Ramayana of valmiki and Kamban-yuddhakanda

[Guest guest]

14. Indrajith

meets his end

 

Sugriva

ordered the vanaras to accompany him with torches of fire and they went to

Lanka and set it on fire. Ravana furious on seeing it, sent Kumba and Nikumba ,

sons of Kumbakarna, to fight with them and Kumba was killed by Sugriva and

Nikumba by Hanuman. Then Indrajith came to the battlefield with an illusory

image of Seetha and killed her in front of vanaras. Hanuman seeing that called

all the vanaras to recede from battle as there was no use continuing when Seetha

was no more. He went and told the tidings to Rama who fell down unconscious and

when he was revived by the monkeys, Lakshmana ranted on the futility of

following dharma which did not protect Rama and said that he would go and kill

Indrajith forthwith.

 

Vibheeshana

came there and told Rama that it was all an illusion created by Indrajith

because Ravana was so obsessed with Seetha and would not allow her to be

killed. He said that Indrajith played this trick on them and had gone to

Nikumbila to do a homa and he should not be allowed to complete it because he

would then become invincible. Vibheeshana took Lakshmana with the permission of

Rama, and two of them along with

Jambavan, Sugriva and Hanuman went to Nikumbila.

 

Lakshman

then challenged Indrajith for battle. Seeing Vibheeshana there Indrajith was

angry and abused him with harsh words. Vibheeshan paid no attention to it and a

terrible battle was waged between Lakshmana and

Indrajith. Lakshmana destroyed the chariot of Indrajitha and he went to

Lanka and came in a new chariot. Finally Lakshmana sent an arrow with these words.

 

Valmiki

refers to Lakshmana here as Lakshmeevaan , one endowed with glory.

Lakshmana

said,

 

Dharmaathmaa sathyasanDhaScha raamo

dhaasaraThiryadhi

Pourushecha aprathidhvandhvah Sara

enam jahi raavaNIm

 

"If

Rama, the son of Dasaratha is embodiment of dharma, keeper of promise and has

no equal in valour, oh arrow, kill this son of Ravana."

 

Thus

saying Lakshmana released the arrow chanting the indhraasthra manthra. It went

and chopped off the head of Indrajith which fell on the ground. Laksmana and

others returned to Rama and told him the glad news and Rama rejoiced and

praised Lakshmana and told Sushena, the medico among the monkeys, to attend to

the wounds of Lakshmana. Treated by Sushena, Lakshmana became completely his

normal self.

 

The

ministers of Ravana informed him about the death of Indrajith. Ravana lost

consciousness and then after regaining it lamented piteously for a long time and then he got angry and rushed

to kill Seetha, who on seeing him and understanding his intention, feared that

perhaps Rama and Lakshmana were killed by him and regretted for a moment that she

did not heed the advice of Hanuman to go with him and expressed her resentment

about the doings of Manthara which brought all this misfortune to them. But a

righteous rakshasa called Supaarsva restrained Ravana from killing a woman, telling him to show his prowess in

battle by killing Rama and Lakshmana.

Then Ravana made preparations to go to battle.

 

Now

we shall see how Kamban treats this episode.

 

Vibheeshana

after assuring Rama that the killing of Seetha by Indrjith was an illusion

offers to go to Lanka in the form of a bee and find out the truth. He goes to Asokaavana and seeing Seetha there

unharmed returns and told Rama about it and also about the preparations of

Indrajith to go and do homa in Nikumbila.

 

When

Indrajith lost his chariot he went to Lanka and Ravana asks him about the

proceedings in Nikumbila. He says he understood that the Homa was not finished

by seeing the arrow stuck in the arm of Indrajith and asks him what happened.

Indrajith recounting the valour of Lakshmana

says that if the Naraynasthra went round Lakshmana without harming him

what else could be said about other missiles. Then saying that he survived

because Lakshmana did not release brahmastra fearing the destruction of the

world and tells Ravana that if he gives up his desire for Seetha and returns

her to Rama they will go away forgiving him and he is saying so out of affection. Kamban says that

Indrajith who conquered the whole world spoke like this.

 

But

Ravana chides him for being afraid of a mere mortal and refuses saying that he will

rather give up his life in battle than give up Seetha because it has become a

matter of honour now . Saying so he starts to go to war himself and calls the

chariot. Indrajith stopping him offers to go himself.

 

When

Lakshamana cut off the head of Indrjith,

Angadha carries the head and followed by Lakshmana on the shoulders of Hanuman

places the head at the feet of Rama who becomes overjoyed in seeing the valour

of Lakshmana and says,

 

vambu

serindha malarkkoil maRaiyon padaittha maanilatthil

"thambi

udaiyOn padaikkanjaan" ennum maatRam thandhanaiyaal

 

Here

vambu means fragrance, not gossip! vambuserindha malarkkoil means the lotus,

the seat of Brahma and the verse means that in the world created by Brahma, the

saying `thambi udaiyOn padaiikanjaan,' one who has a younger brother is not

afraid of an army has been proved by Lakshmana.

 

The

lamentations of Ravana and Mandodhari on hearing the death of Indrajith are

very moving but for the fact that it was all the fault of Ravana. But evil or

good, father is a father and the sorrow of the mother could be imagined.

 

Then

Ravana searches for the body of

Indrajith and becomes grief stricken in not finding the head and carries

the headless body to Lanka. The rest of the details are as found in valmiki.