Indrajit quickly understood Rāma’s strategy. The master of illusions placed before him an illusory Sītā and pretended to kill her before his enemies’ eyes. As an enraged Hanūmān rushed at him, he noticed Sītā in Indrajit’s chariot. She looked sorrowful and her face was pale because of fasting; the lady, Rāma’s beloved, wore but a single piece of garment which was unwashed and worn out. Hanūmān observed her for a moment and concluded that she was certainly Maithilī and shed tears. To rescue the helpless woman, Hanūmān rushed towards Indrajit, but then, right before the vānara’s eyes, the rākṣasa struck Sītā. The woman he had conjured with his power of illusion cried out, ‘Rāma! Rāma!’ Hanūmān screamed at the rākṣasa, “Evil wretch! You have invited your destruction by seizing the noble lady by her braid. Though you are born to a family of brahmarṣis, you were conceived by a rākṣasī. You are ignoble, a criminal! How has Maithilī wronged you for you to kill her? You will soon lose your life!”
Indrajit delcared, “You say women are not to be killed, but well, one must do whatever causes pain to one’s enemies. Once I kill her, I will kill Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa in no time!” With these words, Indrajit slew the wailing, illusory Sītā with his sword. He then roared with a sense of victory and withdrew to the safety of his army. The vānaras who heard his laughter of victory fled in all directions, dejected with themselves. Hanūmān, however, encouraged the vānaras to attack Indrajit and his charioteer. Once they had amply subdued his army, Hanūmān headed to inform Rāma of the slaying of Sītā.
Indrajit went back to the adhiṣṭhāna of Nikumbhilā eager to offer havis to Agni in the yajña-bhūmi. He offered blood as oblations to Agni and the fierce fire blazed up like the Sun at twilight. He performed the yajña even as the rākṣasas watched with devotion.
Hanūmān rushed to Rāma and in great sorrow, informed him of the slaying of Sītā. Rāma was devastated and fell to the ground like a tree which is chopped off at its roots. The vānaras rushed from all directions and tried to douse him with fragrant water. Lakṣmaṇa grieving deeply, took Rāma in his arms and said, “Since dharma has failed to protect you, it is truly pointless. Since we cannot perceive dharma in the way we can comprehend static and dynamic objects, I conclude that dharma does not exist. Otherwise, a person of your quality would not have undergone this amount of suffering. It seems to me that the adhārmic ones are happy and the dhārmic ones suffer torments from time to time – the concepts of dharma and adharma are meaningless. Or if we are to understand that vidhi – fate decides the course of our lives, then only vidhi should be tainted by an evil act and not the person himself. It looks like dharma is weak and impotent and should be ignored. Or, if dharma constitutes speaking the truth, why didn’t you imprison our father, who was both dishonest and cruel towards you? A man, I think, should act just as it pleases him in all situations. You relinquished dharma the day you gave up your throne. All dhārmic activities are rooted in artha – material wealth. When a man is stripped of his wealth, he cannot perform any dhārmic activities just like rivulets cannot flow in summer. A rich person who possesses friends and kinsmen is considered learned. Only a rich man is endowed with the finest qualities. I don’t understand what led you take the decision of relinquishing your kingdom. A poor person can never fulfil his desires. Those who wander about practising dharma lose everything valuable in the world. Just see, you lost your wife when you were living in exile, adhering to your father’s word. Nevertheless, I will end the great suffering caused to you by Indrajit. Arise, Rāghava! I will reduce Laṅkā to ashes!”
While Lakṣmaṇa was trying to console Rāma, Vibhīṣaṇa, who had gone to station the troops at their appropriate posts, came back with his four valiant aides. As soon as he learned the reason behind Rāma’s despair, he said, “What Hanūmān told you out of agony is as preposterous as the drying up of the ocean. Trust me, I know the evil plans of the rākṣasas for Sītā. Rāvaṇa will never think of murdering her. Though I begged him in various ways to return Vaidehī to you, he wouldn’t listen. After deluding the vānaras, Indrajit has returned to the adhiṣṭhāna of Nikumbhilā. If he returns to the battlefield after performing his yajña, he will be unassailable even to the devas. He has currently tricked the vānaras; you must please stop this baseless grieving. Seeing you racked with grief, your entire army becomes despondent. You may remain here to compose yourself and gather your strength. Send Lakṣmaṇa with our army; he can put an end to Indrajit’s yajña using his sharp arrows; only then, the rākṣasa can be killed. Let us not delay the killing of our enemy!”
Rāghava, who was racked with grief could not fully comprehend Vibhīṣaṇa’s advice. Upon his request, Vibhīṣaṇa reiterated his suggestion. He said, “It has been ordained that Indrajit will be slain if his enemy were to strike him before he reaches the adhiṣṭhāna of Nikumbhilā and completes the offering of havis to Agni. Rāma! Therefore, depute Lakṣmaṇa to kill Indrajit. Once he is slain, consider Rāvaṇa and his men as good as dead.” Pleased with Vibhīṣaṇa’s words, Rāma instructed Lakṣmaṇa to march to vanquish Indrajit.
Acting as per Vibhīṣaṇa’s advice, Lakṣmaṇa and the army of vānaras devoured the rākṣasa army. When Indrajit, who was performing his ritual, learned that his army was demoralized and afflicted by the enemy, rose up even as his ritual was incomplete. He emerged from the shadow of the trees, mounted his chariot, and rushed to the battlefield. In the meantime, Hanūmān unleashed a dreadful attack on Indrajit’s army. Enraged, Indrajit charged upon the best of vānaras. Noticing this, Vibhīṣaṇa instructed Lakṣmaṇa to quickly act and to slay Rāvaṇi – Indrajit immediately. Vibhīṣaṇa led Lakṣmaṇa to a vast grove and pointed at the place where Indrajit usually performed his rituals. Pointing towards a huge and scary banyan tree that resembled a storm cloud, Vibhīṣaṇa said, “Only after offering upahāra to bhūtas at this spot, the mighty son of Rāvaṇa goes forth to battle. He becomes invisible to all creatures and gets the power to bind and slay his enemies. You must slaughter the son of Rāvaṇa before he returns to this banyan tree!”
Lakṣmaṇa took his stance at the spot and twanged his splendid bow. Indrajit appeared there in his flame-coloured chariot, donning his armour and wielding a sword. Lakṣmaṇa challenged him to a duel. Looking at Vibhīṣaṇa, Indrajit spoke these harsh words, “You were born here and my father’s younger brother. How then, O rākṣasa, do you betray me, your son? You are cruel and have no affection or loyalty to your kind. How can one compare a life with one’s kinsmen to despicable servitude to one’s enemy? Even if the enemy is dhārmic, one should stay with one’s kinfolk, even if it is devoid of all virtu!”
Vibhīṣaṇa said, “Why do you denigrate me, rākṣasa? You know my character well! Though born in the lineage of the savage rākṣasas, I am different from the men of my kind. I share the best qualities of virtuous men. I derive no pleasure out of cruelty and performing deeds that are against dharma; otherwise, why would I have rejected my brother, who is of a radically different nature? Three grievous deeds lead to a person’s ruin – theft of another’s property, raping another’s wife, and distrust of one’s friends. I have abandoned my brother because of his misdeeds, arrogance, unremitting hostility, and perversity. You are an arrogant and crooked whelp, Indrajit! You may insult me the way you wish, but you are bound by the noose of Kāla. You cannot return to the banyan tree now!”
Lakṣmaṇa and Indrajit got on to a one-on-one duel. Indrajit pierced Lakṣmaṇa with seven arrows, Hanūmān with ten, and Vibhīṣaṇa with one hundred. But the valorous younger brother of Rāma shrugged the arrows away with a smile and showered the foe with a hailstorm of arrows. He smashed Indrajit’s armour and wounded the rākṣasa with innumerable arrows. The two men shot arrows at each other; the arrows struck their bodies only to emerge smeared with blood and plunged into the ground. As the battle raged, Vibhīṣaṇa came to the forefront to give some respite to Lakṣmaṇa from the fatigue of combat. Vibhīṣaṇa motivated the vānaras by saying, “Indrajit is the only one, other than Rāvaṇa, who remains to be slain. You have managed to slay the most powerful rākṣasas. You have swum across the ocean with your bare hands and now you only need to hop across a puddle. While it is not right for me to kill a person who is like my son, I put aside all my compassion for him for Rāma’s sake. Although I would like to kill him, tears cloud my vision. Thus, let Lakṣmaṇa kill him! Vānaras, support him!”
Lakṣmaṇa and Indrajit continued to shoot arrows at each other; the sky was completely covered with swarms of arrows and nothing could be seen. Saumitri pierced the four black, gold-ornamented horses of Indrajit with his arrows. He severed the head of the charioteer with another arrow. Vānaras landed on the four horses and blood gushed visibly from the mouths of the horses, killing them. The powerful vānaras smashed Indrajit’s chariot and came back to Lakṣmaṇa’s side. As the duel raged, Lakṣmaṇa finally shot the aindrāstra at Indrajit and it severed the rākṣasa’s majestic head. Rāvaṇa’s son collapsed instantly onto the ground. Vibhīṣaṇa raised a cry of celebration and all terrestrial and celestial beings rejoiced at the death of Indrajit. Indra was himself delighted upon the death of the rākṣasa as well. Vānaras embraced each other and chattered in delight about Lakṣmaṇa’s valour. They beat their tails on the ground and clapped their hands.
The warriors led by Lakṣmaṇa reported to Rāma their glorious deed. Upon Rāma’s instruction, Suṣeṇa gave Lakṣmaṇa a powerful healing herb and the moment he smelled its fragrance, the wounds caused by arrows were healed. Suṣeṇa also treated the wounded vānaras as well as Vibhīṣaṇa and restored their health. Rāma praised Lakṣmaṇa again and again for his glorious feat.
~
As his men reported to Rāvaṇa that his son was slain, the lord of rākṣasas fell into a deep stupor. He lamented for his son and from his furious eyes fell teardrops like flaming drops of oil from blazing lamps. The gnashing of his teeth sounded as if it were from a yantra being rotated by the dānavas. As he cast his glance in different directions, rākṣasas hid from him out of fear; they did not dare to come near him. Rāvaṇa pledged to kill Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa; he even resolved to slay Sītā. To his men, he said, “A while ago, my beloved son, displayed to my foes an apparition of a murdered woman claiming it to be the dead Sītā. I will now make his illusion a reality. I shall murder Vaidehī, who is dedicated to that false kṣatriya!” He picked up his blazing sword and rushed towards Maithilī. Although his close comrades who cared for his welfare tried to restrain him, Rāvaṇa stormed forth to the aśoka-vana.
Looking at him from a distance, Sītā was terrified. She said to herself, “From the way he is racing towards me, I am sure he is overcome with rage or passion. Because I have rejected him multiple times, he has given up all hope of winning me. Or perhaps, he has already killed Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. I am foolish for not having paid heed to Hanūmān’s advice. If only I had returned mounting his back, I would now be happy in my husband’s lap. Kausalyā, who has but one son, will be heartbroken when she hears that Rāma is dead. She will enter the funeral pyre or drown herself in water. Thanks to the crooked hunchback, Mantharā’s scheming, Kausalyā is going to end her life.”
A wise rākṣasa named Supārśva saw Sītā lamenting and advised Rāvaṇa against slaying her. He encouraged him to enter the battlefield to slay Rāma and win Maithilī. For once, Rāvaṇa paid heed to the advice and returned to his residence.
The king of rākṣasas returned to his assembly hall and sat on his throne, despondent and angry like a lion. He commanded his men to attack Rāma, isolate him and slay him. He declared that if his men were not able to accomplish the task, he would kill Rāma the following day as the whole world watched the glorious deed.
As the rākṣasa army entered the battlefield, the vānaras vanquished them in no time. Rāma unleashed a hail of arrows and the rākṣasas witnessed his feats only after he had accomplished them. He was so swift that the rākṣasas could hardly notice him. Rāma befuddled them using the gāndharvāstra; they could hardly see him even though he was reducing their army to ashes. Sometimes, the rākṣasas saw a thousand Rāmas while at other times, they saw a single Kākutstha. Sometimes they only saw his bow and at other times, Rāma appeared like a spinning wheel to them. Having thus vanquished innumerable rākṣasas, Rāma told a spell-bound Sugrīva, “Only Śiva and I possess the knowledge of these divine weapons.”
To be continued...
[The critically constituted text and the critical edition published by the Oriental Institute, Vadodara is the primary source. In addition, the Kannada rendering of the epic by Mahāmahopādhyāya Sri. N. Ranganatha Sharma and the English translation by Sri. N. Raghunathan have been referred.]
