Chapter 96 - Ravana goes out to fight and encounters ill Omens

From every dwelling in Lanka the piercing cries emitted by the female titans and their heart-rending lamentations reached Ravana’s ears and, sighing for a long time, that fierce-eyed monarch reflected awhile and thereafter fell into a great rage.

Biting his lips, his eyes red with anger so that the titans themselves were not able to endure his aspect, he resembled the Fire of Dissolution itself. In a voice choking with fury, he issued the following orders to the titans who stood near, consuming them with his glance, as it were, and said:—

“Do you summon Mahodara, Mahaparshva and Virupaksha speedily and let troops go forth into battle at my command.”

At these words, in accord with the king’s command, the titans, in fear, called the warriors together and those titans of formidable aspect unanimously cried:—“Let it be so!” and having performed many benedictory rites and paid obeisance to Ravana, those mighty car-warriors all bowed down with joined palms to their master, whose victory they desired, and set out towards the battlefield.

Then Ravana, agitated with fury, with a sneering laugh, said:—

“To-day with my shafts, loosed from the bow resembling the sun at the end of the world-cycle, I shall send Raghava and Lakshmana to the abode of Yama! By the death of our foes, I shall avenge Khara, Kumbhakarna, Prahasta and Indrajita this day!

“Neither space nor the cardinal points nor heaven nor the seas themselves will be visible under the cloud of shafts with which I shall cover them. To-day with my bow I shall cut the foremost of the monkey battalions to pieces with a succession of my plumed darts. To-day from the height of my chariot, swift as the wind, I shall submerge the simian army under the rolling waves of mine arrows with the aid of my bow in the guise of the ocean. This day I shall be the elephant who tramples under his feet those divisions resembling lakes, with open lotuses the faces, the glistening stamens the bodies! This day, with each arrow loosed in the battle, I shall pierce the monkey forces in their hundreds, as they fight furiously with trees. By slaying mine adversary to-day, I shall dry the tears of all those who have lost their brothers or whose sons have perished. To-day, pierced by my shafts, so large a number of monkeys will lie scattered here and there that, through my prowess one will not be able to discern the earth’s surface 1 To-day the crows, vultures and beasts of prey will be sated by the flesh of the foe struck down by my darts.

“Let my chariot be yoked with all speed and let my bow be brought immediately; let those rangers of the night, who are still here, follow me into battle!”

At this command, Mahaparshva gave his orders to the army leaders, who were present, saying:—

“Hasten to assemble the troops!” On this, the leaders summoned the titans, going from house to house, making the entire circuit of Lanka at a rapid pace. Instantly all the titans of grim aspect ran out with a formidable clamour, carrying every kind of weapon in their hands. Swords, lances, clubs, maces, hammers, Halas, spears with sharp points, huge Kutamudgaras, harpoons of every kind, discus, pointed Parashvas, Bhindipalas, Shataghnis and various other arms. Thereafter four officers under his command, brought a hundred thousand chariots to Ravana and three hundred thousand elephants, sixty kotis of horses, mules and buffalo and innumerable foot soldiers, all hastening there at the king’s command.

Whilst the leaders rallied the forces who were to be found in the city, the sovereign’s driver prepared his chariot; and it was superbly furnished with celestial weapons and embellished with every kind of ornament, filled with various arms, adorned with rows of bells, encrusted with pearls, blazing with its jewelled pillars and covered with thousands of golden pinnacles.

Beholding it, all the titans were seized with exceeding admiration and, perceiving it, Ravana, the Lord of the Titans ascended thereon and mounted that car glittering like a myriad suns, blazing like fire itself, and effulgent with its own lustre. Then Ravana drove away immediately surrounded by innumerable titans, bearing down the earth as it were with the weight of his forces; and, amongst the titans on all sides, there was a great din of shouting and shrilling of pipes accompanied by tabors, war drums and conches.

“There goes the King of the Titans with his fan and canopy, the abductor of Sita, the ruthless slayer of brahmins, that thorn in the side of the Gods, who is setting forth to fight the Prince of the House of Raghu I” Such were the cries heard on all sides and, at the uproar, the earth trembled whilst the monkeys fled in terror.

Meanwhile, the long-armed Ravana, surrounded by his ministers, marched on, full of the ardour of combat and certain of victory. At his command Mahaparshva, Mahodara and the indomitable Virupaksha ascended their chariots and these warriors, in their delight, emitted war cries loud enough to shatter the earth and, with formidable shouts, they set out eager for victory.

The highly effulgent monarch, surrounded by his valiant battalions, rushed into battle, brandishing his bow, like Yama at the dissolution of the world, and that great warrior, mounted on his car harnessed to swift steeds set out through the gate where Rama and Lakshmana were encamped. At that moment the sun lost its brilliance, the quarters were enveloped in darkness, the birds emitted dreadful cries, the earth trembled, the Gods let fall a rain of blood and Ravana’s horses stumbled, whilst a vulture alighted on the pole of his banner and sinister jackals howled. Then that titan felt his left eye twitch and tremors pass through his left arm; he grew pale and his voice seemed to die away. As Dashagriva set forth to fight, ill omens appeared presaging his death; a meteor fell from the sky with the crash of thunder and herons and vultures emitted mournful cries. Ravana, however, remained unmoved by the terrible portents that appeared and rushed madly to his doom, urged on by destiny.

At the sound of the titan chariots, the rakshasa host and the monkey army also prepared to give battle and from every side, impatient for victory, challenged one another.

Meanwhile, in his ire, Dashagriva with his golden shafts, created havoc among the monkeys and some among those heroic warriors had their heads severed by him and the hearts of others were pierced or their ears cut off and some fell lifeless, the flanks of others being tom, their heads broken or their eyes put out. Whenever the ten-headed titan, rolling his eyes furiously, turned his chariot in the fight, the ferocity of his assault was irresistible to the leaders of his foes.