January 20 - Sarga 90 of Yuddha Kanda.
The fall of Indrajit.
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Indrajit was not happy having lost his horses and having been stranded on the ground. Seeing how the rakshasas and vanaras were fiercely engaged in battle, Indrajit spoke to his soldiers. "Look, watch out for friend and foe in this dusky air of poor visibility before you strike. I shall quietly go and come back on a chariot."
The rakshasas engaged vanaras such that they did not notice Indrajit's exit from the battlefield. Soon he was back, on a wonderful chariot, with a seasoned charioteer and splendid horses, fully equipped with prasa, khadga, arrows and bows, and so on. He at once attacked Vibhishana and Lakshmana.
Taken by surprise to see how quickly Indrajit had regrouped with reinforcements and a splendid chariot, everyone witnessed as Indrajit bent his bow almost into a circle and shot arrows hurting the enemy army on all sides.
The vanaras rushed to Lakshmana for protection. He quickly tore down Indrajit's bow. He also pierced Indrajit's chest with deadly arrows. Indrajit reeled for a bit, vomiting blood, but soon recovered to take up another bow with arrows. His relentless attack on Lakshmana did not make the latter waver. He responded even more fiercely.
Lakshmana displayed his mastery by striking each rakshasa with three arrows apiece. He also struck Indrajit repeatedly. Indrajit shot a large number of arrows at Lakshmana which he was able to nullify midstream. Meanwhile, Lakshmana killed Indrajit's charioteer. And yet, Indrajit's horses continued to move in a spiralling trajectory and caused wonderment.
Seeing Lakshmana attacking his horses, Indrajit released a flurry of arrows directly aimed at Lakshmana's armour. The armour turned out to be impenetrable and divine. So the arrows all fell away.
Indrajit now aimed at Lakshmana's forehead and embedded three arrows. Lakshmana presented a sight similar to that of a three-peaked florid mountain.
Lakshmana struck Indrajit in his head sporting splendid ear ornaments. विकृष्येन्द्रजितो युद्धे वदने शुभकुण्डले
अन्योन्यं जघ्नुतुर्वीरौ विशिखैर्भीमविक्रमौ कृतभावावुभौजयौ- "The two great warriors injured each other with deadly arrows, each hell-bent on victory."
Suddenly Indrajit shot three arrows at the head of Vibhishana. He also targeted and struck each of the vanara heroes.
Vibhishana was enraged. He went directly with his gada and in a smashing move, killed all the horses that were drawing Indrajit's chariot.
Indrajit leapt down from the chariot and launched a fierce Shakti at his uncle. It would have taken its toll but for timely interception and annulment by Lakshmana. Vibhishana now struck Indrajit with five arrows.
Indrajit was extremely angry with his uncle. He went and picked up a Yamastra. It had been bestowed on him in a dream by Kubera himself. Lakshmana picked up its foil. As they both readied their deadly astras, and drew their bows, there was a screeching sound like the cries of a pair of loud birds. The astras were released simultaneously and after a spectacular show of fireworks, they nullified each other.
Then followed Lakshmana's Varunastra which was countered by Indrajit with Raudrastra. Indrajit's Agneyastra met the same fate from Lakshmana's Suryastra.
Indrajit now chose a magical astra that emerged as an array of deadly weapons that travelled in a formation. Lakshmana resorted to Maheshvarastra which rendered all of them null and void.
There was a huge constellation of different creatures in the sky watching this glorious battle, applauding especially Lakshmana's divine prowess.
Celestials and rishis who had assembled in the heavens now cast a protective ring around Lakshmana.
The time had come. Lakshmana picked up the Aindrastra, unassailable and famed for how it conferred victory on Indra in his decisive battle against asuras. It shone magnificently, structured with golden plumes and a ridged main shaft. It was bound to destroy the enemy. As Lakshmana launched it, he prayed:
शरः श्रेष्ठं धनुः श्रेष्ठे
विकर्षन्निदमब्रवीत्
लक्ष्मीवाँल्लक्ष्मणो वाक्यमर्थसाधकमात्मनः ।
धर्मात्मा सत्यसन्धश्च रामो दाशरथिर्यदि
पौरुषेचाप्रतिद्वन्द्वस्तदैनं जहि रावणिम् ॥
"The most auspiciously virtuous hero Lakshmana, setting that supreme arrow to his exvellent bow, vowed thus, to accomplish his desired objective: "If, indeed, Dasharathi Sri Rama is the embodiment of virtue and righteousness, and if he is unrivalled in his prowess, oh, divine Aindrastra, go and destroy Indrajit!""
Lakshmana drew his bowstring right back to his ear and released the Aindrastra. The weapon directly went and removed Indrajit's head, along with his crown-like protective armour (helmet), and also his shining ear ornaments.
Indrajit's head, bloodied and separated, rolled onto the ground, shining like a blob of gold.
Indrajit's torso slumped, with all its protective armour.
Vibhishana and the vanaras let out a roar of victory. The celestials, and this time also celestial hand-maidens of Indra, the apsaras, all celebrated, rejoicing in the destruction of an enemy of rishis who was now dead so that in future the rishis would eke out their ascetic living in peace.
The rakshasas abandoned their weapons and fled to save themselves from the onslaught of vanaras.
यथास्तङ्गत आदित्ये नावतिष्ठन्ति रश्मयः ।
तथा तस्मिन्निपतिते राक्षसास्ते गता दिशः ॥
"Just as once the sun sets. the ray beams from him cease at once, the rakshasas all scattered and disappeared, with the death of Indrajit."
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
