The Death of Indrajit

[Indra ] "Gods, listen to what Maliyavan told Ravana. He said that if the great demon-raja wanted to live in Lanka, he must release Sita. Ravana accepted this plan, reluctantly, but was intercepted by Mahodara, who sang his praises so loudly that Ravana once again grew confident. Sending messengers, Ravana summoned his brother Kumbhakarna, but when the giant demon entered the palace and saw the court in a war panic, he was shocked, bowed before his older brother, and asked what had happened. When Ravana explained the terrible loss in yesterday's battle and asked him to assume the responsibility of winning back the war, Kumbhakarna looked at Ravana and spoke: 'Brother, the only reason for this chaos is your foolish love for that man's wife. As long as she stays, the destruction of Lanka is certain. Release her and free us all from this shame.'

"But Ravana roared back, 'Quiet! It's not your place to advise me. She stays and Rama dies, that is the end of this debate.' Kumbhakarna called that mere 'words,' but Ravana reminded him of their proud heritage, their descent from Brahma: 'We are half-demon, half-Brahmin, and we do commit mistakes. If you are opposed to the idea of Sita's captivity, you might at least consider attacking the enemy who has attacked us.' Kumbhakarna replied that Ravana should have fought Rama first and then taken Sita, which so infuriated Ravana that he ordered his brother to leave the court. In the end, Kumbhakarna said that he, by force of blood, would obey his brother and king and fight Rama.

"And so with thirteen thousand soldiers, Kumbhakarna entered the field. Rama saw the gigantic figure emerge in the distance and spoke to Vibhisana, standing by his side:^[7]

"Mighty shoulders spreading so wide
My eyes can not measure them in a day,
Legs planted on the earth like mountains,
It can't be a warrior, but what is it?^[8]

"Vibhisana, yesterday we defeated Ravana and his two hundred thousand demon soldiers; I felled him, knocking off his crown, and he can no longer hold any hope of victory. Only one question remained: 'Will he release Sita and end this war? Or will he send more demons to be killed?' Yet, look! Over there! Another huge warrior has taken the field, and he is enormous! My eyes will require more than a day to move from his right shoulder to his left. He cannot be human-born—he looks like a mountain that emerged from the earth, like Mt. Meru, flanked by the cosmic elephants, with the nine planets circling his head. Who is this mountain-man?"

"Rama, look closely. What do you see?"

"I cannot answer. Could it be Ravana in disguise—has he changed his twenty arms and ten heads for these two arms and single head? Is his maya frightening us again? Tell me, tell me quickly."

"Rama,

Listen, noble one (ariya ), he is younger brother to
     the Raja of Lanka on this earth(atitalam )
And older brother to me;
Wearing anklets of black death, wielding a cruel trident,
He is Kumbhakarna, O, Lord of Victory.

"Notice, Rama, that the poet calls you ariya , or 'noble one.' We also call you pujyan , which means both 'noble one' and 'nothingness,' a cipher.^[9] Numbers are useful when we add, for instance, ten to twenty to find a sum, but more useful is this concept of nothingness and of everything at the same time. That's you, Rama. Nameless, formless, you are the unknowable, the hidden essence, the self-generating reality.

"People often ask, 'Why worship this nothingness?' Our answer is that nothing, this pujyan , takes form to protect us. You, too, assume the eight dispositions, such as love and compassion, that we all have. So what separates you from us? Consider the Saiva texts, which describe three layers of body: subtle, gross, and physical.^[10] The physical body is that which is visible to the naked eye; inside is another, the gross body, which can be known by yoga and meditation; and inside it is a still more subtle body, which is known only by wisdom. Humans and gods alike have these three layers, but there is a difference. The outer bodies of all the beings in the world comprise the outer body of god, and the inner bodies of all the beings form the inner body of god; the innermost bodies are subsumed in god's innermost

body. In short, god's body is this world. People debate the nature of god: some say he has name and form, some deny it, whereas the simple truth, Rama, is that god takes bodily form to protect this world in times of crisis. Because you are an example of that compassion, we call you pujyan ."

"Yes, Vibhisana, but who is that giant warrior beating down on us?"

"Right, and look at the rest of the first line, in which 'foot place' (atitalam ) refers to the earth because one walks on it. This is an example of a derived noun; the other category of nouns are those understood by conventional usage. Now, words in each of these two categories can be either a general noun or a special noun; thus, there are four classes of nouns. For instance, we use the word pankam to denote 'mud' [ceru ]. Other things that come from mud, like the word pankayam (lotus) are derived nouns, though many would consider this a noun by convention. On the other hand, people seldom use the word pankayam and prefer instead centamarai , which is a special derived noun.

"Similarly, mukkannan , or 'three-eyed,' is a derived noun when we use it to mean 'coconut.' But when we use it to mean 'Siva,' it is a special derived noun. 'Foot place' is also a special derived noun because it arose for a special reason, which is Vamana, the dwarf-avatar of Visnu, who—"

"Vibhisana, I appreciate your learned explanations, but first tell me, who is this ferocious warrior about to kill us?"

"That's what I am telling you, Rama, by explaining this phrase 'foot place.' Long ago a raja and his son Mahabali built a magnificent city of Asurapati, whence the demons ruled the Three Worlds. Soon the gods and sages petitioned Brahma for relief from the demons' violence, and Brahma sent them to Narayana, who assured them that he would end their troubles once and for all. 'First,' he said, 'we must churn the Milk Ocean to acquire ambrosia. Bring that huge Mandara mountain; the long snake named Vasuki; the sixteen-phased moon, Candra; and finally that snake Karkottan. But, for this task, you gods also need the help of the demons, especially their king, Mahabali.'

"Then with the demons' help, the gods set up Mr. Mandara as the churning stick, using the moon as a latch and a horse as a pin to fasten the stick to the tortoise as its resting place. With Vasuki wrapped around the stick, the gods held his tail and the demons his head, and

they began to churn. They churned and churned until Vasuki was unable to bear the pain and spat out his dangerous poison, which swelled into a huge ball and advanced toward the demons, who dropped the snake's head and fled. Narayana stopped them by saying he would swallow the poison, which he did, but he could not hold it down, and it emerged again in a murderous mass. Knowing it would kill them all, the gods ran to Mt. Kailasa and pleaded with Siva to assist them.

"'Do not fear, gods. Stay here,' advised Siva, who then summoned a great ascetic and told him to bring the poison back to Kailasa. When the ascetic approached the black mass, it called out, 'Stay back or die!' But the ascetic simply said, 'I am Siva's messenger. Come rest in my hands,' and the poison entered his palm—at least that's what the old legends say. The ascetic returned to Kailasa and put the poison in Siva's hands, who pressed it into a ball, like soft rice, and tossed it in his mouth. There are two versions of what happened next. Some say that Parvati, fearing that Siva would die if he swallowed the poison, squeezed his throat so that the poison went no further—it stayed fight there in his throat. The other story is that Siva himself halted the poison in his throat to protect those who sought his refuge. The old legends often differ like this, but no version fails to state that Siva held the poison without swallowing it. That's why Siva is called Dark Throat or Poison Throat.^[11]

"Siva then told the gods to return and churn again for the ambrosia. They did, and eventually the liquid emerged, but the demons and gods fought over it. In that battle, Indra, riding on his elephant Airavata, cut off Mahabali's head with his thunderbolt, while Sukra, Mahabali's guru, watched—"

"Vibhisana, this is a fascinating tale about Mahabali's death, but what about this figure bearing down on us right now ?"

"Swami, every story has details, which unfold as the story is told, and eventually we will return to the starting point. For now, just listen. Grieving over Mahabali's loss, Sukra tried to revive him. Carrying his head and body to the Milk Ocean, he fitted them together, chanted a secret mantra and ... Mahabali arose as from a dream. Bowing at Sukra's feet, Mahabali said, 'Great guru, you have let me live again. When I battle Indra for the second time, is there a boon that will protect me from death?' 'Yes,' the guru replied, 'if you perform an esoteric sacrifice, you can defeat a thousand Indras.' And so

Sukra and Mahabali kindled a fire, made offerings of milk and fruit and ghee, and chanted mantras into the flames. Soon Brahma emerged from the flames and gave Mahabali horses, arrows, bows, and a jewel-garland that made its owner invincible. Armed with these boons, Mahabali summoned his demon armies and again charged against the gods, who fell back in fear when they saw the once-dead king leading the charge. Brhaspati, guru to the gods, explained what had happened and said, 'Flee now while there is time; we can do nothing against this Mahabali.'"

"Yes, Vibhisana, this is all very interesting, but who is this warrior? At least tell me his name before he slays me."

"I'm coming to that. So the gods fled and Mahabali occupied the heavens, entertained by celestial dancers and musicians. Indra was furious and prepared to attack Mahabali, but Brahma intervened and bade him consult Visnu, who promised Indra that he would destroy Mahabali. Meanwhile on earth, a son of Brahma, sage Kasyapa, married the thirteen daughters of the moon. With one wife, Aditi, he fathered the gods, and with another, Diti, he brought forth the demons. Aditi knew at once that Diti's demon-sons would overcome her god-sons, so she asked her husband, Kasyapa, for another son to subdue the demons. Kasyapa listened and spoke: 'Even barren women will conceive if they follow these instructions: for the twelve days after the new moon in Panguni, you must repeat the Five-Letter Mantra, the Maya Mantra, and the Truth Mantra.'^[12]

"For those twelve days, Aditi meditated on those mantras, and when the star rose early on the thirteenth morning, she cried out, 'Swami, you must take some form to defeat the demons.' 'So be it,' a voice responded. Ten months later, on Krsna's birthday, Vamana [Visnu's dwarf-avatar] was born. The old stories provide a long description of his tiny body, but it can be summarized in one sentence: 'If you understand a banyan-tree seed, you understand Vamana.' Meanwhile, Mahabali dug a deep pit, filled it with sandalwood, poured on ghee, and kindled a roaring fire. For days the sacrifice continued, as the demon-raja distributed gifts to anyone who came and asked. When Vamana approached, Mahabali himself fell at the little Brahmin's holy feet and escorted him in a royal chariot to the guest house. After his esteemed guest had rested, Mahabali spoke. 'Sir, why have you come?'

"'I am a student of the Vedas; I need a small plot of land to live on while I complete my studies,' Vamana politely replied.

"'Granted. How much land do you wish?'

"'Only as much as I can measure in three steps.'

"'Such a large request from such a little man,' Mahabali muttered and shook his head. 'If you had asked for three entire villages, I would not refuse you.'

"'Oh, no, sir. Only three steps of land, please.'

"Now in those days no deeds, surveyors, or documents were needed to transfer land. What's the point? Someone says you have the land—and it's yours. A person's word was sufficient. However, when Vamana spoke with Mahabali, Sukra, his guru, was suspicious. Leaning toward his king, Sukra whispered, 'This is no child; he's Visnu. Give him land and your life is finished.' But Mahabali rebuked him. 'Don't say such things. You know the saying: "Those who give even when they have nothing live forever; those who prevent a gift will struggle to earn saltless rice." That's what the old books say. Besides, if I say "I give," it means I gave.'

"As Sukra watched, Mahabali poured water through Vamana's hands to seal the agreement and said, 'Take your three steps.' Suddenly, the dwarf expanded into a huge figure that covered the earth with one step and the heavens with his second. Mahabali then realized this was Visnu and offered his own head as a resting place for the god's third step.

"This is the point, Rama. When Visnu took his dwarf-avatar and measured the earth with his steps, the phrase 'foot place' became a special derived noun for 'earth,' which brings me back to your original question about the giant warrior before us. The earth's loveliest city is Lanka, whose raja is the older brother of this warrior on the battlefield. Strong as Yama, wearing a special anklet that rings a warning to anyone on the field, wielding a spear in his right hand, surrounded by thousands of demons, that is no mountain before you, no maya form of Ravana, that's Kumbhakarna!^[13]

You who swallow the worlds,
In his hand he holds
A spear that swallows warriors' lives,
Given by him who swallowed poison."^[14]

"I see. This is Ravana's younger brother and your older brother, right? But, tell me why the spear is special."

"Rama, permit this ignoramus to ask a question. Is it necessary to say that Kumbhakarna is both my older brother and Ravana's younger brother? Would not one relation be sufficient? Since you did not notice this apparent redundancy, let me explain. Both relations, in fact, are necessary to establish Kumbhakarna's identity because his father, Vicaravasu, married four women: Tevavanni, Putpa, Kalai, and Kekaci. Thus, only if I say that Kumbhakarna is both my older brother and Ravana's younger brother can one know that his mother is our mother, Kekaci.

"But there is another level of meaning in all this. When I said he comes 'after Ravana,' it means that he is junior not only in age but also in demonic disposition.^[15] He's a raksasa , yes, but he has something of Siva in him, too, and therefore commits fewer sins than Ravana. At the same time, he comes 'before me' and so is more demonic than I am. Is the meaning of this line clear now, Rama?"

"It is, but please tell me about his spear before it pierces me."

"You are wise to single out that spear from among the hundreds of weapons he holds because it's Siva's spear, as the verse explains. Notice that the poet uses the word 'swallow' in the first line to identify Visnu as 'He who swallows the world,' which refers to you, Rama. During the periodic dissolutions of the world, all living creatures return to Brahma seated on the lotus stalk, which recedes back inside Visnu, who then holds the earth's waters in himself. However, in the last line, 'swallowing poison' refers to Siva's actions in the story I just told about churning the ocean. Also, the spear itself is said to 'swallow,' to consume the lives of enemies. Do you see how the verse works? It says: 'You who swallow the worlds, listen: this spear, which swallows warriors' lives, was given by him who swallowed the poison.'"

"Oh, it's Siva's trident. But is this the trident of Siva? Aren't there many such spears?"

"Good question. Particularly because in the puranas , Siva appears to give weapons to nearly everyone! Suppose he gives a specific weapon to a persona, who then gives it to another, is it still a 'weapon given by Siva'? I think not. The weapon must be given directly by Siva; otherwise it's not a 'Siva-weapon.' When a great devotee meditates

and asks Siva for a weapon, the god fashions a special one for that person. Kumbhakarna is a case in point because he received his spear in return for devotion to Siva, and, remember, Siva doesn't give weapons to everyone who asks. If he did, he would do absolutely nothing but make weapons and give them away."

"Yes, yes, but how powerful is this spear?"

"Long ago, when Indra attacked the city of the gods, the white elephant Airavata blocked his path. Rushing headlong, Indra grabbed its tusks, but the massive elephant flew up into the sky and tried to shake off the king of the gods. To avoid the disgrace of falling from heaven, Indra held on firmly to its tusks, swinging wildly as the elephant flew through the air. That's how Indra conquered Airavata, yet that same Indra was conquered by Kumbhakarna, who is coming toward us now."

"What else can you tell me about Kumbhakarna?"

"Well, the trident indicates his hand strength, but there is also body strength and leg strength ...

Greater than he who is death to Death,
Greater than he who ended the Ender with his foot,
Kumbhakarna conquered Visnu and
Tied the vakai victory flower on his spear.^[16]

"The verse begins with a reference to Siva as 'death to Death,' which is a separate story and time—"

"You mean the story of Markandeya? Please tell it."

"Very briefly, then, in the city of Katakam a Brahmin named Kuccakan and his wife Ilava gave birth to a son, who grew up to be a scholar and one day left the house to meditate in the deep forest. Meditating on Siva, he sat motionless as a stone while wild animals crept silently around him. Soon Visnu appeared before the boy, who slowly withdrew from his meditation and bowed. Then the god spoke: 'Because you are motionless as a crane (kocca ), I name you Kocciyan.^[17] Study well, and wait for Siva's blessings.' Having completed his education, the boy returned home where his father explained that he must get married, but the young man refused: 'Married life is not for me. All life has problems, but at least they end, whereas the troubles of married life are endless. True pleasure comes with Siva's grace and that requires asceticism.'

"His father was fed up with this philosophizing: 'You must marry; it's my command and you know very well that a son must never contradict his father's word. As the proverb says: "He who opposes his father or harms his mother or denies a sadhu's wishes will swallow balls of molten iron in hell"' And so the boy relented: 'As you wish, Father, but I impose these conditions: my bride should not come from a motherless family, a fatherless family, a family with disease, or a one-child family; she must not be named after any of the seven constellations, after a river, or a bird.^[18] She must possess a healthy body, the balance of this earth, the wisdom of a sage, and the humility to serve others.^[19] Find this woman, Father, and I am ready to marry.'

"His father then set out on a journey and eventually reached an ash-ram where a sage named Uccattiyan had a daughter with all the qualities his son had demanded. Meanwhile—this is a complex story, hard to tell in a few words—Uccattiyan's daughter was bathing with her friends in a pool when a rutting elephant suddenly appeared. The girls scattered in all directions, but the sage's daughter fell into a deep well. Uccattiyan searched and searched and finally found her body lying at the bottom of the well; dragging it up, he laid it on the ground and collapsed in grief. At that moment, the Brahmin, Kuccakan, came along to ask the sage to accept his boy as a son-in-law, but when he saw the girl's corpse, he turned to Uccattiyan and said, 'Why grieve about death? Take the body over to that temple, and protect it for now. Tomorrow I will revive your daughter.' Kuccakan knew perfectly well that Yama had taken away the girl's life and that he would have to fight the God of Death to win it back. As soon as he left the scene, the elephant returned, went straight to the temple, lifted up the corpse, and ran off with it. When the girl awoke, she was stunned: 'An elephant? Carrying me in its trunk? Elephants trample and crush, so why is this one cradling me like a baby?'

"Then with her divine eye she saw into the elephant's past lives, and this is what she saw: Once there was a man named Devataccan whose son, Dharmatattan, became an orphan. When the son began to spend his inheritance wildly, he met a Brahmin named Necamahi, disguised as an alchemist. Hoping to trick the rich Dharmatattan, the alchemist said, 'Give me whatever coins you have, and I will turn them to gold. Bring me everything, and the gold you gain will not

be contained within the walls of a house.' Crazed with greed, the young man sold all his possessions—cattle, cows, furniture, jewels—and then gave all the coins to the alchemist. Placing them in a box, the man chanted a mantra and poured ghee into the flames rising from the box. Soon the heavy smoke overwhelmed Dharmatattan, who fell down unconscious while Necamahi quickly snatched away the box of coins and replaced it with another that held old scraps of metal. When Dharmatattan recovered, the alchemist spoke: 'I must go to perform a Kali puja ; on the third day I will return and then the gold will be yours. Watch over the box until I return.' The third day came, but not Necamahi. Deciding that if he got no gold, he would at least recover his coins, Dharmatattan cautiously put out the fire, opened the lid, and to his horror, saw only twisted pieces of brass and iron. With no means to support himself, Dharmatattan committed suicide.

"For his suicide, Dharmatattan was cursed to be reborn as an elephant, and for many years, in many previous lives as elephants, he performed good deeds. Only one more good deed was required in order to regain his human form; and so it happened: he, as an elephant, revived the sage's daughter and gained a new life as Dharmachatra, and the girl was married to Kuccakan's reluctant son. The couple lived happily and had a son named Mirakantan, who soon married Kuruvati, daughter of sage Bhradvasi. This couple had no children, even after repeated acts of charity, so Mirakantan decided to set out to Benares to ask Siva for a child. Arriving at the Ganga, he undertook fierce austerities in Siva's name until, finally, the Great God appeared and asked him what he wanted.

"When he learned that Mirakantan desired a son, Siva offered him a choice: 'You may have a son who is evil and stupid but will live for a hundred years, or you may have a son who is virtuous and wise but will die at sixteen years. Which do you wish?' Immediately Mirakantan answered, 'Give me the sixteen-year-old son. What good is a dolt even if he lives for a century?' In due course, the son was born and his parents named him Markandeya. As his sixteenth year approached, his parents watched him anxiously and when he asked why, his father replied, 'You were born by the grace of Siva and were allotted only sixteen years of life. Soon you will die and we cannot bear it.' But the son consoled his father: 'Appa, do not worry. I will approach Siva myself.'

"Young Markandeya went straight into the forest, selected a secluded spot, and sat down in deep meditation. There he sat, and when his sixteenth year arrived, Yama looked at his accountant and asked, 'Anyone due today?' The clerk leafed through his enormous ledger of lives and stopped at a line: 'Yes, here we are. A boy named Markandeya was due yesterday, in fact, and he's still in meditation in the forest.'

"'Did we simply overlook him, or is his meditation so powerful that it confused us?'

"'No matter. We must go get him now.'

"But when Yama's men arrived on the scene, they were paralyzed by the sheer force of Markandeya's devotion, and they returned empty.-handed. Yama was furious and rose to go himself, but his minister, Kalan, stopped him. 'Lord, please remain here. I will go and bring back that little boy.' Riding Yama's buffalo and swinging his noose, Kalan charged toward the forest and only stopped within a few inches of the seated Markandeya, who neither moved nor spoke. Finally, Kalan was forced to speak. 'Markandeya! You know that Siva gave you only sixteen years, and now you've crossed over into the seventeenth. What gives you the authority to transgress Siva's boon? Speak!' Markandeya said nothing, and again Kalan screamed at him, 'Listen, this is no trifling matter. I am Kalan, Yama's henchman. Even if Brahma were slated to die, I'd take his life! You can delay death no longer.'

"Finally, the boy spoke: 'So, you are Kalan. Come to take my life, have you? If my life is over, there's no need to take me to Yama. I will go directly to Siva. Leave!' As they argued, Kalan drew out his noose and flung it around Markandeya, but the boy threw himself around the Siva lingam he was worshiping and cried, 'Siva! Receive me, receive me!' Suddenly Siva appeared in a form visible only to Markandeya and said to him, 'I grant you a long life.' Then Siva kicked Kalan's chest with his leg, driving him into the earth and killing him. All the gods gathered and requested Siva to revive Kalan, so that Death might resume its normal course. Siva did that but also said to Kalan, 'Do not go near my devotees again. Henceforth, I will receive my own worshipers.'

"This is the story contained in the phrase that describes Siva as 'death to Death' (kalan to kalan ). Notice also that Siva killed Death with his foot (kal ), so the line reads: 'kalan to kalan by kal .' The underlying meaning, Rama, is that Kumbhakarna is more powerful than Siva, the Destroyer of Death."

"You've described Kumbhakarna's body strength, Vibhisana, but tell me more about his trident."

"As the verse says, Kumbhakarna once decorated that weapon with the victory flower after he defeated Visnu. That's the power of his spear, Rama."

"What! Are you saying that he conquered Visnu in battle?^[20] Does this Kumbhakarna have no weaknesses?"

"No. He does. You know that story of his boon, I presume. When Ravana asked and received a boon of invincibility against the gods and demons, Kumbhakarna was about to ask for the same, but the gods realized that such a boon would be too dangerous, and so they asked Sarasvati to help. The goddess of learning seated herself in Kumbhakarna's tongue, and when he opened his mouth to ask for a boon of immortality, she changed the words so that he gained deathlessness only for six months; during the other six months when he is vulnerable, he sleeps. We are fortunate, indeed, that this is the period of his sleep; in other words, if Ravana had waited a little longer until his giant brother awoke, Kumbhakarna would kill you."

"Here he comes, Vibhisana, prepare for battle."

[The battle is joined and, eventually, Rama kills Kumbhakarna, who lies dead on the field. His funeral pyre roars and the news is brought to Ravana, who grieves for his brother until his son Atikayan steps to his side and vows revenge. When Atikayan enters the field of battle, Vibhisana describes, his history and powers to Rama.^[21] Laksmana then battles Atikayan, matching the demon's arrows with his own, as wounded bodies on the battlefield are torn and eaten by vultures. Vibhisana advises Laksmana to withdraw from the field and asks Rama to direct Hanuman against Atikayan, but the monkey is beaten back. Again Laksmana engages Atikayan in fierce battle, smashes his weapons, and sends him to g ama. In his palace, Ravana is informed by his messengers and cries out:]

"First that monkey burned our city, and then my palace is put under siege. I've lost a battle to Rama, Kumbhakarna has been killed, and now I've lost my son!"

[His wife Danyamalini :] "Kumbhakarna is gone, our beloved son is dead, and who is next? All this because you want to keep that Sita as a concubine! [To Indrajit ] Son, your brother is dead and now the fate of Lanka rests on your shoulders."

"Do not grieve, Mother. I will surely defeat our enemies. Father, send me to battle."

"Just seeing your strong hands, Son, gives me courage, but we have suffered another loss, a great loss."

"Now you tell me! Why did you send my little brother when I, conqueror of Indra, was here to fight? I humiliated that monkey Hanuman when he spied on us. Armed with special weapons, I leave for the battlefield this very minute."

"What weapons have you, Son?"

"Many. Siva granted me the snake-weapon, the Brahma-weapon, and the Narayana-weapon, and many more. And they have not yet been used. Remember that I am your son and will enter the field chanting your name."

"Yes! Go! Go and kill them both, especially the younger one who has killed your brother."

"Laksmana? I'll offer his head as a gift to the Earth Goddess."

"Go quickly, but not alone. Take these forty divisions and two generals, Dumraksa and Mahaparsha."

[Surrounded by his huge armies, looming like black clouds on the horizon, Indrajit advances to the battlefield; seeing them, Laksmana speaks to Vibhisana :]

"They are packed as thick as Sesa's coils, as massive as a herd of elephants, yet they move more swiftly than the wind. Who is that in front? Who could have given birth to such a monster?

Like rolling thunder the war drums sound!
Who is that, Vibhisana?
Who rides his gleaming chariot onto the field
Like a mad elephant chased by Saturn?"^[22]

"That is Ravana's son Indrajit, who never steps backward on a battlefield. Beware, oh, beware, Laksmana!"

"Vibhisana, what is this? You are performing a full-length prostration to him, whimpering with fear!"

"Yes, Laksmana, because Indrajit is incomparable in battle. No one is stronger, and I fear for you. I thought that the death of Atikayan would deliver the last blow to Ravana, but now we must face this giant!"

"How formidable is he?"

"Swami, to recount his history would do violence to your ears! I will not speak without Rama's permission."

[Rama ] "You may speak!"

"Laksmana,

Listen, wide-shouldered Prince of Ayodhya.
He was brought up by the demons as 'Ravani,'
Until he learned mantra-magic, conquered Indra,
And earned the title Indra-lit.

"I will attempt to tell his story briefly, yet even then it should be interesting, well enunciated, and its meter clear. The commentary. should be learned, combining rules from the sastras , logic from the philosophies, and myths from the puranas . Anyone who attempts to explain a verse like this without first studying these texts is like a man trying to bind a wild elephant with a wet lotus stalk. First, however, I need the blessings of Visnu to erase the karma I will earn for uttering the harsh words in this story. As the saying goes: 'Visnu is invoked even before the invocation.' "^[23]

"Is Indralit evil as well as invincible?"

"No, Laksmana, he is not evil. Powerful, majestic, but not evil. He knows only integrity and nothing base. Listen now to his names."

"Names? More than one?"

"As you know, there are several namings: at birth, after ten days, one month, and six months, and this son of Ravana was named on each occasion, according to his nature."

"Are these naming days the same for all castes? And would the different nature of the castes mean different types of names?"

"Your guru is best qualified to answer such questions. All I can say is that each caste follows the custom of naming a child after his father; Rama, for instance, is called Dasarati, after your father. Generally this applies to the first-born son, but not always since Parasurama, the fifth son of Jamadagni, was also named after his father. Now this Indrajit, Ravana's first son, roared so loudly at his birth that he was called Ravanasiya-abutiya-kumanda-Ravani, or Ravani for short. His first name is thus an example of a derived noun, which I explained to you earlier, based on his father and his father's qualities. His second name is Meghanatha, or Cloud Lord, because his birth roar sounded like thunder clouds.

"His third name is Bastard because he was born of a woman not married to his father. You see, one day long ago Parvati went to take

her bath, and Siva made love to her maidservant, but when he released his seed, she begged him not to impregnate her. Siva agreed and arrested his seed in her womb, saying that when she was married, she would conceive from his semen. Now when Parvati learned of all this, she was furious and cursed the woman: 'You who have the brains of a frog will give birth to a frog!' Meanwhile, a man begged Siva for a child, and the god decided that the cursed maidservant should be his wife; thus, when she became pregnant, she gave birth to Mandodari, from manduka> or 'frog.' Much later Ravana rode on his victory march and abducted Mandodari, along with much else, and eventually married her. In due course she gave birth to Indrajit, so he is called Bastard."

"Has he other names?"

"A fourth name referred to in this verse is Mayavi because he is skilled in maya ."

"All the demons in Lanka are skilled in maya . Why should Indrajit in particular be given that name?

"True, but not all those demons have traveled to Mr. Kailasa and studied magic with Siva. You see, Indrajit's mantras frighten even the gods in heaven because he has more yogic power than those sages who are immune to the charms of young breasts sparkling with jewels."

"I know that his last name is Conqueror of Indra [Indra-jit], but Ravana and Kumbhakarna also subdued Indra. Why has Ravana's son alone been given this name?"

"Excellent question—because there is an answer! Remember that he not only defeated Indra but also captured him and imprisoned him in Lanka. Having lost their king, the other gods then went to Brahma, who pleaded with Ravana for Indra's release, but the demon-raja explained that his son, and not he, was responsible. When Brahma heard this he burst out, 'Then that son of yours should be known as Conqueror of Indra.'"

"Now that I know his history, Vibhisana, please tell me how to fight him. Remember, as a prince, I fight honorably."

"He, too, is a warrior of honor. But if honor fails, he will resort to magic. Let me explain.

He leaps to the sky and you follow,
Now he is on earth, now he is gone,

He is a mountain, a ghost, a demon;
He is here, there, everywhere!

"Indrajit is a master of what is known as The Reverse. That is, he does the opposite of what he says; he attacks when he says he is defending and defends when he says he is attacking. If he says 'front,' you'd better protect your back. He also knows maya fighting, which is a little different: after battling him for a long time, suddenly he's not there! You see him in the heavens and speed there, but as you arrive, he jumps back to earth. He comes at you from the north, the south, all the eight directions! And he never, never retreats; he fights until his opponent lays down his bow and prostrates at his feet.

"He'll attack in the form of a huge mountain with feet and arms, and if he doesn't win, he'll metamorphose into myriad monstrous forms. Laksmana, you must never forget that these forms are not real, they are maya , and that in order to destroy those forms, you must shoot for the hands and legs. Still, Indrajit will fight on, for his power is immense. Even when you think you have destroyed him several times over, he will continue to attack, for days and days, without hunger or thirst.

His magic battle shapes are many:
A wild animal deep in a forest,
A Brahmin chanting your name, a blazing fire, or an avalanche of
     stones,
Even King of Lanka, broad-shouldered Ravana himself!

"He will come at you snarling like a lion, and you must destroy that illusion with your arrows. The next moment you will see a Brahmin chanting the holy Vedas, discoursing on dharma, and singing your praises; prostrate at this Brahmin's feet and he will bludgeon you to death. Fire or stones will rain down on you, but do not be afraid; stand your ground and attack. In the end, he may take the form of his own father, Ravana, and attack."

"Vibhisana, is there more?"

"Listen. This magician will turn day into night, so do not be fooled if suddenly you see the moon and stars. Do not lay down your weapons and leave the battle. Count the hours as they pass during each day's battle so that you know when night should come. At all times, remember this: you must disregard what you think you see and instead destroy his maya forms with your arrows."

"What am I to do? His strengths are endless and so, it seems, are his deceptions. How can I possibly defeat him?"

"He is cunning, Laksmana, but no matter what form this Indrajit assumes, he is never invisible. Three marks identify him always: his chariot, his eyes, and his legs. His chariot moves to the right or left according to his whims; it knows none of these distinctions between earth, sky, and netherworlds. Up to the fiery, sun, into the cool waters, around the highest peaks—it goes anywhere he wishes.

He turns night to day, day to night
Creates clouds that rain down blood,
Appears as elephants, horses, chariots,
Even as you, as Laksmana!"

"Is there more?"

"More, much more. Whatever he wishes, he becomes. It's that simple. He will appear to you, for instance, as Laksmana, or several Laksmanas. One will say, 'I'm Laksmana,' and another, 'No, I am.' You must shoot an arrow at each Laksmana and dispel its maya . Then Rama will appear from nowhere, walk up to you, and say, 'Brother, where have you been? After killing Atikayan, I called for you.' But if you fall down at his feet, this Rama will cut your throat. Bharata might appear and say, 'Laksmana, the fourteen years are finished.' Although the voice will be Bharata's, you must not be deceived. Without a moment's hesitation, shoot an arrow and kill that false Bharata. If not, in the second that you delay, this grand deceiver, this cunning Indrajit, will destroy everyone on the battlefield!"

"I understand, Vibhisana. Is this all I must know?"^[24]

"Listen, Indrajit may appear as me, as Vibhisana!"

"As you? Then how do I know that you, right now, are not an illusion?"

"That is quite easy. No matter what form the demon assumes, his teeth will protrude, and his eyes will roll around and around. Then, of course, his feet will rest firmly on the ground."^[25]

"Is there anything more I must know, Vibhisana?"

"Oh, yes, something very essential.

No one in this sun-encircled world can break his bow,
No one except a man who has fasted in the forest

For fourteen years without food, water and sleep,
No one else can conquer this conqueror of Indra.^[26]

"You understand what this means, Laksmana? Having followed Rama into the forest and lived as an ascetic for these fourteen years, you, and only you, are empowered to defeat this terrible colossus!^[27] Still, victory is not assured. Look! As we have been talking, Indrajit's armies have surrounded us. Our monkey armies are unable to break through, and we are cut off from Rama resting in the battle house.^[28] Take command, Laksmana; your word I obey as Rama's."

"Draw back, Vibhisana. I will advance."

"Remember all that I told you."

[Drums and shouts are heard, as Hanuman bravely leads the army. Quickly the monkeys are thrown into disarray; Sugriva is felled by Indrajit's arrow. Hanuman rips up a tree and advances on Indrajit, who jeers at him :]

"Monkey-face! Stop jumping around and talk with me like a man."

"I'm not—"

"Shut up, monkey, and listen to me. Is this some kind of game you're playing? Attacking me not with bow or spear but with trees and stones? Are you mad? Will that spindly branch ward off my missiles?"

"With this stone—"

"Speak up, animal, speak up!"

"You think words will defeat me? Quit babbling and fight. Why should I stop to talk? Does lightning wait before it strikes? Or a lion before it leaps? Advance, brave Indrajit, or are you afraid?"

[More battle noises ]

"Take this, runt!"

"I'll rip out that tongue of yours!"

[Hanuman hurls mountains, stones, and trees at Indrajit, who calmly reduces each to powder with his arrows .]

"C'mon, monkey, pick up a bow and fight like a man."

"We pick up trees and rocks, but we never 'eat grass,' as you'll soon do."^[29]

"Where is that pitiful one named Laksmana? Has he fled, too? I want revenge for the death of my little brother, Atikayan."

"Where were you, Indrajit, when he was killed?"

"My brother was a mere boy, and he fought without deceit, yet Laksmana would not spare his life. Where is he?"

"He's there, just—"

"First, see what you can do with my arrows."

[After driving off Hanuman, Indrajit sees Laksmana cut down row after row of demons and turns his arrows against the prince. Suddenly Indrajit disappears, and the monkeys think he has been killed, but Laksmana hears a voice calling to him from above :]

[Siva puppet ] "Laksmana, I've come from Kailasa to see you. Have you no humility? Put down your bow and speak with me."

"Humility? No, only insight. Die, false Siva."

[An arrow pierces the Siva puppet; Visnu puppet appears .]

"Laksmana, I am Lord Visnu. Will you show me no respect and bow at my feet?"

"Lord Visnu? No. Die, maya -man, Indrajit."

[An arrow pierces the Visnu puppet; similar scenes are repeated with Ganesa and Rama puppets .]

[Indra ] "Listen, gods, to what happened next. The sun set, night fell, and the moon and stars shone in the sky. The monkeys were about to turn back from the field when Laksmana remembered Vibhisana's warning and destroyed this maya , too, with a hail of arrows. Then a ten-headed demon appeared and told Laksmana that he no longer desired Sita, that he was releasing her, and that the war was over. But Laksmana realized again that this, too, was maya and destroyed the mirage with his arrows. Finally, Indrajit attempted another trick: two celestial women tried to seduce Laksmana, but he fended them off with words.^[30] Then, Vibhisana reappeared."

"Laksmana, night will fall soon and then we are helpless against the demons' maya ."

"Let's return to camp and consult with Rama, but first we must feed our armies before they die of exhaustion. Vibhisana, go quickly into the forest and bring back fruits and nuts. I'll wait here. Angada, hold my bow."

[Indra ] "Gods, what happened was this: seeing that his enemies were now scattered and off guard, Indrajit climbed high in the sky

and readied his most powerful weapon, the snake-missile with coils that bind and deceive. Praying first to Siva, who granted him the weapon, and then to Ravana, he released the arrow, which immediately bound Laksmana and the rest of the army lifeless on the field."

[Enter the kutakkaran, or umbrella holder, who approaches Indrajit and parodies the battle sounds made by the puppeteers :]

"Bing-bang! Wham-bang! Bing-bang, who are you?"

"Me? I'm Indrajit—just shot the snake-weapon, the whole point of this performance!"

"Oh, and you came here by this chariot, I suppose."

"Right. How'd you come?"

"I'm the umbrella holder; I just grabbed onto the chariot and came along for the ride."

"And what do you want?"

"Problem is your snake-weapon didn't kill them; only knocked 'em out. I'll finish them off by stabbing them with the tip of my staff. We'll walk along the battlefield and inspect each body, and if my staff doesn't finish them off, you can shoot another arrow at them."

"All right."

"Who's this lying here?"

"God! It's all the monkey children, little kids whom I have killed!"

"Terrible, but they are the little monkeys who stoic fruit from Lanka. Let's revive them with some water and shoo them away. Now, who's this?"

"It's Nalan, the one who built the causeway to Lanka by carrying all those stones on his head."

"A boss man, a contractor, huh?"

"Yes. Give him a good stab."

"Ugh! [Stabs him ] And this one?"

"That's Nilan."

"Oh, I need some of that."

"Of what?"

"You see my wife hasn't washed her sari for a week and—"

"You wash your wife's saris?

"If you saw, them, you'd understand why no one else would touch them. Besides, who is low enough to be a washerman to me?"

"Forget it. Do you know what Nilan did?"

"No."

"When the monkeys entered Lanka, Rama ordered a fort built of stones, and this monkey did it. He's a mason. Pierce him."

"Here's Sugriva."

"Give him a double dose!"

"Why?"

"Might not be dead, might just be lying down because he's got a hangover."

"Sugriva did like his drink, didn't he? Besides, remember what he did to your father? Knocked off his crown as he stood on his parapet looking down at Rama."

"Let him have it.

"Here's Angada."

"Vali's son?"

"Yes, he's the one—"

"I haven't forgotten. He came as Rama's messenger, demanded a throne from Ravana, and then spoke crudely: 'Release Sita or fight!' Stab him through the heart."

"Done. And this is Jambuvan."

"Who?"

"The smart one, with brains, but there's a story about that. There were four fishermen. It was four o'clock in the afternoon, when kids return from school, and the four walked along the edge of a pond, talking: 'No use fishing now; it's the wrong time. We'll return tomorrow at noon and catch whatever's in this pond.' They left, but a wise, old flog in the pond had heard them and gave a warning to a big fish:

"'Tomorrow at noon four fishermen are coming here with their nets,' the frog said, 'so we'd better escape tonight and go to another pond.' But the big fish replied, 'I'm One Hundred Brains, and I'll use them to wiggle out of this problem. You are Poor Brains, so you must flee.'

"Then Poor Brains the frog went to a turtle and told him that the fishermen were coming, but the turtle shouted, 'I'm One Thousand Brains and you have none. Go on alone.'

"Then the frog saw a crab, with eight legs, and invited it to flee with him. 'I'm Eight Brains,' answered the crab, 'and I can escape, but you have no brains and must leave now.' 'All right,' thought Poor Brains the frog, 'if you can all escape, then I can, too.' So the frog decided to stay in the pond with the rest.

"On the next day, the fishermen cast their nets, and the first thing they caught was the big fish. They put it in their basket, and when the frog heard its cries, he laughed and sang, 'One Hundred Brains got the basket!' Next the turtle was caught, but they thought it might escape from the basket, so they trapped it under a stone. Again the frog laughed. 'One Thousand Brains got the stone!' When the crab was caught, they tore off its eight legs and tossed them away, and Poor Brains sang, 'Eight Brains got the earth!' Lastly they caught the frog, but they took pity on it and didn't kill it. They let it go, and thus Poor Brains survived because of compassion, not brains.

"But Jambuvan has real brains, so we best kill him before he awakes." [The umbrella holder stabs him several times .]

"Look. It's Laksmana."

"Ah, the Beautiful One. Blessed with the thirty-two marks of beauty, which even the gods do not possess. Because he's the one who killed your brother, you must drive your arrows deep into his chest."

"There! He's dead for sure. Next is Hanuman."

"He's not alive, is he? When he came to Lanka to find Sita and leapt from house to house, I stuck my head out of a window, and he slapped it with his tail so hard it hurt for three days."

"Don't worry. He's dead."

"How do you know?"

"Put your finger in his nose—there's no breath. Anyway, it's too dark now to cut off their heads. We'll wait until tomorrow morning. Let's return to Ravana." [They enter the palace .] Ravana, good news. They're finished! All of them, killed by my snake-weapon."

"You bring me great happiness, Son, as I knew you would."

"Only Rama and Vibhisana escaped."

"That's nothing. Tomorrow we will finish them off, now that they're alone. To celebrate, we have a little treat for you, a little dance, and then you should sleep well. Summon the dancers from the heavens."^[31]

[Two celestial dancers are pinned up around Ravana and the natakam is performed for ninety minutes, during which the puppeteers bless each one-rupee donor with a song :]

"By the grace of Kunnumpuli Bhagavati, let Lela's grandmother
     survive her illness;
"By the grace of Kunnumpuli Bhagavati, let Murthy study well and
     pass his exams;
"By the compassion of Lord Rama and Kunnumpuli Bhagavati, let
     Sashi's baby goats get well."

[Meanwhile, Vibhisana returns from gathering fruits for the army, sees his comrades fallen on the field, and fears that Rama will suspect him of treachery because Indrajit is his nephew. When Rama is led to the battlefield and sees his brother and his friends lying dead, he is shocked into disbelief. He calls out Laksmana's name, imploring him to rise, but falls down on his body and wails :]

"No more war for me, and no more fame!
My victory bow, my wife, my kingdom,
Even Siva who gave me life—I renounce them all!
If you, Laksmana, do not live.

"Father and mother we left; Ayodhya we left,
Yet, like the Vedas, we were inseparable, Laksmana;
Now you've left me and earth is not my home;
Let my soul leave, too, if Yama will receive it."

[Vibhisana arrives and is reviled by Rama but manages to convince him that Indrajit's weapon is to blame. Rama speaks :]^[32]

"I see. But what is this snake-weapon? How can we remove it?"

"There are two stories, Rama, and one has a piramanam ?. Listen. Long, long ago, lost in the cycles of time, when Brahmas succeed Brahmas, when nothing is ever 'first' and creation is without beginning, a Brahma with five heads emerged from Visnu's navel. Immediately he kindled a great sacrificial fire and began to form the Fourteen Worlds from his lotus-throne, and from that fire came the snake-weapon, the Brahma-weapon, and the Narayana-weapon. Siva did tapas to Brahma, his father, who then conferred the weapons on him, because Siva is a warrior god. Meanwhile, in Patala Loka, In-

drajit was born to Ravana a and began his long training under his guru, Sukra. At the end of twelve years, Sukra sent his student to Siva to learn esoteric mantras and maya , and from Siva, Indrajit gained the most powerful weapon, the snake-weapon. This is one story."

"Forget the second. What can we do to revive the army?"

"We can do nothing, Rama. No one can. Not the gods, not the sages, not even Brahma, who created the weapon. Anyone who tries to neutralize it will lose his own life first. The snake-weapon can only be removed of its own accord."

"We can do nothing?"

[As Rama grieves over Laksmana, Indra and the gods appear above .]^[33]

"Gods, look at what has happened—Indrajit has knocked out Laksmana and the monkey army, and Rama has lost heart! What will happen to us now? We all went to Visnu, sang his praises, and asked for help against Ravana. He agreed and was born as Rama to destroy our enemies—you know the rest of the story—but now Rama lies unconscious on his brother's body.^[34] If nothing is done to revive Laksmana, Rama will remain inert; if Rama remains inert, Ravana will continue to rule this world; and if Ravana continues to rule, what about us? Think hard: Is there any way to rescue Laksmana from the snake-weapon?"

"None, Indra. No one can do anything."

"Ah, remember that Garuda is the enemy of the snakes as a result of a curse put on them by their mother, Kadru. She made a bet with her sister over the color of Indra's white horse: Kadru said that the horse was black, while her sister said white. They agreed that they would view the horse in the morning and that whoever lost would serve as the other's slave. That night Kadru called her snake-sons and told them to spit a little ball of poison on the horse and turn it black by morning, but the snakes refused, saying that they would not cheat their aunt. Furious, Kadru cursed them all to die, some by fire, some to be eaten by Garuda.

"Siva knew about this curse when he received the snake-weapon from Brahma. Eventually Indrajit won it, but while Siva still held it, he issued a warning to the snake in his hair: 'Wander everywhere in the Fourteen Worlds, but do not visit the world of snakes.' Curiosity, however, drove the snake there, where the other snakes warned

him, 'You are a special snake, from Siva, but don't stay here because you'll be eaten by Garuda.' Still, the snake did not move, and soon Garuda came and drove him back to Siva, who gave him refuge. Then Garuda also approached Siva, received his blessings, and asked that the snake in his hair be given to him as food. Siva hesitated, then agreed: 'During the treta yuga you may eat this snake, too. Now go.'

"Because of Siva's boon and Kadru's curse, Garuda can defeat this snake-weapon, but we gods must summon Garuda with meditation and praise-songs."^[35]

[The gods sing to Garuda, and soon his puppet appears on the far left of the screen .]

"I've seen two miracles today."

"Indrajit's snake-weapon is one. What's the second, Indra?"

"Garuda's tears. You see, when he was born—no, that is a long story so we'll tell it tomorrow. Anyway, like many birds, he can see clearly for leagues and leagues, and he can fly so high that the world looks like a little black spot. Mt. Meru is thousands of yojanas away, but from its highest peak, Garuda spied Rama in Lanka, and as soon as he saw him, he shed tears of pain and tears of joy at the same time!"

"We all cry tears of pain and tears of joy, but how can one do both at the same time? Explain, Indra."

"I don't understand it either, but that is all we can describe tonight. Tomorrow, when the sun sets, we will continue. Siva's blessings be with you all; let Rama and Narayana protect you."

[On the next night, the Brahmin puppets present their summary, of the previous night .]

"With the gods watching in amazement, Garuda flew to Rama and tore apart the snakes that bound Laksmana and the monkeys, reviving them all. Garuda then sang a series of songs celebrating the mystery of Rama: 'You are the cause of all existence and also a human being who grieves over your brother's body.'^[36] [Garuda suddenly flew away, and Hanuman spoke :]^[37]

"Rama, we must take the initiative immediately. Consider Sita, who is suffering from the news that the snake-weapon killed us, and consider Ravana and his generals, who are rejoicing inside the palace. If

we raise a loud battle cry, Sita will take heart and the demons will stiffen with fear. Give the word, Rama."

"Hanuman, you are a genius. Monkeys, form ranks and advance on the palace with battle cries." [They shout loudly .]

[Ravana ] "What? Their war cries again! But they're dead, fallen under the snake coils of the Indrajit's weapon. Still, that's the sound of Rama's bow and that's Laksmana's bowstring and Hanuman's roar!"

[Ravana storms off to his son's bedroom and shouts at the sleeping Indrajit .]

"Wake up!"

"Welcome, respected Raja and Lord of—"

"Forget those formalities and listen to that noise! Why are you still asleep?"

"Father, Laksmana's arrows ripped holes in my body and drank my blood. Only my maya kept me from death. I'm exhausted and need rest; that's why I'm lying down."

"What maya ?"

"I told you. I was losing, so I flew up into the sky and shot the snake-weapon. Laksmana and all the monkeys were knocked dead."

"Dead? Listen to that noise outside the palace!"

[Ravana orders his messengers to survey the battlefield; they return quickly and report that the monkeys are revived and ready for battle .]

"Son, what shall we do? Quick, say something!"

"Ravana, I need a night's rest. Tomorrow morning I will shoulder the Brahma-weapon and destroy our enemies."

"Sleep, Son, sleep. But we must keep the battle raging until morning. Generals, advance against the monkeys."

[Ravana's bravest generals assemble their troops on the battlefield and advance against Rama's army. As the battle begins, one of Ravana's generals shouts at the umbrella holder :]^[38]

"Hey, kutakkaran , hold up the standard!"

"Not without my pay."

"Pay? It's the middle of a battle. Hold up the umbrella!"

"I want my money from last time. No one paid me."

"False. We did pay you last time."

"Not that time. I mean the battle long ago, between the gods and demons when they churned the Milk Ocean. I'm owed money from that."

"You held the umbrella in that battle? Then you owe us money!"

"Me? Who says?"

"My wife. She keeps all the accounts."

"All right. I'll bear your banner in this battle, too. Pay me what you wish."

"Here. Now let's fight."

[A strange cry is heard—"Kriyommmmmmmmmm"—and the umbrella holder addresses the speaker :]

"Who are you?"

"I'm the Veliccappatu , the Light Crier."

"Then why don't you cry in the morning?"

"Not that 'light' stupid. Light as in 'clear.' I'm the oracle of Bhagavati. A priest, if you like."

"You serve Bhagavati?"

"Yes, and when she enters me, she calls out through my mouth, giving perpetual predictions, promises, and prognostications."

"Bhagavati enters you?"

"Yes, my whole body shakes—"

"It shakes for as long as Bhagavati possesses you?"

"Yes."

"But does your tongue shake, too?"

"Tongue shake? Never thought about it."

"Oh, well. What deities do you serve?"

"Kutichattan, Ciruchattan—"

"Which Bhagavatis?"

"Primarily one—the Money Maker Bhagavati."

"Sounds like the right idea."

"Yes. Worship the Money Maker and all the other Bhagavatis will follow."

"We'll see, smart alec. Ask that Money Maker Bhagavati to do something for me."

"Your wish is my—"

"But don't you have to get possessed first?"

"Right. Almost forgot. Let Bhagavati come on me and we'll see what she has to say. 'Kriyommmmm, kriyommmmm! Kutakkaran! Kutakkaran ! Give a black chicken to the umbrella holder.'"

"That's timely. Let's hear from another Bhagavati."

"'Kriyommmmmm, kriyommmmm, split a coconut and gain two sons.'"

"Try another."

"'Kriyommmmmm. Twist four threads together and gain one hundred sons.'"

"A hundred kids!"

"Not what you want?"

"No. I've got a specific request."

"What?"

"My wife has been pregnant for eighteen months. Will the child be male or female? Born during the day or night?"

"'Kriyommmmmm, kriyommmmm! The child might be male, and it might be female. Or it might be a big-bellied goblin.'"

"What?"

"Well, anyone pregnant for eighteen months better expect some kind of monster."

"Useless, absolutely useless. Why are you here in the first place?"

"Going to war."

"A priest, a Veliccappatu to war? But if you insist, I'll hold the umbrella for you."

[Loud screams and war drums are heard and then slowly recede until they stop altogether. When the messengers, Sangadi and his companion, report further losses to Ravana, the demon-raja again summons his only surviving son :]^[39]

"Indrajit, do something fast, before we all are killed."

"My plan is this: we'll kill all the monkeys, then Laksmana and Rama, and show their corpses to Sita."

[Indrajit enters the field with sixty divisions, causing the monkeys to flee in panic, but Rama and Laksmana, riding on Hanuman, come to

the front and destroy most of his army. Then Indrajit blows his victory conch and shouts :]

"Laksmana, think of this: the younger brother performs funeral rites for the older brother. If Rama dies first, that's fine, but who will perform Rama's rites when I kill the second-born first?"

"What about your own younger brother Atikayan, whom we slew? Will he perform your funeral rites, Indrajit?"

"Your deaths will repay me for the deaths of my brothers, Atikayan and Aksakumaran, and my uncles, Kumbhakarna and Kara."

"Do not worry, demon, all requisite funerary rites will be properly observed. Your grieving father will conduct your funeral, after which Vibhisana will do the same for him."

[In fierce fighting, Laksmana destroys Indrajit's chariot and drives him back to Ravana's palace, where Ravana's minister, Mahodara, devises a plan to take Laksmana off guard: assuming the guise of Indra, he rides on Indra's white elephant and appears to Laksmana, who puts down his bow and respectfully raises his hands to the king of the gods. Immediately, the demons inform Indrajit, who flies up into the sky to survey the scene .]^[40]

"This is the time for the Brahma-weapon: neither Rama nor Vibhisana is on the field, and Laksmana is defenseless."

[He releases the Brahma-weapon, killing Laksmana, Hanuman, Sugriva, and all the other monkeys .]

"Hey, kutakkaran , witness my power this time!"

"Yours? You shot the Brahma-weapon, true, but as they fell I came and stabbed each one of them with my staff."

"Is that right?"

"Who's that?"

"Nalan."

"Kalan?"

"No. Na-lan."

"Pa-lan?"

"Ah! You murder the language."

"Who died?"

"Forget it. Let him have it; he built the bridge to Lanka."

"Who's that?"

"Sugriva."

"I know him well. One day myself and Ravana—"

"Wrong again. Say, 'Ravana and I.'"

"Sure. Ravana and I, and some women—"

"Not 'women,' 'ladies.'"

"All right. Ravana and I, and some ladies, and a missinger—"

"'Messenger,' stupid."

"Have it your way. Point is that we all were standing on the tower when that Sugriva leapt up, knocked off Ravana's crown, and cuffed him."

"Who's that?"^[41]

"Laksmana."

"Rama's brother?"

"Right, the one who mutilated my aunt, Surpanakha."

"Hmmm. Better give him a few extra stabs."

"Wait. He's a great yogi. He's also a 'full quiver.'"

"Why does he quiver? Rheumatism?"

"No. 'Full quiver' means his weapons are powerful."

"Terrible to shiver so."

"Shut up and stab him hard."

"Who's this?"

"Hanuman."

"Ohhh ... see you later—"

"Hey! Where you going?"

"Remember when this monkey secretly entered Lanka? As he was leaping from roof to roof, I stuck out my head to see who it was and—Wham! Bham!—he beat me with his tail."

"Kill him!"

"Right. He's dead now."

"Let these bodies lie here until the morning. We'll cut off their heads then."

"Oh, great idea! Just like last time, when you shot the snake-weapon and the eagle revived them all?

"Don't worry. Garuda was able to release the snake-weapon because

he is the sworn enemy of snakes, but he has no connection to the Brahma-weapon."

"Maybe, but some other bird might come—"

"No bird is going to come."

"If you say so, but—"

"Let's report to Ravana." [Indrajit returns to the palace .]

"Enter, Son."

"Father, we have killed them all, all except Rama and your brother Vibhisana. I am exhausted and need rest. Tomorrow, you may enter the field and fight Rama, all alone."

[Rama returns to the field and, seeing his allies again lying dead, cries out :]

"As brave generals and wise ministers,
Seven armies they entered the field,
But no voice speaks to me now,
They have entered the heaven of ancient kings.^[42]

"Sugriva, speak to me! Speak as you spoke when you befriended me in the forest after I had lost Sita. Rise up, friend, you who revived my courage when you knocked off Ravana's crown. Rise up and say something. Is that Angada? I remember...

As he lay dying, your father's soft hands
Held mine and placed you in my care;
Now your hands are torn and bleeding—in my defense!
Who would not die of this shame?

"And Hanuman! You saved me from death when you found Sita in Lanka. But now it is I who weep like a warrior's widow over your dead body.

Cruel Indrajit felled you on this bloody field,
Great son of the Wind God, Oh Hanuman!
I see you and I cry like a woman;
Is anyone on earth more miserable?

"No! Not you, Laksmana! You are mother and father to me. All that is good, all that I have is you, yet now, Little Brother, you are no more!

Father and mother, and all my strength,
Son, brother, and all my wealth are you;

You have left me and worldly fame,
And I remain, with the greater grief.^[43]

Wives may die, but we marry, again;
Our children die, and others are born;
Lost wealth is regained, knowledge retrieved;
But, tell me, is a dead brother replaced?^[44]

"Speak to me, Laksmana, speak! No. He will not. He is dead, and so is dharma."

[Rama falls in a swoon on Laksmana's body. Again, the gods gather overhead and Indra speaks :]

"Once more Indrajit has felled Laksmana and the monkey army, and Rama, having lost all hope, lies unconscious on his brother's body. Seeing this scene, different people would describe it differently. Ordinary people, for instance, would see it this way:

Who will soften Rama's grief?
Who will console him, speak kind words
Or move his hands from his brother's body?
Abandoned, alone, this is the evil of death.^[45]

"This first interpretation of the scene is the common man's view. To him, Rama was born of Kausalya, married Sita, and lived the life of a hermit in the forest until he was deceived by the golden deer and Sita's desire for it. Disguised as a sage, Ravana captured Sita and started the war, and now, overcome with grief at Laksmana's death, Rama is himself prepared to die. This is how most people would describe the scene. Moved by Rama's grief, and with no one to console him, they would go to him and say, 'Rama, everyone who is born must die. Do not lose heart. Do not think of suicide.' Their sympathy for Rama as a man who married Sita and then lost his little brother and allies would lead these people to support him.

"Other people, those with great bhakti, would react to the same scene with different emotions, as in this verse:

When we petitioned you, scion of great kings,
To annihilate the demons and end our suffering,
You showed compassion and took birth as Rama;
Why present this magic show to us?^[46]

"You see, these devotees would remember that we gods petitioned Visnu to save us and that he agreed and was born as Rama in Ayodhya. They know that Rama went to the forest with Laksmana and

Sita, that she was stolen by Ravana, that Indrajit defeated Laksmana, and that Rama fell on his brother's body in grief. Nonetheless, they know also that all this is a sham, a show, since Rama is Narayana and Laksmana is Adisesa, upon whom Rama rests even now, on the battlefield. That's why these devotees would sing: 'Why present this magic show to us?' They realize that Visnu's avatar has no little brother, no mother, and no father, because he is deathless.

"If the first group views Rama as a human warrior and the second as Visnu's avatar, the third group understands something more:

Drawing in all worlds, all lives, insides and outsides,
Emerging and growing, becoming everyone, everything,
Like a spider spinning webs and threads from itself,
You fashion past and present, yet remain unchanged.^[47]

"These people realize that beyond our attachment to earth, beyond money, beyond pleasure, is the state of brahman . Nothing else is real! Nothing! This state of bliss encompasses the fourteen known worlds, the thousand and eight outer regions, the countless celestial realms—and all this is Siva. Like thousands of ornaments shaped of gold, the life-forms in these worlds are but aspects of brahman or Siva. Even Rama, fallen over his little brother on the battlefield, is nothing but brahman . We see Rama, but he is brahman . Like bubbles rising from water, Visnu takes form in every, eon—as a fish, as a child, and now as Rama. And the Laksmana whose death he seems to mourn is not dead, for he has no birth. People with this knowledge of brahman would say to Rama, 'Do not mourn for that which was not born. Do not curse dharma, for there is neither dharma nor adharma.'

"These, oh gods, are the three ways of understanding Rama's grief. And we must wait for Vibhisana to return from the forest to see if he can lift the power of the Brahma-weapon."

"Yes, Indra. But look, Ravana's messengers are returning to him."

[Several demon women take Sita above the battlefield to show her Rama's corpse, but Trijata (Vibhisana's sister) convinces Sita that Rama is not dead. Celestial dancers are summoned to Ravana's palace for another natakam. Later, on rise battlefield, Jambuvan wakes up when he hears his name .]^[48]

"Who's that? Sounds like Vibhisana, but how could he be alive? Is it Rama? Or maybe the demons have come because they know I am

immune to the Brahma-weapon. Or it might be the gods, come to ask me to help Rama."

"Jambuvan, it's me."

"Vibhisana! Didn't the Brahma-weapon hit you?"

"No. Rama sent me into the forest for fruits."

"Please, get me some water; I'm dying of thirst."

"Here, Jambuvan, drink slowly; your wounds are not yet healed."

"Ah! This water is wonderful. Where'd you get it?"

"The gods gave it to me when they saw that you had all been knocked down."

"It's like water from the Ganga. Actually, when I was born, my father gave some to me and that kept me alive for three days—ah, that's a long story and we must find Hanuman, since he, too, will have survived the Brahma-weapon, and give him some of this water."

"He's already here."

"What! Everything's done before I ask."

"Hanuman, we depend on you for everything. If you live, we all live. If you revive Laksmana, Rama will live, and if he lives, then dharma, the Vedas, and everything, including these Fourteen Worlds, will continue. Only by thinking of you can we survive."

[Hanuman, chuckling ] "How can that be, Jambuvan?"

"What do you mean?"

"You say you live by thinking of me, but if you're not alive how can you think of me to live?"

"Well—don't confuse me. Anyway, thinking isn't enough. You must act."

"But I am alive and the armies are not, yet you said that if—"

"Listen, Hanuman, we have only three-quarters of an hour to revive Laksmana and the others; then the sun rises and Indrajit will behead them. Before that, you must travel seventy-three thousand yojanas to the Medicine Mountain, find the longevity herb, and return."

"Are you joking?"

"Joking?"

"Seventy-three thousand yojanas in three-quarters of an hour? And return? It's ... it's impossible."

"But, Hanuman, if you don't—"

"That far, that quickly, to locate a rare herb for an incurable disease? Ridiculous, that's all."

"But, Hanuman, listen:

In a drop of water from Brahma's nose
In the seventh kalpa I was born, Hanuman;
Many miracles, many eons I have seen;
You shall revive them instantly.^[49]

"Hanuman, I know what I'm talking about. Rama's and Laksmana's lives depend on you. Find this special herb and return in three-quarters of an hour."

"Jambuvan, it's seventy-three thousand yojanas !"

"You won't need a quarter of an hour, not five minutes, not even one minute."

"But—"

"Don't question me, Hanuman. You can travel there in a flash."

"'Flash'?"

"Let me give you an analogy. Suppose you hold seven lotus flower stalks closely together and then pierce them in the center with a sharp needle. The time it takes the needle to leave one stalk and enter the next is the time you will need to travel to the Medicine Mountain and back."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen many miracles, including your three fathers and mothers—"

"What? Three fathers and mothers!"

"You've forgotten what I told you long ago—"^[50]

"Tell me your own story, Jambuvan."

"It's a long, long story, requiring more than an eon to recount and we've only got three-quarters of an hour. But, briefly, I am a child of Brahma. Let me explain. Existence moves in cycles of creation and dissolution because everything that is born—from the Three Gods to an insect—also dies. These cycles are divided into days and nights of Brahma: when he sleeps, there is an eon of dissolution; when he wakes, there is an eon of creation. Each eon contains one thousand smaller cycles of the four yugas , and when seventy-one of these cycles

are completed, a manumantra is over. After fourteen manumantras , or nine hundred and ninety-four cycles of yugas , there is a twilight period, a final cycle of four yugas , before the new nanu appears.^[51]

"During all these cycles of four yugas , dharma appears in different forms. During the first yuga , when it takes the form of a holy cow and walks on four feet, dharma is everywhere, in every life-form; temples, icons, and worship are thus unnecessary. In the second yuga , however, when dharma appears in the form of an ass, those physical symbols of dharma are necessary. Finally, during the last yuga , the terrible Kali Yuga, the castes are mixed, demons multiply, and famine stalks. People live for only twenty-six years, girls have their first period at six, and we all shrink in size. In the first yuga , people are one thousand feet tall, four hundred feet in the second yuga , forty in the third, but only four feet tall in the last yuga . Of course, the Devi Mahatmya says that even in the Kali Yuga, the Great Goddess sends wise men to earth to help others, but I don't know whether this is true.

"Anyway, when Brahma had finished an con of creation, a hundred years of drought parched the earth, the sun multiplied into a thousand suns, and everything on earth burned. Unable to bear the heat, Adisesa spat out a poisonous fire that dried up the Seven Seas, and there was no water even to bless the ashes of dead men; but somehow good men formal their way to Brahma. After a hundred years of fire, Brahma sent searing winds that beat the surface of the earth for another hundred years, and finally, a deluge covered everything, during which Brahma slipped back into the lotus bud that receded into Visnu's navel. Then another con of dissolution, another night of Brahma, began. During this night of water, when everything is Visnu, Brahma was not asleep (as he should be) but was already planning his next creation. Irked by Brahma's pride, Visnu created the demons Madhu and Kaitabha, who sprang from his ears and leapt into the waters. They were hungry until the Earth Goddess fed them and offered them a boon, for which they chose this: 'Let no enemy kill us; let us decide how we shall die.' Armed with this boon, they swam through the water, looking for enemies until they saw the lotus stalk growing from Visnu's navel. They grabbed it and challenged Brahma, who awoke shaking with fear.^[52]

"Hanuman, that's when I was born. As Brahma shook in fear, a drop of sweat rolled from his nose and rested in the cleft of his chin,

and from that drop of sweat I was born, just three days before Brahma created the world again. Born at night, the cama kala , I was named Campavan. There's a piramanam that explains it this way: 'Born at the time [campavam ] of night, Campavan is his name.' Because I protected Brahma from Madhu and Kaitabha when he created the world three days later, Brahma placed me as the firstborn on Rose Apple [jambu ] Island, and so my name is Jambuvan."

"How old are you, then?"

"We are now in the treta yuga , the second age when the Rama-avatar appears, in the twenty-seventh Mahayuga , during the seventh Manu , and in that sense, I am 'seven.' But how many human years, I can't say. Listen. The gods—Parvati, Visnu, Siva, Brahma—each gave me a special seed and told me to plant them on Rose Apple Island.

'The joining herb, healing herb, soothing herb
And the incomparable longevity herb—
Plant these four on Rose Apple Island,'
The gods commanded me.^[53]

"Those herbs grow now on Visvapatri mountain, near the northern slope of Mt. Meru. One of them revives the dead after the breath has left the body—that's the longevity herb; another joins parts of a severed body; a third revives people from an unconscious swoon; and the last is an herb that cures all diseases. But you must bring back the first, the longevity herb, the Sanjeevi."^[54]

"Which direction do I go?"

"From here, from Lanka, you leap one hundred yojanas to the mainland, then nine thousand yojanas to the foothills of the Himalayas, which are two thousand yojanas wide and ten thousand high. Jump over them to reach Mt. Kinka [?] and Mt. Putkonam, which is fifteen thousand miles high. Cross it and you enter the Ancient Forest, nine thousand miles deep, and beyond it you'll enter another thick forest, after which you will see Mt. Meru. On the southern slope is Kailasa and a lake, but don't go that way because Parvati once cursed men there to be born as women. Instead, go west toward Vaikunta, past Alakapuri, until you reach Visvapatri to the north where the garden of special herbs is guarded by devotees of Visnu. Tell them you were sent by Jambuvan to get the longevity herb for Rama. They'll give it to you."

"I'm off."

"First you must assume your true size; only then can you cover the distance in a flash."

[Hanuman sails over the various landmarks, until he reaches the Medicine Mountain, where he chants Rama's name .]

"Who are you?"

"I'm Rama's emissary, Hanuman, sent by Jambuvan to get an herb to resuscitate Rama and Laksmana, who are lying helpless on the battlefield."

"The Rama-avatar? Oh, is it the treta yuga already?"

"Yes. Please hurry, you see—"

"Jambuvan sent you? So he's still there?"

"Yes. Please—"

"All right. Specifically, which herb do you want?"

"Ah! I don't remember the name."

"Then you better go back and—"

"That's impossible. No time. I'll take the whole mountain with me!"

"Whole mountain?"

"There's no other way."

"Take it and bring it back without injury."

"This is a Rama mission. There is only victory."

[Hanuman uproots the Medicine Mountain and flies back to Lanka, where Jambuvan and Vibhisana marvel at his strength and devotion. The longevity herb is given to Rama, Laksmana, and the others, who awaken and ask Hanuman to lead them into battle. Marching to Ravana's palace, where victory celebrations continue, Hanuman shouts :]

"Demons! Come out and fight us!"

"Ravana, did you hear that? They've been revived again!"

"What can we do now, Indrajit?"

"Here's my plan: we'll make a fake Sita and kill her in front of Hanuman; then I'll say that I am leading an army against Ayodhya. That will demoralize Rama, while I build a sacrificial fire to get new weapons."

[Indrajit flies above and kills the fake Sita in front of Hanuman, but Vibhisana, using one of the coconut-shell lamps inside the drama-house ,

inspects the puppet slumped on the floor and reports to Rama that it is a false Sita. When he also reports that Indrajit is raising a sacrificial fire in order to gain a powerful bow, Laksmana, Vibhisana, Hanuman, and Angada battle Indrajit at the fire. Hanuman and Angada are driven back, but Laksmana confronts Indrajit. Indrajit shoots a dozen special arrows, each one guided across the screen by the puppeteers, but they are blocked by Laksmana and fall to the floor of the drama-house with a clatter. Laksmana speaks :]

"Indrajit, your body looks like a pin cushion!"

"Here's the Narayana-weapon."

"Sri Rama, Rama, Rama—"

"What's that you're mumbling, Laksmana?"

"Release your arrow; you'll see."

[The Narayana-weapon circles three times around Laksmana and then settles at his feet. Shocked, Indrajit goes back to Ravana with new doubts .]

"Laksmana cannot be human; he is invincible. But could Rama really be an avatar of Visnu? That would be a maya even greater than mine."

"What is this, Son? You're shaking like a snake cornered by Garuda. What happened to the sacrifice?"

"They put it out and then we fought, but my missiles were deflected by Laksmana. Then I shot the Narayana-weapon, but ... but it worshiped him!"

"Impossible! The Narayana-weapon worships no one but Narayana."

"That's just it. I fought him from above, from below, with every kind of weapon and deceit, and still I could not defeat this Laksmana. He's not human, Father, he's an aspect of Visnu."

"Nonsense!"

"He will reduce the Three Worlds to fine powder if he wishes. If we continue to fight him, Lanka is doomed. That woman you stole is not human either, and the moment you release her, they will call off their attack."

"Don't speak to me of—"

"Do you wish to live, Father? I ask because I love you."

"Quiet!"

"Then you wish to kill me, yourself, and the rest of our race? Release Sita or we will all find our fate on the points of Rama's arrows."

"You talk like an slobbering idiot! When I first brought Sita here, I heard no objection from you, but now, in the face of battle, you quake like a woman yourself. If you won't fight Laksmana, I will! Stand aside and allow me to protect the name of Lanka.

Prattling idiot! Not by releasing that woman in front of the gods,
But by releasing this water-bubble body in battle
Will twenty-armed Ravana earn a glory
More permanent than these Three Worlds."^[55]

"Father, I can't let you die—"

"Out of my way!"

"As long as I still live, I will not allow you to fight, Father. Stand back and let me pass to the battlefield."

"Go, my son, but take my chariot and my bow with you."

[Indrajit mounts the huge chariot and commands the driver to find Laksmana on the battlefield. On the way, he encounters a series of bad omens and then reaches Laksmana, who speaks :]^[56]

"Back again, Indrajit?"

"With your death certificate. Take this."

[Laksmana deflects all Indrajit's arrows while his own strike Indrajit's chariot and bow again and again but cause no harm .]

"Vibhisana, what can I do? I shatter his bow, with my arrow, but it remains intact. I destroy his chariot, but it still moves."

"Laksmana, shatter his jeweled ring and his bow will shatter; break the axle and the chariot will collapse."

[Indrajit ] "Traitor! You're my uncle, Vibhisana, but you've betrayed me by revealing these secrets."

"I've done nothing to match your crimes!"

[As the gods watch overhead, Laksmana shatters Indrajit's jeweled ring and his chariot axle and then cuts off his head. Red dye is thrown on Indrajit's puppet, which dangles lifelessly from the cloth screen, as the puppeteers sing the last verse of the performance :]

'Rama, Rama' in my heart,
     'Rama, Rama' in my deepest dreams

'Rama, Hari-Rama'
     I call out every day.
When fear strikes,
     or life is cruel
I simply call your name:
     'Rama, Hari-Rama.^[57]

"Tonight we end the story here, and tomorrow we tell of the colossal battle between Rama and Ravana."