The Ramayana Part 184

He ceased: the prudent counsel pleased The monarch, and his wrath appeased; Then to his council hall in haste The giant lord his steps retraced.

[I omit two Cantos in the first of which Rama with an enchanted Gandharva weapon deals destruction among the Rakshases sent out by Rava?, and in the second the Rakshas dames lament the slain and mourn over the madness of Rava?.]

Canto XCVI. Ravan's Sally.

The groans and cries of dames who wailed The ears of Lanka's lord a.s.sailed, For from each house and home was sent The voice of weeping and lament.

In troubled thought his head he bowed, Then fiercely loosing on the crowd Of n.o.bles near his throne he broke The silence, and in fury spoke: "This day my deadly shafts shall fly, And Raghu's sons shall surely die.

This day shall countless Vanars bleed And dogs and kites and vultures feed.

Go, bid them swift my car prepare, Bring the great bow I long to bear: And let my host with sword and shield And spear be ready for the field."

From street to street the captains pa.s.sed And Rakshas warriors gathered fast.

With spear and sword to pierce and strike, And axe and club and mace and pike.

[I omit several weapons for which I cannot find distinctive names, and among them the _Sataghni_ or _Centicide_, supposed by some to be a kind of fire-arms or rocket, but described by a commentator on the Mahabharata as a stone or cylindrical piece of wood studded with iron spikes.]

Then Rava?'s warrior chariot(994) wrought With gold and rich inlay was brought.

Mid tinkling bells and weapons' clang The monarch on the chariot sprang, Which, decked with gems of every hue, Eight steeds of n.o.ble lineage drew.

Mid roars of drum and sh.e.l.l rang out From countless throats a joyful shout.

As, girt with hosts in warlike pride, Through Lanka's streets the tyrant hied.

Still, louder than the roar of drums, Went up the cry "He comes, he comes, Our ever conquering lord who trod Beneath his feet both fiend and G.o.d."

On to the gate the warriors swept Where Raghu's sons their station kept.

When Rava?'s car the portal pa.s.sed The sun in heaven was overcast.

Earth rocked and reeled from side to side And birds with boding voices cried.

Against the standard of the king A vulture flapped his horrid wing.

Big gouts of blood before him dropped, His trembling steeds in terror stopped.

The hue of death was on his cheek, And scarce his flattering tongue could speak, When, terrible with flash and flame, Through murky air a meteor came.

Still by the hand of Death impelled His onward way the giant held.

The Vanars in the field afar Heard the loud thunder of his car.

And turned with warriors' fierce delight To meet the giant in the fight.

He came: his clanging bow he drew And myriads of the Vanars slew.

Some through the side and heart he cleft, Some headless on the plain were left.

Some struggling groaned with mangled thighs, Or broken arms or blinded eyes.

[I omit Cantos XCVII, XCVIII, and XCIX, which describe in the usual way three single combats between Sugriva and Angad on the Vanar side and Virupaksha, Mahodar, and Mahaparsva on the side of the giants. The weapons of the Vanars are trees and rocks; the giants fight with swords, axes, and bows and arrows. The details are generally the same as those of preceding duels. The giants fall, one in each Canto.]

Canto C. Ravan In The Field.

The plain with bleeding limbs was spread, And heaps of dying and of dead.

His mighty bow still Rama strained, And shafts upon the giants rained.

Still Angad and Sugriva, wrought To fury, for the Vanars fought.

Crushed with huge rocks through chest and side Mahodar, Mahaparsva died, And Virupaksha stained with gore Dropped on the plain to rise no more.

When Rava? saw the three o'erthrown He cried aloud in furious tone: "Urge, urge the car, my charioteer, The haughty Vanars' death is near.

This very day shall end our griefs For leaguered town and slaughtered chiefs.

Rama the tree whose lovely fruit Is Sita, shall this arm uproot,- Whose branches with protecting shade Are Vanar lords who lend him aid."

Thus cried the king: the welkin rang As forth the eager coursers sprang, And earth beneath the chariot shook With flowery grove and hill and brook.

Fast rained his shafts: where'er he sped The conquered Vanars fell or fled, On rolled the car in swift career Till Raghu's n.o.ble sons were near.

Then Rama looked upon the foe And strained and tried his sounding bow, Till earth and all the region rang Re-echoing to the awful clang.

His bow the younger chieftain bent, And shaft on shaft at Rava? sent.

He shot: but Rava? little recked; Each arrow with his own he checked, And headless, baffled of its aim, To earth the harmless missile came; And Lakshma? stayed his arm o'erpowered By the thick darts the giant showered.

Fierce waxed the fight and fiercer yet, For Rava? now and Rama met, And each on other poured amain The tempest of his arrowy rain.

While all the sky above was dark With missiles speeding to their mark Like clouds, with flashing lightning twined About them, hurried by the wind.

Not fiercer was the wondrous fight When Vritra fell by Indra's might.

All arts of war each foeman knew, And trained alike, his bowstring drew.

Red-eyed with fury Lanka's king Pressed his huge fingers on the string, And fixed in Rama's brows a flight Of arrows winged with matchless flight.

Still Raghu's son endured, and bore That crown of shafts though wounded sore.

O'er a dire dart a spell he spoke With mystic power to aid the stroke.

In vain upon the foe it smote Rebounding from the steelproof coat.

The giant armed his bow anew, And wondrous weapons hissed and flew, Terrific, deadly, swift of flight, Beaked like the vulture and the kite, Or bearing heads of fearful make, Of lion, tiger, wolf and snake.(995) Then Rama, troubled by the storm Of flying darts in every form Shot by an arm that naught could tire, Launched at the foe his dart of fire, Which, sacred to the Lord of Flame, Burnt and consumed where'er it came.

And many a blazing shaft beside The hero to his string applied.

With fiery course of dazzling hue Swift to the mark each missile flew, Some flashing like a shooting star, Some as the tongues of lightning are; One like a brilliant plant, one In splendour like the morning sun.

Where'er the shafts of Rama burned The giant's darts were foiled and turned.

Far into s.p.a.ce his weapons fled, But as they flew struck thousands dead.

Canto CI. Lakshman's Fall.

When Rava? saw his darts repelled, With double rage his bosom swelled.

He summoned, wroth but undismayed, A mightier charm to lend its aid.

And, fierce as fire before the blast, A storm of missiles thick and fast, Spear, pike and javelin, mace and brand, Came hurtling from the giant's hand.

But, mightier still, the arms employed By Raghu's son their force destroyed, And every dart fell dulled and spent By powers the bards of heaven had lent.

With his huge mace Vibhisha? slew The steeds that Rava?'s chariot drew.

Then Rava? hurled in deadly ire A ponderous spear that flashed like fire: But Rama's arrows checked its way, And harmless on the earth it lay, The giant seized a mightier spear, Which Death himself would shun with fear.

Vibhisha? with the stroke had died, But Lakshma?'s hand his bowstring plied, And flying arrows thick as hail Smote fiercely on the giant's mail.

Then Rava? turned his aim aside, On Lakshma? looked and fiercely cried: "Thou, thou again my wrath hast braved, And from his death Vibhisha? saved.

Now in his stead this spear receive Whose deadly point thy heart shall cleave."

He ceased: he hurled the mortal dart By Maya forged with magic art.

The spear, with all his fury flung, Swift, flickering like a serpent's tongue, Adorned with many a tinkling bell, Smote Lakshma?, and the hero fell.

When Rama saw, he heaved a sigh, A tear one moment dimmed his eye.

But tender grief was soon repressed And thoughts of vengeance filled his breast.

The air around him flashed and gleamed As from his bow the arrows streamed; And Lanka's lord, the foeman's dread, O'erwhelmed with terror turned and fled.

Canto CII. Lakshman Healed.