Shirdi Sai Baba Stories,Leelas and Teachings.: Ram Vijaya-Chapter 49.

Dear all

Here is chapter-49 from the book Ram Vijaya. Readers who have missed out any chapter can read them by clicking on the link provided below this chapter . Jai Sai Ram.

Ram Vijaya-Chapter 49.

Rama, Lakshuman, and the monkeys again prepared themselves to fight with.Ravana but the demon-king did not come out of Lanka for some time. In the meantime Vibhishan came and said to Rama, Ravana is performing a penance like that which was done by Indrajit and half of the divyaratha has come
out of fire. Unless you send some monkey-warriors there and destroy the havan [Sacred fire] made by him, you will not be able to overcome him." No sooner did Vibhishan inform Rama of this than the latter
despatched Maruti, Nala, Neela, Sugriva, and other monkeys to Lanka.

They all went and searched the place where the demon -king was performing the penance ; but they could not find out the place. But, in the mean-time, Sharma, wife of Vibhishan, showed the place to them. Whereupon they went to the mouth of the excavation and, having removed the stone which was placed upon it, rushed into it.

When they went in, Ravana was in deep meditation. The monkeys, having destroyed the havan and the ratha, tried their utmost to arouse him from his meditation but they failed to do so. They struck him with
their weapons, they threw rock and trees upon him, they gave blows to him but all was in vain.

At last Sugriva caught hold of Mandodari and brought her in the excavation. She was frightened, and violently cried. Her yell aroused the demon-king from meditation; and as soon as he saw his wife there, and having found that the havan was destroyed by the monkeys, he was greatly enraged and beat
them all dawn. The monkeys immediately returned to Suvela leaving Ravana and his wife in the excavation.

The demon-king said to Mandodari " My dearest, do not grieve for what has happened to you. Pain and pleasure are made for us mortal beings and we must experience them according to their turns. Now I am going to fight with Rama. I will either kill myself or kill Rama. If I return to you, it is all right; and if I be killed, these are the last words I address to you. So saying the demon-king took the remaining demons with him and commenced operations.'

All the monkeys threw at him innumerable mountains, rocks, and trees but Ravana cut them off in no time and beat them all down. Finding that Ravana could not be overcome by the monkeys, Rama immediately attacked him, when the demon-king let off a serpent-weapon, which produced innumerable serpents and stung the monkeys.

Rama let off a Garuda- weapon, which produced garudas and killed all the serpents.

Rama let off a rain-weapon, which produced the rain and flowed the demons, when Ravana let off a wind- weapon, which produced the wind and dispersed the rain.

Rama let off a mountain-weapon, which produced mountains and stopped the wind.Ravana let off a diamond- weapon, which produced diamonds and broke all the mountains.

Ravana let off innumerable arrows at Rama at one and the same time but the latter cut them off with one arrow.

Ravana then let off a very powerful arrow,which struck Rama and passed through his left foot, when all the monkeys got enraged and began to throw arrows, rocks, and trees at Ravana but the latter bravely broke them with his weapons.

Ravana fought from his chariot and Rama from the ground. Finding that the prince was in a bad position, Indra, the chief of the gods in heaven, sent his chariot for him, which he mounted and began to fight
with his enemy.

They both were very powerful and fought with each other for seven days and seven nights without cessation. Rama then let off four arrows and killed the horses of Ravana.

The demon-king then immediately put other horses to his chariot, when Rama let off an arrow of the size of the half moon, which Ravana cut off with the like arrow.

Whereupon Rama let off a sharp weapon, which struck the chest of the demon-king and cut off his ten heads but, to the surprise of all, the heads again fixed themselves to him. Rama again cut them off but they again fixed themselves to Ravana.

Rama having failed to separate the heads from Ravana, all the monkeys were alarmed, when the chari oteer, Matuli, said to Rama, " Ravana has got a phial full of nectar in his breast. Just let off an arrow at his breast and break the phial, so that the heads will not fix themselves to the demon-king over and over again."

Hearing this from Matuli, Rama discharged a powerful weapon called Agasti Data and broke the phial in his breast; and immediately after, he cut off his ten heads and killed him on the spot.

Vibhishan lamented for his brother the demon-king, when Rama consoled and pacified him. Mandodari and his other wives came and violently cried for their husband. Vibhishan consoled them and sent them to their palaces. The funeral ceremony of Ravana was then performed by his brother ; and soon after, Rama installed him in the throne of Lanka. All the demons acknowledged him as their king and paid homage to him. All the gods and kings imprisoned by Ravana, were released from the prison there. Rama visited them all and heartily embraced them.

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