December 6 - sargas 19 and 20 of Yuddha Kanda.
Sri Rama shows great compassion towards Vibhishana on his surrender. Vibhishana discloses the prowess of Ravana and his great warriors like Indrajit. Sri Rama takes a vow that he will kill Ravana and his team and then only return to Ayodhya. He crowns Vibhishana as the future king of Lanka.
Learning of a huge vanara army about to cross the ocean to Lanka with Sri Rama and Lakshmana, Ravana sends an emissary to Sugriva, saying they are like brothers and Sugriva should return to Kishkindha instead of trying the impossible task of crossing the ocean to Lanka. Sugriva roundly rebuffs Ravana. Sri Rama allows the emissary to return alive to Ravana.
***
On receiving a positive signal, Vibhishana and his four lieutenants descended from the sky.
स तु रामस्य धर्मात्मा निपपात विभीषणः Vibhishana, along with his fellows, fell at Sri Rama's feet. He said, "I am the younger brother of Ravana, I have been roundly insulted by him.
भवन्तं सर्वभूतानां शरण्यं शरणं गतः ।
परित्यक्ता मया लङ्का मित्राणि च धनानि च ॥
भवद्गतं हि मे राज्यं जीवितं च सुखानि च ।
"Sri Rama, As you are the refuge of all creatures, I have come to you for refuge. I have left behind Lanka, my friends, and my wealth. In you alone reside my kingship, my life, and my life's joys of the future."
***
Valmiki now says that Sri Rama consoled Vibhishana and looked him straight in the eye, with boundless compassion. This is the quality of a godly man.
Sri Rama then asked Vibhishana, "please tell me about the military prowess of the rakshasas in Lanka."
Vibhishana narrated how Ravana could not be killed by any creature, including gandharvas, serpents, and birds, by the power of Brahma's boon. He had an immediate younger brother, Kumbhakarna, equal to Indra in prowess. Ravana's commander in chief was Prahasta, who had defeated Manibandha, commander of Kubera in the battle in Kailasa. Ravana's son Indrajit was a terrific archer, wearing special leather covers on his fingers (to allow extended battles), wearing special armour, and would fight battles invisible to foes. He had won his powers by propitiating the god of sacrifice. Vibhishana named others too.
He concluded by saying that there were ten crore fierce rakshasas in Lanka. Ravana had once waged a war with that army against the gods and defeated them.
After hearing Vibhishana, Sri Rama appeared to be in thought for some time.
Then he spoke:
"Vibhishana, I have absorbed all that you have stated about Ravana and his military might.
अहं हत्वा दशग्रीवं सप्रहस्तं सहात्मजम् ।
राजानं त्वां करिष्यामि सत्यमेतच्छ्रुणोतु मे ॥
"Oh Vibhishana, After killing Ravana, along with Prahasta and his own brother, I shall make you the king of Lanka. Know this to be the truth from me. Even if Ravana escapes to Rasatala or Patala (netherworlds) in hiding, or seeks shelter with Lord Brahma himself, he will not be left alive by me."
अहत्वा रावणं सङ्ख्ये सपुत्रजनबान्धवम् ।
अयोध्यां न प्रवेक्ष्यामि त्रिभिर्तैर्भ्रातृभिः शपे ॥
" I take a solemn oath on my three brothers that without killing Ravana, along with his sons, his relatives, and his army, I shall not enter Ayodhya."
Vibhishana did not expect this strength of resolve or commitment or self-assurance in Sri Rama. He was simply overwhelmed. He bowed again to Sri Rama, full of feeling, and spoke:
राक्षसानां वधे साह्यं लङ्कायाश्च प्रधर्षणे ।
करिष्यामि यथाप्राणं प्रवेक्ष्यामि च वाहिनीम् ॥
"Oh, Sri Rama, I also vow that I will assist you in the elimination of rakshasas and in the attack on Lanka. I shall do it with all my life and break into their forces."
Sri Rama seemed fully satisfied. He signalled to Lakshmana to bring the holy water from the ocean. Vibhishana was given the ceremonial bath required before a coronation. In the full presence of all the vanara chiefs, and his lieutenants, Vibhishana was ceremonially anointed by Lakshmana as the future king of Lanka.
All the vanara chiefs were astonished and delighted. They pronounced their concurrence, "Sadhu, sadhu!"
(This is the Sanskrit expression to show respect and appreciation.)
***
Then Sugriva and Hanuman approached Vibhishana. There was much camaraderie and trust. They asked him, "Please suggest a way for us to make this huge vanara army cross this mighty ocean. We want to know from you how to negotiate this mighty empire of Lord Varuna."
Vibhishana responded,
"Have you not known that the lord of the ocean was greatly helped by Emperor Sagara, Sri Rama's famed ancestor? This was when, once, Sagara excavated the earth extensively and helped to extend the ocean's boundaries and depth. The ocean lord is beholden to Sri Rama's dynasty and in a way Sri Rama is a close relative of the lord of the oceans. Sri Rama should supplicate to the lord of the ocean and he will surely assist Sri Rama!"
Sugriva and Hanuman were mightily excited.
King Sugriva took this advice at once to Sri Rama, who was with Lakshmana.
Sri Rama heard the advice. Then he asked, "Lakshmana, I like this advice from Vibhishana!"
सुग्रीवः पण्डितो नित्यं भवान्मन्त्रविचक्षणः ।
उभाभ्यां सम्परधार्यार्थं रोचते यत्तदुच्यताम् ॥
"As always, King Sugriva is a learned man and you, Lakshmana, is an expert strategist. Please confer between yourselves and come up with your final advice."
The two did not take long to respond:
किमर्थं नौ नरव्याघ्र न रोचिष्यते राघव विभीषणेन यत्तूक्तमस्मिन् काले सुखावहम्
"Oh Sri Rama, why would the suggestion from Vibhishana not appeal to us, it is so opportune!"
"After all, there is no other way than eliciting the cooperation of the ocean for our mighty army to cross over to Lanka, in fact this would be so for even Indra and the gods and demons."
अलं कालात्ययं कृत्वा सागरोऽयं नियुज्यताम्
"Enough of delay has happened already. The propitiation of the lord of the ocean should be done at once."
Sri Rama smiled and immediately spread durva grass on the shore, and sat in deep prayer, like someone at the altar of sacrificial fire.
***
Valmiki cuts to Ravana's court. Ravana's spy Shardula has gone and espied the indescribably huge army of Surgiva on the shore, about to cross the ocean. He is breathless as he reports to Ravana that the army is as big as an ocean, and about to breach the ocean. Sri Rama and Lakshmana are two handsome warriors, about to come to Lanka. Ravana should do something - either make peace with Rama by returning Sita, or win over Sugriva, and somehow create a split in the enemy camp.
Ravana loses no time in sending his emissary, another rakshasa called Shuka. He asks him to deliver his peace-making message in a well-worded, sweet voice to Sugriva.
His message to Sugriva is clear:
त्वं वै महाराजकुलप्रसूतो महाबलाश्चैर्क्षरजःसुतश्च ।
न कश्चनार्थस्तव नास्त्यनर्थस्तथापि मे भ्रातृसमो हरीश ॥
अहं यद्यहरं भार्यां राजपुत्रस्य धीमतः ।
किं तत्र तव सुग्रीव किष्किन्धां प्रति गम्यताम् ॥
नहीयं हरिभिर्लङ्का प्राप्तुं शक्या कथञ्चन ।
देवैरपि सगन्धर्वैः किं पुनर्नरवानरैः ॥
"Oh Sugriva, this is from me, Ravana. You are descended in a noble royal lineage and are the son of the great warrior king Riksharaja. Of course, I have done no favour to you before, but nor have I done you any disfavour. That way we are like brothers! How does it, therefore, concern you that I stole the wife of the great prince (Sri Rama!)? Please go away back to Kishkindha with your army.
"Know this for sure. Even for gods and gandharvas, Lanka is unreachable. What to speak of vanaras?"
("Get my message? Don't take up this silly project of trying to cross over. Go back.")
***
Shuka takes off in the form of a parrot, reaches the shore where the vanaras have encamped. He is a bit afraid, so starts addressing Sugriva from the sky itself, and delivers his message.
Even as Sugriva hears him, the vanaras decide to teach this rakshasa a lesson, and capture him by leaping into the sky. They bring him down and beat him up badly, and propose to kill him.
Shuka cries out in utter desperation for Sri Rama, " Oh Rama! Look at your army! They are killing me! I am only an emissary! After all, I have not spoken anything on my own, I am only delivering a message!"
Sri Rama intercedes and asks the vanaras to let go of a badly hurt Shuka. In a croaking voice, Shuka cries to Sugriva, "Sugriva, well, at least give me your answer that I can take to Ravana, please!"
Sugriva speaks to Shuka, asking him to deliver verbatim this message to Ravana:
न मेऽसि मित्रं न तथानुकम्प्यो
"Oh Ravana, you are neither my friend nor worthy of sympathy. You have done no favour to me nor are you in my good books. You are the enemy. I am the avowed ally of Sri Rama. For me, you are as worthy of being killed as Vali."
"I shall personally come with my large army to Lanka, and destroy you with your sons and relatives. We shall set fire to Lanka in its entirety."
"Ravana, know this for sure. You cannot hide from Sri Rama anywhere.
अन्तर्हितः सूर्यपथं गतोऽपि तथैव पातालमनुप्रविष्टः ।
गिरीशपादाम्बुजसङ्गतो वा हतोऽसि रामेण सहानुजस्त्वम् ॥
"Ravana, even if you merge into the path of the sun, or go and hide in the depths of patala, or go and catch the lotus feet of Lord Shiva himself, know that you are as good as dead in Sri Rama's hands, along with your sons. "
"I don't see anyone who can save you. How despicably you killed the aged Jataayu and abducted Sita from the side of Sri Rama and Lakshmana! You don't know at all Sri Rama, of great valour, of great Dharma, who is undefeatable even by gods, who is the one going to kill you."
Shuka wants to leave after his failed mission. But Angada raises an alarm. "This fellow was not in fact an emissary, he was only a spy, and has gathered a lot of information about our forces. Better to kill him right now!" The vanaras again set upon Shuka and his wings are shorn, his body is so badly beaten up that he is about to die. He screams in utter agony and distress,
"Oh Rama! Look at what they have done to me! I won't survive the night! My death is on your head, Rama! Whatever sins I have committed thus far will accrue to you as the price of causing my death! Beware!"
Sri Rama says to the vanaras, "Let him go."
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
