January 27 - Sarga 102 of Yuddha Kanda.
Sri Rama resumes the battle, from the chariot sent by Indra.
***
लक्ष्मणेन तु तद्वाक्यं श्रुत्वा स राघवः सन्दधे धनुरादाय वीर्यवान् - "The formidable Raghava picked up his bow to fight, on being convinced by Lakshmana's words of motivation."
Ravana had arrived in a new chariot. He now received a rain of arrows from Sri Rama. He replied in kind. Seeing their fierce battle, the gods, gandharvas, kinnaras, all assembled in the skies to witness the battle, demurred that it was not an equal fight as Sri Rama was standing on the bare ground and facing the ten-headed, twenty-armed Ravana in his splendid chariot. It should be known that fighting from a well-navigated, rapidly moving, well-stocked chariot offers a considerable advantage.
Hearing these murmurs from the gods, Indra, the lord of gods, sent for a celestial chariot, driven by the godly charioteer Matali. He ordered that Matali should go and drive Sri Rama in his chariot. Matali was glad to go at once, with his divine chariot.
रुक्मवेणुध्वजः श्रीमान् देवराजरथो वरः - The gorgeous, ornamented, divine chariot of Indra, carrying a golden fluted flag, with special horses and fortifications, was driven by Matali to where the battle was taking place.
Paying his respects to Sri Rama, Matali offered to drive him in the divine chariot which was also stocked with special weapons - Indra's massive bow, dazzling armour, sun-like arrows, and a most auspicious Shakti weapon, too.
आरुह्येमं रथं वीर राक्षसं जहि रावणम् ।
मया सारथिना देव महेन्द्र इव दानवान् ॥
"Lord Sri Rama, kindly board this divine chariot of Indra, and accept me as your charioteer. Just as Indra vanquished the danavas once from this very chariot, please kill Ravana."
इत्युक्तः संपरिक्रम्य रथं समभिवाद्य च ।
आरुरोह तदा रामो लोकाँल्लक्ष्म्या विराजयन् ॥
Valmiki puns here beautifully. "Having thus been invited, Sri Rama graciously thanked Matali, circumambulated the chariot in obeisance, and climbed on to it, brilliant as the supreme lord and master of the universe and conferring prosperity on all (as Narayana whose consort is Devi Lakshmi herself!)"
Sri Rama countered Ravana's each special weapon with its equal, Gandharva meeting Gandharva, Daiva with Daiva, and so on. Ravana launched in utter rage the Rakshasastra which took the form of most venous serpents attacking Sri Rama in a formation. They looked extremely deadly and seemed to consume the target as they dazzled all the directions. Sri Rama coolly took up the Garutmastra (Garuda) and destroyed them all.
Ravana intensified his attack with more arrows. He now struck Matali himself and hurt him. He cut down the divine flag on the chariot, and injured the horses too.
This dismayed Sri Rama, and his low mood was not received well by all the celestials watching this battle and rooting for his victory. The constellations responded ominously, with Budha ominously closing in on Rohini just as The Rahu called Ravana had covered the Sun called Sri Rama.
The ocean rose in ominous waves almost reaching to the skies. Mars occupied the Vishakha star that was venerated by Ikshwakus as their star.
Ravana meanwhile was looking glorious like the Mainaka peak, with his ten crowned heads, twenty arms, all with weapons held aloft.
स कृत्वा भ्रुकुटि कृद्धः किञ्चित्संरक्तलोचनः ।
जगाम सुमहान्क्रोधं निर्दहन्निव राक्षसान् ॥
"Sri Rama knitted his brows in cataclysmic rage, determined to burn down and exterminate rakshasas. "
The animals and even the mountains responded in fear and awe.
Ravana also felt a strange fear.
नानाप्रहरणैः भीमैः शूरयोः सम्प्रयुद्ध्यतोः "The gods watched in awe the two glorious warriors launching a variety of deadly weapons at each other." While the rakshasas were filling Ravana with spirit, invoking victory to him, the celestials were loudly invoking Sri Rama's victory for universal good.
Ravana now picked up a nemesis of a weapon, called Shula. It was as good as the thunderbolt and spelt universal destruction. It had an elaborate construction and looked like the fire of dissolution.
Roaring mightily, causing much exuberance among rakshasas, causing consernation and foreboding in all creation, Ravana told Sri Rama: "Look, this Vajra-like Shula will now consume you as well as your brother. I will send you to go and join all the rakshasas slain so far in this battle." Ravana launched the Shula at Sri Rama.
The Shula lit up the sky and its bells tinkled loudly. Sri Rama shot many arrows to extinguish the Shula. But the Shula merely consumed all those arrows as it blazed on. Sri Rama was full of anger and consternation. But he did not relent. He now impetuously picked up that Shakti weapon brought by Matali.
सा क्षिप्ता राक्षसेन्द्रस्य तस्मिन् शूले पपात ह।
भिन्नः शक्त्या महान्शूलो निपपात गतद्युतिः ॥
"The divine Shakti brought in Indra's chariot was launched by Sri Rama and proceeded to dash fiercely against that Shula launched by Ravana. Struck by the Shakti, the Shula was broken into bits and fell to earth tamely."
Sri Rama now quickly aimed his arrows at Ravana's horses and hurt them. He struck Ravana's breast with three fierce arrows and Ravana's forehead with three more. Ravana was visibly hurt and was livid, looking at his own condition.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
