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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 On his return with food to the field, Vibishana was shocked to see the land literally littered with the bodies of all Vanara warriors. Rama too returns and finds his friends and most of all, his loving brother, is alter ego, Lakshmana lying on the ground. Lamenting for the state in which Lakshmana was lying, Rama wept bitterly, fell by his side and overcome by grief, he swooned.
When this news reached Ravana, he saw the wonderful opportunity he had to impress Sita. He ordered her to be taken in the Pushpaka Vimana to the warfront and be shown of the devastation in the midst of which both Rama and Lakshmana were lying, resembling the dead. He calculated that if Sita is made to believe that both the brothers have died, he might perhaps be accepted by her. In order therefore to impress her more properly, he ordered for the mortal remains of all rakshasas to be thrown into the sea, leaving only the bodies of Vanara army there.
Sita was taken on the Pushpaka Vimana and was shown an aerial view of the condition in which the brothers were lying. She is seeing them for the first time after several months. But she is in no condition to feel happy about this. Trijata, the daughter of Vibishana, however, very logically and lovingly showed the truth behind all this to
Sita.
In the meantime, Hanuman, who was the first to wake up from the effects of Brahmastra, guided by Jambavan, brought the mountain of herbs bringing everyone on the field back to life, with their wounds healed and their original health restored. Unfortunately, Ravana had arranged for throwing of all the bodies of rakshasas into the sea and therefore that ensured that no demon is re-enlivened! We have already seen these scenes in our study of Hanuman. (See:
Ravana's game plan, The Divine Design
I, The Divine Design II and Humility, the other name for
Maruti)
 The fact that Lakshmana and his army were restored back to life shocked Indrajit. When he was asked to go back to war on the failure of
Naaga paasa to hold Lakshmana and others in stupor until their death, he merely postponed it. But now, on hearing their restoration to life, and on listening to Ravana who still sticks to his empty arguments about his prowess and his determination to retain Sita, we see for the first time Indrajit's mind wavering.
'uladhu naan uNarththaR paaladhu, uNarndhanai kOdal uNdEl.' 'I have to tell you something so that you understand things in their right perspective - if at all you want to listen and if at all you are willing to understand,' Indrajit said, turning to Ravana.
'thaLmalark kizhavan thandha padaik kalam thazhalin saarthi, aLavu iladhu amaya vittadhu,' I fired the divine weapon - Brahmastra - given by the Lord who resides in the Lotus, utilising its full potential to kill,
'iraamanai nIkki andraal,' and it was not to the exclusion of Rama. I did include him in its spell.
'viLaivu iladhu.' It did not have any effect on him.
'mEni thINdila.' It did not even touch his body.
'mINdadhu amma.' What a wonder! It returned without harming him.
'maanidan
allan,' He is not a (mere) human being. 'thollai vaanavan allan.' Nor is he one of the celestials.
'mEl nimir munivan allan.' Nor does he belong to the ranks of sages.
'vIdaNan meyyin sonna,' (now I realise) what Vibishana told is true, really.
'yaan enadhu eNNal thIrndhaar eNNurum oruvan endrE.' He is the one on whom people who have stopped thinking in the lines of 'I and mine' are setting their minds on.
'sEgu arath theLindhadhu andrE.' I have understood this fact (today) without an iota of doubt.
Indrajit is somewhere close to the realisation of the fact. But his warrior blood does not allow him to stop his fight against the 'humans'. He felt the need to complete the half-finished Nikumbhila sacrifice. But he needed time to complete it. More time than is available to him. He had to play another illusory technique to gain the time that he needed.
More follows...
Published on 23rd May 2002
Hari Krishnan
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