Hari Om.
Let us begin the fifty seventh sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
One after the other rAvaNa’s warriors were falling. They came out with much fanfare, engaged in ferocious combat with the vAnaras along with their ranks and finally fell to the unmatched determination and strength of the warriors angada and hanumAn. Gigantic giants dhUmrAksha, vajradanshTra and akampana all fell to the best of the vAnaras. The improvised weapons of the vAnaras along with their undiluted enthusiasm undid the demons and secured one victory after the other. The news reached rAvaNa. This was unfamiliar for him to face so many losses in the battle. His calculations were going wrong and he was finding a new respect for the enemy. Onwards…
The king of the demons seethed with anger to learn about the death of akampana in the battle. He was rattled but mustered courage to see his ministers in the eye. He conferred with them about the strategy currently and then went on a tour of lanka to inspect his army and their morale. He saw the city decorated with the fluttering flags turned into a fortress protected by his army. He also saw that the city was under siege by the vAnaras and was extremely annoyed. He immediately turned to the battle-veteran prahasta and said –
“O prahasta, beholding the city under siege with the enemy camps so close to ours, the only way out of this conflict is that either I or you or kumbhakarNa or indrajit or nikumbha have to shoulder the responsibility of this battle. Go accompanied with mighty warriors to where the forest dwellers are camping for the sake of our victory. The fickle army of the vAnaras will feel nervous and undone and when you set out for the battle roaring loudly. The vAnaras are fickle minded, arrogant and rash. They will not be able to bear your roar much like an elephant is troubled by the lion’s roar. Once the army is scattered and in tatters, rAma and lakshmaNa will have no support and can be seized. Life can be lost in a battle but now life can be lost even without the battle. It is much worse to lose life without even going to the battle since only by waging the battle you have a chance to win. If you have any thoughts for or against it, please articulate”.
As rAvaNa said thus, the commander-in-chief prahasta replied to the demon king like the preceptor Sukracharya spoke to the king of the demons (bali) –
“O king, we have deliberated on this aspect before with able ministers and the arguments also led to disagreement. We had advocated that our welfare was in returning sItA and we clearly knew that not returning her would lead to war. I have been always felicitated by you with charity and honour. You have spoken highly of me at different times. So I will of course do what is dear to you. In doing so I will not care for progeny, spouse, wealth or my life. See me sacrificing my very life in the battle for you”.
राजन्मन्त्रितपूर्वंनःकुशलैस्सहमन्त्रिभिः ।।6.57.13।।
विवादश्चापिनोवृत्तस्समवेक्ष्यपरस्परम् ।
प्रदानेनतुसीतायाःश्रेयोव्यवसितंमया ।।6.57.14।।
अप्रदानेपुनर्युद्धंदृष्टमेत्तथैवनः ।
सोऽहंदानैश्चमानैश्चसततंपूजितस्त्वया ।।6.57.15।।
सान्त्वैश्चविविधैःकालेकिंनकुर्यांहितंतव ।
Saying these words to his boss rAvaNa, the commander in chief, prahasta ordered the supervisor the fetch a powerful army for him and make preparations for his battle at once swearing that he shall vanquish the vAnaras with his swift arrows today and that the scavenger birds will have feast on the flesh of the forest dwellers. As the chief of the army ordered the superintendent and hurried him, the latter in no time arranged a mighty force of the demons who were armed with a variety of weapons.
The demons propitiated the fire god, paid obeisance to the brAhmins and conducted worship with ghee and sandal paste the fragrance of which permeated all over. Various types of garlands were sanctified with the chants of mantras and then the eager for the battle demons adorned those. Wearing their armour and wielding the bows the demons jumped into the battle as rAvaNa and prahasta watched. Then as the terrifying trumpet blew, prahasta boarded his elegant chariot that was well equipped. Powerful horses were yoked to his chariot, an expert charioteer manned it, it made sound like a thunder and glowed with the glow of the sun and the moon. His flag carried the symbol of a snake, the chariot had a wooden guard (fence) all around to protect it from collisions and was oozing opulence with golden grills.
prahasta, submitting to the command of rAvaNa, set out for the battlefield sitting in that chariot accompanied by a vast army. The blare of the trumpets was thunderous, and the tumultuous sounds filled the oceans. The blast of the conches were heard loud as the commander in chief went to the battle.
अथामन्त्ऱ्यतुराजानंभेरीमाहत्यभैरवाम् ।
आरुरोहरथंयुक्तःप्रहस्तस्सज्जकल्पितम् ।।6.57.25।।
हयैर्महाजवैर्युक्तंसम्यक्सूतसुसंयतम् ।
महाजलदनिर्घोषंसाक्षाच्चन्द्रार्कभास्वरम् ।।6.57.26।।
उरगध्वजदुर्धर्षंसुवरूथंस्ववस्करम् ।
सुवर्णजालसंयुक्तंप्रहसन्तमिवश्रिया ।।6.57.27।।
Ahead of prahasta walked demons making terrifying noises. They were gigantic in size and proportions. The demons narAntaka and kumbhahanu who were prahasta’s ministers accompanied him letting out huge roars. With an ocean of an army made of several arrays, he set out from the eastern gate resembling the heralder of the end, yama. The other birds, beasts and beings of lanka made heckling noises as they set out and took to the skies vying for flesh. The birds went around the chariot in counterclockwise directions. The jackals heckled horribly spitting fire. Meteors dropped from the skies and turbulent winds blew. The planets vied with each other and didn’t shine. The clouds looked like donkeys and rained blood on his chariot which drenched the demons. On top of the flag of the chariot was perched an eagle which was facing the southern direction with its wings stretched on either side. The whip slipped many times from the hands of the expert charioteer. Then as the horses stumbled and stuttered, the glow of the redoubtable prahasta, victor of many wars turned pale in a trice.
Beholding the famous and mighty prahasta advancing for the battle, the vAnara army faced up, let out roars and got ready gathering the trees and boulders. The two swift and able armies engaged with each other, challenging, shouting, roaring and eager to outdo and kill each other.
Miscalculating his chances of victory, prahasta entered the army of sugrIva swiftly like a firefly flies into the fire.
Here we conclude the fifty seventh sarga of the yuddha kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Click on the above link for word by word meaning from IITK website
Click on the above link to listen to the audio by SrIrAma ghanApATi
Next: 6.058. nIla pulverizes prahasta
Previous: 6.056. hanumAn accounts for akampana
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 