We had seen the battle in its final leg between Rama and Ravana progressing along. The final phase of the battle which we have arrived between the two very powerful equals on the opposite sides is one for the ages. Ravana gets slight upper hand initially as he hits the chariot send by Indra and also injures Rama, transporting him to immense anger. On seeing the rage of the Rama provoked by Ravana all beings were seized with terror, the earth shook, the mountains trembled, the trees swayed to and fro and the oceans agitated. All the worlds and the celestials descend to watch the intense battle between the two in a spot of bother anxious about the distance it will go and the outcome it may yield. As the battle moves ahead, Rama is further angered as his aerial shafts are reduced to ashes by Ravana’s spear. Then Rama took up his spear bought by Matali, wielding it with his powerful arm, released it with its sonorous bells lighting up the sky like a brilliant meteor. In its flight, colliding with the spear belonging to Ravana, shattered it by the impact piercing his defense. Thereafter, Rama pierced Ravana’s swiftly-moving steeds with shafts loosed with great force which flew straight to their target. Displaying all his strength, Rama wounded Ravana, his whole body pierced with arrows and covered with blood, which flowed from wounds in all his limbs. It will be the turn of Ravana to fill with rage and we can see in the following chapters how it progresses from here and brought about the end of Ravana.
In chapter 105, a ferocious battle ensues between Rama and Ravana, hurling thousands of arrows on each other. Each one intercepts the other's arrows. Rama speaks harsh words to Ravana for having carried away Sita from Janasthana-forest to Lanka and vows that he will soon dispatch him surely to the world of death. Rama then pours down streams of arrows on Ravana. Rama more vehemently torments Ravana with his sharp arrows and mystic missiles till Ravana becomes helplessly weak and confused. Ravana's charioteer carries away Ravana in the chariot, calmly and slowly away from the battle-front.
Grievously wounded by the wrathful Rama, Ravana, that proud warrior fell into a great rage. His eyes flaming with anger, that titan raised his bow in a paroxysm of fury and in that great combat, overwhelmed Raghava with blows. Like unto a heavy shower, Ravana deluged Rama as clouds fill a pond. Drowned in a rain of arrows loosed from the titan’s bow in the fight, Rama stood firm like unto a mighty mountain.
Then that hero, resolute in combat, with his shafts deflected the succession of darts which fell upon him like unto the rays of the sun. Thereafter, with a skilled hand, the ranger of the night, in fury, struck the breast of the magnanimous Raghava with thousands of darts and the elder brother of Lakshmana, covered with blood, looked like a huge Kimshuka Tree in flower in the forest. His wrath roused by the wounds he had received, the exceedingly powerful Rama armed himself with shafts the lustre of which resembled the sun’s at the end of the world period; and Rama and Ravana, both transported with anger, became invisible to each other on the battlefield that was darkened by their shafts.
Thereafter at the height of fury, the valiant son of Dasaratha addressed his adversary in these mocking and ironic words: "Ravana, just because you stole my wife from Janasthana while I was away, it does not make you a hero. You swagger in vain. Stealer of women you, who have broken every code of dharma and have committed every possible sin, invite your own death. May jackals drag away your severed head and hawks drink your blood."
Every weapon appeared ready to be commanded by Rama. Ravana cowered, was unable to answer the rain of weapons and pained by the shower of rocks hurled by the vanaras. Finally, when Ravana's charioteer saw that his master was standing confused and about to die, he quietly drove away from the battlefield.
In chapter 106, Ravana reproached the charioteer for having turned back his chariot away from the battle-field. The charioteer explains to Ravana, the various reasons as to why he has taken back the chariot. Satisfied with the explanation given by his charioteer, Ravana instructs him to take the chariot back to the battle-field. Thereupon, the charioteer brings the chariot in an instant before Rama on the battle-field.
When Ravana realized that he was being led away impelled by fate and urged by death, he protested violently, "Vile wretch. How dare you drive me away making me seem a coward in the eyes of the mightiest of warriors who were watching? Your act befits an enemy and not friend. Take me back before the enemy comes chasing me." The charioteer contradicted Ravana's foolish tirade, "Worn out and weary from long hours of war, you were confused. The horses were weary and everything was going against you. I did it to save you and out of love for you." Relieved and rewarding the charioteer with a jewel, Ravana asked to be taken back to kill his enemies, whom he never spared. Urged on by Ravana’s command, the charioteer whipped his steeds into a gallop and, in an instant, the great chariot belonging to that Indra among the Titans stood once again before Rama in the field.
In chapter 107, Sage Agastya advises Rama to recites the 'Aditya Hridaya', a collection of verses in praise of the sun God, with a view to gaining victory.
Meanwhile, seeing Rama exhausted by the fight, standing absorbed in thought on the battlefield, and Ravana, facing him, preparing to begin the encounter anew, the blessed Agastya who had joined the Gods, and also come there to witness the great combat, approached that hero and said
“Rama, O Long-armed Warrior, hearken to the eternal secret which will enable you to overcome all thine adversaries. It is none other than the ‘Hymn to the Sun’ (Aditya-hridaya), O Dear Child, it is sacred, capable of subduing the foe and brings victory; this prayer is eternal, imperishable, exalted and auspicious, the delight of the good, the destroyer of all ills, the allayer of fear and anxiety, the increaser of life and the most excellent of all verses.
“O Raghava, he who recites this hymn in the time of peril, in the midst of the wilderness or in any danger does not succumb to it. Do you offer a deep devotion to that God of Gods, the Lord of the World! He who recites this hymn three times will be victorious! O Long-armed Warrior, the hour has come when you will triumph over Ravana!”
Having spoken thus, Agastya returned whence he had come. These words dispelled the grief of the illustrious Raghava who felt himself fortified, full of ardour and well pleased. Thereafter meditating on Aditya he recited the hymn and experienced supreme felicity. Having rinsed his mouth three times and purified himself, that hero took up his bow. Seeing Ravana, he rejoiced and advanced towards him in order to enter into combat, calling up his whole strength with the intention of slaying him.
At that instant the Deity of the Sun, amidst the Host of the Gods, knowing that the destruction of the Lord of the Rangers of the Night was at hand, casting glances of joy and supreme satisfaction on Rama, approached him and said,“Put forth thine whole strength.”
In chapter 108, Seeing Ravana's chariot coming, Rama asks Matali the charioteer to be on his guard. Bad omens prognosticating the fall of Ravana and good omens predicting the victory of Rama appeared in the scene of battle-field.
Rama stood ready. As Ravana's chariot hove into site, Matali said, "Look at the magnificent black horses, the clanging of bells and the speed of his chariot. He races towards his doom." Once again the omens of ill appeared, heralding the death of the rakshasa king. An eerie dusk plunged Lanka into gloom. The earth under Ravana's chariot shuddered, rain fell from cloudless skies and Ravana's steed shed tears. In whatever direction the titan drove, the earth shook and the limbs of his soldiers appeared as if paralysed. The rays of the sun falling before Ravana seemed to him coppery, yellow and white, like unto mountain ores, and the vultures and jackals who pursued him, their jaws vomiting flames, began to howl on beholding his lugubrious and downcast mien distorted with anger. Contrary winds blew raising clouds of dust on the battlefield, so that the King of the Titans was unable to distinguish anything. Indra loosed his thunderbolts on all sides on his army with an unendurable sound, without a single threatening doud appearing; all the cardinal points were enveloped in darkness and a dense cloud of dust hid the sky. Dreadful birds fought desperately among themselves, falling in hundreds before his chariot, emitting fearful cries. From his horses’ flanks sparks flew continually and from their eyes tears fell, fire and water thus issuing from them simultaneously. Many other terrifying portents, foretelling Ravana’s death, appeared.
To Rama appeared as many good omens as did the bad for Ravana. Ecstatic at thoughts of soon seeing Sita, Rama fought with great delight.
In chapter 109, Loosing arrows at each other, Rama and Ravana perform a fierce battle. Ravana's flag-staff is thrown down by Rama's arrows. When Rama begins to cut off Ravana's head, another head starts to crop up in its place. The fierce encounter continues thus for seven days.
Then the desperate duel of chariots between Rama and Ravana broke out with increased fury so that all the worlds were seized with terror. The battalions of titans and innumerable companies of monkeys stood motionless with weapons in their hands and, beholding those two warriors, man and titan, all were amazed, their hearts beating rapidly. Ready for combat, their arms filled with every kind of missile, they stood absorbed in the spectacle, forgetting to loose their shafts at one another, and the titans had their eyes riveted on Ravana and the monkeys on Rama so that both armies took on a strange aspect.
Meanwhile, witnessing those portents, both Raghava and Ravana, steady, resolute and full of anger, fought with determined courage. ‘I shall triumph’ reflected Rama, ‘I must die’ thought Ravana and both displayed their full strength with assurance in the encounter.
Rama and Ravana fought with an increasing supply of weapons and, in the struggle, they showered down their spears without pause to right and left, so that these formidable weapons covered the firmament; Rama striking Ravana’s steeds and Ravana striking those belonging to Rama; thus, both exchanged blow for blow and both, in the height of anger, entered upon a tremendous duel causing the hair to stand on end. Then with sharpened arrows Rama and Ravana continued their combat and, contemplating his broken standard, Ravana was consumed with rage.
The war went on and when Matali was hurt by an arrow Rama grew angry, while the sages and gods prayed for Ravana's quick annihilation. As missiles flews and weapons shot through the air, one among them severed one of Ravanas's heads. Even as the three worlds stared at it in awe, a new head grew back. So it went on. Though Rama severed them a hundred and one times, they kept growing back. Ravana continued to live and Rama continued to wonder why his arrows that had killed the mightiest of rakshasas now flew in vain.
In chapter 110, On the advice of Matali the charioteer, Rama employs on Ravana, a mystic missile presided over by Brahma. That arrow penetrates Ravana's heart and kills him. Ravana falls down dead from his chariot to the earth.
At that moment, Matali sought to recall Raghava’s thoughts, saying:“How is it that you dost act in regard to Ravana as if you were unaware of thine own powers? In order to bring about his end, discharge Brahma’s Weapon upon him, O Lord! Foretold by the Gods, the hour of his doom is at hand!”
Prompted by Matali, Rama took up a flaming shaft that was hissing like a viper, formerly bestowed on him by the magnanimous and powerful Sage Agastya. A gift of the Grandsire, that weapon never missed its target and it had been created of yore by Brahma for Indra and bestowed on the King of the Gods for the conquest of the Three Worlds. In its wings was the wind, in its point the fire and the sun, in its haft space, and, in size, it resembled the Mountains Meru and Mandara. With its marvellous point, haft and gilding, it was composed of the essence of all the elements and was as resplendent as the sun. Resembling the Fire of Time enveloped in smoke, it was like unto an enormous snake and was capable of riving men, elephants, horses, gateways, bars and even rocks. Dreadful to behold, covered with blood from countless victims, coated with their flesh and of the temper of lightning, it emitted a thunderous sound. The disperser of hosts, it created universal alarm, and hissing like a great serpent, it was exceedingly formidable. In war, it was the provider of nourishment to herons, vultures, cranes and hordes of jackals; it was a form of death itself, the sower of terror, the delight of the monkeys, the scourge of the titans and its wings were composed of innumerable brightly colored plumes, like unto Garuda’s.
That marvellous and powerful shaft that was to destroy the titan was the object of terror to the worlds, the remover of the fear of the supporters of the Ikshvakus, the depriver of the glory of the foe, and it filled Rama with delight. Having charged it with the sacred formula, the valiant Rama of indescribable prowess placed that excellent weapon on his bow according to the method prescribed by the Veda and, when he made ready, all beings were seized with terror and the earth shook. Enraged, he stretched his bow with force and, deploying his whole strength, discharged that weapon, the destroyer of the vital parts, on Ravana, and that irresistible shaft like unto lightning, irrevocable as fate, loosed by the arm of one equal to the God who bears the Thunderbolt, struck Ravana’s breast. Loosed with exceeding force, that missile, the supreme destroyer, pierced the breast of the wicked-hearted titan and, covered with blood, that fatal dart having extinguished his vital breaths, buried itself in the earth. Thereafter, having slain Ravana, that shaft, stained with blood which dripped therefrom, its purpose accomplished, returned submissively to the quiver.
And Dashagriva, who had been struck down suddenly, let his bow and arrow fall from his hand as he yielded up his breath. Bereft of life, that Indra of the Nairritas of redoubtable valour and great renown, fell from his chariot as Vritra when struck by Indra’s thunderbolt.
Seeing him stretched on the ground, the rangers of the night who had escaped the carnage, struck with terror, their sovereign being slain, fled in all directions and, from every side, the monkeys who, in the presence of the dead Dashagriva had assumed a victorious air, hurled themselves upon them, armed with trees. Harassed by the monkey divisions, the titans, terror-stricken, took refuge in Lanka and, having lost their lord, in despair, gave way to tears.
The blessed Raghava, by slaying that Bull among the Titans, fulfilled the ambitions of Sugriva, Angada and Vibhishana; peace reigned over all; the cardinal points were stilled; the air became pure, the earth ceased to tremble, the wind blew gently and the star of the day regained its full glory.
At that instant, Sugriva, Vibhishana and Angada, the foremost of his friends, and Lakshmana also, approached that happy conqueror and joyfully offered him due homage. Rama, the delight of the House of Raghu, surrounded by his adherents on the battlefield, having slain his adversary by his extraordinary power, resembled Mahendra amidst the Celestial Host.
This concludes chapters 105, 106, 107, 108, 109 and 110 of Yuddha Kanda where we had seen the war progressing and finally ends with slaying of Ravana through a Brahmastra from Rama. The war oscillates back and forth, brings out the rage from each of the opponents, the charioteer of Ravana carries him away and returns him back, Rama prays the Sun God with Aditya Hridayam hymn, many bad portents appear for Ravana and the missile by Brahma, released by Rama in all strength which has no defeat pierces the heart of Ravana, rendering him lifeless. The death brings an end to the war as Lanka crumbles and the vanara army led by Rama rejoices. The ambitions of Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman, Sugriva, Angada, Vibhishana etc. are all fulfilled at that instant which restored order to the world by ending the rule of the wicked. We can look at the aftermath of Ravana’s death in the subsequent chapters.
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