Chapter 22 - The Army crosses the Sea

Thereafter the Prince of the Raghus addressed the Ocean in menacing tones, saying:—

“To-day I shall dry up the sea with the nether regions! O Sagara, with your waters consumed by my shafts, your denizens slain by my blows, a great cloud of dust will arise from your drained bed and the monkeys will cross to the other shore on foot!

“You have sought to oppose me but art unaware of my valour or my strength! O Abode of the Danavas, being full of pride, you canst not foresee your fate!”

Thereafter, fixing an arrow resembling the Rod of Brahma and placing it on his excellent bow, Raghava stretched that weapon, and heaven and earth seemed to be riven, as it were, and the mountains trembled, darkness covered the earth and all the regions were obscured. Tremors ran through the lakes and rivers; the sun, moon and stars swerved in their course and though the sky was lit by the sun’s rays, it was enveloped in darkness and blazed with a hundred meteors, whilst thunder reverberated with an unparalleled sound in the firmament. The five celestial Maruts blew and like massed legions tore up the trees, dispersing the clouds in the twinkling of an eye, breaking off the points of the rocks and shattering the mountain peaks. In the sky, loud thunder daps resounded with immense power and tumult. The invisible beings emitted cries of fear and, lying prostrate on the earth in their agony, shook with terror, convulsed and unable to move. Thereafter the Ocean with its mass of water, serpents and demons surged beyond its confines to the extent of a league, though the time of the final deluge was not yet at hand; nevertheless Rama, the descendant of Raghu, scourge of his foes, did not retreat before the disordered heavings of that Lord of Rivers and Streams !

Sagara himself rose out of the waves, like the day’s orb rising over the eastern mountain, Meru, and that Ocean appeared with the Pannagas of flaming jaws and he was of the hue of emerald, adorned with gold; wreaths of pearls festooned his attire and on his head he bore a diadem of every kind of flower; ornaments of refined gold and pearls from his domain were his decoration. Covered with gems and metals of every kind, resembling the Himavat Mountain, the waters surging round him, he was encircled by the clouds and winds, while the rivers Ganga and Sindhu were his escorts.

Rising, the noble Sagara, escorted by the rivers with the Ganga and Indus at their head, approached Rama with joined palms, who stood arrows in hand, and, reflecting awhile the Ocean said:—

“Earth, wind, air, water and fight, O Beloved Raghava, remain fixed in their own nature. Neither from desire nor ambition nor fear, O Prince, nor from affection am I able to solidify my waters inhabited by sharks; nevertheless I will make it possible for you to cross over them! This is my resolve—the sharks will remain inactive while the army makes its way across and, for the monkeys, I shall become like the earth!”

On this, Rama said to him:—“Hear me, O You who art the refuge of Varuna! This arrow of mine must accomplish its intended end! Where shall I let this mighty shaft fall?”

Hearing Rama’s words and seeing that formidable missile, the exceedingly powerful Ocean replied:—

“To the north of this place is a sacred region, Drumakulya, a name as renowned in the world as thine own! There innumerable robbers of fearful aspect and deeds, having Abhiras as their chief, drink my waters. The vicinity of those perverse beings is intolerable to me; it is there, O Rama, that you should loose your shaft that never misses its target.”

Thus spoke the magnanimous Sagara and Rama, in accord with his wish, let fly that marvellous dart in his presence. And the place, where that arrow resembling a flash of lightning fell, is known in the world as the desert of Maru. The earth pierced by that dart emitted a loud cry and from its gaping wound the waters of hell gushed forth. As the arrow fell, it created a thunderous sound and the deep crater which is known as Vrana was filled with the water of the deeper springs; it seemed as if the earth was riven and wells and ponds appeared there. This place became known as Marukantara and is famous in the Three Worlds. Thereafter Rama, the son of Dasaratha, having dried up the waters of the ocean, conferred a boon, saying:—

“This place shall be rich in pasturage and free from disease; it will abound in fruit, roots, honey, ghee and milk and be fragrant with aromatic herbs; thus it will remain retaining those excellent qualities!”

In this way the Desert of Maru came to possess these manifold features and by the grace of Rama’s liberality, assumed a pleasant aspect. When the waters had been dried up, Samudra, the Lord of Streams and Rivers, said to Raghava, who was skilled in the use of weapons:—

“My Friend, there stands Nala, the son of Vishvakarma, whose father has overwhelmed him with gifts; he is generous and devoted; great are the powers of that monkey; let him construct a bridge over my waters, I will uphold it; Nala is as skilled as his sire!”

At these words the Ocean disappeared and Nala, that prince of monkeys spoke to the valiant Rama thus:—

“Resorting to the skill I have inherited from my sire, I shall build a bridge over the spacious and vast domain of aquatic monsters; what the Ocean has said is true!

“When one has to do with the ungrateful, in my opinion the rod is the most salutory method for men I A plague on forbearance as also on generosity and kindness! Assuredly Sagara, that formidable mass of water, in fear of punishment, wished to see a bridge constructed and out of fear was willing to suffer Raghava to pass over it.

“My mother received a boon on the Mandara Mountain from Vishvakarma, who said to her:—

‘A son will be born to you who will resemble me, O Goddess!’

“No one having questioned me, I have not spoken of my powers but I can assuredly construct a causeway over Varuna’s domain; from to-day let all the leading monkeys set to work 1”

At Rama’s command, those lions among the monkeys entered the mighty forest with alacrity in hundreds and thousands on every side and those leaders of the simian tribes, tearing up the rocks, which in size they resembled, and the trees also dragged them to the sea and they'covered the ocean with Sala, Ashvakarna, Dhava, Vamsha, Kutaja, Arjuna, Tala, Tilaka, Tinisha, Balalaka, Saptaparna and Karnikama Trees in full flower, as also Cutas and Ashokas. Those foremost of monkeys transported those trees, with or without roots, bearing them like so many standards of Indra and they heaped Talas and piles of Dadina, Narikela, Bibhitaka, Kanya, Bakula and Nimba Trees here and there. With the aid of mechanical devices, those powerful colossi dug up stones as big as elephants and rocks, and the water suddenly spouted into the air only to fall instantly. Thereafter those monkeys churned up the sea by rushing into it on all sides or pulling on the chains.

That immense causeway constructed by Nala in the bosom of the sea was built by the arms of those monkeys of formidable exploits and it extended over a hundred leagues.

Some brought trunks of trees and others set them up; it was by hundreds and thousands that those monkeys, like unto giants, made use of reeds, logs and blossoming trees to construct that bridge, rushing hither and thither with blocks of stone resembling mountains or the peaks of crags, which, flung into the sea, fell with a resounding crash.

The first day those monkeys resembling elephants, of immense energy, full of high spirits and exceedingly merry, erected fourteen leagues of masonry. The second day, those highly active monkeys of formidable stature set up twenty leagues. Bestirring themselves, those giants threw twenty-one leagues of structure over the ocean on the third day and on the fourth, working feverishly, they built up twenty-two leagues in extent. The fifth day, those monkeys, industrious workers, reached to twenty-three leagues distance from the further shore.

That fortunate and valiant son of Vishvakarma, leader of monkeys, constructed a causeway worthy of his sire over the ocean and that bridge erected by Nala over the sea, the haunt of whales, dazzling in its perfection and splendour, was like the constellation of Svati in space.

Then the Gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas and supreme Rishis assembling, stood in the sky, eager to see that masterpiece and the Gods and Gandharvas gazed on that causeway, so difficult of construction that was ten leagues in width and a hundred in length built by Nala.

Those monkeys thereafter dived, swam and shouted at the sight of that unimaginable marvel that was almost inconceivable and caused one to tremble! And all beings beheld that causeway thrown over the ocean and by hundreds and thousands of kotis, those monkeys, full of valour, having built that bridge over the immense repository of waters, reached the opposite shore.

Vast, well-constructed, magnificent with its wonderful paved floor, solidly cemented, that great causeway like unto a line traced on the waves, resembled the parting of a woman’s hair.

Meanwhile Bibishana, mace in hand, held himself ready at his post with his companions in case of an enemy attack. Thereafter Sugriva addressed Rama, who was valiant by nature, saying:—

“Mount on the shoulders of Hanuman and Lakshmana on those of Angada. O Hero, vast is this ocean, the abode of whales; those two monkeys who freely range the sky will transport you both!”

Then the fortunate Rama and Lakshmana advanced thus and that magnanimous archer was accompanied by Sugriva. Some monkeys strode forward in the centre, some threw themselves into the waves, some sprang into the sky, others marched on the bridge, some ranged through space like birds, and the terrific tumult of the tramping of that formidable army of monkeys, drowned the roar of the ocean.

When those simian troops had passed over the sea by the grace of Nala’s causeway, the king ordered them to camp on the shore which abounded in roots, fruits and water.

At the sight of that masterpiece that had materialized under the command of Raghava, despite the difficulties, the Gods, who had drawn near with the Siddhas and Caranas as also the great Rishis, anointed Rama in secret there, with water from the sea and said:—

“Mayest you be victorious over your foes, O You, who art a God amongst men! Do you rule over the earth and the sea eternally I”

Thus in various auspicious words did they acclaim Rama in the midst of the homage offered to him by the brahmins.