December 30 - Shlokas 99 - 146 of Sarga 59 of Yuddha Kanda.
Ravana was sufficiently taunted by Lakshmana to release at him seven arrows with beautiful feathered tails. But Lakshmana nullified them with his own golden-tailed arrows. Ravana was incensed and launched several arrows at Lakshmana. But they were all foiled quickly with Lakshmana's own arrows called Kshura, Ardhachandra, and so on. Ravana was astonished but did not stop.
Now Lakshmana launched his own arrows to kill Ravana. But Ravana not only countered them, but he also shot a brilliant arrow given to him by Brahma, which went and struck Lakshmana on his brow. Lakshmana tottered but recovered quickly to shoot such arrows that they destroyed Ravana's bow itself. Lakshmana shot three deadly arrows now at Ravana. Ravana was hurt and felt disoriented for some time. He was disheartened that his bow was broken and now he had been struck badly. He was bleeding profusely.
Ravana now resorted to a special Shakti weapon bestowed on him by Brahma. When he launched it, it flew towards Lakshmana like a comet of fire. It terrified all the onlooking vanaras.
Lakshmana intercepted that Shakti with his own sharp and targetted arrows. But they could not stop the Shakti from coming and striking him bang in the centre of his chest. He collapsed and his bow slipped from his grasp.
Lakshmana was very powerful but the Shakti floored him, burning him. Ravana rushed to Lakshmana to kill him off. He took the supine Lakshmana's shoulders to lift him up. But Ravana could not move Lakshmana even an inch! The rakshasa king who had lifted mountains like Mandara and Himalaya with gods residing on them could not move Lakshmana's shoulders.
विष्णोरचिन्त्यं स्वं भागम् आत्मानं प्रत्यनुस्मरत्
Lakshmana meanwhile recollected that he was himself born of a small part of Mahavishnu, the supreme god of gods. He was able to use his spiritual strength to pull himself together and hold on to life, despite the power of Brahma's Shakti. Valmiki says that Lakshmana realized that Ravana could not move his shoulders even an inch because of this fact.
Seeing Ravana attempting to hurt a prone Lakshmana even more, Hanuman was enraged. He rushed and gave Ravana a powerful blow with his diamond-strong fist वज्रकल्पेन मुष्टिना।
Ravana tottered, fell to his knees, and collapsed. Blood came out of his ears and mouth and eyes too. He barely managed to stagger to his chariot and sit down. He was shaking uncontrollably and lost his consciousness for a while,
The gods and rishis celebrated Hanuman's prowess.
Hanuman decided to attend to Lakshmana who was still lying flat on the ground. He gingerly picked him up and took him to where Sri Rama was. Valmiki says that Lakshmana could be carried by Hanuman easily only because of his own sattvic power of devotion to Sri Rama.
The Shakti now left Lakshmana and returned to its original place in Ravana's arsenal on his chariot.
Ravana had recovered. He picked up a new bow and started shooting arrows at the vanara army. Lakshmana also recovered fully, invoking the divine atomic presence of Mahavishnu in himself.
Sri Rama now decided to attack Ravana. Hanuman approached him deferentially and said,
मम पृष्ठं समारुह्य राक्षसं शास्तुमर्हसि ।
विष्णुर्यथा गरुत्मन्तमारुह्यामरवैरिणम् ॥
"Oh, Lord Sri Rama, kindly climb onto my shoulders, Please punish this rakshasa sitting on me just like Sri Mahavishnu punished the enemies of the gods by sitting on his vehicle, lord Garuda!"
Sri Rama immediately climbed onto Hanuman's shoulders and approached Ravana's chariot. Sri Rama looked like Mahavishnu himself.
Sri Rama now twanged his bow and produced an ear-splitting sound like a clap of thunder. Then he spoke in his serene and measured, deep voice:
तिष्ठ तिष्ठ मम त्वं हि कृत्वा विप्रियमीदृशम् ।
क्व नु राक्षसशार्दूल गत्वा मोक्षमवाप्सयसि ॥
यदीन्द्रवैवस्वतभास्करान् च
स्वयम्भुवैश्वानरशङ्करान् वा।
गमिष्यसि त्वं दशधा दिशो वा
तथापि मे नाद्य गतो विमोक्ष्यसे ॥
"Wait! Don't run away, you valiant rakshasa! You have committed such evil acts that the only place left for you to go is certain death. Know that even if you try to get protection from Indra, Yama, Surya, or even Brahma, Agni and Shiva, or run in any of the ten directions as fast as you can, you still cannot escape death at my hands."
"You struck Lakshmana with that Shakti and made him unconscious. I have come to avenge that and will destroy you with your sons and grandsons too."
"Know, Ravana, that the one standing in front of you is the same prince who wielded his glorious weapons and destroyed fourteen thousand rakshasas in Janasthana. "
Ravana was livid and recalled the adversarial relationship that had brought them to this moment. He chose to shoot arrows and hurt Hanuman badly, while he was carrying Sri Rama on his shoulders.
Hanuman bled profusely but did not shirk. He was so radiant in his valour that he redoubled his exertions. Sri Rama did not take kindly to Hanuman's being hurt thus by Ravana.
In one stroke Sri Rama destroyed Ravana's chariot, charioteer, horses, all his weapons, everything in its entirety with hundreds of arrows.
Sri Rama's arrow struck Ravana like Indra's thunderbolt on his chest. But whereas Ravana had not been hurt so much by Indra's vajra itself and sported its scar as a sign of valour, this time he was badly hurt by Sri Rama's arrow and collapsed, his bow slipping from his hand.
Sri Rama realized that Ravana had no response to give. Sri Rama shot a crescent-tipped arrow and broke Ravana's crown. Ravana looked like a faded sun and presented a pitiable sight.
Then Sri Rama addressed Ravana:
कृतं त्वया कर्म महत्सुभीमं हतप्रवीरश्च कृतस्त्वयाहम् ।
तस्मात् परिश्रान्त इति व्यवस्य न त्वां शरैर्मृत्युवशं नयामि ॥
"Oh Ravana, you have fought well today and killed a lot of my vanara warriors. I realize that you are tired and listless now. I shall let you go and not kill you today with my arrows."
"Go back and rest a while and come back with your chariot and your bow. Then you will be fit enough to witness my prowess."
हतदर्पहर्षो शरार्दितो भग्नमहाकिरीटो विवेश लङ्कां सहसा स्म राजा - 'Ravana looked distraught and defeated, he had been struck badly by Sri Rama's arrows, had lost his weapons, his vehicle, his charioteer and even his crown. He quickly went back into Lanka."
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
