Elimination of Ravana by Vishnu

Agastya said:

1-6. Then the demon practised a severe penance for ten thousand years. Looking at the sun with his eyes, he remained with his feet upwards. Kumbhakarna also practised a very difficult penance. The righteous Bibhlsana also practised penance. Then the lord, the god of gods, the lord of beings, served by the crowns of the gods, demons, yaksas and others, was pleased, and gave him a great kingdom, shining in the three worlds; he also made his body charming and waited upon by gods and demons. Then he always tormented Kubera having a religious mind. He took away his aeroplane, and forcibly (captured) the city of Lanka. He tormented the entire world; the gods also went to heaven. He killed brahmana families, and cut off the roots of the sages.

7-9. Then the gods who were grieved, came with Indra to Brahma and the magnanimous ones prostrating themselves (before him) like staffs praised him. All the respectful gods praised (him) with proper words. Then, the lord, who was pleased, said: " What should I do? " Then in front of Brahma the gods narrated the trouble from Ravana and their own defeat.

10-15. Thinkingfor amoment, Brahmawentto Kailasa with the gods. The gods led by Indra and full of surprise remained by the side of that mountain and praised Shiva. (They said: ) " Salutation to Bhava; salutation to you — Sarva; salutation to youNllagriva; salutation you — the gross, the subtle, and the multiformed one." Shiva, having heard the words uttered from the mouths of the gods, said to Nandin: " Bring the gods near me." In the mean while, gods invited by Nandin, entered the city and looked with wonder-struck eyes. Brahma came forward and saw Shiva who did good to the world, who was served by crores of delighted attendants who were naked, deformed, crooked, dusty and hideous.

16-17. Remaining in the front the grandsire along with the gods saluted and said to the highest lord of gods: " See the condition of the residents of heaven. Take pity, O great god, O you who are affectionate to those who seek your refuge. You (now) exert yourself to kill the wicked demon."

18-20. He (i.e. Shiva) too hearing their words full of dejection and sorrow came with all gods to the place of Vishnu. Along with gods, serpents and kinnaras all the sages praised him: " O Madhava, victory to you. O lord of gods, victory to you. Oyou, who remove the afflictions of your devotees, victory to you. Look (at us), O great god. Look at your servants." In this way all gods led by Shiva loudly spoke.

21-28. Hearing what was said (by gods) Vishnu, the great lord of gods, seeing the grief of gods spoke as if pacifying their grief in a voice loud like (the thundering of) clouds, to the gods: " O gods led by Brahma, Shiva and Indra, you should listen to (my) words intent on your good. I know the fear caused to you by Ravana. Today, taking an incarnation I shall destroy that. The city of Ayodhya, an ornament to the earth, is protected by kings born in the solar family and doing good acts like (making) great gifts and (performing) sacrifices. It shines with silver regions. Dasaratha, the mighty king, who conquered the whole world, who is endowed with wealth (but) who is childless, now rules over the kingdom (and lives) in it. He, endowed with great power performed with a desire to have a son the sacrifice according to the rite through revered Rsyasrnga solicited for (performing) the sacrifice. Then, O gods, he first prayed to me through penance. I was born in four ways having the names Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna on his three wives. I shall fully eliminate Ravana along with his army and horses (or elephants). You should also by your own portions taking the form of bears and monkeys move on the entire earth."

29-36. Thus speaking in the heaven, he quickly ceased to speak. All the gods, having heard these great words, and with their hearts pleased, did what was told by the intelligent god of gods. They, taking the forms of bears and monkeys filled the earth with their portions. O great king, you yourself are that great god Vishnu, who destroys the misery of gods, and who has taken up a (human) form. O highly intelligent one, this Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna are (born) from your portion. So also is Ravana who troubles the gods created. Due to the continuity of former enmity he kidnapped Sita, O king. You killed that demon born

1668 Padma Parana in the stock of a brahmana demon. You overthrew that lord of demons, the son of Pulastya, who troubled the entire world. The whole earth has become happy. Today the brahmanas have secured happiness and the ascetics have secured the power of (their) penance. All the holy places have (again) become auspicious, and all the sacrifices are well-established. O soul of the universe, O origin of the world, O best man, when you are the king, the entire world with gods, demons and men has become happy.,

37. I have, according to my intellect (i.e. intellectual capa-J, city) today told you everything — the birth and death (of Ravana), — as asked by you, O innocent one. ^

38. Hearing in this way the account about the family of the lord of demons, the great man of well-known prowess, the lord, the ruler, checking his tears trickling on his lotus-like face, fell, on the ground in his assembly.

 

CHAPTER EIGHT

 Agastya Advises Rama to Perform a Horse-Sacrifice

Shesha said:

1-4. O best sage Vatsyayana, well-versed in the Vedas, the story of the god of gods, the only protector of all righteous ways, destroys sins. Seeing Rama (fallen) unconscious, Agastya, the treasure of penance, immediately wiped his tears slowly with his hand, and said: " O Rama, revive quickly, why do you sink? You are the ancient Vishnu, the destroyer of the demons' family. Without you the world — the past, present, future, the immovable and the movable — 'does not go on. (Then) why have you fallen unconscious here? "

5-6. Hearing the words uttered by him who was born from a pitcher (i.e. by Agastya), the great king (Rama), with his lovely face full of tears trickling on it, got up, and with his frame bending due to sense of shame, and averse to doing wrong to a brahmana, said very piteous, distinct words in detail.

Shri Rama said:

7-15. Oh! see the ignorance of me who am a fool and wickedminded, that I, very eager through passion, killed (Ravana) born in a brahmana-family. (Though) I had the true knowledge of the Vedas and (other) sacred texts, I, void of intelligence and of a bad mind killed a brahmana, (destroyed) a brahmana-family. A brahmana never got a reproach in (i.e. from a member of) the Iksvaku family. (But) I, doing such a deed (as killing a brahmana like Ravana) have greatly stained it. Those brahmanas who deserve worship by means of presents, honours and food, have been killed by me with strokes of volleys of arrows. Which worlds shall I go to? Even the unbearable (hell called) Kumbhipaka (will be secured by me). There is no such sacred place as is capable of purifying me. There is no sacrifice, no penance, no gift, or no vow etc. that would purify and emancipate me who have wronged a brahmana. Those men who have angered a brahmana-family, go to hell, and after having reached hell repeatedly experience misery. For those who have the true knowledge of the castes and the stages of life, Vedas are the roots of religious practices. The brahmana-family is the root of all the prominent branches of the Vedas. What world shall I who through insolence cut off that root, obtain (i.e. go to)? What should be done today by which good would take place in my case? Shesha said:

16. Agastya said these words to the lord of kings, the best among the Raghus, who had taken a human form through his divine power and who was very much weeping. Agastya said:

17-23. O very wise, very intelligent king, do not be dejected. No (sin of) killing a brahmana would be earned by you, desiring the destruction of the wicked. You are the ancient man; you are actually the lord beyond Prakrti. You are the author (of the world); you take it away; you are its protector; you are actually qualityless (but) possess qualities due to your desire, since by (merely) uttering your name, all, viz. the drinker of spirituous liquor, the killer of a brahmana, one who steals gold and one

who commits a sin, are quickly purified. O you very intelligent one, this respectable lady Sita is a great lore, merely by remembering whom those that become free (from the mundane existence) obtain beatitude. Ravana also was not a (real) demon. He was your servant in Vaikuntha. O you killer of demons, he obtained demonhood due to the curse of sages. You have favoured that brahmana (viz. Ravana) and have not killed him. Thinking like this do not again grieve over (the death of Ravana). Hearing these words from him, Rama, the conqueror of his enemies' cities, spoke sweet words, uttering stammering sounds. Shri Rama said:

24-26. Sin is said to be of two kinds, viz. deliberate and nondeliberate. Deliberate is that which is done with an intention. The non-deliberate is that committed unintentionally. The deliberate sin is exhausted only after experiencing (the fruit of that sinful) deed. The other one would perish through remorse. This is declared by the scriptural injunctions. The words of the good cannot be properly regarded as removing the grief of me who have intentionally committed the extremely censurable killing of a brahmana.

27-28. Tell me a vow, a gift, a sacrifice, a (visit to a) holy place, or some great worship like that, which would burn my sin, and by which my spotless fame will purify the people who are denied by sinful conduct and whose lustre is taken away due to the killing of a brahmana. Shesha said:

29-36. That treasure of penance (i.e. Agastya) spoke these words to Rama whose feet were illumined by the gems on the heads of the gods and demons that saluted him and who had spoken thus: " O Rama, O great hero, O you who does favour to the worlds, listen to words which I (shall now) speak for removing (the sin due to) killing a brahmana. He who would perform a horse sacrifice, overcomes all that sin. Therefore, O soul of the universe, you perform that auspicious horse-sacrifice. You who are wise, who are endowed with great glory, who are having great power, who are the lord of the earth should perform that horsesacrifice which removes the sin of (i.e. due to) killing a brahmana, and which was performed by the great king Dilipa, your ancestor. Indra, the best among men, having performed a hundred sacrifices, secured, in Amaravatf, a position well waited upon by gods and demons. All these your ancestors — Manu and king Sagara, and king Marutta, so also (Yayati) the son of Nahusa, performed (this) sacrifice and went to the (highest) place. Therefore, O lord of kings, perform (that sacrifice); you are fully capable (of performing it). Your brothers, the regents of quarters, are appreciative of it."

37. Having heard what the sage said, that fortunate Rama, the best of the Raghus, afraid of having killed a brahmaria, very much deciding to perform it, and (with his glory) sung by those who were conversant with past events, asked (Agastya) about the manner (in which it was performed).

 

CHAPTER NINE

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