The Ramcharitmanas 3

by Tulsidas

  And Vibhishan, seeing that the Lord had been hurt,

  Grabbed his club and rushed at Ravan, enraged.

  ‘You miserable wretch! You vile and perverse fool,

  Against gods, men, munis, Nagas, all!

  You with reverence offered your heads to Shiv,

  And for each one you gave, you received ten million back.

  That is the only reason, wretch, that you are still alive,

  But now death is dancing upon your heads.

  Fool, you oppose Ram and still expect victory?’

  Thus saying, he struck Ravan on the chest with his club.

  The instant he received on his chest that terrible blow

  From Vibhishan’s dreadful club, Ravan fell to the ground,

  And blood streamed from all his ten mouths.

  But picking himself up again, he rushed forward, full of fury.

  The two mighty warriors slammed into each other,

  And began to wrestle ferociously. Each was bent on killing the other.

  Vibhishan, inspired by Raghubir’s strength,

  Deemed Ravan to be of no account.

  Uma, had Vibhishan ever dared

  Look Ravan in the eye?

  But now that he had Raghubir’s might,

  He fought with him like death itself.

  (94)

  Seeing that Vibhishan was utterly exhausted,

  Hanuman rushed forward with a huge rock in his hand.

  Destroying Ravan’s chariot, horses and charioteer,

  He kicked him full in the chest.

  Ravan remained standing, but trembled violently all over,

  While Vibhishan withdrew into the presence of the protector of the faithful.

  Then Ravan taunted and struck the monkey,

  Who stretched out his tail, and flew into the sky.

  Ravan grabbed his tail, and was borne by the monkey into the air.

  Turning, the strong and mighty Hanuman then closed with him,

  And there in the sky they fought, two warriors equally matched,

  Full of fury, and each determined to kill the other.

  Using strength and every stratagem they battled, like

  A black mountain and Sumeru fighting each other in the sky.

  Unable to beat the demon through wit or strength,

  The son of the Wind invoked the Lord.

  Invoking the Lord, the steadfast Hanuman

  Shouted defiantly and struck Ravan a blow.

  They fell to the ground, then, rising, continued to fight

  So that the gods called out ‘Victory, victory!’ to both.

  Seeing Hanuman in trouble, the monkeys

  And bears rushed forth in rage,

  But Ravan, drunk on battle, crushed

  All the warriors with the tremendous might of his arms.

  Then, rallied by Raghubir,

  The furious monkeys rushed forth again.

  Seeing the monkeys’ strength prevailing,

  Ravan used his power of illusion.

  (95)

  The wretch became invisible for a moment,

  And then made himself visible again in innumerable forms.

  On every side there appeared as many ten-headed Ravans

  As there were bears and monkeys in Raghupati’s army.

  At the sight of these countless ten-headed Ravans,

  The bears and monkeys fled in every direction.

  Losing their courage, the monkey army ran,

  Calling, ‘Save us, Lakshman! Protect us, Raghubir!’

  Millions of Ravans rushed after them in the ten directions,

  With dreadful, harsh and frightening roars.

  The gods were all terrified, and fled, crying,

  ‘Give up all hope of victory now, brother!

  One Dashkandhar had singly vanquished all the gods,

  And now there are so many! Let’s make for the mountain caves!’

  Only Viranchi, Shambhu and the wisest munis remained,

  Who had some understanding of the Lord’s power.

  Those who understood his glory stood fast, unafraid,

  But the monkeys believed the enemy to be real.

  The monkeys and bears all fled, distraught,

  And, in their fear, cried out, ‘Protect us, merciful Lord!’

  The strong and valiant Hanumant,

  Angad, Nil and Nal fought on,

  Crushing the million upon millions of ten-headed warriors

  That had sprouted like shoots from the earth of deceit.

  Seeing the gods and monkeys so frantic,

  The king of Koshal laughed,

  And fitting a single arrow to his bow, Sarang,

  He killed all the false Ravans.

  (96)

  The Lord dispelled all the maya in an instant,

  Just like the rising of the sun dispels the dark.

  Seeing only one Ravan, the gods rejoiced,

  And returning, rained down flowers upon the Lord.

  Raising his arms, the Lord turned back the monkeys,

  Who returned, calling to each other to come back.

  Drawing strength from the Lord’s might, the bears and monkeys came rushing,

  And leaping nimbly, returned quickly to the field of battle.

  Seeing the gods singing the praises of the Lord,

  Ravan thought, ‘In their calculations, I am only one!’

  He called out, ‘Fools, you have ever been my victims!’

  And rushed, full of rage, up into the sky.

  The gods ran, crying out in fear.

  ‘Wretches, where do you run from me?’ called Ravan.

  Seeing the gods distraught, Angad came rushing.

  Leaping, he seized Ravan by his foot, and hurled him to the ground.

  He seized him and hurled him to the ground, kicked him and beat him,

  And then Baali’s son returned to the Lord.

  Dashkanth, recovering, stood up again,

  And gave a deep and dreadful roar.

  Haughtily, he strung his ten bows,

  And, fitting a shaft to each, shot forth a rain of arrows.

  He wounded all the enemy warriors, and, seeing them

  Distraught with fear, rejoiced at his own might.

  Then Raghupati cut off Ravan’s

  Heads and arms, broke his bows and arrows,

  But each time they grew again and multiplied,

  Like sins committed at a pilgrimage place.

  (97)

  Seeing their enemy’s heads and arms multiply,

  The bears and monkeys grew enraged.

  ‘The wretch does not die though his arms and heads be cut off!’

  Cried the bear and monkey warriors, and rushed at him, full of fury.

  Baali’s son, with Nal, Nil and the son of the Wind,

  And Sugriv, king of the monkeys, and the mighty Dwivid,

  Hurled trees and mountains at him,

  But he caught those very trees and mountains and hurled them back at the monkeys.

  Some tore at his body with their nails,

  Some kicked him and ran away.

  Then Nal and Nil climbed up on to his heads,

  And began to tear at his foreheads with their nails.

  When Ravan saw blood, he became deeply disconcerted,

  And stretched up his arms to seize them.

  But they were not to be caught and hovered above his hands,

  Like two bees over a cluster of lotuses.

  At last, he gave an angry leap and grabbed them,

  But as he hurled them to the ground, they twisted his arms and ran away.

  Then, full of rage, he took all his ten bows in his hands,

  And smiting them with his arrows, wounded the monkeys.

  Having rendered Hanuman and the other monkeys senseless,

  And seeing that it was now dusk, Ravan rejoiced.

  Seeing all the monkey warriors lying unconscious,

  Jamvant, resolute in war, came rushing.

&nb
sp; The bears with him were armed with boulders and trees,

  Which they hurled at Ravan with taunts and shouts of defiance.

  The mighty Ravan became enraged—

  Seizing several warriors by the foot, he dashed them to the ground.

  When the king of the bears saw his own troops hurt,

  He grew furious, and kicked Ravan full in the chest.

  At this violent kick upon his breast,

  Ravan fell, reeling, to the ground.

  In each of his twenty hands he held a bear—

  Like bees nestled in lotus flowers at night.

  Seeing Ravan lying insensible, the king of the bears

  Kicked him again, and then returned to the Lord.

  Seeing that it was night, Ravan’s charioteer

  Laid him in his chariot and tried to revive him.

  Recovering from their swoon, the bears and monkeys

  All returned to the Lord,

  While the demons all surrounded Ravan

  In greatest fear and alarm.

  (98)

  That same night, Trijata went to Sita,

  And told her all that had happened.

  When she heard how Ravan’s heads and arms had multiplied,

  Great dread arose in Sita’s heart.

  Then, with downcast face and worry springing up in her heart,

  Sita said to Trijata,

  ‘Why do you not tell me, Mother, what is to happen?

  How will this tormentor of the world die?

  He does not die even though Raghupati’s arrows have cut off his heads.

  Fate is making all things contrary.

  It is my misfortune that keeps him alive,

  The same misfortune that took me away from Hari’s lotus feet.

  The fate that made that false golden deer of deceit

  Is displeased with me even today.

  That providence which made me suffer unendurable grief,

  And utter those sharp and cruel words to Lakshman,

  And which pierces me again and again

  With the terrible poisoned arrows of separation from Raghupati,

  Keeping me alive even in such anguish—

  It is that providence and no other that keeps Ravan living!’

  In many such ways did Janaki weep and lament,

  Calling to mind the abode of mercy again and again.

  Said Trijata, ‘Listen, princess,

  The enemy of the gods will die the instant an arrow pierces his heart.

  But the Lord does not aim his arrow at his breast,

  For he knows that Vaidehi dwells in his heart.’

  ‘In his heart does Janaki dwell,

  In Janaki’s heart is my abode,

  And within me are many worlds—

  The instant an arrow pierces Ravan’s heart, they will all be destroyed.’

  Hearing these words, great joy and sorrow arose in Sita’s heart.

  Trijata, seeing this, spoke again and said,

  ‘Now this is the way your enemy will die—

  So listen, beautiful one, and no longer be anxious and afraid.

  Having his heads cut off again and again will so disconcert Ravan

  That his contemplation of you will break,

  And that is when the all-knowing Ram

  Will send his arrow into his heart.’

  (99)

  With these and many such words, Trijata comforted Sita,

  And then returned to her own home.

  Remembering Ram’s gentle disposition, Vaidehi

  Was overcome with the anguish of separation.

  She reproached the night and the moon in many ways,

  ‘The night is as long as an aeon, it does not end!’

  Janaki, made sorrowful by separation from Ram,

  Weeps and laments within her heart.

  When the agony of separation was at its greatest,

  Her left eye and arm began to tremble.

  Considering this to be a good omen, she took courage,

  ‘Now I will be with the all-merciful Raghubir again!’

  Meanwhile, at midnight, Ravan awoke from his swoon,

  And began to berate his own charioteer.

  ‘Fool, you have brought me away from the battlefield!

  Curse you, you dim-witted wretch!’

  The charioteer clasped his feet and tried to reason with him in many ways.

  As soon as it was dawn, Ravan mounted his chariot and set forth again.

  Hearing that Dashanan approached,

  A great commotion arose in the monkey army.

  Tearing up mountains and trees on every side,

  The terrible warriors rushed forth, gnashing their teeth.

  They rushed forth, those fearsome monkeys

  And menacing bears, holding mountains in their hands,

  Which they hurled in fury at the demon host—

  The demons fled at the onslaught.

  Thus scattering his army, the mighty monkeys

  Then surrounded Ravan.

  Pounding and slapping him from every side,

  Clawing and tearing at his body, they drove him to distraction.

  Seeing the monkeys’ great strength,

  Ravan considered.

  Then, becoming invisible, he unleashed

  In an instant, his power of illusion.

  (100)

  As he unleashed his illusions,

  Dreadful beings appeared—

  Goblins, ghosts and evil spirits,

  With bows and iron arrows in their hands.

  Joginis clutching swords,

  In one hand a human skull

  From which they drink fresh blood,

  Wildly dance and sing

  With dreadful cries of ‘Seize them! Kill them!’

  That fill every direction all around.

  Mouths wide open, they rush to devour them—

  That’s when the monkeys turn to run.

  Wherever the monkeys fled,

  They saw fires blazing.

  The monkeys and bears grew distraught—

  And then began showers of sand.

  Having thus exhausted the monkeys,

  The ten-headed one roared again,

  And all the heroes fell unconscious,

  Including Lakshman and the monkey king.

  ‘Ah Ram! Ah Raghunath!’

  The valiant warriors wrung their hands.

  Having thus broken the might of all,

  Ravan put forth another delusion.

  He made a host of Hanumans appear,

  Who rushed forth holding rocks,

  And running, surrounded Ram

  In dense crowds all around.

  ‘Kill him! Seize him! Don’t let him go!’

  They cried, with gnashing teeth and waving tails.

  Their tails rose on every side,

  And in their midst shone Koshal’s king.

  In their midst the king of Koshal shone

  With his dark and lovely form,

  Like a tall tamal tree encircled

  By a fence of gleaming rainbows.

  At the sight of the Lord, joy and sorrow arose

  In the hearts of the gods, and they hailed him with cries of victory.

  Wrathful, Raghubir, with a single arrow,

  Now dispelled the delusion in an instant.

  With the phantasms gone, the bears and monkeys rejoiced,

  And all returned, bearing trees and giant rocks.

  Ram let loose a flight of arrows,

  And Ravan’s heads and arms fell once again to the ground.

  Even if a hundred Sheshnags and Sharada,

  And the Vedas and countless poets, were to sing of his deeds for aeons,

  The would not be able to explain all the mystery

  Of Lord Ram’s battle with Ravan.

  Of that battle some wondrous episodes,

  The dull-witted Tulsidas has related,

  Like a fly that flies up into the sky

  Only as high as
its strength allows.

  (101A)

  His heads and arms are cut off many times,

  But the heroic king of Lanka does not die.

  The Lord is at play, but the gods, Siddhas and munis

  Are bewildered by the fight.

  (101B)

  The instant they were cut off, his multitude of heads would multiply,

  Just as greed increases with every gain.

  Despite all Ram’s great exertions, his enemy did not die.

  He then looked at Vibhishan.

  Uma, he by whose wish death itself dies,

  That same Lord thus tested his devotee’s love.

  ‘O all-wise master of creation moving and unmoving,

  Protector of the humble, delight of the gods and sages—listen!

  In Ravan’s navel is a pool of nectar—

  It is on the strength of that, sire, that Ravan lives.’

  Hearing Vibhishan’s words, the merciful Lord rejoiced

  And took in his hand his dreadful arrows.

  All kinds of ill-omens then began to appear.

  Donkeys, jackals and dogs began to howl,

  Birds screeched to announce the world’s distress,

  And comets appeared everywhere in the sky.

  Great fires broke out in all ten directions,

  And the sun was eclipsed without a new moon.

  Mandodari’s heart beat violently,

  And statues streamed tears from their eyes.

  Statues wept, lightning flashed and thunder crashed,

  Fierce winds began to blow, the earth shook,

  And clouds rained downed blood, hair, and dust.

  There were so many ill-omens—who can describe them all?

  Seeing this unbounded confusion, the gods in the sky

  Grew alarmed and began calling for victory.

  Realizing that the gods were afraid, the merciful

  Raghupati fitted arrows to his bow.

  He pulled the bow to his ear,

  And let fly thirty-one shafts.

  Raghunayak’s arrows shot forth

  Like venomous serpents of doom.

  (102)

  One arrow dried up the pool of nectar in Ravan’s navel,

  The others struck off his arms and heads with great force.

  The iron shafts carried away his heads and arms with them,