In the last post we had seen Rama constructing a bridge across the ocean with the help of Nala and the vanara army. It might not be like the small and famous modern day landmark Golden gate bridge over Pacific Ocean but a similar one in the sense of bridging two land masses separated by ocean to reach Lanka. With the help of the passage provided by this bridge, Rama and his army got an opportunity to descend upon Lanka in huge numbers and unmatched strength to fully come prepared for a full-blown war with Ravana. Rama can foresee the decimation in huge numbers on both the sides and was eager to commence the battle to avoid the troubling thoughts. Suka and Sarana, the two spies of Ravana who are in Rama’s camp implores Ravana to give up on the enmity with Rama and importantly give away Sita along with his anger. Ever in illusion about Rama and never accepting his subordinate powers, Ravana dismisses the fears of Suka and Sarana and reprimands them similar to the treatment given to Vibhishana.
Sita as the wife of Rama is a very important force behind his journey. Sita is a very big instrument in the life of Rama and enforcing Ramayana to annihilate Rakshasas. Ramayana is timeless epic because it tells the stories of timeless characters. A spouse akin to Sita is extremely relevant to any man and his journey to achieve anything in the world. Without Sita, Rama is alone and irrelevant to his cause behind taking a birth in human form. Protecting Sita is his biggest duty in his exile and rescuing Sita is the cause for waging the biggest battle to rid the world of cruel nature. Giving away a person seemingly so insignificant like Sita to stop the war can be simple action for Ravana. But his inability to exercise this easy action to prevent a catastrophic war and waging a heavy battle instead tells about the huge significance of divine mother Sita. So many of his own men cajoles Ravana to give away Sita but the purity of the divine force and cruelty of his wickedness comes in between to reply in disagreement. Ravana fails to mend ways time and again which can be seen in following post as well, as the spies Sarana and Suka gives their account of Rama and the vanara army.
In chapter 27, Sarana continues to describe the individual strengths of the various commanders in the army of monkeys, mentioning their names one by one, in detail.
Sarana continued to enlighten Ravana about the enemy, "Look at them who have come to fight for Rama. Unafraid of death and ready to die for him, they are here. There is Hara, leader of an army a thousand billion strong and achiever of the impossible. See the countless black bears whose mammoth bodies are storehouses of power. Inhabitants of riverbanks and mighty mountains, they descend upon you like the endless ocean. The mightiest among the mighty is Jambavan. Dhumra is his brother and lord of the bears. Sannadna, an ancestor of the vanaras, has no compare either in size nor might among any of the four species of animals on earth. Born of Agni and a braggart, he has come down from his home in the Himalayas to reduce Lanka to rubble. Legions are those, like Gaja, Gavaksha, Nala and Nila, whose devotion to Rama is so absolute that they will not hesitate to even give up their lives for him."
In chapter 28, Suka in his turn enumerates the enemies and completes the account given by Sarana.
After Sarana, it was Suka's turn to describe the army from across the seas. "Ravana, do you see those vanaras large as elephants and lofty as the trees that grow along the river Ganga? Born of gods and gandharvas, they are invincible warriors gifted with magical skills. The twins, Mainda and Dwivida, are virtually indestructible, while Sumukha and Durmukha are the sons of Yama and his equals.
He, who stands apart and looks like an intoxicated elephant is Hanuman. His anger can even torment the seas. As powerful and as free as the restless winds, there is no place on earth beyond his reach. As a child, he mistook the sun for a fruit and in his attempts to eat it, he fell on the Udaya mountain, dented his chin and earned the name Hanuman. His might, his form and his power are eternal and he too wants to lay Lanka in ruin all by himself.
Standing near him is the divine one with eyes like lotus petals, dusky of skin and divine, he is born of the race of Ikshavaku and the most renowned of them all. Sita whom you stole from Janasthana is his wife. So righteous is he that dharma refuses to part with him, just as he refuses to part with it. Best among vedic scholars, master of every weapon, he can even shatter mountains. His anger equals Yama's and his might that of Indra's. He is Rama and he is here to wage war on you.
Standing next to him is Lakshmana, handsome, golden hued, an indomitable warrior, scholar and quick to anger. To Rama, Lakshmana is dearer to him than his own life, while Lakshmana is ever ready to give up his life for Rama. He who stands to the left of Rama is Vibhishana. Crowned king of Lanka by Rama and angry with you, he too comes to fight you. Standing between them is Sugriva, who stands out amongst all the vanaras like the Himalayas among mountains, because of his boundless energy, intelligence, glory and nobility. He lives in Kishkinda, an impregnable fort like city carved out of a mountain. After Vali's death, Rama conferred upon him the kingdom of Kishkinda.
Ravana, one hundred thousand is known as a lakh.One hundred lakhs a koti, one hundred thousand kotis is a sankha, one hundred thousand sankhas, a mahasankha, one hundred thousand mahasankhas, a brinda, one hundred thousand brindas, a mahabrinda, one hundred thousand mahabrindas, a padma, one hundred thousand mahapadmas, a kharva, one hundred thousand majakarvas, a samudra, one hundred thousand majasamudras, an ogha, and one hundred thousand oghas, a mahaoghas. A thousand each of those staggering numbers along with Vibhishana and Sugriva march upon Lanka. Prepare to face the ocean of enemy army that dazzles like a meteorite. Prepare to win and not lose."
In chapter 29, Ravana reprimands Suka and Sarana, asking them to leave the assembly. He again sends some spies to the place of Rama and Lakshmana. Those spies were caught by Vibhishana and the monkeys start harassing them. But the compassionate Rama gets them released and the spies reach back Lanka.
Ravana beheld the unending vanara armies and felt a flicker of fear race through him. Shaken and angry, he lashed out at Suka and Sarana. Resenting their description of the enemy, in a voice strangulated with rage he thundered, "How can they living under the patronage of their king who can make or break them be so indiscrete? Not only do you bring me bad news, but admire and praise my enemy. It is by god's grace that I am even alive in spite of foolish ministers like you. Traitors that you are, you deserve death, but memories of your past services plead for pardon. So I forgive you, but banish you from here. Bereft of my friendship and living the life of ingrates is in itself like death. Go away from me."
Ravana commanded a new set of spies to bring him news of Rama, who led by Sardula slipped into enemy lines at mount Suvela. Even as they stood stunned at the sheer numbers, Vibhishana recognized them. Condemned as spies and about to be put to death, they were saved by Rama and set free. The chastised rakshasas quickly reached Ravana to tell him of the invading vanaras.
In chapter 30, dispatched by the king Ravana to ascertain the strength of the army in the opposition-camp, Sardula the demon-spy acquaints his master with the important leaders of the monkeys.
Ravana once again heard of Rama's incredible strength and his implacable army of ceaseless millions. Even as fear streaked through him, the spies quaking with terror said, "Mighty, valorous and protected by Rama, the vanara armies are impervious to being spied upon. Every direction is guarded and even before we looked around we were caught, beaten and bloodied. It is Rama who saved us from the vanaras and death. Before he reaches the ramparts of Lanka, do one thing or the other. Either give up Sita or prepare to fight."
Ravana who had no such intentions said that he would rather face the combined forces of devas and danavas than give up Sita. He asked, "Now tell me Sardula who is the strongest of them all? Whose sons and grandsons are they and what are their skills?" Sardula told Ravana of Vibhishana, Hanuman, Sugriva and the others, saying that born of the devas, fierce and fearless, those millions were beyond count and to name them all would be impossible. Then in hushed tones of great awe he said, "Slayer of the most fearful of rakshasas, Rama is young, handsome and the son of Dasaratha. So sublime are his qualities that none on this earth can do justice in describing them. Lakshmana is Rama's brother, strong as an elephant and sharp as an arrow. He is invincible."
In chapter 31, 32, Agitated to learn that Rama had arrived in Lanka and is stationed at Suvela mountain along with his army, Ravana confers with his ministers and after dismissing them, approaches Sita with Vidyuthjihva, knower of conjuring tricks. Informing Sita that her husband along with his army had been killed in battle, he produces before her an illusive Rama's head along with bow and arrows created with Vidyuthjihva’s conjuring trick. Thus, Ravana deceives Sita about the death of Rama. Ravana is abruptly called away by an emissary and after consultation with his ministers, prepares his army for action against the forces of Rama.
When Ravana heard of Rama's arrival, a secret fear filled his heart. He sent for Vidyuthjihva, the master magician. He was to delude Sita into believing that Rama was no longer alive by creating illusions of Rama's head and his bow. Vidyuthjihva agreed. Richly rewarding him for his quick consent, Ravana took him to Ashokavana. Beholding Sita wasted and weeping, Ravana said, "Beautiful one, he because of whom you rejected me is no more. I have destroyed that which had supported your arrogance and tamed you of it. What do you have to do with the dead, Janaki? Come, be my bride and the queen of my queens. Rama who had come to slay me has himself been slain on the sands of the ocean at sunset. He along with Sugriva, Hanuman and the vanara generals were destroyed in the dark of night.
Rama and his army were killed by Prahastha, while Lakshmana and others fled in every direction. Vibhishana has been captured while trying to escape, Sugriva lies with a broken neck and Hanuman is dead. Jambavan's severed body is lifeless and the mightiest of the vanara army are no more. Calling out to Vidyuthjihva, Ravana said, "Let the wretched woman see the fate of her husband". To Sita he said, "Prahastha not only killed Rama, but brought back these. You are now mine." As Sita gazed at Rama's head, tormented by an unbearable anguish she cried out, "Kaikeyi, merciless woman, your wish has come true. Rama, the Ikshvaku heir, is dead. You have destroyed that race. Cladding Rama in bark robes, you cast him and me into the dark jungles. What harm had Rama, who is adored by the world, done to you to warrant that?"
Falling to the ground like a struck sapling she wailed, "Aware of every danger and an embodiment of dharma, how did you fall prey to this? Ravana do one good deed, unite me with Rama for I cannot live without him. Do let me be cremated with him." As Sita wept and Ravana watched, a messenger announced the arrival of Prahastha and Ravana left. The moment he went away, Rama's head and bow also vanished.
In chapter 33, An ogre named Sarama reassures Sita by telling her that Ravana, the conjurer created an illusory appearance of Rama's head and exhibited it before her.
Sarama, one of the demons guarding Sita, loved her prisoner. Full of compassion for her who lay spent and dust covered, she gently said, "Hiding myself for fear of Ravana, I heard all that he had to say to you and heard your reply to him. Now let me tell you why Ravana left you in such a hurry. To slay Rama in the dark of night is not possible. To deceive him is impossible and to destroy the strongest of vanaras protected by him inconceivable. Ravana, whose enmity towards man and creature is equal, created the illusion of Rama's head to frighten you into submission. It is now time for you to rejoice and the rakshasas to fear as Rama and Lakshmana are already here. Even as Sarama spoke, the drums of war boomed and she said, "Those drums that thunder are the call to arms sweet lady. Invoke the sun god Surya, sustainer of all creatures, for Rama's victory."
This concludes chapters 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 of Yuddha Kanda where we had seen Ravana refusing forever to heed to his own men about the strength of enemy and submit before them. The spies Sarana, Suka and Sardula tells the true picture of Rama’s army which has come to the backyard of Ravana. They implore to give away Sita as well but the pleas fell nowhere as Ravana was not prepared to hear the glory of Rama and banished his men. In addition, he devises a trick with the help of the one Vidyuthjihva to create an illusion of Rama’s death before Sita. When you fail to listen to truth and reprimand, banish; when you create an illusion of Rama’s death to deceive Sita into submission, your mistakes are complete to ascertain your heightened wicked nature to put you in a war against the man of dharma on a righteous path. Now, Ravana is beyond the line to prevent a war and fully qualified for annihilation with all his mistakes and ego. He listens to none and continues treading a wrong path beyond correction. A full blown battle is near his doorstep and we can see last few episodes before the war in subsequent chapters.
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