YUDDHA KANDAM

The Yuddha Kandam describes the battle in Lanka between the monkey and the demon armies of Rama and Ravana, respectively in which Ravana is defeated. It is also known as the book of War or the Lanka Kandam.

Ravana got infuriated. He ordered four mighty ogres to catch and kill that insolent monkey. Angada allowed himself to be caught. With all the four demons cinging on to him, he shot up in the sky like a rocket. High up in the air he gave a violent shake thereby severing all the four ogres from his body. As they were falling down headlong, Angada gave each a kick which made them fall dead in the palace courtyard in the sight of Ravana. The envoy did one thing more. With another kick he left asunder the tower of the council chamber in which the king and the ministers were assembled. Then he returned triumphant to Rama. The monkeys shouted for joy. Ravana was informed that the monkeys had surrounded Lanka leaving no space for movement. Angrily he went up the palace tower and surveyed the vast army. The monkeys were all armed with boulders and uprooted trees. Orders were immediately given to a huge Rakshasa army to go and crush the entire Vanara forces. Beating the drums and blowing the trumpets the furious army charged forth violently. The monkeys threw boulders as if they were mere pebbles. They handled huge trees as if they were quarterstaffs and thrashed the demons mercilessly. They used their nails, fists and teeth. The battle was terrible to behold.

Thousands fell dead on either side. The field was coated with blood and strewn with mangled bodies. It was a gruesome engagement. Still valor alone was in evidence on either side. Independent of this conflagration there were several mighty duels between eminent warriors. Angada fought with Indrajit, Hanuman with Jambumali and Lakshmana with Virupaksha. Marvellous was the skill they displayed. The chariots of the enemies were smashed one after another. Rama was the one individual who wiped out thousands with his arrow.All day long the terrible battle raged and casualties on either side were immeasurable. Night came and still there were no respite to the deadly fight. Unable to distinguish in the pitch darkness between comrade and foe one enquired who the other was and dealt with accordingly. Horses and elephants employed by the demons were pierced to death by the monkeys with tooth and nail. The chariots were all broken to pieces. The gold ornaments worn by the ogres made them look like fire flies in darkness. The vanaras could easily mark them out and squeeze them to death. The valiant Angada could defeat Indrajit, the invincible. The monkeys roared for joy because of that victory. But Indrajit suddenly became invisible. He owned many mystic powers unknown to the others. Remaining concealed he rained arrows on Rama and Lakshmana. They could only defend themselves but could not attack the imperceptible enemy.


Finally Indrajit employed Naga astra the mystic serpent weapons and bound the two valiant brothers powerless to move. They lay on the ground as if dead. Following this tragedy the morale of the monkeys sank. There was depression in the rank and file. Indrajit returned triumphantly to his father and reported that he had killed Rama and Lakshmana. Ravana was beside himself with joy because his plot had succeeded. He warmly embraced his son and congratulated him. His immediate plan was to win over Sita. So he ordered the demonesses to convey Sita in the aerial car Pushpaka to the battle field and show her the fate of her husband on whose prowess she boasted and relied so much. Seeing the two brothers lying motionless on the ground Sita burst out in wail, "I sustained life for the sake of Rama; but I am fated to see him fallen. The expert astrological prediction was that I would beget sons and that I would not be widowed. That statement is belied. The rishis extolled my Lord as the invincible. The holy men's pronouncement is belied. Now I must complete this tragedy by putting an end to my wretched existence. At this stage the accompanying Trijata, the good demoness intervened, "Instinctively I feel that this gloomy spectacle is only a passing phase. You practiced patience so long. Please persist in it little more. You will see change of events for the better." So she said and infused courage to Sita.

Sugreeva got completely upset seeing the plight of the two brothers. Fear and confusion overtook him. But Vibheeshana goaded him on to calmness and to the discharge of duty even in adverse circumstances. He pointed out that the brothers were not dead. They were merely under the spell of a mystic charm. They would soon recover. The monkeys therefore kept vigilant watch over the brothers prostrate and apparently lifeless. Rama woke up, the duration of his enchantment being over. By sheer will he set right his wounded body as best as he could. Then seeing the plight of Lakshmana he burst into woe, "Bereft of my peerless brother, life is a burden to me. I shall forthwith repay him by joining him in the other world. Only my pledge to Vibheeshana fails to be fulfilled. Sugreeva has more than repaid me. He need not sacrifice his men any further. With Lakshmana life is purposeless to me. I shall perish." At this stage Vibheeshana arrived on the spot to study the developments. Seeing the sorry situation in which the king makers were placed he feared that the scheme to redress Lanka would not hatch. The monkeys in their turn ran pell mell mistaking the new comer for Indrajit, the terrible.Now Sugreeva calmly coped with the confused state of affairs. First of all he rallied the monkeys explaining to them that the new arrival is that of Vibheeshana the ally and not that of Indrajit the foe. He assured the ally that he would vanquish the villain and place him instead on the throne of Lanka. Sugreeva then directed Susena his father-in-law to convey Rama and Lakshmana to Kishkindha and have them treated back to normal condition.

In the meanwhile Sugreeva would kill Ravana and return rescuing Sita for Rama. But Susena suggested he knew of two herbs Sanjivakarani and Visalya on the mount Chandra in the ocean of milk. Those herbs would restore life and cure wounds instantly. Hanuman was commissioned to carry that mount to the spot. Luckily Garuda rushed to the scene just then. The Nega astra or the mystic serpent weapons became ineffective in the presence of Garuda the vehicle of Vishnu. The brothers were released and made whole. They became fit for war. Ravana had it proclaimed with tomtom in the streets of Lanka that Rama and Lakshmana were slain by Indrajit. Hearing it the rakshasas shouted for joy. Not following in its wake there was a counter shouting for joy in Sugreeva's cantonment causing surprise to Ravana. He ordered an immediate enquiry into it. The report came that both Rama and Lakshmana were freed from the fetters of Indrajit's naga astra and that they were like wild elephants leading the army. The lord of Lanka was both ashamed and annoyed. For, it was no easy matter for anyone to escape from Indrajit's serpent shackles. The care free king of Lanka now became somewhat care laden. Dhumraksha a valiant commander was ordered by the rakshasa king to march with the required army and kill Rama. The commander felt honoured and was called first to duty. He arrayed a huge army and charged on the monkey forces with all sorts of deadly weapons. The monkeys in return hurled huge rocks and trees on the demons. Loss of lives was immense on either side. The encounter between Dhumraksha and Hanuman was terrible to behold.

The mighty Hanuman flung a huge rock on the demon and crushed him to death. The remnant of his army ran in dismay into Lanka. The infuriated rakshasa king next issued orders to Vajradamshtra the valiant to lead without delay a mighty army and do away with the wicked enemies. This warrior bowed inobedience before the king and allied with a huge well-equipped army to the southern gate and attacked Angada and his army. The batte then ensued was terrible to behold. The loss of lives on either side was incalculable. Angada's ultimate hand to hand fight with Vajradamshtra was long and gallant. The demon was done to death in the end. His remaining forces fled in confusion into the city. The vanara forces gathered round Angada and yelled for the joy. Command came next to the unassailable Akampana, the commander- in-chief to annihilate the enemy forces. Unshakable is the literal meaning of the word Akampana. It was this Akampana who brought the news to Ravana of the total annihilation of the Jansthan in the Dandaka forest. Marshalling a huge and well -equipped army he moved on his great chariot to the battle field. The thrust he made was terrific to look at. The encounter that followed between the two forces was appalling. In the thick cloud of dust raised in the field no distinction could be made between friend and foe. It so happened that now and then a monkey fought against another monkey and a rakshasa fought against another rakshasa.