SECTION –CCLXXXVII
(Draupadi-harana Parva Continued)
"Markandeya said, 'Beholding both the
brothers Rama and Lakshmana prostrate on the ground, the son of Ravana tied
them in a net-work of those arrows of his which he had obtained as boons. And
tied by Indrajit on the field of battle by means of that arrowy net, those
heroic tigers among men resembled a couple of hawks immured in a cage. And
beholding those heroes prostrate on the ground pierced with hundreds of arrows,
Sugriva with all the monkeys stood surrounding them on all sides. And the king
of the monkeys stood there, accompanied by Sushena and Mainda and Dwivida, and
Kumuda and Angada and Hanuman and Nila and Tara and Nala. And Vibhishana,
having achieved success in another part of the field, soon arrived at that
spot, and roused those heroes from insensibility, awakening them by means of
the weapon called, Prajna. 1 Then Sugriva soon extracted the arrows from their
bodies. And by means of that most efficacious medicine called the Visalya 2, applied
with celestial mantras, those human heroes regained their consciousness. And
the arrow having been extracted from their bodies, those mighty warriors in a
moment rose from their recumbent posture, their pains and fatigue thoroughly
alleviated. And beholding Rama the descendant of Ikshwaku's race, quite at his
ease, Vibhishana, O son of Pritha, joining his hands; told him these words, 'O
chastiser of foes, at the command of the king of the Guhyakas, a Guhyaka hath
come from the White mountains, bringing with him his water! 1 O great king,
this water is a present to thee from Kuvera, so that all creatures that are
invisible may, O chastiser of foes, become visible to thee! This water laved
over the eyes will make every invisible creature visible to thee, as also to
any other person to whom thou mayst give it!'--Saying--So be it,--Rama took
that sacred water, and sanctified his own eyes therewith. And the high-minded
Lakshmana also did the same. And Sugriva and Jambuvan, and Hanuman and Angada,
and Mainda and Dwivida, and Nila and many other foremost of the monkeys, laved
their eyes with that water. And thereupon it exactly happened as Vibhishana had
said, for, O Yudhishthira, soon did the eyes of all these became capable of
beholding things that could not be seen by the unassisted eye!
"Meanwhile, Indrajit, after the success he
had won, went to his father. And having informed him of the feats he had
achieved, he speedily returned to the field of battle and placed himself at the
van of his army. The son of Sumitra then, under Vibhishana's guidance, rushed
towards that wrathful son of Ravana coming back, from desire of battle, to lead
the attack. And Lakshmana, excited to fury and receiving a hint from
Vibhishana, and desiring to slay Indrajit who had not completed his daily
sacrifice, smote with his arrows that warrior burning to achieve success. And
desirous of vanquishing each other, the encounter that took place between them
was exceedingly wonderful like that (in days of yore) between the Lord of celestials
and Prahrada. And Indrajit pierced the son of Sumitra with arrows penetrating
into his very vitals. And the son of Sumitra also pierced Ravana's son with
arrows of fiery energy. And pierced with Lakshmana's arrows, the son of Ravana
became senseless with wrath. And he shot at Lakshmana eight shafts fierce as
venomous snakes. Listen now, O Yudhishthira, as I tell thee how the heroic son
of Sumitra then took his adversary's life by means of three winged arrows
possessed of the energy and effulgence of fire! With one of these, he severed
from Indrajit's body that arm of his enemy which had grasped the bow. With the
second he caused that other arm which had held the arrows, to drop down on the
ground. With the third that was bright and possessed of the keenest edge, he
cut off his head decked with a beautiful nose and bright with ear-rings. And
shorn of arms and head, the trunk became fearful to behold. And having slain
the foe thus, that foremost of mighty men then slew with his arrows the
charioteer of his adversary. And the horses then dragged away the empty chariot
into the city. And Ravana then beheld that car without his son on it. And
hearing that his son had been slain, Ravana suffered his heart to be
overpowered with grief. And under the influence of extreme grief and
affliction, the king of the Rakshasas suddenly cherished the desire of killing
the princess of Mithila. And seizing a sword, the wicked Rakshasa hastily ran
towards that lady staying within the Asoka wood longing to behold her lord.
Then Avindhya beholding that sinful purpose of the wicked wretch, appeased his
fury. Listen, O Yudhishthira, to the reasons urged by Avindhya! That wise
Rakshasa said, 'Placed as thou art on the blazing throne of an empire, it
behoveth thee not to slay a woman! Besides, this woman is already slain,
considering that she is a captive in thy power! I think, she would not be slain
if only her body were destroyed. Slay thou her husband! He being slain, she
will be slain too! Indeed, not even he of an hundred sacrifices (Indra) is thy
equal in prowess! The gods with Indra at their head, had repeatedly been
affrighted by thee in battle!' With these and many other words of the same
import, Avindhya succeeded in appeasing Ravana. And the latter did, indeed,
listen to his counsellor's speech. And that wanderer of the night, then,
resolved to give battle himself sheathed his sword, and issued orders for
preparing his chariot.'"
Footnotes
562:1 This weapon could restore an insensible
warrior to consciousness, as the Sam-mohana weapon could deprive one of
consciousness.
562:2 Visalya a medicinal plant of great efficacy
in healing cuts and wounds. It is still cultivated in several parts of Bengal.
A medical friend of the writer tested the efficacy of the plant known by that
name and found it to be much superior to either gallic acid or tannic acid in
stopping blood.
563:1 The Guhyakas occupy, in Hindu mythology, a
position next only to that of the gods, and superior to that of the Gandharvas
who are the celestial choristers. The White mountain is another name of
Kailasa, the peak where Siva hath his abode.
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