Rama’s valour

Ravana refuses to listen to the wise counsel of Vibhishana to give up Sita. Vibhishana then crosses over to Rama’s side. Kamban, in his Tamil version of the Ramayana, describes how Ravana comes face to face with Rama and the huge monkey army, said R. Narayanan in a discourse. It is a disastrous day for Ravana. His bow is broken into two. His chariot is broken into pieces. His sword is shattered. Bereft of chariot and weapons, Ravana could so easily have been killed by Rama. But Rama adheres to the rules of warfare and will not kill an unarmed man. So He tells Ravana, “Go now, and come tomorrow.” But He warns Ravana that unless he returns Sita, his death is assured. Ravana does not utter a word in reply. He stands before Rama, his head bent in shame. But his shame does not come from fear that his enemies will mock him. He is afraid Sita will mock him. Will She not think that all his boasts about his prowess are false?

However, he is amazed at Rama’s valour and wonders how Rama remained so calm in the battlefield. It was almost as if Rama was not war at all, but was indulging in some game. So casual was His demeanour. Ravana tells Malyavan, his grandfather, that he has faced many enemies and many weapons, but he has seen nothing to equal Rama’s arrows. If Sita had been witness to Rama’s bravery on the battlefield, She would have had only contempt for Ravana. Malyavan reminds Ravana that he had already warned him (Ravana) of the consequences of going to war against Rama, but Ravana had scolded him. If Ravana did not return Sita to Rama, then all the demons would be destroyed.

But Mahodhara reminds Ravana of his many feats, like lifting mountain Kailasa, and Ravana finds his words more pleasing than the sensible advice of his grandfather.