The Ramayana

by Valmiki

  The few kinkaras that escaped fled back to Rāvaṇa and told him how the others had been slaughtered. Rāvaṇa’s eyes rolled in anger and he called the mighty son of Prahasta into battle.

  Having massacred the kinkaras, Hanumān stood for a while in thought. ‘I have destroyed the pleasure grove,’ he said to himself. ‘Now I should destroy the rākṣasas worship hall.’

  Displaying his might and blazing with his own splendour, the monkey leapt to the top of the sacred hall that was as tall as Mount Meru and crushed it. He took on his gigantic form again and filled Lankā with his roars. Birds fell out of the sky when they heard that sound and all kinds of creatures were hurt.

  ‘The mighty Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sugrīva, who is Rāma’s ally, will all be victorious!’ he yelled. ‘I am the servant of the king of Kosalā, Rāma the magnificent! I am Hanumān, the son of the Wind, the killer of enemies! A thousand Rāvaṇa’s cannot face me in battle when I throw trees and rocks around by the hundreds! I have honoured Sītā and I have destroyed Lankā. Now I will leave from here while all the rākṣasas watch!’

  Hanumān’s words rang through Lankā and inspired fear among the rākṣasas. Thousands of enormous guards appeared and hurled their weapons at him, arrows, spears, swords and axes, appearing like a whirlpool in the Gangā as they swirled around the great monkey.

  Hanumān pulled up a shining, golden pillar from the hall and attacked the guards, killing one hundred of them. ‘Hundreds of thousands of monkeys who are as brave and as powerful as I am have been called up under Sugrīva’s command!’ he shouted as he stood in the air. ‘They will come here in their countless numbers and soon there will be no city of Lankā, no Rāvaṇa and none of you! All because you have chosen enmity with Rāma, the lord of the Ikṣvākus!’

  Then, Jambumālī, Prahasta’s invincible son, came out to do battle with Hanumān, as Rāvaṇa had instructed. He was a mighty archer and he wore a red garland and clothes of shining white. His bow was like Indra’s and his arrows shone. He drew his bow string and the sky and all the directions were filled with its thunderous twang.

  Jambumālī assailed Hanumān who stood on top of the gate with arrows that never missed their target. Some had iron tips, others crescent heads and some were decorated with plumes. They struck the monkey all over his body. Hanumān found a huge rock and hurled it at the rākṣasa in anger. Jambumālī split the rock into pieces with his arrows and did the same to the sāla tree that Hanumān threw after it. Hanumān grabbed a club and hit Jambumālī on the chest so hard that neither his head nor his arms, nor his knees, bow, arrows, chariot or horses could be distinguished from one another.

  Rāvaṇa was enraged when he heard about Jambumālī’s death and sent out the seven sons of his ministers who were known for their skills in battle.

  They were the vanguard of the mighty rākṣasa army and were renowned archers, skilled in the use of all kinds of weapons. They drove forth in their horse-drawn chariots, rumbling like the ocean. Their banners flying, they drew their bows decorated with gold and were like dark clouds touched by lightning. They egged each other on and charged towards Hanumān, releasing a flood of arrows at him. Hanumān dodged the arrows as he ducked and weaved in the air, almost as if he were playing with them, the way his father, the wind, plays with rain clouds.

  Suddenly, he flew into the midst of the rākṣasas and attacked with his hands and feet and nails. He whirled some of them around, he crushed some of them between his thighs and still others were felled by the might of his roar. Those that survived fled in terror while horses sank to the ground and elephants trumpeted. The earth was strewn with broken chariots, seats, banners and flags.

  Hanumān was still eager to fight and once he had slain these rākṣasas, he returned to his position at the gate.

  Rāvaṇa called upon his five great generals, Virūpāksa, Yūpākṣa, Durādura, Praghāsa and Bhasakarṇa, when he heard about the death of the ministers’ sons. They were all brave and skilled warriors who could move with the speed of the wind and Rāvaṇa ordered them to attack Hanumān.

  ‘Go forth, my generals, surrounded by your troops and accompanied by your horses, chariots and elephants. This monkey has to be subdued! Remember that you must act with restraint as you approach him. His actions lead me to believe that he is no ordinary monkey. He has taken on a wondrous form to do all the things he did. Maybe he was created by Indra because of us. All of you have defeated nāgas, yakṣas, gods, gandharvas, asuras and the great sages. I am sure they are plotting against us. Seize that creature!

  ‘Do not dismiss this monkey. I have seen many monkeys who are swift and mighty, like Vālī, Sugrīva, the powerful Jāmbavān, the general Nīla, Dvivida and others. But none of them have this sort of speed, energy, power and intelligence. Nor can any of them take on this kind of form. This is some other great being that has appeared in the form of a monkey! You will need all your skills to subdue him!’

  The generals went out, fully armed, blazing like fire. They were accompanied by chariots, rutting elephants, magnificent horses and mighty warriors armed with every kind of weapon. They located Hanumān and after taking stock of the situation, they positioned themselves around him and began the attack.

  Durdura released a rain of sharp arrows at the monkey but Hanumān leapt high into the air and landed on the chariot like lightning striking a mountain. Durdura’s chariot was shattered, his eight horses were crushed and the rākṣasa fell to the ground, dead. Hanumān grabbed a sāla tree and killed Virūpākṣa and Yūpākṣa. Praghāsa and Bhasakarṇa attacked Hanumān together, but Hanumān hurled an enormous mountain peak with all its trees and animals at them and killed them in an instant.

  Then the great monkey set about destroying what was left of the army. Dead elephants and horses, smashed chariots and slain rākṣasas lay all over the place, blocking all the roads to the battlefield. Hanumān saw this and went back to the gateway to rest, like Time when all creatures have been destroyed at doomsday.

  Rāvaṇa’s messengers came back with the news that the five generals had been killed and while Rāvaṇa was deciding what to do next, he caught the eye of the young prince Akṣa who was eager to fight. Akṣa understood the meaning of his father’s look and he immediately grabbed his golden bow and leapt up from his seat, like a flame leaping up from a fire when oblations are poured upon it. He climbed into his chariot made of burnished gold which shone like the sun and went out to face Hanumān.

  Akṣa stared at the monkey in amazement mixed with respect and provoked him by loosing three arrows at him. When the battle between Akṣa and Hanumān began, the earth groaned, the sun dimmed and the wind died down. The mountains shook, the sea rose and the sky was filled with a huge noise. Hanumān swelled with strength and power as he burned Akṣa’s horses and chariots with the fire from his eyes. Akṣa was young and inexperienced, but he was proud of his exploits in battle and filled with arrogance about his fighting abilities. He charged towards Hanumān like a tusker charging towards a well covered with grass.

  Hanumān roared like thunder and rose up into the sky. He was an awesome sight, with his arms and legs spread wide. Seated in his chariot, Akṣa continued with his onslaught of arrows, battering Hanumān as a mountain would be battered by hail. Hanumān saw his opponent’s skills and realized that he would have to kill his enemy at once. With a single blow of his open palm Hanumān slew Akṣa’s magnificent horses and the rākṣasa’s chariot tumbled to the ground. Akṣa leapt into the sky armed with his bow and arrows and sword, but Hanumān grabbed him by his feet and whirled him around and shook him as Garuḍa would shake a serpent. He turned him around one thousand times and flung him to the ground. Akṣa’s head and limbs were smashed, his sinews, muscles and entrails were strewn everywhere and his eyes and bones mingled with the blood that flowed from his body.

  The other rākṣasas were terrified when they saw Hanumān squeeze the life out of Akṣa, who rivalled Indra in splendour, and return to the gate li
ke Time when all creatures have been destroyed.

  Rāvaṇa had to bring his emotions under control and steady himself when he heard about Akṣa’s death. He summoned his son Indrajit and said, ‘You are the best among all those who control celestial weapons and you are a skilled warrior. You have tormented the gods and the asuras and you have earned special weapons from Brahmā. The gods and the asuras cannot counter the strength of your weapons and there in no one in the three worlds who can fight as tirelessly as you. You are my equal in terms of the power you have earned from your austerities as well as your strength and skills. I am confident in battle when you are by my side.

  ‘The kinkaras have been killed. So have Jambumālī, the sons of our ministers and the five generals. Even your beloved younger brother Akṣa is dead. But I never had the faith in their skills that I do in yours. Match your strength against that monkey’s! Use your intelligence and all your experience and attack him!

  ‘It is not appropriate that I should send you out on this mission, but it is possible for a kṣatriya to do this since it is in keeping with the code of kings.’

  The splendid rākṣasa prince with the lotus eyes went forth like the ocean at high tide. His chariot was drawn by four white horses who were as swift as Garuḍa.

  Hanumān was delighted to hear the rumbling of the chariot and the twanging of Indrajit’s bow. He let out a mighty yell and began to expand in size. He stood in the sky and dodged the mighty archer’s arrows, skipping and jumping, making it impossible for the expert marksman to take aim. He would stand still and then leap into the air waving his arms.

  Indrajit saw that his arrows were ineffective and thought about what else he could do. He realized that the monkey could not be killed and began to think of ways to capture him alive. Heroic Indrajit released Brahmā’s weapon against the valiant monkey.

  Hanumān was trapped by the weapon and fell unconscious to the ground, bereft of all his powers. He realized that he had been struck by Brahmā’s weapon and thought, ‘I cannot free myself because of Brahmā’s power. It has been ordained that I should be felled by this weapon and I must endure this!’ Hanumān submitted himself to the weapon’s power because of the respect he had for Brahmā. ‘Even though I have been bound, I am not in danger, for I am protected by Vāyu and Indra as well as by Brahmā,’ he said to himself. ‘The rākṣasas have captured me because I displayed my powers. Now I can meet the king of the rākṣasas!’

  Hanumān stopped struggling and allowed himself to be tied up with ropes of bark and hemp. ‘It is good that the king of the rākṣasas wants to see me,’ he thought as he lay motionless. Once he had been bound with ropes, he was no longer subject to the power of Brahmā’s weapon but though he was dragged along and beaten and kicked and punched, he remained quiet.

  Hanumān was brought into Rāvaṇa’s presence and Indrajit displayed him to the king and his retinue. ‘Who is this?’ ‘Whom does he belong to?’ ‘Where does he come from?’ ‘What is he doing here?’ ‘Whom is his master?’ asked the other heroic rākṣasas. Talking among themselves, they said, ‘Eat him!’ ‘Kill him!’ ‘Burn him!’

  ‘I have come here as a messenger from the king of the monkeys!’ shouted Hanumān in response to their questions.

  Hanumān, whose deeds had excited so much amazement and wonder, stared at the king of the rākṣasas with his red eyes. Rāvaṇa blazed with his own splendour and with the brilliance of his golden crown which was studded with pearls. His jewels were dazzling and he wore the finest silks. His body was anointed with rare red sandalpaste. He sat upon a crystal throne inlaid with diamonds. As Hanumān gazed at him in wonder, the rākṣasa king reminded him of a rain cloud on the peaks of Mount Meru. Though the rākṣasas had beaten Hanumān badly, he could not help but be impressed by their king. He was stunned by his glory and effulgence.

  ‘How magnificent he is!’ thought Hanumān. ‘What beauty, what courage, what grace! He has all the signs of a great king! Had he not been so unrighteous, he may well have been the protector of the world, of the heavens, even of Indra himself! But all the worlds, including the gods and the dānavas, fear him, for in his anger, he could destroy them instantly!’

  Mighty Rāvaṇa looked at the yellow-eyed monkey standing in front of him and his anger grew. He said to Prahasta, ‘Ask this wicked creature where he is from and why he destroyed the aśoka grove. Why did he frighten the rākṣasls there?’

  ‘Monkey, rest assured that you have nothing to fear!’ said Prahasta to Hanumān. ‘Have you been sent here to Rāvaṇa’s city by Indra? Tell us the truth and you will go free! Or was it Kubera or Yama or Varuṇa that sent you here in this magnificent form? Are you a messenger from Viṣṇu? Your splendour is not like a monkey’s, only your form is! If you tell us the truth, you shall be set free, but if you lie, you will not live much longer! Why are you here?’

  ‘I am not from Indra, Varuṇa or Yama,’ replied Hanumān. ‘I am not allied with Kubera nor am I under instructions from Viṣṇu. I am really a monkey and I came here to see the king of the rākṣasas. He is not easy to see and so I destroyed the aśoka grove in order to be brought before him. Then I ran into these mighty rākṣasas who seemed eager to fight. I fought back in self-defence. I cannot be bound by any celestial weapons! That is the boon Brahmā gave me! I submitted to the Brahmā weapon and the beating by the rākṣasas only because I wanted to see the king.

  ‘Know that I am a messenger from Rāma!’ he said. ‘Listen to the good advice I have for you!’

  ‘I came here to your realm on Sugrīva’s instructions,’ continued heroic Hanumān. ‘He asks after your welfare and sends you this advice which is wise and just and intended for your benefit, appropriate here on earth as well as in heaven.

  ‘There was a great king named Daśaratha who had many chariots and horses and elephants. Equal to Indra in majesty, he was like a friend and father to the world. His oldest and most beloved son entered the Daṇḍaka forest in obedience to his father’s wishes. His brother Lakṣmaṇa and his wife Sītā went with him. His name was Rāma. He is splendid and takes refuge on the path of righteousness. His wife Sītā, devoted to her husband, was the princess of Videha and she was lost in the forest.

  ‘Searching for her, Rāma and his younger brother reached Ṛṣyamūk and formed an alliance with Sugrīva. Sugrīva agreed to search for Sītā and Rāma promised to help him regain the monkey kingdom. Sugrīva killed Vālī with Rāma’s help and was established on the throne as lord of the monkeys and bears. True to his word, Sugrīva sent out monkeys in search of Sītā in all directions. Hundreds of thousands of millions of monkeys searched everywhere, above and below and in the sky. Those mighty monkeys are strong and powerful, as swift as Garuḍa and the wind, unmatched in their prowess.

  ‘I am Hanumān, son of the Wind. For Sītā’s sake, I leapt over the ocean, a leap of one hundred yojanās! I came here to see her!

  ‘Wise one, you are so learned in what is right and just and have gained so much through ascetic practice. It is not right that you should carry off the wife of another man! Intelligent beings like you are not attracted to acts of unrighteousness which destroy the very roots of your existence!

  ‘Who, even among the gods and the asuras, can withstand the arrows Lakṣmaṇa releases under Rāma’s angry instructions! Can there be a single king in the three worlds who will gain happiness if he has insulted Rāma? Consider these words that are appropriate for all times and for all intentions. Return Sītā to god-like Rāma!

  ‘I have done the impossible and seen Sītā in Lankā. Rāma will accomplish all that is left to be done! I saw Sītā, burning with grief. You do not realize that this woman you abducted is as dangerous as a five-headed serpent. She cannot be had even by the gods or the asuras, just as even strong people cannot withstand poison!

  ‘Do not destroy all the merit you have earned through your asceticism! It is not right to destroy the substance of one’s life like this! Do not take refuge in the invincibility yo
u gained from the gods. For Sugrīva is neither a god nor an asura. He is neither a man nor a rākṣasa, neither a yakṣa nor a gandharva, nor even a nāga. Sugrīva is the king of the monkeys and Rāma is a mortal. How will you save your life now, king? The fruits of good and bad deeds cannot exist together. Good and bad acts deliver separate results and dharma destroys adharma. There is no doubt that you have enjoyed the fruits of your righteousness until now. But soon, you will have to face the consequences of your vile behaviour!

  ‘Keep in mind the massacre in Janasthāna and the killing of Vālī. Think of the alliance between Sugrīva and Rāma! Consider all these things for your own sake! I alone can destroy Lankā with all its elephants, horses and chariots! And Rāma has sworn in the presence of the monkeys and bears that he will kill the enemy who took Sītā.

  ‘The woman who is now in your power, the one whom you think of as Sītā, she is the long night of death that will destroy you and your city! Don’t place your head in death’s noose. Think about how you can save yourself! You will have to watch as Lankā is consumed by Sītā’s effulgence and the fire of Rāma’s wrath!’

  Rāvaṇa listened to the unpleasant truth that Hanumān placed before him and he was incensed. His eyes rolled with anger in his ten heads and he ordered that the monkey be put to death immediately.

  Chapter Eight

  Vibhīṣaṇa did not agree with Rāvaṇa’s decision to kill the monkey who had declared himself to be messenger. He knew that the king of the rākṣasas was angry and that the deed was as good as done, so Vibhīṣaṇa, who was skilled in what to do when, began to worry about doing the right thing. He made up his mind to speak and the eloquent Vibhīṣaṇa addressed his brother with the best intentions.