Hari Om.
Let us begin the one hundred first sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Intense battle was going on between rAma and rAvaNa. Both were expert archers and coud answer the attack of the other with aplomb. rAma negated most of the malicious attack of rAvaNa. While this was going on, lakshmaNa and vibhIshaNa chipped in with their efforts to offer a breather to rAma. lakshmaNa displayed great skill and knocked off the head of the charioteer and also broke the bows of rAvaNa. vibhIshaNa went one step further and clubbed the horses of rAvaNa and vanquished them with his mace. As the chariot was destroyed, rAvaNa jumped off and fought staying on the ground. He was livid with his younger brother and hurled the powerful Sakthi weapon at him. lakshmaNa shot down the powerful Sakthi weapon with his arrows and saved vibhIshaNa. Outraged at this, rAvaNa took another Sakthi and hurled it aiming lakshmaNa. While the prince tried to shoot it down with his arrows, the direct throw proved too much for him and the astra pierced through his chest pinning him down to the ground. rAma was much disturbed to see his brother fall thus. However he realized that if he takes his eyes off rAvaNa, the latter would attack and decimate them. He copped many a hits while removing the pierced weapon from his brother’s chest and asking the vAnaras to take care of him, stepped up his attack on the ten-headed. He went after him with such ferocity that, rAvaNa had no answer to his attack and was blown away like the clouds in the face of strong winds. Onwards…
Beholding his brother felled into a pool of blood by the mighty Sakthi weapon of rAvaNa, rAma still managed to take the battle to rAvaNa and after repelling him off, he put his bow and arrows aside and said to suhENa –
“Here lakshmaNa has been struck down by rAvaNa and is wincing in pain like a snake which is making me grieve more. This blood-soaked warrior is dearer to me than my own life forces. Seeing him in this state, my heart is wrenching and what motivation do I have to fight?
शोणितार्द्रमिमं वीरम् प्राणैः प्रियतमं मम ।
पश्यतो मम का शक्तिः योद्धुं पर्याकुलात्मनः ॥
If this brother who heralded great omens, the warrior celebrated in the battles for his exploits loses his five vital forces, what is the use of this life or comforts to me? I feel ashamed of my valour and the cannot grip my bow which is slipping from my hands. Tear filled eyes are not allowing me to see clearly and my arrows are faltering. My limbs are feeling weak and unfirm like one sleep-walking. Worry is consuming me and I have no interest in life any more seeing this brother of mine struck at his vitals by the wicked rAvaNa”.
rAghava beheld his brother who was like his life force that moved outside of him, was devastated to see him felled in the battle thus and continued to lament –
“O warrior, now even victory won’t bring me any joy just like someone bereft of vision cannot derive any bliss beholding the moon! Of what use is the kingdom or this life to me and with this brother of mine felled thus, why should I even engage in the battle?
देशे देशे कलत्राणि देशे देशे च बान्धवाः ।
तं तु देशं न पश्यामि यत्र भ्राता सहोदरः ॥
One can obtain a wife or kin in any country but there is no country where one can obtain a brother who is born of the same womb! Of what avail is the kingdom to me without lakshmaNa and how can I face and what will I say to sumitrA who would be waiting for her son eagerly. How can I face the mothers kausalyA and kaikEyI? Having brought him along with me to the forest and going back without him, how can I face the mighty bharata and Satrughna? It is better for me to end my life here rather than face the mortification in hands of my kin. I am not sure what wicked deeds were committed by me in other births that I am witnessing this my dhArmic brother felled in the battle.
O brother, best among men, the greatest of the warriors, how could you leave me behind alone and hasten to the other worlds? O brother, as I wail so terribly, why don’t you get up and see the helpless me in the eyes. O mighty one, have you not consoled me when I was consumed by terrible and mad grief in the forests and mountains”?
As rAma grieved thus at the fall of lakshmaNa, the (vAnara doctor) sushENa intervened and said –
“The five vital life forces of the auspicious lakshmaNa have not left him since his mouth has not gone crooked nor has he turned blue. His countenance is pleasant and glorious. His hands are red like the lotus (and not pale). O lord of the earth, o repressor of the foes, don’t grieve, this man is very much with life”.
Having said thus to rAma, the great sushENa and turned to the great vAnara hanumAn who was nearby and said –
“O gentle one, from here, at once go to the mountain that contains the medicinal herbs that was told to you earlier by the great jAmabavAn. That peak is to the south of the mountains, go there and fetch the lifesaving great herbs – viSalyakaraNI (one that can mitigate poison), sandhAnakaraNI (one that can join the broken bones), sAvarNakaraNI (one that can restore complexion) and sanjIvakaraNI (one that can restore life) to revive the warrior lakshmaNa”.
Taking this order, hanumAn at once reached the peaks of himAlayas where these herbs grew and was plunged in confusion not knowing which were the exact herbs. Having arrived at the conclusion that he was on the right peak but can’t find the exact herbs, he thought to himself that is foes without taking the herbs with him, it would be calamitous. So he went near the peak and shook it three times.
इति संचिन्त्य हनुमान् गत्वा क्षिप्रं महाबलः ।
आसाद्य पर्वतश्रेष्ठम् त्रिः प्रकम्प्य गिरेः शिरः ॥
He then uprooted the peak along with the trees and flowers and held it on his hands feeling its weight. He then took off to the skies and like a water bearing cloud, he carried the herbs along with the mountain and reached lanka in no time and taking a breather, placed the mountain peak near sushENa and said –
“O great vAnara, I was unable to identify the exact herb and instead got you the entire mountain peak”.
Hearing this sushENa praised him and mounting on to the peak, he secured the herbs and came to lakshmaNa. Having secured the herbs, sushENa administered it to the illustrious lakshmaNa nasally!
ततः सङ्क्षोदयित्वा ताम् ओषधीं वानरोत्तमः ।
लक्ष्मणस्य ददौ नस्तः सुषेणः सुमहाद्युतेः ॥
As soon as the destroyer of enemies, lakshmaNa inhaled it, he was healed and got up at once from the ground.
सशल्यः स समाघ्राय लक्ष्मणः परवीरहा ।
विशल्यो विरुजः शीघ्रम् उदतिष्ठन्महीतलात् ||
Seeing lakshmaNa rise thus, the vAnara warriors broke out into celebrations with chants of well done, well done and felicitated sushENa. Seeing his brother rise, rAma was overjoyed and saying “hey lakshmaNa, come, come”, was moved to tears and embraced him tightly and said –
“O hero, fortunately I am seeing you returning from a certain death. If your vital five desert you, what would I have to do with victory, sItA or my very life”?
As rAma said those words, lakshmaNa spoke to him in a feeble voice and said –
“Having taken a vow (to vanquish rAvaNa), you ought not speak like a mere mortal who is not well endowed. Those wedded to truth do not take a vow and let it go in vain. The great are characterized by keeping their vow. On my account, do not despair and let your vow go in vain. By vanquishing rAvaNa today stay true to that vow. The enemy who finds himself in the trajectory of your arrows cannot escape death any more than an elephant caught by a lion can.
I wish to see this wicked rAvaNa fall very soon, before the sun sets and is done for the say”.
अहं तु वधमिच्छामि शीघ्रमस्य दुरात्मनः ।
यावदस्तं न यात्येष कृतकर्मा दिवाकरः ॥
O great warrior, noble one, if you desire to decimate rAvaNa in the battle, if you want to stay true to your vow, if you are desirous of reuniting with the princess, please follow my suggestion at once”.
Here we conclude the one hundred first 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: 6.102. The ultimate battle rages on
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 