Chapter
8
Another Challenge
Meanwhile,
Dasaratha was proceeding towards Ayodhya, with his sons
and daughters-in-law, the sages and scholars, army units
of infantry, elephantry, cavalry and chariotry, and
citizens of his empire. Suddenly, they observed certain
bad omens and they had a premonition that something
serious was about to happen. Dasaratha approached
Vasistha and consulted him, "Master! What a surprise is
this! Dark clouds are thickening and howling; the beasts
on earth are tramping around us full circle. They should
not behave so, isn't it? What can be the reason? What
does it indicate? I am getting apprehensive about these
omens". Vasishta could see what these portents meant by
means of his divine insight; he said, "0 King! These are
signs of some terrible event nearing us. The clouds are
roaring frightfully. But, considering the fact that the
beasts on earth are circumambulating our chariots, this
much can be inferred: the disaster that threatens us will
be averted. Therefore, you need have no anxiety".
Vasishta instilled faith and confidence in Dasaratha, and
they awaited events.
Suddenly, the wind grew
into a fierce cyclonic storm! Even as they were looking
on, giant trees were pulled by their roots and they fell
with alarming noise. Even the mountain peaks rolled one
over the other. Thunderous explosions rent the air, as if
the earth itself was breaking into pieces. Those in one
chariot could not see the vehicle before or behind them;
so thick was the dust that rose all around! Horses and
elephants started running wildly in panic. Foot soldiers
dropped unconscious; others stood petrified by a weird
fear.
Vasishta, Dasaratha and
the four sons were the only persons who were unafraid in
all that huge concourse! All the rest were drained of
vigour and vitality. And for good reason, too. For the
ground and air were enveloped in darkness. The darkness
was heightened by blinding flashes of light! And, a
dreadful figure, with terror-striking eyes, stood before
them.
His head had a crown of
thickly matted hair. He had a giant double-edged axe on
his shoulder. He had on another shoulder a bag of arrows
that shone like lightning streaks. He appeared to them
like the forehead-eyed Siva on His way to destroy the
mighty demon rulers of the Triple
Fortress!
As soon as he came to view, Vasishta recognized him as
Paras'urâma.
But he wondered why he was so fierce with anger that day,
even though all his rage against the Kshatriya
clans had long ago subsided as a result of the campaigns
in which he had destroyed them. He tried to discover what
could have kindled the flame again from the cooled
embers. (See also S'rîmad
Bhâgavatam, Canto 2, Chapter
7 (verse 22):
Brief Description of the Past and Coming
Avatâra's)
Vasishta himself moved
towards Paras'urâma with the traditional signs of
welcome, like inviting him to wash his hands and asking
permission to wash his feet. But though he accepted these
marks of good will and heartfelt reception,
Paras'urâma was staring at Râma with eyes
like glowing cinders! Râma was however reacting
with a charming smile, a smile which only fed the fumes
of his anger! He raved loudly thus! "O son of Dasaratha!
I have listened to your exploits being praised by a
thousand tongues. I heard also how you broke the Bow of
Siva, as if it was just childs play. But, all that
is hearsay not directly seen by me. I have come now so
that I can personally examine your valour.
"I have brought this
divinely consecrated bow. It belonged to Jamadagni,
my revered father. Show me your might, stringing it and
fixing an arrow on it. Or else, come, engage me in
fight!" He challenged Râma in this manner, in
passionate anger.
Râma was not
affected by all this demonstration of anger. He kept on
smiling coolly. "O Bhargavarama!
I thought the vengeance you had nursed against the
Kshatriyas
had ended long ago. Why this relapse? Why this downfall,
this absurdity?" he asked. Just then, Dasaratha bent low
and in plaintive tones, appealed to Paras'urâma
thus: "Bhagavan!
You are a Brahmin.
You have won great renown. My sons are tender teenagers.
Why develop vengeful hatred against them for no reason
whatever? This ill becomes the high status of your
lineage. Your forefathers studied the Vedas without
intermission and performed rites and ceremonies with
elaborate care. You yourself declared that day, when you
entered on the Chandrayana
Ritual that you will not handle any weapon thereafter;
you said that your desires have been fulfilled; you did
this before no less a God than Indra, gifting all the
territories conquered by you to Kasyapa, yourselves
resolving to spend the rest of your days in the
performance of righteous deeds and the gaining of
equanimity.
"You were all along
engaged in austerities on the Mahendra Peak! And, now
quite contrary to your declared intentions, your mind is
set upon destroying my dynasty and family. Is it not a
terrible sin to act against one's given word? After this
breach of promise, of what use is austerity? There is no
God higher than Truth, is there? You are challenging only
Râma and you say you will fight only with him! If
anything injurious happens to that son, my entire family
will be plunged in dire calamity. Our lives will end the
moment danger harms him. A Brahmin like you should not
become responsible for the loss of so many lives! It is
not only a sacrilege on Brahminhood; it is a heinous
sin".
Paras'urâma paid
no heed to the words of Dasaratha. He did not give ear to
them. He was casting his looks only on Râma. He
said: "The Bow that you broke and this one, both, have
come from Heaven; Viswakarma the Divine Artificer made
them both. One was offered to Siva, for use against the
Demons of the Triple Fortress; the other was entrusted to
Vishnu. Once the demons were destroyed, Siva sent it to
Emperor Devaratha, with the arrows that were used for the
fight. Perhaps the bow had become frail and feeble, since
the purpose for which it was offered had been
accomplished. It is no proof of might and heroism if such
a bow is broken. This bow has work yet to do, and so it
still retains its vigour and vitality. This bow is
surcharged with efficacy and power. Take this, string it
and break it as you did the other. That is the way to
prove your strength and heroism. Do not strut about in
pride that you have broken the Bow of Siva! Break this
and write your name in the annals of the brave". [See
also SB, Canto 9, Chapter 15: Paras'urâma,
the Lord's Warrior
Incarnation].
"You may doubt my words
that this is the Bow of Vishnu", he continued. "Vishnu
Himself kept this in the custody of Hrshika a great sage.
He handed it over to his son, Jamadagni. Jamadagni is my
father. He was the repository of tremendous merit
acquired by austerity; he was so pure-hearted that he had
no trace of hatred or vengeance in him. My father had
renounced the use of weapons; yet, Karthaviryarjuna the
wicked, killed him. It was a crime of unprecedented
cruelty; no one had killed another so atrociously. I
decided that I should not show mercy; I had to teach him
a lesson; I vowed that I will destroy not only that
monster, but all unrighteous kings. From that day, I have
been cutting them to pieces and playing ball games with
their heads. This Bow was with me in all those campaigns.
I killed many wicked monarchs. I brought under
subjugation the entire world. My anger at those who had
killed my father cooled a little, with this. I gave up
the vendetta, and started a Vedic sacrifice. I invited
Kasyapa for that Yajna, since he was a great saint
immersed in meritorious activity. I gave him the Earth
which I had conquered as dakshina (ritual fees) for
supervising the Yajna. Since then, I have been spending
my days on the Mahendra Peak, with my mind immersed in
peace and my intellect shining in spiritual
splendour.
"Your father asked me
why I have again taken up this weapon and put on a
challenging pose, in spite of my having renounced the
path of vengeance and hatred. I shall answer him now
Râma! Two bows were created in Heaven and came upon
the earth. You have broken the Siva Bow. This alone
remains now, intact. If this too is broken, (it does not
serve any purpose being with me, for its work is over)
then, my renunciation will be complete; so I wish that
this too is broken, or retained by you. I am waiting for
this consummation. The moment has come; I am determined
to utilize it, rather than let it go by or allow it to be
misused. Perhaps, you doubt whether fighting is the best
use that time can be put to? But, the significance of the
fight has to be looked into; it may be for the progress
and welfare of the world; it may promote the suppression
of the unrighteous and the encouragement of the good. You
cannot pronounce war as undesirable, judging from a
superficial point of view. Analyse the purpose. When a
knife has to be sharpened, one has to hone it on a
grindstone. No one will condemn the process as injurious
to the knife. If the body is to derive strength from
food, the food has to be placed between rows of hard
teeth and ground into paste, mercilessly. No one can
condemn this process as violence exercised on the
material. It may become necessary in order to provide
Satwic
food for either the Body or the Body Politic, to have
recourse to struggle, conflict and the apparent
infliction of pain.
"Well. We are in the
middle of the road, half-way through a journey. It is not
proper to indulge in talk, standing here. Let us get to
action. It is imperative we should start straightway.
Come on! Either string this bow and break it in the
process or fight a duel with me!" This was the call from
Paras'urâma. Lakshmana was fuming with anger, while
listening to the challenge of Paras'urâma; he was
about to intervene with a hot retort, when Râma
quietened him saying, "This is not a matter concerning
you. For the questions asked of me, I myself have to
answer. It is against good manners for you to come
between us; leave me to handle this situation". His
affectionate and soft counsel made Lakshmana desist. But,
when Paras'urâma started laughing at Râma and
ridiculing him for not accepting his challenge as soon as
it was thrown, Lakshmana could not control his reaction
of resentment.
He shouted, "O
Bhargava!
This is not much of a task for Him who broke the Bow of
Siva! To break this little bow, why do you challenge
Râma? This is a Brahmin weapon! It is just a blade
of kusa grass. I can myself break it, in a trice
effortlessly, even while playing with it; for this petty
task why ask Râma. I have no need to transfer the
assignment". When Lakshmana uttered these words,
Paras'urâma became even more inflamed. But
Râma took things coolly and calmly; he smiled at
Lakshmana and pacified him by his soft speech. The more
enraged Paras'urâma became the quieter and more
restrained was Râmas reaction.
Soon, Paras'urâma
lost control of himself; he gave free rein to his tongue
and started pouring rank abuse; this caused some
consternation in Dasarathas heart. The maids and
servants hid themselves from the furious onslaught. The
four arms of the army were shaken by fear. The Pandits
were terrified. Sîtâ, however, watched the
scene with amusement; she was not in the least agitated.
She was not affected by the slightest apprehension. She
was instilling courage and confidence in the hearts of
Urmila, Mandavi and Sruthakeerthi, telling them that he
was a lame jackal before the Lion that Râma was.
When they saw Râma reprimanding Lakshmana, Bharata
and Sathrughna had no mind to intervene. Or else, they
too would have joined the fray and asked Râma for
permission to fight, or take up the challenge. They
awaited the orders of Râma and kept away. Vasishta
could know the past and the future and so, He realized
that the incident was but a scene in the Divine Drama. He
was silent and unshaken.
Râmachandra spoke
with profound calm. "Paras'urâma! You are a
Brahmin. For a Kshatriya you are an object of worship, on
the basis of caste. You are a kinsman of the revered
Viswamitra. I dont feel it proper to kill such a
high caste Brahmin. Nor is it proper to aim this holy
weapon against you. You yourself declared just now that
it belongs to the Realm of the Gods, that it has so far
destroyed every enemy, city and fort against which it has
been used, and that it can overwhelm and defeat the
strength and pride of whomsoever it encounters. Is it not
sheer waste to make it unserviceable? So, choose any one
of these two alternatives and tell me: Shall I use it to
prevent you from moving about on your feet? Or shall I
prevent you from attaining the higher worlds that you
have earned by means of austerities?" When he heard these
words, Paras'urâma was even more enraged; his eyes
turned red with anger; he rushed forward towards
Râma, exclaiming, "What are you prattling?"
Râma took hold of the Vishnu Bow that was slung on
his shoulder, with a derisive laugh, which hurt his
pride. Lo! No sooner did the weapon reach the hands of
Râma than Paras'urâma got debilitated.
He lost all energy and vitality. Râma shone in such
added splendour that no eye could stand that blaze. He
stood there as if countless lamps were lit on one spot,
radiating blinding light all around. When the authentic
wielder of that bow, Narayana Himself, held it in His
grasp, the bow too acquired added lustre; a triumphal
aura surrounded the bow and lightning streamed from it.
The gods gathered in the sky and showered flowers on
Râma holding the Bow. The auspicious sound of music
filled the sky.
Meanwhile,
Paras'urâma was full of smiles. He said,
"Râma! Did you notice what happened! I have
experienced the delight of the Divine Manifestation, your
Divine Splendour. In days gone by, I gifted this earthly
region to Kasyapa. Receiving it, the sage Kasyapa
declared, that I should not enter his dominion again and
even if I did, I should not spend a night therein; he
pronounced a curse upon me, on these lines. Well. It is
already getting dark. I can no longer be present here. I
have to hurry fast to the Mahendra Mountain. Through my
incomparable austerity, I have won high heavenly regions.
Break the bow and with it, break all the power I had won.
All the power I have in me is yours. 0 Râma, watch
this, I am offering to you the power earned by
me".
Thus saying, he came
near and embraced Râma with both hands clasped firm
around him. At that moment, three facets of Divinity that
had subsisted in him so long came forth from him and
merged in Râma. Then Paras'urâma addressed
Râma thus: "Râma! The world cannot easily
understand the mystery of the Divine; even those like me
who have earned great power through denial and detachment
and ascetic practices rely more on their own spiritual
achievements, ignoring the influence of the Divine
Strategy of Vishnu.
"I have therefore, set
about to make known your reality and genuine power to the
world; I have given you as an offering the powers I had;
I have also proved once again that you are the mighty
Vishnu, the God endowed with unique power, the God who
directs the Drama of the Universe. There is nothing that
is devoid of you, nothing that is not you. You are all.
Yours is all. I had the good fortune of wielding for some
time your divine bow and, as a consequence, I earned some
reverence from the world. That is the merit I have won.
This is my offering." With this Paras'urâma
disappeared.
Râma gave over
the bow and arrows to the God Varuna,
with an unperturbed smiling countenance. (see also
S'rîmad
Bhâgavatam,
Canto 3, Chapter 17: Victory of Hiranyaksa over All the
Directions of the Universe and Bhagavad
Gita of Order,
Chapter 10: The Yoga of his Opulence [On His
Identity], verse 29). He prostrated before Vasishta
and Dasaratha, who were by his side. Dasaratha was all
the while shivering with fear, apprehending what might
happen to his son from this Apparition, what calamity
will land on him. Now, he was free of anxiety. He drew
Râma near and fondled him affectionately in various
ways. He raised the sons face towards him holding
it by the chin and, finding it rather difficult to
express his feelings in words, said, "Dear Son! I am
indeed lucky, I was afraid whether I would be able to see
you again. Your resolute courage, your heroism is beyond
imagination". Thus, he praised Râma very much and
appreciated his exploit in many ways. In reply,
Râma said. "Dharma has to win: Victory is the
inevitable concomitant of righteousness. In the
preliminary stages of the struggle, it may create some
fear and some obstacles which might appear formidable. It
will cause even weakness of mind. It might arouse
suspicions of defeat or failure. But, instead of bowing
or beading before it one has to fix his attention on the
goal itself. Then it can never fail. Failure can never
affect it. Men do not peer deep into the truth of
Dharmas might; they are carried away by superficial
handicaps and worries and so they give up the path and
suffer. What has happened is for the best, I ascribe this
to your blessings".
Saying this, Râma
again fell at the feet of his father. "The armed forces
are awaiting your orders to resume the march and proceed
towards Ayodhya. Kindly communicate your commands to
them," said Râma. At this Dasaratha was filled with
delight. He said. "Son! Why should we delay further?
Grief and joy afflict us one after the other and cause
distress to the person and his body. We can go to the
capital city and seek to live there happily in the best
manner possible". He called the ministers to his side,
and required them to order the troops to
march.
The soldiers cheered in
joy and began to move forward. The interlude of fear had
ended. Dasaratha spent the remainder of the journey
describing, and enjoying the description of, the amazing
events of the day. As they neared the City, some
regiments were sent in advance in order to inform the
citizens of the arrival of the party, with the sons and
daughters-in-law. The memory of the grandeur and glory of
what they had experienced at Mithila and on the way home
gave speed to the feet and they flew like arrows from
bowmans hand into the City. They announced that
Râma, Lakshmana, Bharata and Satrughna were
entering the City with their brides and that Dasaratha
had sent them to give the glad tidings.
The citizens of Ayodhya
decorated and embellished the streets and houses in a
variety of attractive styles. Plantain trees were tied to
posts on both sides of the road. Bunches of coconuts were
hung from the posts. Rosewater was sprinkled. The entire
City was made charming and attractive.
Musicians with their
instruments took positions all along the route. Fireworks
were collected and distributed all along the line, so
that it could be made one continuous stream of colour and
cheering noise. They awaited, with the deepest feeling of
joy, the party, counting the minutes as they looked into
the distance to catch the first glimpse. Women in veils
crowded the windows and terraces of the mansions, or
peeped from behind curtains tied across them.
Emperor Dasaratha
entered the capital City of Ayodhya, with his sons and
their brides. Music rent the air as soon as they were
sighted. People cheered enthusiastically, shouting Jai
Jai, till their throats were hoarse. Women waved lights,
threw flowers on their path and sprinked rosewater. The
young men were like bright stars. When the populace saw
the ennobling scene, many forgot where they stood or who
they were; their joy knew no bounds. Their thirst could
not be quenched, however long they gazed; so they walked
long distances backward, so that they could keep their
eyes fixed on them! Thus, the entire route was covered
and they reached the gates of the palace. There, Brahmins
had stationed themselves so that they could recite Vedic
hymns invoking good fortune and prosperity on the newly
weds. Maids waved lights and performed many rites to ward
off the evil eye. They prayed the daughters-in-law to
come in, placing the right foot first.
Meanwhile, at the
entrance to the zenana, there stood the queens, Kausalya,
Sumitra and Kaikeyi awaiting their approach with avid
eagerness. They sprinkled sandal scent, tucked flowers in
their hair, and placed dots of red on their foreheads.
When the sons came, the queens were overwhelmed with joy;
they drew them near and fondled them, patting their heads
and chins; they blessed them profusely. Then the four
sons and daughters-in-law prostrated before the three
mothers. When they did so, their eyes streamed tears of
joy, for, their happiness knew no bounds.
Meanwhile, the maids
brought rice, boiled in milk, in golden plates; the
mothers placed the food in the mouths of the newly weds,
and persuaded them to eat it. They gave them milk to
drink. Then, they were taken to the inner
apartments.
In the evening, ladies
from Ayodhya were invited to the palace for sharing in
the auspicious ceremonial of welcoming the newly weds. An
imposingly beautiful dais was got ready; golden seats
were placed upon it. The queens brought costly clothes
and jewels with precious gems set on them in artistic
patterns; they commissioned talented maids-in-waiting to
help the daughters-in-law to put them on, and they
themselves supervised the wearing of the costume and
jewellery. They held them by the hand and led them to
their seats.
By that time,
Râma, Lakshmana, Bharata and Satrughna had come
there and taken their seats wearing princely robes, and
costly jewels as well as crowns. Each sat to the right of
his bride. The mothers as well as the ladies who had been
invited from the City feasted their eyes on the splendour
of the scene and their Ananda was immeasurable. While
they were going through the ceremonial, gifts were
distributed outside the Palace to people in profusion.
Cows, cash, gold, land, grain, vehicles and horses were
all given away in plenty.
Brahmins came before
the dais and cast auspicious rice grains on the heads of
the newly weds to the accompaniment of the recitation of
Vedic hymns. Then women in married status waved 108 lamps
before them to ward off the evil eye. After this the sons
rose and with their wives they prostrated before the
mothers, the father and the Guru, Vasishta. Then, they
retired to their own apartments
(Read more about
Paras'urâma in the Srîmad
Bhâgavatam,
Canto 9 [Liberation], Chapter 15:
Paras'urâma, the Lord's Warrior Incarnation &
Chapter 16: Lord Paras'urâma Destroys the World's
Ruling Class)
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