Valmiki's Ramayana

by Vālmīki,Sattar, Arshia

  ‘Nala, the son of Viśvakarmā, stands right here with you. He has been given many boons by his father as a result of which, they are exactly alike. He can build a bridge across me and I will hold it up!’ said the ocean and vanished.

  ‘What the ocean said is true!’ said the monkey Nala. ‘I am exactly like my father. I can build a bridge across the ocean. My father, Viśvakarmā, gave my mother a boon on Mount Mandara. He said that the son born of him would be his equal. I did not mention my talents because I was not asked. But today, let the monkeys build the bridge!’

  Under Rāma’s instructions, hundreds of thousands of monkeys ran all over the forest to collect wood for the bridge. They uprooted trees and carried them to the water as if they were carrying Indra’s banners. They broke off mountain peaks and threw them into the ocean, filling up the waters. Nala built a bridge that was ten yojanās wide and one hundred yojanās long in the middle of the ocean, the lord of rivers, and it shone like the stars in the sky.

  The gods and gandharvas, the siddhas and the great sages gathered in the air to look at the wondrous bridge. The monkeys jumped in and out of the water as they yelled and screamed with delight at the miraculous bridge. Millions of monkeys used the bridge to cross the ocean. It was wide and firm, solidly built and had a shining floor. It cut through the ocean like a parting in the hair.

  Once they had crossed the ocean, Vibhīṣaṇa stood ready to ward off any enemy attacks with his mace. Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sugrīva stood at the head of the army. Some of the monkeys walked in the middle of the bridge, others walked on the sides, others jumped in and out of the water, others strayed off the path and still others flew around in the air like birds. The huge din made by that enormous monkey army as it crossed the bridge drowned out the rumbling of the ocean. As the gods, siddhas and cāraṇas watched the wondrous feat that had been achieved for Rāma, the monkey army reached the other side and camped on the shore which abounded in roots, fruits and water.

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  When Rāma had crossed the ocean with his army, Rāvaṇa summoned two of his ministers and said, ‘A bridge over the ocean has never been built before but Rāma and his army have done it. They have crossed the ocean and arrived here. I still cannot believe that they actually built the bridge! More important, I have to know about the size of the army. Infiltrate the army and find out all you can about its size and strength. Find out who the commanders are, who are the advisors that Rāma and Sugrīva trust the most, who leads the army in battle and who are the most heroic monkeys. Find out how they built the bridge and where the chief monkeys have been accommodated. Find out what Rāma’s strategy is going to be, how brave he is and what his weapons are. And about Lakṣmaṇa’s courage and skills. Get as much information as possible and come back as soon as you can!’

  The two rākṣasas, Śuka and Sāraṇa, took on the form of monkeys and joined Rāma’s army. But they had no idea how to assess the numbers in a force that was so massive that it seemed endless and was so frightening that it made the hair stand on end. There were monkeys everywhere, on mountaintops and in the valleys and forests. Some of them were still coming over the ocean, others waited for their turn to cross to the northern shore. The army made a huge din as it settled on the shores of Lankā.

  Vibhīṣaṇa saw the two rākṣasas and recognized them. He had them captured and brought before Rāma, saying that they were spies from Lankā. Śuka and Sāraṇa took one look at Rāma and were terrified. They lost all hopes of staying alive and they joined their palms and cried, ‘We only came here on Rāvaṇa’s instructions to assess the strength of the army!’

  Rāma, who was devoted to the welfare of all creatures, laughed and said, ‘If you have done what you were asked to do, you can return. Go back to Lankā and give Rāvaṇa this message from me: “Show me the strength you resorted to when you abducted Sītā. Show me the strength of your army and your followers. Tomorrow you will see Lankā with its ramparts and gateways and all its rākṣasas destroyed by my arrows! Tomorrow I shall loose my arrows in anger against the rākṣasas as Indra loosed his thunderbolt against the dānavas!”’

  The rākṣasas returned to Rāvaṇa with Rāma’s message. ‘We were captured by Vibhīṣaṇa and though we deserved to die, Rāma spared our lives,’ they said. ‘Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Vibhīṣaṇa and Sugrīva are all mighty warriors, equal to Indra in strength and courage. They can destroy Lankā with its ramparts and gates, they don’t even need the other monkeys for this! And Rāma can do all this single-handed with his weapons! Even an army of the gods and asuras led by Indra cannot conquer those monkeys who are protected by Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sugrīva! All the monkeys are willing and eager to fight. Renounce your hostility with them, Rāvaṇa! Give Sītā back to Rāma!’

  ‘Even if the gods, gandharvas and dānavas were to unite against me I would not give up Sītā!’ roared Rāvaṇa. ‘Not even for fear of all the worlds! You are frightened because you have just seen that enormous army. That is why you think it is appropriate for me to return Sītā! Where is the foe that can beat me in battle!’

  ‘Do you see those huge monkeys standing there like rutting elephants, like banyan trees on the banks of the Gangā, like sāla trees on Mount Himavān?’ said Śuka to Rāvaṇa. ‘They are the sons of gods and gandharvas. They are immeasurably strong and heroic, they can change their form at will and they are equal to the gods in their strength and valour. There are hundreds of thousands of millions of monkeys like this!

  ‘See those two handsome monkeys over there, as beautiful as the gods? They are Mainda and Dvivida and they are unrivalled for the skills in battle. They had Brahmā’s permission to drink the nectar of immortality and they are now determined to destroy Lankā with their strength. And behind them, the two monkeys that you see are Sumukha and Vimukha. They are the sons of Yama and they are just like their father. The next one there, the one the size of an elephant, he can churn up the ocean when he is angry. He is the one who came to Lankā and saw Sītā. Look again, you have seen him before! The same monkey has returned! He is Hanumān, son of the Wind, and he is already famous for his leap over the ocean. He is the best of all the monkeys and he can take any form he likes! He is strong and powerful and goes wherever he pleases, just like the restless wind.

  ‘That one over there always walks the path of righteousness and upholds dharma. He is learned in the Vedas and has the use of Brahmā’s weapon. He can pierce the sky with his arrows and bring down the mountains. He is like death when he is angry and he rivals Indra in courage. He is Rāma, whose wife you took from Janasthāna. He has come to fight you, Rāvaṇa! The one who stands beside him and shines like the purest gold, broad-chested, bright-eyed and dark-haired, that is Lakṣmaṇa, Rāma’s younger brother. He is dearer to Rāma than his own life. He is learned in all the traditional texts and in the arts of war. He is impatient, invincible, strong, powerful and intelligent. He fights on Rāma’s right and he is like the breath outside his body. He will give up his life for Rāma and is determined to destroy the rākṣasas.

  ‘To Rāma’s left stands Vibhīṣaṇa whom the rākṣasas rejected. He is now under Rāma’s protection and has been consecrated king of Lankā. He will also fight against you because he is angry and resentful. And that one who stands as tall as a mountain in the middle of the monkey hordes is the king of them all, Sugrīva. He outshines all the other monkeys with his splendour, his fame, his intelligence and courage.

  ‘All the billions of monkeys under Sugrīva’s command have come here to do battle. Consider the size of this massive army that shines like a planet and do whatever is necessary to ensure that we are victorious!’

  Rāvaṇa looked out over the enormous army and its mighty leaders as they had been described by Śuka. He saw Rāma with his own brother Vibhīṣaṇa close by him, he saw the mighty Lakṣmaṇa standing to Rāma’s right and Sugrīva, the king of the monkeys. He grew angry but he fel
t fear touch his heart. He berated Śuka and Sāraṇa soundly after they had finished speaking. They stood before him with their heads hanging down and he shouted at them in a voice that shook with anger

  ‘It is not a good idea for advisors, who live off the patronage of a king, to say unpleasant things to him. A king can make or break them! Do you think it wise to praise the enemy who has come here to destroy your king? All the time you spent with elders and teachers has been wasted. You have learned nothing about politics! Maybe you learned it all and understood nothing. Which is why it is now a burden to you! I can’t believe I’ve survived this long with such fools for advisors! I can make you miserable! Have you no fear of death that you speak to me like this? Trees that have been in a forest fire may survive, but not those who have offended their king! I would kill you at once, you wretched creatures who praise my enemy, but the memory of all you have done for me in the past cools my anger! Go to hell, both of you! Do not make me angrier! Your ingratitude will be enough punishment for you since you have scorned my affections!’

  Deeply ashamed, Śuka and Sāraṇa slunk away after wishing Rāvaṇa success in battle.

  Rāvaṇa was rather concerned after hearing reports on the size and strength of the monkey army. He summoned his ministers and said, ‘Bring my advisors together! We have important business to discuss!’

  The advisors arrived quickly and after Rāvaṇa had discussed the matter with them, they were dismissed and the king returned to his own apartments. He sent for Vidyujjivha, a rākṣasa skilled in magic and sorcery, and together they went to Sītā. ‘We must bewitch Sītā with magic and illusions,’ said Rāvaṇa. ‘Come with me! Create an illusion of Rāma’s head and his bows and arrows and hold them in your hand!’ The sorcerer agreed and Rāvaṇa was so pleased, he gave him a precious jewel right there.

  Rāvaṇa entered the aśoka grove and saw Sītā, pathetic and miserable, her head hanging low. She sat there with her mind fixed on her husband, still guarded by the fierce rākṣasīs who followed her wherever she went.

  Gleefully, Rāvaṇa went up to her and had the cheek to address her by her first name. ‘The one you cling to, the one for whose sake you have rejected all my propositions, that husband of yours who killed Khara, he is dead! He was killed in battle! I have destroyed the root of your arrogance and pride. Your misery will force you to be my wife! Your little store of merit has been exhausted, conceited woman! Listen and I will tell you all about your husband’s gruesome death!

  ‘Rāma crossed the ocean and came here, intending to kill me, with an enormous army of monkeys. The army was tired after its long march and camped for the night. While they were asleep, my spies went and had a look around. Then, my magnificent army, led by Prahasta, destroyed the monkeys at night and killed Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. The rākṣasas wreaked havoc among the monkeys with their clubs, maces, spears, arrows and swords. Prahasta himself severed Rāma’s head as he slept with a single stroke of his sword. Vibhīṣaṇa tried to run away but he was caught. Lakṣmaṇa and the other monkeys fled in all directions. Sugrīva, the king of the monkeys, lies dead with his neck cut off. And Hanumān, slain by the rākṣasas, has a broken jaw.*

  ‘Monkeys have been pulverized and trampled into the earth by elephants and chariots and horses as swift as the wind. Others were killed from the back as they fled in terror from the rākṣasas who chased them, killed like lions hounded by elephants. Some of the monkeys jumped into the ocean, others tried to take refuge in the sky. Bears behaved like monkeys and climbed into trees to save themselves. Rākṣasas have killed thousands of monkeys in the forests, in the mountains and along the ocean shore. Your husband and his army were destroyed by my forces. And look, they have brought your husband’s head here, covered with dust and blood!’

  Rāvaṇa turned to the rākṣasīs and said loudly enough for Sītā to hear. ‘Bring Vidyujjivha here, the one who carried Rāma’s head off the battlefield!’

  The sorcerer came forward and bowed to Rāvaṇa, holding the phantom head. ‘Put Rāma’s head in front of Sītā!’ Rāvaṇa said to him. ‘Let this wretched woman take a good look at her husband’s last state!’ Vidyujjivha placed that well-loved, handsome head at Sītā’s feet and disappeared. Rāvaṇa picked up the shining bow that was famous in the three worlds and said to Sītā, ‘This is your precious Rāma’s bow, already strung! Prahasta took it away after he had killed that pathetic man at night!’ Rāvaṇa placed the bow next to the head and said to the princess of Videha, ‘Come! Surrender to me!’

  Sītā recognized her husband’s eyes and hair, his complexion and his features. The head even had his crest jewel. She was overcome with grief and wailed piteously, railing against Kaikeyī in her anger. ‘Ah, Kaikeyī! Your wishes have come true! The scion of the Ikṣvākus is dead! The clan has been destroyed by you with your desire to make trouble. What did noble Rāma ever do to you that you had him banished into the forest with me, wearing the rough clothes of an ascetic!’

  Trembling, Sītā fell to the ground like a young banana plant struck with an axe. She regained consciousness in a moment and sighed as she drew that lovely head close to her. ‘I am destroyed!’ she wailed. ‘Great hero, you clung to your vows and this is how your life ended. I have become a widow!

  ‘When a husband dies before his wife, it is attributed to her misconduct. But I never did anything wrong and yet, you, whose conduct is exemplary, have died before me! All those who predicted a long life for you have been proved liars! How could death have taken you by surprise? You were so wise in the ways of statecraft and you knew so many ways of avoiding danger! You have abandoned me, great hero, and now you lie hugging the earth as if she were your beloved!

  ‘Ah! this bow of yours! We used to adorn it with flowers and worship it together! Why don’t you look at me! Why don’t you speak to me? I am your wife, whom you married as a young girl, who has been your constant companion! Remember, when you married me, you promised that we would go everywhere together? Then why have you left me here and gone on to the next world? You have left me here alone with my grief! I was the only one who embraced your body. Now it will be dragged through the dust by carrion eaters!

  ‘When Lakṣmaṇa is the only one of us three that returns to Ayodhyā Kausalyā will question him closely even though she will be distraught with grief. When she hears that your army was massacred at night by the rākṣasas and that you were killed in your sleep and that I am a prisoner of the rākṣasas, she will die of a broken heart. Kill me, Rāvaṇa! Throw me on top of Rāma’s body! Do the only good deed of your life, reunite a wife with her husband! Let my head be with his head, my body with his body! I must follow my husband for I cannot live for a minute without him!’

  Sītā mourned and wept as she gazed at her husband’s head and at his bow. As she was crying, a rākṣasa guard came up to Rāvaṇa and announced that the army commanders and ministers were waiting to see him. Rāvaṇa left the grove quickly and went to see them to discuss what could be done to counter Rāma’s army. As soon as Rāvaṇa left the grove, Rāma’s head and bow disappeared into thin air.

  A rākṣasī named Saramā, who had been placed in charge of guarding Sītā, loved her as a friend for she was compassionate and loyal. She saw that Sītā had been completely deceived by the illusory head and that she was utterly miserable and hopeless. Because she loved Sītā, she comforted her. ‘Do not be upset by what Rāvaṇa just said! I hid myself because I am so fond of you and I overcame my fear of Rāvaṇa and heard everything he said to you. I would give up my life for you!

  ‘I know why the king of the rākṣasas left here in such a hurry! It is not possible to kill someone as alert and vigilant as Rāma in his sleep. In fact, I feel sure that he cannot be killed at all! Nor is it possible to kill the monkey warriors who use trees and rocks as weapons. Rāma protects them as Indra protects the gods. I am sure mighty Rāma has not been killed! You were bewitched into thinking he was de
ad by the powers of the sorcerer who abuses his intelligence by dabbling in magic. He is the enemy of all creatures.

  ‘Your troubles are over! Prosperity and happiness are coming your way. Listen to the good news I bring! It will make you very happy! Rāma has crossed the ocean and is camped on the southern shore. I have seen him and Lakṣmaṇa with my own eyes! He has come supported by the entire monkey army. Rāvaṇa despatched rākṣasas who came back with the news of Rāma’s arrival and, that is why he has gone in to consult his ministers!’

  As Saramā was speaking, they heard battle drums and all the commotion of the army preparing for battle. ‘Those drums that roll like thunder are the call to arms, my sweet lady!’ said Saramā. ‘Rutting elephants are being decorated, horses are being yoked to chariots and foot soldiers are spoiling for a fight. The highways are filling up with warriors of all kinds. It is as lovely a sight as the ocean swelling at high tide! Look at the lights that glint off the armour and weapons of the warriors and the trappings of the animals and chariots, like sparks from a forest fire in summer! Listen to the bells tinkling and the horses neighing and the chariots rumbling! These are the sounds of the rākṣasa troops preparing for war!

  ‘Your sorrows are ended. Good fortune awaits you and danger for the rākṣasas is imminent! Your husband is unimaginably strong and he has controlled his temper. He is bound to kill Rāvaṇa and rescue you! I see you seated in his lap with all your wishes fulfilled after he has killed his enemy. When you are reunited and he embraces you, you will shed tears of joy on that broad chest. It won’t be long before Rāma unbinds your hair from this single braid that reaches your hips. Soon, you shall rejoice in his presence as the earth, rich with crops, rejoices in abundant rain!’