Chapter 6(74)
When Vibhishana said this, Soumitri was filled with delight. He grasped a bow in his hand and quickly left. Having gone a short distance away, he entered a large forest. Vibhishana showed Lakshmana the ongoing sacrifice. Ravana’s energetic brother showed Lakshmana an extremely terrible nyagrodha that was like a dark cloud. ‘This is the spot where Ravana’s strong son renders offerings to creatures. After they have accepted these, he goes out to fight. Thereafter, the rakshasa becomes invisible to all creatures. He uses his excellent arrows to bind enemies down in the battle and kill them. Ravana’s strong son has not yet entered the nyagrodha. Use your sharp arrows to destroy him, his charioteer, his horses and his chariot.’ The immensely energetic Soumitri, the delight of his friends, agreed. He stood there, stretching his colourful bow. Ravana’s strong son was on a chariot that had the complexion of the fire. Indrajit was armoured, with a sword and a standard. He showed himself.
The immensely energetic one spoke to the unvanquished Poulastya. ‘In this encounter, I am challenging you. Give me a good fight.’ Ravana’s spirited and extremely energetic son was addressed in this way. On seeing Vibhishana there, he spoke these harsh words. ‘You were born and reared here. You are my father’s brother. O rakshasa! You are my paternal uncle. How can you cause injury to a son? O one with evil intelligence! Kinship, affection and relationships do not exist in you. There is no sign of fraternal affection. O defiler of dharma! There is no dharma in you. O one with evil intelligence! You are a person to be grieved over. You should be condemned by the virtuous. You have abandoned your own relatives and have become a servant to the enemy. This is not good behaviour or intelligence. You do not comprehend the great difference. How can one compare residence with one’s relatives to the inferior state of seeking refuge with the enemy? Others may possess qualities and one’s own relatives may be devoid of qualities. But relatives who are devoid of qualities are superior. An enemy is always an enemy. O roamer in the night! O Ravana’s younger brother! Only a harsh person like you is capable of showing this ruthlessness towards your own relatives.’ Thus addressed by his brother’s son, Vibhishana replied, ‘O rakshasa! Why are you indulging in self-praise? You do not seem to be aware of my good conduct. O son of the Indra among the rakshasas! O wicked one! Abandon the harshness that comes from insolence. I have been born in the lineage of rakshasas, the perpetrators of cruel deeds. However, the qualities and conduct that exist in me are primarily those of humans, not those of rakshasas. I find no pleasure in being terrible. I do not take delight in adharma. If a brother indulges in wicked conduct, how can such a brother be restrained? If a person indulges in stealing another person’s possessions, if a person touches another person’s wife and if a person does not trust his well-wishers—these three sins can bring about destruction. The terrible slaying of maharshis, the conflict with all the gods, arrogance, anger, enmity and perversity—these sins will destroy my brother’s life and prosperity. They envelop and shroud his qualities, like clouds do to mountains. Because of these taints, my brother, your father, has been abandoned by me. The city of Lanka, you, and your father, will no longer exist. You are extremely insolent. You are childish. You are arrogant. O rakshasa! You are bound in the noose of destiny. Tell me whatever you wish. You are now facing a catastrophe here. Why are you speaking to me? O worst of rakshasas! You are incapable of entering the nyagrodha. The two Kakutsthas will oppress you and you are incapable of remaining alive. In this encounter, fight with Lakshmana, god among men. When you have been killed, you will perform the work of the gods in Yama’s eternal abode. Raise yourself and exhibit your own strength. Use all the weapons and the inexhaustible arrows. Having come within the reach of Lakshmana’s arrows today, you and your army will no longer remain alive.’
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Hearing Vibhishana’s words, Ravana’s son became senseless with rage. He spoke harsh words and attacked forcefully. On the well-ornamented and giant chariot, yoked to black horses, he held up his weapons and sword. He was stationed, like Death. He was lofty and giant in size. His force was extensive and firm. He touched his terrible bow and the arrows that destroyed enemies. Extremely angry, he spoke to Soumitri, Vibhishana and the tigers among the apes, ‘Behold my valour. Today, showers of invincible arrows will be released from my bow. Released, they will pour down in the encounter, like water from the sky. Today, arrows will be released from my large bow. They will destroy bodies, like fire does a mass of cotton. Sharp arrows, spears, javelins, swords and spikes will mangle you. Today, all of you will leave for Yama’s eternal abode. In the battle, the dexterity of my hands will shoot torrents of arrows. I will roar like a cloud. Who will stand before me?’
Lakshmana heard the Indra among rakshasas roaring. With a fearless face, he angrily addressed Ravana’s son in these words. ‘O rakshasa! You have spoken about accomplishing the task of crossing over to the unapproachable distant shore. But the intelligent person is one who accomplishes the task of crossing over to the distant shore. O evil-minded one! You think you have accomplished the objective. But you have not accomplished it and the objective is extremely difficult to reach. Know that it cannot be accomplished through words alone. Be successful first. At that time, you followed the path of becoming invisible. But that is a path resorted to by thieves. It is not something that is patronized by brave people. O rakshasa! I have come and am stationed within range of your arrows. Demonstrate your energy today. Why are you indulging in words of self-praise?’
Having been thus addressed, the immensely strong Indrajit, the victor in assemblies, touched his terrible bow and shot sharp arrows. He released extremely forceful arrows that were like venomous serpents. They reached Lakshmana and fell down, sighing like serpents. In the battle, Indrajit, Ravana’s son, pierced Lakshmana, who possessed the auspicious signs, with extremely swift and forceful arrows. His limbs were severely pierced by the arrows and blood started to flow. The handsome Lakshmana was resplendent, like a fire without smoke. Indrajit reflected on the deed he had achieved. He approached, roared loudly and spoke these words. ‘O Soumitri! These arrows are sharp at the edges and have been shot from my bow. They can take lives away. They will now take away your life. O Lakshmana! When you lose your life and are killed by me today, herds of jackals and flocks of hawks and vultures will descend on you. The extremely evil-minded Rama is always a friend to kshatriyas, but is always ignoble. You are his devoted brother and he will see that you have been slain by me today. Your armour will be shattered and will fall down on the ground. Your bow will be fragmented. O Soumitri! Your head will be severed. You will be slain by me today.’
Angry, Ravana’s son spoke these harsh words. Lakshmana, who knew about the meanings behind words, replied in words that were full of reasoning. ‘O rakshasa! Why are you praising a deed you have not yet accomplished? Perform an act so that I can have faith in your self-praise. I will not speak any harsh words, nor will I abuse you in any way. O worst among beings! Behold. Without indulging in self-praise, I will kill you.’ Having said this, Lakshmana affixed five iron arrows and drawing the bow back all the way up to his ear, struck the rakshasa on the chest with great force. Struck by those arrows, Ravana’s son became angry. He aimed three arrows properly and pierced Lakshmana back. As they sought to slay each other, there ensued an extremely terrible and tumultuous clash in the battle between the lion among men and the lion among rakshasas. Both of them were full of strength. Both of them were valiant. Both of them were extremely brave. Both of them were accomplished in the use of all weapons. Both of them were extremely difficult to vanquish. Both of them were equal in strength and energy. Those two extremely brave ones fought, like two planets engaging in the firmament. Those two were impossible to assail and they fought like Bala and Vritra.315 Those two great-souled ones fought like maned lions. Stationed there, those two shot arrows along many paths. The lion among men and the lion among rakshasas fought cheerfully. The supreme man and the supreme rakshasa were exceedingly happy. The
y wielded their bows and arrows, desiring victory. They severely showered down floods of arrows on each other, like clouds pouring down rain.
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Dasharatha’s son, the slayer of enemies, affixed an arrow and angrily shot it towards the Indra among rakshasas, sighing like a serpent. Ravana’s son heard the noise of the palm slap against the bowstring. With his face pale, he glanced towards Lakshmana. Vibhishana saw that the face of the rakshasa who was Ravana’s son had turned pale. Soumitri was engaged in fighting and he spoke to him. ‘I can see the signs in Ravana’s son. O mighty-armed one! There is no doubt that he will be broken quickly.’ At this, Soumitri affixed arrows that were like the flames of the fire. He shot these sharp arrows, like snakes emerging from their holes. Lakshmana’s arrows were like Shakra’s vajra to the touch. Struck by these, he was benumbed for a while and his senses were agitated. He regained consciousness after some time and his senses recovered. The brave one saw that Dasharatha’s brave son was stationed there.
His eyes red with rage, he approached Soumitri. Having approached, he again addressed him in harsh words. ‘Do you not remember my valour in the first encounter? In the encounter, you and your brother were bound down and were writhing. My arrows were like Shakra’s vajra. In that first great battle, with all your companions, you were lying down on the ground, unconscious. I think that you do not retain any memory of that, or perhaps you desire to go to Yama’s abode. That is the reason you wish to attack me. If you have not witnessed my valour in that first encounter, I will show it to you today. Steady yourself now.’ Saying this, he pierced Lakshmana with seven arrows and used ten sharp-edged and excellent arrows to strike Hanumat. With his rage doubled, he angrily used one hundred well-aimed arrows to pierce the valiant Vibhishana. On seeing what Indrajit had done, Rama’s younger brother paid no heed to it. He laughed and said, ‘This is a trifle.’ The bull among men affixed and released terrible arrows. In the battle, with no fear on his face, Lakshmana angrily shot these at Ravana’s son. ‘O roamer in the night! Brave ones who come to fight do not strike like this. These arrows of yours are light, limited in valour and pleasant. In a battle, brave ones who seek victory do not fight like this.’ Saying this, he showered down arrows. Shattered by the arrows, a gold-embellished armour was fragmented and fell down on the floor of the chariot, like a net of stars dislodged from the sky. In the battle, the brave Indrajit’s armour was shattered by iron arrows and he was wounded. But he was as firm as a mountain. As they engaged in that tumultuous battle, they sighed and glanced at each other. All their limbs were pierced by arrows and blood started to flow. They repeatedly exhibited their excellence in use and knowledge of weapons. The high and low trajectories of their arrows traced patterns in the sky. They shot arrows with dexterity, aimed well and colourfully, without any blemishes. Both of them, the man and the rakshasa, were terrible and fierce. The terrible sounds of their palms slapping could be separately heard. It was like the extremely terrible sound of thunderous clouds in the sky. In the battle, gold-tufted arrows descended on their bodies. Smeared with blood, they emerged again and penetrated the ground. There were other extremely sharp weapons that clashed against each other in the sky. Thousands of their arrows clashed and severed each other. Piles of arrows accumulated in that terrible battle. They resembled piles of blazing kusha grass at a sacrifice dedicated to the fire. With wounds in their bodies, those two great-souled ones were resplendent. They looked like blossoming shalmali and kimshuka trees in the forest, devoid of leaves. Terrible and tumultuous clashes repeatedly took place as Indrajit and Lakshmana sought to triumph over each other. In the battle, Lakshmana struck Ravana’s son and Ravana’s son struck Lakshmana. They struck each other and neither suffered from exhaustion. Nets of arrows deeply pierced the bodies of those two spirited ones. Those two immensely brave ones were as radiant as mountains with emanating peaks. Severely wounded by the arrows, they were smeared with blood. They dazzled in all their limbs and were like blazing fires. As they fought against each other, a long period of time elapsed. However, in the forefront of that encounter, neither of them suffered from exhaustion.
Lakshmana had never been defeated in the field of battle. To dispel any exhaustion he might suffer in the encounter, Vibhishana arrived at the spot where the clash was taking place. The immensely energetic one spoke agreeable and beneficial words.
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On seeing that the man and the rakshasa were engaged with each other and fighting, Ravana’s brave brother presented himself in the field of battle. He stood there and stretched his giant bow, shooting large arrows, sharp at the tips, towards the rakshasas. Well-aimed, those arrows, which were like flames to the touch, descended. They shattered the rakshasas, like the vajra shatters a large mountain. Vibhishana’s companions, supreme among rakshasas, used spears, javelins and swords to sever brave rakshasas in the battle. Vibhishana was surrounded by those rakshasas and looked like an elephant amidst proud young tuskers. The apes loved to fight with the rakshasas. At that time, the supreme among rakshasas, who knew about time, urged them with these words. ‘Stationed here is the only refuge for the Indra among rakshasas. This is all that remains of his army. O lords among the apes! Why are you waiting? When this wicked rakshasa is killed in the forefront of the battle, with the exception of Ravana, all the rest of his army will be destroyed. The brave Prahasta has been killed and so has the immensely strong Nikumbha. So have Kumbhakarna, Kumbha and Dhumraksha, the roamer in the night. So have Akampana, Suparshva, the rakshasa Chakramali, Kampana, Sattvavanta, Devantaka and Narantaka. These extremely strong ones, many supreme rakshasas, have been killed. When one has used one’s arms to swim across the ocean and cross it, this puddle316 is a trifle. O apes! Only this much remains to be defeated. All the rakshasas who approached, insolent of their strength, have been killed. For Rama’s sake, I will cast aside all compassion and kill my brother’s son. However, it is not proper to kill a son one has given birth to.317 Even if I desire to kill him, the tears in my eyes will be an impediment. That is the reason the mighty-armed Lakshmana must pacify him. O apes! Slay all those of his servants who dare to approach.’ They were thus urged by that illustrious rakshasa. The Indras among apes were delighted and lashed their tails. The tigers among apes roared repeatedly. They uttered many kinds of sounds, like peacocks when they catch sight of clouds.
Jambavat was surrounded by all of his own herds. They attacked the rakshasas with rocks, nails and teeth. The lord of the bears struck them and abandoning their fear, the immensely strong rakshasas surrounded him, with many kinds of weapons. In the battle, Jambavat was slaying the soldiers of the rakshasas and they attacked him with arrows, sharp battleaxes, javelins, staffs and spears. There was a tumultuous clash between the apes and the rakshasas, like the angry battle between the gods and the asuras. There was a loud and terrible noise. Enraged, Hanumat uprooted a sala tree from the mountain. He clashed against thousands of rakshasas and created carnage. In the battle, Indrajit had a tumultuous duel with his paternal uncle. The slayer of brave enemies then attacked Lakshmana again.
Those two brave ones, Lakshmana and the rakshasa, fought in the battle. Desiring to kill each other, they showered down floods of arrows. Those two extremely strong ones glanced at each other and covered each other with nets of arrows, just as swift clouds envelop the moon and the sun at the end of the summer. Because of their dexterity in the use of their hands, the acts of picking up the bow, affixing an arrow, aiming it, releasing it, stretching the bow, shooting the arrow, adjusting the hold or striking the target could not be seen. In every direction, there were nets of arrows, shot powerfully from the bows. The sky was covered and nothing could be seen. Everything was covered in great darkness and it seemed to be even more terrible. The wind did not blow then and the fire did not blaze. The maharshis exclaimed, ‘May all be well with the worlds.’ The gandharvas and the charanas came and assembled there.
The lion among rakshasas possessed four black horses adorned with gold.
Soumitri used four arrows to pierce these four horses. As his charioteer was driving around, the dexterous Raghava used another broad-headed arrow to sever his handsome head from his body. Ravana’s son saw that his charioteer had been slain in the battle. He was distressed and lost his cheer in the battle. The leaders of the apes saw that the rakshasa had distress written on his face. They were extremely delighted and worshipped Lakshmana. Four lords of the apes—Pramathi, Sharabha, Rabhasa and Gandhamadana, became intolerant and attacked powerfully. Those apes quickly leapt on to his excellent horses. Those four extremely brave ones, terrible in their valour, descended there. The apes, resembling mountains, stood on the backs of the horses and because of the pressure, blood started to flow from their mouths. The maharatha’s horses were crushed and killed. With force, they318 then leapt up and came to Lakshmana’s side. His horses had been killed. His chariot had been crushed. His charioteer had been killed. However, Ravana’s son showered down arrows and attacked Soumitri. Lakshmana was like the great Indra. He shot sharp and excellent arrows at the one who was on foot. He319 also shot sharp and excellent arrows and he320 countered them with his fierce storm of arrows.
The Valmiki Ramayana Page 112