Chapter
7(a)
The Bridge
Looking
at the sea, Rama questioned how it was proposed to cross
it. Many among the Vanaras suggested means and methods.
At last Vibhishana rose from his place and addressed Rama
thus: "Lord! The Ocean owes its origin to your
forefathers, Sagara and his sons [see
RRV-7(a)]
It is the family 'preceptor' of your line. If only you
resolve that it should be crossed, the Vanaras can easily
go across".
Meanwhile, a messenger
sent by Ravana was sighted by Vibhishana and the Vanaras
bound him and took him to where Sugriva, their Ruler was.
Sugriva ordered that his limbs be cut off; when the
Vanaras prepared themselves for the execution of that
order, the fellow raised a hue and cry. He shouted in his
pain, "O Vanaras! I swear by Rama! Do not cut off my nose
and ears". His pathetic cry was heard by Lakshmana; he
asked that the Rakshasa be brought to his presence; he
spoke softly to him, and admonished the Vanaras for
torturing a Messenger deputed by Ravana. He wrote a
letter and placed it in his hand, with the words: "Give
this missive to Ravana. And, repeat to him the words I
now utter: O, Demolisher of the fortunes of your own
clan! Change your heart at least this day, and fall at
the feet of Rama. Rama will pardon you. Do not decimate
and destroy the Rakshasa tribe, in order to prop up your
wiles. Know there is no other means available to you to
avoid the Death that is imminent." With these hard and
heavy warnings, the Messenger was sent back to his
master! The fellow was overjoyed that he could escape
alive; he shouted "Jai to Lord Ramachandra," and fell at
Rama's feet before he hied back home.
At the Court of Ravana,
he related the events that had ensued and started
describing with uncontrollable delight the majestic charm
of Rama. He gave Ravana the letter Lakshmana had
entrusted him with. Ravana enquired about his brother,
Vibhishana, and asked how he fared. "Fie upon him", he
ejaculated, "his days are numbered; death will swallow
him soon. He is a pest, bred in this granary. He left
this Lanka and joined the camp of my foe. Misfortune will
haunt him until he dies". He turned to the fellow and
asked him, "Under this pretext, you visited their camp.
Did you not tell them of our military might and
adamantine resolve? Tell me also what you learnt about
their resources and capabilities". The messenger, Suka,
stood before the throne with folded palms, and said,
"Lord! I pray that you extend some grace to me and listen
calmly and with forbearance to what I say. The very
moment your brother sealed friendship with Rama he was
crowned Emperor of Lanka by him! Knowing that I reached
their camp as your messenger, the Vanaras caught hold of
me and tortured me in various ways. I swore in Rama's
name and called upon him to save me; therefore, they
allowed me to come away unmutilated, with my nose and
ears intact. Had I a thousand tongues, I cannot describe
the might of those Vanara armies. What a galaxy of heroic
warriors are they! There are Vanaras of many different
colours, of all ages and grades, of gigantic stature and
strength. One shakes in terror when one casts his eyes at
them; why, even to picture them in the mind or think
about them is a terror-striking experience. Imagine the
night of that one Vanara who killed your son
(Akshayakumara, see RRV-6(a))
and reduced the City to ashes! It is all the result of
their being reflections and echoes of the invincible
might of Rama himself. Even the tiniest brat among the
monkeys becomes, by that token, a horrifying monster.
There are monkey warriors with various names, and each of
them is endowed with the strength of many herds of
elephants. Dwivida, Mainda, Nila, Nala, Angada, Vikata,
Dadhimukha, Kesari, Kumuda, Daja, Gavaksha, Jambavantha -
these are the generals. Everyone of them is equal in
might and military skill to their Ruler, Sugriva. And,
there are hundreds of thousands more among them, who are
of equal might. Their number is beyond calculation. Their
fury and ferocity can destroy earth, heaven and the
nether regions, as if these were but heaps of straw.
Lord, I heard that their number is 18 Padmas.
And, each Padma has a valiant general at its head.
Emperor! I did not find a single Vanara, from the highest
to the lowest, who doubted their victory; nor was there
anyone who had the least trace of nervousness on the eve
of the march. They are all tightening their muscles to
pound this City; they are only waiting for the signal
from Rama. They have not had it so far.
"Whether the ocean
yields to them and gives the right of way or not, they
are determined to build a causeway of stones, and succeed
in their venture. They are baring teeth and gnashing
them, boasting that they would squeeze Ravana out of
shape and reduce him into a handful of pulp. Fear strikes
everyone who listens to their exultant roar and
challenging call. The instant they hear the name Ravana
uttered within earshot, they get so enraged that they
pluck giant trees root and branch, and brandish them in
angry demonstration of hate. They are swaying and
swinging, surging and shouting, in their eagerness to
consume this City. They have equally redoubtable bears
too among them. And, to crown all, they have Rama as
their leader, capable of overwhelming millions of
'Death-deities'. Hundreds of thousands of
Adi-seshas,
each of which is blessed with a thousand heads and
tongues, cannot do full justice, if asked to describe the
heroism and military skill of Rama. With one arrow shot
from his bow, he can dry up even the
Ocean."
The reaction of Ravana
to this report of the spy and messenger was a peal of
wild laughter. He said, "Fie on you. Giving ear to the
pratings of the monkeys that surround him and of that
arch coward, Vibhishana, you are extolling that fool so
high. It is sheer nonsense to describe the strength and
heroism of mere monkeys. Enough. Enough! Can monkeys be
ever so strong! I have heard enough, long ago, of the
power and might of this Sugriva; and, what can this
poltroon Vibhishana, who has become his minister now, do?
Can he contribute any wealth, victory or resources to
Rama?"
The messenger could
only pine within himself and bewail the lack of
intelligence that Ravana was exhibiting. He folded his
palms in obeisance and stood silent. Then Ravana tore the
envelope of the missive that Lakshmana had sent, and,
after perusing it, handed it over to his Minister. He
said, "You are like the thithiri bird afraid that the sky
will fall upon its young fledglings! Poor thing! It
covers the little one holding its head over them as a
cover! Can the sky ever fall and kill the birds! Can
these anchorites, these ritual-ridden priests, who try to
frighten me by a shower of words, ever succeed? "Suka,
the messenger, watched the heroics of Ravana for some
time. Then, he intercepted with the words, "Lord! What I
have now said is the full truth. Read well and carefully
the contents of that letter and act, without any sense of
resentment or pride. Listen! Give up the hostility you
have developed. Rama is very tender of heart and
compassionate. He is the master of the three worlds. If
only you approach him, he will take you under his
protection and guard you from harm. He will pardon all
your wrongs. Surrender Sita to Him. Give heed to my
prayer." The envoy pleaded plaintively that Ravana save
himself from ruin.
While he was pouring
out his pleas, Ravana's eyes reddened with anger and
shame. He roared in protest, "what! do you take me to be
a criminal! Did I send you, o fool, to go and surrender
at the feet of those prattling babies of the forest?
Audacity and impertinence cannot go further," and, rising
from the throne, he kicked the fellow out of the Hall.
The Rakshasa, Suka, fled to the camp of Rama and sought
refuge. But, the Vanaras seeing him again amidst them
were moved into revenge; however they restrained
themselves, and awaited the orders of Rama. Sugriva led
Suka to the presence of Rama. Suka prostrated before Rama
and related in detail his story and fate. He prayed that
he might be accepted as Vibhishana was accepted, and that
he might be protected by his new Master. Rama, as the
very embodiment of compassion, called to his presence the
leaders of the Vanaras, and directed them to welcome
their new brother, Suka. He too was overcome by gratitude
and he declared that his life had reached its
goal.
Then, Rama directed
Lakshmana to bring him the bow and arrow, and when he
brought them, Rama said, "Haughty persons deserve no
kindness; mischievously cruel persons deserve no
softness; misers by nature deserve no moral teaching;
egotistic persons deserve no advice, greedy persons
cannot benefit from insistence on renunciation; persons
stricken with anger deserve no counsel on being at peace;
lust-crazy victims deserve no scriptural readings; saline
fields deserve no seeds of grain. So too this Ocean that
does not yield to soft request deserves no mercy." So
saying, he fitted an arrow to his bow; at this, Lakshmana
was afraid what the consequence would be for the Ocean.
The Ocean too was rendered hot at the mere preparation to
shoot the arrow into its depths. The denizens of the deep
suffered extreme agony. As if terror-stricken, the waves
began screaming. Wave after wave rolled towards the place
where Rama stood and, gently lapped his feet, as if
praying for mercy. At that time, a Voice was heard as if
from the sky, "Lord! There are two generals in the
campus, Nala and Nila, who are targets of a curse
pronounced by a sage. That curse can now be used as a
blessing. Listen. The story can now be told". The Ocean
itself communicated the details of that dire incident to
Rama. [Picture:
Samudra assured Rama that Rama would be able to cross the
ocean]
"There were many
hermits living on a river bank in cottages. While young,
these two entered these hermitages; while the sages were
immersed in deep meditation, seizing the holy icons
called saligrams which they worshipped, they used to cast
them into the waters of the river. The sages were enraged
at this sacrilege and they cast a curse on them, in this
manner. 'Boys! May all things that you throw on water
never sink; may they float instead. And, may they remain
just where you have thrown them, even if the waters flow
fast in floods.' Therefore, every rock they throw will
float at the very place; have your Name inscribed on
every slab and rock. Your Name is light, not heavy at
all. Thus, even huge mountain peaks when thrown would
float and form a bridge. I shall also contribute my share
of help, for, when the search is for Truth, all Nature
must serve the seeker." Rama decided not to let go the
arrow he had fitted; but, since, his arrow, once fixed
had to find a target, he aimed it at a forest area in the
far distance and, as a result, it became a dry
desert.
Rama called together
the ministers and directed them to construct the bridge
across the Ocean. Hanuman said, "Lord! Your Name is the
bridge that can safely transport man across the Ocean of
Life. Which bridge can be stronger and safer than that?"
Jambavan, the aged General, said, "Lord! Your prowess,
which is a raging conflagration, can dry up this mass of
water; it is sure to be filled to the brim again by the
tears of the women widowed in Lanka during the coming
battle with Ravana and his armies."
Rama smiled at the
simple sincere loyalty and valour of these devotees.
Jambavan reminded Nala and Nila of the assurance given by
the unseen source, which was no other than the Ocean
itself, about the use that can now be made of curse they
had drawn upon themselves while young. He directed them
to install Rama in their hearts and throw hills,
hillocks, mountains and rocks into the sea. At this, the
Vanara heroes ran in all directions, and brought back
entire hills on their heads and shoulders, as if they
were as light as balls used for games. They stood in one
long line and passed the hills from shoulder to shoulder,
all the while repeating aloud the name of Rama. Off and
on, they also uprooted huge trees, and passed them onward
to the bridge site, where Nala and Nila were casting the
materials into the water.
[See
also: Space
images taken by NASA
reveal a mysterious ancient bridge in the Palk Strait
between India and Sri Lanka.]
The whole of that day
they worked without rest and with no thought of food or
sustenance. They built a length of 14
yojanas in one
day. Refreshed by a good night's sleep, they rose before
dawn, during the
Brahma Muhurtha
itself, and resumed work. They acclaimed with cheers,
"Jai to Sri Ramachandra, our Lord," and hurried to the
various corners of the land in search of hills and
mountains. They brought them on to the shore and piled
them there for being used by Nala and
Nila.
The second day, the
bridge was extended by another twenty yojanas; the next
day, they were able to build it for a further length of
twenty-one yojanas; the fourth day saw the bridge
extending over a further twenty-two yojanas. And, on the
fifth day, by constructing a further twenty-three
yojanas, they completed the 100-yojana bridge in another
successful spurt.
Thus, Nala and Nila,
unconcerned with exhaustion or the need for rest, intent
on fulfilling the task assigned by Rama for the
completion of his mission, were able to announce in the
presence of Rama that the bridge was ready, because his
Name and Form were ever before those who toiled for its
completion.
Rama was informed
through Sugriva that the hundred-yojana bridge, he had
resolved upon was finished and ready to be used. Rama and
Lakshmana were pleased at the devotion and sense of duty
of the Vanaras, who finished the job so soon and so well.
Rama directed the Ruler of the Monkeys, Sugriva, to pass
along the long line of Vanaras the order that each one
should deposit the hill he was transporting at the time,
at the very place he stood, and take a little rest before
returning to base. Sugriva conveyed the order to those
who were engaged in passing from shoulder to shoulder,
the boulders and peaks for the bridge.
Hanuman was at that moment
transporting a huge hill from the far north. When he
heard that Rama had ordered that it be deposited, he cast
it down, near Brindavana where he was at the time. He was
surprised to hear a loud wail from the fallen peak.
"Alas", it cried, "I have lost the chance of service to
Rama." It could not be consoled or comforted. When
Hanuman brought its condition to the notice of Rama, Rama
smiled in appreciation. He said, "Ah! Even mountains are
yearning anxiously to participate in this task!" He
expressed joy at their enthusiasm. He told Hanuman, "Go
quick. Console the hill. Tell it not to be sad. During
the coming
Dwapara Age, I
shall hold that hill high on my palm, for seven days and
nights. On hearing this, the peak will be happy". That
assurance made it the Govardhana Hill
[see
Bagavatha Vahini, Chapter
38], which
the Lord held aloft as promised in the
Tretha Age.
On the fifth day, Rama
sat on the seashore, and was delighted when he saw the
bridge. "0 Vanaras!", he said, "Your devotion and skill
in service are beyond description. By your sense of
dedication you have won my heart." At that time,
Vibhishana came into the presence and said, "Lord! We
have to enter Lanka tomorrow; so, I have a prayer to
place before you." Rama replied, "What is it? Tell me."
Vibhishana continued, "Ravana is a devout worshipper of
Siva.
He has intense attachment towards that aspect of Godhead.
Yet, it is certain he will meet death at your hands. I
pray that, to commemorate his devotion to Siva, you may,
on the eve of moving towards Lanka and entering it
through this bridge, install a Sivalinga
here, so that in coming centuries, when people enter
Lanka along this route, they can worship the Sivalinga
and remember these events. They would indeed be fortunate
to have such experience. The Linga would be extolled by
them as Rama Lingeswara, the Idol installed by Rama. And,
even when the bridge is eroded and crumbled by time, the
spot could be identified by future generations by means
of the Idol worshipped here." Rama was happy at the
suggestion. He said, "I shall fulfill your wish. You are
the future Ruler of Lanka, and in order to please you, I
am ready to carry out your wishes, whatever is involved."
At this, Sugriva directed the Vanaras to get all the
requisites for the installation; he procured an
impressive Linga sending Hanuman himself for the purpose.
Rama performed the ceremonial ablution for the Linga with
water from the sea and invoked Vitality and Grace into
It. Rama's words had the effect of
manthra or
sacred formula; so, nothing more was needed to sanctify
the Linga. The Vanaras uttered hymns and their ecstatic
shouts echoed from the heavens. Amidst the Jai Jai of the
hordes standing around, Lakshmana and Sugriva helped Rama
to plant the Linga in position and to complete the
ceremony of Consecration.
Then, the Vanaras
started marching over the bridge in regular formation,
with the picture of Rama in their minds and the name of
Rama on their tongues. The scene was inexpressibly
sublime. Rama and Lakshmana stood on the bridge and
looked at the sea surging on both sides. The presence of
Rama, the Ocean of Compassion, raised the spirits of the
Ocean below. Waves rose to catch a glimpse of Rama; the
denizens of the sea peeped over the waters and frolicked
in joy at the sight of Rama. They discarded their natures
and stared long and hungrily at the Divine Form of Rama.
The Vanaras had prepared a camp on the Lanka end of the
bridge; so, when the vanguard reached the heights, the
news spread throughout the island. Very soon, Rama,
Lakshmana, Sugriva and Vibhishana, who crossed at a slow
pace, also reached the main gate of the fort of Lanka.
Accepting the orders of Rama, the Vanaras plucked entire
trees, and dancing in joy, they ate the fruits and cast
the branches and twigs over the battlements into the City
itself. They heaved huge boulders over the wall and
dropped them into the streets beyond. They sought out
Rakshasas moving about alone outside the fort; they
teased and tormented them, threatening to wring their
necks. Such pranks of the monkeys could not be
restrained.
Very soon, news reached
Ravana that the enemy was at the gate. Though possessed
of ten throats, Ravana was using only one throat so far
to communicate with others; but, now, he roared through
all the ten, in anger and hate. He did not remember that
it was a bad omen to speak through the ten throats! There
was a curse laid on him long ago, that when he spoke
through all the ten his end would draw near. Within a few
seconds of the roar, he recollected the curse and was
frightened at the fact. But, however much he attempted to
control the other throats, his voice came out of all the
ten. The Rakshasas who noted this strange occurrence
inferred that his destruction was imminent, now that Rama
and his Vanara armies had entered Lanka. They sat amidst
their wives and children and lamented that their lives
would end that day or the next. They decided to use the
little time they had at their disposal in merry-making
and pleasure. When calamity approaches, discrimination
departs, says the proverb.
Even when he knew that
the curse was coming true, Ravana dismissed the warning,
and told himself that nothing evil would happen to him.
He moved into the Queen's apartments, for, he was afraid
the Ministers might read from his fallen face that he was
overcome by the awareness of the curse. Ravana sank with
himself through anxiety and agony. "Will they, as when my
sister fell into their hands, slice off the noses and
ears of my ten heads? Or, will they slice off the heads
themselves?" These fears haunted him.
He saw Mandodari, the
Queen, in the apartment. Her eyes discovered that Ravana
had become forlorn. She decided to administer wise
counsel to him. She held his hands in hers and, in a
soft, smooth and sweet voice, she said "Lord! Please
listen to me, give up your anger; pay heed to my words.
Think over them carefully. Those whom we can win over by
reverence and devotion, we should not plan to win over by
hatred and opposition. In such circumstances, we have to
resort to intelligent reasoning. It will not bring any
good, if we oppose such sacred persons. You cannot
achieve victory if you encounter Rama; the glow-worm
cannot vanquish the Sun. Listen to me. Take Sita, at
least this moment, and, while returning her safe,
prostrate before him and pray for pardon. Do not ruin
your life and destroy Lanka and sacrifice the lives of
its women and children. Persisting in your resolve to
fight is not in line with the devotion and dedication to
God that you are famous for. If you hold fast to this
horrid decision, even Siva, whom you have pleased
hitherto, is sure to give you up. Good deeds alone can
win the grace of God; how can God reward and appreciate
such heinous acts?"
Mandodari spoke in this
strain for a long time trying to mend his ways and to
save him from destruction. "Lord! You are as dear to me
as my own life. Pay heed. Rama is no ordinary human
prince. He is the very person who destroyed
Madhu and
Kaitabha come
again! He killed
Hiranyaksha
[see
SB: C3-13]
and Hiranyakasipu
[see
SB: C3-17].
He is the Lord who trampled on the head of Emperor Bali.
He demolished the pride of the thousand-armed
Karthaviryarjuna. Then why boast of the prowess of your
mere twenty? He is worshipped by the entire world; he is
of the most auspicious form. A long time ago, you had
yourselves told me that Brahma had told you that God
would incarnate as Rama in order to relieve the earth of
the burden of cruelty and vice. Do you not remember?
Aware of all this, how is it that you do not give up this
path, and recognize the truth? Return to Rama the Acme of
Chastity, the Diadem of the Virtuous, the Incomparable
Jewel of beauty, Sita; then let us crown our son as
Emperor of this realm and spend the rest of our days in
peace and plentiful joy in the immediate presence of
Rama. Ah! How fortunate is your brother! He is moving in
the cool shade of Rama's grace. It is not too late. At
this very moment, hasten towards Rama who is at the very
entrance of Lanka and fall at his feet, praying for
pardon".
Mandodari was in tears
when she spoke thus; she rolled at the feet of her lord,
appealing to him to be warned in good time and to take
immediate measures to rescue himself and his empire, his
people and his fame. Ravana raised her to her feet and
wiped her eyes. He said, "Dear one! Why are you agitated
thus? Wherefrom all this fear, this lack of courage?
There is no one more powerful than me in the world. The
rulers of the eight directions have been defeated by the
might of my arm. Death dare not step near me. Do not
yield to fear. You are extolling that weakling Rama in my
hearing unaware of the depth and extent of my might".
With these words, he left the Queen and entered the
Audience Hall, where he promptly sat on the throne.
Mandodari noticed his movements and the trend of his
thoughts; she said to herself, "What a fool! This is the
inevitable fate of persons who do not give up their false
pride. Good counsel cannot enter their minds. When one is
suffering from fever, sweet things taste bitter. He is
now having the poisonous fever of pride; therefore,
nectarine counsel is rejected by him, as if it is poison.
What more can I do now?" She pictured in her mind the
calamities and sorrows that were in store for Lanka. She
felt that, before witnessing and sharing in all that
misery and grief, it would be better to end life itself.
With a heavy heart and with thoughts of Rama filling her,
she went into her room and threw herself on the
bed.
Meanwhile, Ravana sent
for his ministers and set about making preparations for
the battle that was imminent. "Rakshasas!", he accosted,
"The Vanaras, the Jambavanthas, and the men who are now
attacking us are not even a morsel for our maws. Do not
lose courage, hesitate or argue. Plunge into the fight.
Get ready", he yelled. But, Prahastha stood up from his
seat, and with folded palms, he said, "Rakshasas! Let us
not desert the right path. Lord! These ministers of yours
speak words that are in line with your desire. But, that
will not ensure success. One solitary monkey crossed the
ocean and coming into our City performed many a wonderful
feat. At that time, these ministers and these armies
could not put an end to his destructive antics. You say
monkeys are but morsels for our maws. Well, when that
monkey was here, where were those maws? Did they have no
hunger? When it burnt the City into a heap of ashes,
these ministers had evidently no appetite to eat it!
Lord! The words that fall from the lips of these
ministers might appear very pleasant to you now but they
will bring about dire calamities as time moves on. Think
about all this in the quiet hours. Rama has struck camp
on our Suneela Mountain; he came over the sea through a
bridge they constructed; he has with him an army of
uncounted numbers of Vanaras. Can such a person be a mere
man? Give up that surmise if you believe so. Do not
prattle as the tongue, that is let loose, talks. Do not
welcome into your ears the rhetoric of these ministers.
Do not also condemn me as a coward, afraid of battle.
Believe in me and in the aptness and urgency of my
advice. Take Sita with you now itself and surrender her
to him, praying for pardon. That step will save us and
save Lanka. We can then claim that we have rescued our
tribe from destruction. This is the triumph we can
achieve. Or else, face defeat and disaster. Get ready
this very moment; your renown will last until the Sun and
Moon endure. Do not acquire a name that will be execrated
so long as the Sun and Moon
endure".
contents
of this Vahini
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