Ravana came riding another chariot and began to fight with Rama. They shot several astras on each other and each made the other’s astra useless. Then the Devas told Indra that it was not fair that Rama fought standing on the ground while Ravana fought from his chariot. Indra accordingly asked his charioteer Matali to take his magnificent and mighty chariot to Rama, so that he could use it. Matali came to Rama in Indra’s chariot and told him that Lord Indra had sent him his chariot along with several weapons for his use. He requested Rama to get in and let him be his charioteer. Rama after offering respects to the chariot got in. The chariot was a mighty one and it had an awe-inspiring look.
Rama and Ravana fought with
each other riding their chariots and they employed powerful astras and attacked
each other. Ravana sent the Rakshashastra and it turned into serpents and
rushed towards Rama. The poison filled the whole space. Rama retaliated with
Garudastra, which destroyed all the serpents. Ravana then attacked the
charioteer Matali. He cut off Indra’s flag and also harmed the horses. Devas
saw Rama in trouble, feared for him and felt sad. Valmiki describes the scene
by comparing the situation with the planets. This would correspond to lunar
eclipse, which according to mythology occurs when the snake Rahu swallows the
Moon. He says “Rama was being harmed by Ravana like the Moon by the planet
(shadow planet) Rahu. Also the planet mercury troubled the star Rohini who is
dear to the Moon”. Such a situation is believed to cause harm to the world.
This description is based on astrological considerations. The sea at that time
was agitated with smoke (water spray) rising from the waves, which were so high
that they seemed to reach for the Sun. Even the Sun was not shining being
caught by a comet (Dhoomaketu). The planet Mars was harming the star Visakha
which was the star of the Ikshvaku family. Ravana with his ten heads and twenty
arms looked mighty like the Mainaka Hill. Rama was unable to shoot his ar- rows
and he became very furious.
The whole world got scared
looking at the angry looks of Rama and the earth trembled. Ill omens (dark
clouds and birds crying etc.) appeared in the sky. Ravana caught hold of his
trident, which was very powerful and could cause great destruction. He then
addressed Rama “Rama my trident is going to take your life. Wait and see how I
am going to kill you”. Then he sent his trident which was shining like
lightning and which flew in the sky. Rama tried to destroy the trident with his
powerful arrows. But all his arrows were burnt to ashes by it. Rama was angered
by this and he took the Shakti astra, which was given to him by Indra, and sent it
against the Trident. It went up making a sound and also made the sky brilliant.
It then collided against the Trident and blew it up. Rama quickly sent powerful
arrows and killed the horses of Ravana’s chariot and also wounded Ravana.
Ravana being attacked by Rama’s arrows was bleeding all over and shone like
Ashoka tree in flowers.
0 Comments