Chapter XCII: Section LXLIII

When the counsellors of Pulastya's son, hearing of Indrajit having been slain, speedily conveyed the tidings unto the Ten-necked one, who was ignorant[374] of the same. "O mighty monarch, in our very sight thy exceedingly effulgent son hath been slain by Lakshmana with the help of Bibhishana. And that hero confronted by the (other) hero, hath been vanquished in fight. And the hero, thy son, the conquerer of the celestial chief, hath also been slain by Lakshmana. And having gratified Lakshmana with his shafts, he hath repaired to the supreme regions". Hearing of that mighty terror, _viz._, the rueful and dreadful destruction of his son, Indrajit, in battle, he straightway swooned away. Then regaining his consciousness after a long while, that foremost of Rakshasas--the king--overwhelmed with grief for his son, and distressed, burst into lamentations, with his senses wildered,--thus,--"O foremost in the Rakshasa army! O my child endowed with high might! Having conquered Indra himself, wherefore to-day hast thou come under the sway of Lakshmana? Doubtless, thou enraged could pierce with thy arrows the Destroyer of Time himself, and the summit of Mandara,--what shall I say of Lakshmana in encounter? To-day king Viwacwata hath raised himself immensely in my estimation, for to-day he, O mighty-armed one, hath brought thee under the law of Time. But this is the way of capable warriors as well as celestials. He that layeth down his life for his lord, repaireth to heaven. To-day seeing Indrajit slain, the deities and the guardians of the worlds, and the mighty saints, their fear gone off, shall sleep peacefully. This triple world and this entire earth with her woods, reft of one--Indrajit--appear to me as vacant. To-day shall I hear the cries of the daughters of the Nairitas in my inner apartment, like unto the roars of she-elephants in a mountain-cavern. Renouncing thy state of an heir-apparent, and Lanka and the Rakshas, O subduer of enemies, and thy mother, and me, and thy wife--whither hast thou gone, (leaving) us all? O hero, I having gone to the region of Yama, thou ought to have performed my last rites, but thou standest in a relation the very reverse of this.[375] And Sugriva living and Lakshmana and Raghava, without extracting my dart, whither hast thou gone, leaving us all? And then vising from the disaster that had befallen his son, a mighty wrath overcame the lord of Rakshasas--Ravana, as he was thus indulging in lamentations. And even as in summer, the (Solar) rays flame up the Sun, the destruction of his son flamed up all the fiercer, him, who was naturally irascible. And as he kept yawning in passion, a flaming fire with smoke darted from his mouth, even as it did from the mouth of Vritra. And burning in grief for the destruction of his son, and coming under masterdom of passion, that hero--Ravana--reflecting (awhile) in his mind, resolved upon slaying Vaidehi. And naturally red, and reddened (still more) by the fire of wrath, Ravana's glowing eyes were dreadful (to behold). And his form, terrific by nature, in consequence of the fire of his wrath having possessed it entirely, resembled the form of the enraged Rudra. And from the eyes of that infuriated one fell drops of tears as drop from a flaming lamp drops of burning oil. And as he grinded his teeth, the gnashing resembled the sounds sent by the machine[376] drawn by the Danavas and churning the deep. The Rakshasas durst not approach that one eying round and resembling the Destroyer himself, intent, on devouring both mobile and immobile. Then exceedingly enraged, Ravana--lord of Rakshasas--spoke in the midst of the Rakshasas, inciting them to battle,--"I practised severe austerities for thousands of years; and gratified the Self-sprung at times. Neither from Asuras nor from celestials can any fear spring to me. My mail conferred on me by Brahma, which in effulgence resembles the Sun himself, was not broken by blows like unto thunder-bolt at the war between the deities and demons. To-day who will come forward against me in battle accoutred in that and mounted on a car in the conflict? Not even Purandara himself. Do ye, beating hundreds of drums, to-day raise that mighty and dreadful bow of mine which, with arrows, had been bestowed on one by the gratified Self-sprung at the war of the gods and Asuras,--so that I may therewith compass the destruction of Rama and Lakshmana in mighty battle". Burning (in grief) for the destruction of his son, the fell Ravana, coming under the influence of anger, reflecting (in his mind), resolved to slay Sita. And eying round, that copper-eyed and dreadful one of a terrific aspect, distressed, in a piteous voice addressed all the night-rangers, saying,--"By his power of illusion, my beloved child, for deceiving the wood-rangers, slaying something (else), had shown it unto them as Sita. Now will I do that good office myself,--Vaidehi will I slay--even her that is devoted to that friend of Kshatriyas". Having spoken thus unto his counsellors, he swiftly took up a sword; and raising it, of excellent temper and of cerulean hue, he rushed out vehemently, surrounded by his wives and counsellors. From grief for his son. Ravana with his consciousness wildered, taking up a sword, in rage, rushed towards the place where Mithila's daughter was. Seeing the Rakshasa rising on, some, emitted leonine roars, and seeing the Rakshasa enraged, embracing each other, said,--"To-day those two brothers, seeing this one, will be exceedingly pained. By this one, influenced with passion were the four guardians of the worlds conquered; and many other foes were brought down in battle. Procuring gems from the three worlds, Ravana enjoyeth them. Neither in strength nor in prowess is there any one on earth who is his compeer". As they were speaking thus, Ravana, reft of his senses by wrath, rushed against Vaidehi, who had taken up her abode in the Acoka wood. And dissuaded by his friends endowed with good intelligence, he, wrought up with high wrath, darted (against Sita), even as an enraged planet[377] rusheth against Rohini[378] in the firmament. And the blameless daughter of Mithila protected by the Rakshasis, saw the infuriated Ravana bearing that best of blades in his hand. Seeing (Ravana) approach, sword in hand, despite the earnest entreaties of his friends, Janaka's daughter, Sita, pained and overcome by grief, said, weeping,--"From the way in which, wrought up with wrath, this wicked-minded one is rushing on at me personally, it appears that he will slay me, who have a lord, as one who hath not. He did urge me much ever devoted to my lord, saying 'Be thou my wife but forsooth I disregarded him. And plainly in consequence of my refusal, he hath given way to despair. And overcome by anger and passion, he is ready to slay me. Or it may be that to-day for me those foremost of men, the brothers--Rama and Lakshmana--have been slain in encounter by this inglorious one. I heard a furious and fearful uproar raised by countless Rakshasas rejoicing, and expressing their delight.--Alas! O fie! For me those princes have met with destruction. Or it may be that not without slaying Rama and Lakshmana, this terrific Rakshasa, having his heart set on sin, from grief for his son, will slay me. Fool that I am, I did not then act agreeably to Hanuman's words. If I had gone away seated on his back, without waiting for the victory (of my lord), I devoted to him, placed on his lap, should not have come by this repentance. When Kaucalya, having an only son, will hear of her son slain in battle, I fancy, her heart shall burst. And, weeping, she will remember that high-souled one's birth and boyhood, and youth and pious acts and loveliness. And that one bereft of her consciousness, filled with despair, after having performed his _sraddha_[379] will doubtless enter into fire or water. Shame on the unchaste and hump-backed Manthara, having her heart fixed in sin, for whose sake this grief shall exercise Kaucalya!" Seeing the distressed daughter of Mithila lament thus, like unto Rohini come under the sway of a planet in the absence of the Moon, in the meanwhile his[380] pure and good courtier, named Suparcwa, endowed with intelligence, albeit prevented by other courtiers, spoke unto Ravana, foremost of Rakshasas,--"Wherefore, O Ten-necked one, O thou who art the very younger brother of Vaicravana himself, Dost thou desire to slay Vaidehi, forsaking righteousness? Why, O hero! O lord of Rakshasas! having led the Brahmacharyya mode of life, studied the Vedas, and returned from the house of thy spiritual guide, and ever engaged in religious acts, to-day dost thou intend to slay a woman? Do thou, O king, now stay expecting Mithila's daughter[381] endowed with loveliness; and do thou along with us vent thy wrath on him.[382] To-day being the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, do thou this very day prepare for conflict; at _amavasya_,[383] environed with thy forces, do thou march for victory. Heroic, and intelligent, a mighty car-warrior and swordsman, thou, mounted on a car, slaying the redoubtable son of Dacaratha, wilt obtain Mithila's daughter". Thus exhorted by his friend, the unrighteous Ravana accepted his virtuous speech; and then that powerful one went (back) to his house, and, surrounded by his friends, entered the court.

[374] _Avajuaya_. Ramanuya says it means "ignorant of the same". Tirtha
says it means, 'Seeing.' Then the sense would be, 'the
counsellors, having first _seen_ Indrajit slain, informed Ravana
of it.'--T.

[375] I have to perform thy last rites, thou having fallen in fight
while I am alive.--T.

[376] Meaning the mountain Mandara.

[377] Kuja, _etc_

[378] Hesperus.

[379] Funereal rites performed in accordance with the injunctions of the
Hindu Scriptures.--T.

[380] Ravana's.

[381] Explains the commentator: "till thou slayest Rama in battle".--T.

[382] Rama.

[383] _i.e._ to-morrow.