Ravana Sends Hungry Demons Toward the Red Stones of Ruin
Lanka Kanda, Chaupai 40
Doha 40 · Movement 1 of 2
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Uproar rolls through Lanka, and Ravana hears it from within the city. He laughs at the boldness of the monkeys and summons his army. Death itself has driven these creatures here, he declares. Fate has delivered food to his hungry demons while they sit at home.
Warriors pour toward all four directions under orders to seize and devour every bear and monkey. Shiva tells Uma that Ravana's pride resembles the small lapwing lying upon its back with feet raised, imagining that it alone supports the immense sky.
The demons receive permission and arm themselves with sling maces, spears, lances, clubs, axes, tridents, swords, iron bars, and broken peaks. They rush out like flesh eating birds diving upon red stones mistaken for meat. The birds cannot imagine their beaks shattering upon rock. In the same blindness, the man eaters see a feast where their own ruin waits.
Ravana calls the army to supper, and the red stones of destiny wait beneath the feast he imagines.
Read the passage from the Manas
लंकाँ भयउ कोलाहल भारी। सुना दसानन अति अहँकारी।। देखहु बनरन्ह केरि ढिठाई। बिहँसि निसाचर सेन बोलाई।। आए कीस काल के प्रेरे। छुधावंत सब निसिचर मेरे।। अस कहि अट्टहास सठ कीन्हा। गृह बैठे अहार बिधि दीन्हा।। सुभट सकल चारिहुँ दिसि जाहू। धरि धरि भालु कीस सब खाहू।। उमा रावनहि अस अभिमाना। जिमि टिट्टिभ खग सूत उताना।। चले निसाचर आयसु मागी। गहि कर भिंडिपाल बर साँगी।। तोमर मुग्दर परसु प्रचंडा। सुल कृपान परिघ गिरिखंडा।। जिमि अरुनोपल निकर निहारी। धावहिं सठ खग मांस अहारी।। चोंच भंग दुख तिन्हहि न सूझा। तिमि धाए मनुजाद अबूझा।।
A great uproar arose in Lanka. The supremely arrogant Dashanana heard it. He said, 'Look at the boldness of these monkeys!' Laughing, he summoned his demon army. 'These monkeys have come, driven by death itself. All my demons are hungry for their flesh.' Saying this, the fool burst into loud laughter. 'Sitting at home, fate has delivered our food!' 'Go forth, all brave warriors, in all four directions! Seize every bear and monkey and devour them!' O Uma, such was Ravana's pride, like the tittibha bird lying on its back thinking it holds up the sky. The demons departed after seeking his command, gripping bhindipala maces and fine spears in their hands. They bore fierce tomara lances, clubs, axes, tridents, swords, iron bars, and boulders. Just as foolish meat-eating birds rush toward red stones mistaking them for flesh, not foreseeing the pain of broken beaks, so too these senseless man-eaters charged forward.