"Indra, the king of the gods, weaves garlands for me; the thousand-rayed
or the Sun keeps watch at my gate; above my head Chandra or the Moon
uprears the umbrella of dominion; the wind's and the ocean's monarchs
are my slaves; and for my board the fiery godhead toils. Knowest thou
not this, and canst thou stoop to praise the son of Raghu, whose frail
mortal body is but a meal to any of my households?"
Angada laughs and observes:--"Is this thy wisdom, Ravana? Infirm of
judgement dost thou deem of Rama thus--a mortal man? Then Ganga merely
flows a watery stream; the elephants that bear the skies, and Indra's
steed, are brutal forms; the charms of Rembha are the fleeting beauties
of earth's weak daughters, and the golden age, a term of years. Love is
a petty archer; the mighty Hanuman, in thy proud discernment, is an
ape."
Angada, having in vain endeavoured to persuade Ravana to restore Sita,
leaves him to expect the immediate advance of the Monkey host.
Virupaksha and Mahodara, two of Ravana's ministers utter a string of
moral and political sentences.
Ravana is not to be persuaded, but goes to Sita to try the effect of his
personal solicitations--first endeavouring to deceive her by two
fictitious heads, made to assume the likenesses of Rama and Lakshmana.
Sita's lamentations are stopped by a heavenly monitor, who tells her
that the heads are the work of magic and they instantly disappear.
Ravana then vaunts his prowess in war and love, and approaches Sita to
embrace her. She exclaims "Forbear, forbear! proud fiend, the jetty arms
of my loved lord, or thy relentless sword, alone shall touch my neck."
Thus repulsed, Ravana withdraws, and presently reappears as Rama, with
his own ten heads in his hands. Sita, thinking him to be what he
appears, is about to embrace him, when the secret virtue of her
character as a faithful wife detects the imposition, and reveals the
truth to her. Ravana, baffled and mortified, is compelled to relinquish
his design. Sita's apprehensions, lest she should be again beguiled, are
allayed by a voice from heaven, which announces that she will not see
the real Rama until he has beheld Mandodari kiss the dead body of her
husband Ravana.
A female Rakhasi attempts to assassinate Rama, but is stopped and slain
by Angada. The army then advances to Lanka, and Ravana comes forth to
meet it. Kumbhakarna, his gigantic and sleepy brother, is disturbed from
his repose to combat. He is rather out of humour at first, and
recommends Ravana to give up the lady, observing: "Though the commands
of royalty pervade the world, yet sovereigns ever should remember, the
light of justice must direct their path." Ravana answers:--
"They who assist us with a holy text are but indifferent friends. These
arms have wrested victory from the opposing grasp of gods and demons.
Confiding in thy prowess, sure in thee to triumph over my foes, I have
relaxed their fibre, but again their nerves are braced, I need thee not;
hence to thy cell and sleep." Kumbhakarna replies:--"King, do not
grieve, but like a valiant chief, pluck from thy heart all terror of
thine enemies, and only deem of thy propitious fortunes, or who shall
foremost plunge into the fight----I will not quit thee."
Kumbhakarna's advance terrifies Rama's troops, whom the Kshatriya hero
addresses thus:
"Ho! chiefs and heroes, why this groundless panic, the prowess of our
enemy untried in closer conflict? Ocean's myriad fry would drain the
fountain, and before the swarm of hostile gnats the mighty lion falls."
Kumbhakarna is killed by Rama; on which Indrajit, a son of Ravana,
proceeds against the brethren. By the arrow called _Nagapasa_,
presented him by Brahma, he casts Rama and Lakshmana senseless on the
ground, and then goes to Nikumbhila mountain to obtain a magic car by
means of sacrifice. Hanumana disturbs his rites.
Rama and Lakshmana revive, and on being sprinkled with drops of amrita
brought by Garura, the latter with a shaft decapitates Meghnada, and
tosses the head into the hands of his father Ravana.
Ravana levels a shaft at Lakshmana, given him by Brahma, and charged
with the certain fate of one hero. Hanumana snatches it away, after it
has struck Lakshmana, before it does mischief. Ravana reproaches Brahma,
and he sends Nareda to procure the dart again and keep Hanumana out of
the way. With the fatal weapon Lakshmana is left for dead. Rama
despairs:--
"My soldiers shall find protection in their caves; I can die with Sita,
but thou, Vibhishana, what shall become of thee?"
Hanuman reappears and encourages him. Ravana has a celebrated physician,
Sushena, who is brought away from Lanka in his sleep, and directs that a
drug (_Vishalya_) from the Druhima mountain must be procured before
morning, or Lakshmana will perish. This mountain is six millions of
_Yojanas_ remote, but Hanuman undertakes to bring it bodily to Lanka,
and call at Ayodhya on his way.
He accordingly roots up the mountain, and is returning with it to Rama,
via Ayodhya, when Bharata, who is employed in guarding a sacrifice made
by Vasishtha, not knowing what to make of him, shoots Hanuman as he
approaches. He falls exclaiming on Rama and Lakshmana, which leads
Bharata to discover his mistake. Vasishtha restores the monkey who sets
off for Lanka. On Hanuman's return, the medicament is administered, and
Lakshman revives.
An ambassador from Ravana comes and offers to give up Sita for the
battle-axe of Parasurama, but this, Rama replies, must be reserved for
Indra. On this refusal, Ravana goes forth after a brief dialogue with
his queen Mandodari, who animates his drooping courage with the true
spirit of the tribe to which she belongs.
"Banish your sorrow, lord of Lanka, take one long and last embrace. We
meet no more. Or give command, and by your side I march fearless to
fight, for I too am a Kshatriya." The progress of Ravana through the air
appals all Nature. The winds breathe low in timid murmurs through the
rustling woods; the sun with slackened fires gleams pale abroad and the
streams, relaxing from their rapid course, slowly creep along. Ravana
defies Rama with great disdain and in derision of his modest demeanour,
asks him whether he is not overcome with shame by the recollection of
his ancestor, Anaranya, killed formerly by Ravana.