Ramayana of valmiki and kamban- Aranya kanda-10. seed for destruction sown

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10. Seed for destruction sown

 

The destruction of Khara and others was the result of the saranagathi of the rshis of Dandakaranya. Ravanavadha was for the protection of devas who surrendered to the Lord which made Him take the incarnation as Rama. The foundation for that is being laid now.

 

Akambhana, who survived the battle went to Ravana and reported to him what happened. Ravana was furious and swore that whoever destroyed Jansthana, which was like a fortress for Lanka, will be destroyed by him, may it be Indra, or Yama or Agni. Akambana told him about Rama who was of invincible valour and comparable to the lion in prowess, of youthful charm with shoulders like a bull, has killed all the rakshasas of Janasthana including Khara., single handed. Thereupon Ravana was about to start to Panchavati to fight with Rama when Akambhana stopped him and said that no one can fight with Rama whose arrows are capable of arresting even the flood. He could destroy the heavens along with the sun and the stars and the whole cosmos. He would uplift the earth plunged in the sea. (The commentators see the reference to the Thrivikramavathara and Varahavathara inadvertently by Akambhana.) He could destroy the universe and create it again. Hanuman says the same thing in Sundarakanda to Ravana.

 

Thus Akambhana told Ravana that he could not conquer Rama, referring Ravana as Dasagreeva , of ten heads, meaning that his ten heads are not enough to fight with Rama. It is implied here that Ravana had only ten heads but Rama was Lord Narayana who was sahasraSeershaa purushaH, the supreme purusha with 1000heads.Then Akambhana gave an alternative suggestion to Ravana. He praised Seetha as the best in the world, utthamaa loke, the gem among women,sthreerathnam and there is no one equal to her among the females of devas, gandhrvas, apasara etc. Hence Akambhana said that if Ravana abducts her, Rama who loves her very much would not be able to live. Ravana agreed and started in his chariot drawn by mules and reached the asrama of Maricha and asked him for help in abducting Seetha.

 

Maricha said that whoever advised him to do that was an enemy of rakshasa race. He referred to Rama as vidhagDharakshaH mrgahaa nrsimhaH , the man-lion intent on killing the rakshasas, the deer, and Ravana should not try to wake up the sleeping lion, to whom the arrows are the limbs and the sword is his canine teeth, saraangapoornah niSithaasi dhamshtraH. Thus Maricha advised Ravana to return to Lanka and be happy with his existing wives. Ravana was convinced and returned to Lanka only to fall prey to the machinations of Surpanakha because his end was near.