January 25 - Sarga 99 of Yuddha Kanda.
The beginning of the end game. Ravana and Sri Rama engage directly with each other.
***
Ravana is visibly agitated that Mahodara, Mahaparshva, and Virupaksha have all died in battle.
He vows to to his charioteer:
निहतानाममात्यानां रुद्धस्य नगरस्य च।
दःखमेवापनेष्यामि हत्वातौ रामलक्ष्मणौ ॥
"Hear me! I shall avenge the death of my ministers and the siege of Lanka by the enemy, and the consequent grief that we have all been put through, by killing Rama and Lakshmana!"
रामवृक्षं रणे हन्मि सीतापुष्पफलप्रदम् ।
प्रशाखा यस्य सुग्रीवो जाम्बवान् कुमुदो नलः ॥
मैन्दश्च द्विविदश्चैव अङ्गदो गन्धमादनः।
हनूमांश्च सुषेणश्च सर्वे च हरियूथपाः ॥
"I shall cut down the tree called Sri Rama in battle, the tree that gives beautiful flowers and fruits called Sita, whose branches are Sugriva, Jambavan, Kumuda, Nila, Mainda, Dvivida, Angada, Gandhamadana, Hanuman and Sushena, the vanara chiefs!"
The implication is that once the tree is cut, its branches will die. But its fruits and flowers are ready for plucking. In other words, Sri Rama's death will destroy the enemy and give Ravana the bounty of Sita. This statement is an eloquent description of Ravana's mindset!
***
Ravana drove in his chariot with a terrific rumble towards Sri Rama. The noise scared all creatures as well as the earth, and Ravana launched an astra called Tamasa that killed and burnt vanaras in large numbers.
Sri Rama was ready for battle. Lakshmana was by his side. Ravana was confronting the two, who looked like Indra and Vishnu (younger brother Upendra) when confronted by Vrittrasura (Ravana here). Valmiki says that Rahu (the evil planet that causes eclipses in our Puranic stories) seemed to be approaching the Sun and the Moon.
Valmiki describes now Sri Rama in Ravana's eyes- Sri Rama held the mighty bow that seemed to be a lightning streak in the sky. His broad shoulders and long arms showed him to be a formidable archer.
As Sri Rama twanged his bowstring, there was such a terrific sound that, when combined with Ravana's arrows shooting off with a hiss, had an overall effect that was most scarifying for all around.
Lakshmana engaged Ravana with powerful arrows which were all easily annulled by Ravana. He passed Lakshmana and went directly to Sri Rama.
There was a hail of arrows from Ravana. Sri Rama used arrows called bhallas and countered all of them.
चेरतुश्च चिरं चित्रं मण्डलं सव्यदक्षिणम् ।
बाणवेगात् समुत्क्षिप्तावन्योन्यमपराजितौ ॥
"The two glorious warriors, Sri Rama and Ravana, moved in circular patterns clockwise and anticlockwise, shooting deadly arrows at each other with such speed and dexterity that neither seemed to be conquerable in battle."
The skies darkened with their incessant fusillade of arrows.
Ravana, whose name literally means "one who makes others cry", shot arrows now directly at Sri Rama's forehead. They went and stuck into his head, but Sri Rama was unmindful of them. He invoked and launched the Raudrastra which went and pierced Ravana's chest armour but ineffectually. Now Sri Rama shot fierce arrows that went and struck Ravana on his head. The arrows mimicked hissing serpents as they went down after striking Ravana.
Ravana now launched a strange astra called Asura, which multiplied into several missiles with heads of wild animals like tiger, lion, snake and so on. Sri Rama replied with Agneyastra, which multiplied and took the form of fire, sun, moon, comet, star, fire column, and so on. Eventhough the Asurastra was taking its toll of the vanaras, it was no match for the Agneyastra from Sri Rama and was soon destroyed. This caused a roar of delight and victory from the vanaras and indeed Sri Rama himself appeared very pleased.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
