The Rāmāyana, Volume 3. Yuddhakāndam

by Valmiki

⁴⁵⁷ The rain-bow.

⁴⁵⁸ Indra.

⁴⁵⁹ A kind of bird (Turdus Salica, Buch).

SECTION CVIII.

Thereupon there ensued a mighty and dreadful encounter of two cars between Rāma and Rāvana, creating terror unto all people. And the army of Rākshasas and the mighty host of the monkeys, although they had weapons in their hands, became stupified (for the time being). And beholding them (Rāma and Rāvana) fight, all the Rākshasas and monkeys, having their minds agitated, were greatly surprised. With various weapons and hands uplifted for fight, they, greatly wondered, stood there beholding them and did not address themselves to fight with each other. The Rākshasas beholding Rāvana, and the monkeys beholding Rāma with wonder-stricken eyes, the whole army appeared like a picture. And espieing all omens Rāghava and Rāvana began to fight, undaunted, firm, resolute and unagitated by anger. And determining that Kākutstha would win victory and Rāvana would die, they began to display their own prowess. Thereupon the highly powerful Rāvana, setting his arrows in anger, discharged them at the pennon stationed on Rāghava’s car. Those arrows reaching the flag staff of the Purandara chariot and perceiving its might fell down on the earth. Thereupon the highly powerful Rāma, wroth, stretching his bow, made up his mind to return the blow. And aiming at Rāvana’s flag staff he discharged a sharpened shaft flaming unbearably by its own lustre like a huge serpent. And the effulgent Rāma discharged a shaft aiming at (Rāvana’s) banner which, piercing the Ten-necked demon’s flag fell, down on the earth. And beholding his flag staff thus broken down the highly powerful Rāvana became ablaze as if burning down every tiling with his unbearable ire And being possessed by wrath he began to make a downpour of shafts. Rāvana then, with flaming arrows, pierced Rāma’s steeds. The celestial horses were not bewildered thereby nor their course was slackened. And they remained thoroughly unagitated as if they were stricken with lotus stalks. Beholding the steeds thus unmoved Rāvana was again exercised with wrath and began to discharge afresh his various weapons—gadās, parighas, chakras and musalas, mountain tops, trees, darts and parashus and thousands of other shafts by virtue of his illusive powers. And unmoved was his energy. And that downpour of various weapons became huge and terrible in the conflict creating terror and making a dreadful noise. Thereupon leaving aside Rāghava’s car he began to assail the monkey-host and enveloped the sky with a continual discharge of arrows. The Ten-necked demon let loose many a weapon even at the risk of his own life. And beholding Rāvana in the encounter thus actively engaged in the discharge of arrows, Kākuthstha, smiling, set up pointed shafts, and discharged them by hundreds and thousands. Beholding them Rāvana again filled the welkin with arrows—and thus with shafts discharged by them both another flaming sky was created. None (of the arrows) missed the aim, none of them failed to pierce another and none of them was fruitless. And the arrows discharged by Rāma and Rāvana stricking each other fell down on the earth. And they standing on their right and left began to make a continued downpour of arrows and enveloped the sky entirely. And they opposing each other, Rāvana slew Rāma’s steeds and Rāma in his turn slew Rāvanan’s. They, thus enraged fought with each other and for sometime there ensued a terrible encounter capable of making ones down stand on end. And the highly powerful Rāvana and Rāma⁴⁶⁰ righting with each other in the conflict by means of sharpened arrows, the lord of Rākshasas beholding his flag staff broken down became enraged with the foremost of Raghus.

⁴⁶⁰ The epithet in the text is Lakshmana’s elder brother.

SECTION CIX.

Rāma and Rāvana thus opposing each other in battle, all the animals beheld them, stricken with astonishment. And those two great heroes, highly angered, began to dash towards and assail each other; and being determined to slay each other they looked greatly dreadful. And their charioteers drove the cars on, displaying their skill by moving in circles, in rows and diverse other ways. And those two excellent heroes, discharging their shafts and influenced by illusions, assailed each other proceeding and receding, Rāma attacking Rāvana and Rāvana withstanding him. And these two cars coursed the earth for sometime like clouds accompanied by showers. And displaying many a movement in the conflict they again stood facing each other, the forepart of one car touching that of the other and the heads of the steeds touching each other; and the pennons, stationed on one touched those of the other. Rāma, with four sharpened arrows, shot off his bow, removed the flaming horses of Rāvana to some distance. And finding his steeds thus removed he was exercised with wrath. And the Ten-necked one discharged sharpened arrows at Rāghava. And he was pierced by those arrows coming from the powerful Ten-necked demon. He was neither overwhelmed nor pained therewith and he again discharged arrows resembling the thunder-bolts. And the Ten-necked demon again discharged arrows at the charioteer, which fell with great vehemence on the person of Mātali. Mātali was not the least pained or overwhelmed in that encounter. And beholding his charioteer thus assailed Rāma was excited with wrath and overwhelmed his foe with a net of arrows. And the heroic Rāghava showered on his enemy’s chariot shafts by twentys, thirtys, sixtys, hundreds and thousands. And the lord of Rākshasas, Rāvana, who was stationed on the car, wroth, attacked Rāma in the conflict with maces and Musalas. And there again ensued a terrible conflict capable of making one’s down stand on end. And the seven oceans were overwhelmed with the sound of maces, musalas, Parighas and gold feathered arrows. And those inhabiting the regions under the agitated oceans, all the Dānavas and thousands of Pannagas were greatly pained. And greatly shook the earth with her mountains, forests and gardens. The Sun was shorn of its resplendance and the wind blew very rough. Thereupon the celestials, with Gandharbas, Siddhas, great saints, Kinnaras and serpents were all worked up with anxiety. And beholding the dreadful encounter between Rāma and Rāvana capable of making people’s down stand on end, the celestials with ascetics began to pray,—"May good betide the Brahmins and cows, may people live in peace and may Rāghava defeat Rāvana, the lord of Rākshasas, in the conflict". And the crowd of Gandharbas and Apsaras beholding that wonderful battle between Rāma and Rāvana, said,—"The ocean resembleth the sky and the sky resembleth the ocean—forsooth this encounter between Rāma and Rāvana befits them only". Thereupon Rāma of long-arms, the enhancer of the glory of Raghu’s race, enraged, set his arrow, resembling a serpent, on his bow, and cut assunder Rāvana’s head wearing shinning Kundalas. And that head in the presence of the inhabitants of the three regions fell down on the earth. Instantly there arose another head resembling the former; and it was speedily cut off by the light-handed Rāma. As soon as the second head was chopped off in the encounter by means of shafts another appeared again. And that was again severed by Rāma’s shafts resembling thunder-bolts. And thus were severed hundred heads all equal in brilliance. But the end of Rāvana’s life was not seen by him. Thereupon the heroic Rāghava, conversant with the use of all weapons, the enhancer of Kauçalyi’s joy, began to reason within himself in various Ways,—"Verily these are the arrows by which Māricha was killed, and Khara with Dushana was slain—Viradha was destroyed in the forest of Krauncha—the headless demon in the forest of Dandaka—Salas and mountains were broken—the ocean was agitated—and Vāli was killed;—I do not perceive the reason, why they are becoming fruitless when discharged at Rāvana". Thinking thus Rāghava made himself ready In the conflict and began to shower arrows on Rāvana’s breast. Thereupon Rāvana too, the lord of Rākshasas, seated in a car and highly enraged, assailed Rāma in the conflict with a downpour of maces and Musalas. That dreadful and huge conflict, capable of making hairs stand on end, continued for seven nights before the eyes of the celestials, Dānavas, Yakshas, Pisāchas, Uragas and serpents stationed in the sky, on the earth or on the mountain-tops. Neither for the night nor for the day, nor for a moment did the fight between Rāma and Rāvana cease. And beholding the conflict between Daçaratha’s son and the lord of Rākshasas, and Rāghava’s victory, the high-souled charioteer of the lord of the celestials spake speedily unto Rāma engaged in the conflict.

SECTION CX.

Thereupon Mātali, reminding him, spake unto Rāghava—"Why dost thou, O hero, as if not knowing, fear him? Do thou, O lord, discharge at him the weapon obtained from the great Patriarch. The time for (his) destruction, as described by the celestials, hath arrived". Being reminded by those words of Mātali, Rāma took up the flaming shaft, breathing as if like a serpent. The great Rishi Agastya first conferred this upon him. This is a huge and dreadful shaft given by Brahmā, and highly useful in battle. It was made by Brahmā of undecaying prowess for Indra and conferred by him upon the Lord of celestials desirous of acquiring victory. In its wings there is wind, in its head there is fire and the Sun, in its body there is the sky and in its weight there are the (hill) Meru and Mandara. It is resplendent by its own lustre, well feathered and adorned with gold—made of the essence of all objects and bright as the rays of the Sun. It is like the fire of dissolution enveloped in smoke—like the flaming serpent, capable of piercing men, serpents and horses and was swift-coursing. (It can) rend the gateways, Parighas and hills—is soaked in blood, dipped in marrow, and extremely dreadful. It is hard as the lightning—producing a dreadful sound, assailing various (divisions of the) army, creating terror unto all, dreadful and (as if) breathing like a serpent. It is terrible as the Death in the conflict and provides food always for the herons, vultures, cranes, jackals and the Rākshasas. It is the enhancer of the monkey-leaders’ joy and the repressor of the Rākshasas and is feathered like unto a bird with many a picturesque wing. And the highly powerful Rāma, consecrating in accordance with the mantras laid down in the Vedas, that huge shaft—the foremost of all in the world, removing the fear of the Ikshwāku race, destroying the fame of the enemies and conducing to the joy of its own party, set it on his bow. And that excellent arrow being mounted on his bow by Rāghava all the animals were stricken with fear and the earth shook. And (Rāma) highly enraged, and greatly wary, suppressing (his breath) discharged that shaft at Rāvana—piercing to the vitals. (That Brahmā weapon) irrepressible as the thunder, dreadful as the Death and discharged by Rāma, fell down on Rāvana’s breast. And that shaft, capable of bringing about death and gifted with velocity, when discharged, cleft the breast of the vicious-souled Rāvana. And that body-ending arrow, bathed in blood, stealing away the life of Rāvana, entered the earth. That shaft, slaying Rāvana, soaked in blood and successful, again entered the quiver⁴⁶¹ humbly. And from his hand, who was deprived of his life, fell down instantly on earth his shafts and bow. And fell down on the earth from the chariot, the highly effulgent Rāvana, gifted with dreadful velocity and shorn of his life. And beholding him thus fallen down, the remaining night-rangers, deprived of their lord and stricken with terror fled away to various quarters. And beholding the destruction of the Ten-necked (demon) and the victory of Rāghava, the monkeys, fighting with trees, pursued them on all sides. And being assailed by the monkeys and having their countenances full of tears in consequence of their lord being slain they fled away to Lankā in fear. Thereupon the monkeys being greatly delighted roared out the victory of Rāma. The celestial bugle was sounded in the sky and there blew the excellent air carrying the celestial fragrance. Flowers were showered upon Rāma’s car which was covered therewith. The celestials in the sky began to chaunt the glory of Rāma and praise him. And Rāvana, the dread of all people, being slain, the celestials with the Charanas were greatly delighted. And slaying that foremost of the Rākshasas, Rāma satisfied the desire of Sugriva, Angada and Bibhishana. Thereupon the celestials attained their peace, the quarters were delighted, the atmosphere was clear, calm air began to prevail all over the earth, and the Sun appeared in its full rays. Thereupon Sugriva, Bibhishana and Lakshmana, welcomed Rāma, of unmitigated prowess, singing his glory. And there appeared beautiful at the battle-field Rāma of firm promise, slaying his enemy and encircled by his army and friends, like unto the Lord of the celestials surrounded by the gods.