Hari Om.
Let us begin the eighty eighth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The timely arrival and advice of vibhIshaNa stirred lakshmaNa into action. Approved by rAma, lakshmaNa with the army capably led by hanumAn and jAmbavAn went to nikumbhilA accompanied by vibhIshaNa and launched an attack. Noting that his army is on the backfoot, indrajit who was in the middle of the sacrifice to conquer the enemy stopped it midway and came to the attack. The strategy was working. Noticing vibhIshaNa there, indrajit understood the entire working of this. He knew, he was on the backfoot now as he can’t disappear into the skies and attack invisibly. This made him enraged. He lashed out at his father’s brother, vibhIshaNa for taking the side of the enemy leaving his own folks, forgetting the treatment that was meted out to him [6.016]. The insinuations of indrajit were deftly dismissed by vibhIshaNa and he challenged him to engage in the battle with lakshmaNa and meet his end! The battle was beginning. Onwards…
rAvaNI flew into a rage when he heard the taunts of vibhIshaNa. Standing in a very well decorated chariot yoked to mighty horses, he resembled the one who brings an end to time! Holding his robust bow that could launch arrows swiftly and well examined arrows aloft, the fierce fighter beheld the battle ready mighty brother of rAghava who mounted on the back of hanumAn and resembled the rising sun. Taking a look at saumitrI, hanumAn, vibhIshaNa and the vAnara warriors, indrajit spoke harsh words –
“Today you shall face a barrage of arrows hurled from my mighty bow. They shall come at you with the reverberating sound of thunder as a downpour from the sky. Like fire destroys heaps of cotton, they shall pierce your bodies and I shall send you all to the abode of yama attacking you with all kinds of weapons. As I get into action thus raining arrows, who will stand me? Recall that night of horror when you battled me and all of you were rendered senseless and felled by my arrows that hit with the force of thunderbolt. I think you don’t remember it and want to hasten to the abode of yama; hence you have come to battle me who is livid like a poisonous snake”!
Responding to the blurts of the demon warrior, lakshmaNa also got angry and with a face that showed no sign of any fear retorted –
“O demon, you’re merely talking about things that are difficult to achieve and beyond your reach. Only he can be called accomplished who by virtue of his actions reaches his goal. You have absolutely no means to achieve what you are proclaiming. In fact it is impossible for anybody to do what you are talking about [killing them all]. You wicked fellow, you merely know talking aloud and thinking that you have accomplished it. The way you disappeared into the sky in the battle the other day and fought from there befits a thief not a warrior. I am standing in the trajectory of your arrows, come on show your so-called valour, why are you wasting words?”
As lakshmaNa retorted thus, indrajit, who won many a war on his own, got into stance with his mighty bow and hurled unerring arrows aimed at lakshmaNa which left the bow swiftly, travelled like hissing serpents and fell on lakshmaNa and hurt him. Pierced by those arrows and wounded, the illustrious laksmaNa looked like a flame without smoke! indrajit was delighted at his own achievement and letting out a loud roar said again –
“Sharp arrows let out from by bow shall bring about your end and take your life today, O saumitri. As you fall on the battlefield with your armour untied and head severed, packs of jackals and vultures will feast on your flesh and blood. The crooked rAma will get to see his ignoble and devout brother slain by me and lying on the battlefield”.
As indrajit was blurting out in excitement thus in a harsh tone, lakshmaNa replied in a measured and logical manner –
“O mean rAkshasa adept at performing mean deeds, give up your bragging and do something that justifies what you are saying. Without doing anything to show your intention you are simply showing off your vocabulary. Come on, show your action and make me believe you mean what you say. You lowlife, worst among men, without uttering a slur, without insulting you in the least, without saying a word, I shall slay you”.
With those words, lakshmaNa set five arrows on his mighty bow, stretched the string to its limits and hurled those aiming the chest of the demon. Those arrows went hissing like serpents and planted on the chest of indrajit and appeared like rays emanating from the sun! Enraged by this attack, indrajit shot back three arrows at lakshmaNa. Then a fierce battle ensued between the lions among men and demons who tried to outdo each other and were eager to win. Both of them were powerful, valorous, hard-to-beat, dashing, accomplished, expert fighters and their might was incomparable. The two engaged like lions and shot barrages of arrows at each other with great delight.
Then lakshmaNa, an expert in dispelling his detractors, set more arrows on his bow and hurled them at the demon which went hissing like the snake. Just hearing the twang of the bow, the demon chief turned pale in his face and meekly looked at lakshmaNa. Noticing the pale face of the son of rAvaNa, vibhIshaNa said to lakshmaNa who was deeply engrossed in the battle –
“I undoubtedly see symptoms of being broken in this son of rAvaNa, O mighty armed one, hurry up, knock him down”.
Then lakshmaNa attacked him swiftly and hit him with arrows that struck with the power of thunderbolt and spitted venom like the snaked. Struck badly thus, indrajit was shell shocked for a moment, his senses under siege. Recovering briefly and regaining his senses, indrajit beheld the mighty warrior lakshmaNa standing in front of him in the battle. Glaring at him with eyes turned red in anger, he accosted saumitrI and spoke harsh words again –
“Don’t you remember my valour from that first battle where you and your brother were felled by me. I guess you don’t remember and want to see the abode of yama today and hence you have come to battle me. If you have not seen my valour on that day one, I shall show it to you again today, just stay there”.
Saying so, he attacked lakshmaNa with seven arrows, hurt hanumAn (who carried lakshmaNa) with ten sharp arrows and swamped vibhIshaNa with a hundred well aimed arrows. The younger brother of rAma saw this spurt of attack from indrajit and laughed it away, ignoring it with contempt. With a fearless face, he attacked indrajit back and said –
“O nocturn, those warriors who come to battle don’t attack like this. Your arrows are weak and fumbling and causing much comfort to me. Those who desire to win a war don’t fight like this”.
The bow wielder sledged him thus and showered arrows on him. Under the impact of that fierce attack, the armour of indrajit was shattered and its splinters fell off like shooting stars. Injured badly by those arrows indrajit shone like the rising sun. Enraged by this attack, he shot back a hundred arrows and breached lakshmaNa’s defences and shattered his great armour. They kept attacking each other, eager to outdo the other. They fought a fierce battle hitting each other all over, sighing heavily, bleeding everywhere for a long time, each trying his best to win over the other. The mighty warriors, with their armours and flag staffs fallen, bled and resembled mountains with flowing streams. Their arrows made the noise like two rain bearing clouds clashing with each other. They fought thus for a long time but neither showed any sign of retreat from the battle or fatigue. Their execution of the skill in attack and launching the arrows was flawless, perfect. The twangs of their bows could be heard distinctly and reverberated far away. Both of them injured, both of them bleeding, both of them illustrious, both of them bent on winning, fought and their roars resembled thunder. Some of the golden arrows that they shot at each other pierced through the body and blood soaked fell on the ground. Yet others clashed in the sky causing a huge din.
Fully wounded they resembled kimSuka trees that were in full bloom but no leaves on them. Knowing no tiredness, they fought hard to win over the other. With arrows struck in their bodies they at times resembled mountains with trees. Their bodies looked like blazing fire. They fought thus for a long time.
Then vibhIshaNa stood up to provide a breather to lakshmaNa who had never lost a battle and got into action.
Here we conclude the eighty eighth 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: 6.089. indrajit grounded in an engaging battle
Previous: 6.087. vibhIshaNa serves the final warning
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
