|| Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram ||

Chapter -21 - Lanka Kandam

Dhashanan gets killed in the battlefield/Mandodhari eulogizes Rama

 

The deities who were witnessing the vicious battle between Rama and Ravana, found Prabhu Ram in the middle of numerous Vanaras holding mountains sized rocks in their hands, they cheered with mixed feeling “Victory to Rama, Victory to Kosaladheesha”, Rama shot an arrow on the illusionary images of Vanaras, and once the Maya vanished from the battlefield, the numerous Vanaras and bears holding rocks and trees, enthusiastically rushed to Ravana. Rama showered arrows aiming his heads and hands, and severed them. The glorious battle between Rama and Ravana cannot be described by hundreds of Adhishesha, Sharadha, Vedas and poets, for hundreds of Kalpa. The fly that enjoys on the wing high in the sky thinks as its strength, the dull-minded Tulsidas made an effort to describe some important visuals of the battle between Rama and Ravana. In this battle, Rama shot arrows aiming at the head of Ravana did not work as everyone desired, it was an amusement of Prabhu Sriram, and this constant effort of Prabhu to sieve off the heads of Ravana put the deities, Rishis, and Sages in extreme anguish.

 

Every time when Prabhu shot several arrows to cut off Ravana’s heads was growing like the Lobha in the Jeeva, it was seemed impossible to kill him. Lord Mahadeva speaks “Oh! Uma, Rama looked at Vibheeshana, wanted to test the devotion of his sincere attendant, Vibheeshana spoke “Oh! Prabho, who is the Lord of living and non-living things, Oh! Sarvajja, and the protector of righteous people, sages and Rishis, Oh! Ashrithavathsala, who is the source of protection and happiness of the deities, it was the nectar restored on the navel of Ravana causes him to stay alive after several shots of arrows.” Prabhu was highly pleased with Vibheeshana, took powerful arrows in hand, at that moment several bad omens have come into view. The foxes, Jackals,  and donkeys produced loud cries, Raven's croak as if it was informing the upcoming disaster to the world. There were Dhoomakethus/comets visible all over the sky, there was a strange light visible all over the battlefield, like the hours of Solar eclipse, Devi Mandodhari became anxious, even the statues shed tears. There were heavy storms, thunder and lightning followed with the hurricane, Earth quivered, rain clouds shed hairs, dust, and blood on the Earth, it is impossible to describe all those bad omens. The deities were alarmed watching the strange happening in the world, they cheered “Victory to Raghupathi! Victory to Kosaladheesha” watching the anxiousness of the deities, Prabhu Ram aimed thirty-one arrows against Ravana, stretched the bow up to ears and released the arrows, it darted like Kalanaga. One of the arrows dried up the nectar from the navel of Ravana, the rest of the thirty arrows sieved off ten heads and twenty hands respectively. The headless corpse danced in the battlefield, it wandered aimlessly, Earth quivered, Prabhu Ram shot another arrow that cut the body into two parts while leaving mortal coil it screamed “Where is Rama? I will kill him on the battlefield.” Thus Dhashanan’s corpse fell on the Earth and it quake heavily, oceans, rivers, Digajjas, and mountains quivered. His heaviness of the body caused several Vanaras and bears crushed to death. The arrows deposited the severed hands and heads of Dhashanan before Devi Mandodhari and returned to its nest.

 

The deities produced sounds of Dhundhubi, showered flowers upon Prabhu.  Ravana’s Jeeva assumed a brilliant ray and entered in the mouth of Prabhu Sriram. Lord Shambhu, Lord Bhrama, and the deities witnessed that marvelous sight and enjoyed. The Bhramanda reverberated with the cheers “ Victory to Raghuveera, Victory to Prabala Bhuja Balashali! Victory to Kripalu! Victory to Mukunda!” The Rishis and sages eulogized Prabhu and showered flowers upon him. The deities and Rishis eulogized “Oh! Prabho, Oh! Mukunda, Oh! Kripasagara, who destroys the grief of worldly existence, and provides a supreme state where there is no grief or sorrow, is the safest asylum to the people who have taken shelter in him, he is the destroyer of wicked people, Oh! Paramakarana who is the source of the Universe and its living beings, Oh! Karunakara, we shall repeatedly prostrate before you.” and showered flowers on Prabhu. The sounds of divine instruments echoed in the sky. The appearance of Rama in the battlefield resembled several Manmatha, the beautiful matted hair locks decorated with the flowers, resembled the mountain in the darkness, and lightening as well. He was wielded in bow and arrow on the blood-smeared body, resembled the Thamalavruksha which is the shelter place of red-colored birds.

 

Prabhu Ram showered compassionate grace upon the deities, Vanaras, and bears, who cheered “Jaya Sukhadhama, Jaya Mukunda!” in extreme bliss. Mandodhari fell unconscious seeing the bodiless heads of her beloved husband, soon all the queens assembled and they brought Mandodhari on the battlefield, they wept bitterly. Their hairs were disheveled, and garments were misplaced, had lost body consciousness, they bet hardly on the chest and cried out loudly and described the splendor of Ravana “Oh! Natha, the Earth quivered at your prowess, Lord Agni, Lord Chandra, and Lord Surya, lost brilliance before you, the Adishesha, and Koorma could not hold your weight, now it is rolling on the battlefield in the dirt. Lord Varuna, Lord Indra, Lord Kubera, and Lord Vayu were scared to fight against you, and you have won over ‘Time’ and Kala’ with the strength of your powerful hands, now you are lying down like a strange creature in the battlefield. Oh! Natha, the entire Universe knows your prowess, your sons and relatives all are extremely powerful.  Alas! The enmity against that supreme Lord Rama brought you in a miserable state. There is no one in your clan to cry for your death, Oh! Natha, the whole Universe was under your control, the Ashtadhikpalakas reverentially prostrated before you on a regular basis, now the Jackals and foxes are feasting on your heads and hands. The enmity against Rama brought you wretched state, Oh! Swami, you did not listen to my advice. You have considered Rama who is the Lord of living and non-living things as an ordinary human.”