February 28 - sargas 21 and 22 of Uttara Kanda.
Ravana's attack on Yamaloka and how Brahma advises Yama to spare Ravana.
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Sage Narada proceeds quickly to Yamaloka. Lord Yama is performing his duties with the sacred fire as the witness, dispensing the due rewards for good and bad deeds of those who have died and arrived in his world.
Yama offers respectful courtesies due to the venerable sage and enquires about the purpose of this visit. Everyone knows this for sure- Narada NEVER visits anyone without a purpose!
Narada says that the indubitable notorious rakshasa Dashagriva Ravana is about to attack Yama. Narada also adds that Yama needs to fear none because he wields the ultimate weapon called Yamadanda! Just then Ravana rises on the horizon like the sun on his Pushpaka.
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Valmiki describes how Ravana got to see the fate of everyone after death, and how each was being meted out whatever was his due in terms of rewards; as well as punishments, most of which were gut-wrenching. I could not help think how it was Ravana's destiny to get a preview of what awaited him later! Valmiki describes that the totally heartless Yamakinkaras were beating, boiling, and cutting those who deserved punishment and many worms were being thrown at them and were eating them!
Many were being pushed into the terrible blood river called Vaitarani. All those being punished were screaming out in terrible distress. By the way this description comes in Puranas and many mystics have validated that such punishments and hell and heaven are as real as this world of the five senses.
Those who deserved heaven by their good deeds were in the best of places with all comforts, luxuries, music and dance. Each one was enjoying a matching reward for his good deeds.
By the way since most people do both good and bad, they will go through both rewards and punishments by turn!
Ravana attacked the Yama attendants and a fierce war raged. The Yamabhatas (attendants) attacked Pushpaka and tore down that magnificent vehicle's finest arrangements and decorations. But since it was blessed by Brahma, the Pushpaka healed and refurbished itself in quick time.
Ravana's lieutenants and soldiers fought the Yama army fiercely. Yama's army was large, with deadly weapons, and was ruthless. The battle was fierce.
Soon, after driving away Ravana's men, the Yamabhatas attacked Ravana fiercely. He was drenched in blood and all his weapons were destroyed. Pushpaka could not protect him.
Ravana was enraged and jumped down and got into the battle in real earnest. He started raining his special weapons and driving away Yama's army. Finally, Ravana launched the Pashupata weapon. It was incomparable in might and spewed fire and destroyed the Yamabhatas' opposition as they all fell away.
Ravana roared such that the three worlds shook and celebrated his victory with his lieutenants and army.
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That roar brought Yama into battle on his great chariot. He had special weapons, and particularly under his command lay on the chariot the Mrityudevata, the ultimate destructive force of death that cannot be resisted by anyone in creation. Yama also had with him the Yamadanda or Kaladanda, which dispenses death.
Seeing Yama's rage, the three worlds shivered in fright. Seeing Yama in his deadly chariot, all Ravana's people fled. But Ravana stood his ground. He started showering Yama with a rain of arrows. But when Yama launched an array of Shaktis, Ravana had no answer and tottered.
Soon the battle renewed between Ravana and Yama. Just then all the gods with Lord Brahma in the lead arrived. What they witnessed appeared to be the battle to end all creation.
Ravana managed to land some really powerful blows and hurt Yama badly. Yama was livid with rage. When he exhaled, fire spewed out, ready to burn everything down. Seeing him thus, Mrityudevata said,
मुञ्च मां समरे यावद्धन्मीमं पापराक्षसम्
"Oh Lord, please launch me, I want to go and kill this sinful rakshasa Ravana at once!"
Mrityudevata described himself as infallible and gave a long list of all the great heroes and even natural elements that were slain by him invariably when launched.
न हि कश्चिन्मया दृष्टो बलवानपि जीवति "However powerful anyone may be, he shall always succumb to me, without fail." Mrityu said this was the natural law and not a boast.
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But Yama said, "Mrityu, leave this to me." He now picked up the Yamadanda. That is the sceptre of death.
The Yamadanda came to life. It was most terrible in demeanour and ready to go and kill Ravana. Seeing Yama raising the Yamadanda, everyone around scattered in terror.
Just then Lord Brahma spoke and intervened.
यो हि मामनृतं कुर्याद्देवो वा मानुषोऽपि वा ।
त्रैलोक्यमनृतं तेन कृतं स्यान्नात्र संशयः ॥
यदि ह्यस्मिन्निपतिते न म्रियतैष राक्षसः ।
म्रियते वा दशग्रीवस्तदाप्युभयतोऽनृतम् ॥
"Stop, please, Lord Yama! Who does not know that your Yamadanda is the final, irresistible weapon of death!? But please realize that I have given this Ravana a boon of long life and no possibility of death from the action of any god. So the order of creation I have made is that Ravana shall not be killed by this weapon. Therefore if you launch it and kill Ravana, it shall prove my boon to be futile and jeopardize the order I have established in the three worlds! No god or human shall be allowed to disturb my order.
"And on the other hand, if my boon protects Ravana from the Yamadanda, then what becomes of your own status and the inviolability of Yamadanda? We cannot allow for the Yamadanda to fail either! This is the classic Catch-22 situation, Lord Yama! Therefore, kindly desist."
Hearing this, Lord Yama said that the situation could only be averted by his immediate disappearance along with his weapons, his powers, his chariot and attendants. So that is what happened instantly.
Ravana, who did not understand what was going on, saw Yama suddenly disappear. Even Narada went away. What remained was for Ravana to roar again in triumph that he had conquered even Yama, as he flew away in his Pushpaka Vimana!
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
