Having reflected thus, that foremost of Vipras endowed with fleet vigor, bent his steps towards the abode of Yama, for the purpose of relating to him all that had taken place. And there (he) saw that god-Yama-sitting in front of fire. and offering into it the good and evil fruits of their actions.†
† Ordaining happiness and misery to the lives of people according to their acts.”—T.
And seeing the Maharshi Narada arrive there, Yama offering him arghya according to the ordinance, addressed him saying, when he was seated at his ease: ‘O Devarshi, is it well with thee? And doth virtue deteriorate.* And, why, O thou honored of deities, and Gandharvas, dost thou come? Thereat the reverened sage, Narada, said; Hearken, I shall tell (thee); and (after hearing me out) do thou what is fit. O king of the Pitris, here cometh the night ranger named ten-necked, for bringing thee under his sway —thee who art incapable of being conquered. And, O master, for this reason it is that I have come hither hastily, –doubtful what shall befall thee who hast the rod for thy weapon. In the meanwhile, they saw the Raksha’s car approach from afar, flaming and like unto the rayfurnished (one) risen. And dispelling the gloom of that region with the effulgence of Pushpaka, that exceedingly powerful (Rakshasa) came forward. And the mighty-armed ten-necked one all around saw creatures reaping the conse. quences of their fair and foul acts. And there he saw Yama’s soldiery along with Yama’s followers, fierce-forms, grim-visaged and terrific. And he saw coporeal beings undergoing torments and pain, and emitting loud cries and sharp shrieks; preyed on by worms and fell dogs: and uttering words capable of striking pain and terror into the heart (of the hearer); and people swimming in the Vaitaraini profusely running blood; and momentarily burning with hot sands; unrighteous wights pierced in a wood of asipatra, (plunged) in Raurava, in the river of borate of soda and (cut) with razor-edges; asking for drinks; and afflicted with hunger and thirst; converted into corpses, lean, woe-begone, and pallid with hair flowing loosely; having dust and filth (on their bodies), and running about distressfully with dry forms: —on the way saw Ravana by hundreds and by thousands. And Ravana also saw some in front of houses engaged in merry-making with songs and strains of instruments, —as the fruit of their pious acts; and (saw) the giver of kine regailing themselves with milk; the dispenser of rice, feeding on the same, the bestower of abodes, enjoying mansions, as the fruit of their several acts; and persons living with damsels decked with gold and gems and jewels; and other pious folks, flaming in their native energy, all these saw Ravana lord of Rakshasas. And by his might that mighty one delivered those that were being tormented by their wicked acts. And on being liberated by that Raksha—the ten-necked one, those creatures in a moment began to enjoy their release, that had come to them without thought or suspense. And on the dead being delivered by the magnanimous Rakshasa, the guards of the dead, getting enraged, rushed at the Rakshasa sovereign. And there arose mighty tumult from all sides; from the heroic warriors of the king of righteousness rushing (all around.) And those heroes by hundreds and by thousands assailed (Pushpaka) with prashas, and bludgeons, and darts and maces, and spears and tomaras. And swiftly swarming like bees, they began to break the seats, blocks, daises and gateways (of the car.) And in that conflict Pushpaka presided over by divine energy, incapable of being destroyed by virtue of Brahma power, being broken, resumed its former shape. Countless were the soldiers of that high-souled one consisting hundreds and theusands of heroic warriors, (ever) forward for fight. And according to the measure of their might his (Ravana’s) councillors— great heroes all, as well as the ten-faced one himself with might and main, faught with trees and crags and hundreds of blocks of buildings. And those councillors of the lord of Rakshasas, assailed with every kind of weapons, with their persons bathed in blood, faught fiercely. And O large-armed one the exalted councillors of Yama and Ravana sore assailed each other with arms. And leaving the councillors alone the highly powerful warriors of Yama rushed against Dashanana* with a shower of spears. And then pierced through and through by those weapons, with his person covered with blood, the Rakshasa king appeared like a flowering Kinshuka in Pushpaka.† And thereat that powerful one, by virtue of his mastery over weapons, began to hurl darts and maces, Prashas and spears and tomaras and crags and trees. And that terrific shower of trees, rocks and arms, alighted on the army of Yama (fighting) on the earth. And snapping those weapons and resisting (those vollies of) arms, they smote at the Rakshasa fighting alone by hundreds and thousands. And encompassing him even as clouds encompass mountain, they rendered (Ravana) inert by means of Bhindipalas and darts. And with his mail torn open, his anger raging fiercely, and covered with blood streaming over his person, he, forsaking his car, stood upon the ground. And then furnished with his bow and holding his shafts, (Ravana) regaining his senses in short time, increased in energy and stood in the field like the finisher. And now fixing the divine Pashupata on his bow, and saying unto them, ‘slay slay !” he drew that bow. And enraged, (Ravana) resembling Rudra himself, in fight drawing his bow to his car, discharged that shaft even as Sankara had discharged at Tripura. And the appearance of the shaft was like an extinguishing fire in summer with smoke with flames, burning up forest. And garlanded with glory that shaft followed by ghosts,* in that encounter; rushed on, burning to ashes the loose bushes and trees lying in its way. And burnt up by its energy, the most of Vaivaswata fell down in the field like unto banners of Mahendra. And thereat the Rakshasa of terrific prowess along with his councillors began to set up tremendous shouts; as if making the earth tremble.
* The original has: “Doth not virtue wane.” This in English would imply the very reverse what Narada intends to say. He says: “Doth religion deterio rate?’—i.e. “I hope, religion doth not deteriorate. This is an idiom and natural usage accounts for it, although that usage must in the nature of things be based on subtle ground of reason. —T.
* Ravana.
† This simile is peculiarly appropriate and beautiful. Pushpaka, the name of Ravana’s car, means composed of flowers; and this signification shining askance, as it were, over the direct sense of the sentence, heightens the delight the reader feels on imaginging the principal figure. “Ravana seated in Pushpaka, covered with blood, looked like blossoming KinShuka.’-T.
* The instrument being Shiva’s, it naturally was followed by ghosts, as his attendants. —T.
Hearing his mighty shouts, that lord Vaivaswata knew that his adversary had gained the day and that his own host had been destroyed. And knowing that his forces had been slain, he, with his eyes crimsoned with passion hastily spoke unto his charioteer, ‘Bring thou my car. And there at the charioteer brought the noble and mighty car and stood (there) and then that exceeding energetic one mounted the car. And in front (of his car) stood death, equipped with prashas and maces in his hands, who makes nothing of this entire triune world; incapable of deterioration. And beside (him) was the rod of Time in its native from—the divine instrument of Yama like unto a flaming fire on account of its own energy. And then on beholding Time, infuriated, tending to strike terror into all creatures, was agitated the triune universe, and trembling over took the denizons of heaven. And the charioteer urged on the steeds possessed of graceful splendour; and arrived where the lord of Rakshasas was posted. And in moment those horses like unto thought (in celerity,) and resembling the steeds themselves of Hari, took Yama where the warfare had already begun. And seeing the frightful car in that aspect with Death present in it, the ministers of the Rakshasa monarch at once took to their heels. And in consequence of their being comparatively inferior in point of strength they were deprived of their senses, and afflicted with fear; and saying, ‘Here we are not equal to fighting they went their way. But seeing that car capable of striking terror into folks, the Ten-necked did not experience any agitation, nor did fear enter his heart. And approaching Ravana, Yama, enraged, discharged spears and tomaras, and began to pierce Ravana’s marrow. But Ravana, without at all feeling any smart, began to shower arrows on Vaivaswata’s vehicle, resembling a downpour caused by clouds. And again at his spacious breast, that Rakshasa who had undergone slender injury, could not resist, (Yama’s arms) with hundreds of mighty darts hurled. And in this way that destroyer of foes—Yama fought for seven nights with various arms; until at length his enemy was driven back and deprived of his senses. And then, O hero, there took place mighty onset between Yama and the Rakshasa both eager for victory and both never tiring of fight. And celestials and Gandharvas and Siddhas, and the supreme saints, placing Prajapati at their head, presented themselves at the fight. And the encounter that then took place between that foremost of of Rakshasas and the lord of the Dead was like the universal upheaval. And stretching his bow resembling in spleandour the thunderbolt of Indra, he discharged arrows covering up the sky. And he smote Death with four, the (Yama’s) charioteer with seven, and swiftly struck Yama in the marrow with hundreds and thousands of shafts. And then from forth Yama’s mouth there issued darted flames with his teeth mixed with smoke, the fire of his fury. And witnessing this wonder in the presence of the deities and Danavas, both Death and Time were fired with wrath and were filled with delight. And the Death, growing still more wroth, addressed Vaivaswata saying; — “Let me go. I shall slay this sinful Rakshasa. Even this is my native might this Rakshasa will be no more. Hiranyakashipu, the gracaful Nemuchi, and Shamvara, Nishandi and Dhumketu and Virochana’s offspring Vali, and the Daitya Shamvu that mighty monarchs, Vritra and Bana; and Rajarshis versed in all branches of learnings and Grandharvas, and mighty serpents, and sages, and Pannagas and Yakshas, and swarms of Apsaras and the Earth herself containing vasty oceans and mountains and rivers and trees, at the unrolling of a Yuga—all these, O mighty monarch have I brought to dissolution. All these and many more endowed with strength and incapable of being overcome, were at the very sight of me compassed with peril, — and what is this ranger of the night? Let me go. O thou cognizant of righteousness, —I shall slay this one. There is none that, albeit strong, can survive after having been seen by me. Verily this is not mine strength, -this might pertaineth to me by nature. O Time, if seen by me, he won’t live for moment.’ Hearing these words of his, the puissant king of righteousness spake there unto death, -’Do thou stay. myself shall slay him. Then with his eyes reddened that lord, Vaivaswata, wielded with his hand the infallible dart of time; while by him lay the redoubtable noose of time and the mace in its native shape resembling fire and the thunderbolt. He, who by his very sight draweth away the lives of creatures, —what should be said of its touching and being hurled at people? And touched by that powerful one, that mighty weapon, engist with flames, attained access of energy, and seemed to consume the Rakshasa. And in the field of battle, every one afflicted with fear, ran away from it. And beholding Yama with his rod uplifted, the celestials were agitated. And on Yama being desirous of slaying Ravana, the great-father manifesting himself spake unto Yama: ‘O Vaivaswata, O mighty-armed one, O thou of immeasurable prowess, this certainly must not be. Thou shouldst not with thy rod slay the night-ranger; for, O foremost of celestials, I have conferred boon on him; and thou shouldst not render false the words that I have uttered. Verily he, that, whether a god or a human being, shall falsify my words, shall render this triune universe false. There is no doubt about this. If this terrific weapon, capable of affrighting the three spheres, be discharged alike at friends and foes, it will destroy creatures. This rod of time, of immeasurable might and incapable of being resisted by creatures, was created by me as having the power of compassing the death of all beings. Therefore, O mild one, thou forosooth shouldst not bring it down on Ravana’s head. If this alights on any one, he doth not live for moment. Whether on this weapon allighting, the ten-necked does not die, or if he does do either way falsehood is the consequence. Therefore, do thou keep thy uplifted weapon off Lanka’s lord. If thou have any care for these worlds do thou establish my truth. Thus addressed, Yama then ansewred, ‘I rastrain this rod. Thou art our Lord. But as I can not slay this one who hath obtained a boon, what then shall I do now in the field? Therefore, shall I disappear from the sight of this Raksha. Having said this, even there did he vanish with his car and horses. And having vanquished him and distinguished his name, he again ascended his Pushpaka and went out of the abode of Yama. And with a delighted heart Vaivaswata along with the deities headed by Brahma—as well as that mighty ascetic-Narada, went to the celestial regions.”