The weather changed to suit his mood. On his order came
the monsoon season with its cloud and damp air, but even
that proved too warm for him. He shouted, "What kind of
weather is this? You have brought back only the late winter,
which was horrible."
His aides answered meekly, "Would we dare to disobey
you? What we called down was really early rains, as your
Lordship commanded."
Whereupon Ravana said, "Banish all seasons. Let them
all get out of this world." As a consequence, there was a
complete standstill in time. Minute, hour, day, month, and
year lost their boundaries. And mankind was lost in a
season less confusion. In spite of all this, there was no peace
for Ravana. He was still scorched by a hopeless love for
Sita.
When all measures for cooling himself had failed—such
as covering his body with sandalwood paste and layers of
tender leaves of a rare plant treated with essence of saffron
—Ravana, who felt himself shriveling in stature, said to
those around him, "The moon is supposed to have cool moisture. Bring the moon down."
His messengers approached the moon, who normally
avoided passage over Ravana's territory, and said, "Our
King summons you. Don't be afraid. Come with us." The
moon rose in full glory over the sea and timidly approached
Ravana, bathing his surroundings in soft light.
But now Ravana asked his servants, "What made you
bring the sun?" They answered, "The sun dare not come
unasked nor would we dare to bring him here." When
Ravana recognized the moon as the moon, he swore at him,
"You are worthless, pale-faced, constantly worn out and
trying to regain your shape again. You have no stamina or
quality. You are contemptible. Is it possible that you are also
stricken with thoughts of Sita? Take care if you ever
entertain any ideas about that woman. Get out now, I don't
want you here." He then ordered, "Let the night go. Get back
daylight and the sun."
When the night suddenly ceased, all the people of the
world were suddenly thrown into confusion. Lovers in bed
found themselves suddenly exposed by daylight; those in a
state of intoxication with wine were bewildered and
embarrassed. Birds stirred in their nests not knowing what
had happened. Lamps fed with oil and lit for a whole night
faded in daylight. Astronomers who calculate the movement
of the stars and planets and declare their positions through
the almanacs were caught literally napping as they did not know day had come. Even the roosters remained silent,
unable to adjust themselves to the sudden daylight. "Is this
the sun? You call him the sun! He is once again the moon
who was here a while ago and made my blood boil. This one
is no better. Same as before. Don't lie," said Ravana. His
servants assured him again that this was really the sun. Then
he ordered the sun to go out and the crescent moon to rise;
then the sea waves to remain silent; and then ordered total
darkness to envelop the earth, causing confusion and
suffering to its inhabitants. In that utter darkness Ravana
suffered hallucinations of Sita's figure approaching and
receding, and addressed it endearingly.
He had never seen anyone so beautiful in all the worlds
where he had roamed at will. Still doubting his own vision, he
ordered, "Fetch my sister at once." No time could be lost
between his command and the execution thereof.
Soorpanaka arrived. He asked her, "I see this woman before
me. Is this the one you meant?"
Soorpanaka looked hard and said, "Oh, no. The person
who stands before us is not a woman at all. It's Rama, that—
that man. I don't see Sita here. You are only imagining… ."
"If it's mere imagination on my part, how is it you see
Rama here?"
Soorpanaka merely said, "Ever since the day he did this
damage to me, I find it impossible to forget him," trying not to
be too explicit about her feelings for Rama, equivocating her meaning.
Ravana said, "Be that as it may, I am melting and dying for
Sita. How shall I be saved now?"
Soorpanaka said, "You are the overlord of seven worlds,
mightier than the mightiest. Why do you feel sad and
unhappy? Go and get her; that is all. Take her. She is yours.
Is there anything beyond your reach? Stir yourself. Leave this
desolate mood. Go forth, snatch her, because she is yours,
created for you and waiting for you." Thus she infused a new
spirit in Ravana, and it made her secretly happy that her plan
to get Sita out of the way was working out satisfactorily. She
left.
Ravana felt reassured now and braced himself to take
practical steps to achieve his aim. He sent out his servants
to summon his advisers and minister immediately. With the
least delay they began to arrive at Ravana's retreat by
horseback, elephant, and chariots, and the gods in Heaven
watched the traffic apprehensively, speculating as to what
this sudden activity might bode for the universe. Ravana's
consultations with the advisers were brief, being in the
nature of an announcement to them of decisions already
made. Somehow he valued the formality of being
counselled. He then summoned his chariot, got into it alone,
and flew towards a retreat where his uncle, Mareecha, was
meditating in a cave. Mareecha had made two attempts to
attack Rama and both had failed. The first had been the on eat Sidhasrama, to avenge his mother Thataka's death, when Rama's arrow had flung him far out into the sea. Later he
had made another attempt, failed to kill Rama, and retreated
into the woods, forswearing a career of violence.
Now, at the sight of Ravana, Mareecha felt uneasy, but
received him courteously and inquired, "What can I do for you?"
Ravana said, "My mind is shattered. I am going through a
phase of utter shame. The gods doubtless watch and
rejoice, but on our supreme race a great shame has fallen
and we have to hang our heads down and crawl aside like
faceless worms. A human creature has stationed himself in
Dandaka and has dared to challenge our supremacy. He
has mutilated my dear sister's face. Your beloved niece is
now without nose, ears, or breasts. He chopped them off
when she approached his miserable hut."