Created by Jijith Nadumuri at 26 Aug 2011 13:27 and updated at 26 Aug 2011 13:27
VALMIKI RAMAYANA
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BOOK 6: YUDDA KANDA
SECTION 50
Meanwhile, Sugreeva the king of Vanaras, possessing a great splendour and a mighty power, enquired saying, "Why is this army agitated, like a ship driven out of its course in water?" Hearing the words of Sugreeva, Angada the son of Vali replied, saying "Do you not see the high souled Rama and Lakshmana of the great chariot, those two valiant sons of Dasaratha covered with darts lying all bloody in a bed of arrows?" Thereupon, Sugreeva the Lord of Vanaras said to his son Angada: "To my mind, there is some othere cause why the Vanaras are bewildereed. There must be some danger ahead."
"Here, these Vanaras are runnng away in all directions, with their eyes distended with terror, throwing down their arms and looking dejected." "They are not ashamed of one another. They are not looking behind than even. They are jostling each other and leaping over those who have fallen." In the midst of this turmoil, the valiant Vibhishana, wielding a mace in his hand came there and cheered Sugreeva and Rama saying Victory" to Rama! Victory to Rama!." Observing Vibhishana to be the cause of panic among the Vanaras, Sugreeva spoke to the illustrious Jambavan the king of Rikshas who stood near (as follows):
"It is Vibhishana who has come here. On seeing him, the foremost of Vanaras seized with terror have fled, deeming him to be Indrajit, Ravana s son." "You reassemble those Vanaras immediately, who in fear have scattered in many directions and inform them that it is Vibhishana who has come!" Thus spoken by Sugreeva, Jambavan the king of Rikshas called the fugitive Vanaras back and restored them to confidence.
Hearing the words of Jambavan the king of Rikshas, all those Vanaras, on perceiving Vibhishana, retraced their steps, shaking off their fear. Meanwhile, the virtuous Vibhishana, on beholding Rama s body as also of Lakshmana s covered with arrows, felt distressed. Washing their eyes with his hands dipped in water, Vibhishana began to weap, with anguish seizing his heart and lamented, saying:
"These two powerful and valiant warrriors have been brought tot his state by the Rakshasas, the treacherous combatants." "The son of my brother, that wicked youth of perverse soul in his Rakshasa cunning mind, has decived those two honourable fighters." "These two warriors, Rama and Lakshmana, who were struck badly by arrows and covered with blood are lying on the earth, like two porcupines." "These two Lions among men, on whom depended the positon aspired by me, are lying insensible, waiting for the dissolution of the body."
"Deprived of the hope now of becoming a king, I am as one dead, eventhough surviving while my rival Ravana sees his vow fulfilled and gets his desires realised." Then, Sugreeva the magnanimous King of Vanaras embraced that Vibhishana thus lamenting and spoke the following words: "O, knower of what is right! You shall certainly reign over Lanka. Ravana and his son will not acheive their purpose."
"The injury done to Rama and Lakshmana is not grave. Emerging from their swoon, they will destroy Ravana with his hordes in battles." Consoling and convincing Vibhishana thus, Sugreeva spoke to Sushena, his father in law, who was on his side (as follows): "Taking these two brothers, Rama and Lakshmana with the troops of Vanaras who are strong, you go to Kishkindha, till these two scourgers of their foes have recovered their consciousness."
"As for me, I shall slay Ravana with his son and his relatives and bring back Seetha as did Indra the prosperity he had lost." "Hearing the words of Sugreeva, Sushena replied as followers: A highly terrific and great was between Devas and Asuras was perceived by me." "By making themselves invisible again and again, the Rakshasas skilled in the use of arrows overcame the Devas despite their skill in bearing arms." "To those Devas who were wounded, unconscious and almost deprived of life, Brihaspati treated them by the aid of herbs accompanied by his spells of sacred formulas."
"Let the Vanaras Sampati, Panasa and others go quickly in speed, to the ocean of milk, to bring those herbs." "These Vanaras are conversant with those efficacious mountianous herbs the celestial Sanjivakarani and Vishalya, which were created by a God." "In the bosom of the milky ocean the best of oceans, rise the mountains called Chandra and Drona, where the Ambrosia was formerly churned. These two excellent herbs exist there."
"The Devas placed those two mountain in the vast sea. O, King! Let Hanuman the son of Vayu go there." In the meantime, a great wind arose, accompanied by massed clouds and lightning, whipping up the salty waves in the ocean, causing the mountains to tremble as from an earthquake. "Large trees on the sand banks had their branches broken by the mighty stroke of Vata s wings and fell headlong into the briny waters of the ocean."
"The snakes became frightened. The snakes inhabiting there and all the marine animals plunged quickly into the briny ocean." Thereupon, all the Vanaras saw within a moment, a mighty eagle, Garuda, the son of Vinata, like unto a blazing torch. On beholding Garuda the eagle which came there, the serpants who bound those two warriors Rama and Lakshmana in the form of mighty arrows, fled away. Thereupon, Garuda the eagle, coming into contact iwth Rama and Lakshmana d offering them his good wishes, with his hands caressly touched their faces that were radiant like the moon.
Their wounds, touched by Garuda the eagle, were healed. Their bodies soon became smooth and well rounded. Their lustre, valour, strength, endurance and resolution, those great qualities, also their perspicacity, intelligence and memory were re doubled. Lifting them up both who were like Indra, the highly majestic Garuda the eagle embraced them. Rama also, being pleased, spoke to him (as follows):
"Now, by your grace, we both have overcome a great disaster created by Indrajit the son of Ravana. We have been made strong as before." "By meeting you thus, my heart is gladdened in the same manner as I am meeting Dasaratha, my fatehr and Aja, my paternal grandfather." "Who are you, the one endowed with beauty, having blissful garlands and anointments, wearing clean garments and adorned iwth divine ornaments?"
The highly majestic and the mighty Garuda the eagle, the King of Birds, with his eys widened in gladness and with a pleased heart, spoke to Rama as follows: "O, Rama! I am your dearest friend Garuda dear as your own breath moving outside I came here for the purpose of helping you, both." "Even the most valiant Asuras or the exceedingly strong Vanaras or the Devas together with the Gandharvas having Devendra in their forefront are unable to untie this awfully terrific entanglement of arrows created through his power of sorcery by Indrajit of terrific deeds." "These serpents, which took their base at, were none other than the sons of Kadru, with their sharp fangs, abundantly filled with poison, transformed into arrows, by the dint of sorcery by Indrajit the Rakshasa."
"O, Rama the knower of righeousness and true to your promise! You, along with your brother Lakshmana the annihilator of enemies, indeed are lucky." "Hearing about this incident, I have hastened all at once, duly cherishing the love and friendship (for you)." "You have been released from this quite terrific shackle of arrows. Both of you should maintain vigilance, all the time."
"All the Rakshasas by their very nature are treacherous fighters in battle. For you, the warriors, your pue mindedness and straight forwardeness are the strengths." "What Indrajit has done, exemplifies how the Rakshasas are always crooked minded. For this reason, you should not trust the Rakshasas in battle." That mighty Garuda, having spoken thus to Rama then and having affectionately embraced him, began to take leave of him.
"O, Rama the knower of piety, affectionate even towards your enemies and my dear fried! I wish to take leave of you." I shall proceed happily." "O, hero! You need not be so curious to know the casue of my friendship. You will know of it, once you have accomplished success in battle." "When, under the flutter of your arrows, Lanka has been destroyed save for the aged and the children and you have slain Ravana,. your enemy, you will bring back Seetha." Having spoken thus, Garuda of swift flight, having beautiful wings, who had just healed Rama s wounds in the presence of Vanaras, having paid obeisance presence of Vanaras, having paid obeisance to him (by circumambulation) and taken him into his arms, entered the sky with the speed of the wind.
Seeing Rama and Lakshmana healed of their wounds, the cheifs of Vanaras haowled like roars of Lions and lashed their tails. Thereupon, gongs were beaten, drums resounded, and couches were blown amid jumping in joy of the Vanaras as before. Some other strong Vanaras who use trees as maces in battle, waving their arms and uprooting hundreds and thousands of various trees, stood there, ready for the battle.
Uttering great noises, frightning the Rakshasas and desirous to fight, the Vanaras reached the gates of Lanka. Thereafter, a highly terrible and tumuluous sound arose among the leaders of the Vanaras, as, at the end of summer the roaring of thunder clouds in the mid night.
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