Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts) (66 page)

‘“Protected by Nala, Nila, Angada, Kratha, Mainda and Dvivida, the extremely large army marched, for the sake of accomplishing Raghava’s objective. Without any obstructions, it duly passed through extensive areas with a lot of roots and fruit, with an abundance of honey and meat and full of pure water and camped on the ridges of mountains. That army of monkeys then arrived at the salty ocean. That force, with its many pennants, looked like a second ocean. It went to the forest along the shore and began to reside there. Then, in the midst of the chiefs among the monkeys, Dasharatha’s illustrious son told Sugriva words that were appropriate for the occasion. ‘What do you think is the way to cross over the ocean? This army is large and the ocean is difficult to cross.’ Some monkeys, who thought of themselves as learned, thought that the monkeys were capable of jumping over the ocean. Others thought of boats and other means of crossing. But having comforted all of them, Rama replied, ‘No. O brave ones! All the monkeys are not capable of leaping over this expanse of one hundred yojanas. Therefore, this cannot be a firm view. There are not enough boats to bear this army. Besides, the interests of trade should not suffer because of us. Our army is vast and the enemy will look for weak spots.
¹¹⁹
The idea of leaping, or using boats, does not appeal to me. No. I will attack this treasure of water through some means and the one who lives below
¹²⁰
will then show me a way. If he does not show me a path, I will burn him up with great and unassailable weapons that flame with the fire and the wind.’ Having said this, Raghava, together with Soumitri, touched the water, and basing themselves on an expanse of kusha grass, repulsed the ocean. Then the god of the ocean, the illustrious lord of male and female rivers, showed himself in a dream to Raghava, surrounded by masses of aquatic creatures. Surrounded by hundreds of stores of gems, he addressed him in sweet words. ‘O son of Kousalya! O bull among men! Tell me what I can do to help you.’ Rama told him, ‘I am
of the Ikshvaku lineage and can therefore be regarded as your relative.
¹²¹
O lord of the male and female rivers! I desire that you show me a path for my army, so that I can go and kill Dashagriva, the wretch of the Poulastya lineage. If you do not give me the path that I am asking for, I will dry you up with arrows that have been invoked with mantras to make them celestial weapons.’ On hearing Rama’s words, Varuna’s abode
¹²²
was extremely aggrieved and stood there, hands joined in salutation. It spoke these words. ‘I do not wish to obstruct you, or create any obstacles. O Rama! Listen to my words. Having heard, decide on your course of action. If I grant a passage for your marching army at your request, others will use the strength of their bows to also command me. There is a monkey named Nala who is venerated by the artisans. He is the powerful son of the god Vishvakarma Tvashtra.
¹²³
I will bear whatever he throws into me—wood, straw or stone, and that will become a bridge.’ Having said this, he disappeared.

‘“Rama told Nala, ‘Build a bridge across the ocean. It is my view that you are capable of doing this.’ Through this means, Kakutstha had a bridge constructed. It was ten yojanas wide and a hundred yojanas long. Even today, that is famous on earth as Nala’s bridge. It was created on Rama’s instructions and is established like a mountain. Vibhishana, the brother of the Indra of the rakshasas and with dharma in his soul, met Rama there, with his advisers, and the great-souled one welcomed him. Sugriva had his misgivings that he might be a spy. But Raghava satisfied himself about the truth through his actions, gestures and conduct and showed him the honours. He instated Vibhishana as the king of all the rakshasas and made him Lakshmana’s adviser and well-wisher. O lord of men! In accordance with Vibhishana’s instructions, within a month, he, together with his army, crossed the ocean over the bridge. Then, having reached Lanka,
he caused its many and large gardens to be ravaged by the monkeys. Ravana had two rakshasa advisers named Shuka and Sarana. They disguised themselves as monkeys and came as spies, but Vibhishana had them caught. When those roamers of the night revealed their real forms of rakshasas, Rama had then shown to his army. Later, he let them go. Having set up the quarters for his army in a grove in the city, the brave one sent the wise monkey Angada as his messenger to Ravana.”’

‘Markandeya said, “That forest was full of many roots and fruits and had plentiful supplies of water. Kakutstha made his army live there and protected it appropriately. Following the sacred texts, Ravana fortified Lanka. It was naturally unassailable and had firm walls and turrets. There were seven moats filled with deep water, infested with fish and crocodiles. While these were invincible, they were bolstered with stakes made out of
khadira.
¹²⁴
It was difficult to attach because of catapults,
¹²⁵
watchtowers and rocks. The soldiers had pots that were full of venomous snakes and resin powder. They were armed with clubs, firebrands, iron spikes, spears, swords and axes. There were shataghnis
¹²⁶
and maces dipped in beeswax.
¹²⁷
All the gates to the city were guarded by mobile and stationary posts. There were large numbers of infantry and many horses and elephants.

‘“Arriving at Lanka’s gate, Angada made himself known to the Indra of the rakshasas and entered fearlessly. In the midst of many crores of rakshasas, the immensely strong one was as radiant as the sun, surrounded by garlands of clouds. Having approached Poulastya, who was surrounded by his advisers, the eloquent one delivered Rama’s message. ‘O king! The immensely famous Indra of Kosala, Raghava, has sent you words that are appropriate to the occasion. Listen to them and act accordingly. Countries and cities that obtain kings who are unrefined in their souls and are the performers of injurious acts, are themselves injured and destroyed. You alone are guilty of forcibly abducting Sita. But this will lead to the destruction of others who are innocent. Intoxicated by strength and insolence, you have earlier injured many rishis who lived in the forest and have insulted the gods. You have killed rajarshis and abducted their weeping wives. The time has now come for the fruits of your evil deeds to be reaped. I will kill you, together with your advisers. Be a man on the field of battle. O stalker of the night! Though I am a mere human, you will witness the valour of my bow. Free Sita Janaki. If you do not release her, with my sharp arrows, I will rid the world of all rakshasas.’ Hearing the harsh words of the messenger, King Ravana could not tolerate them and became senseless with rage.

‘“At the signs of their lord, four stalkers of the night seized him
¹²⁸
by his four limbs, like birds against a tiger. Angada leapt up onto a terrace of the palace, with the roamers of the night hanging onto his limbs. The force of his jump made the roamers of the night fall down on the ground, their hearts shattered from the blow. He again leapt and descended from the top of the palace. He jumped over the city of Lanka and returned to his army. The energetic monkey then went to the Indra of Kosala and told him everything. Praised by Raghava, he then rested. Then the descendant of the Raghu lineage, with the efforts of all the monkeys, who were as swift as the wind, had the walls of Lanka breached. With Lakshmana leading the way, Vibhishana and the lord of the bears
¹²⁹
demolished the impregnable
southern gate of the city. He
¹³⁰
then invaded Lanka with a hundred thousand crore of monkeys. They were skilled in battle and their complexions were as red as that of young camels.
¹³¹
The monkeys leapt up and jumped down and moved sideways. As a result of the dust that was raised, the sun became invisible and its light was dimmed. O king! In every direction, the rakshasas, with their wives and their elders, were amazed. They saw the walls turn tawny because of the monkeys, which seemed to be like shoots of rice, with the complexion of shirisha blossoms, like the rising sun and as white as reeds. They destroyed the pillars made of jewels and the turrets of the catapults. They shattered, broke and flung away the implements of war. With great strength, they grasped the shataghnis, chakras, iron bars and rocks, and with the force of their arms, hurled them into the middle of Lanka. Attacked by hundreds of monkeys, the masses of travellers in the night who were stationed on the turrets, ran away.

‘“Then, on the instructions of their king, hundreds and thousands of rakshasas issued out. They could assume any form at will and their shapes were distorted. With a shower of arrows, they drove away the forest dwellers. Resorting to supreme valour, they established themselves on the walls. Those terrible-looking stalkers of the night cleared the walls of the monkeys and hung on there, like masses of flesh. Pierced by lances, many bulls among the monkeys fell down. Many stalkers of the night also fell down, crushed by broken pillars and ramparts. Thus the battle raged on between rakshasas and monkeys, as the brave ones pulled each other by the hair and fought and devoured with nails and teeth. The monkeys and rakshasas were struck, died and fell down on the ground there, but they did not let go of each other. Like clouds, Rama rained down a net of arrows. Having reached Lanka, those killed the stalkers of the night. The indefatigable and firm-bowed Soumitri sought out rakshasas who were stationed on the fortifications and killed them with iron arrows. With Lanka breached and the objective towards victory having been attained, on Raghava’s orders, the army then withdrew.”’

‘Markandeya said, “When those soldiers were quartered, some groups of Ravana’s followers, pishachas and rakshasas, attacked them—Parvana, Putana, Jambha, Khara, Krodhavasha, Hari, Praruja, Aruja, Praghhasa and others. Remaining invisible, those evil-souled ones entered. But knowing this, Vibhishana removed their powers of invisibility. O king! On being seen, all of them were killed by the powerful monkeys, who could leap long distances, and fell down on the ground. Unable to tolerate this, Ravana marched out with his army. He erected a battle formation known as
ushanas
¹³²
and attacked the monkeys. On seeing Dashanana’s army advance, Raghava also emerged and attacked the stalker of the night with a battle formation recommended by Brihaspati.
¹³³
A battle then started between Rama and Ravana. Lakshmana fought with Indrajit, Sugriva with Virupaksha, Nikharvata with Tara, Nala with Tunda and Patusha with Panasa. On that field of battle, using the strength of one’s arms, everyone fought with another whom he considered to be a match. That terrible battle made one’s body hair stand up, it was like the ancient one between the gods and the asuras. It kept on extending, increasing the fear of those who were cowards. Ravana attacked Rama with a shower of spears, lances and swords. Raghava attacked Ravana with sharp iron arrows. In a similar way, Lakshmana pierced Indrajit’s heart. Indrajit pierced Soumitri with many arrows. Without hesitation, Vibhishana discharged at Prahasta, and Prahasta at Vibhishana, showers of sharp arrows that had the plumes of birds on the shafts. There was an encounter between powerful and great weapons. It afflicted all the three worlds and everything that was mobile and immobile.”’

‘Markandeya said, “Then Prahasta suddenly rushed at Vibhishana. He was harsh in battle and struck him with a mace. Though struck by the mace with a terrible force, the intelligent and mighty-armed one did not stagger and stood firm like the Himalayas. Then Vibhishana grasped a gigantic and large spear that had a hundred bells attached to it. Invoking it with a mantra, he flung it at the other one’s head. With the speed of the vajra, it descended with great force and sliced off the rakshasa’s head. He was seen to fall down, like a tree struck by the wind. On seeing Prahasta, stalker of the night, killed in battle, Dhumraksha rushed at the monkeys with great speed. On seeing his terrible army, which was like a cloud, the bulls among the monkeys suddenly lost their heart in battle. On seeing the bulls among the monkeys suddenly lose their heart, Hanuman, tiger among monkeys and son of the wind-god, rallied them. O king! On seeing that the son of the wind was firmly established in battle, all the monkeys swiftly returned. There arose a great and tumultuous roar that made the body hair stand up. The soldiers of Rama and Ravana rushed at each other. In that terrible battle, which made the ground muddy with blood, Dhumraksha used his arrows to make the army of monkeys flee. But Hanuman, son of the wind-god and victorious over his enemies, swiftly grasped that mighty rakshasa. An awesome duel raged between the monkey and the brave rakshasa as they tried to kill each other, like that between Indra and Prahlada. The rakshasa struck the monkey with clubs and maces. The monkey struck the rakshasa with trees, complete with trunks and branches. Then the gigantic and intelligent Hanuman, son of the wind-god, killed Dhumraksha, with his horses, chariot and charioteer. On seeing the supreme rakshasa Dhumraksha killed, reassurance returned to the monkeys and they attacked and killed the soldiers. Thus slaughtered by the powerful and victorious monkeys, the rakshasas lost their resolution and fled towards Lanka in fear. The shattered remnants of the stalkers of the night retreated
and returned to the city. On returning, they told King Ravana everything that had transpired.

‘“On hearing that Prahasta and the mighty archer Dhumraksha, together with their soldiers, had been killed in battle by the bulls among monkeys, Ravana sighed deeply and arose from his excellent seat. He said, ‘The time has come for Kumbhakarna to act.’ Saying this, he used many musical instruments, loud in their sounds, to awaken Kumbhakarna from his deep and prolonged sleep. He awoke him with a great deal of effort. When Kumbhakarna was no longer asleep and was comfortably seated, Dashagriva, the lord of the rakshasas, spoke these words to him. ‘O Kumbhakarna! You are fortunate that you can sleep in this way. You do not know of the terrible and great fear that has arisen. Rama, with his monkeys, has crossed the ocean over a bridge. Ignoring all of us, he is engaged in a great slaughter. I have abducted his wife, Sita Janaki. So as to recover her, he had a bridge constructed over the great ocean. He has killed Prahasta and many of our relatives. O destroyer of enemies! No one other than you is capable of killing him. O supreme among strong ones! March out now. O tormentor of enemies! Kill Rama and all the others in battle. Accompanied by a large army, Dushana’s younger brothers, Vajravega and Pramathi, will follow you.’ Having thus spoken to the mighty Kumbhakarna, the lord of the rakshasas gave instructions to Vajravega and Pramathi about what they should do. Those two brave ones, Dushana’s younger brothers, agreed to Ravana’s instructions. With Kumbhakarna at the forefront, they marched out from the city.”’