The Story of Rama's Incarnation

King Parikshit bowed his head and said, “I have a question, Acharyadev. In this world, however many times Shri Hari has taken birth before, he has never loved anyone like Prahlad. Tell me, what special quality did Prahlad have?”

The sage replied gently, “Great King, it was selfless devotion. That means devotion with no desire hidden inside it. Prahlad asked nothing from the Lord. But Shri Hari is full of love for his devotees. He does not turn away a devotee’s prayer. If someone truly prays from the heart, he also fulfills that wish, Maharaj. Manu and Shatarupa were able to bind the Lord by single-minded prayer.”

Parikshit’s eyes widened. “They bound the Lord? How could that be possible, holy sage? What a wonderful thing you have told me!”

“Yes, Maharaj,” said the sage. “I am speaking the truth. Manu was the son of Brahma. Because he was the first human in creation, his name was Manu. Manu’s wife, Shatarupa, was the first woman created by Brahma. Both Manu and Shatarupa were ascetics. They performed penance until they became old and weak.”

The king listened closely as the sage continued.

“Once, when they had grown old, Manu and Shatarupa undertook a very severe penance. Standing on one foot, with both hands raised toward the sky, they worshipped Lord Vishnu. Pleased by that hard penance, the Lord himself appeared before them and said, ‘I am pleased by your penance. Whatever exists in all creation, I wish to give it to you. Manu, what do you and Shatarupa want from me? Speak, children. I will fulfill your prayer.’”

Manu and Shatarupa folded their hands and answered, “To see you is the greatest gift for us. We have seen you with our own eyes. What more could we ask for, Lord? We have received everything. We are blessed, Master. Blessed indeed.”

But the Lord smiled and said, “There is surely some hidden wish in your heart, Manu. Speak. Do not hesitate. Tell me that wish.”

Manu bowed lower and said, “Lord, you know everything in the heart. You know what is in our minds. But we are not worthy enough to place such a prayer before the Supreme Lord, Master.”

Again the Lord said, “Speak, Manu. Do not feel shy. Tell me what you want. I wish to give you everything, Manu. Speak. Do not hesitate.”

Then, trembling with humility, Manu said, “Then say, O merciful Shri Hari, if you are truly pleased with us, then... then we wish to gain the fortune of becoming your father and mother, Lord. We want you yourself to become our child.”

The Lord answered, “So it shall be, Manu. In the Treta age, I will come to earth as the child of you and Shatarupa.”

At once they bowed down and cried, “O wish-fulfilling, beautiful Lord Shri Hari, we bow to you. Lord, you have shown so much kindness even to the unworthy like us. We are blessed, Lord. Blessed indeed.”

Parikshit sighed in wonder. “Ah, what great fortune they had, holy sage. Can any human have such a fate? Can the Lord himself come into a human home?”

The sage said, “Ordinary people truly cannot have such fortune, O King. But Dasharatha and Kaushalya of the Treta age were not ordinary man and woman. Manu, the human son of Brahma, was born again as King Dasharatha of the Raghu line. And his chief queen Kaushalya was that blessed Shatarupa, favored by Shri Hari. The Lord himself came as their son. His name was Ramachandra. He is called Maryada Purushottam.”

Parikshit asked, “Why is he called Maryada Purushottam, holy sage?”

The sage replied, “He was full of great power. If he wished, he could do anything. Yet he never crossed even one rule of dharma. He followed every rule. That is why he is called Maryada Purushottam. Narayan himself came into Dasharatha’s house. Along with him came three more parts of himself.”

“Who were they, Lord?” asked the king.

“They were Lakshman, Bharat, and Shatrughna, Dasharatha’s other three sons. On the bank of the Sarayu river, Narayan himself came into the Raghu line. In this way, the promise given to Manu and Shatarupa was fulfilled.”

Parikshit folded his hands. “Please tell me about Lord Ramachandra, holy sage. My mind is eager to hear about that jewel of the Raghu line, Lord.”

The sage smiled. “For a long time, great sages have described Shri Ram. Even then, his story can never be fully told, O King. God is endless, and his stories are endless too. Even Parashuram, who destroyed the Kshatriyas from the earth twenty-one times, had his pride broken by Shri Ramachandra.”

Parikshit asked at once, “If Parashuram too was an avatar, then how was he defeated by Shri Ram, Acharyadev?”

The sage began.

“Ramachandra, the eldest son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, went to Janakpur. King Janak of Mithila had arranged the swayamvar of his daughter Sita, also called Janaki. For his daughter’s marriage, Janak had set a strange condition. There was a bow there given by Lord Mahadev himself. The condition was that whoever could lift that bow and string it would win Sita.”

Parikshit said, “Would simply stringing it be such an impossible thing? What was so special about that bow?”

“That bow was huge and as heavy as a mountain, O King,” said the sage. “Nearly three hundred servants had brought that bow together. So you can understand that no one person could even lift it. Then to string that bow was almost impossible to imagine. Is that not so? But Ramachandra made the impossible possible. He lifted that bow with ease and pulled it with such force that it broke into two pieces at once.”

Parikshit asked softly, “Such a great test for Lady Sita. Who was she, holy sage?”

The sage answered, “Her outer identity was that she was King Janak’s daughter. But deep within, she had another great form. Lakshmi of Vaikuntha herself had come as Sita. Narayan had come as Ram. So his Shakti had to come too. In the swayamvar hall of Janakpur, Narayan himself accepted his own divine power.”

“On the way back to the kingdom after marrying Sita,” the sage said, “Parashuram stood in Ram’s path. He challenged Ramachandra to battle.”

Parikshit asked, “What was the source of Parashuram’s great power, Lord? By what strength did he challenge Ramachandra?”

“He possessed divine weapons,” the sage replied. “Parashuram had a divine axe. The whole earth trembled in fear of that axe. He also had Vishnu’s bow. In ancient times, Vishwakarma had made two greatest bows. One was Haradhanush, which belonged to Shiva. That was the bow Ramachandra broke before marrying Sita. And Vishwakarma’s second bow was the Vaishnava bow. That dear bow of Shri Vishnu was in the hands of Parashuram. To crush his pride, Ramachandra broke that Vaishnava bow as well.”

“And then?” asked Parikshit. “What happened then, holy sage?”

“Parashuram accepted Ramachandra as an avatar of Vishnu. Bowing to him, he went away to Mount Mahendra. Ramachandra then lived happily in Ayodhya with Lady Sita.”

The sage paused, then his voice grew deep.

“But if he stayed only in Ayodhya, then the true purpose of his coming would fail. So Maya Devi now began to show her play.”

“When the time of Shri Ram’s coronation came near,” said the sage, “a terrible trouble happened in Ayodhya. Dasharatha had a queen named Kaikeyi. She was the youngest among the queens. So the old king loved her a little more. Now Kaikeyi made an unjust request to Dasharatha. Under the bad advice of her maid Manthara, she asked for Ramachandra’s exile to the forest for fourteen years and the throne for her son Bharat.”

Parikshit listened in sorrow.

“Dasharatha had already promised that he would fulfill Kaikeyi’s wishes,” the sage continued. “Now he was helpless. Even after many efforts, Kaikeyi did not change her mind. Dasharatha became restless with sorrow and grief. On the other side, Ramachandra took upon himself the duty of protecting his father’s truth and left for the forest. Sita and Lakshman went with him. Pleading, requests, cries of grief—nothing could stop him.”

Parikshit then asked, “Please now tell me, holy sage, where Narayan’s two gatekeepers, Jaya and Vijaya, were born in this Ram avatar.”

The sage answered, “In the Treta age, in the Ram avatar, Jaya and Vijaya were born as Ravan and Kumbhakarna. Ravan was the demon king of Lanka. There was no limit to his strength and courage. It was this demon king Ravan who kidnapped Sita, who was Lakshmi herself, and took her to his palace in Lanka.”

The king said, “Lady Sita was no ordinary woman. She was the divine power of Vaikuntha itself. How did Ravan get the power to kidnap her? I am very curious to hear that. Please satisfy my curiosity, Brahmarshi.”

The sage said, “Ravan’s father was the sage Vishrava. His mother’s name was Kaikeshi. But she was better known as Nikasha. Nikasha was a princess of the demons. Her father was the demon king Sumali. At the time of her marriage, no man pleased him. Sumali waited for such a man whose qualities and greatness had no equal in the three worlds.”

“One day, while seeking a husband of her own choice, Nikasha found the sage Vishrava. Vishrava was the grandson of the great sage Pulastya. Among sages, he was the greatest in power and energy. Sumali understood that if his daughter married this sage, then the child born in that line would be feared even by the gods. The demon king Sumali had thought rightly.”

“The children of Vishrava and Nikasha were Ravan, Kumbhakarna, and Vibhishan. Ravan’s beloved sister was named Surpanakha. Because of his ten heads, Ravan was also called Dashanan.”

Parikshit said, “What a strange thing you have told me, Acharyadev. How did Ravan, the son of a sage, become such a terrible demon?”

The sage replied, “Among Ravan, Kumbhakarna, and Surpanakha, the demonic nature was strongest. But Ravan was equal to a Brahmin in knowledge, learning, wisdom, penance. Yet his greed to become the greatest king in the world turned him into a demon.”

“For ten thousand years Ravan performed penance for Brahma. Pleased by his hard penance, one day Brahma himself came before him and said, ‘I am pleased by your penance, child. What do you want? Tell me. I will fulfill your prayer.’”

Ravan bowed and said, “O Lord, I bow to you. If I have pleased you, then grant me this boon, that no god, demon, giant, or asura may defeat me. Let my death not come at the hands of any of them.”

Brahma said, “So be it. What you ask shall happen.”

“After receiving this boon from Brahma,” said the sage, “Ravan began to think of himself as the greatest hero of heaven, earth, and the underworld. The mighty Ravan was a devotee of Mahadev, the god of gods. He even wished to carry Mount Kailash itself to Lanka. Mahadev himself gave him a boon that he would stay in Lanka with Ravan.”

“Strong with the boons of Brahma and Shiva, Ravan’s cruelty now began. The gods began to tremble in fear of his oppression. There was crying and distress in heaven and on earth. Then in fear for their lives, the gods remembered Narayan.”

The sage spoke as though repeating their prayer.

“‘O Lord, protect us. Our divine glory is being destroyed, Lord. Ravan, the king of Lanka, is trying to drive us out of heaven, Lord. Common people on earth, sages, rishis, even Brahmins are being destroyed by Ravan’s cruelty, Lord. Dharma is being ruined on earth, Lord. Protect us. There is no one on this earth who can defeat Ravan. By the boon of Prajapati Brahma, Ravan is now unconquerable. No god, demon, or yaksha can kill him, Lord. Do something, O Lord. Protect this creation. Who but you can save it? Destroy Ravan, Lord.’”

Then Narayan answered them, “‘O gods, do not be afraid. No harm will come to heaven, earth, or the underworld. Be at peace. I will take human form and descend to earth. By my own hand the sinful Ravan will die.’”

Parikshit asked, “Why did Narayan come in human form to kill Ravan, holy sage? If even the gods could not kill that demon, how could a human destroy him?”

The sage said, “This was Ravan’s mistake. In his great pride he thought that if gods and demons could not kill him, then how could a human have such power? That is why, when asking for the boon from Brahma, Ravan did not mention humans. So Narayan came as Ramachandra to kill Ravan. This Ramachandra was the first complete human avatar.”

Parikshit said, “O holy sage, please tell me the mystery of Kumbhakarna. What boon did Brahma give him?”

The sage replied, “Ravan, Kumbhakarna, and Vibhishan arranged a great sacrifice. If that sacrifice succeeded, the one who performed it would become immortal. But the gods could not allow that. So they took shelter in illusion.”

“I have already told you about Ravan. But the strange thing was that Indra, king of the gods, was more worried about Kumbhakarna than about Ravan. Kumbhakarna’s strength, wisdom, knowledge, and judgment were much greater than Ravan’s. Indra knew what Kumbhakarna might ask from Prajapati Brahma if the sacrifice succeeded. So before that, Indra went to Goddess Saraswati and prayed, ‘O goddess of speech, wise Saraswati, please sit upon Kumbhakarna’s tongue, Mother. Destroy the prayer he wants to make, Mother.’”

Saraswati answered, “‘So be it. I will do that, O king of gods. Do not worry. Kumbhakarna’s wish will never be fulfilled.’”

“Hearing Indra’s prayer,” said the sage, “Goddess Saraswati confused Kumbhakarna’s mind. Kumbhakarna wished to ask Prajapati Brahma for Indra’s throne. But when Goddess Saraswati clouded his mind, Kumbhakarna said before Brahma, ‘O Lord, please grant me the boon of sleep. Let me sleep in comfort.’”

Brahma said, “‘So be it. You shall get what you ask, Kumbhakarna.’”

At once Ravan protested, “‘No, Lord, no. Kumbhakarna can never ask for sleep. He wants Indra’s throne, the seat of Indra. Do not give him that boon, Lord.’”

But Brahma said, “‘You yourself heard Kumbhakarna’s prayer, child. The boon I have given cannot be changed. It can never fail. Kumbhakarna will receive the boon of sleep.’”

Ravan pleaded again, “‘Show mercy, Lord. This must be some trick of Indra. He fears Kumbhakarna. He has done this to make him helpless. Please, please have mercy, Lord. Do not let this wrong happen to my brother, Lord.’”

Brahma answered, “‘There is nothing I can do. Ravan, my word can never be false. I have given Kumbhakarna the boon of sleep. Other than sleep, he will receive nothing else.’”

Then Kumbhakarna himself spoke. “‘Lord, if you have given me the boon of sleep, then hear one more prayer, Lord. Please bless me so that I may sleep for six months and stay awake for six months.’”

Brahma said, “‘So be it. This prayer of yours will be fulfilled, Kumbhakarna.’”

The sage then said, “This Ravan and Kumbhakarna were the two gatekeepers of Vaikuntha, Jaya and Vijaya. To kill them, Narayan himself came as Ramachandra. And it was for killing Ravan that he left the royal palace of Ayodhya and went into exile. With him went Lakshmi in the form of Sita and Lakshman, the avatar of the sage among men.”

Parikshit asked, “Did Ravan kidnap Lady Sita only to call Ramachandra into battle?”

The sage said, “Ravan’s sister Surpanakha saw Ramachandra in the forest. The demoness Surpanakha knew magical arts. Seeing such a divinely handsome man as Ramachandra, she became deeply enchanted. Taking the form of a beautiful woman, she went to Shri Ram and said, ‘O man, who are you? I have never seen anyone as handsome as you. Your beauty has enchanted me.’”

Ram replied, “‘Perhaps you have come to the wrong place, lady.’”

But she said, “‘No, prince, not the wrong place. I came only after seeing you. My friends say that in beauty and qualities I am like the apsaras. I offer this beauty to you alone. Marry me. Please marry me. Whether you are a god, a yaksha, or a gandharva, I wish to gain you and be blessed.’”

Ram said calmly, “‘Lady, I am Ram, prince of the Raghu line. I am the son of King Dasharatha. To keep my father’s word, I have chosen the life of a forest-dweller. O lady, I cannot fulfill your wish. Sita, princess of Mithila, is my wife. I cannot even dream of another woman. Forgive me.’”

“Rejected by Ram,” said the sage, “Surpanakha then went to Lakshman.”

She said, “‘O forest-dweller, among women I am the greatest. Among men you are equal to the god of love. Seeing you, I have become filled with desire. I want to marry you. Accept me.’”

Lakshman replied sharply, “‘With Ramachandra, lord of the Raghu line, and Lady Sita, the image of purity, I am living in celibacy. I have given up the luxury of the palace and am living the life of the forest. And you, unlucky woman, have come to tempt me. Do you know the sin of breaking the vow of one who keeps a sacred vow?’”

Surpanakha said, “‘Hmm, it is not good for you to ignore me, prince. If I am pleased, I can make you king of the three worlds. Do you know that?’”

Lakshman’s eyes flashed. “‘You sinner, so you are trying to tempt me onto a wrong path! You are very proud of your beauty, are you not? Then I shall destroy that very beauty. See now, with the stroke of my sword I will ruin your enchanting form.’”

“With the blow of Lakshman’s sword,” the sage said, “Surpanakha’s nose was cut off. From behind her enchanting form came out her ugly demon shape, and screaming loudly, she ran away.”

“Many demons named Khara, Dushan, and Trishira attacked Ram and Lakshman to take revenge for Surpanakha’s insult. But before Ram’s great strength, none of them survived. Ramachandra alone destroyed the demon army.”

“And all of Surpanakha’s anger then fell upon Lady Sita. It was because of her that Ram had refused her. Hidden from sight, Surpanakha had seen Sita’s endless beauty. Seeing that unmatched beauty, great jealousy was born in her heart. With her ruined face, she went to the royal palace in Lanka and told Ravan in detail about the cruelty of Ram and Lakshman. She also spoke of Lady Sita’s wonderful beauty.”

“Hearing of Sita’s beauty, Ravan went mad. He had to possess Sita. But first he had to destroy Ramachandra. Taking his trusted servant Marich with him in the Pushpak chariot, Ravan then set out toward the forest. He did not listen to any warning from his chief queen Mandodari.”

“By Ravan’s command, the magical Marich took the form of a wonderful golden deer and wandered before Ram’s hut, then disappeared behind the trees.”

“Seeing that deer,” the sage said, “Sita was filled with wonder. Joyfully she said to Ram, ‘Look, Lord. Look at that deer. Never before have I seen such a wonderful golden deer. Please bring that deer to me. I beg you, Lord.’”

“Taking bow and arrows, Ramachandra chased after the golden deer. Seeing Ram, Marich in the deer form ran far away. Ramachandra ran after him. Deep in the forest, Ram killed that magical deer. But before dying, that magical Marich copied Ram’s voice and cried out, ‘Lakshman, Lakshman, Lakshman! Save me, save me, Lakshman!’”

Sita grew terrified. “‘Do you hear? Why is Raghupati calling you like this? Surely he has fallen into danger. Go, Lakshman, go at once. Save him from danger and bring him back.’”

Lakshman bowed and said, “‘Please be calm, lady. Do not be afraid. No danger can happen to Shri Ram. This must surely be some magical trick of someone. It was done only to make you anxious. Do not be troubled, lady. I will not go anywhere leaving you alone.’”

But Sita said, “‘No, Lakshman, go at once. This is my order. Do not think about me. Free him from danger, Lakshman.’”

Lakshman answered, “‘Your command is sacred to me, lady. I am going. But before leaving, I have drawn a line before this hut with my bow. If you stay within this line, no danger will touch you. Do not forget these words of mine, lady. I go to bring back Shri Ram. My respects.’”

Sita said, “‘Be victorious, Lakshman.’”

Soon after, a voice came from outside the hut.

“‘Will you give a handful of alms to a beggar, Mother? God, God will bless you.’”

Sita thought in surprise, “A beggar? I have never seen a beggar speak like that.”

Again the voice said, “‘I have come from very far, Mother. I got no alms anywhere. I have come to you. You are like Mother Lakshmi herself. Will you, will you give me something to eat, Mother?’”

Sita said, “‘Here, take this. Whatever was in my hut, I have given it all to you.’”

But the false beggar replied, “‘What is this, Mother? You are giving alms from so far away, as if with neglect. Do you not know that God lives among the poor? Fine, Mother, fine. I will not take something given with disrespect. I am going. I will see somewhere else if I can find anything to eat.’”

At once Sita became troubled. “Alas, what have I done! I showed disrespect to a poor beggar. No, no, I should have crossed the line and gone before him to give it. Surely giving alms to a beggar cannot be a danger. Wait, wait, do not go. I am coming before you to give alms.”

The beggar said sweetly, “‘Accept my respect, Mother Lakshmi. Come out, come out. Put the alms in this bag, Mother.’”

Sita stepped forward. “‘Take it, son. Eat well.’”

Then the beggar’s voice changed.

“‘Who are you? Come, now get into my Pushpak chariot at once. I am Ravana, lord of Lanka. There is no one on this earth who can stop me. Get in.’”

The sage continued, “Crossing the line drawn by Lakshman, Sita came to give alms to Ravana disguised as a beggar. And in that chance he forced her into the Pushpak chariot and flew through the sky toward Lanka.”

“When the old bird Jatayu came to stop him, Ravana cut off his wings after a fierce battle. The mighty Jatayu fell to the ground like one helpless and cried out in pain.”

Parikshit asked, “And then? What happened after that, holy sage?”

“When Ramachandra returned to the hut and did not see Sita, he became deeply worried,” said the sage. “Taking Lakshman with him, he began to search through the forests.”

“While searching, Ram and Lakshman saw the very weak, wingless, old Jatayu and ran to him. Perhaps only a little life still remained in Jatayu. In a faint voice he told Ramachandra everything about Ravana. He also said that Sita had dropped the ornaments from her body to show the path. Ram heard that too.”

“Then, while repeating Ram’s name, Jatayu gave up his life. Placing his hand on the head of that most loving and heroic devotee, Ramachandra cried aloud in grief. By serving the Lord, Jatayu was freed from all bondage of action. Lord Ramachandra himself performed his funeral rites. After that, suffering from the pain of separation from Sita, he began to weep bitterly.”

Ram cried, “‘Alas, Lakshman, how will I live without Sita? I will not keep this life any longer. I will give up my life now. Lakshman, what shall I do with a life that has no Sita in it?’”

Lakshman bowed and said, “‘Give me your command, Lord. If you command me, I will destroy Lanka and bring back Lady Sita. But I cannot bear to see your grief like this.’”

Ram answered, “‘We are forest-dwellers. We have neither needed weapons nor soldiers with us, Lakshman. Lanka is a very powerful kingdom. How, how shall we rescue Sita from there?’”

Parikshit asked, “If Ramachandra wished, he could have taken help from the army of Ayodhya. Why did he not do that?”

The sage said, “He had left Ayodhya to keep his father’s word. For fourteen years he would have no relation with that kingdom. Then how could he take help from there?”

“Still, see, O King, Sugriva, Hanuman, Jambavan and the whole race of monkeys came to stand beside Lord Ram. Their armies too came forward to help the Lord. By killing the cruel monkey king Bali, Shri Ram gave the rule of the monkey kingdom to Sugriva. Out of gratitude to Ramachandra, the monkey king Sugriva then began preparations to conquer Lanka.”

Parikshit asked, “I am curious to know, holy sage, how Lord Ramachandra crossed the sea with all his followers.”

The sage replied, “Taking the monkey army with him, the Lord came to the shore of the sea. Shri Ram prayed to the sea god to make a path for him. But the sea god gave no answer at all. The very Supreme Brahman whom Shiva and Brahma worship, that Lord was being ignored by the sea god.”

“Burning with great anger, Ramachandra looked toward the sea. In the fire of that gaze, the creatures of the water cried out in fear. Trembling greatly in terror, the sea god then came to worship Ramachandra. Bowing to Shri Ram, he said, ‘O Infinite One, O Supreme Brahman, you are the lord of the world. O jewel of the Raghu line, kill Ravana, the destroyer of the world, and protect the earth, Lord. Rescue Lady Sita and bring her back. I will help you in every way. I am pleased with you.’”

Ram said, “‘Sea god, make a path for us to Lanka.’”

The sea god answered, “‘O lord of the Raghu line, Ramachandra, here I bow low before you. Cross over me without fear. Build a bridge upon the sea, Lord. I will not let it be destroyed. That great deed of yours will remain immortal through the ages.’”

“The sea god bent low and gave way. Lord Shri Ram then began the work of building a bridge over the sea by bringing many mountain peaks.”

“By the advice of Ravana’s brother Vibhishan, the monkey army entered Lanka with Ramachandra and Lakshman. Though born among demons, Vibhishan had a strong nature of goodness in him. In Ravana and Kumbhakarna, the influence of their mother Nikasha was much stronger. But Vibhishan was wise and devoted like his father Vishrava. That is why he could not accept Ravana’s wrong deed. He openly opposed Ravana. Ravana harshly attacked Vibhishan and drove him out of the kingdom. Then Vibhishan remembered Shri Ram. He knew that Ramachandra was an avatar. And Ram too had much affection for this loyal devotee.”

“At that time Kumbhakarna was in deep sleep,” the sage continued. “He did not even know that Ram had entered Lanka with the monkey army. Of course, even before Ram came, Lanka had already burned. After seeing Sita in Ashok grove, Hanuman had set fire throughout Lanka on his return. Only Ashok grove remained untouched.”

“Now the monkey army surrounded Lanka. They broke all the buildings into pieces. Like a herd of mad elephants that destroys everything, golden Lanka was in the same condition. All across Lanka they shouted loudly.”

“Seeing the condition of Lanka, the demon commanders began to prepare for battle. Kumbh, Nikumbh, Dhumraksha, Durmukh, Surantak, Atikaya and other demon leaders ordered their armies to get ready for war. By the command of Ravana, the king of Lanka, a terrible battle began. There were arrows, bows, swords, axes, spears and other weapons, but the demons had one more powerful weapon. That weapon was maya, illusion. Ravana’s son Meghnad was the most skilled in this weapon.”

Parikshit said, “Ramachandra is God himself. Illusion is nothing before him. What could the demons do before him with their magical arts, Lord?”

The sage answered, “Ramachandra did not go to Lanka as God, Maharaj. He had taken human form. That was his divine play. Crying in grief for Sita, crossing the sea by building a bridge, fighting with the demons, all this was his play, Maharaj. Shri Hari himself is full of divine play. When he plays as a human, then the Supreme Lord takes exactly the nature of a human. He had promised to kill Jaya and Vijaya with his own hands.”

Parikshit then asked, “Then tell me, holy sage, what role did Kumbhakarna play in this terrible war? Did sleep become his doom?”

The sage said, “When Ravana saw that the demon army was being destroyed without mercy by the monkey army, he ordered that Kumbhakarna be awakened. Great noise was made. Countless drums and war drums were beaten together. Elephants walked over Kumbhakarna’s huge body. Demons climbed upon his chest and stomach and danced wildly. After many such efforts, Kumbhakarna finally woke up.”

“But when he heard that Ravana had kidnapped Sita, he became very displeased. Shocked, Kumbhakarna cried out, ‘What a terrible wrong you have done! You have called great misfortune upon the kingdom. Under Ramachandra’s anger, Lanka and the whole demon race will be ruined, Maharaj. Return Lady Sita. Raghubir will at once leave with the monkey army. Then the demon race will survive.’”

Ravana answered bitterly, “‘So you also speak the same way, Kumbhakarna? Such weak words do not suit a hero like you. Are you too afraid of Ramachandra, like Vibhishan? You alone can destroy those monkey armies. Go, Kumbhakarna, go to war.’”

Kumbhakarna replied, “‘I am not afraid, Maharaj. Your order is final for me. I will go to war for your sake. But if this wrong had not been done, the demon race would have survived. O lord of Lanka, Ravana, will you now be able to stop the fall of your glory and your pride?’”

Parikshit said, “So not only Vibhishan, even Kumbhakarna knew Ramachandra’s power?”

“Yes,” said the sage. “He knew. Indra feared Kumbhakarna’s wisdom. Ravana’s wife Mandodari also told him many times to return Sita to Ram. But out of stubbornness, pride, and greed, Ravana listened to none of it.”

The king bowed and said, “How did Narayan, in the form of Ramachandra, free his two gatekeepers of Vaikuntha, Lord? Please tell me of the destruction of Kumbhakarna and Ravana, holy sage.”

“When the monkey army had almost destroyed the demon race,” the sage said, “Kumbhakarna came to fight. Seeing his huge giant body, fear spread among the monkeys. Many even died under the pressure of his feet. Sugriva was captured in Kumbhakarna’s hands.”

“Carrying away the king of the monkeys from the battlefield itself, he declared, ‘The king of the monkeys is my prisoner. Tell the monkey race to surrender now, Sugriva.’”

Sugriva answered, “‘No, never. My army will never bow before these sinful demons.’”

“No one was equal to Sugriva in skill in battle,” said the sage. “Using that skill, he freed himself from Kumbhakarna’s hands. Then the monkey army again threw itself into battle. But before that huge body, the fighting of the monkey army became almost like a children’s game.”

“Then Shri Ram himself entered the field again. With one arrow after another, he knocked all of Kumbhakarna’s weapons from his hands to the ground. Unarmed, Kumbhakarna moved forward for fist-fighting, using only his two hands. But Ramachandra’s sharp arrow came and tore through his chest. Kumbhakarna fell to the ground with his giant body. From within him, a light came out and merged into Ramachandra’s chest.”

“Hearing of Kumbhakarna’s death, Ravana became senseless,” the sage continued. “After Meghnad’s death, his last great support, Kumbhakarna, was also dead. Carrying deep sorrow in his heart, Ravana himself went to battle.”

“Earlier, even his attempt to frighten Ram by cutting off the head of an illusory Sita had failed. Now there was no path left except open battle. Like a burning ball of fire, Ravana rushed toward Ram.”

“Seeing Ravana, Ramachandra said in a bright and powerful voice, ‘Wicked Ravana, all your power will now be destroyed. You have carried away my wife. Such great pride! All your family lies upon this ground. Look, even your army has been destroyed. Still you do not learn. Now you will die by my hand.’”

Ravana answered, “‘When a human’s death comes near, he speaks such broken words. Let us now test who will kill whom, Ramachandra. Beware.’”

The sage said, “By the angry glance of Lady Sita, all of Ravana’s glory had already been burned away. And now he had rushed to kill Narayan himself. All his good sense too was destroyed. But with immense courage and strength, Ravana fought fiercely with Ramachandra.”

“This battle went on for eighteen days. Every time Ravana’s head was cut off by Ram’s arrows, another head grew again in its place. After such a terrible war of illusion, at last by the blow of Ramachandra’s Shakti weapon, Ravana fell to the ground, his heads severed, his arms cut off.”

“After freeing Jaya and Vijaya of Vaikuntha, who had become Ravana and Kumbhakarna, Lord Narayan returned to Ayodhya in the Pushpak chariot with Lady Sita, Lakshman, and his loyal army.”

Parikshit then asked, “Tell me, holy sage, is Maryada Purushottam Ramachandra called a complete avatar in the Bhagavata?”

The sage replied, “Yes, Maharaj. Shri Ram is a complete avatar. But the very source of all avatars, the one from whom avatars come, that eternal Supreme Person of truth, consciousness, and bliss, came in the Dwapar age. For the first time in creation, the full eternal Brahman himself descended. He is the dear friend of Arjuna, bearer of the Gandiva bow. Lord Shri Krishna.”

The sage’s face shone as he spoke.

“In him the endless glory of God was fully revealed. That is why he is called Lila Purushottam. His story is like nectar. That story alone will free you from the fear of death, Parikshit. Now the time has come for you to hear the story of Krishna, O King.”