73. THE DEATH OF INDRAJIT :

INDRAJIT comforted his father. "Why
should you worry when I am here alive?"
he said and gathered an army, and with it
made another sortie.



He swooped down on the Vanara
forces and killed and wounded thousands
of them. They were helpless against his
fury. The Brahmastra of Indrajit was
effective against even Rama and
Lakshmana who were tied up by it. They
lay unconscious on the ground and the
Rakshasa prince went straight to his
anxious father with the glad news of this
achievement.



Vibhishana rallied the Vanara leaders
who had scattered in all directions and put
hope and courage into them.



Jambavan, who was more dead than
alive, moved slowly among the Vanaras,
inquiring: "Is Hanuman alive?"
"Yes, I am here," said Hanuman, and
bowed low before Jambavan.
"My son," said the old Vanara,



"proceed northwards at once across the
sea to the Himalaya range. Between the
Rishabha and Kailasa peaks, there is the
Hill of Herbs. In that hilltop are four
medicinal plants. If you bring them here
quickly, Rama and Lakshmana and the
Vanara army will recover consciousness.
Their wounds will be healed and they will
fight again. Do this without loss of time.
Only you can do this."



Accordingly, Hanuman sprang up into
the air and moved fast. He reached the hill
described by the venerable Jambavan and
as he could not identify the plants, he
carried the whole hill and returned with it
to Lanka.



Even with the approach of the Sanjivi
hill, Rama and Lakshmana and the
Vanaras felt the darts slip off their bodies.
Their wounds healed and they became
strong and stood up.



The battle was resumed. Taking
counsel with Rama, Sugriva now chose a
few Vanaras and ordered them to enter
Lanka and set fire to the city.



Towards midnight they entered the city
with torches. They attacked and
overpowered the sentry and set fire to the
palaces and turrets of Lanka. Houses in
their thousands were reduced to ashes.
The proud city was reduced to a mass of
ruin.



Valmiki describes this incident in
detail. It reads very much like the
destruction of cities in modern battles
with which we are now familiar.
Seeing Lanka being burnt down by the
Vanaras, Ravana was furious and sent to
the battlefield Kumbha and Nikumbha,
the sons of Kumbhakarna, together with
Yupaksha and other Rakshasa warriors.
After another terrible battle, Kumbha
was slain by Sugriva and Nikumbha by
Hanuman. Makaraksha, son of Khara,
who opposed Rama, fell to his fiery
arrows. Many more mighty Rakshasas
perished. Then, at the bidding of Ravana,
Indrajit went once again to the battle.
He rose into the sky and became in
visible. Thus he fought again unseen by
the Vanaras. Indrajit, by his necromancy,
created a maya-Sita and, putting her in a
chariot, took her before the Vanara army
and seemingly killed her in their presence.
Deceived and horrified by this, the
Vanaras asked themselves: "What good is
it now to continue this war?" They left the
field and went to Rama with the heartrending
news.



As a result of this trick, Indrajit gained
time to perform an asuric sacrifice. Rama
and Lakshmana, like the Vanara warriors,
believed that Sita was dead and were lost
in grief. They were completely bewildered
and helpless when Vibhishana came and
inquired what had happened.



He listened to their story. Then he said:
"You have been deceived. Never
would Ravana allow Sita to be killed. This
is only a trick of sorcery. Indrajit tries to
defeat you through magic. Having given
up all hope of achieving success by
normal means, he has gone to perform an
asuric sacrifice of great power. If he
completes it, we cannot vanquish him. We
should therefore go and obstruct the
sacrifice. Let Lakshmana go at once and
mar Indrajit's purpose."



Accepting this advice, Rama sent
Lakshmana who was ac companied by
Hanuman and other Vanaras, besides
Vibhishana. They went to the spot where
Indrajit was about to offer oblations to
evil spirits. The sacrifice was interrupted
and a long and fierce battle ensued.
Ascending his chariot, the son of Ravana
sent forth his arrows.



Standing on Hanuman, Lakshmana did
the same. As they were well matched in
strength and skill, the battle lasted long.
The chariot of Indrajit was destroyed in
the course of the combat and both the
heroes stood on the ground and continued
the battle.



At last, Lakshmana used the Indra-astra
spell and uttering the name of Rama
discharged the fatal arrow. The head of
Indrajit was severed and fell to the ground
and as it fell, it shone like fire. The Devas
and Gandharvas showered flowers from
the heavens.



Lakshmana then went to Rama. He was
wounded all over and bleeding. He
walked slowly, supported by Jambavan
and Hanuman. Rama had already heard
the news of the death of Indrajit.



"Lakshmana!" he cried, "this is the end
of the Rakshasa race. You have achieved
it."



Lakshmana modestly stood back but
Rama seated him on his lap, kissed his
head and gave vent to his joy.



"You have performed a mighty deed,
impossible for anyone else. You have
deprived Ravana of his right hand. Who in
the world can equal you or Vibhishana or
Hanuman? I have no more care. You have
vanquished the conqueror of Indra. I feel I
have already recovered Sita."



The news reached Ravana that Indrajit
had been slain by Lakshmana. When he
heard that Vibhishana helped Lakshmana
in slaying Indrajit, his grief and anger
swelled and the tears he shed burnt where
they fell. And from his mouth issued fire.
"Alas, my son! O peerless warrior! O
hero! Vanquisher of the great Indra! Has
Death won after all? Have you entered the
heaven of heroes? But I should not
grieve," he said.



But the father's heart would not thus be
denied, and again he cried: "What! Is
Indrajit gone? The world is now empty for
me. Oh son, you have left your mother
Mandodari and your dear wife and myself
heart-broken and disconsolate. Nothing
remains to us now but revenge and
despair. It is best to kill Sita, the cause of
all this tragedy. My son killed the maya-
Sita. Now I shall kill the real Sita her
self." So saying he rushed out, sword in
hand, intending to do it. Some fierce
Rakshasas, seeing Ravana issuing out in
anger, applauded him with joy; but the
minister Suparsva was horrified and
appealed to Ravana's better sense and
what was due to himself as a man and a
king.



"King!" he cried, "how dare you think
such a thought? How can you do it? Oh,
Lord of ten heads! Brother of Kubera! Are
you thinking to kill a woman? Are you
going to incur this shame and sin? Can
you thus be tempted by anger? You have
mastered the Vedas and all the sciences.
You have performed many penances.
How can you end up with such a thing as
this? Who is equal to you? Let us direct
our anger against Rama. It will be new
moon tomorrow. Gather all your armies,
issue out of Lanka, slay Rama and
Lakshmana and achieve victory. Then
take Sita. Put on the armor you have
secured from Brahma. Ascend your
chariot and go to battle."



Ravana felt that Suparsva was right and
his words were good. Seated on his
throne, he was silent for a while, lost in
profound meditation. Then he addressed
the commanders with folded hands,
saying:



"Go now with all your strength and
slay Rama. If even you fail, I shall go
myself and destroy him.



Never before had he been so courteous
and humble when dealing with his
officers. Adversity had taught him this
lesson. Mounted on chariots that shone
like the hills on the evening horizon and
on the back of great elephants and
beautiful horses, Ravana's army went in
full force for the great battle.



The Vanaras tore up rocks and trees
and attacked the Rakshasas fiercely. The
Rakshasas returned the attack with equally
grim ferocity.



The Vanaras jumped about everywhere
and worked havoc among the Rakshasas,
their chariots and animals. Each of the
Rakshasas was surrounded by many
Vanaras and slain.



The Rakshasas too did not spare the
Vanaras whom they killed in tens of
thousands.



Rama bent his bow and sent showers of
arrows against the Rakshasas who
destroyed their army like a raging fire.
Warriors only saw their companions fall.
They could not see Rama because of the
shower of arrows. Their fear conjured up
a multitude of Ramas, who dealt death in
all directions.



Countless elephants and horses
perished. Thousands of chariots were
broken. The Rakshasa army was
destroyed, all but a handful who fled into
Lanka.



The Devas, Gandharvas and Siddhas
sang the praise of Rama from above. In
Lanka, the Rakshasa women clung to each
other and lamented loudly that Ravana's
folly should have brought this great
calamity on them.



Next : 74. END OF RAVANA


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