January 21- Sargas 91 and 92 of Yuddha Kanda.
Lakshmana, triumphant but badly injured, manages to make his way to where Sri Rama is. Sri Rama expresses great love and appreciation for Lakshmana. Sushena cures Lakshmana and others of their injuries.
Ravana is uncontrollably sad and angry that Indrajit has been killed. He decides to go and kill Sita with his mighty sword.
The worst is averted in the nick of time by his wise minister.
***
रुधिरक्लिन्नगात्रस्तु लक्ष्मणः शुभलक्षणः -"Drenched in blood and hurt all over was the auspiciously endowed Lakshmana"...
जाम्बवन्तं च हनूमन्तं च संनिपत्य - "Leaning and supporting himself with difficulty on Jambavan and Hanuman"...Lakshmana made his way towards where Sri Rama and Sugriva were seated. He was surrounded by the triumphant vanara army shouting victory slogans and Vibhishana was also with him.
Just as once Mahavishnu in the form of Vamana (the younger brother of Indra) went to Indra after completing the mission of his amsha-avatara, Lakshmana approached his elder brother with affectionate respect.
Vibhishana announced how Indrajit had been slain after a great battle by Lakshmana. Hearing all the details, Sri Rama expressed great joy.
साधु लक्ष्मण तुष्टोऽस्मि.... जितमित्युपधारय! "Oh, Lakshmana! You have accomplished a great breakthrough. I am indeed glad. Now take it that the war is as good as won."
उपवेश्य तमुत्सङ्गे परिष्वज्यावपीडितम् - "Sri Rama placed the injured Lakshmana in his own lap and embraced him most affectionately."
Lakshmana even blushed in shyness to receive such generous and open appreciation from Sri Rama.
विभीषणहनूमद्भ्यां कृतं कर्म महद्रणे ।
अहो रात्रैस्त्रिभिर्वीरः कथञ्चिद् विनिपातितः ।
निरमित्रः कृतोऽस्म्यद्य निर्यास्यति हि रावणः ॥
Sri Rama said, "King Vibhishana and hero Hanuman have also performed great deeds of prowess in this battle that has lasted a whole three nights and three days! Your success is so significant that I have been rid of my enemy for sure. You shall see soon how Ravana himself now makes his exit from this world."
Sri Rama now called the vanara chief Sushena, who was an expert in medicine and treatments, to kindly administer treatment to Lakshmana who had been badly injured, with many arrows still embedded in his body. So also, he requested that the others including Vibhishana receive treatment, especially the vanara chiefs.
Sushena was glad to use his expertise and as soon as he made Lakshmana inhale some herbs, all his wounds were healed, the embedded arrows dropped away, the injuries disappeared and he was fully restored! Similarly, others too were tended by Sushena, who received much gratitude from Sri Rama.
***
Ravana's ministers visited the battleground and made sure that Indrajit had been slain. They now went with great distress to break the news to Ravana.
Ravana lost his consciousness on hearing of what had happened. When he regained it, he was lamenting terribly, calling out to his dearest son. "How indeed, oh son, you who have conquered Indra himself before, how did you succumb to Lakshmana!?"
भिन्द्याः कालान्तकावपि - "Dearest Indrajit! You had torn down even Yama and Time before! You had pulverized mountains. Then how come Lakshmana survived!? It appears, by taking your life, Yama has shown how he is more powerful than me."
यः कृते हन्यते भर्तुः स पुमान् स्वर्गमृच्छति - "Oh hero! Know for certain that the one who gives up his life battling for the sake of his King will surely go to the highest heaven. That is where you would have gone now. "
Ravana now remarks the same way as the celestials had cried from heavens when Indrajit died, "Oh! I can see how all the rishis and the chiefs of the eight directions will all henceforth sleep peacefully, now that Indrajit, their great enemy, has been eliminated."
Loud laments came from within Ravana's women's quarters. Ravana cried how Indrajit had forsaken him, the queen who was Indrajit's mother, as well as Indrajit's wife. Ravana grieved how Indrajit, who should, in the normal course of life, have performed Ravana's last rites, would now get his own last rites performed by Ravana.
Ravana announced in a roar to all his chiefs, "Hear, you all! I have boons from Lord Brahma. I have an impenetrable armour shield given to me from him. I have an infallible bow and arrows given also by Lord Brahma. When I now go to battle and attack Lakshmana and Rama, who can face me or withstand my attack!? I am going to give a taste of what I am to our enemy!"
Suddenly, Ravana was possessed by an uncontrollable rage towards Sita. Picking up his massive sword, he announced that he would go and kill her. He was blazing like Rudra in his most angry state. Gnashing his teeth, and shedding burning tears of sorrow, he stomped his way towards Ashoka Vana, as the women and ministers crouched from his path, much frightened.
"Indrajit once slayed an illusory image of Sita on the battlefield to frighten and scatter the enemy. Now I shall actually kill Sita. I shall hurt Rama in a most effective way, I will kill Sita who is still loyal to him."
Valmiki says that Ravana rushed towards where Sita was like an evil planet goes to engulf the Rohini star and separate her from her lord, the moon.
मैथिली ददर्श राक्षसं कृद्धं निस्त्रिंशवरधारिणम् ।
यथाऽयं मामभिक्रुद्धः समभिद्रवति स्वयम् ।
वधिष्यति सनाथां मामनाथामिव दुर्मतिः ॥
बहुशश्चोदयामास भार्या मम भवस्वेति प्रत्याख्यातो ध्रुवं मया ।
व्यक्तं नैराश्यमागतः मां हन्तुमुद्यतः अथवा तौ नरव्याघ्रौ मन्निमित्तमनार्येण समरेऽद्य निपातितौ ।
Sita saw an uncontrollably furious Ravana approach her with a mighty sword raised in his hand.
"Alas, Ravana is coming to kill me! He is going to kill me like an abandoned woman would be when I am still having my supreme lord Sri Rama! In how many ways did this Ravana importune me to become his wife! But I turned him down inviolably and incontrovertibly. That must have provoked him to act like this. His disappointment is writ large on his face. Or perhaps....forbid the thought, but perhaps Sri Rama and Lakshmana have been slain in battle by Ravana! All on my account.... oh what a tragedy!"
"
"Or perhaps Ravana has failed to kill Sri Rama and Lakshmana and is showing his frustration like this!?"
"Or, is Ravana avenging his son's death in this way?"
"Oh, if only I had listened to Hanuman the other day and sat on his back and returned to Sri Rama quickly and surely!"
Sita laments uncontrollably within herself, thinking of Queen Kaulsaya and how she will end her life after coming to know Sri Rama is dead. Kausalya will recall Sri Rama's pastimes from his childhood till his banishment and grieve so much...She will not survive this tragedy.
Sita also roundly curses Manthara who had schemed and cruelly arranged to deport Sri Rama to the forest, precipitating this situation now.
Just then a wise minister by the name of Suparshva approached Ravana and got his attention.
"Oh Lord! You are Ravana, The supreme hero among rakshasas, the undisputed lord of the three worlds, an actual brother of Kubera himself! You have learnt the Vedas, performed so many austerities! How can you bring yourself to perform a despicable act of killing a helpless woman in your captivity!? That is surely out of character with your great history. Instead, you should launch an all-out assault on Rama and Lakshmana along with us all great warriors, Victory will be certainly yours, knowing your divine weapons and your unconquerable prowess. Then you will see Sita willingly come to you!
"Today is the chaturdashi of the dark phase. Tomorrow is New Moon. Thereafter your stars will favour you and victory will surely be yours."
Ravana was persuaded by the wisdom in Suparshva's words. He walked away from Sita and went to his royal court.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
