The Story of Indrajit’s Brahmastra (Sarga 73)

This is the seventy-third canto: Shri Rama and Lakshmana, along with the vanara army, fall unconscious under Indrajit’s Brahmastra.

The rakshasas who had escaped death on the battlefield immediately went to Ravana and told him that Devantaka, Trishira, Atikaya, and the other mighty rakshasa warriors had been killed. On hearing of their deaths, tears suddenly flooded King Ravana’s eyes. The terrible news of the deaths of his sons and brothers filled him with deep anxiety.

Seeing King Ravana helpless and submerged in an ocean of grief, the rakshasa prince Indrajit, foremost among chariot warriors, said:

“Father, king of the rakshasas, as long as Indrajit is alive, do not give in to anxiety or despair. No one wounded by the arrows of this enemy of Indra can save his life on the battlefield.

“Watch how today I tear apart the bodies of Rama and Lakshmana with my arrows and fill all their limbs with sharp shafts. Both brothers will lose their lives and lie upon the earth forever.

“Hear this firm vow of mine, the enemy of Indra. It will be fulfilled through my prowess, destiny, and the grace of Brahma. Today itself, I will fully satisfy Rama and Lakshmana with my unfailing arrows. I will quench their thirst for battle.

“Today, Indra, Yama, Vishnu, Rudra, the Sadhyas, Agni, the Sun, and the Moon will witness my immense prowess, just as they witnessed Lord Vishnu’s terrible might in Bali’s sacrificial pavilion.”

Having said this, the noble-minded Indrajit, the enemy of Indra, took King Ravana’s permission and mounted a chariot drawn by fine donkeys, equipped with everything needed for battle, and swift as the wind.

His chariot resembled Indra’s chariot. Riding upon it, that immensely radiant rakshasa, the vanquisher of enemies, quickly reached the place where the battle was being fought.

Seeing that high-minded warrior set out, many powerful rakshasas followed him with joy and enthusiasm, carrying excellent bows in their hands. Some rode elephants, while others rode fine horses.

Besides them, fearsome and mighty rakshasas came to battle riding tigers, scorpions, cats, donkeys, camels, snakes, boars, other fierce creatures, lions, mountain-sized jackals, crows, swans, and peacocks.

They carried spears, pattishas, swords, axes, maces, bhushundis, heavy clubs, staffs, shataghnis, and iron bludgeons.

The terrible sound of war drums, mingled with the blowing of conches, echoed in every direction. Amid that tremendous roar, the mighty Indrajit, the enemy of Indra, advanced swiftly towards the battlefield.

Just as the full moon beautifies the sky, the white parasol held above him, the colour of a conch and the moon, enhanced the splendour of Indrajit, the destroyer of enemies.

Adorned with golden ornaments, that heroic rakshasa, foremost among all archers, was being fanned on both sides with beautiful, excellent fly-whisks made of gold.

Seeing his son Indrajit depart surrounded by a vast army, the illustrious Ravana, king of the rakshasas, said to him:

“Son, there is no opposing chariot warrior who can stand against you. You have defeated even Indra, the king of the gods. What great task, then, is it for you to defeat a human who can easily be conquered? You will certainly kill Rama of the Raghu lineage.”

When the king of the rakshasas said this, Indrajit bowed his head and accepted his great blessing.

Just as the sky is beautified by the sun’s incomparable radiance, the city of Lanka shone with the presence of Indrajit, whose strength was unmatched and whose brilliance resembled the sun.

Upon reaching the battlefield, the immensely radiant Indrajit, the vanquisher of enemies, stationed the rakshasas all around his chariot.

Then, stepping down from his chariot in their midst, that foremost rakshasa warrior, radiant as fire, established a sacrificial fire upon the ground and worshipped Agni with sandalwood, flowers, and puffed grain.

After this, the mighty rakshasa prince duly recited excellent mantras and offered sacrificial food into the fire.

For spreading around the fire altar, he used leaves of kusha or kans grass. He used bahera wood as fuel, and red cloth was brought into use. The ladle used in that ritual was made of iron.

Having spread the weapon-like kans leaves around the fire, along with tomara spears, he seized a living black goat by the throat for the offering.

With that single offering, the fire blazed up. No smoke could be seen, and great flames rose from it.

At that moment, all the signs appeared in the fire that had previously foretold his victory and brought him success on the battlefield.

The flame of Agni began turning clockwise. Its colour was beautiful, like heated gold. Appearing in that form, Agni himself accepted the sacrificial offering.

Then Indrajit, skilled in the knowledge of divine weapons, invoked the Brahmastra. He consecrated his bow, chariot, and all his other equipment with the perfected mantra of the Brahmastra.

When he invoked the Brahmastra after making the offering into the fire, the Sun, the Moon, the planets, the stars, and all the beings of the celestial realm were terrified.

His radiance blazed like fire, and his power resembled that of Indra, the king of the gods. After making the offering, Indrajit, whose prowess was beyond comprehension, made himself invisible in the sky, along with his bow, arrows, chariot, sword, horses, and charioteer.

He then moved among the rakshasa army, which was filled with horses and chariots and adorned with flags and banners. The rakshasas were roaring in their eagerness for battle.

On the battlefield, they struck the vanaras with numerous extraordinary arrows adorned with gold, as well as tomara spears and elephant goads.

Ravana’s son Indrajit was filled with intense anger towards his enemies. Looking towards the rakshasas, he said:

“Fight with joy and enthusiasm, determined to kill the vanaras.”

Encouraged by him in this way, all the rakshasas, eager for victory, roared loudly and began showering terrible volleys of arrows upon the vanaras.

During the battle, surrounded by the rakshasas, Indrajit too began slaughtering the vanaras with arrows, iron shafts, maces, pestles, and other weapons.

The vanaras wounded by his weapons, who used trees as their arms, suddenly began showering mountain peaks and trees upon Ravana’s son.

Then the enraged Indrajit, Ravana’s immensely radiant and powerful son, tore apart the bodies of the vanaras.

Increasing the rakshasas’ joy on the battlefield, the furious Indrajit pierced five, seven, or nine vanaras with each arrow.

That exceedingly unconquerable warrior struck down the vanaras on the battlefield with gold-adorned arrows radiant as the sun.

Like mighty asuras tormented by the gods in battle, the vanaras suffered under Indrajit’s arrows. Their bodies were torn apart, their hopes of victory were dashed, and they lay unconscious upon the earth.

At that moment, the foremost vanaras charged in great anger at Indrajit, who blazed like the sun on the battlefield, with his arrows as its terrible rays.

But his arrows mangled their bodies, leaving them dazed. Covered in blood and suffering, they began running here and there.

For the sake of Lord Shri Rama, the vanaras had given up their attachment to their lives. Roaring boldly and holding rocks in their hands, they stood firm on the battlefield. They did not retreat.

Standing in the battle, those vanaras showered trees, mountain peaks, and rocks upon Ravana’s son.

That heavy shower of trees and rocks could have taken the rakshasas’ lives. But Ravana’s immensely radiant son, victorious in battle, drove it away with his arrows.

Then that powerful warrior began piercing the vanara soldiers on the battlefield with arrows as fearsome as venomous snakes and as radiant as fire.

He wounded Gandhamadana with eighteen sharp arrows and struck Nala, who stood at a distance, with nine arrows.

After that, the immensely mighty Indrajit pierced Mainda with seven arrows that struck his vital points, and Gaja with five arrows.

Then he wounded Jambavan with ten arrows and Nila with thirty.

Next, using the many sharp and terrible arrows he had received as a boon, he left Sugriva, Rishabha, Angada, and Dvivida almost lifeless.

Filled with immense fury, like the fire of destruction spreading in every direction, Indrajit tormented the other foremost vanaras too with numerous arrows.

In that great battle, Ravana’s son struck down the vanara armies with well-aimed, swift arrows radiant as the sun.

Tormented by his net of arrows, the vanara army became distressed and was drenched in blood. With great joy and delight, he watched the miserable condition of the enemy army.

That rakshasa prince Indrajit possessed immense radiance, power, and strength. Once again, he crushed the vanara army by showering terrible volleys of arrows and other weapons from every direction.

Then, leaving the space above his own army, he quickly moved over the vanara army in that great battle. Remaining invisible in the sky, he began showering terrible volleys of arrows, just as a dark cloud pours down rain.

Just as great mountains struck by Indra’s thunderbolt collapse, those mountain-sized vanaras were struck down through Indrajit’s concealed attacks. Their bodies mangled, they fell upon the earth, screaming and crying out in anguished voices.

The vanaras could see only the sharp-edged arrows falling upon their commanders on the battlefield. They could not see anywhere the rakshasa, the enemy of Indra, who was concealed by his illusion.

At that moment, the huge-bodied rakshasa prince covered every direction with groups of sharp arrows radiant as the sun and pierced the vanara commanders.

Then he began pouring an unbearable shower of spears, swords, and axes upon the vanara king’s army. They shone like blazing fire and gave off bright flames and sparks.

Wounded by Indrajit’s arrows, radiant as fire, all the vanara commanders were drenched in blood and looked like palasha trees in full bloom.

Pierced by the arrows of the rakshasa prince Indrajit, those foremost vanaras came before one another and fell to the ground, crying out in distorted voices.

Many vanaras were looking towards the sky. At that very moment, arrows struck their eyes. They collided with one another and fell upon the earth.

With spears, lances, and sharp arrows consecrated by divine mantras, the foremost rakshasa Indrajit wounded all the leading vanaras: Hanuman, Sugriva, Angada, Gandhamadana, Jambavan, Sushena, Vegadarshi, Mainda, Dvivida, Nila, Gavaksha, Gavaya, Kesari, Hariloma, Vidyuddamshtra, Suryanana, Jyotirmukha, Dadhimukha, Pavakaksha, Nala, and Kumuda.

After mangling the vanara commanders with maces and arrows shining like gold, he began showering Shri Rama and Lakshmana with volleys of arrows as bright as the sun’s rays.

Shri Rama, whose splendour was supremely wondrous, became the target of that shower of arrows. Paying no heed to the arrows falling like streams of water, he looked towards Lakshmana and said:

“Lakshmana, that rakshasa prince Indrajit, the enemy of Indra, has taken the support of the Brahmastra he received. After striking down the vanara army, he is now tormenting both of us with scorching arrows.

“Having received a boon from Brahma, this high-minded warrior, who is always vigilant, has made his formidable body invisible.

“In this battle, Indrajit’s body cannot be seen at all, yet he continues to use his weapons. In such a situation, how can we kill him?

“Lord Brahma’s own form is beyond comprehension. He is the original cause of this world. I believe this weapon belongs to him.

“Therefore, wise son of Sumitra, do not let any fear arise in your mind. Stand here quietly with me and endure the blows of these arrows.

“This rakshasa prince Indrajit is now covering every direction with volleys of arrows. All the foremost warriors of the vanara king Sugriva’s army have fallen to the ground, and the army has lost its splendour.

“When both of us, free from joy and anger and having withdrawn from battle, fall down as though unconscious, he will see us in that condition. Having gained victory at the forefront of battle, this rakshasa will surely return to the city of Lanka.”

Then the two brothers, Shri Rama and Lakshmana, were severely wounded there by Indrajit’s volleys of arrows.

Having tormented both of them in battle, the rakshasa prince roared with great joy.

Thus, after rendering the vanara army and Shri Rama and Lakshmana unconscious in battle, Indrajit quickly returned to the city of Lanka, protected by the arms of the ten-headed Ravana.

At that time, all the rakshasas were praising him. Upon reaching Lanka, he joyfully gave his father a full account of his victory.

Here ends the seventy-third canto of the Yuddha Kanda.