Hari Om.
Let us begin the eighty second sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Trickery is the last resort of a scoundrel! indrajit epitomized this as he came to the battle once more, determine to overwhelm, even vanquish the vAnara army and especially the duo of rAma and lakshmaNa. Penchant for battle is a hallmark of a warrior but being dishonest and not fighting on a level playing field demonstrates cowardice and when indrajit created an illusory form of sItA and slayed her to devastate the morale of the enemy by making them question the loss of their very mission, it became the defining trait of a scoundrel. Employing deceit and trick, indrajit targeted hanumAn, who was not only the key warrior but the life breath of everyone in the vAnara army. Swayed by the trick, hanumAn was distraught to find sItA being hekd captive and executed. He mulled his response. Onwards…
The vAnara army was terrified by the loud and contemptuous laughter of indrajit and began to flee. Then the son of the wind god, hanumAn, addressed the fleeing vAnaras with panic stricken faces and said –
“Hey vAnaras, whither your valour? How come you are fleeing away from the battle with long faces? Come on, follow me and attack. It doesn’t befit warriors of great pedigree to turn their back from the battle.”
Exhorted thus by the son of vAyu, the vAnaras reverted and carrying trees and boulders accompanied hanumAn to the battle. Joined by his mates, hanumAn began to vanquish the demons like the fire god wreaks havoc. He seemingly took the form of the lord yama for the sake of the demon army and decimated them. Enraged over the warrior indrajit, hanumAn hurled a huge boulder aimed at his chariot. The charioteer noticed the oncoming boulder and deftly moved the chariot away. The boulder missed indrajit who was the main target, however it was not entirely in vain as it smashed a large number of demons to pulp. Enthused by this, the vAnaras began a downpour of trees and boulders on the demons and claimed them in large numbers. The army was in disarray and felt pressed by the determined vAnaras. Seeing this, indrajit was livid and himself rained arrows on the vAnara army which hurt a number of vAnara warriors. Enthused by this, the demon army attacked the vAnaras with a variety of weapons. Then hanumAn stepped up his attacked and decimated the rAkshasa army wit trees and boulders. Having repelled them, he then addressed the vAnaras and said –
“Let us now go back as there is nothing to gain from this battle now. The very reason why we were fighting this battle, ready to lay our lives down for the sake of rAma and please him, that daughter of janaka, sItA has been slain. We should let rAma and sugrIva know this and then do whatever course of action they decide for us”.
Having reasoned thus, hanumAn brought the vAnaras back from the battle and returned to the camp along with them. Seeing hanumAn return from the battle, the wicked indrajit also withdrew for the moment, desirous of performing the nikumbhilA sacrifice to become invincible. He entered the place where the vEdI was and started the sacrifice. As he poured oblations into the fire, the flames leapt up. He poured flesh and blood into it desiring the welfare of the demons. They stood by in large numbers and watched from the sidelines knowing very well what to do and what not to do when this was going on.
Here we conclude the eighty second sarga of the yuddha kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 6.083. Poignant lakshmaNa weighs in on dharma
Previous: 6.081. A devastating trick
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
