SRI #RAGHAVENDRA SWAMY’S
SRI #RAMACHARITRYA #MANJARI
(ಶ್ರೀ
#ರಾಘವೆಂದ್ರಸ್ವಾಮಿ
ವಿರಚಿತ “#ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮಚಾರಿತ್ರ್ಯ ಮಂಜರಿ”)
KravyAdAn asankhyAn Ghnan — ‘RAmaha
IndrajidDhananAnantaram RAvanaprEShitam tanmulabalam sarvam hatwA”
ಕ್ರವ್ಯಾದಾನ್ ಅಸಂಖ್ಯಾನ್ ಘ್ನನ್ — “ರಾಮಃ
ಇಂದ್ರಜಿದ್ಧನನಾನಂತರಂ ರಾವಣಪ್ರೇಷಿತಂ ತನ್ಮೂಲಬಲಂ ಹತ್ವಾ”
सन्तुष्टैः
क्रव्यादान् असन्ख्यान् घ्नन् — “रामः इन्द्रजिद्धननानन्तरं रावणप्रॆषितम्
तन्मुलबलम् हत्वा”
Sri Hanumantha protects Lakshmana and fellow monkeys/ಶ್ರೀ ಹನುಮಂತನಿಂದ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಣ ಹಾಗೂ
ಇತರ ಕಪಿಗಳ ರಕ್ಷಣೆ
Lakshmana
losing consciousness while battling against Ravana and the latter trying to
confiscate the body of Lakshmana infuriated Hanumantha, who pulled out a huge
rock and hurled it at Ravana. As a result, Ravana too lost consciousness and
blood was oozing out of all the ten faces of the demon king. Sri Hanumantha
went to the place where Lakshmana was lying unconscious, took the body by both
hands with utmost ease, placed it by the side of Rama and saluted Lord Rama.
Srirama pulled out the Shakti weapon that was still stuck in the chest of
Lakshmana and advised Hanumantha to bring the Mount Gandhamadhana yet again.
Hanumantha brought the mountain of medicinal plants swiftly. As soon as the air
mixed with the odor of medicinal plants in Mount Gandhamadana swayed the
battlefield, Lakshmana regained his consciousness and the wounds caused by the
Shakti weapon shot by Ravana too vanished. Srirama smiled at Lakshmana and
complimented Hanumantha for his service.
Srirama had, at the beginning of the war, instructed
that the corpses of demons be disposed into the sea and those of monkeys
retained, carefully. With the breeze carrying the fragrance of medicinal plants
blowing across, the dead monkeys and bears became alive. Sri Hanumantha had to
bring the Mount Gandhamadana twice and on both the occasions, all the dead
monkeys and bears, irrespective of the condition of their corpses, became
alive. They not only became alive but also regained their strength in toto. As
he did on the previous occasion, Sri Hanumantha playfully hurled the mountain
in the direction of its original location and the mountain flew to its spot and
sank in such a way that it looked as though it had never been disturbed.
War between Rama and Ravana
Srirama took hold of his bow, tied the two ends with
the string and pulled it to make a sound that echoed in all the three Lokas.
The sound of the string of the bow of Rama was as though he was preparing for
the dance named war and the sound was just a preliminary instrumental music.
The sound was unbearable for Ravana and his demons army and an invocation to
the righteous and the deities. Meanwhile, Lord Indra thought that Rama should
not be standing on the ground and fighting against demon king Ravana, who was
in a mystic chariot. At the behest of Lord Indra, charioteer Matali arrived at
the battlefield in the chariot of Lord Indra and appealed to Rama: “Oh Lord,
please get into this chariot and fight against Ravana comfortably. I will drive
it as you wish.”
Ravana, a proven enemy of deities and a monster of
sorts in the battlefield, unleashed an array of lethal arrows against Rama in
quick succession. The arrows shot by Ravana were strong, solid, sharp and
venomous. They were well-directed. Srirama did not fret or frown as he cut each
and every arrow shot by Ravana with ease, wearing a pleasant smile on his face.
The duo of Rama and Ravana moved around in the battlefield, systematically and
fought furiously. All the directions in the battlefield were filled with the
arrows shot by Rama and Ravana and a pal of gloom was set on the battlefield. The
monkeys and demons stopped their duel and started looking at the fierce battle
without winking their eyes.
The manner in which Rama was cutting the arrows shot
by him made Ravana a worried person. He had never experienced such reversal in
the battlefield. He created innumerable arrows by firing Asurastra. He shot
arrows with the faces of lion, tiger, fox, and birds and so on. Srirama
repelled the onslaught with Agneyastra, Daivastra, Nagastra and Gandharvastra.
Was Rama reliant on Astras?
As Rama was employing Agneyastra, Varunastra,
Nagastra, Gandharvastra and several Astras or arrows powered with the spirit
and power of respective deities, a question may arise that whether those
deities were more powerful than Rama? If so, why they could not vanquish
Ravana? Scholars clarify in this context that the deities after whose name the
Astras were named were empowered by the presence of Lord Hari and Rama is an incarnation
of Lord Hari. When such arrows are pressed into service by Ravana or others
elsewhere, the deities are more powerful than those employing them. In the case
of Rama, the deities obey the orders of Rama and their strength is given by
Lord Rama. Therefore, in any other battle, the Astras may fail to inflict
destruction to the extent intended by the respective warrior. When Rama employs
them, there is no question of failure. If any Astra fails, it is the wish of
Rama and not the ability or inability of the deity concerned. (To be continued…)
Please read, comment and share. SDN
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