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Raghuveera Gadhyam: Yuddha KhAndham--Part 9

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V. Sadagopan • December 13, 1996 


**SALUTATION TO RAHUVEERAN

VisAla netram paripurNa gAthram
SitA kaLathram sura vairi jaithram I
Jagath pavithram paramathma tanthram
Sri Ramachandram praNamAmi chitthE II
  --- Sri Rama KarNAmrutham 4. 27

GS: 58 -- katuratath atani dankruthi chatula katOra
kArmukha visikha vithAtana vigaditha makuta vihvala
visravastanaya visrama samaya visrANana vikhyAtha 
vikrama! Jaya ! Jaya ! 

(Meaning ) : Hail to Thee , O Raghuveera , who through your 
compassionate act of letting RavaNa leave the battle field and rest 
overnight to restore his strength , when the agitated RavaNA could not
match your prowess in the battle field ! The ferocious sounding arrows 
leaving your bow did their powerful work and split into pieces the
crowns of the ten-headed RavNA and made him fear for his life. 
Seeing his weak state , You as a noble warrior did not want to take 
advantage of him, when he was weak and unable to defend himself .
You permitted him to retire from the battle field and then return the 
next day after a well-needed  rest in his palace .

(Background ) : RavaNA sent his commander-in-chief , PrahasthA
to the battle field as the simian army led by NilA destroyed many 
divisions of his army . Prahastha caused a lot of damage to 
the army of monkeys , who fought only with uprooted trees and pieces
of rocks . In a fierce battle , NilA threw a big rock over the head of Prahastha
and shattered his head and killed him . RavaNA was disconsolate over 
the death of his commander-in-chief and decided to take control of 
the battle in his own hands. He appeared on the battle field and immediately 
began to make short work of the monkey chieftains. He stupefied Sugriva 
with a swift arrow. He struck Hanuman in the chest and sent him 
reeling. Then he began to torment NilA , who had earlier killed 
PrahasthA , his commander-in-chief .With great agility, NilA evaded
RavaNA and perched himself on the  banner of the chariot of RavaNA.
The angry RavaNA dispatched an arrow empowered by Agni at NilA ,
the son of Agni . NilA's life was spared by his father , but he was knocked
unconscious. 

The triumphant RavaNA gloated with pride now dashed towards
LakshmaNA and sent a flurry of arrows at him. LakshmaNA 
sent his own arrows flying at the speed of lightning and tore
the arrows of RavaNA in flight . LakshmaNA cut the bow of RavaNA 
in to three pieces with his arrows and bathed RavaNA in a shower of 
sharp arrows. The enraged RavaNA struck LakshmanA with a javelin given 
to him by Brahma and grievously hurt LakshmanA with it  and knocked him 
off his feet. The ten-headed king of Ogres came down from his chariot and 
tried to lift and  carry away LakshmaNA as a trophy . The great RavaNA , 
who had once lifted Kailasa mountain could not however  succeed in lifting 
LakshmaNA . meanwhile ,Hanuman had recovered from his earlier battle 
with RavaNA and rushed to the side of the fallen LakshmaNa . He gave  
a mighty blow to RavaNA and sent him reeling. Hanuman used that moment 
to lift and carry off the unconscious LakshmaNA to the side of the worried
Rama. Hanuman had no problem lifting LakshmaNA , while RavaNA
could not succeed in his efforts. 

HanumAn now appealed to Rama and requested Rama to subdue 
the king of ogres and to fight him , while being mounted on his shoulders. 
RavaNA was standing in his chariot and Rama confronted him 
from his perch on the shoulders of Hanumaan . In a fierce  battle ,
Rama tore up into pieces RavaNA's chariot with its wheels, horses, 
standard , canopy , the charioteer and the weapons stored on the sides 
of that mighty chariot . Next , Rama hit RavaNA in the chest with a fiery 
arrow and RavaNA reeled and began to swoon. With another cresent-shaped 
arrow shining like fire , Rama tore the diadem of the king of ogres .
Now , RavaNA looked like a poisonous snake divested of its poison .
Rama sized the situation quickly and recognized that RavaNA was in
no shape to continue the fight and could easily be killed then and there. 
Out of his sense of fairness and compassion , Rama praised RavaNa
for the earlier display of his great skills in the battle field and told him
that 
he (Rama ) will not elect to kill him then, when he( RavaNA )  was in 
no shape to continue the fight . Rama"s words were :

krutham tvayA karma mahath subheemam 
hatapraveerasccha kruthastvayaaham I
tasmaath parisrAntha ithi vyavasya 
na tvaam sarai: MRUTHYU VASAM NAYAAMI II

prayAhi jAnAmi raNArdhitastvam 
pravisya raathrim chararAja lankhAm I
aasvasya niryAhi rathee cha dhanvee
tadhA balam prekshyasi mE rathastha: II

(Meaning ) :  A great and exceedingly difficult task has been
accomplished by you in killing many of my heroic simian chieftains
and overpowering Sugreeva, Hanumaan , NilA and LakshamNA .
I recognize that you are battle-fatigued . Hence , I would not kill 
you now and dispatch you to the world of Yama. You are not in
any shape to stand up and continue your fight with me. Hence , I 
give you permission to leave the battle field. Reenter LankhA ,
rest a  while and return with a new chariot and weapons. Then ,
you can witness my strength . 

Consoled by  the words of the compassionate Rama, the mighty 
RavaNA shorn of his vanity, pride and joy hastily left the battle field
in disgrace and returned to his palace . After RavaNA left , Rama 
and the recovered LakshmaNA  toured the battle field and 
removed the arrows from the limbs of the brave monkey chieftains, 
who had been wounded in their battle with RavaNA before 
Rama came to their rescue. The oudhAryam and the heroism 
of Rama is celebrated in this famous , fifty ninth canto of 
Yuddha Khaandham by sage Vaalmiki .

The Concluding salutaton to Raghuveeran :

jAnAthi Rama! tava tatttvagathim HanUmAn 
jAnAthi Rama! tava sakhyagathim kapeesa: I
jAnAthi Rama! tava Yuddhagathim dasAsyO
jAnAthi Rama! dhanadhAnuja yeva sathyam II

---- Sri Rama KarNaamrutham 4. 17

Sri HanUmath Sametha  Raghuveera ParabrahmaNE nama:

Sri VaishNava Daasan,

Oppiliappan Koil VarAdAchari Sadagopan