Ramavijaya - 5

The demon-king was ashamed to behold him in that state ; and in order to avoid an interview with him he ordered his barber to show him a mirror. The barber accordingly held a mirror before the demon in which he beheld his disfigured face and immediately returned in a great rage to renew the fight with the monkeys. Desperate as he was, he devoured many of the monkeys and attempted to rush upon Rama, when Lakshman let off arrows at him, which he broke with his hands. In the mean-time, Vibhishan went to fight with his brother, when the latter said, " You are a great scoundrel. Do you know who I am ? I am your brother. You are treacherous, and have joined our enemies. I should have just killed you on this spot, but as there will be no one left behind us to perform our funeral ceremonies, I spare your life and command you to leave this place immediately. Do not show me your face again." Having heard these words from the mouth of Kumbhakarna, Vibhishan immediately disappeared. Kumbhakarna then rushed upon Rama, when the latter let off arrows at him, but they all were devoured by the demon. Lastly the prince discharged a deadly arrow at him and cut off his hands with it, and, with other arrows, his feet, trunk, and head.

On receiving the news of the fall of Kumbhakarna in the field Ravana much grieved for him, when Indrajit came and consoled his father. Immediately after, Atikaya, the second son of Ravana, with other warriors, bravely attacked the army of Rama and shot a great number of the monkeys ; but at last Lakshman killed him with his arrow. Ravana

much lamented for him, when Indrajit consoled his father and having washed his body with the blood of human beings and cows, performed a penance. His goddess was pleased with him and presented him with a chariot, horses and weapons. He seated himself in that chariot and jumped into the sky  and having hid himself in the clouds, he let off arrows at the monkeys and killed them all. Even Rama and Lakshman were struck with his arrows. The demon-prince again returned to Lanka with success.

To resuscitate the monkeys, Maruti went to get a mountain called Dronagiri, which was full of medicinal plants. For some time he stood at the foot of the mountain entreating him to accompany him to Suvela, the place of the war, and resuscitate the monkeys with his medicinal plants. The mountain said " Be gone. You, fool. I am not expected to accompany you to Suvela. Depart from this place. Maruti got indignant at the insolence of the mountain and, having lifted him up with his tail, brought him to Suvela. By the odour of the medicinal plants on the mountain all the monkeys with Rama and Lakshman were resuscitated; and soon after, they entered Lanka and set fire to it. Whereupon Ravana sent the demons, Jang Prachang, Krochen, Nikuinbha and others

to oppose them and quench the fire. The demons let off a rain-weapon, which produced water and quenched the fire. By his mantra Indrajit then created a female called Kritya and jumped with her into the sky; and hiding himself behind her back he let off arrows at the monkeys and killed many of them, when Rama, at the suggestion of the wind, let off the weapon called Angirastra, which cut off the female. Whereupon Indrajit immediately came down and, having defeated the army of Rama with heavy loss, returned to Lanka with success.

The monkeys were alarmed, when Maruti immediately kept the field. At this time Indrajit created by his mantras a woman exactly like Sita and, having seated her in his chariot, came to the field and loudly said in the hearing of all the monkeys, " You see, on account of this wretched woman my father has suffered much. If her head is cut off, every thing will end in peace, and there will be no war" So saying he cut off the head of the woman and immediately went to his county, Istikumbala, to perform a penance with a view to get from the deity of fire a divyaratha* with horses and weapons. He entered a solitary place and, posting demons to watch it, began to perform the penance. Indrajit killed for the purpose many Brahmas and cows and his body with their blood, seated himself upon corpses and carcasses, made a havan^ and offered the deity of fire the heads of Brahmans and cows. The deity having been pleased with him, half of the divyaratha came out of the havan.

Maruti believed that the woman, whose head had been cut off, was Sita and communicated the sad news to Kama and Lakshman, which disheartened and disappointed all.

In the meantime, Vibhishan came and informed Rama and the monkeys that Sita was safe in the Asoka forest and that the Sita, whose head was cut off by Indrajit, was created by him with his mantras. He also informed them of the penance and said, " Half of the divyaratha has come out of the fire ; and if the whole chariot come out, you will not be able to conquer Indrajit. I, therefore, advise you to go to Nikumbala as soon as possible and destroy the havan, so that the chariot may disappear and not come to the hands of the demon-prince. I also tell you that as soon as you destroy the havan, he will be desperate and fight with you ; but no one will be able to kill him, unless he has observed fast for 12 years.  Listening to what Vibhishan had said Rama made a sign to Lakshman, who had observed fast for 14 years, and bade him go with Maruti, Sugriva, and the other monkeys to Nikumbala to destroy the havan and kill Indrajit. Lakshman accordingly went with them to Nikumbala and destroyed the chariot and havan. The noise of the monkeys aroused Indrajit who was in deep meditation ; and finding that the havan was destroyed, he was so furious that he let off at them a rain-weapon, which produced the rain and flowed the army of Lakshman. The prince Discharged a wind-weapon, which produced the wind and dispersed, the rain. Indrajit stopped the wind by a mountain-weapon, which produced innumerable mountains, when Lakshman let off a diamond-weapon, which produced diamonds, and broke the mountains. Indrajit let off a fire weapon, which produced fire and began to burn the army of Lakshuman, when the latter discharged a sea-weapon, which produced volumes of water and extinguished the fire. Indrajit lastly let off five arrows and struck Lakshman with thorn, when Vibhishan threw his gada* at the demon-prince, who cut it off and struck his uncle with five arrows. At last Lakshuman let off a deadly arrow and broke his head with it, and his chariot was broken and horses killed by Jambuvant. Indrajit however fought alone on the ground, when all the monkeys threw at him innumerable mountains, rocks, and trees at one and the same time, but he broke them with his arrows in no time. He then jumped into the sky and, hiding himself in the clouds, let off arrows at Lakshman when Maruti placed the latter on the palm of his hand and lifted him up in the sky  where he fought with Indrajit, Whereupon the demon-prince came down, when Maruti brought Lakshman on the ground. They fought for some time on the ground but at last Lakshman cut off with his arrows the thighs, arms and the head of his enemy. One of the arms of the demon-prince, when cut off, fell down in the compound of the palace of his wife, Sulochana, a daughter of Shesha, and the monkeys carried off the head to their camp with exultation.

Rama rejoiced at the success and told the monkeys to preserve the head and hand it over to a woman, who would come hither to ask for it. Sulochana came out of her room, and as soon as she identified her husbands arm, she took it up in her hands and lamented over it. She said to the arm with tears in her eyes, " My love, just let me know how you were killed. If I am faithful to you, let this your arm write a short account of the battle you had fought with Rama." So saying she placed a piece of paper, pen and inkstand before the arm, which wrote the full account of the battle and informed her that the monkeys carried off

his head to Suvela. As soon as Sulochana read the account, she grieved much and placed the arm and paper before his father-in-law.

Ravana read the letter and fainted away, when Mandodari came out of her room and, hearing the sad news of the fall of her brave son, violently cried and wept. Sulochana said,  I am going to burn myself with my beloved Indrajit. I, therefore, implore you to get his head back from the monkeys. At the entreaties of his daughter-in-law the demon-king pitied her ; and at the same time, he was boiled with rage at the monkeys, and exclaimed, "Daughter, I shall get the head back. Rest assured. I will now fight with Rama and never return, unless I kill him." So exclaiming he ordered his courtiers to make preparations for march against the prince, when Mandodari said to Sulochana, " There is no necessity for fighting with Rama. If you go to him alone, he will give the head to you, as he is very kind." Ravana said, " She is helpless, if any body commit outrage upon her. " There is not a single monkey with Rama, replied Mandodari, " who will covet anothers wife. * As soon as Mandodari said these words, he hid his face with shame and confusion and allowed Sulochana to go alone to Suvela. Sulochana came to the camp of the monkeys, when the latter took her to Rama. She said to the prince, " I am wife of Indrajit and have come hither to carry the head of my husband, as I am going to burn myself with him. I, therefore, implore you to give it to me." " How did you know that the head of your husband was carried off by us," asked the monkeys. Sulochana told them what had happened but the monkeys said to her, " We can not believe what you say. It is impossible that a lifeless arm can write. Here is the head of your husband ; and if you were faithful to him, just make it laugh ; and then we will be convinced of, what you say." Whereupon Sulochana, embracing the head, said, " My love, I am now in difficulty. These monkeys have met here together to judge of my fidelity towards you ; and if your head does not laugh, they will look upon me as a vile woman." Sulochana tried her utmost to make the head

laugh but it did not listen to her. At last she said, "  I made a great mistake. If I had called my father, Shesha, to help you, nothing could have been done to you." As soon as she uttered these words, the head heartily laughed. The monkeys said, " Though Sulochana spoke to the head in so many pathetic words, it did not laugh but as soon as she took the name of Shesha, it heartily laughed." What is this mystery?" asked the monkeys. " Sulochana is the daughter of Shesha," replied Rama, " and Lakshman is an incarnation of Shesha. The head laughed, because his father-in-law killed his own son-in-law." No sooner did Rama inform the monkeys of this than Lakshman much grieved for his son-in-law, Indrajit, when the former pacified and consoled him, saying that he would resuscitate the demon-prince, if he wished him to do so. But at the entreaties of the monkeys Rama did not resuscitate Indrajit. The monkeys then handed the head over to Sulochana, which she took and brought on the sea shore near Lanka, where she arranged a pile of wood and, having set fire to it, burnt herself with the head. Ravana, who was present there with his family according to the custom, was deeply affected at the sight, and returned home with grief. Ravana was in a confused state of mind, and did not know what to do, when his minister, Yidya, advised him to write a letter to his uncles, Ahiravana and Mahiravana, in Patal. Whereupon the demon-king wrote to them, called them to see him at his palace and informed them of his misfortune and distress, when they encouraged him and said, " You need not be alarmed. We shall carry off Rama and Lakshman to Patal today at midnight and sacrifice them to our goddess." The ministers of Vibhishan overheard what had passed between Ravana and the demons and communicated it to their master. Whereupon Vibhishan told Maruti, Nala, Nila, Sugriva and other monkeys to guard Rama and Lakshman during the night. All the monkeys, therefore, made a fortification of their tails and, placing in it the princes on a cot, guarded them. At midnight Ahiravana and Mahiravana came there and were greatly surprised at the curious fortification. But there being no way to get in, they excavated the earth ; and through that excavation they carried off the princes with the cot to Mahikavati in Patal, where they put them in trance and confined them in a house. They had posted twenty kotis of demons under the command of Makardwaja to watch the mouth of the excavation which was near the sea in Patal. At the dawn of the day all the monkeys at Suvela went to visit Rama, when they found, to their great surprise, that the cot disappeared with Rama and Lakshman. They saw the excavation and the footprints of the

demons, from which they concluded that the demons had carried off the princes through that hollow. All the monkeys were greatly alarmed, and did not know what to do, but, in the mean time, Vibhishan came and told them not to make a noise about it, because if Ravana knew of their position, he would attack them and kill them all in no time. The monkeys with Vibhishan met together and asked Maruti whether he could go through the excavation and trace the whereabouts of Rama and Lakshman. " Even at the risk of my life I will get Rama and Lakshman back," replied Maruti. Having thus spoken Maruti entered the excavation with Nala, Nila, Angada, and Jambuvant and went through it to the sea -shore half dead, where they refreshed themselves with a fresh breeze. Looking at the large numbers of the demons they disguised themselves as Fakirs* and asked the monsters to show them the way that led to Mahikavati. The demons did non listen to them and prevented them from proceeding further, when Maruti got indignant and threw them into the sea with his tail. Makardwaja was greatly incensed, and combated with Maruti but the latter flung him down and sat on his chest. Makardwaja was alarmed, when Maruti called upon him to name the espouser of his cause. " If my father, Maruti, were here," said Makardwaja, "he would kill you and save my life." As soon as the demon mentioned the name of Maruti, the latter was startled and,getting up from his chest, said, " My name is Maruti. I am a Bramhachari  and how do you say that I am your father ? Just give me an account of how you were born to me." " When you burnt Lanka,* replied Makardwaja, " you threw into the sea your sweat, which my mother, a Magari,  swallowed up ; and of that sweat I was born to you." Maruti was astonished at the account given by Makardwaja, and blessed him when, the Magari came to see the monkey and said to him, " When you came here last time, you had a large size ; but I now find that your form is very small. I doubt whether you are that Maruti whom I had seen." Where upon Maruti assumed his former form and removed her doubt. He then acquainted her with what had happened to Rama, when she said, " Ahiravana and Mahiravana are two brothers. They are wicked and treacherous demons. I know that they have carried off Rama and Lakshman to Mahikavati, and they will sacrifice them to their goddess tomorrow. I, therefore, advise you to go and hide yourself in the temple of the goddess, where you will find both the princes." "Have patience/ replied Maruti, " I will kill all the demons and give Mahikavati to your son." " Mahi kavati," continued the Magari, " is at a distance of 13 yojans, and to reach there you will have to cross a vast sea, which you will not be able to do. I, therefore, beg you to sit with your companions in my mouth, and I will convey you to that place." Nala, Nila, Angad, and Jambuvant were afraid, as they thought that the Magari might swallow them up on their way to Mahikavati. They, therefore, refused her kind offer and stayed on the sea-shore, while Maruti alone jumped over the sea and immediately reached Mahikavati, where he became as small as an atom and entered the temple of the goddess. As soon as he saw the goddess, he put her into a drain and, assuming her form, sat in her place. The goddess was frightened, and did not speak a word for fear of life. The demons as usual made offerings to the goddess consisting of boiled rice, milk, butter and other things which Maruti swallowed up to his hearts content and loudly said to the demons, " I am very much pleased with you, because you have brought today Rama and Lakshman for my tiffin Let me have them. Do not open the doors of the temple* because you will not be able to bear my power and lustre. I, therefore, command you to make an opening to one of the walls of the temple and push them in through it, so that I may devour them with a great relish. Do not kill them." Believing that the goddess was much pleased with them, Ahiravana and Mahiravana removed the trance from Rama and Lakshuman and brought them to the temple. As directed by the goddess, they made an opening

to one of the walls of the temple and pushed them in through it. Rama and Lakshman were frightened at the sight of the goddess, who opened her mouth and said to them, u I shall now devour you, as I am very hungry; but before I do that, name the espouser of your cause." Whereupon the princes replied, " If Maruti were here, he would come to our rescue. We are now helpless, and throw ourselves on your mercy." Maruti was moved with pity at the princes, and immediately discovered himself to them. " I am now without weapons," said Rama, " and how can I kill the demons without them?" " You need not be afraid," continued Maruti, " I shall get your weapons here." So saying he brought the weapons and dhanushabans from Suvela. As princes were hungry, Maruti gave them to eat the butter and other things which he had preserved for them; and after they had appeased their hunger he sat in the place of the goddess, hiding them behind his back, and loudly exclaimed, " I am now ready to bless all my beloved demons one by one. Let Ahiravana come in first." Ahiravana was extremely glad,

as the goddess wanted him first; and without loss of time lie went in and stood before the deity, who trampled him under his foot and instantly killed him. As the demon did not come out for some time, the other demons outside the temple apprehended that there was some mischief in the temple, and began to make enquiries about him, when Maruti broke open the doors of the temple and killed a great number of the demons with his tail. Having been informed that his brother was killed by Maruti, Rama and Lakshman, Mahiravana commenced to fight with them. He let off arrows after arrows at his enemies but they cut them off and let off an arrow and killed the demon with it; but, to their great surprise, they found that every drop of the blood of the demon produced one Mahiravana, and when Rama killed all the Mahiravanas produced by all the drops of the first Mahiravana the drops of so many Mahiravanas produced innumerable Mahiravanas and thus the more Rama killed the Mahiravanas, the more they were produced. At last Rama was confusedand did not know what to do. Maruti went and asked the Magari to acquaint him with the cause of the phenomenon. The Magari referred him to Chandraseni, wife of Ahiravana, and told him that she would tell him all about it. Whereupon Maruti called upon Chandraseni and implored her to tell him the cause of the phenomenon, when she said, * I shall be very glad to tell you the cause of the phenomenon, but unless Rama marries me, I shall not tell you the cause. I am charmed with the prince, and if you promise me that you will make him marry me, I shall tell you the cause." " Oh, yes. I can do it very easily, replied Maruti. " Then give me your promise, * continued Chandraseni. Maruti gave his promise to her, when she said, " Ahiravana performed a severe penance on account of which the god, Siva, was pleased, and blessed him, saying that every drop of the nectar in the kundas in Patal, if mixed, with every drop of the blood of Mahiravana, it would produce one Mahiravana and that the drops of the blood of the Mahiravanas produced by such drops would multiply the Mahiravanas. So saying he presented the demon with a string of Bramahras and told him that the Bramahras would supply his brother with the nectar at the time of a war. Now you see, these Bramahras, who are as big as mountains, go to Patal and sprinkle the nectar over the blood of the Mahiravanas and consequently there is no end to them.