Valmiki's Ramayana

by Vālmīki,Sattar, Arshia

  Rāma replied that he knew the kind of power Indrajit commanded as a result of his knowledge of sorcery and magic. He instructed Lakṣmaṇa to go with Hanumān and the other monkey leaders and to kill Indrajit. Mighty Lakṣmaṇa picked up his great bow, girt his sword, picked his arrows and put on his armour. Full of joy, he touched Rāma’s feet and said, ‘The arrows released from my bow will pierce Rāvaṇa’s son and then fall in Lankā as swans alight in a pool! My arrows will cut that vile creature’s body to pieces!’

  Lakṣmaṇa set out quickly, eager to kill Indrajit. Hanumān, Vibhīṣaṇa and many thousands of monkeys accompanied him to the temple where Indrajit was performing his ritual. From a distance, Lakṣmaṇa could see the rākṣasa forces, ready and waiting. He lifted his bow and prepared to kill Indrajit in the manner that Brahmā had ordained.

  Vibhīṣaṇa gave Lakṣmaṇa some advice on his battle strategy. ‘Force the rākṣasa army to break their formation. Then you will be able to see Indrajit. Shower him with arrows which will land with such impact that he will not be able to complete the ritual. Kill this unrighteous creature who has mastered the arts of magic and who torments the worlds!’

  Lakṣmaṇa loosed a rain of arrows upon Indrajit and the monkeys attacked the rakṣasa army ferociously with trees and rocks and boulders. The rākṣasas used all their weapons, determined to slaughter the monkeys, and the din raised by the clashing armies could be heard all over Lankā. The sky was blotted out by the multitude of weapons and trees and rocks that were hurled in all directions.

  Indrajit could hear the sounds of his army under attack and the invincible rākṣasa had to leave his ritual incomplete. He emerged from the dark grove of trees in a rage and mounted his chariot. Carrying his frightful bow, Indrajit looked like death, with his red eyes and skin the colour of a rain cloud. The rākṣasa forces rallied the moment they saw him.

  At that moment, Hanumān began his assault with huge trees which were impossible to counter, consuming the rākṣasa army like the doomsday fire. Thousands of rākṣasas charged towards him and attacked him at the same time with any weapon they could find, even using their fists. Hanumān ploughed through them with ease but Indrajit saw what was happening and told his charioteer to take him into the middle of the battle.

  Indrajit hurled spears, swords, clubs and battle axes at Hanumān but the monkey ignored the weapons and taunted the rākṣasa. ‘Fight me if you dare, son of Rāvaṇa!’ he shouted. ‘I am the son of the Wind! You shall not return alive! Fight me in single combat with your bare hands! Then you really will be the best of the rākṣasas!’

  Vibhīṣaṇa pointed Indrajit out to Lakṣmaṇa as he was fighting with Hanumān. ‘There he is, the one who defeated Indra in battle! Kill him with your unrivalled arrows that never spare the enemy’s life, Lakṣmaṇa!’ Lakṣmaṇa looked carefully at his powerful foe who was as large as a mountain and was yelling on the battlefield in order to intimidate the monkeys.

  Lakṣmaṇa twanged his great bow and shouted to Indrajit, who was seated in his shining chariot, clad in armour and wielding a huge bow. ‘I summon you to battle! Come and fight with me!’

  Indrajit looked over at Lakṣmaṇa from his chariot. The mighty archer raised his enormous bow and chose the finest of his arrows, the ones that had wrought the most destruction among the enemy. He saw that Lakṣmaṇa shone with his own splendour as he sat on the shoulders of Hanumān, like the sun on a mountain. ‘You shall see my powers today! My arrows shall consume you the way fire consumes bales of cotton! Who can oppose me when I shower arrows like a thundering cloud showers rain!’ shouted Indrajit.

  Lakṣmaṇa was not in the least bit intimidated by Indrajit’s ranting and he replied, ‘You are promising the impossible, rākṣasa! An intelligent person backs up his boasts with action! Making yourself invisible in battle the last time was not the act of a heroic warrior but of a coward!’

  Indrajit drew his bow to its fullest extent and loosed a series of arrows which were sharp and swift and as vicious as snake poison. But they fell to the earth, hissing like snakes before they reached Lakṣmaṇa. Then he showered more arrows on Lakṣmaṇa, covering the warrior’s entire body. Wounded and drenched with blood, Lakṣmaṇa blazed like a smokeless flame. Indrajit shouted with joy. ‘My deadly arrows will take your life today, Lakṣmaṇa! Packs of jackals and vultures shall devour your body when I have killed you!’

  ‘Why don’t you do something instead of talking?’ roared Lakṣmaṇa. ‘Do something to prove that we should respect your skills as a warrior!’ and he fitted five arrows into his bow. He drew it back right to his ear and loosed the gleaming arrows which struck Indrajit in the chest and shone there like the rays of the sun. Lakṣmaṇa and Indrajit continued to assault each other with arrows which were sharp and swift. They were well matched as opponents, for both were determined to win and both were known for their strength and skill and their mastery over all kinds of weapons, even celestial ones. The invincible warriors fought like lions as they deluged each other with arrows, delighting when they found their mark.

  Lakṣmaṇa kept shooting, hissing like an angry snake. But suddenly, Indrajit heard the bowstring snap against Lakṣmaṇa’s palm. He turned pale and appeared distracted. Immediately, Vibhīṣaṇa said to Lakṣmaṇa, ‘The signs indicate that Indrajit is done for! Finish him off quickly!’

  Lakṣmaṇa hit Indrajit with arrows which burned like flames and the rākṣasa was stunned for a while. But he recovered and shot ten arrows at Lakṣmaṇa and another seven at Hanumān, wounding the monkey. Lakṣmaṇa loosed such a formidable rain of arrows that Indrajit’s golden armour was shattered and fell to the floor of the chariot like a cluster of stars. Bereft of his armour, Indrajit’s body was covered with arrow wounds and seemed like a mountain with trees growing out of it. Indrajit used a thousand arrows to destroy Lakṣmaṇa’s armour and the warriors pursued each other relentlessly, their bodies a mass of bloody wounds.

  They fought for hours, neither gaining the upper hand. They used every weapon at their command and sometimes their arrows would lock in combat in midair while thousands of others splintered each other before they reached the ground. Bent on destroying one another, Indrajit and Lakṣmaṇa went on and on with their fight, showing no signs of fatigue. Their bodies were drenched with blood and covered with arrows, making them resemble tongues of flame.

  Indrajit’s charioteer and horses had been killed by enthusiastic monkeys who jumped into the fray to help Lakṣmaṇa. The other monkeys and the rākṣasas continued their own battle, inflicting as much damage as they could upon each other, but they took care to see that they were never too far from their commanders.

  Displaying his skill, Indrajit struck Lakṣmaṇa on the forehead with three splendid arrows with feathered shafts and Lakṣmaṇa shone on the battlefield like a mountain with three peaks. He retaliated by sending five arrows against Indrajit. They fought close to one another, wounding each other in every limb. Indrajit hurled his golden spear but Lakṣmaṇa destroyed it in the air with a hail of arrows. Indrajit then pulled out the incomparable arrow that had been given to him by Yama, but Lakṣmaṇa recognized it and took out one that matched it. It had been given to him by Kubera in a dream and was utterly invincible; not even the gods or the asuras could withstand it. Both warriors pulled back their bowstrings till they sang and loosed the arrows which blazed through the air. They lit up the sky as they headed for a midair collision. They clashed against each other like mighty planets and split into a hundred pieces as they fell to the ground. Indrajit and Lakṣmaṇa were ashamed and angry that their precious weapons had been used in vain and they resorted to the other celestial weapons at their command. Lakṣmaṇa loosed Varuṇa’s weapon and Indrajit countered it with Śiva’s.

  The battle between Indrajit and Lakṣmaṇa raised a terrible din and the sky was filled with beings who watched the encounter in amazement. Gods and gandh
arvas, ṛṣis, the ancestors, Garuḍa and uragas, even Indra himself, allied themselves with Lakṣmaṇa and hoped for his victory.

  Picking an arrow which burned to the touch like fire, Lakṣmaṇa chose it for Indrajit’s death. Its shaft was perfectly rounded, it was well-proportioned and smooth-jointed, fitted with splendid feathers and adorned with gold. It was incapable of missing its mark and it struck fear into the hearts of the rākṣasas. As deadly as venom, it was respected even by the gods. Lakṣmaṇa invoked the power of Indra for this incomparable arrow as he fitted it into his magnificent bow. As he drew the bow back as far as his ear, auspicious Lakṣmaṇa whispered, ‘If Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, is righteous and devoted to truth, if he is unrivalled in valour, then may this arrow slay the son of Rāvaṇa!’

  The arrow severed Indrajit’s head with its helmet and golden earrings and flung it to the ground. That mighty head gleamed like beaten gold as it lay there and Rāvaṇa’s son, still in his armour, tumbled to the ground, holding his bow. At once, Vibhīṣaṇa and all the monkeys began to shout with delight, rejoicing at the death of Indrajit. Their shouts of joy were echoed from the skies where the celestial beings and the gods joined in the celebration. The rākṣasas realized that Indrajit had been killed and they abandoned their weapons and fled towards Lanka chased by the victorious monkeys. Some jumped into the ocean, others took refuge in the mountains. Thousands of rākṣasas disappeared as the sun’s rays disappear when it has set. Indrajit lay sprawled on the ground like the sun that has been quenched, like a fire that has died down.

  The worlds shone brightly, freed from their torment and anguish now that Rāvaṇa’s son was dead. The gods, dānavas and the gandharvas gathered and said, ‘May the brahmins go about their business free from anxiety and torment!’ The monkeys praised the victorious Lakṣmaṇa. They surrounded him, laughing and shouting. They slapped their arms and whipped their tails and hugged each other, telling tales of Lakṣmaṇa’s exploits on the battlefield.

  Even though his own body was covered with blood, Lakṣmaṇa rejoiced at having killed Indrajit. He went as quickly as he could to see Rāma and Sugrīva along with Hanumān, Jāmbavān and the other monkey leaders. He greeted Rāma and honoured him. Then, he stood to one side as Bṛhaspati would stand with Indra, and told Rāma that Indrajit was dead. Vibhīṣaṇa told Rāma how Lakṣmaṇa had severed Indrajit’s head and Rāma was filled with delight.

  Rāma embraced Lakṣmaṇa and drew him onto his lap. He caressed him gently and said, ‘You have done an incredible thing by killing that wicked creature. Rāvaṇa depended heavily on Indrajit and now he will soon be destroyed. I am sure the king of the rākṣasas will soon come forth surrounded by a huge army. The recovery of Sītā and my kingdom seem simple now that you have killed Indrajit in battle!’

  Rāma held his brother close as he turned to Suṣeṇa and said, ‘Lakṣmaṇa, who is loved by all his friends, is in agony from his wounds. You must restore him to health. And you must also heal the wounds of the other monkeys who fought so valiantly with trees and rocks.’ Suṣeṇa gave Lakṣmaṇa a fragrant herb to inhale and did the same for Vibhīṣaṇa and the injured monkeys. In a moment, Lakṣmaṇa’s wound healed and his pain vanished. The monkey army was delighted to see Lakṣmaṇa back to normal and rejoiced with Rāma at the death of Indrajit.

  Rāvaṇa’s retainers heard about Indrajit’s death and, filled with sorrow, they went to tell Rāvaṇa. ‘Your heroic son was killed in battle by Lakṣmaṇa while we were all present, great king! He was felled by Lakṣmaṇa’s arrows in an encounter between two majestic warriors.’

  Rāvaṇa heard the terrible news and fell into a dead faint. He recovered consciousness after a long time and overcome with grief, he mourned the death of his son. ‘Ah, my son! Best of all the chariot warriors! Finest of the rākṣasas! You even defeated Indra, how could you have fallen to Lakṣmaṇa? When you were angry, you could pierce the peaks of Mount Mandara, vanquish even time and death! What was Lakṣmaṇa in battle compared to that! The man who dies in the service of his king goes straight to heaven. This is the path taken by great warriors, even among the gods.

  ‘Now that Indrajit has been killed, the gods, immortals and the guardians of the earth shall sleep without fear! But the three worlds and the earth with all its forests seem empty to me without Indrajit! I shall hear rākṣasa women in the inner apartments weeping piteously over his death. Where have you gone, my son, leaving your mother and me and your wife? Why have you left us when Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sugrīva are still alive, when the thorn in my side remains?’

  Rāvaṇa’s grief turned into a bitter, all-consuming rage as he mourned. His face, already fearsome, became truly terrifying and he seemed as unapproachable as Śiva. Angry tears fell from his eyes like scalding oil from burning lamps. He ground his teeth and the sound filled the air like thunder. He blazed like the doomsday fire and as he looked around, rākṣasas ran from him in terror. No one dared come near him as he stood there, looking like death.

  Hoping to inspire the rākṣasas to fight again, Rāvaṇa roared, ‘I have practised fierce austerities for thousands of years and I have propitiated Brahmā! And because he was pleased with me, I have never had to fear the gods or the asuras. Brahmā gave me armour that shines like the sun, which cannot be pierced by the weapons of the gods. I stand here in my chariot, who would dare oppose me now? Brahmā also gave me a magnificent bow and arrows to use in the wars with the gods. Bring them to me and I shall use them to kill Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa!’

  Thousands upon thousands of rākṣasas with their horses and chariots which blazed like fire and were decorated with colourful banners had been destroyed. Heroic rākṣasas who could change their shapes at will had been killed by Rāma’s arrows which were swift and sharp and adorned with gold.

  Utterly demoralized, the surviving rākṣasas gathered along with the widows and wives and mothers and sisters and children of those that had been killed. Overcome with grief, they came together to mourn, weeping and wailing. ‘Why did that ugly Śūrpanakhā, that potbellied hag, attach herself to Rāma in the forest? He is as beautiful as the god of love, young and strong and intent on the welfare of all creatures. How could that deformed creature with no virtues at all throw herself at that honourable, handsome man?

  ‘Unfortunately, her actions led to the killing of the rākṣasas as well as Khara and Dūṣaṇa which led to the deadly enmity with Rāvaṇa. He abducted Sītā and that will be the cause of his death. Sītā will never accept Rāvaṇa! Now he has an invincible foe in Rāma. We need no further displays of Rāma’s strength and valour!

  ‘It is Śiva or Viṣṇu or Indra, perhaps death itself, that has come to claim us in the form of Rāma! Rāma has killed all our mighty warriors and we have lost all hopes of living! We see no end to our fears and so we wail together!

  ‘Rāvaṇa has been given boons for battle and he remains oblivious to the threat that Rāma poses. Not the gods nor the gandharvas, not the piśācas nor the rākṣasas can save a man whom Rāma has targeted. Portents of doom have appeared in battle after battle and they surely mean that Rāma will kill Rāvaṇa! Brahmā gave Rāvaṇa immunity from gods, dānavas and rākṣasas, but he is not protected from mortals! The end for Rāvaṇa and the rākṣasas has arrived in the form of a man!

  ‘When the gods were being harassed by the rākṣasas, they appealed to Brahmā and he promised them that a woman would be born to destroy the rākṣasas. Urged by the gods, Sītā is bound to cause the annihilation of the rākṣasas. Rāvaṇa’s terrible deeds and unrighteous behaviour have brought this catastrophe upon us. Where can we take refuge? No one can protect us from Rāma, just as there is no protection from the deluge at the end of time.’

  The rākṣasīs clung to each other and wept, their hearts filled with fear. Rāvaṇa could hear the sad sounds of rākṣasīs wailing and weeping from all over Lankā. He sighed heavily and remained
lost in thought for a while but then his anger returned and he was terrifying to behold. He bit his lips and his eyes blazed red. He seemed like the doomsday fire and even the rākṣasas were afraid to look at him. ‘Tell Mahāpārśva, Mahodara and Virūpākṣa to get the forces ready for battle immediately!’ he roared.

  The three mighty rākṣasas did as they had been instructed and presented themselves to Rāvaṇa. ‘Today I shall kill Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with my arrows which blaze like the doomsday fire!’ he said, laughing maniacally. ‘I shall avenge the deaths of Khara, Kumbhakarṇa, Prahasta and Indrajit. Nothing, not the skies nor the directions, not the rivers nor the seas will be visible because the shower of my arrows will blot them out. I shall kill all the monkeys with my arrows adorned with feathers. I shall crush the monkeys as an elephant tramples upon a pool of lotuses. With arrows sticking out of their bodies, the monkeys will cover the earth like long-stemmed flowers. With every arrow I shall kill hundreds of monkeys who are armed with trees. I shall kill them and wipe the tears of all those whose husbands, sons and brothers have been killed. I shall feed the jackals and vultures with enemy flesh until they cannot eat another thing. Prepare my chariot! Fetch my bow! And tell all the surviving rākṣasas to follow me at once!’

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  The army commanders went from house to house to summon the rākṣasa warriors. In no time at all, the heroic rākṣasas gathered, armed with all their weapons, shouting for a fight. A magnificent chariot yoked with eight horses was prepared for Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa mounted the chariot which was illuminated by his splendour and as he moved forward, the earth trembled beneath his feet. Mahodara, Mahāpārśva and Virūpākṣa followed him in their own chariots, roaring with delight in their eagerness for battle. Surrounded by heroic warriors, Rāvaṇa set forth like Death.