"Having vanquished Yama, the foremost of celestials, Rāvana delighting
in warfare, saw his adherents. And seeing Rāvana, with his person bathed
in blood, bettered by the weapon discharged at him, they were seized
with surprise. And hailing him with victory, the councillors headed by
Māricha, having been encouraged by Rāvana, ascended Pushpaka. And then
the Raksha entered the region of waters—the abode of Daityas and
serpents, well protected by Varuna. And arriving at Bhogavati—the city
governed by Vāsuki, he brought the serpents under subjection and then,
delighted, bent his course to the palace—Manimayi. There dwelt the
Nivatakavachas, who had obtained boons. Those Daityas were possessed of
prowess and endowed with strength,—carrying various weapons, breathing
high spirits and invincible in battle. And the Dānavas and Rākshasas
growing enraged fell to raving each other with darts and tridents,
Kuliças and axes and _pattiças_. And as they fought one entire year
passed away and neither side obtained victory or was worsted. And then
that way of the triune sphere, that God, the undeteriorating
Great-father, swiftly presented himself on the scene mounted on his
excellent car. And making the Nivatakavachas desist from battle the
ancient great-father spake in clear words—’Even the celestials and the
Asuras are not able to vanquish this Rāvana in battle; nor can the
Dānavas backed by the gods can destroy you. Do you therefore turn your
minds to making friends with the Rākshasa. All interests are forsooth
the common possession of friends.’ Thereat Rāvana made friends with the
Nivatakavachas in the presence of Fire; and then rejoiced greatly. And
duly honored (by them) Daçānana passed there a year, without any feeling
of that place being different from his own home: and spent his time
agreeably. And having learnt there an hundred sorts of illusion, he
directed his course to Rasatala, searching for the city of the lord of
waters. And then going to the city named Açma ruled by the Kalakayas,
(Rāvana) slew the Kalakayas endowed with terrific strength; and then
with his sword cut off his brother-in-law,⁵⁹ the husband of Surpanakhā,
the mighty Vidyutjibha possessed of terrific strength; as that Rākshasa
in the encounter was licking (the limbs of Rāvana’s followers).⁶⁰ Having
vanquished him, he, in a moment, destroyed four hundred Daityas. And
then the lord of Rākshasas saw the grand abode of Varuna resembling a
mass of white clouds, and effulgent like unto Kailāça itself;—and also
saw the milk-conserving Surabhi stationed there; from the streams of
whose milk was produced the ocean named Kshiroda.⁶¹ And there Rāvana saw
the mother of kine and the foremost of bulls; from whom springeth that
maker of night the mild-beaming-moon; taking refuge under whom subsist
the prime saints and those living on froth, the froth⁶² (of milk); and
wherefrom sprang ambrosia as well as the Swadha of Swādhā-subsisting
ones,⁶³ even her that goeth with human beings under the name of Surabhi.
Having gone round this wonderful (cow), Rāvana entered the exceedingly
dreadful abode of Varuna guarded by various kinds of forces. And then he
beheld Varuna’s splendid mansion, streaming with hundreds of torrents,
resembling a mass of autumnal clouds, and always wearing a delightful
aspect. And killing the generals of the forces, after having been
resisted by them, he addressed the warriors, saying,—’Do you speedily
acquaint your king with this. Rāvana hath come here seeking battle. Do
thou give him fight, or say with joined hands, "I have been defeated by
thee," and then thou hast no fear whatever.’ In the meantime the sons
and grandsons of the high-souled Varuna, as well as those of Pushkara
issued forth. And they, endowed with every virtue, accompanied by their
own forces, yoked cars furnished with the effulgence of the rising Sun,
and coursing at the desire of their riders. And then there took place a
mighty encounter capable of making people’s down stand on end, between
the sons of the lord of waters, and those of the intelligent Rāvana. And
in a short while that entire host of Varuna was brought down by the
highly powerful councillor of that Rākshasa Daçagriva. And seeing their
own forces brought to straits in the conflict and driven back in the
fight with networks of shafts, and down on the ground and seeing Rāvana
in Pushpaka, Varuna’s sons swiftly shot into the welkin with their
fleet-footing cars. And after they had attained a station of equal
vantage (with Rāvana) in the sky,⁶⁴ great was the encounter that then
took place in the sky, resembling the encounter of the deities and the
Dānavas. And turning away Rāvana in the conflict by means of shafts
resembling fire, they, exceedingly rejoiced, emitted various shouts. And
then Mahodara, enraged on seeing the king sore pressed, casting off
fear, and wrought up with rage, began to go around, eager for fight. And
smit with his mace by Mahodara, Varuna’s sons coursing at will and
resembling the wind (in velocity), dropped down to the ground. And
having slain those warriors and also those horses of Varuna’s sons
(Mahodara) seeing them lying down deprived of their cars swiftly sent up
a tremendous cheer. And destroyed by Mahodara, their cars and horses
together with their foremost charioteers, lay low on the earth. And then
forsaking their cars, the sons of the high-souled Varuna, stationed in
the sky, did not experience any pain⁶⁵ by virtue of their native power.
And having stretched their bows they pierced Mahodara, and then, all
together they greatly angered prevented Rāvana. As the clouds, with a
thousand torrents cleave a mountain, so they, with dreadful shafts,
resembling thunderbolts and discharged off the bows, pierced him.
Thereupon the Ten-necked (demon), excited with wrath like the fire of
dessolution, pierced them to their very vitals with highly dreadful
arrows. And stationed above, he showered on them variegated maces,
_Vallās_,⁶⁶ _Pātticas_, _saktis_ and huge _Sataghnis_.
"Thereupon with the arrows the infantry were greatly exhausted like unto
young elephants six years old, fallen in mire. Beholding Varuna’s sons
thus worn out and overwhelmed the highly powerful Rāvana roared in
delight like unto clouds. Thereupon emitting loud cries the Rākshaha,
like unto a cloud, with a downpour of diverse shafts, destroyed the
offspring of Varuna. Thereupon they were all defeated and fell dead on
the ground and all their followers fled away from the field of battle to
their homes. Rāvana spoke unto them.—’Do ye communicate this to Varuna.’
Whereto his minister Prahasta replied unto Rāvana saying—’O great
king—Varuna’s sons are slain and the lord of waters, whom thou art
inviting for battle, hath gone to the region of Brahmā, to hear songs.
While the king is away, what is the use of taking trouble, O hero? And
all these heroic sons (of Varuna) have been vanquished.’ Hearing these
words and spreading his own name the lord of Rākshasas expressing sign
of joy, issued out of Varuna’s abode. And returning by the way by which
he had come, the Raksha, stationed in the welkin, proceeded towards
Lankā."
⁵⁹ _Cyalā_ means a wife’s brother, Vidyujjibha was however, _the
husband of his sister_.—T.
⁶⁰ This explanation is the commentator’s.
⁶¹ Lit. the sea of milk.
⁶² A typical instance of the lengths which the self-denial of the
Hindu sages went is furnished by the case of a certain class of
ascetics, who, abstaining from every other kind of food, lived
solely on the froth of milk, falling off from the udders after the
calf had drunk it. This froth-drinking, in preference to drinking
the milk itself was dictated by a motive of charity—_viz_, not to
deprive the calf of her legitimate fare.—T
⁶³ The ancestral manes.
⁶⁴ Ere this Rāvana was fighting on Pushpaka, while Varuna’s sous
fought on the earth.
⁶⁵ By virtue of their immortal origin.
⁶⁶ An arrow with a crescent-shaped head.