Sri Raghavendra Swamy Virachita
SRI #RAMACHARITRYA #MANJARI
(ಶ್ರೀ #ರಾಘವೆಂದ್ರಸ್ವಾಮಿ
ವಿರಚಿತ “#ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮಚಾರಿತ್ರ್ಯ ಮಂಜರಿ”)
Sri Valmeeki continued the story of Mitrasaha:
“Twelve years elapsed and King Mitrasaha was relieved
from the demon-hood. Demon Kinkara, who had entered his body, departed too. He
got back the human-hood. He returned to his original place and governed the
kingdom righteously. He tried to have physical contact with his wife, when the
wife reminded him of the Brahmin’s curse. The king realized the reality and
abstained from any contact with his wife. He also realized that he would be
without a heir or successor. He requested Sage Vasishtha and got his wife
conceive. She became pregnant but did not deliver for seven years. She then
pounded her stomach with a stone after which a son was born. He was named “Ashmaka”
since he was born after being hit by a stone. Ashmaka means ‘son of stone’.
Mitrasaha handed over the charge of his kingdom to Ashmaka and came to this
place (Ashram of Valmeeki). He did a fierce penance here and attained
salvation. We are now living in a hermitage in which a descendant of your
dynasty named Mitrasaha lived.” Valmeeki concluded the history of his Ashram.
Shatrughna, who was knowledgeable, became aware that
Kusha and Lava, children of his brother Rama were born in the hermitage of
Valmeeki and they sang the Ramayana story composed by Sri Valmeeki.
Shatrughna spent that night in the Ashram of Sri
Valmeeki, woke up in the early hours of next dawn, completed his morning
chorus, took permission of Sri Valmeeki and set off in northern direction. He
reached the banks of Yamuna River and spent a night amidst the sages living
there. From those sages, he came to know that Lavanasura had killed Mandhata
and several other kings. Next morning, Shatrughna crossed Yamuna River, stood
in front of the entrance of Madhuvana beholding his bow and arrows, ready to
wage the war.
Lavanasura had gone out then and returned to Madhuvana
by afternoon. He had brought with him one hundred corpses to eat. He saw
Shatrughna and said: “Oh human, I have eaten thousands of human beings like
you. Why have you come to my house to be eaten by me?”
“Do not bark like dogs, you demon. I am not one of
those human beings you have eaten. I am the brother of Srirama, who killed
Ravana without any effort. I have come here to kill you. Get ready for the
battle,” Shatrughna vociferously replied to Lavanasura.
“Oh I see! You are the brother of that Rama who killed
Ravana, who was like my brother. I wish to take revenge by killing the brother
of Rama who killed my brother Ravana. Wait for a moment. I will return with my
weaponry,” said Lavanasura.
“You Cheat! Do you want to escape without fighting? I
will not leave you. It is my bounden duty to kill persons like you instantaneously.”
Enraged Lavanasura pulled out a tree and threw it
towards Shatrughna, who cut it into pieces with his arrows. The war continued
for some time. Once, Lavanasura hit Shatrughna with a Sal Tree and the latter
lost consciousness. The sages were shocked and pitied. Shatrughna regained the
consciousness after a while and became very furious. He took the arrow that
Rama had given him, set it on the bow and pulled the string to release it. Flames
of fire were oozing out of that arrow, even as people and sages around became
anxious and frightened. Shatrughna shot the arrow at Lavanasura. The arrow
killed Lavanasura, went to the underworld before returning to Rama’s quiver.
Valmeeki was very happy with the victory achieved by
Shatrughna and hosted a very distinct party to the victor and his army. The
soldiers heard the melodious rendition of the story of Ramayana and asked
Shatrughna to enquire about the origin of that story and the related facts.
Shatrughna was aware that after his departure from Ayodhya, Rama and Seetha
Devi had been separated and that Kusha and Lava, children of Rama were
delivered by Seetha Devi in the hermitage of Valmeeki, who had composed Sri
Ramayana and had directed Kusha and Lava to sing the same. However, Shatrughna
did not want to disclose this information to his soldiers. He told his
soldiers:
“Valmeeki is a divine person and he possesses several
mysterious qualities. Composing Ramayana and making the two children sing
Ramayana is not an ordinary task. It is not proper to hurt Valmeeking by questioning
him about the Ramayana.’
He repented for what had transpired in his absence and
expressed grief with Rama, who pacified him by saying that everything was
predetermined and inescapable.
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