Monday 18 July 2016

371. The mourning of the consorts of Ravana.

              Just like present day, very, very bad news spread like wildfire in those days, too. Within a few minutes the residents of all the palaces including the gynaecea of Ravana's sweet and not so-sweet hearts came to know of the killing of  Ravana by  Rama. All the sweethearts, present and past, of the late Ravana rushed out towards the battle field to see the body of Ravana. Even though impeded now and then by their maid servants, they were rolling in the dust of the streets, with their hair disheveled, to demonstrate they were suffering with utter grief like cows that had lost their calf.
             After searching here and there in the battle field, they found the gigantic body of their sweetheart Ravana, lying on the ground, like a heap of black collyrium. All of them fell on the body of Ravana. As they were soooo many, many of them could not get even an inch of the body of Ravana. One hundred of them were able to get a finger of a hand of Ravana, and very many had to be satisfied by holding a companion, who was lucky enough to get hold of some part of Ravana's body, including a finger.
           They started to lament like the following.
        "It is  unbelievable that that Ravana, by whom Indra was thrown into fear, Yama struck with terror, Kubera was deprived of Pushpaka, lies killed in the battle-field, that too by a mortal. Here lies Ravana, killed in battle, by a man who came walking from Ayodhya. The great Ravana, who was incapable of being killed by Suras, Yakshashas and Asuras is killed by a mortal human far inferior in strength.
        "It is very unfortunate that your own death is caused because Seetha was borne away by you.  Had you listened to the sane and sensible advice of Vibhishana, your beloved brother, you would not be lying inert and lifeless on the ground.
    "Had you restored Seetha to Rama, this appallingly terrific disaster, which has robbed us of every root, would not have befallen us.
       "Your immoral act of stealing Seetha and adamant in keeping her despite all sane advice to the contrary, has caused you your life......"
       In the above manner the consorts of Ravana, depressed as they were and afflicted with grief, with their eyes full of tears,  lamented like female ospreys.
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