Ramayana of valmiki and Kamban-Aranyakanda-9. Khara and his army destroyed

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9. Destruction of Khara and his army.

 

Khara asked Surpanakha to tell him who had deformed her, surprised that there could be anyone who could harm her who by herself was very strong and also because everyone in the dhandaka forest was afraid of him and his men. Then Surpanakha started to tell him what happened.

 

Even at that time when she wanted Khara to kill Rama and Lakshmana, she could not help describing them in glowing terms. Such was her desire. She said,

 

tharuNou roopa sampaanou sukumaarou mahaabalou

pundareeka viSaalaakshou bhraathrou raama lakshmaNou

 

"They are the brothers Rama and Lakshmana, who are young and handsome, gentle yet mighty with lotus-like eyes."

 

She further said,

phalamoolaasinou dhaanthou thaapasou DharmachaariNou

 

"They eat roots and fruits and self-controlled, wise and celibates,

 

ganDharvaraajaprathimou paarThivavyanjanaanvithou

dhevou vaa maanushou vaa thou na tharkayithum uthsahe

 

they resemble devas but look like kshathriyas. I am not able to judge whether they are devas or humans."

 

The commentators remark that there are three different implications to her words. On the surface it looks like the lustful talk. Underlying that there is a hint that they are nowhere near Khara in valour and also the opposite meaning in order to incite Khara into battle.

 

Apart from describing their handsome appearance the adjectives young, handsome, gentle, living like hermits etc. seem to indicate that they could be easily vanquished by the mighty Khara. On the other hand, the same epithets imply their youthful vigour, and easy valour and readiness to battle etc.

 

She also described the beauty of Seetha but Khara was not tempted like Ravana. Then she roused his anger by saying that it was due to the influence of Seetha they deformed her and said hat she wanted to drink the blood of all the three of them. Thus she completely conceald the real reason for her deformation.

 

Khara sent his fourteen generals with her and she took them to the place where Rama was.

 

Rama told Lakshmana to take care of Seetha and faced them alone. He gave hem a chance to escape by saying that he had no quarrel with them as they have come to the forest as hermits but they started to fight and Rama killed them all with his arrows.

 

Surpanakha went back to Khara and ridiculed him for not being able to destroy a human and he went into battle himself with his great army stung by her insults.

 

Rama hearing the great army approaching, told Lakshmana to hurry and take Seetha to the cave nearby. Then a fierce fight ensued between the army of Khara and Rama. The celestials gathered in the sky to watch the fight and the rshis of Dandakaranya felt anxious for Rama fighting single handed.

 

But soon the whole army of Khara fell like moths in fire and Dhooshana , advanced and was also killed by Rama. This left only Thrisiras and Khara. Rama killed ThriSiras also and faced Khara.

 

Rama cut the bow of Khara with the bow of Vishnu given buy Agasthya and Khara advanced with his mace. Rama told him that he was going to kill him who had been a menace to the rshis of the forest and all those killed by him were watching him being destroyed standing above in their aerial chariots.

 

Khara insulted Rama saying that he was boasting as it was befitting only to a kshathriya who was banished from his kingdom and challenged him to show his valour in battle. Then Rama split his mace into splinters with his arrows when he hurled it at Rama. Then Khara threw a tree at him which was also split by the arrows of Rama and then Khara sprang on Rama, who avoided him and killed him by his arrow.

Valmiki says,

 

Sa papaatha Kharo bhoomou dhahyamaanH Saraagninaa

rudhreNevav vinirdhagDhaH SvethaaraNye yaThaa anthakaH

 

sa vrttha iva vajreNa phenena namuchiH yaThaa

Khara fell down like the demon Anthaka burnt by Lord Siva in the Svetha forest, like Vrthra by vajrayudh of Indra , like Namuchi by the foam.

 

Anthaka tried to kill Svetha , a devotee-sage of Siva and was burnt by Siva. SvethaaraNya is the place in Tamilnadu known as Thiruvenkaadu.

 

Vrthraasura was killed by Indra and Namuchi who had the boon that he would not die from neither dry nor wet instrument. So Indra killed him by foam.

 

The example of Vrtra shows the infallibility of the arrow of Rama and that of Namuchi is given to show the facility wit which Rama killed Khara. The illustration of Siva burning Anthaka was to show the fierceness of the arrow of Rama.

 

The devas showered flowers and praised him for lkilling the whole army of Khara that consisted of 14000 rakshasa singlehanded and also the demons Khara ,Dhooshana and Thrisiras. All within one and a half muhurtha.

 

Lakshmana came out of the cave and embraced Rama. Seethaa, says Valmiki embraced Rama on all sides as though giving fomentation to the wounds on His body.

 

tham dhrshtvaa Sathruhanthaaram maharsheeNam

sukhaavaham

babhoova hrshtaa vaidhehee bharthaaram parishasvaje

 

This sloka is commented elaborately. tham dhrshtva –seeing Rama,

 

 

1.She called Rama sthryam purushavigraham when he did not want to take her to the forest. Now she thought of that and was bashful for it.

2. she saw the same valour as when he took the sivadhanus and broke it.

3. The same prowess seen in the slaying of Viradha,

4. Seeing him killing 14000 rakshsas with her own eyes.

5.Above all being the divine mother glad that the foundation for the avathrakarya has been laid, leading to he destruction of Ravana.

 

Thus the first step towards Ravanavadha is taken.