Ramayana
By:Zachary Fuschetto
Every moment , news came to Ravana of fresh
disasters in his camp. This was too much for
him. He felt a terrific rage rising within him,
mixed with some admiration for Rama’s
valour. He told himself, “The time has come
for me to act by myself again.”
The Gods in heaven noticed Ravana’s
determined move and felt that Rama would
need all the support they could muster. They
requested a chariot for Rama’s use. Rama
fastened his sword, slung two quivers full of
rare arrows over his shoulders, and climbed
into the chariot.
While Ravana had instructed his charioteer to
speed ahead, Rama very gently ordered his
chariot-driver to move slowly and calmly and
let Ravana exhaust himself out.
Rama paused for a moment to consider his
next step and suddenly turned towards the
armies supporting Ravana and destroyed
them. He felt that this might be one way of
saving Ravana that maybe he might have a
change in heart. But it spurred Ravana and
he plunged forwards coming nearer Rama
and his own doom.
Matali picked up Indra’s conch and blew which
signaled the commencement of the battle.
Ravana sent a shower of arrows on Rama,
then followed a shower of arrows from Rama.
Ravana gazed at the chariot sent by Indra
and swore, “These gods, instead of
supporting me, have gone to the support of
this petty human. I will teach them a lesson.”
“He is not fit to be killed with these arrows” he
swore. Despite the oath he still sent another
shower of arrows at Rama.
Ravana’s bows were ineffective and neutralized
by Rama’s arrows which met arrow for arrow.
Ravana then used ten bows with his 20 arms
increasing his attack tenfold; but Rama
remained unhurt.
Rama’s arrows pierced Ravana’s armour and
made him wince. Ravana then changed his
tactics. Instead of shooting his arrows, which
were powerful in themselves, he also invoked
several supernatural forces to create strange
effects. The fight soon became one of attack
with supernatural powers, and parrying of
such an attack with other supernatural
powers.
Ravana sent an asthras called”Danda” which
was capable of pursuing and pulverizing its
target. When it came along the gods were
struck with fear but Rama’s arrow neutralized
it. Ravana said to himself, “These are all
petty weapons. I should really get down to
proper business.”
He invoked the weapon Maya which created an
illusion and confused the enemy. When shot
it created the illusion that all the armies and
its leaders had come back to life. Matali
explained to Rama that “Ravana had created
phantoms to confuse you. if you make up
your mind you can dispel them immediately.”
So Rama quickly invoked a weapon called
Gnana which means wisdom which made all
the armies evaporate into thin air.
Ravana then shot an asthra called “Thama”
which creates total darkness in all worlds.
The earth was enveloped in total darkness
and the whole of creation was paralyzed, it
also created a deluge of rain on one side, a
rain of stones on the other, and a hail storm
raining down intermittently, and a tornado
sweeping the earth. ravana was sure it would
arrest Rama’s enterprise.
Ravana now shot off what he considered his
deadliest weapon-a trident. When on its way
there was a panic all round. it came on
flaming towards Rama, its speed or course
was unaffected by the arrows flung at it.
Rama uttered a certain mantra and with
perfect timing the trident collapsed inches
from Rama.
Ravana sent forward a weapon which issued
forth monstrous serpents vomiting fire and
venom so Rama selected the asthra
“Garuda”, soon thousands of eagles were
aloft and they picked off the serpents with
their claws and beaks and destroyed them.
Angered by Rama’s counterattack he flung a
quivers worth of arrows in Rama’s direction
but rama’s arrows met them half way turned
them around and sent them back at Ravana
and embedded themselves in his chest.
Being that Ravana was weakening in spirit he
thought it be the best time to try to cut off
Ravana’s heads. He flung a crescent shaped
which sliced off one of Ravana’s heads and
flung it into the sea, but every time one of his
heads were cut off another one grew right
back, same happened with Ravana’s arms.
Rama’s arrows had weakened Ravana so
much that he collapsed inside his chariot.
The charioteer pulled back and drew the
chariot aside. Matali whispered to Rama “this
is the time to finish that demon off. He is in a
faint. Go on. Go on.” But Rama put his bow
away and said. “It is not fair warfare to attack
a man who is in a faint. I will wait.”
When Ravana was revived he was angry with
his charioteer. He took out his sword and
cried “ You have disgraced me. Those who
look on will think I have retreated.” But the
charioteer explained that Rama had
suspended the fight and forbore to attack
when he was in a faint. Anything Ravana
threw Rama’s way was ineffective. There
seemed to be no end of this struggle in sight.
Rama paused to consider what he would use to
end the battle. He decided to use
“Brathmasthra” the old monster that assumed
the forms of flying mountains and settled
down on habitations and cities, seeking to
destroy the world. It was to only be used in
desperation. Rama sent it in Ravana’s
direction aiming for his heart instead of his
head. Rama watched as Ravana fell
headlong from his chariot face down onto the
earth.
Rama’s arrows burnt off the layers of dross, the
anger, conceit, cruelty, lust, and egotism
which had encrusted his real self, and now
his personality came through in its pristine
form- of one who was devout and capable of
tremendous attainments. His face shone with
serenity and peace.
Rama noticed a scar on ravana’s back and
said with a smile, “Perhaps this is not an
episode of glory for me as I seem to have
killed an enemy who was turning his back
and retreating. Perhaps I was wrong in
shooting the Brahmasthra into him.”
Vibishana explained, “It is an old scar. In
ancient days, when he paraded his strength
around the globe, once he tried to attack the
divine elephants that guard the four
directions. When he tried to catch them, he
Rama accepted the explanation. “Honour him
and cherish his memory so that his spirit may
go to heaven where he has his place. And
now i will leave you to attend to his funeral
arrangements, befitting his grandeur.
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