"Even the mightiest can fall when they stray from the path of righteousness If They Molded Properly."
Aditya began, "Ravana, driven by his immense ambition and thirst for power, waged countless battles against the devas. Not only did he fight the devas, but he also waged wars against many kingdoms. Some of these kingdoms, seeking to appease him, offered him hospitality and took him into their palaces. Ravana's conquests extended across all realms. When he reached Patala Lok, he received a warm welcome from King Bali. Continuing his journey, he ventured deeper and encountered the Danava King.
The Danava King, known for his formidable strength and wisdom, was a ruler of a fierce and proud race of warriors. Upon meeting Ravana, he recognized the Asura's prowess and ambitions. They spoke at length about the nature of power and the essence of true strength. The Danava King, impressed by Ravana's unyielding spirit and relentless drive, decided to form an alliance with him. This alliance further bolstered Ravana's might, making him an even more formidable force in the cosmos.
With the Danavas by his side, Ravana's power and influence grew exponentially. He now had allies in both the Asura and Danava realms, making him a significant threat to anyone who dared oppose him. The tales of his conquests spread far and wide, instilling fear and awe in the hearts of many. But even with all his might, Ravana knew that true dominion required more than just brute force; it demanded wisdom, strategy, and unwavering determination.
Thus, armed with new allies and renewed vigor, Ravana continued his quest for ultimate supremacy, leaving an indelible mark on the annals of history."
Having spoken thus to Ravana, the Lord of the Danavas addressed the King of the Rakshasas once more, saying:
"O Hero, O You gifted with great strength, take up this shining disc that you see and draw near to my side; I shall then tell you how I have broken my bonds forever. Do what I have told you, O Long-armed One, delay not!"
O Descendant of Raghu, hearing this, the highly powerful Rakshasa, laughing, proceeded to where that celestial disc lay. Proud of his strength, he deemed himself able to lift it with ease, but upon taking hold of it, he found himself unable to move it by any means. Ashamed, that highly powerful one attempted once more and, barely raising it, immediately fell to the earth unconscious, bathed in a pool of blood, like a Sala Tree that has been felled.
Meanwhile, the counselors of the Lord of the Rakshasas, who were in the Pushpaka Chariot, cried out loudly, "Alas! Alas!" and thereafter, the Rakshasa, regaining his senses, rose up, his head bowed in shame. Bali then said to him:
"Draw near, O Foremost of the Rakshasas, and listen to my words, O Hero! This disc encrusted with gems, which you did seek to lift, was an ornament for the ear belonging to one of my forbears and has remained here where it fell. Look upon it! O You, endowed with great strength, the other fell on the summit of a mountain, and besides these two, his crown also fell on the earth before an altar during the encounter. Formerly neither time, death, nor disease could overcome mine ancestor Hiranyakashipu, nor could he be visited by death during the day, at dawn, or at dusk. O Foremost of the Rakshasas, neither a dry nor a wet object nor any weapon could encompass his end.
"It came about that he entered into a dreadful quarrel with Prahlada, and antagonism having grown between him and the defenseless and courageous Prahlada, the Lord appeared in the form of Nrsingha, he of dreadful aspect who was the cause of terror to all beings. O Foremost of the Rakshasas, that awful Being, casting glances here and there, overwhelmed the Three Worlds and, taking up Hiranyakashipu in his arms, tore his body open with his nails; that same Being, the supreme and taintless Vasudeva, stands at the door! I shall now tell you of that supreme God, do you hear me, if my words have any significance for you. He who stands at the door has subdued thousands of Indras and hundreds and thousands of great Gods and Rishis."
Hearing these words, Ravana said:
"I have beheld Kritanta, the Lord of Spirits and Death Himself! His hair is formed of serpents and scorpions, he bears a noose in his hand, his tongue is like unto a flame of fire darting like lightning, his jaws dreadful, his eyes red; he is endowed with immense speed and is the terror of all beings, like unto the sun, incapable of being looked upon. Unconquerable in combat, the chastiser of evil-doers, yet even he was overcome in conflict, nor did I experience the least fear of him, O Lord of the Danavas. I do not know this person (at the door), it behooves you to tell me who he is."
Hearing these words of Ravana, Bali, the Son of Virocana, answered:
"He is the Lord Hari, Narayana, the Protector of the Three Worlds. He is Ananta, Kapila, Vishnu, and the highly effulgent Nrsingha; He is Kratudhama and Sudhama who bears the dreadful mace in his hands. He resembles the Twelve Adityas, He is the first Man, the primeval and excellent Purusha; He is like unto a dark blue cloud and is the first Lord of the Gods. O Long-armed One, He is encircled by flame; He is the supreme Yogi, beloved of His devotees; He projected the universe, preserves it, and destroys it, assuming the form of Time endowed with great power. This Hari, bearing the discus in His hand, is the sacrifice and is worshipped in the sacrifice; He is the one great form of all the Gods, all beings, all worlds, and all knowledge; He is Baladeva, O Mighty-armed One, the Slayer of Warriors; He has the eye of a hero and is the eternal Guru, the Father of the Three Worlds. All Sages, desirous of liberation, meditate on Him. He who knows Him thus, is freed from sin; he who remembers, adores, and worships Him, attains all."
Hearing these words of Bali, the highly powerful Ravana, his eyes red with anger, went out with uplifted weapons. Beholding him thus inflamed with fury, the Lord Hari, Who bore a club in His hand, reflected, "In deference to Brahma, I shall not slay this sinner yet," and making Himself invisible, He vanished.
Then Ravana, not beholding that Purusha there, rejoiced and, shouting exultantly, issued out of Varuna's abode and departed by the same way by which he had come. The two Rishis having departed, Ravana, the Lord of the Rakshasas, proceeded for forty thousand miles in the upper air, whereupon he reached that excellent higher sphere where swans, endowed with every virtue, dwell. And, having gone on, he ascended yet higher for ten thousand leagues, where on all sides, the clouds, Agneya, Pakshana, and Brahma are eternally established. Thereafter, he proceeded to an excellent airy region where the high-souled Siddhas and Caranas ever abide, which is ten thousand leagues in extent.
O Slayer of your Foes, he then passed to a fourth region, where the Bhutas and Vinayakas perpetually sojourn and thereafter, he went to the fifth aerial realm, which extends over ten thousand leagues, where Ganga, the foremost of rivers, is to be found. The elephants headed by Kumuda, from whose bodies, drops pour down constantly as they sport in the waters, spout forth the sacred stream which they sprinkle in all directions. Here the waters fall down in rain and snow under the rays of the sun, purified by the wind, O Raghava.
Then that Rakshasa went to the sixth aerial region, O You endowed with great radiance, where Garuda dwells, ever revered by his kinsfolk and friends. Thereafter, he ascended to the seventh aerial region, lying ten thousand leagues higher, where the Seven Rishis dwell. Again proceeding ten thousand leagues higher, he reached the eighth aerial region where Ganga, known as the Ganges of the sky, having strong currents, is found in the path of the sun and, upheld by air, sends forth a great roaring.
Now I shall describe the region yet higher than these, where the Moon-god dwells and the extent thereof is eighty thousand leagues. There, the Moon, encircled by stars and planets, from whom hundreds and thousands of rays stream forth, illumines the world, bringing happiness to all beings.
Thereupon, beholding Dashagriva, the Moon, blazing up as it were, consumed him with its cold fires and, stricken with fear of those rays, his counselors were unable to withstand them. Prahasta, uttering the words, "Let victory be thine!" thereafter said:
"O King, we are being destroyed by the cold and must leave this place! O Foremost of Monarchs, the icy rays of the moon have the property of fire."
Hearing the words of Prahasta, Ravana, beside himself with wrath, lifted his bow, twanging it, and began to assail the Moon with Narachas. Brahma speedily went to that lunar region and said:
"O Ten-necked One, O Mighty-armed One, O Son of Vishravas, O Gentle One, do you go hence from here speedily; do not oppress the Moon, for that highly effulgent King of the Twice-born desires the well-being of all. I will bestow a mystical formula on you! He who recollects it at the hour of death does not succumb!"
Thus addressed, the Ten-necked Rakshasa, with joined palms, said:
"O God, if I have found favor with you, then, O Lord of the Worlds, O You of great penances, impart that sacred mantra to me, O You truly Pious One, reciting which, O Great One, I shall be liberated from fear of the Celestials. Verily, by Your favor, O Lord of the Gods, I shall become invincible to all the Asuras, Danavas, and Birds."
Thus accosted, Brahma said to Dashanana:
"O Lord of the Rakshasas, do not repeat this mantra daily but only when your life is in danger. Holding a string of Rudraksha beads and repeating it, you shall become invincible; but if you do not recite it, you shall not meet with success. Hear and I shall communicate this sacred formula to you, O Foremost of the Rakshasas, reciting which you shall obtain victory in the encounter:—
Salutations unto You, O God, O Lord of Lords, O You worshipped by the Celestials and Asuras. O You, the same in the past, present, and future, O Great God, O You having tawny eyes, O You, a boy assuming the form of an aged Being, O You
, a boy possessed of a thousand eyes, I salute You. O You, whose bow is made of horn, having a thousand heads, O Unconquerable One, O You bearing a rod in Your hand, I salute You. O Great God, whose banner bears the image of a bull, the Original Being and Cause of the Universe, O You assuming diverse forms at will, O Great God, O Lord of the Worlds, O Bearer of the trident, I salute You. O You, worshipped by all beings, possessing a thousand eyes, O You of the form of Vishnu and Rudra, I salute You. O You resembling the resplendent Sun and Fire, do You protect me forever, O You, the One without birth or death. I seek refuge in You!"
Having imparted this highly sacred formula to Ravana, Brahma returned to the sky with the Moon, leaving that mighty Lord of the Rakshasas filled with joy. Thereafter, Ravana, with great delight, set forth and, proceeding for a while, reached the city of Rasatala, where the Daityas, Danavas, and Nagas dwell. O Raghava, it was a splendid city filled with trees of various species, resplendent with golden fruits, resembling a second Amravati.
There, the Lord of the Rakshasas beheld an exceedingly valiant Daitya called Mahajambunada. His hue was like molten gold; his armor consisted of golden ornaments, he wore a gold necklace and anklets, and his radiance was equal to that of the sun. He bore a golden bow, a golden mace, and a golden spear; his body was encircled with a golden chain. With a golden parasol, a golden chariot, golden horses, golden elephants, and a golden diadem, he shone like a second Mount Meru.
That exceedingly valiant Daitya, beholding the Ten-necked King of the Rakshasas advancing, sprang up in anger, like a serpent rising from its hole, and, lifting his mace, he struck Ravana, causing him to totter and fall to the ground. Though his head reeled and his body was bloodstained, that hero, the foremost of the Rakshasas, rising swiftly, took up his bow and began to afflict that Daitya with sharp shafts. Then a fierce battle ensued between them, like unto the encounter between Vasava and Vritra. The two heroes, both skilled in warfare, began to assail each other with showers of arrows and, like two infuriated lions, they roared and dealt each other mighty blows.
With blood streaming from their wounds, the earth became covered with their gore and their armor was shattered. Though greatly oppressed by the highly powerful Daitya, the Lord of the Rakshasas, remembering Brahma's words, began to recite the sacred formula. No sooner had he repeated the mantra than he regained his strength and valor and, with renewed vigor, he engaged Mahajambunada in combat. The Daitya, beholding the Lord of the Rakshasas so strengthened, was seized with astonishment, and the battle raged on, causing the three worlds to tremble. Finally, the mighty Mahajambunada, overcome by Ravana's prowess, fled the field and vanished from sight, leaving Ravana victorious.
Thereafter, proceeding further, the Ten-necked Rakshasa beheld a great city, guarded by warriors of immense strength, where dwelt an exceedingly valiant and mighty Asura named Naraka. The city was filled with splendid palaces and gardens, and the air was fragrant with the scent of flowers. Ravana, advancing boldly, challenged the Asura to combat, and a fierce battle ensued between them. The clash of weapons and the roar of warriors filled the air, and the ground shook under the tread of the combatants.
The two mighty heroes, skilled in the use of weapons, assailed each other with arrows, maces, and swords, and the earth was soon covered with the blood of the slain. Though sorely pressed by the valiant Asura, the Lord of the Rakshasas, remembering the sacred formula imparted by Brahma, regained his strength and valor and, with renewed vigor, he engaged Naraka in combat. The Asura, beholding the might and prowess of Ravana, was filled with fear and, after a fierce struggle, he was overcome and fled the field, leaving Ravana victorious.
Continuing his journey, Ravana ascended to the highest regions of the sky, where he beheld the city of Amaravati, the abode of Indra, the King of the Gods. There, he saw the celestial river Ganga, the Mandara Mountain, and the wish-fulfilling tree, Kalpavriksha. The city was resplendent with golden palaces, gardens, and celestial beings, and the air was filled with the sweet music of the Gandharvas and the scent of heavenly flowers.
Ravana, filled with pride and arrogance, challenged Indra to combat, and a fierce battle ensued between them. The clash of weapons and the roar of warriors filled the air, and the ground shook under the tread of the combatants. The two mighty heroes, skilled in the use of weapons, assailed each other with arrows, maces, and swords, and the earth was soon covered with the blood of the slain. Though sorely pressed by the valiant Indra, the Lord of the Rakshasas, remembering the sacred formula imparted by Brahma, regained his strength and valor and, with renewed vigor, he engaged Indra in combat. The King of the Gods, beholding the might and prowess of Ravana, was filled with fear and, after a fierce struggle, he was overcome and fled the field, leaving Ravana victorious.
Having thus triumphed over the Gods and the Asuras, Ravana returned to his kingdom, his heart filled with pride and arrogance. He boasted of his victories to his counselors and subjects, and his fame spread far and wide. But even in his moment of triumph, the shadow of his eventual downfall loomed large, for the seeds of his destruction had been sown by his own pride and arrogance.
[End of Chapter-41]