March 2 - Sargas 25 and 26 of Uttara Kanda.
Ravana is happy to know that in his absence, Meghanada has been performing severe yajnas and has won several boons.
Despite Vibhishana's stern advice against grabbing and molesting others' women, Ravana sees Rambha and sexually abuses her. Her husband gives him a terrible curse.
***
After settling the future of Shurpanakha and despatching his army with Khara to Dandaka, Ravana proceeded with his retinue to the Nikumbhila forest.
ददर्श विष्टितं यज्ञं श्रिया संप्रज्वलन्निव
Arriving there, Ravana saw several yajna pillars and altars of worship. He saw Meghanada in a fierce state of yajna worship, with hair in a tuft, clad in deerskin and holding a kamandalu. He embraced his son very warmly and asked what was going on. Since Meghanada was observing a vow of silence, the priest, none other than the great sage Shukracharya himself, came forward and gave excellent news.
यज्ञास्ते सप्त पुत्रेण प्राप्तास्ते बहुविस्तराः
अग्निष्टोमोऽश्वमेधश्च यज्ञो बहुसुवर्णकः राजसूयस्तथा यज्ञो गोमेधो वैष्णवस्तथा ।
माहेश्वरे प्रवृत्ते तु यज्ञे पुंभिः सुदुर्लभे वरांस्ते लब्धवान् पुत्रः साक्षात्पशुपतेरिह ॥
"King Ravana, your worthy son here has performed seven great sacrifices - Agnistoma, Ashvamedha, Bahusuvarnaka, Rajasuya, Gomedha and Vaishnava being the first six. When he took up the last one, Maheshvara yajna, Lord Shiva came personally, even before the yajna was completed, graced the sacrifice and has given bountiful boons to Meghanada!"
Meghanada had received a divine chariot, which could travel aerially, had learnt as a boon the science of Tamasi, which would allow him to cast a spell of total darkness whenever he desired. It also enabled him to become invisible to all creatures including gods and demons, and therefore they could not locate him nor counter his attack.
Lord Shiva also gave him a pair of inexhaustible quivers and a tremendous bow. He also gave him divine weapons. Today was the last day of the yajna and Meghanada was waiting for his father to return.
Ravana had a somewhat surprising response to Sage Shukracharya's report. "Son, how could you propitiate my enemies like Indra and other gods!? Anyway I am happy with your success as it will help us in our conquest."
As they were all dispersing, Vibhishana saw hordes of beautiful women who had been abducted by Ravana spilling out of the Pushpaka in distress, which was clearly evident. He understood at once why they had all been loaded up into Pushpaka. He said,
"Oh, King, what you have done is against all Dharma. How could you kill the protectors of these women and bring them as captives of yours? Don't you know that this cruelty to women is a very grave sin and will incur great punishment and grief for all? In fact, now I begin to understand why that rakshasa Madhu came here during your absence and abducted the young cousin of ours, Kumbhinasi (granddaughter of Malyavan) and fled away. At that time, I was doing tapas immersed in the ocean and Kumbhakarna was fast asleep.
Madhu's act must have been the immediate fruit of your own misdeed. Also, I must say we did not act violently and go after killing Madhu since Kumbhinasi was also of marriageable age and such an abduction may not be contestable in some situations."
Ravana could not stomach the insult of Kumbhinasi's abduction. He marshalled his forces including Meghanada and Kumbhakarna and proceeded to Madhu's kingdom. Vibhishana stayed back to take care of Lanka.
When Kumbhinasi met Ravana who was eager to kill her new husband King Madhu, she pleaded that she was happy with Madhu and Ravana should not kill him. Ravana relented. He asked that Madhu in turn also join them in their attack on the kingdom of the gods.
***
They all made rapid progress and arrived at Kailasa, the kingdom of Kubera. Ravana asked the army to camp there overnight.
That evening, Ravana found the scenery and the effects of the salubrious time of sunset most enchanting. It provoked his most amorous tendencies. Valmiki describes how many different flowers were in bloom and what fragrances wafted towards Ravana.
Just then, the celestial beauty, the foremost of apsaras, Rambha, passed that way. Valmiki leaves no detail in describing her ornaments, her garlands, her physical attributes and the effect she had on Ravana.
Ravana was besotted and rushed and grabbed Rambha's hand. Rambha remonstrated emphatically that indeed, she was already betrothed to Nalakubara, the son of Kubera. Since Ravana was Kubera's brother, Rambha was almost a daughter i.e. daughter in law to Ravana and he should only protect her and not lust after her.
***
विख्यातस्त्रिषु लोकेषु नलकूबर इत्ययम् ।
धर्मतो यो भवेद्विप्रः क्षत्रियो वीर्यतो भवेत् ॥
क्रोधाद्यश्च भवेदग्निः क्ष्यान्त्या च वसुधासमः ।
तस्यास्मि कृतसङ्केता लोकपालसुतस्य वै ॥
Rambha describes to Ravana.
"Oh sir, I am betrothed to the worthy son of Lokapala Kubera, who goes by the name of Nalakubara. He is a rishi in righteousness and spiritual powers, he is a great kshatriya in military valour, he is like a conflagration when he gets angry. Otherwise, he is like the mother earth in forgiveness. He is well known in the three worlds. Therefore please let me go at once."
Ravana has no thought for such a rival. He at once pushes Rambha on to a rock and rapes her.
***
Soon, Rambha was in a terrible condition, dishevelled, badly hurt, and crying piteously, when she reached Nalakubara. He was very surprised that Rambha whom he was expecting in a totally different condition for their rendezvous came in this state. Between sobs, Rambha narrated all that had happened. Nalakubara also used his spiritual power to visualize what had happened.
He could not forgive Ravana. He poured water into his palm, propitiated it, and pronounced a great and incontrovertible curse on Ravana.
अकामा तेन यस्मात्त्वं बलाद्भद्रे प्रधर्षिता । तस्मात्स युवतीमन्यां नाकामामुपयास्यति।
यदा ह्यकामां कामार्तो धर्षयिष्यति योषिताम्। मूर्धा तु सप्तधा तस्य शकलीभविता तदा॥
"Oh, Rambha, seeing that you were forced upon by Ravana despite your declining him, Ravana has committed the gravest sin. I hereby curse him that in the event that he ever again forces himself on another woman, despite her unwillingness and resistance, his head shall split in seven pieces at once and be blown into bits."
Ravana heard of this curse and was terrified. He henceforth desisted from actually raping any woman. This came, as Valmiki says, as great news in the three worlds to all women endangered by Ravana.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
