|| Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram ||

 

Chapter -20 - Lanka Kandam

 

 The vicious battle between Rama and Ravana/ Thrijada details the battle to Devi Sita

 

Prabhu affectionately called for the Vanaras and bears who were extremely baffled, Ravana saw the deities praising Lord Rama, and thought “Fools! They are thinking I am all alone on the battlefield, they are always under my harassment and will remain.” He rose to the sky and produced deafening roar at them, the deities flee from his sight, and soon Angadha rose from the Earth and caught hold of Ravana’s leg and pulled him down on the Earth.   Balisutha crushed Ravana with his feet and returned to Raghava. Dhashanan managed to stand on his feet and produced boisterous voices, shot arrows with his ten hands against the enemies, and brutally wounded them. Ravana pleased watching the enemies withering in pain and took great pride in the might of his hands. Raghupathi showered arrows and it severed his hands and heads, but it kept growing in no time, like the sins multiply on the sacred lands, watching this Kapis and Vanaras got annoyed “ This sinner has no death, even if Prabhu removes his hands and heads”, and rushed to attack Ravana. Balisutha, Vayusutha, Angadha, Nala, Neela, Sugriva, Dhvividha, hurled rocks and trees on Ravana, but all of them caught in his hands and hurled back to Vanaras. Some of the Vanaras used sharp nails as weapons, others stamped on him, Nala and Neela took a seat on his head and used their sharp nails and wounded severely, blood gushed out of his forehead, Ravana chased after the Vanaras,  shortly found it is impossible for him to get hold of those Vanaras. Once again, he shot powerful arrows with his ten hands Alas! Hanuman and mighty warriors lost consciousness. Ravana felt extremely happy watching the hours of sunset, Jambavan saw all those Vanaras fallen unconscious, he called for the armies of bears and they rushed to Ravana,  hurled huge rocks and trees against Ravana who caught the bears and thrashed them on the ground. Riksharaja Jambavan saw his armies of bears were brutally killed by Ravana, could not control his rage; he hit hard on the chest of Ravana who fallen unconscious from the chariot. Vanaras and bears who regained consciousness returned to Raghupathi. Rakshasa stood around Ravana and anxiously looked at each other.

 

 

Thrijada informed Devi Sita about the battle between Lord Rama and Ravana, and she also mentioned the mysterious happening every attempt of Prabhu to severe the heads and hands of Ravana, after listening to this Devi Sita felt extremely anxious, sunk in deep grief. Devi Sita speaks “Oh! Mother Earth, why don’t you speak about what’s going to happen? How did Ravana get killed? He is harassing the entire world, even though Raghupathi’s arrows severed his heads, he is not meeting his death. He’s still alive, because of his bad luck that drives me from the service and devotion to the lotus feet of Prabhu. That golden deer put an evil eye on me, my ill fate influenced to speak harsh words to Lakshman, it created intense pain of grief from the separation of my husband, it piercing my heart like the poisonous arrow, Alas! I did not meet my death, while I was going through extreme afflictions, Oh! Thrijada, that God is protecting Ravana.” Devi Sita shed tears of grief and prayed to that Kripanidhi. Thrijada spoke “Oh! Princess, listen to me, Devashathru will die if his heart is pierced with an arrow, but Prabhu is very careful to pierce his heart because it is the dwelling place of Devi Janaki. Prabhu was aware of the fact that Ravana’s heart is the place of Devi Vaidhehi, and also known that Prabhu is inseparable from that Devi Vaidhehi, so its the dwelling place of him too. Prabhu does not want to cause the destruction of the entire Universe, with the shot of his arrow.” Thrijada’s explanations brought grief as well as happiness to Devi Sita. Thrijada continued “Oh! Devi, let me tell you how Ravana receives new sets of heads and hands, whenever Ravana loses his head, eventually he will lose the consciousness as well. At that moment, you will disappear from his heart,  Prabhu is waiting for that exact moment to pierce his heart.” In this way, Thrijada pacified Devi Sita from immense grief and left to her fortress. Devi Sita withered in the pain of separation from Prabhu, hence Devi Vaidhehi disliked Chandra and night as well. The moments were felt Yuga for her, Devi Vaidhehi sunk in deep pain of separation from Prabhu, suddenly her left hand and eye quivered as a sign of good omen, and she felt pleased with the thought that Raghurama will locate her soon.

 

 

It was mid of the night; Ravana regained consciousness and found him safe in the palace, shrieked at his charioteer “Oh! Mandhabudhdhe, you have brought me back from the battlefield, you are a fool.” Charioteer fell at the feet of Ravana and begged for forgiveness, further early hours of daybreak Ravana took chariot and proceeded to the battlefield. The Vanaras and bears terrified watching him alive, they ran to different directions, crushing their teeth in extreme anger, plucked huge trees and mountains, and heaved on him. Rakshasa could not face the atrocities of Vanaras and bears, started to flee from the war zone. Vanaras surrounded Ravana and vigorously attacked him; once again Ravana lost his hope to win over his enemies. He started using illusionary powers, created numerous Vethala, Bhootha, Pretha, Pishacha that have dreadful appearances. They were holding bow and arrows, Yoginis were carrying powerful swords and skulls, they were taking great pleasure in the taste of blood, they were singing and dancing all over the battlefield. They were producing deafening cries and shrieks that reverberated on the four directions. These spirits rushed to Vanaras and bear to swallow them, they flee to different directions Alas! There were huge fires all over the battlefield. Vanaras and bears lost hopes to get out of the war zone, Ravana showered sand storm upon them, in this way he caused to flee the Vanaras and bears with his illusionary powers. Lakshman, Sugriva, and numerous warriors lost consciousness, a few of the warriors cried out loudly “Oh! Raghuram, Oh! Rama, Oh! Raghunatha kindly protects us.” Ravana created numerous Hanumans with huge rocks in hand and they all of them rushed to Rama, and the Kosalaraja who has a lovely appearance and dark cloud complexion, shone among them like the auspicious Thamalavruksha.