Starting his tale, he asked Rama - Before I tell you about the rakshasas, please tell me how you fought the rakshasas. Who killed whom?
Rama said Of the principal rakshasas, I killed Kumbhakarna and Ravana, and Atikaya and Indrajit were killed by Lakshmana.
The sage said Indrajit was a great warrior. He had bound Indra and taken him captive. Brahma had to come and beg for his release. He had knowledge of nearly all weapons. As Lakshmana was able to defeat him, he must be the greatest of warriors.
Rama said Kumbhakarna andRavana were great warriors. The Gods were not able to defeat them. Why then do you talk about Indrajit leaving them?
The sage said No ordinary person could have killed Indrajit. Only that person who had not slept for fourteen years, not seen the face of a woman for fourteen years or eaten for fourteen years could have killed Indrajit.
Rama said I myself gave food to Lakshmana. We lived in the forest with Sita. How then did Lakshmana not see her face. Lakshmana would retire for the night in his hut. How then did he not sleep?
The sage said, Call Lakshmana and ask him these questions.
Rama asked Sumantra to get Lakshmana.
Lakshmana was sitting with Sumitra when Sumantra went there. Lakshmana wondering what Rama wanted to know, went with Sumantra.
Rama said to Lakshmana - I will ask you a few questions. Please answer them in front of all. For fourteen years we lived together. How then did you not see the face of Sita? You used to collect fruits for all and that was then divided among us, then how did you live without food. Also, you used to live in a separate hut, so when you used to go there in the night, did you not sleep?
Lakshmana said - Listen O lotus eyed one. When Ravana captured Sita, we roamed the forests looking for her. On the mountain we met Sugriva who gave us some ornaments of Sita. When you asked me to identify her jewels, I was not able to identify her necklace or earrings but I recognized her anklet. I had seen only Sita's feet.
Listen about my sleep. When you and Sita used to stay in your hut, I used to stay outside and guard with my weapons. When the goddess of sleep had come to me I had asked her to excuse me for fourteen years. I had told her to come to me when Rama had become king. When I held the umbrella over your head, sleep caught up with me then.
When I got fruits from the forest, you used to divide them into three and give me a portion of that. You used to tell me to take the fruit but never asked me to eat them. Without your word, how could I do so. The fruits are kept in our huts.
Rama asked Hanumana to go and fetch the fruits. Hanumana went to the place where the fruits were kept. He looked at them and said this quantity of fruit could have been brought by anyone. Why did Rama choose me?
As soon as he became proud, the weight of the fruits became heavy. Hanumana was unable to lift the fruits. He came back tired and frustrated and told that he was unable to get them. Rama then asked Lakshmana to fetch them. Lakshmana then went and got them easily.
Rama asked Lakshmana to count the fruits. There were fruits of seven days missing. Rama wanted to know what happened on those seven days.
Lakshmana said On day one, we had got the news of the demise of our father and we did not get any fruit. The day Sita was captured, we did not eat. The day we were bound by the snakes, we did not eat. The day Indrajit cut off the magical Sita, we did not eat. The when we were bound by Mahiravana, we did not eat. The day I fell hurt from the weapon of Ravana, I could not get any fruit. For the seventh day, that was the day when Ravana was killed. We were so happy, we forgot about food.
If you remember, when we were with Vishwamitra, we had the boon of controlling hunger. You may have forgotten the mantra, but I remember that.
Rama hugged Lakshmana.
To Agastya, Rama said You are great, You know what is in the minds of people. Please tell me about the rakshasas. I have heard that Ravana was a son of a brahmin. How then did he become a rakshasa.
Agastya said he would gladly tell.
When Brahma started his creation, the creatures created asked their creator their purpose.
Brahma said I would be creating more living beings on this earth. You would be their guardians. A few of them wanted to control all and were cursed by Brahma to become rakshasa.
A rakshasa named Heti wed a daughter of Brahma. They had a son. They left that child on a mountain and kept enjoying the company of each other.
The child began crying, and the cries were heard by Shiva. Taking pity on the child, Shiva asked the child to grow up as a handsome lad learned in all scriptures. The child transformed into a young handsome man. Parvati blessed this person and he became known as the father of rakshasas.
He got married and had three sons - Mali, Sumali and Malyavan.
Praying to Brahma they asked for control over there worlds. Brahma said they would have control till they would get defeated by Vishnu.
They got married and soon children were born to them. One of them was the rakshashi Kaikesi, who later became the mother of Ravana.
They then began attacking the heavens and captured Vishwakarma. They asked him to build a city for them. Vishwakarma was worried.
He then remembered the fight between Garuda and Pawana. A chunk of the Chitrakoota mountain had broken off and fallen into the ocean. It was huge and even the wind and Gods did not dare go there. This was Lanka. Vishwakarma converted this into a brilliant city surrounded by the ocean on all sides,
This city was handed over to the rakshasas who happily setup their kingdom there. This was later ruled by Ravana.
Rama said Of the principal rakshasas, I killed Kumbhakarna and Ravana, and Atikaya and Indrajit were killed by Lakshmana.
The sage said Indrajit was a great warrior. He had bound Indra and taken him captive. Brahma had to come and beg for his release. He had knowledge of nearly all weapons. As Lakshmana was able to defeat him, he must be the greatest of warriors.
Rama said Kumbhakarna andRavana were great warriors. The Gods were not able to defeat them. Why then do you talk about Indrajit leaving them?
The sage said No ordinary person could have killed Indrajit. Only that person who had not slept for fourteen years, not seen the face of a woman for fourteen years or eaten for fourteen years could have killed Indrajit.
Rama said I myself gave food to Lakshmana. We lived in the forest with Sita. How then did Lakshmana not see her face. Lakshmana would retire for the night in his hut. How then did he not sleep?
The sage said, Call Lakshmana and ask him these questions.
Rama asked Sumantra to get Lakshmana.
Lakshmana was sitting with Sumitra when Sumantra went there. Lakshmana wondering what Rama wanted to know, went with Sumantra.
Rama said to Lakshmana - I will ask you a few questions. Please answer them in front of all. For fourteen years we lived together. How then did you not see the face of Sita? You used to collect fruits for all and that was then divided among us, then how did you live without food. Also, you used to live in a separate hut, so when you used to go there in the night, did you not sleep?
Lakshmana said - Listen O lotus eyed one. When Ravana captured Sita, we roamed the forests looking for her. On the mountain we met Sugriva who gave us some ornaments of Sita. When you asked me to identify her jewels, I was not able to identify her necklace or earrings but I recognized her anklet. I had seen only Sita's feet.
Listen about my sleep. When you and Sita used to stay in your hut, I used to stay outside and guard with my weapons. When the goddess of sleep had come to me I had asked her to excuse me for fourteen years. I had told her to come to me when Rama had become king. When I held the umbrella over your head, sleep caught up with me then.
When I got fruits from the forest, you used to divide them into three and give me a portion of that. You used to tell me to take the fruit but never asked me to eat them. Without your word, how could I do so. The fruits are kept in our huts.
Rama asked Hanumana to go and fetch the fruits. Hanumana went to the place where the fruits were kept. He looked at them and said this quantity of fruit could have been brought by anyone. Why did Rama choose me?
As soon as he became proud, the weight of the fruits became heavy. Hanumana was unable to lift the fruits. He came back tired and frustrated and told that he was unable to get them. Rama then asked Lakshmana to fetch them. Lakshmana then went and got them easily.
Rama asked Lakshmana to count the fruits. There were fruits of seven days missing. Rama wanted to know what happened on those seven days.
Lakshmana said On day one, we had got the news of the demise of our father and we did not get any fruit. The day Sita was captured, we did not eat. The day we were bound by the snakes, we did not eat. The day Indrajit cut off the magical Sita, we did not eat. The when we were bound by Mahiravana, we did not eat. The day I fell hurt from the weapon of Ravana, I could not get any fruit. For the seventh day, that was the day when Ravana was killed. We were so happy, we forgot about food.
If you remember, when we were with Vishwamitra, we had the boon of controlling hunger. You may have forgotten the mantra, but I remember that.
Rama hugged Lakshmana.
To Agastya, Rama said You are great, You know what is in the minds of people. Please tell me about the rakshasas. I have heard that Ravana was a son of a brahmin. How then did he become a rakshasa.
Agastya said he would gladly tell.
When Brahma started his creation, the creatures created asked their creator their purpose.
Brahma said I would be creating more living beings on this earth. You would be their guardians. A few of them wanted to control all and were cursed by Brahma to become rakshasa.
A rakshasa named Heti wed a daughter of Brahma. They had a son. They left that child on a mountain and kept enjoying the company of each other.
The child began crying, and the cries were heard by Shiva. Taking pity on the child, Shiva asked the child to grow up as a handsome lad learned in all scriptures. The child transformed into a young handsome man. Parvati blessed this person and he became known as the father of rakshasas.
He got married and had three sons - Mali, Sumali and Malyavan.
Praying to Brahma they asked for control over there worlds. Brahma said they would have control till they would get defeated by Vishnu.
They got married and soon children were born to them. One of them was the rakshashi Kaikesi, who later became the mother of Ravana.
They then began attacking the heavens and captured Vishwakarma. They asked him to build a city for them. Vishwakarma was worried.
He then remembered the fight between Garuda and Pawana. A chunk of the Chitrakoota mountain had broken off and fallen into the ocean. It was huge and even the wind and Gods did not dare go there. This was Lanka. Vishwakarma converted this into a brilliant city surrounded by the ocean on all sides,
This city was handed over to the rakshasas who happily setup their kingdom there. This was later ruled by Ravana.
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