Shiva Watches Rama's War Play While the Vanaras Prevail by His Strength
Lanka Kanda, Chaupai 81
Doha 81ख · Movement 1 of 3
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The sky above the battlefield fills with celestial vehicles. Brahma, gods, siddhas, and many sages gather to watch. Shiva tells Uma that he too stood among them, beholding the color and movement of Rama's war play from the heavens.
Below, warriors on both sides are intoxicated with the rasa of combat. Yet the vanaras bear the quality of victory because Rama's strength moves through them. They challenge one another singly, crush opponents, and cast them onto the earth. Blows fall, bodies are seized and flung, and severed heads become terrible weapons in other hands.
Bellies are torn, arms wrenched away, and fighters dashed down by their feet. Bears bury demon warriors in the ground and heap sand over them. Mighty armed champions appear everywhere like countless forms of enraged Time. The scene is deliberately fierce, but Shiva places its secret in one clear line. The vanaras prevail not through an independent greatness but because the power of Rama has entered their service.
Seen from Shiva's place in the sky, the battle's many strengths resolve into the one strength of Rama.
Read the passage from the Manas
सुर ब्रह्मादि सिद्ध मुनि नाना। देखत रन नभ चढ़े बिमाना।। हमहू उमा रहे तेहि संगा। देखत राम चरित रन रंगा।। सुभट समर रस दुहु दिसि माते। कपि जयसील राम बल ताते।। एक एक सन भिरहिं पचारहिं। एकन्ह एक मर्दि महि पारहिं।। मारहिं काटहिं धरहिं पछारहिं। सीस तोरि सीसन्ह सन मारहिं।। उदर बिदारहिं भुजा उपारहिं। गहि पद अवनि पटकि भट डारहिं।। निसिचर भट महि गाड़हि भालू। ऊपर ढारि देहिं बहु बालू।। बीर बलिमुख जुद्ध बिरुद्धे। देखिअत बिपुल काल जनु क्रुद्धे।।
Gods led by Brahma, Siddhas and countless munis ascended to the sky in their vimanas to watch the battle. I too, Uma, was among them, beholding the colourful spectacle of Rama's war-play (ran-ranga). Brave warriors on both sides were intoxicated with the rasa of battle, but the monkeys prevailed by virtue of Rama's strength. They engaged one another, challenging and fighting. Some crushed their foes and hurled them to the ground. They struck, cut, seized and flung each other. They tore off heads and used those very heads as weapons. They ripped open bellies and wrenched off arms. Grasping legs, they dashed warriors to the earth. The bears buried demon fighters in the ground and heaped great mounds of sand over them. Mighty-armed heroes fought with such ferocity that they appeared like countless wrathful forms of Kala.