Sunday 1 December 2013

108. Rama and Khara's army poised for a show of strength.

               Some unpleasant and unusual happenings were encountered by the Khara's advancing army.  A massy and tumultuous cloud resembling the shade of a donkey rained water which looked like blood. The horses paired to Khara's chariot tottered in a trice, despite the fact the surface of the highway was quite even and spread with flowers. 
               The sun suddenly looked like it would when on solar eclipse, even though it was not a day for Rahu or Ketu.
               An awful eagle with massive body perched atop the golden shaft of the flag of the chariot with a very lofty flagstaff. Cacophonous and carnivorous predators and vultures took over the nearby places of Janasthaana and they made raucous and ominous sounds of various kinds. Turning towards the stretch scorched by the sun, fearsome and loud noised jackals had howled emitting awful sounds, that which was inauspicious to the rakshashas. Then frightening clouds similar to bursting mountains carrying water resembling blood have rendered the firmament less of leeway for the twittering birds.
                Like the ones described above, many more bad omens were encountered by Khara and his army. Khara, however laughed them off and shouted at his army "These awful auguries with their horrible nature cannot do any harm to me owing to my own valour. You all know that I am above all such frivolities. With the excruciating arrows of mine I can hurtle stars from the face of the sky, and if highly infuriated, I can even enjoin mortality to Death himself. I will not return without killing that Rama, together with his brother Lakshmana, with my incisive arrows.
                 "With whom both Rama and Lakshmana behaved perversely, let that cousin of mine be contented in drinking the blood of those two. I have not been defeated so far in combats at anytime and anywhere and I will not be in future, too. If I am so infuriated I can eliminate even the king of Devas, the wielder of Thunderbolt and the lord of the elephant Iravata, namely Indra, in a war. That being so why talk about these two humans." 
                  On hearing that thundering speech of Khara his army was highly exulted with overjoy without realizing that the whole lot was tied down by the noose of death. Eager to watch the battle between Khara with his army and Rama, great sages, Devas, gandharvas,  caranas and siddhas had come together in the firmament. All of them without any exception wanted and wished that Rama should triumph in the conflict.
               When his army was almost reaching their target, Khara speedily dashed in his chariot to the forefront of the legions. Seeing Khara going in front, all his important aides viz. Shyenagaami, Prithugviira, Yajnashatru, Vihamgama, Durjaya, Karaviiraaksha, Parusha, Kaalakaarmuka, Hemamaali, Mahaamaali, Sarpaasya and Rudhiraaksha also hastened and placed themselves in a semicircle around Khara.
               Likewsie Mahakapaala, Stuulaaksha, Pramaathii, Trishira, the four more commanders of the forces followed Duushana.
             That army of valiant rakshashas was highly execrable, infernally speedy, and readily inspirited for a battle quickly rushed towards those two princes, Rama and Lakshmana, as though a festoon of planets would rush towards the Moon and Sun so as to put them to rout.
               While Khara's army was approaching Rama's hermitage, both Rama and Lakshmana witnessed the very same auguries which had earlier appeared to Khara. On looking at those very gruesomely bad omens, Rama after a careful analysis in his mind told Lakshmana "Oh, bro, in my opinion these indications are for the complete elimination of all the rakshashas. See them. On their part these clouds are hovering on the sky with stark reddish-grey tint, thunderously braying and copiously showering streams of blood. All my arrows are incensed to fuming in an ecstasy towards a war, and the gold-plated bows of mine are incessantly spurring to hook up those arrows, telling apart an impeding conflict.
                "Judging by the kind of wild birds that are shrieking here, danger is up ahead and coming upon us, along with uncertainty of our lives. My right hand is indicating by its repeated throbbing that a critical and riotous conflict is going to occur, no doubt, but I am confident of our victory. Your face is also appearing brightish and aglow, which itself is a good omen.
                  "If the faces of those that are poised for a conflict loose lustre, deem that the death is looming large on their longevity too.
                  "This nasty noise which we hear pertains to the uproar of the rakshashas, and even to the drumming of war drums by the rakshashas of fiendish activities, and this is ear-splitting.
                "We should immediately take appropriate preventive measures. Firstly, wield your bow, keep arrows ready at hand, and taking Vaidehi with you seek shelter in a very safe cave of the mountain overgrown with trees. Do not argue. Go pronto.
              "I know very well that you are a stalwart, a forceful one, and for sure you can eliminate them all. But this time I long to eliminate all of the nightwalking scums personally."   
              Lakshmana did not have the heart to argue when Rama told him that way.  He, therefore, picked up his bow and arrows, and together with Seetha proceeded for a shelter in a very safe cave not easily reachable  by any of the rakshashas.
              Seeing Lakshmana entering into the cave along with Seetha, Rama said to himself, "thank goodness, it is a good-idea!" and started donning his shield and get ready for the conflict.
              Well bedecked in a shield that was shining brilliance akin to the sun, Rama shone forth like a fumeless conflagration up-shot in utter darkness. On raising his imposing bow and drawing arrows, Rama firmed up and stood there, filling all the directions with the tinny sounds of bowstring.
                The devas and others gathered in the firmament were wondering among themselves that "the rakhashas of fiendish deeds are fourteen thousand in number and Rama is solitary. What would be the result of this battle?" 
               Immured in an aura of invincibility, Rama was standing there upright with a confident smile on his lips, awaiting the arrival of Khara and his forces. Seeing him, all those in the firmament commented among themselves that seeing Rama like that any foe would be thrown into the throes of death. Then they noticed the arrival of the legions of the rakshashas making boisterous noises, spouting cries of bravo, handling their grisly shields, weaponry and war-flags, and onrushing at each other in disarray. With brassy twanging of bows, with the drumming of war drums, and also by their jumping, leaping and bouncing that area was filled with very loud and clamorous noise.
             When the highly brutish cacophony of those rakshashas and the jangling of weapons started to fill the forest even the brutes ranging in that forest panicked, and dashed off seeking some safe place, without looking back.
             And that impetuous army of rakshashas which looked like a ship in an unnavigable ocean steered towards Rama. Rama stretched his awesome bow to examine the taut of bowstring, and whipped arrows out of the quiver, and then wearing a mask of extreme wrath determined to eliminate all the rakshashas.
             Anyone looking at him enraged and blazing would be terribly frightened in the same way when engulfed in the blazing Fire at the end of the era. Rama appeared to be like that of the ominous Rudra, the wielder of bow called Pinaki, namely peaceful Shiva when enraged, at the time of Rudra's embarking on to ruin the Vedic ritual of Daksha Prajaapati.
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