February 20 - Sargas 5 and 6 of Uttara Kanda.
The rakshasa clan begins to show its true colours by tormenting all creation. As advised by Lord Shiva, all the gods and rishis rush to Lord Vishnu and appeal for his protection and relief.
A huge battle begins between Lord Vishnu and the immensely powerful and large rakshasa army.
***
There was a gandharva by the name of Gramani who was as full of powers as Vishravas himself. He saw how Sukesha had won name and fame in the three worlds, and offered him his daughter Devavati's hand in marriage. Being a second goddess Lakshmi as it were in her beauty and qualities, Devavati made Sukesha, already rich and famous by Lord Shiva's boons, very happy. He felt like a great tusker would, sporting happily in the company of a good she-elephant.
Soon they had three sons, each radiant like the sacred fire, tri-agni trio called Garhapatya, Avahaniya, and Dakshinagni (every home has symbolically 3 fires, one for cooking and so on, one for sacred rituals and worship, the third is the fire used during crematory rites). Their names were Malyavan, Sumali, and Mali.
The three brothers turned out to be quite a package. Valmiki says they excelled in physical prowess, leadership as well as the determination to get what they wanted. He compares them to three deadly diseases caused by imbalance in Vata, Kapha and Pitta!
He says they waxed like a deadly disease untreated. They decided to emulate their father and undertook severe penances to win boons. Their tapas was frightening for all creation.
They stuck to the tenets of asceticism dutifully and could not be denied the rewards which Lord Brahma finally came down to give them.
The boons they asked for and got!?
अजेयाः शत्रुहन्तारस्तथैव चिरजीविनः । प्रभविष्टो भवामेति परस्परमनुव्रताः ॥
"May we be unconquerable, and vanquish every enemy. Let us live forever/very long, be always powerful, and be bound together in filial affection."
***
Soon the three brothers terrorized the three worlds. They went to Vishwakarma and coerced him to build them a heavenly abode like Indra's. Vishwakarma created Lanka, the glorious city on Trikuta and Suvela mountains in the southern ocean.
Soon the three made Lanka a glorious capital full of rakshasas and wreaked their havoc on the three worlds, unhindered and unchallenged.
A gandharva woman Narmada then came to Lanka with her three delightful daughters, who resembled the devis -Hri Sri and Kirti. Marrying them, the three brothers had several sons and daughters, almost all of them being chips of the old block in conduct and attitude to life around. I am not cataloguing all those children as Valmiki has done.
Suffice it to say that the last brother Mali married Vasudha who produced four sons, Anala, Anila, Hara and Sampati. These four later became the ministers and lieutenants of Vibhishana and accompanied him when he left Lanka and went to Sri Rama.
The troubles from this rakshasa clan became unbearable to all gods and rishis and every other creature in the three worlds.
***
भयार्ताः शरणं जग्मुः देवदेवं महेश्वरम् - "The gods and rishis were desperate and approached Lord Shiva for relief from these rakshasas."
The supreme deity, the greatest benefactor, the enemy of lower desires like lust, and the paragon of grace, Lord Shiva, heard their story of woe and how they wanted him to help them by destroying these rakshasas. The rishis described how the rakshasa brothers claimed to be as powerful as Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva and claimed to own all the three worlds.
Then Lord Shiva replied,
अहं तान्न हनिष्यामि ममावध्या हि तेऽसुराः "I am sorry I cannot destroy them, indeed their line belongs to Sukesha whom I have blessed before. But I will tell you who can take care of them."
Lord Shiva told the gods and ascetics that the right person to approach was Lord Mahavishnu.
Saying "Jaya Jaya! ( a kind of Thank You)", the gods and ascetics now rushed to Lord Mahavishnu.
"Oh, great lord! Empowered by the boons that Sukesha had got, the rakshasa lineage has become a terrible menace and we are unable to survive their onslaught unless you help us. Living in Lanka, Malyavan, Sumali, and Mali have unleashed a regime of terror. By destroying them, oh, Lord Mahavishnu, you will be giving the same relief to us as the rising sun who dispels darkness and blinding fog."
तानहं समतिक्रान्तमर्यादान् राक्षसाधमान् ।
निहनिष्यामि संक्रुद्धः सुरा भवत विज्वराः ॥
"Oh, gods and ascetics, I well know how Sukesha got those boons and raised his three sons to become evil and wreak terror over all of you. I shall punish these dregs of rakshasas who have transgressed all limits of permissible conduct. I shall muster such a rage that they will be destroyed, You can therefore give up your feverish despair."
Thanking the lord profusely with an immense sense of relief, the gods and ascetics dispersed.
Meanwhile Malyavan and his brothers came to know the course of events and Vishnu's assurance that he would destroy them.
They at once recalled how starting with Hiranyakashipu, a number of asuras and foes of the gods had been vanquished by Mahavishnu. So they should take some preemptive action. However, they again reminded themselves of their terrific powers, the immutable boons they possessed, and the wealth and prosperity they had accumulated systematically. In other words, they really had nothing to fear. The brothers felt confident that Vishnu or Shiva or Brahma or Yama would be no big adversaries for them. Also, they felt Vishnu felt really no animosity for them and he had been simply instigated by the gods. So better to go at once and attack the gods and destroy them forever, in which case Vishnu would be freed from his obligation! What a logic!
Valmiki describes how the three brothers led an attack on the gods with a huge contingent of rakshasas from Lanka riding on a variety of animals and vehicles.
Valmiki now resorts to his usual penchant for listing all the evil omens that the rakshasas encountered. This list is much bigger than what we read in Yuddha Kanda! Suffice it to say that anyone with the eyes to see and a mind to notice would have been highly discouraged by the clear signs of imminent death. But not our three brothers!
Lord Mahavishnu now noticed the onward march of these rakshasas. He also made himself ready.
स सज्जायुधतूणीरो वैनतेयोपरि स्थितः आसाद्य कवचं दिव्यं सहस्रार्कसमद्युतिः
शङ्खचक्रगदाशार्ङ्गखड्गांश्चैव वरायुधान् सुपर्णं गिरिसङ्काशं वैनतेयमथास्थितः
"Mahavishnu got ready by wearing a divine armour, and dazzled like a thousand suns as he picked up his Shankha, Chakra, gada, sword, bow, and arrows in the quiver. Mahavishnu then mounted the mountain-like huge Vainateya Garuda, his carrier."
The sages and celestials pronounced auspicious benedictions as Mahavishnu advanced. The mere flutter of Garuda's wings frightened the rakshasa army. They shivered in fright and looked to run away, dropping their flags and weapons. But the brothers ensured that the raskhasas now attacked Mahavishnu from all sides.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
