| [77] | The name of a mountain, apparently the central or western portion of the Vindhya chain.
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| [78] | A kind of stringed musical instrument.
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| [79] | A sort of musical instrument; a small drum or tabor.
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SECTION XXVIII.
"Having conferred this boon upon Rāvana the father, sprung from lotus, speedily returned to the region of Brahman. And having obtained the boon Rāvana too came back. After a few days that Rākshasa Rāvana, the dread of all people, arrived at the banks of the western Ocean with his councillors. And on the island a person was seen bright as fire under the name of Mahajambunada, seated there alone. He had a dreadful figure and was like unto the fire at dissolution. And beholding that highly powerful person amongst men like unto the chief of gods amongst the celestials, the moon amongst the planets, the lion amongst the Sarabhas,[80] the Airavata amongst the elephants, the Meru amongst the mountains, and the Pārijāta amongst the trees, the ten-necked demon said—'Give me battle.' Thereat his eyes became agitated like unto planets and from the clashing of his teeth there arose a sound like the clapping of thunder-bolts. And the highly powerful Dasānana too roared with his councillors. And with darts, Saktis, Rishtis and Patticas he again and again assailed that highly effulgent person, having long arms, a dreadful appearance, huge teeth, a grim figure, a conch-like neck, spacious breast, a belly like that of a frog, a countenance like that of a lion, legs like the mount Kailāsa, red palms, red hands, emitting dreadful roars, huge-bodied, gifted with the velocity of mind and air, dreadful, carrying quiver, bells and chowries, encircled by a burning flame and emitting a sweet note as a net-work of Kinkini does, having a garland of golden lotuses hung round his neck, appearing graceful like unto the Rig-Veda, be-decked with lotus garlands, resembling the Anjana and golden mountains. As the lion is not moved by the attack of a wolf, the elephant by that of a bull, the Sumeru by the king of serpents and the great Ocean by the current of a river, so that great person was not agitated and said to the ten-necked demon—'O vicious-minded night-ranger, I shall soon remove they desire for a battle.' O Rāma, the might of that person was a thousand times greater than that of Rāvana which was dreadful unto all the worlds. Piety and asceticism, which are at the root of attaining to every thing in the world, are at his thighs; Cupid is his male organ, the Viswadevas are at his waist and the Maruts are at the sides of his Basti; the Vasus are in the middle portion of his body, the oceans are in his belly, the quarters are on his sides, the Maruts are at his joints—the manes are one his back and the grand-father has taken shelter in his heart; the pious acts of making gifts of kine, gold and lands are his downs; the mounts Himalaya, Hemkuta, Mandara, and Meru are his bones; the thunder-bolt is his palm, the sky his body; the evening and watery clouds are on his neck, the creator, the preserver and the Vidyadharas are on his two arms. Ananta, Vasuki, Visalaksha Iravat, Kamvala, Aswatara, Karkotaka, Dhananjaya the venomous Takshaka, and Upatakshaka, have taken shelter under the nails of his hands, in order to vomit forth their venom. The fire is in his mouth, the Rudras are on his shoulders, the fortnights, months, years and seasons are on the rows of his teeth; the lunar half and the dark half of the month are in his nostrils—and the airy currents are in pores of his body. Saraswati, the goddess of words, is his neck, the two Aswins are his ears, the sun and the moon are his two eyes, O Rāma, all the divisions of the Vedas, Yagmas, the whole host of stars, good words, energy, asceticism—all these are being supported by his body, assuming the shape of a man. Thereupon that Purusha easily struck Rāvana with his hands hard as thunder. Being assailed thereby Rāvana immediately fell on the ground. Beholding that Rākshasa fallen and having distressed others that huge person, like unto the Rig-Veda, resembling a mountain and be-decked with lotus garlands, entered the region under the earth. Rāvana addressed his councillors thus—'O Prahasta, O Sukasārana and other ministers, where hath that person suddenly gone? Do ye tell me this.' Hearing those words of Rāvana the night-rangers said—'That man, who crusheth down the pride of the celestials and demons, hath entered hither.'
"As Garuda goes speedily taking a serpent so that vicious-minded Rāvana arrived quickly at the entrance of the den. And Rāvana, having no fear, entered therein. And having entered there he saw males resembling the red collyrium, wearing keyuras,[81] heroic, be-decked with red garlands, pasted with red sandal and adorned with diverse golden ornaments and jewels. He saw there three millions of such high-minded persons, devoid of fear, pure, radiant like fire, dancing being mad after festivities. Beholding them the Ten-necked demon, of dreadful prowess, was not the least terrified, and rather saw their dance, standing at the gate. They were all like the male being he had seen before. They were all of the same colour, same dress, same figure and equally gifted with great energy. They were all gifted with four arms and great energy. Beholding them the down of the Ten-necked demon stood erect though a boon had been conferred upon him by the Self-born and he speedily issued out of that place. And he again saw another huge person lying down on a bed. His house, seat and bed were all white and valuable and he was sleeping enveloped by fire. And there sat gracefully with a fan in her lotus hands, the goddess Laksmi—most beautiful in the three worlds—(as if) the ornament thereof, chaste, adorned with celestial garlands, sprinkled with excellent sandal paste, be-decked with rich ornaments and clad in a precious raiment. Having entered there with out any councillor the vicious Rāvana, the lord of Rākshasas, on beholding that chaste damsel with sweet smiles seated on a royal seat, being possessed by desire, grew anxious to hold her by the hand, as one, under the influence of death, catches a sleeping serpent. Beholding that lord of Rākshasas with loose cloth and understanding him as desirous of holding (her) the deity, having huge arms, asleep and enveloped with flames, laughed aloud. And scorched suddenly by his energy, Rāvana, the dread of all people, fell down on earth like unto an up-rooted tree. Beholding that Rākshasa fallen he said the following words:—'Rise up, O foremost of Rākshasas, thou shalt not meet with death today; thou shalt live and be protected, O Rākshasa, by the great Patriarch's boon. Do thou therefore go away, O Rāvana, with confidence—thou shalt not experience death just now.' Regaining his sense instantly Rāvana was stricken with fear. And being thus addressed, that enemy, of the celestials, stood up and with his down erect, said to that highly resplendant deity—'Who art thou gifted with great energy and like unto the fire of dissolution? Tell me, who art thou, O deity and whence thou hast come hither.' Being thus accosted by the vicious-souled Rāvana, the deity, smiling, replied in words deep as the muttering of clouds, saying—'What shalt thou do with me O ten-necked demon? Thou art not to be slain by me now.' Being thus addressed the Ten-necked demon, with folded palms said—'By the words of the Patriarch (Brahmā) I shall not tread the path of death; there is none born amongst men, or the celestials who can equal me, and disregard; by virtue of his prowess, the great Patriarch's boon. His words can never be falsified—every great exertion is weak before them; I do not behold any such man in the three worlds who can render that boon useless. O foremost of the deities, I am immortal—I do not fear thee; and even if I meet with death, I may have it from thee and no one else, O Lord. My death from thee is both glorious and praise-worthy.' Thereupon Rāvana, gifted with dreadful prowess, beheld within the body of that deity, all the three worlds with mobile and immobile creations. The Adityas, the Maruts, the Sidhas, the two Aswins, Rudras, the manes, Yama, Kuvera, the oceans, mountains, rivers, all the divisions of the Veda and knowledge, fire, planets, stars, sky, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Chāranas, the ascetics conversant with the knowledge of Vedas, Garuda and the serpents, the other deities, Yakshas, Daityas and Rākshasas, were all seen in their incorporeal forms, on the person of that great Purusha, lying down." Thereupon the virtuous-souled Rāma said to Agastya, the foremost of Munis—"Who is that male being stationed in the island? Who are those three kotis male beings? And who is this person who crusheth down the pride of the Daityās and Dānavas?" Hearing Rāma's words Agastya said—"O thou existing eternally, O god of gods, hearken, I shall relate (it) unto thee. The person stationed in the island is the illustrious Kapila. All those dancing persons are the deities equalling that intelligent Kapila in energy and power. And that Rākshasa, bent on sin, was not seen by him with angry looks, and therefore, Rāma, Rāvana, was not there and then reduced to ashes. And he, resembling a mountain, with his person pierced, fell on the ground. As a wily wight goes through a secret so he pierced (Rāvana's person) with his shaft-like words. Having regained his sense, however, after a long time, that Rākshasa, of great prowess, returned where his councillors were."
| [80] | A fabulous animal supposed to have eight legs.
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| [81] | A kind of ornament used on arms.
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SECTION XXIX.
"While thus returning the vicious-souled Rāvana, with delight, carried away stealthily, on his way, the daughters of the royal saints, celestials and Dānavas. And whatever beautiful damsel he saw, married or unmarried, that demon held them captive in his car, having slain all their friends and relatives. In this wise he got on his chariot many a female of the Nagas, Rakshas, Asuras, Yakshas, Dānavas and of men. And they, all afflicted, shed tears, hot as firey flames, caused by fear and fire of grief. As the ocean is filled with the currents of the rivers so that car was flooded with their tears originating from fear and sorrow. And wept there in the chariot, hundreds of the females of Nagas, Gandharvas, of great ascetics, Daityas and of Dānavas. They had long airs, graceful persons, countenances resembling the full-moon, rising breast, slender waist like that of a black-bee and were graceful with back like the pole of a car. They were like the females of the celestials and the burning gold and were all afflicted by grief, sorrow and terror and were young. And the car was ablaze on all sides with the sighings of those damsels and Pushpaka looked like the chamber where fire is kept perpetually. The countenance and eyes, of those beautiful damsels, brought under the subjection of the ten-necked demon, and afflicted with sorrow, looked poorly like a hind attacked by a lion. Some thought—'Will he eat me up?' and another, stricken with sorrow, thought—'Will he destroy me?' Thus remembering their mothers, fathers, husbands and brothers, all those females, overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, bewailed, some exclaiming—'What shall befall my son in my absence? Alas! into what ocean of grief my mother or brother is sunk? Alas! what shall my husband do in my absence? Therefore, O death, I propitiate thee, do thou take me, who am subject to miseries. Alas! what an iniquity did I perpetrate in my former birth in another body? Therefore, we all, overwhelmed with grief, are sunk in the ocean of sorrow—and I do not behold the end of my miseries. Oh! fie upon humanity; there is none more vile than a man for they are weak. As the stars disappear with the rising of the sun in time, so our husbands have been destroyed by the powerful Rāvana. Oh! highly powerful is this Raksha and he is mad after devising the means of destruction. Alas! being engaged in such vile actions, he does not consider himself cursed; he is as powerful as he is vicious. And though the ravishment of another's wife is a greats sin, still that vile Rākshasa is enjoying us who belong to others. Therefore this vicious-minded one shall meet with death, by his own actions.' As soon as these words were uttered by those chaste damsels, bugles were sounded in heaven and flowery showers fell on earth. Being thus imprecated by those chaste females, devoted to their husbands, he became shorn of energy and effulgence and appeared like one divested of mind. Hearing their lamentations thus and being honored by the night-rangers that foremost of Rākshasas entered his city Lankā. In the interval, Rāvana's sister, a dreadful and grim-visaged she-demon, suddenly fell down on the ground. And having raised up his sister and consoled her Rāvana said—'Tell me speedily, O good sister, what you wish to say.' Thereat that she-demon, having blood-red eyes, closed with tears, said:—'O king, by thee, powerful as thou art, I have forcibly been made a widow. Fourteen thousand demons, under the name of Kalakeyas, have been destroyed by thee, O king, in the battle and amongst them was my highly powerful husband—dearer than my life. He has been slain by thee, O dear one, an enemy—a brother only in name. I have been killed by thee, O king, who art my brother. For thee, king, I shall enjoy the word 'widow'![82] My husband[83] should have been saved by thee in the battle. But he was slain by thy ownself in the battle; art thou not ashamed of this?' Being thus addressed by his bewailing sister, the Ten-necked demon, consoling her in sweet words, said:—'Of no avail is thy lamentation, dear sister; thou needst not be afraid of any of thy relatives. I shall please thee studiously by gifts, honors and favours. Being mad after war-fare and desirous of acquiring victory, I was continually making a downpour of shafts, so I could not distinguish in the conflict between my own men and enemies,—and thus unwittingly I did hurt thy husband. And thus, sister, thy husband was slain by me in the conflict; I shall now do whatever shall conduce to thy well-being. Do thou ever reside by the side of thy rich brother Khara and he shall be the lord of fourteen thousand Rākshasas. That highly powerful one shall give food and clothes to all those Rākshasas. He is thy cousin and that night-ranger shall always carry out thy orders. Let that hero now speedily go to protect the Dandaka forest and the highly powerful Dushana shall be the commander of his forces. And the heroic Khara shall always obey thy words and be the lord of Rākshasas assuming shapes at will.' Having said this the Ten-necked demon issued orders to his army—fourteen thousand highly powerful Rākshasas. Being encircled by those grim-visaged Rākshasas, Khara, undaunted, speedily came to the Dandaka forest. There he governed without thorns and Surpanakha too also resided in the forest of Dandaka."