Rama Makes Grass a Thunderbolt as Countless Narasimhas Fill the Field
Lanka Kanda, Chhand 6
Doha 81ख · Movement 2 of 3
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The vanaras rage like Death while blood streams over their bodies. They crush Ravana's powerful warriors and thunder across the field like dense storm clouds. Hands, teeth, feet, and voices become weapons in a combat whose sound fills heaven and earth.
They slap, bite, kick, trample, seize throats, split chests, and wrench necks. Monkeys and bears cry out as they use strength and cunning to wear down the wicked. Across the terrible arena they seem like the Lord of Prahlada appearing in countless bodies, Narasimha multiplying his protective fury wherever a servant of Rama stands.
Catch, strike, cut, cast down. The fierce commands roll through earth and sky. Then the deepest battle cry rises above them all: Jaya Rama. He is the one who can make a blade of grass hard as the thunderbolt and the thunderbolt soft as grass. Power has no fixed residence in the object that appears to possess it. It answers to the Lord.
In Rama's hand, weakness becomes adamant and the proud thunderbolt becomes a weightless blade of grass.
Read the passage from the Manas
क्रुद्धे कृतांत समान कपि तन स्त्रवत सोनित राजहीं। मर्दहिं निसाचर कटक भट बलवंत घन जिमि गाजहीं।। मारहिं चपेटन्हि डाटि दातन्ह काटि लातन्ह मीजहीं। चिक्करहिं मर्कट भालु छल बल करहिं जेहिं खल छीजहीं।। धरि गाल फारहिं उर बिदारहिं गल अँतावरि मेलहीं। प्रहलादपति जनु बिबिध तनु धरि समर अंगन खेलहीं।। धरु मारु काटु पछारु घोर गिरा गगन महि भरि रही। जय राम जो तृन ते कुलिस कर कुलिस ते कर तृन सही।।
Enraged like Kritanta (Death) himself, the monkey warriors stream with blood yet crush the demon hosts, thundering like storm-clouds. They strike with slaps, bite with teeth, kick and trample, while monkeys and bears shriek their battle cries, using every art of strength to destroy the wicked. Seizing throats, they tear open chests, wrench necks and fling them down, as if Prahladapati (Lord Narasimha) himself takes countless forms to sport in battle's arena. 'Dharu! Maru! Katu! Pachharu!' These fierce war cries fill heaven and earth. Jaya Rama! He who makes grass strong as vajra, and turns vajra soft as grass!