The Valmiki Ramayana

by Amish Tripathi

  Chapter 6(58)

  Seeing that Narantaka had been killed, the bulls among the nairittas, Devantaka, Trimurdha,229 Poulastya230 and Mahodara, shrieked. Mahodara mounted an Indra among elephants that was like a cloud. The immensely brave one attacked Vali’s valiant son. The powerful Devantaka was tormented, suffering hardship on account of his brother. He seized a blazing club and attacked Angada. The brave Trishira was astride a chariot that was like the sun, yoked to excellent horses. He rushed towards Vali’s son. Those three Indras among the nairittas were the destroyers of the pride of the gods and attacked. Angada uprooted a giant tree with branches. The brave Angada violently hurled it towards Devantaka. The giant tree, with the giant branches, blazed like Shakra’s vajra. Trishira shattered it with arrows that were like virulent serpents. Seeing that the tree had been severed, Angada leapt up. The elephant among apes showered down trees and boulders. Angrily, Trishira used sharp arrows to shatter these. Surantaka231 shattered the trees with the tip of his club. Trishira attacked the brave Angada with arrows. Mahodara rushed towards Vali’s son on an elephant and struck him on the chest with javelins that were like the vajra. Devantaka angrily approached and struck Angada with a club. However, having done this, he swiftly retreated some distance away. He was simultaneously attacked by those three foremost nairittas. However, despite this, Vali’s powerful and immensely energetic son wasn’t distressed. He raised his palm and struck that great elephant severely.232 With its eyes jutting out, the elephant shrieked and fell down.233 In the battle, Vali’s immensely strong son plucked out a tusk and attacked and struck Devantaka. Like a tree in the wind, all his limbs trembled. With the complexion of the sap of lac, copious quantities of blood emerged from his mouth. With difficulty, the powerful and greatly energetic Devantaka got a grip on himself. He firmly struck Angada with that terrible club. Struck by the club, the son of the Indra among the apes sank to his knees on the ground. However, he leapt up again. As he was jumping up, Trishira struck him with three arrows that were like venomous serpents. Those terrible arrows struck the son of the king of the apes on his forehead.

  Angada was attacked by three bulls among nairittas. Discerning this, Hanumat and Nila went there. Nila hurled the summit of a mountain towards Trishira, but the intelligent son of Ravana shattered this with sharp arrows. That flat rock was fragmented with hundreds of arrows and emitting sparks and flaming, the summit of the mountain fell down. Seeing this, Devantaka was delighted. In the encounter, he seized a club and advanced and attacked the son of the wind god. Seeing that he was descending, Hanumat, the son of the wind god, leapt up. With a fist that was as forceful as the vajra, he struck him on his head. His head was crushed and shattered by the blow of the fist. His teeth fell out. His eyes jutted out. His tongue hung down. Devantaka, the son of the king of the rakshasas, lost his life and suddenly fell down on the ground.

  When he was killed, the immensely strong Trimurdha, the foremost among rakshasa warriors and the enemy of the gods, was angry and attacked. He showered down arrows, fierce and sharp at the tips, on Nila’s chest. When torrents of arrows were rained down, the body of the commander of the ape army was mangled. But Nila increased the size of his body and repulsed this with his great strength. When Nila regained his senses, he uprooted a mountain that had clumps of trees. Having uprooted it, with a terrible and fierce force, he used it to strike Mahodara on the head. The mountain descended and shattered Mahodara and the elephant. He was uprooted and, losing his life, fell down on the ground. He fell down, like a mountain struck by the vajra.

  Seeing that his paternal uncle had been slain, Trishira became angry. He seized a bow and pierced Hanumat with sharp arrows. Hanumat uprooted Trishira’s horse and angrily tore it apart with his nails, like the king of deer against an Indra among elephants. Trishira, Ravana’s son, seized a javelin that was like Death on the night of destruction and hurled it towards the son of the wind god. It sped through the sky like a meteor. However, the tiger among apes seized it as it descended, broke it and roared. The terrible javelin was shattered by Hanumat. On seeing this, the large number of apes rejoiced and roared like clouds. Trishira, supreme among rakshasas, raised a sword and in anger, thrust this down into the chest of the Indra among apes. Hanumat, the son of the wind god, was struck by the blow of the sword. He struck the valiant Trishira on the chest with his palm. Struck by the palm, the immensely energetic Trishira lost his senses. The weapon was dislodged from his hands and he fell down on the ground. As the sword was falling down, the great ape seized it. Like a mountain in size, he roared and terrified all the nairittas. The roamer in the night was unable to tolerate this roar. He leapt up and struck Hanumat with his fist. Because of that blow of the fist, the great ape became wrathful. He seized the bull among rakshasas by his diadem. Angry, the son of the wind god used that sharp sword to sever his heads,234 with the diadems and earrings, just as Shakra severed the head of Tvashta’s son.235 Like stellar bodies dislodged from the sun’s path, the heads of Indra’s enemy, with eyes that were as large as mountains and as fiery as the fire, fell down on the ground. Trishira, the enemy of the gods, was like Shakra in his valour and was killed by Hanumat. The apes roared and made the earth tremble. The rakshasas fled in different directions.

  Trishira and Mahodara had been killed and so had the invincible Devantaka and Narantaka. On seeing this, the immensely strong Mahaparshva became extremely intolerant and angry. He seized an auspicious club that emitted sparks and was completely made out of iron. It was bound in a golden garment and was smeared with flesh and blood. Its form was radiant, decorated with the blood of enemies. He wore red garlands and was fiery and blazed in his energy. He was as terrifying as Airavata, Mahapadma and Sarvabhouma.236 The immensely strong Mahaparshva became greatly enraged and seized a club. Like the blazing fire that arises at the end of a yuga, he attacked the apes. The ape Rishabha leapt up. The powerful one approached and stood in front of Mahaparshva, Ravana’s younger brother. Seeing the ape standing in front, resembling a mountain, he angrily struck him on the chest with the club that was like the vajra. The bull among apes was struck by the club. His chest was mangled and copious quantities of blood oozed out. After a long period of time, Rishabha, bull among apes, regained his senses. He bit his lips in rage and glanced towards Mahaparshva. In the field of battle, he seized the terrible club and repeatedly struck Mahaparshva, the crazy leader of the army. He was mangled by the club and his eyes and teeth fell off. Like a mountain shattered by the vajra, Mahaparshva fell down. Thus, Ravana’s brother was killed. The army of nairittas resembled the ocean. Wishing to only protect their lives, they abandoned their weapons and ran away, like the ocean when it crosses the shoreline.

  Chapter 6(59)

  Atikaya was like a mountain and was one who robbed the gods and the danavas of their pride. He saw the tumultuous sight of his own army being distressed and it made the body hair stand up. He saw that his brothers, who possessed a valour that was equal to that of Shakra’s, had been killed. He saw that his paternal uncles, the brothers Mahodara and Mahaparshva, bulls among rakshasas, had also been killed in the battle. In the encounter, the immensely energetic one, the beneficiary of a boon from Brahma, became angry. Shakra’s enemy mounted a chariot that was as radiant as an array of one thousand suns and attacked the apes. Adorned in a diadem and polished earrings, he twanged his giant bow. He announced his name and roared loudly. There was the terrible sound of his roaring like a lion, announcing his name and twanging his bow. The apes were terrified. They saw his form, which was like that of Vishnu engaging in his three strides. Afflicted by fear, all the apes fled in the ten directions. Seeing that Atikaya was attacking, the apes lost their senses. In the battle, they sought refuge with the one who grants refuge, Lakshmana’s elder brother. From a distance, Kakutstha saw Atikaya astride a chariot that was like a mountain. He was brandishing a bow and was roaring like a cloud of destruction.

  On seeing the great-souled one, Raghava was extremely surprised. He assured the
apes and spoke to Vibhishana. ‘Who is this? He is like a mountain. He wields a bow and his eyes are tawny. He is mounted on a giant chariot that is yoked to one thousand horses. He possesses sharp spears and exceedingly sharp javelins and spikes. With the rays of the weapons, he looks like Maheshvara, surrounded by the bhutas. He is radiant and dazzling, like the tongue of Death. Surrounded by javelins, he is like a cloud tinged with lightning.237 On his excellent chariot, all the bows that have been arranged have golden backs, resembling Shakra’s bow238 in the sky. Who is this tiger among rakshasas who is roaming around in the field of battle? This best among charioteers is advancing on a chariot that is as energetic as the sun. The radiant top of his standard has a mark of Rahu on it. His arrows are shining like the rays of the sun and are illuminating the ten directions. His bow is curved in three places and roars like a cloud. It is ornamented with a golden back. His bow is as dazzling as Shatakratu’s excellent bow. His giant chariot has a standard, flags and a seat. With four drivers, it is roaring like thunder. There are thirty-eight quivers on his chariot. There are bows with terrible bowstrings, golden and brown. Two swords are slung from the sides of the chariot, illuminating the sides. Each of them is beautiful and clearly ten cubits long, with handles that are four cubits.239 The patient one is like a giant mountain and wears a red garland around his neck. He is like Death. He possesses a large mouth, like Death. He is like the sun, inside a cloud. Golden armlets adorn both his arms. He is as radiant as the excellent mountain of the Himalayas, with its two peaks. With two earrings, his face is shining and possesses auspicious eyes. He is like the full moon between the two stars in Punarvasu.240 O mighty-armed one! Tell me. Who is this supreme rakshasa? On seeing him, all the apes are afflicted by grief and are running away in different directions.

  Vibhishana was asked by Prince Rama, infinite in his energy. The greatly energetic one replied to Raghava. ‘The immensely energetic Dashagriva is the younger brother of King Vaishravana.241 Ravana, terrible in his deeds and great in his enterprise, is the lord of the rakshasas. He has a valiant son who is Ravana’s equal in battles. He serves the aged and is learned. He is supreme among those who are accomplished in the use of all weapons. He is skilled in mounting the backs of horses, elephants and chariots, in wielding the bow and the sword, in bheda, conciliation, dana and good policy. Resorting to the strength of his arms, Lanka is free from fear. He is the son of Dhanyamali and he is known by the name of Atikaya.242 Cleansing his soul, he worshipped Brahma and performed austerities. He obtained weapons and defeated the enemies. Svayambhu granted him the boon that he cannot be killed by the gods and the asuras. He obtained this divine armour and this chariot that is as radiant as the sun. Hundreds of gods and danavas have been defeated by him. He has protected the rakshasas and slain yakshas. The intelligent one used his arrows to stupefy Indra’s vajra. In a battle, he countered the noose of the king of the waters.243 This powerful Atikaya is a bull among the rakshasas. He is Ravana’s intelligent son and has destroyed the pride of the gods and the danavas. O bull among men! Therefore, let us act quickly, before he uses his arrows to destroy the soldiers of the apes.

  The powerful Atikaya entered the army of the apes. He stretched his bow and roared repeatedly. He saw the supreme among charioteers, terrible in his form, stationed on the chariot. The foremost among the apes attacked the great-souled one. Kumuda, Dvivida, Mainda, Nila and Sharabha used trees and the summits of mountains and simultaneously attacked him. The immensely energetic Atikaya, supreme among those who knew about all weapons, used his gold-tufted arrows to sever those trees and mountains. In the forefront of the battle, the powerful roamer in the night, terrible in his form, used arrows that were completely made out of iron to pierce those apes. Those apes were afflicted by those showers of arrows and their bodies were mangled. In that great battle, they were incapable of countering Atikaya. The rakshasas terrified the soldiers and the brave ones among the apes, just as a young and angry lion drives away herds of deer. In the midst of the ape soldiers, the Indra among the rakshasas did not kill anyone who was not fighting.

  Wielding the bow, he went up to Rama and proudly spoke these words. ‘I am stationed on my chariot, with a bow and arrow in my hands. I never fight with an ordinary person. Let anyone who possesses strength and enterprise swiftly grant me a duel now.’ Hearing his words, Soumitri, the slayer of enemies, became angry and intolerant and attacked. He smiled and seized his bow. In front of Atikaya, he stretched his great bow. Having angrily attacked, Soumitri picked up an arrow from his quiver. The twang of Lakshmana’s fierce weapon terrified the roamers in the night and filled the earth, the mountains, the sky, the ocean and the directions. Hearing the terrible roar of Soumitri’s bow, the powerful and immensely energetic son of the Indra among the rakshasas was astounded. Seeing that Lakshmana had presented himself before him, Atikaya was angry. He picked up a sharp arrow and spoke these words. ‘O Soumitri! You are a child. You are not accomplished in fighting. Go away. I am like Death. Why do you wish to fight with me? The Himalayas, the sky or the earth are unable to withstand the force of weapons released from my arm. You desire to awake a fire of destruction that is happily asleep. Cast aside your bow and return. If you fight against me, you will lose your life. Or perhaps your obstinacy doesn’t allow you to retreat. In that case, remain and give up your life. Go to Yama’s abode. Behold my sharp arrows. They destroy the pride of enemies. They are embellished with molten gold and are like Ishvara’s244 weapons. This arrow is like a serpent and will drink blood, just as an enraged king of deer drinks the blood of a king of elephants.’ Hearing Atikaya’s proud and angry words in the battle, the extremely strong prince and prosperous one was also enraged. He spoke words that were full of great import. ‘One doesn’t become powerful only through the use of words. One doesn’t become a virtuous person only through self-praise. I am stationed here, with a bow and arrow in my hands. O evil-souled one! Show me your valour. Demonstrate it through your deeds. You should not indulge in self-praise. Only a person who possesses manliness is said to be brave. You are an archer and are astride a chariot that has all the weapons. Demonstrate your valour through arrows or other weapons. Thereafter, I will use sharp arrows to bring down your head, just as at the right time, the wind brings down a palm fruit from its stem. My arrows are embellished with molten gold. Today, they will drink the blood that oozes out from the wounds created in your body by these stakes. Taking me to be a child, you should not take me lightly. Whether I am a child or whether I am aged, in the encounter you will know me as Death.’

  He heard Lakshmana’s words, full of great meaning. Enraged, Atikaya picked up a supreme arrow. The vidyadharas, bhutas, gods, daityas, maharshis, guhyakas and great-souled ones witnessed that encounter. Angry, Atikaya affixed the arrow to his bow. As if eating up the sky that was in between them, he shot this at Lakshmana. The sharp arrow descended, like a venomous serpent. Lakshmana, the slayer of enemy heroes, severed this with an ardhachandra arrow. That arrow was like the hood of a serpent and was splintered. Seeing this, Atikaya became extremely angry and affixed five arrows. The roamer in the night shot these towards Lakshmana. However, Bharata’s younger brother severed them with his sharp arrows. Lakshmana, the slayer of enemy heroes, severed these with his sharp arrows. He then picked up a sharp arrow that blazed in its energy. Lakshmana affixed this to his excellent bow. He stretched it with force and released the arrow. He drew the bow all the way back and released the arrow with drooping tufts. It struck the forehead of the brave and supreme rakshasa. The arrow penetrated the forehead of the terrible rakshasa. In the battle, with blood streaming from him, he looked like an Indra among the serpents. The rakshasa trembled, just like the turrets of Tripura when they were struck by Rudra’s terrible arrow. Lakshmana made him tremble. Having reassured himself and regained his breath, the immensely strong one thought. ‘This was an excellent strike with the arrow. My enemy deserves praise.’ As he lowered himself on his arms, he thought in this way.245 He mounted his chariot an
d roamed around on that chariot. The bull among rakshasas fixed one, three, five and seven arrows to his bow, stretched it and released them. Those arrows were like death and were shot from the bow of the Indra among rakshasas. They were tufted with gold and dazzled like the sun. They made the sky blaze. The rakshasa shot a flood of arrows. However, Raghava’s younger brother wasn’t scared. He severed these with many sharp arrows. Ravana’s son saw that his arrows had been countered in the battle. The enemy of Indra of the gods angrily seized a sharp arrow. The immensely energetic one affixed and violently released this arrow. It approached Soumitri and struck him between the breasts. In the battle, Atikaya struck Soumitri in the chest. Like musth from a crazy elephant, a copious quantity of blood began to flow. The lord violently freed himself from that stake. He picked up a sharp arrow and affixed a weapon to it. When the great-souled one invoked agneyastra on that arrow, the bow and the arrow blazed. The extremely energetic Atikaya affixed the sourastra.246 He affixed a gold-tufted arrow that resembled a serpent. Lakshmana shot that terrible and blazing arrow towards Atikaya and it was like the deadly staff of the Destroyer.247 The roamer in the night saw that the arrow had been invoked with agneyastra. He shot a blazing arrow that had been invoked with suryastra. Those two arrows struck each other in the sky, blazing in their energy, like two wrathful serpents. They consumed each other and fell down on the ground. Their rays were reduced to ashes and those two excellent arrows were no longer radiant. Angry, Atikaya released the aishika weapon.248 The valiant Soumitri severed this with aindrastra. On seeing that the aishika had been destroyed, the prince who was Ravana’s son angrily invoked yamyastra249 on an arrow. The roamer in the night shot this weapon towards Lakshmana and Lakshmana destroyed this with vayavyastra.250 Angry, Lakshmana showered down arrows on Ravana’s son, like rain pouring down from a cloud. They struck Atikaya and severed his armour, which was encrusted with diamonds. Shattered violently by the arrows, it fell down on the ground. Lakshmana, the slayer of enemy heroes, saw that the arrows had been rendered unsuccessful. The immensely illustrious one showered down thousands of arrows. Torrents of arrows were showered down on the immensely strong Atikaya and he was devoid of his armour. However, the rakshasa was not pained in the encounter. Moreover, the supreme among men was incapable of wounding him in the battle. At this, Vayu approached and spoke these words. ‘He has obtained a boon from Brahma and is clad in armour that makes it impossible to kill him. He has to be splintered with brahmastra. There is no other means to kill him.’ Soumitri’s valour was like that of Indra and he heard Vayu’s words. He affixed an arrow that was irresistible in its force and suddenly invoked brahmastra. Soumitri invoked that supreme weapon on an excellent arrow that was sharp at the tips. The directions, the moon, the sun, the giant planets, the sky and the earth were terrified and agitated. That well-tufted arrow was like Yama’s messenger and brahmastra was affixed to the bow. That arrow was like the vajra. In the battle, Soumitri shot this towards the son of Indra’s enemy. It was shot by Lakshmana and was irresistible in its force. It descended, blazing away, on an arrow that was colourfully tufted, embellished with excellent gold and diamonds. In the battle, Atikaya saw it approach. On seeing it, Atikaya violently struck it with many sharp arrows. However, that arrow possessed Suparna’s force and with great speed, approached him. Atikaya saw that blazing arrow approach, resembling Death. He made vain efforts to strike it with spears, swords, clubs, battleaxes, javelins, ploughs251 and bows. However, blazing like the fire, that arrow rendered all these extraordinary weapons futile. It struck and severed Atikaya’s head, decorated with the diadem. The head, with the helmet on the head, was struck by Lakshmana’s arrow and fell down violently on the ground, like one of Himalayas’ peaks. With their faces resembling blooming lotuses, the many apes were delighted. They worshipped Lakshmana, who had accomplished his objective. The invincible enemy, terrible in his strength, had been killed.