February 25 - Sargas 15 and 16 of Uttara Kanda.
Ravana's attack on Kubera's troops ends in Kubera's comprehensive defeat. Ravana takes away the Pushpaka Vimana as his war trophy.
While roaming in Pushpaka, Ravana is stopped by Nandi and not allowed to disturb Lord Shiva in Kailasa. Ravana wants to teach Shiva a lesson and lifts Kailasa mountain itself, but Shiva severely punishes him, but later gives him boons.
***
Kubera, finding his yaksha troops decimated, asks his military chief Manibhadra to go and defeat Ravana and his team.
रावणं जहि यक्षेन्द्र शरणं भव वीराणां यक्षाणाम् - "Oh yaksha chief Manibhadra, go and defeat Ravana and protect the brave yakshas."
Manibhadra leads a strong yaksha army to fight against Ravana and his associates. They all fight with an indefatigable spirit, much to the astonishment of the gods and rishis assembled to witness the encounter.
But soon, Prahasta, Mahodara, and Mareecha, by resorting to rakshasa tricks of magic and illusionism, kill all the yakshas. Manibhadra confronts Dhumraksha and strikes him down senseless with his gada. Seeing this, Ravana is enraged and attacks Manibhadra. Manibhadra strikes Ravana with three Shaktis. Ravana is unfazed and instead strikes Manibhadra on his crown diadem so hard that it gets fixed at a tilt forever.
Manibhadra runs away from the battle.
Now Kubera himself enters the fray with his gada. He has with him the supervisory deities of wealth he rules over, called Shankha and Padma.
***
Kubera now sternly addressed Ravana:
"Oh, evil-minded Dashagriva! You have ignored my warnings to straighten your conduct. You will later reap the fruits of your evil deeds much like someone experiences the ill-effects of poison consumed after some time. What you consider your rightful action will never meet with approval by the gods."
मातरं पितरं विप्रमाचार्यं चावमन्यते स पश्यति फलं तस्य प्रेतराजवशं गतः
"One who had insulted his mother, father, a sage, and a teacher will find out the fruit of his evil conduct in the afterlife under the regime of the god of dispensation."
"Ravana, know that life in this body is always temporary. The results of one's actions will unfold later."
तस्माद्धर्मं सुखार्थाय कुर्यात्पापं विसर्जयेत् "Therefore, in the interest of your own well-being, adhere to Dharma and give up your sinful ways."
"In this world, prosperity, beauty, power, glory, and progeny, all accrue only to one adhering to Dharma."
"It is a wise saying that one should not persist in giving advice to the evil-minded. So I shall stop now."
Kubera now struck the rakshasa associates of Ravana and drove them away. Then he struck Ravana on his crown with his gada but Ravana was not affected.
A terrific battle ensued now between Kubera and Ravana. Neither tired nor lost focus.
Kubera launched Agneyastra at Ravana. Ravana countered it with Varunastra. Then Ravana suddenly resorted to rakshasa tricks of magic and illusionism and appeared in several animal forms and even like a yaksha. Kubera could not fight him anymore. Eventually, Ravana was invisible and struck Kubera with a massive gada on his head. Kubera, bleeding copiously, fell down like a tree cut at its roots.
Ravana was triumphant that he had defeated Kubera. He took hold of the incomparable Pushpaka Vimana, which was a palatial city itself with perennial fruit-and flower-laden trees and decorations and the most luxurious arrangements for travel anywhere at will at the speed of thought in all the three worlds, and he celebrated this with his rakshasa chiefs as they all took off merrily.
***
I must pause here and tell you a little bit about Kubera. Although he was the leader of yakshas and had ruled over rakshasas in Lanka, he was a godlike personality. In the Bhagavadgita, Bhagavan Krishna says that he is Kubera among yakshas and rakshasas. Kubera was blessed by Brahma and his own father. He continues to be the god of wealth and one of the Lokapalas.
Kubera was also old enough to be Ravana's uncle. But never did Ravana have any filial regard or even commonly good sense in dealing with Kubera. Unless we understand this, we will not be able to assess the enormity of Ravana's evil. Ravana typifies the "Might is Right" attitude.
***
The great sage Agastya continued his narrative to Sri Rama.
***
Ravana was looking glorious, attired in the best way with garlands and ornaments, and making merry on the Pushpaka Vimana along with his associates. He directed Pushpaka to fly over Kailasa.
Suddenly, Pushpaka stalled and refused to move. Ravana was perplexed and angry. He might have even exclaimed, "What is this, made in China, is it?" while banging his fist on the flight control dashboard.
Mareecha was intelligent and reasoned, "Lord, this cannot be a machine malfunction. There must be a good reason for this. Perhaps Pushpaka takes directions only from Kubera. "
Just then Nandishwara, the devoted lieutenant and vehicle of Lord Shiva, appeared there. Like all Shiva ganas, Nandi had a weird appearance, a red dwarfish body, and a strange bald head and short limbs. But he seemed to be very powerful in spite of this. He addressed Ravana:
"Oh, Dashagriva! Go away! This is Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva and he is currently engaged in his pastimes. Nobody, no god or anyone, is allowed to come here now."
Ravana jumped down in rage from Pushpaka.
कोऽयं शङ्कर इतयुक्त्वा शैलमूलमुपागतः "Who is this fellow you call Shankara!?" Saying this, Ravana went to the foot of Kailasa.
Suddenly Ravana saw Nandi by the side of Lord Shiva, effulgent like Lord Shiva himself. This time Nandi had a monkey-like face. Ravana burst out in a ridiculing laugh at Nandi. He continued to laugh at Nandi, who should be regarded as Shiva's alter ego. Now Nandi spoke:
यस्माद्वानररूपं मामवज्ञाय दशानन उत्पत्स्यन्ति वधार्थं हि कुलस्य तव वानराः
"Oh, Dashanana! You laugh so loudly making fun of my face of a vanara. Hear now my curse on you. Vanaras will come and bring about your death and the destruction of your entire lineage!"
"Vanaras, mountainous in size and incomparable in strength and speed, will attack and destroy you with everything that you value- your people, your wealth, your pride, and your very life."
"Know, Dashagriva, that I am not killing you because your death has already been secured and made certain by your own misdeeds!"
Just then there were oracular benedictions from the heavens and a shower of flowers to herald Nandi's trenchant prophesy.
***
Ravana ignored Nandi and now addressed Shiva. "Look, Pashupati! Your mountain has impeded my Pushpaka in its course. I shall therefore uproot your mountain itself!"
तोलयामास तं शीघ्रं स शैलः अकम्पत "As Ravana lifted the mountain, it rocked and quaked a bit."
Lord Shiva's ganas were frightened. Devi Parvati herself was shaken and clung to Lord Shiva.
महादेवो देवानां प्रवरो हरः पादाङ्गुष्ठेन तं शैलं पीडयामास लीलया "Lord Shiva, foremost among all gods, then simply pressed his big toe on the mountain and held it down with almost no effort."
Ravana was now pinned down with his shoulders stuck under Kailasa and crushed into immobility.
Ravana was ashamed, enraged, and in terrible distress. His ministers were astonished how easily Shiva had pinned Ravana down.
मुक्तो विरावः सहसा त्रैलोक्यं एन कम्पितम्
"Then a most terrible roar of distress rose from Ravana such that it shook the three worlds."
That roar spelt the end of the world to his ministers. Even Indra and other gods were frozen in their tracks by that terrible roar. The oceans and mountains were in distress. Ravana's ministers shouted to him in a plea, "Oh Lord! It is clear that you have to at once pray to Lord Shiva and propitiate him. We see no other course for you. "
कृपालुः शङ्करः तुष्टः प्रसादं ते विधास्यति "Oh, King! We have heard that Lord Shiva is most compassionate and easily pleased. If he is pleased with your prayer, he will grace you and bless you."
Dashagriva took his ministers' advice and started praying fervently to Lord Shiva, with Samaveda and other chants. संवत्सरः सहस्रन्तु रुदतो रक्षसो गतम् "A hundred years passed with the rakshasa king occupied with his wailing and prayer."
Lord Shankara Shiva was at last mollified. He released Dashagriva's shoulders from their vice-like crush.
"Oh Dashagriva! I am pleased with your valour and determination.
शैलाक्रान्तेन यो मुक्तस्त्वया रावः सुदारुणः
यस्माद् लोकत्रयं चैतद्रावितं भयमागतम् ।
तस्मात्त्वं रावणो नाम नाम्ना राजन् भविष्यसि ॥
"Oh, King! That terrific roar of pain (raava) you let out on being crushed under the mountain indeed shook the three worlds and terrified all. Therefore I pronounce that henceforth you shall be known as Ravana."
"All the gods and yakshas and humans will narrate how your roar distressed all creatures in the three worlds."
So that is the genesis of the name Ravana for Dashagriva, the rakshasa son of Paulastya Vishravas and grandson of Sumali!
Lord Shiva told Ravana that he was now free and could travel anywhere freely.
Ravana was also clever and seized the moment. "Oh, Lord Shiva! If you are pleased with me please grant me a boon."
"Oh, Lord! I have received the boon from Lord Brahma that I cannot be killed by gods, or yakshas, or other beings, except humans, whom I consider trivial. He has granted me long life. Please give me the boon that nothing comes in the way of my living out my full span of life without any modifications or impediments that may be attempted by anyone. Also, be gracious and give me a mighty weapon!"
Ever the compassionate god that Lord Shiva was, he said, 'Tathastu! Let it be so! And here is a mighty sword, Chandrahasa, for you!" Lord Shiva warned that that sword shall never be slighted or mistreated by Ravana, in which case it would at once come back to Lord Shiva.
Ravana was most delighted with the outcome. He thanked Shiva and left.
***
Ravana later embarked on the conquest of the worlds and defeated every single king, whoever opposed him. Many were killed. Many accepted defeat with docility and survived.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
