Chapter 7(25)
‘Dashagriva bestowed that terrible forest on Khara. Having comforted his sister, he was happy and also reassured himself. With his followers, the great-souled Indra among the rakshasas entered a giant grove in Lanka, known by the name of Nikumbhila. O amiable one! It was filled with hundreds of sacrificial altars and adorned with chaityas. He saw a sacrifice, blazing in prosperity, going on there. He saw his own son, Meghanada, the scorcher of enemies, there. He was attired in black antelope skin, his hair was tied in a knot on the top of his head and he held a water pot. The lord of the rakshasas approached and embraced him in his arms. He asked, “O child! What are you doing here? Tell me.” For the sake of extending the prosperity of the sacrifice, his preceptor, the great ascetic Ushanas, foremost among brahmanas, replied to Ravana, best among rakshasas. “O king! I will tell you. Listen to everything. Your son has performed seven extremely pervasive sacrifices—agnishtoma, ashvamedha sacrifice, bahusuvarnaka, rajasuya sacrifice, gomedha, and vaishnava.580 He has now engaged in maheshvara sacrifice, something that any man finds extremely difficult to undertake. After this, your son has obtained a boon from Pashupati himself. He has obtained a divine chariot that can travel in the firmament at will. He has obtained the maya named tamasi. Through this, one can create darkness. O lord of the rakshasas! If one fights with the use of this maya, not even the gods or the asuras are capable of knowing how to fight against such a person in a battle. He has also obtained a quiver filled with inexhaustible arrows and an extremely invincible bow. O amiable one! He has also got a powerful weapon that can crush the enemy in a battle. O Dashanana! Your son has obtained all these boons. The sacrifice was completed today and I was waiting here for you.” At this, Dashagriva replied, “What you have done is not good.581 You have used various objects to worship the enemy, with Indra at the forefront. However, what has been done is done. One cannot undo it. O amiable one! Come. Let us proceed towards our own residence.” With his son and with Vibhishana, Dashagriva left. He made the women, who were distressed and weeping, descend.582 They possessed all the auspicious signs and were ornamented with jewels. They were the maidens of the gods, the danavas and the rakshasas. They were adorned in many kinds of ornaments and blazed in their own energies. Vibhishana saw that those women were overwhelmed by grief. Knowing what his583 intentions were, the one with dharma in his soul addressed him in these words. “This kind of action destroys fame, prosperity and the lineage. You act according to your caprices and cause oppression to beings. You oppressed their relatives and abducted these beautiful women. O king! This is exactly the way Madhu crossed you and abducted Kumbhinasi.” Ravana replied in these words. “I do not understand this. What have you said? Who is the one named Madhu?” Vibhishana angrily replied in these words. “Hear about the fruits that result from wicked acts. Our maternal grandfather is Sumali and his elder brother is Malyavat. That famous roamer in the night is aged and wise. He is the elder father584 of our mother and is thus our senior. His daughter’s daughter is named Kumbhinasi. Our mother’s sister is Anala and she is her daughter. Therefore, following dharma, she is a sister to us brothers. O king! The rakshasa Madhu used force to abduct her. Your son was engaged in this sacrifice then and I was performing austerities in the water. He slew the best among the rakshasas, your revered advisers. O king! She was protected in your inner quarters, but he forcibly abducted her. O great king! On hearing about this, I forgave him and did not kill him. A brother must always bestow a maiden on a groom. Know that the fruits of what one does is reaped in this world.”585 At this, Dashagriva’s eyes turned red with rage. He said, “Let my chariot be readied quickly. Let the brave ones prepare. Let my brother, Kumbhakarna, and the other foremost roamers in the night ascend their mounts. Let them arm themselves with many kinds of weapons. In the battle today, I will kill Madhu, since he is not scared of Ravana. I desire to fight and, surrounded by well-wishers, I will go to Indra’s world. I will conquer heaven and bring Purandara under my subjugation. I will sport on my return, adorning myself with the riches of the three worlds.” Four thousand akshouhinis of rakshasas proceeded in the front. They left quickly, armed with many kinds of weapons and wishing to fight. Indrajit was at the forefront of the soldiers and the commanders were with him. Ravana was in the middle and the brave Kumbhakarna was at the rear. Vibhishana, with dharma in his soul, remained in Lanka, performing acts of dharma.
‘All those immensely fortunate ones proceeded towards Madhupura.586 All those rakshasas left with chariots, elephants, donkeys, camels, horses and blazing and large serpents, and there was no space left in the sky. There were hundreds of daityas who were firm in their enmity towards the gods. On seeing that Ravana was proceeding, they followed him at the rear. Dashanana went to Madhupura and entered. He didn’t see Madhu there, but he saw his sister. She joined her hands in salutation and bowed her head down at his feet. His sister, Kumbhinasi, was terrified of the king of the rakshasas. Ravana, the best among the rakshasas, raised her and said, “Do not be frightened. What can I do for you?” She replied, “O king! O immensely strong one! O one who grants honours! If you are pleased with me, you should not kill my husband now. O Indra among kings! I am faithful to my husband. Look towards me and make your words come true. O mighty-armed one! You have yourself told me that I should not be scared.” On seeing that his sister was standing there, Ravana asked, “Who is your husband? Quickly tell me that. For the sake of conquering the world of the gods, I will take him with me. Because of compassion and affection towards you, I will refrain from the act of killing Madhu.” Thus addressed, she awoke the roamer in the night,587 who was asleep. Cheerfully, the rakshasi spoke to the extremely learned one. “My brother, Dashagriva, the roamer in the night, has come here. He desires to conquer the world of the gods and is asking for your help. O rakshasa! For the sake of helping him, go with your relatives. He has been gentle and has honoured you. You should do what he has thought of.” Hearing her words, Madhu agreed. He saw the best among the rakshasas and as is proper, welcomed him. Following dharma, he worshipped Ravana, the lord of the rakshasas. The valiant Dashagriva was worshipped in Madhu’s residence. Having spent the night there, he prepared to leave. He went to Mount Kailasa, Vaishravana’s abode. The Indra among rakshasas, whose complexion was like that of the great Indra, made his forces camp there.’
Chapter 7(26)
‘When the sun was about to set, the valiant Dashagriva reached the spot and made his soldiers set up camp there. The sparkling moon arose, as radiant as the mountain itself. Because of the radiance of the moon, he saw the many qualities of the trees there. There were groves of divine karnikaras and dense growth of kadamba. There were ponds with blooming lotuses and the waters of the Mandakinee. He heard the sweet sounds of bells being rung. Large numbers of apsaras sang in Dhanada’s abode. Driven by the wind, the trees released showers of flowers. Residence on that mountain was intoxicating, with the scent of spring flowers. A pleasant breeze blew, mixed with the sweet fragrance and pollen from the madhupushpa588 flower. This enhanced Ravana’s desire. There was singing. There were many flowers. There was a cool breeze. The mountain possessed all the qualities. The night progressed, illuminated by a moon that had arisen. The extremely valiant Ravana succumbed to the arrows of desire. He sighed and sighed and looked towards the moon. At that time, Rambha, supreme among all the apsaras, was seen there. She was adorned in celestial flowers and her face was like the full moon. She was adorned in wet flowers that belonged to all the six seasons. She was covered in a blue garment that had the complexion of a cloud full of water. Her face was like the moon and her auspicious eyebrows were like bows. Her thighs were like the trunks of elephants and her hands were as delicate as petals. She passed through the midst of the soldiers and Ravana noticed her. Suffering from the arrows of desire, the Indra among rakshasas seized her. As she was passing, he seized her by the hand. He smiled and asked, “O one with the beautiful hips! Where are you going? What objective are you striving for? Who will r
ise589 and enjoy pleasure with you? Your lips possess the fragrance of blooming lotuses. Who will inhale that? Who will obtain satisfaction from the amrita that is in your lips? O timid one! Your auspicious and full breasts are like golden pots and there is no space between them. Whose chest will you allow them to be crushed against? Your thighs are round and golden. They are thick and ornamented with a golden girdle. Your hips are like heaven. Today, whom will you allow to mount them? There is no man who is superior to me, not even Shakra, Vishnu and the Ashvins. O timid one! Therefore, it is not proper that you should go to anyone other than me. O one with the plump hips! Come and rest on this auspicious slope of the mountain. There is no other lord in the three worlds who is my equal. Dashanana is joining his hands in salutation and is beseeching you. I am the lord and the master of the three worlds. Serve me.” Thus addressed, Rambha joined her hands in salutation, trembling. She said, “Show me your favours. You should not speak to me in this way. You are my senior. Indeed, if anyone else seeks to oppress me, you should protect me. Following dharma, I am your daughter-in-law. I am telling you the truth.” With her face cast downwards, she looked towards her feet and addressed Dashagriva in this way. He said, “You can be my daughter-in-law only if you are my son’s wife.” Agreeing, Rambha replied to Ravana in these words. “O bull among the rakshasas! Following dharma, I am your son’s wife. Your brother, Vaishravana, has a son whom he loves more than his own life. He is famous in the three worlds as Nalakubara. In following dharma, he is like a brahmana. In valour, he is a kshatriya. In his anger, he is like the fire. In forgiveness, he is the equal of the earth. Because the son of the guardian of the world gave me a sign, I am going to him, adorning myself in all the ornaments. The sentiments I possess towards him are not like those I have towards anyone else. O king! O scorcher of enemies! That is the truth. Therefore, you should let me go. The one with dharma in his soul is eagerly waiting for me to reach. You should not be an impediment for your son.590 Therefore, you should release me. O bull among rakshasas! Follow the path pursued by the virtuous. You should be respected by me. In that way, I should be protected by you.” Rambha spoke these words and they were full of dharma.
‘The rakshasa was reprimanded in this way. However, the strongest of the strong was overcome by confusion and seized her. He was angry and confounded by desire. He thus started to have intercourse with her. Rambha was deprived of her ornaments. Her garlands were cast aside. She was like the bank of a river, when it had been destroyed by a sporting elephant. She was trembling and ashamed. Terrified, she went to Nalakubara and joined her hands in salutation, falling down at his feet. The great-souled Nalakubara saw the state she was in. He asked, “O fortunate one! Why have you fallen down at my feet?” She sighed and trembled. Joining her hands in salutation, she started to tell him everything, exactly as it had happened. “O god! This Dashagriva had come here, headed towards heaven. His soldiers and aides were spending the night here. O scorcher of enemies! He saw me going to meet you. The rakshasa seized me and asked me who I was and whom I belonged to. I told him the entire truth. However, his soul was overwhelmed by desire and he did not listen to my words. O god! O lord! I entreated him, telling him that I was his daughter-in-law. However, he ignored all that and forcibly raped me. O one who grants honours! Thus, you should pardon me my crime. O amiable one! The strength of a woman is not the same as that of a man.” Hearing this, Vaishravana’s son became enraged. Hearing about this severe act of rape, he started to meditate. In this way, Vaishravana’s son got to know everything about that deed. His eyes became coppery red with rage and he instantly took some water in his hand. Having touched water, he followed the rituals and flung it up into the sky.591 He then pronounced a terrible curse on the Indra among the rakshasas. “She did not desire it, yet you forcibly raped her. Therefore, you will not be able to approach any other maiden who does not desire it. If a woman does not desire it and you rape her because of your desire, your head will shatter into seven fragments.” As resplendent as a blazing fire, he pronounced this curse. The drums of the gods were sounded and flowers rained down from the sky. All the gods, with Prajapati as the foremost, were delighted. They got to know about the death of a rakshasa who oppressed all the worlds. Dashagriva heard the curse that made the body hair stand up. The idea of having intercourse with a woman who did not desire it no longer appealed to him.’
Chapter 7(27)
‘Having crossed Kailasa with the other rakshasas, the immensely energetic Dashagriva, roamer in the night, reached Indra’s world. The soldiers of the rakshasas approached it from every direction. The sound that arose in the world of the gods was like that of the ocean being shattered. Hearing that Ravana had reached, Indra’s throne started to wobble. He spoke to all the assembled gods. “O Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Vishvadevas, Sadhyas and Maruts! Get ready to fight against the evil-souled Ravana.” The gods, Shakra’s equal in battle, were thus addressed by Shakra. Faithful to the prospect of fighting, those great-spirited ones armoured themselves. The great Indra was distressed and scared of Ravana. He approached Vishnu and addressed him in these words. “O Vishnu! O one who is great in valour and bravery! What will I do? This rakshasa is powerful and has come here, desiring to fight. He is powerful because of the boon that he has obtained. Indeed, there is no other reason.592 O god! O Prajapati!593 Tell us the truth about what must be done. Namuchi, Vritra, Bali, Naraka and Shambara were stupefied and consumed. Do something like that. O god of the gods! O extremely strong one! There is no one other than you. You are the supreme refuge. O Purushottama! There is no one other than you. You are the prosperous Narayana. You are the eternal Padmanabha. You are the one who has established me in this eternal kingdom of the gods. O god of the gods! Therefore, you should yourself tell me the truth. Will you use a sword and a chakra to fight against this enemy in the battle?” The god and lord, Narayana, was addressed by Shakra in this way. He replied, “Do not be frightened. Hear from me about what must be done. No god or danava is capable of fighting against this evil-acting one, or advancing against him and slaying him in a battle. Because of the boon that has been conferred on him, he is extremely difficult to vanquish. Intoxicated because of his strength, in every possible way, he will perform great deeds. The rakshasa also has his son as his aide. I can foresee all this through my divine sight. O Shakra! You have asked whether I will fight against him in the battle. I will not fight against Ravana, the lord of the rakshasas. Vishnu does not retreat from a battle without slaying the enemy. However, this rakshasa has obtained a boon and it is extremely difficult for me to accomplish that objective now. O Indra of the gods! O Shatakratu! But I am taking a pledge before you. I will be the reason for the death of this rakshasa in a battle. In an encounter, I will slay Ravana and his son. Once I know that the time has arrived, I will satisfy the gods.”
‘At this time, night was over and a roar was heard. In every direction, Ravana’s soldiers started to fight. A battle commenced between the gods and the rakshasas. It was terrible, with tumultuous roars. Many kinds of weapons were used in the battle. The rakshasas were cruel and were terrible to behold. Following Ravana’s command, his advisers rushed out to fight. There were Maricha, Prahasta, Mahaparshva, Mahodara, Akampana, Nikumbha, Shuka, Sarana, Sahlada, Dhumaketu, Mahadamshtra, Mahamukha, Jambumali, Mahamali and the rakshasa Virupaksha. Surrounding himself with these extremely strong ones, Sumali, Ravana’s senior and bull among rakshasas, entered amidst the soldiers. With those other roamers in the night, he angrily used many kinds of sharp weapons to devastate all the large numbers of gods. At this time, the eighth Vasu, the Vasu known as Savitra, entered the great field of battle.594 A battle raged between the gods and the rakshasas. They595 angrily tolerated the deeds of the rakshasas and did not retreat from the battle. In the encounter, the brave rakshasas also faced the gods. They struck each other with hundreds and thousands of many different kinds of terrible weapons. The gods were extremely brave. Using their own energies, they used many kinds of terrible weapons in
the battle and conveyed the rakshasas to Yama’s abode. At this time, the brave rakshasa named Sumali angrily used many kinds of weapons and attacked in the battle. He wrathfully struck all the forces of the gods with many kinds of sharp weapons and destroyed them, like the wind dispelling clouds. He oppressed all the gods with showers of large arrows, spears and terrible javelins. Though they tried to control themselves, they could not stand before him. The gods were driven away by Sumali. However, the eighth of the Vasus, the god Savitra, remained there. He surrounded himself with his own forces and struck the roamer in the night. Brave and extremely energetic, he countered him in the battle. There was an extremely crazy and extremely terrible encounter between their forces. Neither Sumali, nor the Vasu, retreated from the battle. The extremely great-souled Vasu used large arrows to instantly bring down his gigantic chariot, which was yoked to serpents. Using hundreds of sharp arrows, he destroyed his chariot in that battle. Then, to kill him, the Vasu seized a club in his hand. He swiftly seized that auspicious club, which blazed like Kaladanda. Savitra struck Sumali on the head with this and brought him down. Blazing like a meteor, it descended on his head and brought him down, just as the great vajra, released by the one with one thousand eyes, shatters a mountain. His bones, body or flesh could no longer be seen. In that encounter, the club reduced him to ashes and brought him down. On seeing that he had been killed in the battle, in every direction, all the rakshasas collectively fled, shrieking in loud tones.’
The Valmiki Ramayana Page 129
