December 8 - Sarga 22 of Yuddha Kanda.Sri Rama's action brings out the lord of the ocean in full regal splendour. He apologises and explains that he cannot transgress the rules of nature and will find a way for Sri Rama and the army to cross over. Sri Rama has set the Bramhastra to his bow which cannot go in vain. On the recommendation of the lord of the ocean, he releases it into a northern territory that needs cleansing of evil men and their practices. That land is then rejuvenated by Sri Rama's benediction into great splendour.When Samudraraja (lord of the ocean) reveals that the vanara chief Nala is, in fact, the son of the celestial architect Vishwakarma himself and he will find a way to build a bridge over the sea, Nala comes forward and leads the construction of the Rama Setu by all the vanaras with much enthusiasm and energy. The bridge is soon ready and the army crosses over.***अथोवाच रघुश्रेष्ठः सागरं दारुणं वचः । अद्य त्वां शोषयिष्यामि सपातालं महार्णव ॥मत्कार्मुकविसृष्टेन शरवर्षेण सागर ....परं तीरं गमिष्यन्ति पद्भिरेव प्लवङ्गमाः ....जानासि पौरुषं नापि विक्रमम् "Then Sri Rama addressed to the unresponsive ocean lord these terrible words - "I shall now dry you up, oh proud ocean, along with all your denizens down to patala, by the rain of arrows from my bow. These vanaras will then be able to walk across to the other shore, of Lanka. You have no idea of my might nor of my valour."ब्राह्मेणास्त्रेण संयोज्य ब्रह्मदण्डनिभं शरम् ।संयोज्य धनुषि श्रेष्ठे विचकर्ष महाबलः ॥ तस्मिन् विकृष्टे सहसा राघवेण शरासने । रोदसी सम्पफालेव पर्वताश्च चकम्पिरे ॥"Then Sri Rama set to his mighty bow the Brahmastra itself which looked like the Brahmadanda (infallible sceptre of Lord Brahma) and pulled the string to release the deadliest of arrows. At that very moment, the skies and earth shook with a terrible noise along with the mountains as if they were being rent asunder."Darkness spread everywhere. Rivers and lakes were turbulent. It appeared that the sun and the moon and stars started tottering. Claps of thunder, meteors were witnessed. Severe winds uprooted trees and carried them as ramrods to break mountain rocks. The ocean rose up several miles into the sky. All this did not deter Sri Rama, hell-bent on releasing the Brahmastra.ततो मध्यात् समुद्रस्य सागरः स्वयमुत्थितः उदयाद्रि महाशैलान्मेरोरिव दिवाकरः - "Then from that ocean in spate rose up the lord of the ocean himself, like the radiant sun would rise on the Meru mountain."The lord of the ocean was heralded by serpents with raised hoods that shone brilliantly, he was luminous like precious gems and wore lustrous golden ornaments. Wearing red garlands and red cloth, with eyes like lotuses in bloom, a crown of flowers, he looked like the lord of Himalayas. He wore a resplendent pendant that recalled the Kaustubha adorning Vishnu's chest (that had once emerged from the milky ocean during its churning). All holy rivers like Ganga and Sindhu were with him. अब्रवीत् प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यं राघवं शरपाणिनम् - "Bowing down to Sri Rama who was holding the Brahmastra ready for release from his bow, the lord spoke-"पृथिवीवायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्च राघव ।स्वभावे सौम्य तिष्ठन्ति शाश्वतं मार्गमाश्रिताः ॥तत्स्वभावो मयाप्येष यदगाधोऽहमप्लवः ।विकारस्तु भवेद् गाध एतत् ते प्रवदाम्यहम् ॥न कामान्न च लोभाद् वा न भयात् पार्थिवात्मज ।ग्राहनक्रकुलजलं स्तम्भयेयं कथञ्चन ॥"Oh son of the emperor, Sri Rama! The earth, wind, ether, water, and fire always rest in their natural state, following the timeless rule of creation. I am likewise, with my expansiveness and unconquerable depth. I shall indeed tell you how to cross over this depth. "In any case, please know that I shall never allow anyone to transgress me, with my world of sea creatures, either out of greed or rage or fear. "विधास्ये येन गन्तासि ... हरीणां तरणे राम करिष्यामि यथा स्थलम् - "However, Sri Rama, I shall tell you how you will be able to cross over me, and I will assist your large vanara army to cross over, too."Then Sri Rama, somewhat satisfied, looked at the Brahmastra ready in his hand to be launched. He told the ocean lord, अमोघोऽयं महाबाणः कस्मिन् देशे निपात्यताम् "Oh lord, this arrow in my hand cannot remain without being shot. Please, therefore, point to me where I may direct it."The lord of the ocean responded, " Just as you are famous all over the world, there is a famed region to the north called Dhruvyakula. At present, that region is infested by evil people of terrible practices. They are given to all vices like theft and drinking. They are polluting me by constant touch. Please release your arrow to destroy that populace." Sri Rama complied at once.The targetted region was at once reduced to a total desert. Mother earth screamed in pain. The waters sprang from the depths of rasatala. That spot where the arrow hit became a giant lake and looked like the ocean itself. The region, later called Marukantara, was then given a great blessing by Sri Rama, that she would become habitable for all animals, become disease-free, be resplendent with vegetation of all varieties, be a source of juicy, oily, milky produce, and सुगन्धिर्विविधौषधिः - replete with fragrances and medicinal plants. That was how that region turned out to be in future.***Then the lord of the oceans came to the germane point.अयं सौम्य नलो नाम तनयो विश्वकर्मणः ।पित्रा दत्तवरः श्रीमान् प्रीतिमान् विश्वकर्मणः ॥ एष सेतुं महोत्साहः करोतु मयि वानरः ।तमहं धारयिष्यामि तथा ह्येष पिता तथा ॥"Oh, Sri Rama, here in your vanara army is Nala, who is actually the son of the celestial architect Vishwakarma! Being his dear son, Vishwakarma has conferred on him the celestial powers of architecture. He shall build a bridge over me with my full cooperation. He is full of enthusiasm and can accomplish this task as well as his father."Saying this, the ocean lord disappeared. Soon, Nala came to Sri Rama. "Yes, Lord Sri Rama, the ocean lord spoke the truth. I shall be able to build the bridge!"दण्ड एव वरो लोके पुरुषस्येति मेमतिः ।धिक् क्षमामकृतज्ञेषु सान्त्वं दानमथापि वा ॥"Sri Rama, in my opinion, an ungrateful one should only be punished, not forgiven nor consoled nor reasoned with. After all, this ocean had been greatly served by your ancestors. He appeared only when you used your might to punish him. I also think he wanted to see how the bridge will be built. Rest assured I shall do so. Long back, Lord Vishwakarma had blessed my mother that her son, with his seed, would be his equal. I am therefore as capable. But I had forgotten my powers till the ocean lord spoke. I also did not want to speak out of turn about myself thus far. I shall organize the vanaras to commence building the bridge today itself."***What follows is a grand description by sage Valmiki of the frenetic activity that ensued after Sri Rama ordered that the bridge shall be built. The mighty vanaras went everywhere and brought large trees of dozens of varieties (all listed) with their solid trunks and stout branches in what was an impressive display of their unimaginable prowess (that was once foretold by Lord Brahma himself when Mahavishnu deigned to take birth as Sri Rama - see Balakanda). It was a mind-boggling sight to see how fast how many massive trees arrived as building blocks. They were matched by huge boulders too. The trees and boulders were being systematically deposited directly into the ocean that then burst up in loud splashes all the time. The vanaras did not want to lose time, so uprooted entire trees with roots and all and flew in to deposit them in the ocean. They even devised, as Valmiki says, machines and devices that made transportation and deposition faster and easier. One set of vanaras held along a hundred yojana long rope as a guide. Wave after wave of materials arrived and was deposited. There was much organization in the effort, with some vanaras measuring the depths of various spots, others coordinating the movements, and so on. Some vanaras brought grasses and leafy branches to be used as fillers. Many of those tree bits had flowers too, making the whole sight very colourful. Thus did the vanaras complete fourteen yojanas of the bridge under Nala's direction on the very first day. The next days saw 20, 21, and 22 yojanas being added to the bridge. On the fifth day, the vanaras reached Suvela mountain with 23 yojanas being added. Thus was completed a bridge that stretched 14+20+21+22+23=100 yojanas in just five days! Jai Shri Ram! Jai vanara chief Nala!***Valmiki cannot stop himself from comparing that glorious, beautiful, incredible 100 yojana bridge to the path of the Swati star. Gods and celestials had of course come to witness this miracle of endeavour. Thus was created a bridge ten yojanas wide and a hundred yojanas long in five days flat.Many sea creatures came to witness this curious phenomenon. In the very process of building, a large part of the vanara forces already reached Lanka's shore.Valmiki wants to help us imagine how that bridge looked from the sky.अशोभत माहान् सेतुः सीमन्त इव सागरे - "The bridge on the sea looked like the parting of hair on a beautiful woman's head."***As soon as the bridge was ready, holding his mace, the future king Vibhishana took his four lieutenants and went to the Lanka end, to guard the bridge against being vandalized by the rakshasas of Lanka. King Sugriva went to Sri Rama and reported, "Dear lord, please mount on the shoulders of Hanuman, let Lakshmana climb on to Angada. Let them carry you ahead, and if need be, transport you aerially across to Lanka. "Thus, soon, Sri Rama, Lakshmana, and Sugriva led the immeasurably large army of vanaras and bears over the sacred Rama Setu, one hundred yojanas long, to Lanka.There was great enthusiasm and energy among the forces, with many vanaras taking the aerial route, many swimming rapidly, while many others marched in an orderly fashion to Lanka. There was a huge, tumultuous noise all the time. Once the army had crossed over, Sugriva chose a suitably large piece of ground for all the vanaras to encamp, making sure that the ocean tide would not bother them.Valmiki concludes that this phenomenon was watched with bated breath by all siddha purushas (ascetics with special powers), rishis, and gods, who then bathed in the ocean waters that had been sanctified by the great benefactor, Sri Rama, and his wonderful army.***॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥ PS: In the extant version of Valmiki Ramayana, there is no reference to Rameshwaram, or Sri Rama worshipping Lord Shiva! From all my readings and understanding of Hindu traditions, this episode must have been simply lost in the scripts passed down over centuries.I want to make up by adding here the wonderful song, "Ramanatham Bhajeham" of Sri. Muthuswami Diskhitar sung by Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi that narrates that incident.
