SECTION LXLIII.
When the counsellors of Pulastya’s son, hearing of Indrajit having been slain, speedily conveyed the tidings unto the Ten-necked one, who was ignorant³⁷⁴ of the same. "O mighty monarch, in our very sight thy exceedingly effulgent son hath been slain by Lakshmana with the help of Bibhishana. And that hero confronted by the (other) hero, hath been vanquished in fight. And the hero, thy son, the conquerer of the celestial chief, hath also been slain by Lakshmana. And having gratified Lakshmana with his shafts, he hath repaired to the supreme regions". Hearing of that mighty terror, viz., the rueful and dreadful destruction of his son, Indrajit, in battle, he straightway swooned away. Then regaining his consciousness after a long while, that foremost of Rākshasas—the king—overwhelmed with grief for his son, and distressed, burst into lamentations, with his senses wildered,—thus,—"O foremost in the Rākshasa army! O my child endowed with high might! Having conquered Indra himself, wherefore to-day hast thou come under the sway of Lakshmana? Doubtless, thou enraged could pierce with thy arrows the Destroyer of Time himself, and the summit of Mandāra,—what shall I say of Lakshmana in encounter? To-day king Viwaçwata hath raised himself immensely in my estimation, for to-day he, O mighty-armed one, hath brought thee under the law of Time. But this is the way of capable warriors as well as celestials. He that layeth down his life for his lord, repaireth to heaven. To-day seeing Indrajit slain, the deities and the guardians of the worlds, and the mighty saints, their fear gone off, shall sleep peacefully. This triple world and this entire earth with her woods, reft of one—Indrajit—appear to me as vacant. To-day shall I hear the cries of the daughters of the Nairitas in my inner apartment, like unto the roars of she-elephants in a mountain-cavern. Renouncing thy state of an heir-apparent, and Lankā and the Rakshas, O subduer of enemies, and thy mother, and me, and thy wife—whither hast thou gone, (leaving) us all? O hero, I having gone to the region of Yama, thou ought to have performed my last rites, but thou standest in a relation the very reverse of this.³⁷⁵ And Sugriva living and Lakshmana and Rāghava, without extracting my dart, whither hast thou gone, leaving us all? And then vising from the disaster that had befallen his son, a mighty wrath overcame the lord of Rākshasas—Rāvana, as he was thus indulging in lamentations. And even as in summer, the (Solar) rays flame up the Sun, the destruction of his son flamed up all the fiercer, him, who was naturally irascible. And as he kept yawning in passion, a flaming fire with smoke darted from his mouth, even as it did from the mouth of Vritra. And burning in grief for the destruction of his son, and coming under masterdom of passion, that hero—Rāvana—reflecting (awhile) in his mind, resolved upon slaying Vaidehi. And naturally red, and reddened (still more) by the fire of wrath, Rāvana’s glowing eyes were dreadful (to behold). And his form, terrific by nature, in consequence of the fire of his wrath having possessed it entirely, resembled the form of the enraged Rudra. And from the eyes of that infuriated one fell drops of tears as drop from a flaming lamp drops of burning oil. And as he grinded his teeth, the gnashing resembled the sounds sent by the machine³⁷⁶ drawn by the Dānavas and churning the deep. The Rākshasas durst not approach that one eying round and resembling the Destroyer himself, intent, on devouring both mobile and immobile. Then exceedingly enraged, Rāvana—lord of Rākshasas—spoke in the midst of the Rākshasas, inciting them to battle,—"I practised severe austerities for thousands of years; and gratified the Self-sprung at times. Neither from Asuras nor from celestials can any fear spring to me. My mail conferred on me by Brahmā, which in effulgence resembles the Sun himself, was not broken by blows like unto thunder-bolt at the war between the deities and demons. To-day who will come forward against me in battle accoutred in that and mounted on a car in the conflict? Not even Purandara himself. Do ye, beating hundreds of drums, to-day raise that mighty and dreadful bow of mine which, with arrows, had been bestowed on one by the gratified Self-sprung at the war of the gods and Asuras,—so that I may therewith compass the destruction of Rāma and Lakshmana in mighty battle". Burning (in grief) for the destruction of his son, the fell Rāvana, coming under the influence of anger, reflecting (in his mind), resolved to slay Sitā. And eying round, that copper-eyed and dreadful one of a terrific aspect, distressed, in a piteous voice addressed all the night-rangers, saying,—"By his power of illusion, my beloved child, for deceiving the wood-rangers, slaying something (else), had shown it unto them as Sitā. Now will I do that good office myself,—Vaidehi will I slay—even her that is devoted to that friend of Kshatriyas". Having spoken thus unto his counsellors, he swiftly took up a sword; and raising it, of excellent temper and of cerulean hue, he rushed out vehemently, surrounded by his wives and counsellors. From grief for his son. Rāvana with his consciousness wildered, taking up a sword, in rage, rushed towards the place where Mithilā’s daughter was. Seeing the Rākshasa rising on, some, emitted leonine roars, and seeing the Rākshasa enraged, embracing each other, said,—"To-day those two brothers, seeing this one, will be exceedingly pained. By this one, influenced with passion were the four guardians of the worlds conquered; and many other foes were brought down in battle. Procuring gems from the three worlds, Rāvana enjoyeth them. Neither in strength nor in prowess is there any one on earth who is his compeer". As they were speaking thus, Rāvana, reft of his senses by wrath, rushed against Vaidehi, who had taken up her abode in the Açoka wood. And dissuaded by his friends endowed with good intelligence, he, wrought up with high wrath, darted (against Sitā), even as an enraged planet³⁷⁷ rusheth against Rohini³⁷⁸ in the firmament. And the blameless daughter of Mithila protected by the Rākshasis, saw the infuriated Rāvana bearing that best of blades in his hand. Seeing (Rāvana) approach, sword in hand, despite the earnest entreaties of his friends, Janaka’s daughter, Sitā, pained and overcome by grief, said, weeping,—"From the way in which, wrought up with wrath, this wicked-minded one is rushing on at me personally, it appears that he will slay me, who have a lord, as one who hath not. He did urge me much ever devoted to my lord, saying ’Be thou my wife but forsooth I disregarded him. And plainly in consequence of my refusal, he hath given way to despair. And overcome by anger and passion, he is ready to slay me. Or it may be that to-day for me those foremost of men, the brothers—Rāma and Lakshmana—have been slain in encounter by this inglorious one. I heard a furious and fearful uproar raised by countless Rākshasas rejoicing, and expressing their delight.—Alas! O fie! For me those princes have met with destruction. Or it may be that not without slaying Rāma and Lakshmana, this terrific Rākshasa, having his heart set on sin, from grief for his son, will slay me. Fool that I am, I did not then act agreeably to Hanumān’s words. If I had gone away seated on his back, without waiting for the victory (of my lord), I devoted to him, placed on his lap, should not have come by this repentance. When Kauçalyā, having an only son, will hear of her son slain in battle, I fancy, her heart shall burst. And, weeping, she will remember that high-souled one’s birth and boyhood, and youth and pious acts and loveliness. And that one bereft of her consciousness, filled with despair, after having performed his _srāddha_³⁷⁹ will doubtless enter into fire or water. Shame on the unchaste and hump-backed Mantharā, having her heart fixed in sin, for whose sake this grief shall exercise Kauçalyā!" Seeing the distressed daughter of Mithilā lament thus, like unto Rohini come under the sway of a planet in the absence of the Moon, in the meanwhile his³⁸⁰ pure and good courtier, named Suparçwa, endowed with intelligence, albeit prevented by other courtiers, spoke unto Rāvana, foremost of Rākshasas,—"Wherefore, O Ten-necked one, O thou who art the very younger brother of Vaiçravana himself, Dost thou desire to slay Vaidehi, forsaking righteousness? Why, O hero! O lord of Rākshasas! having led the Brahmacharyya mode of life, studied the Vedas, and returned from the house of thy spiritual guide, and ever engaged in religious acts, to-day dost thou intend to slay a woman? Do thou, O king, now stay expecting Mithilā’s daughter³⁸¹ endowed with loveliness; and do thou along with us vent thy wrath on him.³⁸² To-day being the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, do thou this very day prepare for conflict; at amāvasyā,³⁸³ environed with thy forces, do thou march for victory. Heroic, and intelligent, a mighty car-warrior and swordsman, thou, mounted on a car, slaying the redoubtable son of Daçaratha, wilt obtain Mithilā’s daughter". Thus exhorted by his friend, the unrighteous Rāvana accepted his virtuous speech; and then that powerful one went (back) to his house, and, surrounded by his friends, entered the court.
³⁷⁴ Avajuāya. Rāmānuya says it means "ignorant of the same". Tirtha says it means, ’Seeing.’ Then the sense would be, ’the counsellors, having first seen Indrajit slain, informed Rāvana of it.’—T.
³⁷⁵ I have to perform thy last rites, thou having fallen in fight while I am alive.—T.
³⁷⁶ Meaning the mountain Mandāra.
³⁷⁷ Kuja, etc
³⁷⁸ Hesperus.
³⁷⁹ Funereal rites performed in accordance with the injunctions of the Hindu Scriptures.—T.
³⁸⁰ Rāvana’s.
³⁸¹ Explains the commentator: "till thou slayest Rāma in battle".—T.
³⁸² Rāma.
³⁸³ i.e. to-morrow.