Ravana's Severed Heads Fly Through the Sky Calling for Rama
Lanka Kanda, Chaupai 93
Doha 93 · Movement 1 of 3
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The multiplication of his heads makes Ravana forget death. Pride thickens into rage, and he rushes forward with ten bows. Such a rain of arrows covers Rama's chariot that for a moment it disappears like the sun hidden inside dense mist.
The gods cry out. Rama takes up the bow in wrath, turns aside the shower, and cuts the heads away. They fill directions and spaces between directions, but they do not become silent remnants.
The severed heads race through the sky crying Jaya, Jaya and spreading terror. They call for Lakshmana, for Sugriva, and for Raghuvira, Lord of Kosala. Ravana's voice has multiplied into a host of disembodied challengers, each searching for the very figures before whom the living king stands. Below them the chariot reappears from the arrow mist. Above it, pride continues to shout through forms already separated from the body that produced them.
Even severed from Ravana, the heads carry his challenge through the sky and unknowingly fill it with the name of Rama.
Read the passage from the Manas
दसमुख देखि सिरन्ह कै बाढ़ी। बिसरा मरन भई रिस गाढ़ी।। गर्जेउ मूढ़ महा अभिमानी। धायउ दसहु सरासन तानी।। समर भूमि दसकंधर कोप्यो। बरषि बान रघुपति रथ तोप्यो।। दंड एक रथ देखि न परेऊ। जनु निहार महुँ दिनकर दुरेऊ।। हाहाकार सुरन्ह जब कीन्हा। तब प्रभु कोपि कारमुक लीन्हा।। सर निवारि रिपु के सिर काटे। ते दिसि बिदिस गगन महि पाटे।। काटे सिर नभ मारग धावहिं। जय जय धुनि करि भय उपजावहिं।। कहँ लछिमन सुग्रीव कपीसा। कहँ रघुबीर कोसलाधीसा।।
Seeing his heads multiply, the ten-faced Ravana forgot death itself, and his rage intensified greatly. The foolish and supremely arrogant one roared and charged forward with all ten bows drawn. The ten-necked one grew furious on the battlefield and showered arrows until Raghupati's chariot was hidden from view. For a moment the chariot could not be seen, as if the sun had vanished in fog. When the gods cried out in distress, the Lord grew wrathful and took up His bow. Warding off the enemy's arrows, He severed his heads, which fell in every direction across sky and earth. The severed heads rushed through the sky, crying 'Victory! Victory!' and spreading terror everywhere. They called out, 'Where is Lakshmana? Where is Sugriva, the monkey king? Where is Raghuvira, the Lord of Kosala?'