The Valmiki Ramayana

by Amish Tripathi

  Chapter 3(33)

  He heard Shurpanakha’s words and they made the body hair stand up. He made up his mind about what should be done. Taking his leave of his advisers, he departed. He thought about the appropriate course of action that should be followed. He weighed the pros and cons and thought about the strengths and weaknesses. He then made up his mind about what should be done. Having decided this, he went to the beautiful quarter214 where all the vehicles were kept. The lord of the rakshasas secretly went to the garage and instructed the charioteer, ‘Yoke the chariot.’215 In a short while, the charioteer, quick in his valour, yoked the excellent and favourite chariot. The golden chariot could travel, as it willed, through the sky. It was adorned with jewels. It was yoked to mules, with faces like pishachas, and with golden harnesses. The lord of the rakshasas, Dhanada’s prosperous younger brother,216 went to the lord of the male and female rivers.217 Dashanana218 was fanned with whisks made of white yak hair and a white umbrella was held aloft his head. His ornaments were made out of molten gold and had the complexion of mild lapis lazuli. With ten faces and twenty arms, his garments deserved to be seen. He was the enemy of the gods and the one who killed sages. With ten heads, he was like a king of the mountains. Astride a chariot that could travel at will, the lord of the rakshasas was radiant. It219 looked like a cloud in the sky, encircled with lightning and with flying cranes.

  The valiant one looked at the shoreline of the ocean, with mountains and full of thousands of trees with many kinds of flowers and fruits. In every direction, there were lakes with lotuses, full of auspicious and cool water. There were large hermitages, with decorated sacrificial altars. It was ornamented with coconut trees and plantain trees were like a dam. There were blossoming sala, tala and tamala220 trees. It was ornamented with supreme rishis who were extremely restrained in their diet. There were thousands of nagas, birds, gandharvas and kinnaras. The place was beautiful with siddhas and charanas who had conquered desire. There were aajas, vaikhanasas, mashas, valakhilyas and marichipas.221 There were thousands of apsaras who knew about the techniques of sexual pastimes, wearing divine ornaments and garlands and enveloped in celestial forms. The beautiful wives of the gods frequented the place and loved it. Large numbers of gods and danavas wandered around, desiring amrita.222 The place was filled with swans, curlews and frogs. There were the sounds of cranes. It was spread over with mild and beautiful lapis lazuli and the ocean’s energy. In every direction, there were vimanas, large and white, decorated with divine garlands and filled with the sound of trumpets and singing. They could travel at will and such worlds could be won223 by those who practised austerities. Dhanada’s younger brother saw them,224 served by gandharvas and apsaras. He saw thousands of gentle forests, filled with roots that exuded the juices of sandalwood. These satisfied the sense of smell. There were the best of forests and groves, filled with aloe. There were fragrant fruits from nutmeg and bay rum trees.225 There were blossoming tamala trees and clumps of pepper. Large numbers of oysters were drying along the shore. There were conch shells, rocks and heaps of coral. There were gold and silver hills in every direction. There were waterfalls pleasing to the mind and sparkling lakes. The place was filled with riches and grain and gems among women. He also saw cities, with sheds for elephants, horses and chariots. It was level and pleasant in every direction. The breeze was mild to the touch. He saw the shore of the lord of the rivers and it was like heaven.

  He saw a nyagrodha tree there.226 It had the complexion of a cloud and was surrounded by rishis. In every direction, its branches stretched out for a hundred yojanas. The immensely strong Garuda seized the elephant and the extremely large tortoise as food and sat down on its branch to eat them.227 When the supreme among birds suddenly sat down on the branch, covered with many leaves, because of the burden caused by the immensely strong Suparna, it broke. The supreme rishis, the vaikhanasas, the mashas, the valakhilyas, the marichipas, the aajas and the dhumras228 were collectively attached to the branch.229 Garuda was overcome with compassion for them. With great force, he seized the broken branch that was one hundred yojanas long and the elephant and the tortoise. The one with dharma in his soul used one talon to devour the flesh. The supreme among birds used the branch to destroy the dominion of the nishadas.230 Having been freed, the great sages were infinitely delighted. Their delight was doubled when the intelligent one turned his intelligence towards bringing the amrita and performed an act of valour. He shattered the mesh made of iron and broke into the excellent vault meant for treasures. He penetrated the protected residence of the great Indra and carried the amrita away. Dhanada’s younger brother saw the nyagrodha named Subhadra, frequented by large numbers of maharshis and with Suparna’s marks on it.

  He passed over to the other shore of the ocean, the lord of the rivers. At the end of a beautiful and sacred forest there, he saw a lonely hermitage. He saw the rakshasa named Maricha there, restrained in his food. He was attired in black antelope skin and bark and sported matted hair. In the proper way, Ravana approached the rakshasa. After this, the one who was eloquent in the use of words231 addressed him in these words.

  Chapter 3(34)

  ‘O Maricha! O son!232 Listen to the words I am going to speak. I am afflicted. You are the supreme refuge in my state of affliction. You know about Janasthana. My brother, Khara, the mighty-armed Dushana, my sister, Shurpanakha, the immensely energetic rakshasa, Trishira, who survived on human flesh, and many other brave roamers in the night who were successful in their objectives followed by counsel and resided there. Those rakshasas dwelt there. In that great forest, they obstructed the sages who sought to follow dharma. There were fourteen thousand rakshasas who were terrible in their deeds. They were brave and successful in their objectives. They followed Khara’s wishes. Those immensely strong ones used to reside in Janasthana now. In a battle, they had a supreme engagement with Rama. In the field of battle, Rama’s rage was ignited by this. Though he did not utter anything harsh, he affixed arrows to his bow. There were fourteen thousand rakshasas who were fierce in their energy. A man on foot used sharp arrows to slay them. In the battle, Khara was slain and Dushana was brought down. Trishira was killed and he rendered Dandaka free from fear. With his wife, his father exiled him in his rage and he possesses a limited lifespan. That Rama, the worst among kshatriyas, has killed those soldiers. He is wicked in conduct and harsh. He is fierce, stupid and greedy and has not conquered his senses. He has abandoned dharma and has adharma in his soul. He is engaged in causing injury to creatures. There was no reason for enmity in the forest. Yet, he resorted to his spirited nature and disfigured my sister by slicing off her nose and ears. His wife is Sita and she is like a daughter of the gods. She is in Janasthana. With you as my aide, I will use my valour to bring her away. O immensely strong one. With you by my side as my aide and with my brothers, I will not worry about fighting against the assembled gods in a battle. O rakshasa! Become my aide. You are capable. With your valour and your pride, there is no one who is your equal in a battle. O one who roams around in the night! This is the reason why I have come here and approached you. Listen to me about what you have to do to help me. My words will spell out your task. Assume the form of a golden deer, with colourful silver spots. Roam around in Rama’s hermitage, in front of Sita. On seeing you in the form of a deer, there is no doubt that Sita will ask her husband and Lakshmana to seize you. When they are away and Sita is alone, without any impediments, I will cheerfully abduct her, like Rahu robs the moon of its radiance. After that, Rama will be miserable and afflicted because his wife has been abducted. I will strike him if he retaliates and thus accomplish the inner desire of my heart.’

  The great-souled Maricha heard this about Rama. His mouth turned dry and he was terrified. He knew about Rama’s valour in the great forest. He was scared and miserable in his mind. He joined his hands in salutation and addressed Ravana in the following words, knowing what would be good and what would be bad for his own self.

  Chapter 3(35)
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  The one who was eloquent in the use of words heard the words spoken by the Indra among the rakshasas. The immensely wise Maricha replied to the lord of the rakshasas. ‘O king! It is always easy to get men who are pleasant in speech. It is extremely difficult to find a speaker and a listener for disagreeable medication. There is no doubt that you do not know about Rama’s great valour and superior qualities. You are fickle and do not engage with your spies. He is like the great Indra and Varuna. O father!233 Will there be safety for all the rakshasas on earth? Or will Rama be enraged and render the world devoid of rakshasas? Has Janaka’s daughter been born to bring an end to your life? Is Sita going to be the reason behind a great catastrophe for us? If you completely follow this conduct engendered by desire and she obtains you as her lord, will the city of Lanka, with you and the rakshasas, be destroyed? If an evil-minded king like you engages in conduct that is engendered by desire and follows wicked conduct and evil counsel, he destroys his own self, the people and the kingdom. He has not been abandoned by his father and no disrespect has been shown to him. He is not greedy. He is not wicked in conduct. Nor is he the worst among kshatriyas. The extender of Kousalya’s delight is not devoid of the qualities of dharma. He is engaged in the welfare of all creatures and is not violent towards them. His father was truthful in speech and was deceived by Kaikeyee. On seeing this, the one with dharma in his soul agreed to exile in the forest. He wished to do what would bring pleasure to Kaikeyee and to his father, Dasharatha. He abandoned the kingdom and objects of pleasure and entered the Dandaka forest. O father!234 Rama is not harsh. He is not devoid of learning. It is not that he has not conquered his senses. He is not false. He is not bereft of learning. You should not speak in this way. Rama is the personification of dharma. He is virtuous. Truth is his valour. He is the king of all the worlds, like Vasava among the gods. He can protect Vaidehi through his own energy. Like robbing the sun of its radiance,235 how can you wish to rob him of his resplendence? In a battle, the rays of his arrows are invincible and his bow and arrows are like kindling. When the fire that is Rama blazes suddenly, you should not enter it. The flaming mouth of the bow will gape. The rays of arrows cannot be tolerated. The brave one will wield bow and arrows that will destroy the enemy soldiers. O father! If you desire your own welfare and do not wish to give up your kingdom, your happiness and your life, you should not test Rama. He is like Death. His energy is immeasurable and Janaka’s daughter is his wife. When she is under the protection of Rama’s bow in the forest, you are incapable of abducting her. He loves the wife more than his own life and she is always devoted to him. The slender-waisted Sita is like the flames of a sacrificial fire into which oblations have been offered. O lord of the rakshasas! Why do you wish to undertake a futile endeavour? Even if he glances at you in a battle, your life will come to an end. Life, happiness and the kingdom are extremely difficult to obtain. Make up your mind and consult with all the advisers and those who follow dharma, with Vibhishana at the forefront. Reflect on the pros and the cons and the strengths and the weaknesses. Determine the truth about your own strength and that of Raghava’s. You should make up your mind about what is most beneficial and act accordingly. I do not think that you should embark on this battle and encounter with the son of the king of Kosala.236 O lord of those who roam around in the night! Listen yet again to these excellent and desirable words.’

  Chapter 3(36)

  ‘With my great valour, I was once travelling around this earth. I possessed the strength of thousands of elephants and was like a mountain. I was like a dark blue cloud and wore golden earrings. Wearing a crown and with a club as a weapon, I generated fear in the worlds. I wandered around Dandakaranya, devouring the flesh of rishis. The great sage, Vishvamitra, with dharma in his soul, was terrified of me. He himself went to King Dasharatha and spoke these words. “The right time has come and let this Rama protect me. O lord of men! A terrible fear has arisen on account of Maricha.” Thus addressed, King Dasharatha, with dharma in his soul, replied to the immensely fortunate and great sage, Vishvamitra. “Raghava is less than sixteen years old and is unskilled in the use of weapons. If you wish, I and all my soldiers will go with you. O best among sages! As you wish, I will slay your enemy.” Thus addressed, the sage spoke to the king. “With the exception of Rama, no other force will be sufficient for that rakshasa. Though he is a child, he is immensely energetic and is capable of restraining him. O scorcher of enemies! May you be fortunate. Let me take Rama and go.” Saying this, the sage took the prince. Extremely delighted, Vishvamitra went to his own hermitage and consecrated himself for a sacrifice. Rama was there, twanging his colourful bow. At that time, the handsome one still didn’t have a beard on his face. He was dark and with excellent eyes. He was attired in a single garment, with a bow, crested hair and a golden garland. He rendered Dandakaranya beautiful with the radiance of his own energy. At that time, Rama was seen to be like the young moon when it has arisen.

  ‘I was like a cloud, with earrings made out of molten gold. Strong and insolent because of the boon I had obtained,237 I went to that hermitage. With an upraised weapon, I entered violently. On seeing me, he was not scared and strung his bow. Because of my delusion, I took Raghava to be a child and did not show him any respect. I quickly rushed towards Vishvamitra’s sacrificial altar. He released a sharp arrow that was capable of killing the enemy. Struck by it, I was flung one hundred yojanas away, into the ocean. Because of the force of Rama’s arrow, I became unstable and my senses were in a whirl. I was then submerged into the deep waters of the ocean. O father! After having regained my senses after a long time, I went to the city of Lanka. I escaped in this way, though my aides were slain. Though Rama was still a child and not skilled in the use of weapons, he was unblemished in his deeds. Therefore, I will restrain you from a clash with Rama. If you do so, there will be a great catastrophe and you will quickly be destroyed. The rakshasas know about sporting and satisfying desire. Their assemblies are engaged in festivities. You will rob them of those and bring about torment and calamity. The city of Lanka has mansions, palaces and ramparts. It is decorated with many jewels. Because of Maithilee, you will witness its destruction. Like fish in a lake where there is a serpent, even if virtuous people do not engage in wicked acts, but consort with those who are wicked, they are destroyed because of the sins of others. The rakshasas are smeared with divine sandalwood paste and celestial unguents. They are adorned with divine ornaments. Because of your sins, you will see them slain and fallen down on the ground. You will see the remaining roamers in the night flee in the ten directions, with their wives and without their wives, without a refuge. There is no doubt that you will see the houses in Lanka burn, surrounded by a circle of fire and enveloped in a net of arrows. O king! You have already married one thousand women. O rakshasa! Be devoted to your own wives and save your own lineage. Make efforts to enhance your respect, the prosperity of the kingdom and your own life. If you desire to enjoy these for a long time, do not do anything disagreeable towards Rama. Despite being restrained by your well-wishers, if you still engage in this terrible act of oppressing Sita, your soldiers and relatives will decay. With your life taken away by Rama’s arrows, you will go to Yama’s eternal abode.’

  Chapter 3(37)

  ‘In an encounter with him, I escaped in this way. Now listen to what happened thereafter. Though I had been shamed by him in this way, with two other rakshasas, I entered the Dandaka forest. They were in the forms of animals. I also roamed around in Dandakaranya in the form of a giant animal that fed on flesh. My tongue was ablaze and I had large tusks. I had sharp horns and was immensely strong. O Ravana! I roamed around in that extremely terrible form and oppressed the ascetics, in the agnihotra sacrifices, in tirthas and chaityas238 and amidst the trees. In Dandakaranya, I killed the ascetics who followed dharma. I drank their blood and ate their flesh. Acting in this cruel way, I ate the flesh of rishis and terrified those who resided in the forest. Intoxicated by the blood, I roamed around in the fore
st of Dandaka. I thus roamed around in Dandakaranya, abusing dharma. At that time, I approached Rama, who was following the dharma of ascetics, the immensely fortunate Vaidehi and maharatha Lakshmana. He was in the form of an ascetic, restrained in diet and engaged in the welfare of all creatures. Remembering the former enmity and knowing that Rama had come to the forest in the form of an ascetic, I wished to vanquish the extremely strong one. Extremely angry, not capable of discrimination, but remembering the former chastisement, I rushed against him, wishing to kill him, in the form of an animal with sharp horns. He forcefully stretched his bow and released three sharp arrows that could slay the enemy. They were as swift as Suparna239 and the wind. Those three extremely terrible arrows were like the vajra and fed on blood. They possessed straight tufts and together, they rushed towards us. Earlier, I had known about his valour and the fear he could cause. I deceived him and escaped.240 But the other two rakshasas were killed. I somehow managed to escape from the arrow released by Rama with my life. I came here, renounced everything and became an ascetic. Attired in bark and black antelope skin, I can see Rama in each and every tree, wielding the bow, like Yama with the noose in his hand. O Ravana! I am scared and can see thousands of Ramas. It seems to me that this entire forest is full of Rama. O lord of the rakshasas! I do not see anything that is without Rama. Rama appears in my dreams and my senses are whirled around. O Ravana! Because of my terror of Rama, all words that begin with the letter “R”, like ratna and ratha,241 generate fear in me. I know of his powers and you are not his equal in a battle. O Ravana! You can pardon him242 or fight with Rama. If you wish to see me,243 you should not mention anything about Rama. I have spoken these words with a view to ensuring the welfare of my relatives. If you do not like what I have spoken, with your relatives, you will give up your life in a battle. Rama’s straight-flying arrows will kill you today.’