The Ramayana

by Valmiki

  ‘Sītā looked all around her and then pulled this jewel which she used to wear in hair from her clothes and gave it to me. I took it for you, Rāma. Then I bowed and prepared to return. As I expanded my body, the lovely woman said to me with tears streaming down her face, “Hanumān, give my good wishes to the heroic princes and to Sugrīva and all his minsters! Act in such a way that Rāma helps me cross this ocean of grief! Go to Rāma and tell him about my pitiable state and the insults of the rākṣasīs! May you have a safe journey, monkey!”

  ‘This is what Sītā said to me in her grief, Rāma! Consider what I have said and have faith in her virtue!’ said Hanumān.

  ‘Before I left, she said more to me out of her love for you,’ continued Hanumān. ‘She said, “Tell Rāma all this so that he will come here quickly and kill Rāvaṇa. Or, if you think it’s all right, rest here for the night and return in the morning. Your presence makes me feel better, even for a while. I have had so little to be happy about lately! I doubt if I will still be alive when you return! Your absence will add to the grief that already overwhelms me.

  “I have some doubt about your companions, the monkeys and bears. How will the princes and the monkey army cross the boundless ocean? How do you think they will accomplish this difficult task?

  “I know you can do all that needs to be done on your own. But then, the merit and fame it brings will go to you alone! If Rāma destroys Rāvaṇa and his army and takes me away from here, then the success will be his. It is not worthy of Rāma that he carry me off stealthily, as the rākṣasa did, out of fear. Destroying Lankā and the enemy army and taking me away would be a feat worthy of Rāma. You should act such that Rāma can display his might.”

  ‘I assured her that splendid Sugrīva was determined to rescue her and that the monkeys and bears under his command were strong and resolute. I said the monkeys were equal to me in their skills and strength and that they could reach Lankā even more easily than I did. I said, “Enough of this sadness! The monkeys will reach Lankā in a single bound. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, who are like the sun and moon, shall soon be here and you shall see them along with the army of monkeys who fight with their teeth and nails. Before long, you will hear the monkeys roaring like thunder on Lankā’s mountains. And soon, you shall see Rāma returning from his forest exile and consecrated in Ayodhyā!”

  ‘Sītā was comforted by my words and she felt better even though she suffered terribly at the thought of your grief.’

  WAR

  Chapter One

  Rāma was delighted to hear about all that Hanumān had done. ‘Hanumān has done the most difficult thing in the world. No one else could have done this, not even in their imaginations! I cannot think of anyone other than Garuḍa, Vāyu and Hanumān who could have crossed the great ocean. Hanumān entered that impregnable and inaccessible city, a city that not even celestial beings can enter! The servant who is assigned a difficult task and who fulfils it with energy is surely the best of all beings! And the servant who does not complete the task assigned to him is the worst!

  ‘Now that the mighty Hanumān has seen Sītā, myself, Lakṣmaṇa and the entire family have been saved. But I am ashamed of the fact that there is nothing I can do in return for Hanumān that would please him as much as he has pleased me. This affectionate embrace is all I possess now and all I have to offer.

  ‘I am terribly disheartened when I think of the ocean. How will the monkeys reach the southern shore of that boundless mass together? The news of Sītā lightens my heart but what is the solution to the monkeys crossing the ocean?’ And once again, Rāma began to brood.

  ‘How can you give in to your grief in this way, Rāma, like other ordinary mortals?’ said Sugrīva. ‘What is the reason for this sorrow? We now know where Sītā is, we know where our enemy lives. You are far-sighted and skilled in the arts of rulership. You are capable and able to tell right from wrong. You should not give in to such destructive doubts and fears. We shall cross the ocean, filled with sea monsters with millions of monkeys, and destroy your enemy!

  ‘The man who succumbs to dejection and misery never achieves his ends and the only thing he gains is more grief. All our monkey leaders are strong and brave and they would not hesitate to jump into the fire for your sake. Do whatever is necessary for me to kill Rāvaṇa and rescue Sītā.

  ‘Ensure that we can build a bridge over the ocean, Rāma, so that we can approach Lankā, the city of the rākṣasas. You can rest assured that Rāvaṇa is as good as dead from the moment we set eyes on the city. Without a bridge over the ocean, even the gods led by Indra would not be able to reach Lankā. But once we have built a bridge and the monkey army has crossed over, I promise you, we shall be victorious. My troops consist of brave and skilled warriors!

  ‘Low spirits will ruin our hopes! Stop grieving, that would diminish all our efforts. Call up your valour and the power you need for the performance of great deeds. Men like you should never succumb to sorrow, no matter how great the calamity. That could only lead to them not achieving their ends.

  ‘You are bound to be victorious with the help of advisors like me. I can think of no one in the three worlds who can face you in battle when you are armed with your bow! You shall see Sītā again before long. Call up your anger, Rāma, for kṣatriyas who are calm are doomed to failure! The world fears an angry man.

  ‘We shall cross the ocean in some fashion or other. What is the point of talking on and on like this? You will certainly be victorious for I have seen many good omens and my mind is filled with peace!’

  ‘Tell me about Lankā’s fortifications,’ said Rāma to Hanumān. ‘I want to know everything, as if I had seen it all with my own eyes. How strong is the army? How have the city gates been fortified? What are the ramparts like? And the houses of the rākṣasas? You had time enough to see every inch of Lankā and I know that you are capable of making these judgements!’

  ‘Listen and I will tell you everything about Lankā’s fortifications, her hidden defences and about the army that protects the city,’ replied the eloquent Hanumān. ‘I will tell you about the opulence of the city and the formidable ocean that surrounds it, about the divisions of the army and the number of their mounts and vehicles.

  ‘Lankā is a city of joy and celebration. It is filled with elephants and chariots and teeming with rākṣasa clans, it has four enormous gateways that are secured with massive doors. There are huge catapults stationed there to hurl arrows and stones at an attacking enemy force. There are hundreds of vicious spiked machines and rākṣasas standing by, ready to operate them. There are impregnable ramparts made of gold and studded with lapis and pearl and all kinds of other gems. They are surrounded by deep moats of ice-cold water which are filled with fish and crocodiles. There are four bridges that lead to the four gates and they are raised and lowered mechanically. They prevent the invading army from entering the city for they can toss enemy soldiers into the surrounding moat.

  ‘Rāvaṇa himself is a mighty warrior, Rāma! He is strong and alert and monitors his army. He is eager to fight. Lankā cannot be penetrated even by the gods. It has the perfect four-fold protection of water, mountains, forest and forts. It stands on the southern shore of the vast ocean. There are no sailing routes or paths or any means of communication with any other place. Lankā is situated on the top of a mountain and it is filled with horses, elephants and chariots. It is as well fortified as the city of the gods.

  ‘Mechanical weapons and war machines adorn this city that belongs to Rāvaṇa. The western gate is manned by hordes of rākṣasas armed with spears. They are formidable warriors and can even go into battle with swords. The southern gate is guarded by an entire four-divisioned army of mighty warriors. The eastern gate is protected by swordsmen who are capable of using any weapon at all. The northern gate is guarded by the finest and noblest warriors who are renowned for their skills as horsemen and charioteers. And there are hundreds of smaller groups of warriors in the middle of the city and they, too, ar
e brave and invincible.

  ‘I have already smashed the drawbridges, filled up the moats, breached the ramparts and burned the city. If we can manage to cross the ocean somehow, you can be sure that the monkeys will destroy Lankā!’

  ‘Hanumān, you have told me all that I need to know about Lankā and the terrible rākṣasas,’ said Rāma. ‘I swear to you that I will destroy it!

  ‘Sugrīva, this is a good time for us to leave. The sun is in a position that is auspicious for victory. I see other good signs, too. I know I will kill Rāvaṇa and bring Sītā back. My right eye twitches which means that I shall have my dearest wish, victory!

  ‘Let Nīla go ahead with hundreds and thousands of monkeys. Let him scout a path for us, a path that is abundant in roots and fruits and cool water and honey. It is possible that the wicked rākṣasas have polluted the water sources and the roots and fruits along our path. The monkeys must be constantly alert and keep their weapons at the ready. Let them search the forests and the valleys for the enemy. Let hundreds of millions of monkeys form an advance guard that is as vast as the ocean.

  ‘I myself shall ride on Hanumān’s shoulders in the middle of the army, like Indra upon Airāvata. Lakṣmaṇa shall ride upon Angada’s shoulders. Jāmbavān, Suṣeṇa and Vegadarśī can bring up the rear.’

  Sugrīva called the monkey troops together and they emerged from caves and from mountain peaks, leaping around in their eagerness to fight. Righteous Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa set out for the south, surrounded by thousands of millions of monkeys that were the size of elephants. The monkeys were thrilled at the prospect of battle and they laughed and roared and played and jumped around. They ate the honey and fruit they found along the way and they broke off trees and flowering shrubs. They carried each other and threw things at each other as they went, shouting, ‘We shall kill Rāvaṇa and all the rākṣasas!’

  The monkey army surged forward, rumbling like the ocean at high tide. They marched behind the sons of Daśaratha like trained horses controlled by their bits. Riding on the shoulders of the monkeys, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa looked like the sun and the moon in conjunction with the planets. ‘I see auspicious omens everywhere. I have no doubt you will kill Rāvaṇa and return to Ayodhyā with all your goals accomplished!’ said Lakṣmaṇa.

  The monkeys covered the earth as they marched forward as swift as the wind and the cloud of dust they raised darkened the sun and hid the world from view. Eager to perform great deeds on the battle field for Rāma’s sake, they boasted and bragged in their youthful enthusiasm about all the things they could do with their strength. Some raced ahead, others galloped. They talked and laughed, they gouged the earth with their feet and tails, they broke off rocks and uprooted trees with their mighty arms. They climbed to the tops of mountains yelling and shouting, they crushed creepers into a tangled mass with their powerful legs. They drew themselves up to their full height and played with treetops.

  Driven by the desire to see Sītā, the army marched day and night and did not stop for a single moment. Soon, they reached Mount Sahya, covered with trees and frequented by deer and other animals. The monkeys ate the sweet fruit and honey they found there and continued on their way. When they came to Mount Mahendra, Rāma climbed to its summit and looked out over the roaring, swelling ocean that was filled with fish and turtles.

  Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sugrīva were the first to reach the pleasant forest on the shore. ‘Here we are at the ocean, the abode of Varuṇa,’ said Rāma. ‘Now we must once again consider the matter that concerned us earlier. From here, the ocean seems endless. We cannot hope to cross it without a proper plan. Let us make camp here and consult the others about the best way for the monkeys to cross to the southern shore.’

  Rāma, still tormented with grief over the separation from Sītā, gave orders for the monkey army to make camp. The huge army of monkeys seemed like a second ocean of honey-coloured water on the shore. They camped in the forest and watched the waves rise and fall with great delight. They looked out over the endless waters that teemed with fish and sea monsters and serpents with glittering bodies. The ocean was particularly terrifying at twilight and seemed to ebb and swell with the moon.

  The ocean had submarine mountain ranges and its unplumbed depths were as dangerous as the realm of the asuras. The waves rose and fell with the wind, filled with the fish and serpents that lived in the waters. Drops of water gleamed like sparks from a fire. The waters were like the sky and the sky like the waters. You could not tell one from the other. Sky and water mingled, the only difference being that one was filled with stars, the other with precious gems. Waves filled the sea as clouds fill the sky and the waves crashed against each other, making a noise like drums on the battlefield. The monkeys watched in wonder as the waters were tossed by the wind and seemed to fill the sky.

  Chapter Two

  Meanwhile, Rāvaṇa had seen the terrible destruction Hanumān had wrought upon Lankā, so devastating that only a being that was Indra’s equal could have done it. Somewhat disturbed, the king of the rākṣasas said, ‘My impregnable and unassailable city was entered and attacked by a mere monkey. He even managed to see Sītā. The monkey destroyed our buildings and killed a number of rākṣasas and threw the entire city into a panic.

  ‘What shall I do now? What is the appropriate course of action?’ he asked his advisors. ‘You must tell me what is the right thing to do as well as what we are capable of doing. Great men who are known for their courage have said that consultation and advice are the roots of victory. I would like to discuss this problem with you. You are wise and circumspect. Consider the matter carefully and decide what we should do. I will do exactly as you say. Rāma will soon be here with an army of hundreds of millions of monkeys to lay siege to our city. He will find some way of crossing the ocean. Briefly, this is the situation we find ourselves in. Think about the welfare of our city and our army.’

  The heroic rākṣasas joined their palms in respect and said, ‘Our army is vast and has all kinds of weapons. What is there to worry about? Kubera lived on Mount Kailāsa surrounded by hordes of yakṣas. You defeated them all and made them subordinate to you, even though Kubera had Śiva for a friend and thought very highly of himself. He was a guardian of the quarters but in your anger, you defeated him in combat. You wrought havoc among the yakṣas and stopped their advance from Kailāsa. You even got the wondrous Puṣpaka for yourself!

  ‘The king of the dānavas, Maya, sought an alliance with you out of fear and gave you his daughter in marriage. You even brought the dānava Madhu, renowned for his strength and courage, under your control! You went to the underworld and conquered the nāgas. After a battle that lasted a whole year, you subdued many dānavas and learned the magic arts. You defeated Varuṇa’s sons in battle even though they were backed by a massive four-divisioned army.

  ‘Long ago, the earth was full of kṣatriyas who rivalled Indra in their heroism. They were as numerous as trees. And you killed them all even though they were invincible to others. Rāma has neither their skills nor their courage in battle. Do not be disturbed by this challenge from such mediocre beings. You are bound to kill Rāma!’

  Various mighty rākṣasa warriors leapt up from their seats and began to shout. ‘We shall kill Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa and Sugrīva today! And that wretched Hanumān who caused so much trouble in Lankā!’

  They grabbed their weapons, ready to fight, but Vibhīṣaṇa made them all sit down again. He placed his palms together and said, ‘Wise men say that war should be sought only after the first three options have been tried and have failed. My child, force will only succeed if it is used correctly after proper deliberation, according to the rules, or if the enemy is destined to die, or if he is engaged with other enemies, or if he is unaware. How can you think of attacking someone who is vigilant, who is supported by a huge army, who is determined to win, who has conquered his temper and is invincible?

  ‘Who would have ever imagined that Hanumān would be able to leap
across the ocean and do what he did? Do not underestimate the enemy! They are brave and have limitless forces. Besides that, what has Rāma ever done to Rāvaṇa that would justify the abduction of Sītā from Janasthāna? It was Khara’s behaviour that made Rāma kill him in combat. All beings are entitled to defend their lives.

  ‘Sītā should be given back. What do we gain by incurring their enmity? It is not right to unnecessarily incur the wrath of a righteous man who holds to dharma. Let us give Sītā back! If we do not volunteer to return Rāma’s beloved wife, this lovely city and these brave rākṣasas will definitely be destroyed. I beg you as a brother, listen to me! Do as I say! My advice is based on righteousness and it is for your good. Return Sītā! Give her back before Rāma shoots you dead with an endless stream of arrows that sting like the rays of the sun and never miss their mark! Renounce this anger which destroys happiness and virtue. Follow the path of righteousness that leads to fame and joy. Have pity on us! Let us live in peace with our children and our families. Give Sītā back to Rāma!’

  Rāvaṇa listened to his brother’s well-intentioned words, but impelled by his fate, he replied harshly, ‘One can live with a rival or with a poisonous snake but one cannot live with someone who claims friendship and then serves the interests of the enemy. I know how family members feel—they rejoice in the misfortunes of their kin. If a person is the best in his family, if he is capable, learned and righteous, they do not respect him. Instead, they try to bring him down. Of all the dangers in the world, the danger from your family is the worst! We know that cows yield with abundance, that brahmins exercise self-control and that women are fickle. So, too, it is evident that one’s family is dangerous! The fact that I am respected by the world does not sit well with you! Neither does my power and majesty. If anyone else had spoken to me like this, Vibhīṣaṇa, he would be dead! Damn you! You are a disgrace to the family!’