “You did not choose to consult any of us before you abducted another man’s wife! That was the time when you should have asked our opinion. Actions that are undertaken by a monarch that run counter to the principles of dharma (righteousness) are sure to produce only misfortune! However, since I am your brother, I shall endeavor to set right what you have wrongly performed! Let them come and I’ll make short work of them! After having killed Rama and Lakshmana, I shall devour his monkey hordes! With Rama out of the way, I’m sure Sita will succumb to your will! But remember that I do not approve of all this!”
Ravana was silent even though he did not care for the frank manner in which his brother spoke. However, he knew that he was indispensable to their army and so kept his peace. Then spoke another mighty general called Mahaparshwa.
“Who is it that can dare lord it over you, O thou mighty sovereign of all the three worlds? Who is it that will not drink a pot of honey after having procured it? Make Sita submit to your will even if you have to use force to do so. In the meantime, all of us shall reduce your enemies to smithereens!”
Ravana now divulged his dire secret to them. “In days of yore, I ravished a celestial nymph called Punchikasthala. She ran to the creator Brahma like a stricken deer. He knew what had happened and cursed me thus, ‘If you dare to violate any other woman without her consent, your head will be split into a hundred pieces.’ This is why I have not so far forced the charming princess of Videha to my bed. However, there is no doubt that Rama does not know my prowess and that is why he is marching into a death trap. I am not capable of being defeated, even by the gods. What then to speak of a mere mortal helped by a pack of apes and monkeys!” With these words he roared uproariously with mirth. The rest of the court except for his two brothers joined him, and the whole court dissolved into laughter at this ridiculous picture of the great Ravana being defeated by a pack of monkeys and bears! But Ravana had forgotten the boon he had received from Brahma. As we know, he had asked for immunity from death from all types of heavenly and demonic beings. In his arrogance he had refused to consider human beings and monkeys as worthy of being possible opponents and now they were the very ones who were advancing purposefully toward him.
It is said that Punchikasthala swore to take revenge on Ravana and that is why her son Hanuman destroyed his precious city and was instrumental in the destruction of not only Ravana but of his whole hierarchy.
Hearing the boastful words of Ravana and the others, Vibhishana made a last bid to save him from his doom. “I beg of you, O brother, to listen to me and give Sita back to Rama before the monkeys invade this island. You know what one monkey was able to do to your wonderful city. Think of our fate when thousands of them start pouring in. Sita is a deadly serpent that has wound itself round your heart. She will be the cause of your death! Give her back before you and your people are destroyed totally!”
Turning to the other ministers, he said, “It is the duty of a minister to advise a king wisely and save him from the consequences of his own folly, if possible. Why are all of you determined to bring about his downfall and the destruction of your race?”
Ravana’s eldest son Indrajit now spoke hotly. “This younger uncle of mine seems to be the only one in the race of rakshasas who is not endowed with courage, virility, prowess, and fortitude. His nature is quite different from ours. He is a coward and your name will be in the dust if you listen to him. Why should he try to frighten us? Even Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt, was cast by me to the ground! I even dashed his elephant to the earth and set all the celestial hosts into panic! Do you think I am incapable of subduing two insignificant mortals?”
Vibhishana listened to his nephew’s talk without rancor. “My dear boy, I am afraid you are not able to distinguish between right and wrong. You are a mere boy and your intelligence is not steady. Though you profess to love your father, you are actually doing great harm to him by encouraging him in his folly!”
Ravana was furious when he heard his brother’s well-intentioned words.
“It is better to live with an avowed enemy than with a relation who is jealous and secretly works to bring about your ruin. Fire and weapons I do not fear, the dangerous ones are the near and dear. Bees fly away after sucking the last drop of honey from a flower, so the unworthy give up a relationship that has ceased to be profitable. You alone, my brother, do not like to see the whole world honoring me! Had you not been my brother, you would not be alive now. A curse upon you! You are a disgrace to our race!”
Vibhishana did not like to stay to get any more curses and said, “You are my elder brother and thus command respect. Whatever I said was meant only for your good. It is always easy to find people who will try to please you with honeyed words, but there are very few who will dare to tell a king the unalloyed truth to his face. I’m afraid I cannot tolerate your inequities any more. You are surrounded by sycophants and fools. A man in the noose of death can never listen to the salutary advice given by well-wishers. However, I wish you well. May prosperity attend you. For my part I cannot stay any longer with one who is steeped in adharma !” So saying, he rose up into the air along with his four ministers and went to the other shore, where he hovered over Rama’s camp.
It is said that the three brothers Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Vibhishana typify the three types of gunas, or modes of nature—sattva, rajas, and tamas. Vibhishana was the example of sattva, or the quality of harmony and goodness, Ravana of rajas, or passion, and Kumbhakarna of tamas, or inertia, sloth, and stupor. As an important character in the story, Vibhishana shows us that even a demon can turn against evil and toward good if he aligns himself with supreme consciousness, and through his brave act of defying Ravana, it is he who will inherit the city of Lanka.
Vibhishana heeded your council and became King of Lanka,
As the whole world knows.
SRI HANUMAN CHALISA BY TULSIDAS
Aum Sri Hanumathe Namaha!
Aum Bhaktavatsalaaya Namaha!
18
Bhaktavatsala
Rama Gives Sanctuary
Anjananadanam veeram,
Janaki shokanashanam,
Kapishamaksha hantaram,
Vande, Lanka bhayankaram.
Salutations to the courageous darling of Anjana,
Who removed Sita’s sorrows,
King of monkeys whose very look could kill hundreds,
And conquer the terrible city of Lanka.
HYMN TO HANUMAN
Sugriva was filled with suspicion when he saw the five rakshasas looking like miniature mountains hovering in the sky. He suspected that they had been sent by their ten-headed king to kill them.
Vibhishana spoke from the air. “I’m Vibhishana, younger brother of Ravana. I advised him again and again to return Sita to Rama, but he refused to see reason and thus I have sought refuge in Rama!”
Hearing this appeal, Sugriva ran to Rama with this news and warned him not to take him at face value since he was a rakshasa.
“It is wise never to trust these night wanderers. He is also Ravana’s brother. He may be a spy sent by Ravana to find out our strong and weak points or he may even strike us himself in the middle of the night sin
ce he has four stalwarts at his command. Like an owl that waits for the opportune moment and then destroys the whole clan of crows, he will join us and wait for the right time and annihilate us. I think it best that he and his friends should be killed before they do harm to us.”
All the other monkey heroes like Angada, Nila, and others tended to view Vibhishana with suspicion and advised that he should be watched carefully and his movements noted and anything of a suspicious nature immediately reported to Rama.
Rama looked enquiringly at Hanuman, who as usual had remained silent. When thus requested by Rama, Anjaneya said, “Vibhishana does not have the looks of a deceitful person to me. His mien and voice are open and pleasing. I think he has decided that it would be going against the law of righteousness to stay with one as debased as his brother. Moreover he must have heard of your glory and your adherence to dharma. Hence he has defected. One who comes as a spy would not announce himself as he has done. He was the only one who pleaded my case with Ravana and begged him not to kill me when I devastated the garden. This is my humble opinion and now, my Lord, you can take whatever decision you like to take.”
Rama was delighted to hear Hanuman reflect his own views on the subject and said, “I fully endorse what the noble Hanuman has said about Vibhishana, even though I know that the rest of you are fully devoted to me and that’s why you have given me this advice. However, on my part I have taken a vow that I will never turn away a person who has surrendered to me or taken refuge in me. Whatever his intentions may be, if he appears to have come in a friendly spirit it is my duty to accept him.”
Sugriva, the prudent, spoke once again and warned Rama of the dangers of accepting the brother of the ten-headed Ravana who was sure to prove perfidious and untrustworthy and deserved instant death.
With a slight smile Rama said, “A righteous man may be born even in a clan of rakshasas. The scriptures enjoin us to welcome even an enemy who comes to one’s door asking for protection. Such a person should be protected even at the cost of one’s own life. I would be guilty of a great crime if I did not give him asylum.”
After saying this Rama made his oft-quoted vow, “I promise to give security to all living beings that come to me even once and seek my protection. I will do this even if Ravana himself comes! O Sugriva! Let Vibhishana be brought before me at once and let him be treated on equal terms with me.”
Sugriva spoke, “My Lord! You are too noble. I am sure he is a spy. It would be safer to kill him.”
Rama replied with a smile, “I know that you speak out of your love, but the code of dharma says that one who has taken refuge should never be abandoned. My principle is to give succour to anyone who comes and declares that he wants to join me. His character is immaterial. Go and bring him here.”
Sugriva bowed to Rama and went and gave an assurance of safety to Vibhishana, who immediately descended on the beach and fell at Rama’s feet.
“I am Vibhishana, Ravana’s youngest brother, and have sought refuge at your feet for you are capable of giving shelter to all created beings. I have come to you after having abandoned my city, friends, and relatives. Now you are my all. My life and welfare are in your hands. I have surrendered my joys and sorrows and my very life at your blessed feet. Please accept me as your devoted slave.”
Rama was touched by his devotion. He smiled tenderly at him, bade him welcome, and gave him permission to stay. Afterward, he asked him about Ravana’s strengths and weaknesses.
Vibhishana was only too happy to oblige. “I am capable of giving you many hints about Ravana and his generals. My eldest brother has a boon that he cannot be killed by the gods or demons or celestial beings or serpents or birds. My powerful second brother, Kumbhakarna, is an exceptional warrior. The commander of the forces, Prahasta, is an indomitable soldier. Ravana’s eldest son, Indrajit, has invincible armor and is clothed in iguana skin, which cannot be pierced by arrows. Having propitiated the god of fire, Indrajit has the ability to remain invisible when fighting. The army consists of tens of thousands of ogres able to change their form at will, living on flesh and blood. As for Ravana, he has defeated even the gods in battle.”
Rama listened carefully to this account and then said with a smile, “Indeed, I am well aware of Ravana’s exploits, which have been recounted to me by various persons. However, I give you my word that I shall not return to Ayodhya without killing this monster who has abducted my wife. I will then crown you as king of Lanka! Though he may run and try to hide in all the worlds, Ravana will not be able to escape the fury of my arrows. Until I achieve this, I will not enter Ayodhya. I swear this in the name of my three brothers.”
Vibhishana fell at his feet and assured him that he would give him all assistance in this noble endeavor. “I swear in the name of dharma that I will assist you in all ways to the best of my ability, but the one thing that I will not do is to kill my own people!”
Rama embraced Vibhishana and asked Lakshmana to bring water from the sea to anoint him as king of the rakshasas. Water was forthwith brought and poured over Vibhishana’s head by Lakshmana, in the formal ritual known as abhishkekam, in the presence of all the monkeys, in order to proclaim him as king of the night rangers!
In the meantime, Ravana sent a spy to try and make friends with Sugriva and encourage him to return to Kishkinda and thus desert Rama. The spy took the form of a monkey and tried to ingratiate himself with Sugriva. When he felt that he had his confidence, he took him aside and told him that his master was Ravana, who was really very anxious to make friends with him since he had been a friend of his brother Vaali. He told him to take his army and return to Kishkinda and win Ravana’s favor for all time. Sugriva was so angry to hear this that he jumped on him and nearly choked him to death. The other monkeys came running to find out what the commotion was about, and when they heard of the spy in their midst, they would have torn him to pieces, but he shouted to Rama to save him since he was only an envoy. Rama immediately ordered the monkeys to release him, and he flew away squawking in fear and reported the matter to Ravana.
Rama now asked Vibhishana for a stratagem to cross the ocean. Vibhishana told him that for this he would have to ask Sagara, the Lord of the ocean, to help him to make a bridge that would carry his army across.
“This ocean owes its very existence to the Sagara brothers who belong to the Ikshvaku clan and are your ancestors. Therefore, he is bound to help you.”
When Rama heard this salutary advice, he lay on the beach, facing the east with his arm as a pillow, on a mat of kusa grass, and started meditating on the Lord of the ocean. When Sagara did not appear after three days and nights of meditation, Rama lost his temper and told Lakshmana, “Do you see, O Lakshmana, how this haughty ocean refuses to show himself even though solicited so politely by me? Forbearance and politeness are misconstrued for weakness in this world. But mark my word, today I shall dry up this ocean with all its wealth. My arrows shall suck up the waters so that it will remain dry so my army can cross it without difficulty!”
So saying, Rama let fly his potent arrow deep into the sea, causing consternation among the aquatic creatures. The waves were as tall as mountains. The earth trembled and quivered in agony. The sky became pitch black and meteors flashed across the firmament even as lightning flashed. The ocean throbbed and moaned in pain. Lakshmana caught Rama’s arm before he could release his second arrow. However, since it had already been mounted, it had to be discharged.
“Shoot it in the opposite direction,” said Hanuman. Rama shot it to the North, and the place where it fell came to be known as the Thar Desert!
Seeing the confusion caused in his waters, the sea god Sagara rose out of the water clad in red robes and wearing a garland of pearls and red flowers. The darkness caused by Rama’s anger lifted due to the radiance of the jewels round Sagara’s neck. His hair was covered with seaweed and water kept pouring down his long gray hair and beard. He rose up to the surface of the ocean on the crest of a wave. Slowly he came to the shore and a
pproached Rama and stood humbly in front of him with folded palms kept above his head. He was decked with many jewels and ushered to the shore by waves. Coming near Rama, Sagara spoke.
“My Lord, you are known to be the abode of kindness and mercy. I did not appear before you earlier because I cannot go against my nature. As you know, earth, fire, air, and water have their own specific qualities. I cannot go against these. I am fathomless and incapable of being swum across. However, I will allow your monkeys to make a bridge and keep the stones afloat and thus give them a safe passage so that they may not be harmed by crocodiles and other reptiles. Let the two brothers known as Nala and Nila be allowed to make a bridge across the sea. They have been given a boon that any stone they place on the water will be able to float.” With these words, the sea god melted back into the ocean.
Nila and Nala now came forward and told Rama to order the monkeys to collect material for the construction of the causeway.
The monkeys were delighted to get orders from Rama and immediately ransacked the forest for trees and boulders, which they dragged to the shore and threw into the sea. The two brothers, Nala and Nila, were remarkable engineers and saw to it that the rocks and trees brought by the monkeys were kept in the right places. The enthusiastic monkeys uprooted trees and brought huge boulders. Rocks as large as hills were carried on their willing shoulders and thrown into the sea. However, they were dismayed to find that the rocks, though floating, quickly dispersed on the choppy waters. Hanuman quickly thought of the brilliant idea of writing the Sanskrit words ra and ma on alternate stones and allowing the crack between them to stand for the long vowel aa, which in Sanskrit is written like the cardinal number “1.”