5. RAMA DEFEATS THE MONSTERS
On the bank of the Sarayu River, Viswamitra and the two princes remained there throughout the night.
Before going into retirement, Viswamitra taught the princes two secret mantras called Bala and Atibala. These mantras had the power to protect them from exhaustion as well as other dangers. That night, they spent the night sleeping on the grassy bank, and when morning came, they continued their journey. They arrived in Kamashrama, which is located in Anga Desa. Viswamitra then proceeded to tell the princes and rishis there about the Ashrama’s history after he had introduced them to the rishis.
“It was stated that this was the location where Lord Siva had spent a great deal of time practicing asceticism.”
The stupid deity of love, Manmatha, shot his arrow at Siva in this location, and as a result, he was reduced to ashes by the anger of Siva. Because of this, people refer to this location as Kamashrama.
They spent the night as the guests of the rishis, and the next morning, after completing the rituals that were customary, the wise man and his students continued on their trek until they reached the Ganga river. The rishis had built a raft just for them to cross the river.
The princes heard a sound when they were in the middle of the stream, and they asked Viswamitra what it might be.
He then proceeded to explain to them that the sound they had heard was the Sarayu River pouring into the Ganges. The princes paid their respects in silence at the point where the two sacred rivers converged.
Any beautiful thing, whether it’s a river or a hill, a tree or a cloud, or even something as simple as a cloud, might lead a person to contemplate the Supreme Being and silently praise him. In particular, sacred rivers, temples, or images, which have been the objects of devotion and worship for generations, possess this power to a highly potent degree. This is because these objects have seen and heard holy thoughts and have taken them in, much like how clothes keep the scent of perfumes.
After getting across the Ganga, Viswamitra and the princes continued their dangerous journey into the thick jungle, which was made even more terrifying by the echoing roars of the many wild animals.
“Viswamitra said that they were now in the Dandaka jungle. A prosperous nation previously stood in the location of the forested area that is now uninhabitable.
Indra became stained with guilt after murdering Vritra and was forced to flee the realm of the Devas as a result.The Devas assigned themselves the responsibility of scrubbing Indra clean.
They washed him with fluids brought from the holy rivers while chanting mantras in the background. The waters that washed Indra’s body trickled into the ground, where they nourished the soil and caused the area there to become extraordinarily productive.
When everything that has died and been returned to the soil, whether it be a putrid corpse or smelly waste, is returned, it is reborn as something beautiful, such as fruits and flowers, along with the healthy things that are necessary for maintaining life. This is the alchemy that is performed by Mother Earth.
After then, Viswamitra said: “People formerly lived here peacefully for a long time, but then Tataka, the wife of Sunda, a Yaksha, and Maricha, the son of Tataka, wreaked havoc and transformed this place into the terrible wilderness it is today. They have not yet left this wooded area. And nobody dares to go in there because they are afraid of Tataka. She has the same amount of strength as ten elephants combined. I have brought you here to help me eliminate this formidable foe from the jungle.
“You will, without a shadow of a doubt, put an end to the existence of this monster, which has been causing the Rishis a lot of problems.”
Rama, who had been listening to this, questioned the wise man as follows: “You claim that she is a Yaksha, yet I’ve never heard of Yakshas having unusually high levels of strength.” “What’s more, what gives a woman the ability to possess such a great deal of strength?”
In response, Viswamitra said: “You are inquiring about something that is really relevant to the topic.” Her power originates from a blessing that was bestowed upon her by Brahma.
There was a yaksha named Suketu who lived there.
Because he did not have any children, he decided to practice tapas in order to get a blessing from Brahma. The blessing said that he would have a beautiful daughter who had great physical power, but he would not have any sons. Tataka, the gorgeous and powerful daughter of Suketu, married Sunda, a Yaksha, and the couple now had a daughter named Maricha. At one point in time, the Sage Agastya’s curse took its toll on Sunda, and he passed away. Tataka and Maricha attacked Agastya after being provoked by this, and Agastya cursed them to be monstrous creatures that feed on the carcasses of mankind. Therefore, Tataka has evolved into a hideous creature. Since then, she and Maricha have been making life difficult for the people who make their homes in this part of Agastya. It is against the Kshatriya dharma to murder a woman, but you should not be afraid to destroy her even if it is against the law. The crimes she commits cannot be overlooked. It is the responsibility of rulers to mete out punishment to evil people, regardless of gender. It is justifiable to take her life, just as it is to take the life of a wild animal to protect others. Rulers have been entrusted with this responsibility. The death penalty has been applied to a significant number of female criminals. Therefore, do not be reluctant.”
Rama responded to Viswamitra, saying, “It is at our father’s request that we carry out your commands without hesitation.” “We will execute Tataka as you have requested and as is necessary for the sake of everyone.”
After making this statement, he strung his bow and twanged it until the piercing tone it produced rang throughout the forest, causing the wild creatures to disperse in every direction in fear. Tataka was filled with astonishment at the bold intruder who had the audacity to penetrate her realm when it reached her in her fastness. She went into the area from whence the sound originated and attacked Rama while she was still fuming with rage. The combat got under way.
At first, the prince entertained the idea of severing the monster’s limbs while simultaneously preserving her life. But Tataka countered with a ferocious onslaught, and after soaring into the air, she showered Rama and Lakshmana with stones. The two princes fought back against the assault by defending themselves.
Viswamitra warned Rama not to waste any time in dealing the final blow to the monstrosity as the battle progressed.
He said, “She is not deserving of our compassion.”
“Keep in mind that Rakshasas are more powerful when the sun goes down, as this will soon happen.” “Kill her without any more delay.”
As a result of being given this piece of advice, Rama made the decision to kill Tataka. He used a lethal arrow to puncture the monster’s chest, at which point the enormous and hideous beast collapsed, having lost its ability to breathe.
The Devas let out a loud cheer, and Viswamitra, overcome with happiness, ran up to Rama and gave him his blessing.
After Tataka’s defeat, the curse that had been placed on the forest was broken, and it regained its natural splendor. After spending the night there, the princes continued their journey the next morning to Viswamitra’s ashrama.
At the dawn of the next day, Viswamitra beckoned Rama over to his side and blessed him, saying, “I am extremely glad indeed.” What is it that I can possibly do to show my appreciation for all that you have done? “I will instruct you on how to utilize each and every asterisk.”
The heavenly astras that Viswamitra had attained as a result of his tapas were then handed over to Ramachandra by Viswamitra.
Lakshmana was taught by Rama how to wield, control, and remember the numerous divine weapons that Viswamitra had taught Rama. In turn, Rama passed this information on to Lakshmana.
As they proceeded on their trip, Rama stopped them to pose a question while pointing to a large hill with a beautiful forest on its slopes. “Is it the destination that has been predetermined for us?” And who are the nefarious individuals that stand in the way of your yaga? “And what steps should I take to eliminate them?”
Ramachandra was excited to engage in combat and earn the sage’s blessings in the process.
Viswamitra’s response was, “That is the location that we will be traveling to.” The Lord Narayana is said to have done tapas at that location, and it was there that Vamana was born to him. Siddhashrama is the name that’s given to this place. Mahabali, son of Virochana and grandson of Prahlada, was such a strong monarch that even the Devas were scared of him. He was the grandson of Prahlada, the virtuous Asura. Through his many heroic achievements, Mahabali had amassed the same level of strength as the god Indra.
Kashyapa and his wife Aditi, from whom all of the gods were descended, pleaded to Vishnu and requested that he be born as their son so that he might defend Indra and the Devas from Mahabali. The prayers were answered when Vishnu, in the form of Vamana, was born of Aditi.
Vamana, taking the shape of a young student, traveled to the yaga that was being performed by Mahabali. This yaga was open to anybody and everyone, and participants may ask for and get everything they desire. When Vamana presented himself as a suitor to Mahabali, Mahabali’s guru, Sukra, the preceptor of all Asuras, knew who he really was and warned Mahabali not to promise to grant the young Brahmana his request because, in fact, he was the Lord Hari in disguise, coming to undo him. Mahabali did not take this into consideration at all. It was never in his nature to refuse a request that was made. In addition to this, he was a true believer in the Lord and believed that he would be really blessed if the Lord were to accept a gift from him. He thought that this would be the best possible outcome for him. Mahabali greeted him with a grin and instructed him to ask for anything he desired without hesitating. “All that you have, including money and jewelry, the vast world and all that it has, is at your disposal.” In response, Vamana said that he had no desire for money and that all he asked for was three paces of land, which he measured out himself. The king gave a pleasant smile as he observed the brahmachari’s legs and then remarked, “So be it; pace and take it.”
The young bachelor all of a sudden grew to the size of Trivikrama and, with one stride, measured the whole globe; with another step, he measured the entirety of the sky. And since there was no more space available for the third step, which he had been permitted to take, he placed his foot on top of Mahabali’s dedicated head. When seen from the perspective of God, the mind of a bhakta is as expansive as either the world or the skies. And Mahabali, whose head was blessed by the touch of Narayana’s foot, was elevated to the status of one of the world’s seven immortals.
Following the recounting of the tale of Mahabali, Viswamitra continued: “This is the location where Narayana, and then later Kashyapa, practiced tapas, which ultimately resulted in God taking the form of Vamana. I make my home on this sacred ground. And now the Rakshasas have arrived to disrupt both our devotion and our discipline. “Your presence in this area is intended to put a stop to their wickedness.”
“So be it,” responded Rama.
At the ashrama, the appearance of Viswamitra and the two princes served as a signal for the congregation to begin rejoicing. In accordance with the tradition, the rishis presented the guests with water and fruits. Viswamitra took his oaths on the same night that Rama informed him he could start making arrangements for his yaga right away, and Rama told Viswamitra that he could.
After getting up at an early hour the next morning, the princes went to Viswamitra and inquired as to the time at which the Rakshasas were anticipated to arrive. This was done in order for the princes to get themselves prepared for their arrival.
Because Viswamitra had taken a vow of silence, he was unable to respond. However, the rishis, who were his juniors, communicated to the princes that they needed to maintain a state of constant vigilance for six days and nights in order to protect the sacrifice.
The princes stood watch for a total of six days and nights while fully armed. In the early hours of the sixth day, Rama shared the following with Lakshmana: “Brother, the time has arrived for the adversaries to make their appearance.” “Let us exercise caution.”
Even as he was saying this, flames began to shoot up from the sacrifice fire because Agni, the God of Fire, was aware that the Rakshasas had arrived at this location. A tremendous rumbling could be heard coming from the direction of the heavens while the rituals were being carried out.
When Rama glanced up, he saw Maricha and Subahu, together with their supporters, getting ready to throw impure objects on the fire where the sacrifice was being made. The army of Rakshasas looked like a massive storm cloud as it engulfed the sky.
When they reached Maricha, Rama remarked, “Look, Lakshmana,” and then he let go of the Manavastra. Maricha wasn’t killed by the attack like everyone thought he would be. Instead, he was wrapped in an impenetrable force and moved a hundred yojanas closer to the ocean.
Rama put an end to Subahu’s life with the Agneyastra, and after that, the two princes thoroughly destroyed the whole army of Rakshasas.
The sun was shining once again in the sky.
When Viswamitra’s yaga was finally finished, he was overjoyed beyond measure. His exact words were, “I am thankful to King Dasaratha.” “You, as princes, have kept your end of the bargain.” I appreciate your courage. “Siddhashrama, thanks to you, this ashrama has once again become a place where achievement is celebrated.” (Siddha is synonymous with achievement.)
After praying in the morning, Rama and Lakshmana went to see Viswamitra the next day to find out what else they needed to do.
Sage Viswamitra was aware of the goals that were to be accomplished by the birth of Rama. In addition to this, he was aware of the capabilities of the weapons that he had bestowed on Rama. However, when the real reality is encountered, it is something different than what was expected. Sage Viswamitra was so overjoyed that he couldn’t even express it, and his face lit up like a candle. After then, he reflected on the remaining work that he needed to do for Rama. This was the wedding that took place between the prince and Sita.
The gathering rishis addressed Rama with the following words: “We want to go to the kingdom of Videha, where Janaka, the renowned philosopher king, is planning to commit a significant sacrifice in the city of Mithila, the country’s capital. We are heading there as a group, and it would be helpful if you and the prince, who is your brother, came along for the ride. “It is fitting and appropriate for the Prince of Ayodhya to see the marvelous bow that is kept at the palace of Janaka.”
Because of this, it was determined that Rama and Lakshmana should go to Janaka’s city with Viswamitra.