Raghuveera Gadhyam: Yuddha KhAndham--Part 9

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**SALUTATION TO RAHUVEERAN

 

VisAla netram paripurNa gAthram

SitA kaLathram sura vairi jaithram I

Jagath pavithram paramathma tanthram

Sri Ramachandram praNamAmi chitthE II

--- Sri Rama KarNAmrutham 4. 27

 

GS: 58 -- katuratath atani dankruthi chatula katOra

kArmukha visikha vithAtana vigaditha makuta vihvala

visravastanaya visrama samaya visrANana vikhyAtha

vikrama! Jaya ! Jaya !

 

(Meaning ) : Hail to Thee , O Raghuveera , who through your

compassionate act of letting RavaNa leave the battle field and rest

overnight to restore his strength , when the agitated RavaNA could not

match your prowess in the battle field ! The ferocious sounding arrows

leaving your bow did their powerful work and split into pieces the

crowns of the ten-headed RavNA and made him fear for his life.

Seeing his weak state , You as a noble warrior did not want to take

advantage of him, when he was weak and unable to defend himself .

You permitted him to retire from the battle field and then return the

next day after a well-needed rest in his palace .

 

(Background ) : RavaNA sent his commander-in-chief , PrahasthA

to the battle field as the simian army led by NilA destroyed many

divisions of his army . Prahastha caused a lot of damage to

the army of monkeys , who fought only with uprooted trees and pieces

of rocks . In a fierce battle , NilA threw a big rock over the head of Prahastha

and shattered his head and killed him . RavaNA was disconsolate over

the death of his commander-in-chief and decided to take control of

the battle in his own hands. He appeared on the battle field and immediately

began to make short work of the monkey chieftains. He stupefied Sugriva

with a swift arrow. He struck Hanuman in the chest and sent him

reeling. Then he began to torment NilA , who had earlier killed

PrahasthA , his commander-in-chief .With great agility, NilA evaded

RavaNA and perched himself on the banner of the chariot of RavaNA.

The angry RavaNA dispatched an arrow empowered by Agni at NilA ,

the son of Agni . NilA's life was spared by his father , but he was knocked

unconscious.

 

The triumphant RavaNA gloated with pride now dashed towards

LakshmaNA and sent a flurry of arrows at him. LakshmaNA

sent his own arrows flying at the speed of lightning and tore

the arrows of RavaNA in flight . LakshmaNA cut the bow of RavaNA

in to three pieces with his arrows and bathed RavaNA in a shower of

sharp arrows. The enraged RavaNA struck LakshmanA with a javelin given

to him by Brahma and grievously hurt LakshmanA with it and knocked him

off his feet. The ten-headed king of Ogres came down from his chariot and

tried to lift and carry away LakshmaNA as a trophy . The great RavaNA ,

who had once lifted Kailasa mountain could not however succeed in lifting

LakshmaNA . meanwhile ,Hanuman had recovered from his earlier battle

with RavaNA and rushed to the side of the fallen LakshmaNa . He gave

a mighty blow to RavaNA and sent him reeling. Hanuman used that moment

to lift and carry off the unconscious LakshmaNA to the side of the worried

Rama. Hanuman had no problem lifting LakshmaNA , while RavaNA

could not succeed in his efforts.

 

HanumAn now appealed to Rama and requested Rama to subdue

the king of ogres and to fight him , while being mounted on his shoulders.

RavaNA was standing in his chariot and Rama confronted him

from his perch on the shoulders of Hanumaan . In a fierce battle ,

Rama tore up into pieces RavaNA's chariot with its wheels, horses,

standard , canopy , the charioteer and the weapons stored on the sides

of that mighty chariot . Next , Rama hit RavaNA in the chest with a fiery

arrow and RavaNA reeled and began to swoon. With another cresent-shaped

arrow shining like fire , Rama tore the diadem of the king of ogres .

Now , RavaNA looked like a poisonous snake divested of its poison .

Rama sized the situation quickly and recognized that RavaNA was in

no shape to continue the fight and could easily be killed then and there.

Out of his sense of fairness and compassion , Rama praised RavaNa

for the earlier display of his great skills in the battle field and told him

that

he (Rama ) will not elect to kill him then, when he( RavaNA ) was in

no shape to continue the fight . Rama"s words were :

 

krutham tvayA karma mahath subheemam

hatapraveerasccha kruthastvayaaham I

tasmaath parisrAntha ithi vyavasya

na tvaam sarai: MRUTHYU VASAM NAYAAMI II

 

prayAhi jAnAmi raNArdhitastvam

pravisya raathrim chararAja lankhAm I

aasvasya niryAhi rathee cha dhanvee

tadhA balam prekshyasi mE rathastha: II

 

(Meaning ) : A great and exceedingly difficult task has been

accomplished by you in killing many of my heroic simian chieftains

and overpowering Sugreeva, Hanumaan , NilA and LakshamNA .

I recognize that you are battle-fatigued . Hence , I would not kill

you now and dispatch you to the world of Yama. You are not in

any shape to stand up and continue your fight with me. Hence , I

give you permission to leave the battle field. Reenter LankhA ,

rest a while and return with a new chariot and weapons. Then ,

you can witness my strength .

 

Consoled by the words of the compassionate Rama, the mighty

RavaNA shorn of his vanity, pride and joy hastily left the battle field

in disgrace and returned to his palace . After RavaNA left , Rama

and the recovered LakshmaNA toured the battle field and

removed the arrows from the limbs of the brave monkey chieftains,

who had been wounded in their battle with RavaNA before

Rama came to their rescue. The oudhAryam and the heroism

of Rama is celebrated in this famous , fifty ninth canto of

Yuddha Khaandham by sage Vaalmiki .

 

The Concluding salutaton to Raghuveeran :

 

jAnAthi Rama! tava tatttvagathim HanUmAn

jAnAthi Rama! tava sakhyagathim kapeesa: I

jAnAthi Rama! tava Yuddhagathim dasAsyO

jAnAthi Rama! dhanadhAnuja yeva sathyam II

 

---- Sri Rama KarNaamrutham 4. 17

 

Sri HanUmath Sametha Raghuveera ParabrahmaNE nama:

 

Sri VaishNava Daasan,

 

Oppiliappan Koil VarAdAchari Sadagopan