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Vali Vadham 63

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Hari Krishnan • December 26, 2002 


When the normal course fails


The following verse of Valmiki beautifully sums up the battle between Rama and Ravana.  "Watching that matchless struggle and observing that even the sky is its own compeer and that the sea is its own analogue, the struggle between Sri Rama and Ravana can be likened only to the struggle between Sri Rama and Ravana." (Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda, Canto 107, Sloka 51)

It could not be compared with anything else.  The verse is a standard example for illustrating the Sanskritic figure of speech known by the name 'Ananvaya' the occasion, which arises only where the object described is peerless and serves as its own comparison.  And that battle lasted for seven whole days, without respite.  To use the language of Sastriyar, "...the fight between Ravana and Sri Rama lasted for seven days, that there was no remission or relaxation of the struggle, that it continued to be of the same intensity all those days nights, that there was no remission or relaxation of the struggle all those days and nights when either combatant failed in his vigilance or in exercise of his great strength."

During all these seven long days of battle, we see the description of Rama's arrows only and not the use of any divine weapon.  Verses after verses run like this.  "With four sharp arrows loosed from his bow Sri Rama thereupon drove back the four spirited horses of Ravana." "The valiant scion of Raghu loosed twenty, thirty, sixty and hundreds and thousands of arrows on the enemy's chariot." (Ibid, excerpts from Sloka 30-44)

One may see here that despite being hard pressed by time and the valiant Ravana, Sri Rama observes utmost restraint and does not use the divine weapons against Ravana - for use of divine weapons to vanquish an enemy was something against his principles.  It is only after Matali, the charioteer of Indra who was sent to assist Rama, was stuck by the arrows of Ravana that Rama's anger picks up and his fight intensifies.  That is a point to be studied in detail later when we study Rama's character.  

Finally, Rama is unable to understand what is really happening and why he could not vanquish Ravana.  "I wonder what is the reason why these well-known shafts - which have all been tried and found infallible by me on the battlefield, (nay) by the help of which the ogre Marica for his part was made short work of (by me) as also Kara along with Dusana, nay (the ogre) Viradha too was disposed of in a hole in the ground in the Kraunca wood, and Kabandha in the Dandaka Forest, by which (again) were the (seven) sal trees (at Kishkindha) and mountains too were transfixed as also Vali (the lord of monkeys) and (last of all) the sea was thrown into agitation - have proved of little efficacy against Ravana. (Ibid, excerpts from Slokas 55-61)

Kamban also shows Rama in such a predicament.  'kaNinuL maNiyoodu kazhindhana eNNin nuN maNalil pala vengaNai' More arrows than the countless sands on the seashores have gone through the very eyeballs of this ogre.  'puNinuL nuzhaindhu odiya pundhiyOr eNNin nuNNiya.'  Arrows sharper than the intellect of scholars have sunk into his wounds.  (Yet he has not died.)  'enach cheyarpaatru enaa'  (Rama thought) what is the course of action that is left open to me now?

Note the use of the words 'arrows' (NOT divine weapons) again and again.  




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