March 5 - Sargas 30 and 31 of Uttara Kanda.
Lord Brahma cajoles Meghanada conferring on him the title of Indrajit to release Indra in exchange for a new boon that he demands.
Indra is reminded by Brahma that he was captured because he had lost his powers after his episode with Ahalya and Sage Gautama's curse. Now Indra is advised to absolve himself by performing the Vaishnava Yajna.
Sage Agastya also describes Ravana's travel to Narmada and his worship of the golden Shivalinga.
***
All the gods, with Lord Brahma in the lead, descended on Lanka in order to secure Indra's release.
वत्स तुष्टोऽस्मि पुत्रस्य तव संयुगे। अहोऽस्य विक्रमौदार्यं तव तुल्योऽधिकोऽपि वा ॥
जितं हि भवता सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं स्वेन तेजसा। अयं च पु्त्रो जगतीन्द्रजिदित्येव परिख्यातो भविष्यति ॥
Lord Brahma spoke with affection to Ravana, "Son (indeed he is Brahma's great-grandson), I am immensely pleased with your son's display in battle. He deserves rich encomiums for his prowess as well as magnanimity. In fact, I think he is either your equal or even superior in battle! Happy that you have won by your might the three worlds as you set out to do. I proclaim that henceforth Meghanada will be renowned as Indrajit in the three worlds!"
किं चास्य मोक्षणार्थाय प्रयच्छन्तु दिवौकसः "Ravana, these gods have come to secure Indra's release. What do you expect in return, please?"
Indrajit came forward and spoke now. "Lord, if at all you want me to let go of Indra, I demand immortality as a boon in return."
Brahma assumed his most reasonable and pleasing voice as he replied.
नाऽस्ति सर्वामरत्वं हि कस्यचित्पराणिनो भुवि । पक्षिणश्चतुष्पदो वा भूतानां वा महौजसाम् ॥
"Child, know that on this earth, no creature enjoys total immortality - either birds, or quadrupeds, or any other creatures, even the most gifted and powerful humans."
Indrajit now came up with an elaborate alternative.
"Oh, Lord! If you really want me to release Indra, I insist on this. Before every battle, I shall propitiate the Fire-god with chants and oblations. Let Agni then give me a chariot as a gift. Let it be ready and yoked with horses. Let it be such that I cannot be killed as long as I am in that chariot! (a kind of bullet-proof, nuclear-safe, vehicle.). This is the minimum I demand!"
"Ok, I shall also concede that if I fall short in my worship and leave for the battle without completing my yajna, I shall become vulnerable. You can see that I am ensuring my immortality by sheer self-effort!"
Lord Brahma simply said, एवमस्तु "Let it be so, I grant you, Indrajit!"
Indra was released and all the gods were relieved as they began their journey back to heaven with him.
Indra had lost his divine radiance and looked like a defeated and weak man. He started thinking how such a dismal fate had befallen him. Brahma saw this and spoke.
"Oh, Amarendra, know that whatever humans I created first were all the same in appearance, language, beauty, age, everything. Then I thought I should create variety by customizing these humans individually. I decided to create a most special human being and created a woman. She embodied the excellence of my creation in beauty and radiance in every limb and aspect of hers. I gave her the name Ahalya. Hala means defect or ugliness. Ahalya means one who has no blemish or feature of ugliness at all in herself."
'Indra, I was now thinking who indeed would be worthy of being her husband!? I took Ahalya and entrusted her to the sage Gautama. Sage Gautama returned Ahalya to me after a long time. Realizing Gautama's supreme control over his senses and purity in not violating Ahalya, I decided he would indeed be the best husband for her and Ahalya became his wife."
"The gods were all disappointed that Ahalya was given away to Sage Gautama. Especially your own anger, Indra, knew no limit. You went straight to Gautama's ashrama and saw that "beauty on fire" called Ahalya. You molested Ahalya, unable to control your lust. Just then Gautama returned and knew what had happened. He cursed you such that now, in this battle with Meghanada, you had to suffer imprisonment by your enemy!"
"Gautama also cursed you that every act of molestation by any man in the world would attract sin, half of which shall accrue to you, as the original molestor!"
"He also cursed that the position of Indra would not be permanent for anyone lest he misuse his status. He also cursed Ahalya to remain invisible and miserable and destitute around his ashrama. He also told her that henceforth many women will inherit her kind of beauty which should bring down her pride.
"Ahalya begged, saying that she had been misled by Indra who had assumed Sage Gautama's appearance. Then the sage relented and said she would be released from the curse but she would have to languish in her misery for very long until Lord Mahavishnu himself as Ikshwaku Vardhana Sri Rama came there and gave her darshan along with Sage Vishwamitra, which would be when she would be released."
***
Lord Indra was now advised sternly by Lord Brahma that he should absolve himself at once by performing Vaishnava Yajna with purity and perfect adherence. Indra complied.
Also, Indra was most distressed about the disappearance of his son Jayanta. Lord Brahma, understanding this, now gave him the good news that Jayanta was in the interim not dead but indeed safe in his maternal grandfather Puloma's home under the sea. He had returned and Indra would see him presently.
Sage Agastya thus concluded his narration of the genesis of Ravana and Meghanada Indrajit; and how Indrajit became as formidable as he was.
***
Sri Rama now muses aloud and asks Sage Agastya: " Oh, Sage! I wonder how the people everywhere survived the atrocities of Ravana. Was there no king who could challenge him? Or was the entire lot of Kshatriyas enervated and witless? " Sage Agastya gave a mighty laugh to hear this query.
Then Sage Agastya spoke, Sage Valmiki says, with as much affection and sincerity as what Lord Brahma himself would speak with when he answered Lord Shiva.
"Yes, Sri Rama, Ravana was on the rampage. At one time he came to Mahishmati, the kingdom of Arjuna (different from the one in Mahabharata!). Arjuna had received the grace of Lord Agni who always dwelt in his sacred fire. On the day when Ravana arrived, King Arjuna, whose kingdom was named Haihaya, had gone to sport in the Narmada river with his queens."
Ravana sternly announced to Arjuna's ministers there that he had come to offer a battle to Arjuna. The ministers said the king was not at present there and had gone elsewhere. Ravana then went to Vindhyas. Sage Valmiki says that the Vindhyas had many loft peaks covered with white clouds and looked like the snowclad Himalayas. They were home to great forests and wild animals including many lions. There were many cold streams running down the mountains with a sound that made it appear that the mountains were laughing in celebration, attracting many celestials to come and sport there.
Ravana went to the bank of the mighty Narmada that flowed westward to the ocean. It was summer and many wild beasts had come to drink water. The elephants would romp around and muddy the river.
Valmiki the poet cannot stop himself in comparing Narmada to a beautiful damsel of grace and power, wearing ornaments in the form of greenery on her banks. This description is colourful and fills some shlokas.
Ravana went and dipped himself in the river. He felt great as he emerged and sat down with his lieutenants. He started comparing Narmada to Ganga and how happy she made him feel. He also boasted, "See, the sun is directly overhead, come here to heat up the earth. But he is so afraid of me that he has become cool like the moon! Even Vayu is blowing gently in order not to upset me. You folks are great in battle and you must all be very tired after so much fighting, with wounds and bloodstains on yourselves. Go and bathe in the cool Narmada!" The chaps were happy to do so.
The rakshasas entered the water as also Ravana's mighty elephants who all sported, stirring up the river like the Diggajas of the quarters.
Ravana now wanted also to worship Shiva. The rakshasas brought plenty of lovely flowers for Ravana's puja. Ravana went again for a ceremonial bath and emerged, chanting holy mantras. He wore a white cloth and proceeded majestically, with everyone in tow. He had carried a beautiful gold Lingam. He worshipped Shiva Lingam with sandal paste and lovely flowers.
ततः सतामार्तिहरं परं वरं वरप्रदं चन्द्रमयूखभूषणम् ।
समर्चयित्वा च निशाचरो जगौ प्रसार्य हस्तान् प्रणनर्त जाग्रतः ॥
"That supreme Lord Shiva, who removes the distress of good people, gives boons, and is adorned with the rays of the moon in his crest, was worshipped by Ravana, who now started dancing in joy, spreading his arms and singing lustily."
***
॥ शदरीरामजयम् ॥
