Ravana Gets an Idea of the Power of Lord Rama
So, the vanara sena, Lord Rama, and Lakshmana reached Lanka.
The camp was on top of Subela, the peak called Subela.
Who was commanding the vanara sena?
Neither Lord Rama nor Lakshmana, not even Hanumanji.
The vanara sena was under Sugreeva, Jambavan, and Vibheeshana.
Setting up camp on Subela itself established the power of Lord Rama because Ravana had stationed Shani Deva and Mrityu there to destroy whoever came to Lanka to attack it.
And now, the vanara sena was setting up their camp there, meaning under the Lord's protection, nothing could happen to them.
When Ravana came to know that the vanara sena had set up camp on top of Subela, he was shocked.
How is this possible?
How come Shani Deva and Mrityu are not doing anything to them?
A bed made of leaves and deer skin was made for the Lord to take rest, on top of a flat rock.
Lakshmana and Vibheeshana never slept throughout the war.
Lakshmana slept one night upon the insistence of the Lord, just one night. That was the night when Ahi Ravana abducted them both.
Vibheeshana did not sleep because rakshasas were active at night. He had to be all the more careful at night.
Even Sugreeva, Hanumanji, Angada, and Jambavan kept awake at night.
The vanaras were told never to venture into the middle peak of Trikoota, which is Lanka, the capital, and also the other peak.
They were also instructed that if any rakshasa came to Subela, then not to spare him.
The Lord looked towards the south and said,
'It seems it's going to rain. There are dark clouds and flashes of lightning.'
Vibheeshana said,
'Lord, these are not rain clouds.
On the third peak of Trikoota is Ravana's wrestling ring.
There, Ravana is seated now with Mandodari to his left.
He has ordered the dark clouds to form a roof above him.
The flashes are from the ear ornaments of Mandodari.
The thunder was the beating of drums — wrestling.
Ravana is enjoying wrestling.
He is showing that he is unperturbed, cool,
not at all bothered about the vanara sena having set up camp in Lanka and about the imminent attack.'
The Lord smiled.
Without even getting up, he took an arrow and casually shot it towards that direction.
The flashes stopped.
In a few moments, the arrow also returned.
Later, Vibheeshana got information that nobody there could see the arrow.
Suddenly, the umbrella of Ravana and the ear ornaments of Mandodari fell on the ground.
Everyone thought it was a bad omen.
The wrestling stopped.
Ravana got up and went back to the palace.
Angada went to Ravana's court as a messenger of peace.
Ravana insulted him.
Angada was enraged and smashed on the ground.
That caused an earthquake.
All the ten crowns of Ravana fell on the ground.
Angada lifted four of them and threw them away.
The rest, Ravana speedily gathered.
English
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