The Ramayana (87 page)

“‘And, tell me, who is this Vishnu for whose sake you desolate your youth?'

“Mortified, she said, ‘Vishnu is the Lord of the three worlds. Only you would ask who he is so contemptuously.'

“With a terrible growl, Ravana sprang toward her. He seized her by her hair, to slake himself at once on her sinuous body. But she cried out in grief and rage, and her very hand turned into a blade. She sheared her hair off with it, leaving him holding her tresses. Still, he came after her. He laid his coarse hands on her. He forced himself upon her virgin, exquisite body. When he had spent himself in a paroxysm of violence, she rose and stood over him like a fire.

“‘Rakshasa, you have violated me and my life is a ruined thing. I will not live another day. But I swear I will be born again, and I will be your death, Ravana of Lanka. Alas, that I may not curse you, even now. You have sinned on my body, and if I curse you I will lose my own tapasya shakti.'

“With the power of her yoga, she kindled a fire and walked into it. As the Rakshasa watched in mild curiosity, Vedavati became ashes before his eyes.”

Rama asked, “And was she born again?”

Agastya Muni said, with a smile, “Indeed she was, Rama. She was born in the next yuga, from a furrow in the earth, and her father who found her in a field named her Sita. And she did truly come as Ravana's death, and she also had Vishnu for her husband even as her father Kusadhvaja had wanted.”

“What did Ravana do after Vedavati killed herself?”

“Ravana slept for a while, after he had enjoyed Vedavati, and also enjoyed watching her die. Then he climbed back into his pushpaka vimana and ranged the sky again, as he pleased, going wherever he chose to, as slowly or as quickly as he liked.

“One day, he came to Usirabija and the Rakshasa saw a great sacrifice under way below him. King Marutta of Ikshvaku was the sacrificer, and his ritvik was Brihaspati's brother Samvarta. All the Devas attended the yagna upon the mountain. When Indra and his illustrious people saw Ravana in their midst, they were terrified. In a wink they transformed themselves into beasts and birds and tried to hide from him.

“Indra became a peacock, Yama was a crow, Kubera a chameleon, and Varuna a swan. So, too, all the others; Vayu, Agni, Surya, Soma, the Aswins, and the rest were all wild, and some exotic, creatures. Ravana walked into the yagnashala like an unclean dog.

“The Rakshasa stalked up to King Marutta and said with untold menace, ‘Either fight me or admit I am your master.'

“Marutta asked, ‘Who are you?'

“Ravana laughed. ‘So you don't know me, even when the Devas slink away as beasts when I arrive? You don't know the pushpaka vimana, which I took from my brother Kubera? I am Ravana of Lanka. I am the Lord of the three worlds'

“Marutta said calmly, ‘He who vanquishes his older brother in battle deserves to be praised, indeed. Why, he who rides in the pushpaka vimana is a matchless one. Tell me, Ravana of Lanka, what tapasya did you do that you are so powerful? Come, sit here beside me for a while and tell me everything about yourself. We have time, Rakshasa, for you will not leave here alive.'

“And Marutta picked up his bow and quiver and made ready to attack Ravana, but his priest Samvarta restrained him. ‘If you leave your yagna unfinished, Siva's curse will consume your very race. He who has been consecrated for a sacrifice shall not let anger approach him.' The knowing Samvarta lowered his voice: ‘Moreover, the Rakshasa before you is invincible, Marutta. It is far from certain that you will win a battle against him.'

“Marutta bowed to his guru and laid down his weapons. He turned back to his yagna, at which Suka gave a shrill shout, ‘Victory to Ravana!'

“Ravana, meanwhile, had devoured many of the august rishis and munis that had gathered at Marutta's yagna. With all his ten faces leaking sages' blood, he left the yagnashala and climbed into the pushpaka vimana once more.

“As soon as the Rakshasa left, the Devas, the gandharvas, and the other celestial folk resumed their true and brilliant forms. Indra, who had been a peacock, said to that bird, ‘You shall never have to fear serpents again, for a thousand eyes like mine will adorn your tail. And whenever you want to dance, just think of me and I will send you down a shower of fragrant rain.'

“The Lord Yama, who is death and justice, said to the crow that was perched on the pragvamsa of the house in which Marutta and his queen dwelt during the yagna, ‘I am pleased with you, dark bird. The diseases of the earth, which torment every other living creature, will have no sway over you. Besides, you will know no fear. Death is your friend from now, and the fear of death is the cause of every other fear. You will never die of old age or sickness, but only when you are killed. And, O crow, whenever you eat in this world, all the spirits in my realm who are hungry shall feel sated, they and their families.'

“Varuna said to the swan that glided upon the pool of the Ganga, ‘King of birds, your feathers will glow like the full moon. And no other creature shall be as beautiful as you. Whenever you are in water, you will feel unequaled bliss.'

“Rama, did you know that once swans were not purely white, but had brown wing tips and breasts? And the peacock was just blue and had no eyelets on his feathers.”

Rama smiled and shook his head, that he had not known this. Agastya went on, enjoying his tale, “Then Visravas's son Kubera said to the chameleon sunning himself on a rock, ‘I am pleased with you, my friend. Let your dark head have a golden hue from now.'

“Marutta duly completed his yagna, and the Devas returned to their Swarga on high, with their king Indra,” Agastya concluded the tale of Ravana and the Devas at the ancient king Marutta's famous sacrifice. And Marutta was, of course, an ancestor of Rama, born in the House of Ikshvaku, the royal House of the Sun, and he also cursed Ravana, when his yagna was complete.

 

10. The curse of Anaranya

“Ravana ranged the earth and went to the cities of all its kings. He would say to each one, ‘Give me battle, or say I am your master.'

“The kshatriyas who had heard of the boons the Rakshasa had from the Gods were wise enough not to fight him. Through the ages, awesome monarchs like Dushyanta, Suratha, Gadhi, Gaya, and Pururavas admitted: ‘You are my master.'

“Then, Ravana came to Ayodhya, where Anaranya now ruled, and demanded, ‘Give me battle, or say I am your master.'

“Anaranya replied, ‘I will fight you, night ranger.'

“Anaranya had gathered an immense army, with ten thousand elephant, a hundred thousand horse, many thousands of chariots, and countless foot soldiers. A pitched battle began between the forces of darkness and light. But with Ravana leading them, and Siva's sword flashing like an arc of the sun in his hands, the rakshasa legions consumed the legions of Hastinapura, even as the fathomless sea does every stream and river that flows into him. Anaranya's forces perished like a swarm of moths flying into a forest fire.

“Anaranya himself plunged at Ravana. On his way he put Maricha, Suka, and Sarana to flight, as a lion might some jackals. Anaranya shot eight hundred scorching arrows at Ravana. But they harmed the Rakshasa as much as raindrops do the crown of a mountain. Ravana rode at the king of men, and, with a growl, struck him with his hand across his face, and the kshatriya fell out of his chariot like a sala tree struck by lightning. He lay dying on the ground.

“Mocking him, Ravana said, ‘So, Kshatriya, what have you gained by fighting Ravana? Perhaps you were so steeped in the pleasures of your harem you never heard who I am? There is no one in the three worlds, puny human, who can vanquish Ravana of Lanka.'

“Anaranya breathed, ‘My life leaves me as a summer breeze does a forest at twilight. But you have not conquered my spirit, Rakshasa, as you did the other kings'. And I say to you, at this moment of my death, that even as I have been generous to anyone who came seeking my help, as I have poured oblations onto a sacred fire, as I have ruled my people justly, and as I have sat in dhyana every sandhya of each day of my life: Demon, a prince born into this same House of Ikshvaku shall kill you.'

“As he pronounced his curse, a drumroll of the Devas sounded in the sky and petal rain fell out of Swarga. Anaranya's soul left his broken body and rose into Devaloka in a blaze of light. Ravana stood grimacing over the king's corpse for a moment; what the dying man had said disturbed his savage heart. He planted his foot briefly on the dead king's face and turned away from yet another conquest, bloodthirsty still,” said Agastya Muni in Ayodhya's sabha.

The rishi paused briefly, then, because no one stirred in the court but waited raptly for him to continue, he resumed.

“Once, even as he terrorized the denizens of the earth, the Rakshasa met Narada Muni. He was crossing the sky in his vimana when he saw Narada sailing blithely along on a cloud.

“Ravana hailed the wanderer, ‘Narada! How have you come down to the earth today?'

“The brahmarishi said to the Demon, ‘O Son of Visravas, tarry a while with me; I would speak to you. I have followed your exploits and I am pleased with you. Why, I compare your conquests of the gandharvas and the nagas with Vishnu's victories over the Daityas. But my son, I have some advice for you. The mortal beings of the earth hardly deserve your attentions, O Ravana whom even Indra and the Devas, the Danavas, and the yakshas cannot subdue! They are too puny. Why waste your time with these insignificant, weak, and transient creatures, who fly into death's clasp anyway?

“‘I beg you, greatest of night stalkers, don't prey on these petty, unfortunate beings, who are already victims of hunger, thirst, old age, fate, disease, and every kind of anxiety and grief. Look at this unjust, absurd world of men, Rakshasa. Here you find some men steeped in wine, song, and women, and hardly a stone's throw away, others of the same race shed bitter tears of hunger, deprivation, and torment, unheeded by their brothers.

“‘These humans are slaves to every kind of delusion. And they are your subjects, Ravana, who can doubt it? Deceiving themselves that they are immortal, they plunge headlong toward Yama's gates. They are blind creatures, of no wisdom and full of folly. I tell you, the only real Lord of all mortal men is Yama, the Lord of death. Ravana, subdue Yama and you will be master of all this dying world.'

“Dreadful smiles dawned on the Rakshasa's ten faces. He did not pause to reflect for a moment before saying, ‘Narada, I will fly down into Rasatala and conquer the worlds of nether. I will quell the nagas, the Devas, and the other immortals, and rule the three realms. After which, Muni, I shall churn the ocean for the amrita which will make me immortal: Lord of all creation, forever!'

“Narada murmured, ‘Then why do you fly on another path through the sky? Set yourself on the path that leads to the city of the Lord of death. Your fame shall truly begin when you have vanquished Yama.'

“The ten-headed one laughed like the rumbling of an autumn cloud. He said, ‘Yama is as good as vanquished, Muni. I have already sworn I will crush not only Surya's son, but also the Lords of the four quarters, the Lokapalas. But first let me fly south to Yama's kingdom, and when I have conquered him, the living beings of the earth shall be free of their torment of the fear of death.'

“With a deep bow and a wave, the Rakshasa flitted away south, leaving Narada pensive on his cloud that shone like a full moon with the radiance of his body. Narada wondered, ‘How will the Rakshasa defeat Yama, who knows every creature, his gifts and deeds; who metes out justice to each one; who is the terror of the worlds? And if, indeed, he does conquer the son of Surya, what new order will the Rakshasa create for the earth?'

“Narada shook his head in some wonder at the thought. Then, he said to himself, ‘I must not miss the encounter between the Demon and the Lord Death.'

“He, too, flew quick as a ray of light toward Yama's city.”

 

11. Ravana and Yama

“Narada arrived like an effulgent thought in Yama's sabha, and saw Death on his throne. Yama welcomed the muni with every courtesy, and when Narada was comfortably ensconced in his court, he asked him, ‘Brahmarishi, to what do I owe this honor today?'

“‘Pitriraja, King of the manes, the Rakshasa Ravana is on his way here and he means to challenge you. If you are vanquished, O Yama, who will wield the dharma danda?'

“Even as he spoke, they saw the pushpaka vimana fill the sky like a sun. It scattered the natural darkness of the kingdom of death.

“Ravana saw the dead in Yama's kingdom; he saw them reap the fruit of their karma, intricately, variously, good and bad. He saw Yama's servitors torment the sinners who had come to him; he heard their cries. He saw thousands of evil men being devoured by worms and packs of slavering dogs; and of course they did not die because they were already dead, but only suffered endless agony.

“He saw other souls ceaselessly crossing the Vaitarani, the river of blood: back and forth, again and again. Others walked through interminable deserts whose sands were like burning dust. Yet others were being cleaved with gleaming swords from the crowns of their heads to the forks of their legs, and their screams filled the air. Others wept for quenchless thirst, and others for ravening hunger that fed on the starving souls.

“Elsewhere, the Rakshasa saw those that had done good enjoying the fruit of their punya. They lived in lavish houses, from whose windows delectable strains of music floated. They were attended by the most charming women and ate the finest food. They wore gold and jewels on their bodies, and were illumined by the light of their own purity.

“With a roar from ten heads, Ravana flew at the dead who suffered dreadful torture. He fell on Yama's soldiers who tormented them, and let flow a river of their blood. Yama's servants fled and Ravana liberated the sinners from their suffering. These shouted his name so the sky of that naked realm echoed with its three syllables. They rejoiced at the undreamed-of release the Rakshasa brought.