Adhyatma Ramayanam Day 20. Yudhakandham Contd.

Adhyatma Ramayanam Day 20. Yudhakandham Contd.

Audiobook Link - Adhyatma Ramayanam  30.00 m

Ramayanam Kilippaattu Day 20 രാമായണമാസം - ദിവസം  20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h6NVzu7mMQ

Yudhakandham Cond.

Ravana Enters the Battlefield

“I am going to fight directly, there is no point in sending anyone anymore. Those who want can join me in the fight. Bring me the chariot!” Ravana said and jumped onto his golden chariot with a royal umbrella. The chariot was driven by thousand horses, and it was decorated with the best items gathered from around the world. He sat down wearing ten golden crowns and ornaments in the chariot that sped as fast as the air.  In his twenty hands, he wielded different weapons and his movement was like that of a mountain, blue in color, on wheels. Most of the warriors available in Lanka followed him. Rama saw his sons, relatives and ministers, and combat soldiers crowding at the entrance of the Northern gate of the city. He smiled at Vibhishana and signaled him to tell him about the warriors accompanying Ravana. “They all seem to be great warriors. Tell me who they are and what they are capable of.” 

“See that is Kampana, a bright fellow, sitting on the elephant carrying a bow and arrow. The guy who is on the chariot with the insignia of a Lion is Ravana’s son Indrajit. He is a great fighter, and he has previously won over us in the battle. Next is Atikayan, another son of Ravana, wearing bow and arrows, coming on a magnificent chariot. Then there is Mahodaran coming on an elephant, wearing gold and wielding weapons. Vishalan is coming on a horse, carrying a large pestle. Thrisiras is coming on a white bullock carrying a trident, laughing wildly. Then there is Devantaka, another son of Ravana.  Kumbha and Nikumbha are sons of Kumbhakarna, and they are wielding heavy pestles. You can see that Ravana is well prepared with all his best men in the war.”

“I will kill the ten-headed Rakshasa and quench my anger.” Said Rama. Ravana told his men that he alone is enough to fight for now. Ravana came with full force and started killing Vanaras with his arrows and they sought refuge at Rama’s feet. Then Rama took his bow and arrows to fight the Rakshasa. Lakshmana took Rama’s permission and blessings before the most important fight he was going to engage in. “Even Indra will be exhausted if he fights with Ravana,” warned Rama. “They are magicians and they do not follow dharmic ways of warfare. He has Chandrahasa with him, obtained as a blessing of Chandrachooda, the mighty Maheswara. We must think about all aspects before entering into a war with a powerful opponent.” 

When Hanuman saw Ravana sitting on his chariot, he jumped onto it and the Rakshasa got frightened. He raised his right hand and cursed Ravana: “your death will be due to Vanaras because you killed so many sages and noble people. Move away from my path if you dare not face my beating with my bare hand. Remember, I killed your son Akshakumara.” So, saying, Hanuman beat him once and Ravana fell. He got up and told Hanuman: “You are the first one to show up in Lanka and we let you go without killing. Do not take it as our weakness. Let us fight.” 

Ravana beat Hanuman once and that made him fall unconscious. Nila leaped up and reached on top of Ravana and started jumping on each of his ten crowns as if he was dancing. Sage Narada started singing too. Ravana was quick to kill Nila, the son of Agni, using a Fire Arrow. Seeing this, Lakshmana attacked Ravana. They both kept shooting arrows at each other, and the sky got crowded with arrows. No one could see anything. Then Lakshmana cut off Ravana’s bow, and he was upset. He took the spear given by Maya and hurled it at Lakshmana. Lakshmana could not stop it with his arrows, and he fell unconscious.  Ravana tried to lift him from the ground, but he could not. Ravana, in the past, had lifted the Kailas Mountain, but he could move Lakshmana at all. 

Maruti hit Ravana and he fell throwing up blood. Then Hanuman lifted Lakshmana easily and brought him to Rama. The magical spear that hit Lakshmana came back to Ravana and Rama fought Ravana. “Get on my shoulder and kill the demon easily.” Offered Hanuman. Rama accepted his offer and climbed onto hanuman’s shoulder. “Oh! Ravana! I was waiting to see you close by. Today I got that opportunity. I will kill you and all your warriors to protect the three worlds.” Rama shot an arrow at Ravana and Ravana returned an arrow in retort. A fierce fight ensued, and the oceans started shaking wildly.  Ravana shot at Hanuman and that made him fall unconscious. Rama took an arrow and shot it towards Ravana’s chest. Ravana fainted on the deck of his chariot. His bow fell from his hands, losing his grip on it. Seeing that Ravana was weak, Rama destroyed the chariot along with the charioteer, and flag posts, umbrellas, and the golden crowns.  Ravana stood there in anguish. Raman told Ravana: “Looks like you are too tired and upset to fight now. Go home tonight. Go back to your palace, get ready and come tomorrow morning to fight again.” Hearing this Ravana walked fast to his chamber, still afraid. He looked back to check if Rama’s arrow was following him. He reached his palace and spent the night in deep thoughts. Rama used a special concoction of medicines to treat Lakshmana, Sugriva, and Nila, and they were quickly cured of their injuries.

Kumbhakarna’s Words of Dharma

Ravana summarized what is happening in the war to his confidants: “Our power and fame are being depleted day by day. Our warriors are dying in large numbers and our good fortunes seem to subside rapidly. Curses showered on me by Vedha, Nanda Kesha, Vedavati, Rambha, Nalakoobara, Jambhari, Nilimpa, sages such as Kumbha, Siva’s consort Parvati, and other chaste ladies seem to be working out on me now. Their words will never be futile as they were all truthful people of high morals. Is there any way for us to win this battle? Maybe we should ask Kumbhakarna to jump in and fight. His power is unmatched, and he can inflict huge losses on the enemy. Go and wake him up. His schedule of sleeping six months and awake six months a year will be upset if we wake him up now, as he went to sleep only nine days back. We do not have a choice as he is our only hope. Use whatever methods necessary to wake him up. Make noises playing big drums and pipes at his ears. Several thousand warriors should roar together, and several pots of water must be poured into his ears. Get elephants to pull his nose hairs.” Ravana’s men did all these, but Kumbhakarna would not wake up, but after a while, he started moving his body and the Rakshasas ran away petrified. They brought a thousand pots full of alcohol and a thousand pots full of fresh blood along with a mountain of food for his breakfast. He got up and helped himself of these and ate a few live animals for the taste of fresh meat. He was pleased with the treatment and some of the messengers talked to him about Ravana’s need of the hour and he was the last hope for the king to win the battle.

“Ok, I will go and destroy the enemy and make my brother happy.” He decided to join the battle and went to Ravana’s court and told him his resolve. Ravana was relieved and he embraced his brother. “Listen, my dear, the background of this war. In retaliation to Rama, for disfiguring our sister Surppanakha, I abducted Rama’s wife, Sita. I kept her in the garden here and Rama and his monkey warriors have made a dyke to cross the ocean and have come here to fight with us. They killed several mighty warriors such as Prahasta. I fought with them and at one stage they could have killed me in the battle, but they set me free out of pity. I am ashamed of that and that is why I woke you up to kill those humans and Vanaras.” 

Hearing this, Kumbhakarna replied: “I hear you loud and clear. If one does not know how to see the good from the bad, he must listen to wise people when they advise them. If he does not heed to their words, how can there be good happening to him? Our brother Vibhishana pleaded with you to return Sita to Rama, but you did not listen. Instead, you kicked him out of the country! I think that is the beginning of all the decline for you. If you have good advisers who would consider the various aspects of time, four alternatives, and six principles in deliberating on any topics, you will be successful; provided you listen to them. They will analyze the situation strategically considering the prowess of the enemy, and potential for negotiation, etc., before advising on the appropriate actions. But there are other types of ministers who would tell only to please a king and make him happy for a short time. They pretend to be friends but will bring disaster to the king. Even the deadly poison is better than such ministers. Deer get mesmerized by sweet music and stand still to their detriment. Flies get attracted to glittering fire and approach it without thinking about the consequences. Fish get absorbed in the taste of the bait and get caught by the fisherman. Desire is the root cause of all problems in the world. You got obsessed by Sita’s beauty and that is going to be the root cause of the decline of our clan. Disaster will not vanish from the life of one who is swayed by the pull of sensual pleasures. Those who have control over the senses do not fear anything. Some people know what is good and what is bad, but they go after the bad, anyway, because of the latent tendencies from their past life. But people can overcome this urge by heeding the words of wise people. I had already given you, my opinions. No one can stop what is bound to happen but know that Rama is not just human. He is the ultimate truth, Lord Narayana, taken birth as Rama. I had mentioned this to you before, but you did not listen. I happen to see sage Narada when I was living near the Ashram of Nara Narayana. I prostrated at his feet and asked him where he was coming from. I wanted to know the happenings around the world as the sage is a world traveler who sees everything in real-time. Then he told me about the difficulties the world over, Ravana, due to your atrocities. The sage told me that the Devas went to Lord Vishnu requesting his help. But you can be killed only by a human and the Lord decided to take birth as a human being. I am certain that Rama is Lord Vishnu’s incarnation, and we should fear for our life. So, let us take refuge in him. Let us extoll his virtues all the time, mentally and physically, in words and deeds. He is easily pleased by devotion, and we still have time to please him. Devotion is the only way to liberation and without devotion, any work will be futile. Know that Lord Vishnu has taken innumerable incarnations, but the Avatar of Rama is special. Just by chanting Rama’s name, moksha is possible. Even Lord Siva chants Rama’s name. Rama’s name is the boat that can take us across the ocean of samsara. Let us chant his name and seek refuge at his feet. Let us get rid of our bondages of desire and delusion. Wise men of discrimination keep his form in their minds all the time, chant his name and tell his stories in Satsang.  He is bliss personified and let us access that bliss.”

Hearing the wise words of Kumbhakarna, Ravana was outraged. “I did not wake you up to get your sermon! You may go back and continue your sleep happily while your brother is in trouble. You are a smart fellow advising your brother without even thinking that he is your king. I will live the life of a mendicant under your advice when such a time comes. But now if you care, take your weapon and fight for me.” Hearing Ravana, Kumbhakarna decided to fight, thinking that getting killed by Rama is a blessing in disguise. “That way I will be freed of these worldly births and deaths.” 

He jumped up with a roar and got ready to fight. He lifted a huge spear weighing thousand tons and went into combat. Vanaras ran hither and thither seeing this mountain of a Rakshasa charging at them. “He is reaching the sky and he resembles a moving mountain”, exclaimed someone. Seeing him being compassionate to Vibhishana, Rama asked him his background. Vibhishana explained: “This is my elder brother Kumbhakarna. He is very powerful and intelligent. He is a terror to the Devas, but very much interested in his sleep and food. If he did not have these weaknesses, he would be invincible by anyone.”

Vibhishana prostrated at his elder brother’s feet and begged for his mercy and blessings. “When I advised Ravana to return Sita, he kicked me out wielding his sword. I escaped with four of my confidants and sought refuge at Rama’s feet.” Kumbhakarna embraced his brother and told him to continue to serve Rama. He caressed him lovingly and said: “You are a blessed fellow. Serve Rama and live on this earth for a long time. You are destined to protect our clan. I heard from Sage Narada that you are dear to Lord Narayana. Now you go to Rama.” He bid him goodbye.  Vibhishana wept and returned to Rama.

Kumbhakarna started beating up the Vanaras and no one could stop him. He would get hold of several mighty monkeys in one stretch and crush them in no time. Sugriva threw a large mountain at Kumbhakarna, and he took it on his chest easily. Kumbhakarna shot a spear at Sugriva and that fainted him and he fell on the ground. Kumbhakarna walked victoriously and the Vanara ladies started wailing. They treated him with flowers, sandal pastes, and freshwater to wake him up. Suddenly Sugriva got up and fought back more ferociously. He attacked the Rakshasa with his bare hands and injured his nose and ears. He came back to battle with a bloody face and Lakshmana showered him with arrows as if it were a heavy rainfall on a mountain. Kumbhakarna would catch a bunch of Vanaras and put them in his mouth and soon they will find their way out through his ears and nose. He repeated this a few times, and finally decided to leave Lakshmana and fight Rama. Immediately Rama shot his arrow and his right hand fell along with the spear. With his left hand, Kumbhakarna continued the fight admirably, and several thousand Vanaras were sent to Yama’s abode. He picked up a mountain and attacked Rama and it was stopped by Rama using Indra’s arrow.  Then Rama cut off his legs using two arrows that flew in a semicircular path. Then Rama filled the asura’s mouth with several arrows at once and then used a special arrow to cut his head off. Kumbhakarna’s head fell at the gate of the city and the body in the ocean.