King of Ayodhya
| Author | Ashok Banker |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Language | English |
| Series | Ramayana |
| Genre | Mythology, Religion, Epic |
| Publisher | Penguin Books India |
Publication date | 2006 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 700 pp |
| ISBN | 1-84149-331-7 |
| OCLC | 64314788 |
| Preceded by | Bridge of Rama |
King of Ayodhya (2006) is the sixth and final installment of a six-part series of books written by Ashok Banker, which chronicles the events of the Ramayana in a modern retelling of the Indian epic. The series revolves around the stories of Rama, Lakshman, and Sita and their struggles against the demon-king Ravana, highlighting the intense love of Rama and Sita and the young prince's adherence to Dharma.
This novel focuses primarily upon the events of the Lankakanda, the final chapter of the original text (although a secondary insertion called the Uttarakanda is often included in the Ramayana), and details the war of Lanka.
Plot summary
Directly following the events of Bridge of Rama, after Hanuman's destruction of the new Lanka, Ravana is shown overseeing the apparent total destruction of his realm. Fuming, he resolves to be craftier. Sita taunts him, telling him that he will fail against the odds which have been pitted against him. Ravana retorts by claiming that what Hanuman destroyed was little more than the surface level of Lanka, underneath which the ancient, dark realm slumbers, waiting to be awoken. Using an Upanishadic chant, he begins the birth of millions of new rakshasas as part of his great army. To Sita's horror, he is able to command Varuna, Deva of the Ocean, and force him to cause a tidal wave powerful enough to decimate Rama's army.
Rama, Lakshman, and the rest of the army anxiously await Hanuman's return. Upon his return, Hanuman expresses his disappointment that he was unable to bring back Sita, but Rama, overjoyed at the his return and awed by his deeds, tells him that he is worth more to him than ever. The bridge-building is renewed with intense vigour and Hanuman joins in the effort, speeding up the process considerably.
Hanuman soon spots an oncoming tidal wave heading towards them. In horror, he warns the vanar army to run back, and expands himself to a size in order to block the wave. Unfortunately, it is not enough, and the tidal wave hits Rama, Lakshmana, and the vanar and bear armies with shattering force. Nearly a tenth of the force is destroyed.
Rama, in considerable pain and fury, roars at the sea after witnessing the destruction and is once again able to recall the Bow of Vishnu and the Arrow of Shiva using his reawakened, latent Brahman Shakti. He threatens to wipe out the ocean and all life in it, and fires a warning shot into the ocean, tormenting the creatures and causing the world under the water to writhe in agony. Varuna appears out of the ocean in complete submission, pleading for mercy, but Rama is unrelenting through his rage at the unfair loss of so many lives. Varuna promises Rama that he will never again serve Ravana and vows to remake the bridge using long platoons of sperm whales in order for the army to cross over. Rama is slightly pacified and agrees.
Lakshmana watches in total horror and confronts Rama about why Rama did not use his acquired Shakti to spare them fourteen years of war. Rama states that his Shakti was returned with a simple caveat - to only use it when dharma is violated. If he used the Shakti at any other time, his power would become illegitimate. Lakshman only reluctantly agrees.
Back in Lanka, Vibhishan and Mandodhari are tending to the rakshasas left in distress at the end of Hanuman's path of destruction. When Vibhishan once again pleads with Mandodhari to release Sita, he is banished from the kingdom by royal decree, and he resolves to join Rama in an effort to save Lanka. Ravana is surprisingly unmoved by this, stating that he wishes his brother would "realize his full potential".
Arrival
Rama and his army meanwhile complete the crossing of the bridge, meeting Vibhishan en route. He joins them with Hanuman's support and tells them that Ravana had secretly been building Lanka for the express purpose of a siege after his awakening. Upon their arrival, they are surprised to find a lush environment - but Ravana treacherously uses Brahman Shakti from afar to raise 1,000-foot-high (300 m) walls capable of blocking any assault and impervious to all siege machines. The army is intentionally walled into a section of Lanka accessible through only one gate. The assault kills scores of bears and vanars.
First Morning of Battle
Hurt but not shaken, Rama, Lakshmana and Jambavan begin to formulate their strategy against the vast armies of Ravana. They intentionally feed false information to rakshasa-vanar hybrid spies in order to deceive Ravana's main general, Vajradanta. On the first day of assault, two fields of battle are formed - the "front line" of vanars and hidden regiments of bears and vanars in forests and under the ground. The kumbha-rakshasa elite warriors plow through the front line of Sugreeva's vanar army but to their chagrin find themselves evenly matched against sheer numbers and ingenious vanar tactics. Sugreeva realizes throughout the battle that he is growing stronger and more energetic, not weaker.
Meanwhile, the Lady of the Mandara-vanars, Mandara-devi, and her sons Mainda and Dvivida, mount an assault on a kumbha regiment that has attacked them through the forests and trees. In single combat she emasculates and slaughters the kumbha general, although being killed herself in the process. In a rage, both lines charge each other but the rakshasas, demoralized by the loss of their general, are mowed down.
On another plain of battle, the Jatarupas, another tribe of vanars, face off against sorcerously bred lizard-rakshasas who have a hive mindset able to calculate strategies within mere seconds. The Jatarupas are unable to hold off the attack and the entire tribe is destroyed. However, in the nick of time, a bear regiment buried under the ground rises up, taking the lizard-rakshasas by surprise, and completely decimating them.
Afternoon of Battle
Rama's forces are victorious against the hordes, despite sustaining significant losses. However, they soon realize that Ravana has been keeping an ace up his sleeve which he unleashes in the form of incredibly powerful asura shakti. A regiment of flying rakshasas attack them, even severely injuring Hanuman who nevertheless fends them off. But the most evil of his designs comes into play as he reanimates the dead on both sides, creating an unliving army which is indestructible. Lakshmana pleads with Rama to fight this evil power and he finally relents, raising the Bow of Vishnu and unleashing an arrow which dispels the asura shakti that had clouded the battlefield and was responsible for reanimating the corpses. The first day of battle leaves Rama's army victorious.
Second Day of Battle and Onwards
Ravana's kumbha and elite hordes have been eradicated, so he decides to fight using conventional battle tactics which are sanctioned by dharma. This shrewdly prevents Rama from using any more divine shakti during the battle, as he can only use it in self-defense or in fair battle against opposing asura shakti. The two armies line up against each other and Indrajit, the battle commander, calls out champions to fight against the opposing champion, Hanuman. Single-handedly and with practically no effort, Hanuman defeats every single one of them while following the dharmic code of war. Fed up, Indrajit issues the order and both armies collide in a full frontal battle.
Rama and Lakshman fight upon the ground bravely, vanquishing hundreds of rakshasas by their own hands. As they cut through the swath of warriors, however, they come to Indrajit, who uses the serpent weapon of Takshak against them. Their body becomes infested with snakes and they are knocked out cold and on the verge of death. Hanuman, refusing to admit defeat, flies off in search of the two holy mountains Chandra and Drona, which contain necessary medical herbs for resurrection, despite the fact that they exist on an alternate plane of existence.
Remarkably, however, a flock of birds appears out of literally nowhere and coalesces into a cloud that forms a giant eagle, Garuda in an earthly form. He states that Indra sent him to revive him, as he has a personal vendetta against Indrajit. Rama and Lakshmana, revived, continue the fierce battle, mowing down enemy soldiers and officers alike.
Ravana, who had been surveying the battle from the air the entire time with a hostage Sita, decides to pull a desperate card. After making Surpanakha take the form of Sita, he executes her in public with Rama watching, killing Surpanakha and instilling a sense of horror into the vanar and bear troops. Rama, believing that Sita is genuinely dead, grows once again into a divine rage and takes out the celestial weapons, systematically eradicating the inner palaces of Lanka and slowly destroying the city.
Kumbhakarna and Indrajit's Fall
The vanar and bear armies are finally able to break through the city walls, destroying it and killing all those who oppose them. However, Ravana finally reveals his greatest secret - he has awoken Kumbhakarna, his younger brother, a giant of colossal size who threatens to single-handedly wipe out the entire army. Vibhishan explains that Kumbhakarna cannot be destroyed with the use of celestial weapons, as he was granted the gift of invincibility. As Kumbhakarna is about to crush Rama, Hanuman arrives in the nick of time (along with the two holy mountains) and while carrying the mountains on his shoulders, grows to a huge size, lifts Kumbhakarna into the air by his legs, and drops him in the ocean. He drops the mountains off on the plains of battle outside the gates.
Jambavan, who was mortally wounded during battle, explains to Rama that the execution he witnessed was not of the real Sita, and that he must not lose hope. Jambavan dies on the battlefield, but thanks to Hanuman's expedience in bringing the mountains, he is resurrected by vanar physicians and rises to fight once more. The mountain herbs are used to heal numerous wounds and the morale and battle strength of the vanar and bear armies rises considerably.
Meanwhile, Hanuman pits his strength against Kumbhakarna and finds that the latter is very powerful but nevertheless has some key weaknesses. Using an ingenious strategy, he manages to lure Kumbhakarna back to the coast of Lanka and forces him into the volcanic center of Lanka, burning him to death. Back in the city, Rama fixes the arrow of Takshak to the Bow of Vishnu and uses it to decapitate Indrajit.
Ravana, sensing the death of his son, rides out in a horrified fury to confront Rama. However, with the aid of the divine weapons, Rama calmly disarms Ravana, destroys his chariot and his crown. Refusing to kill an unarmed enemy, he allows Ravana to return to his palace to refresh himself and come back armed. Uncharacteristically, Ravana agrees.
Ravana's End
Following his return to his palace, Ravana's wife Mandodhari, heartily sick of the war, asks him whether the war was justified for Sita and whether they have any chance of winning. He states that Sita was only a part of the war and that it represented something much greater and more significant, a development of fate and karma over time that had led to the demise of his kingdom and his powers. In a shocking revelation, he reveals to Mandodhari that by executing Surpanakha, he lost all of his asura shakti and cannot use it as a battle advantage anymore. Mandodhari realizes that if he goes back onto the battlefield, he will die, but Ravana, consigned to having lost the war, his family, all of his greatest warriors, and his most trusted friends, tells Mandodhari that she is now a widow. He goes back to the plain of battle.
Ravana confronts Rama in a simple angavastra and wearing the caste-marks of Pulastya on his forehead. He tells Rama that he knew this day was coming, as he knew that his death was inevitable and that it was foretold by his destiny. He reveals indirectly that he is Jaya incarnated, brother of Vijaya, both the gatekeepers of Vaikuntha, cursed by the Four Kumaras to cause destruction upon the Earth for their misdeeds. Rama, not understanding, simply states that he is ready to kill him. Ravana states that he is willing to risk death in the hope of his eventual salvation. He throws a spear at him, prompting Rama to "defend himself" (although the weapon lands short), and Rama systematically slices off each head of Ravana's, and then decapitates his main central head, killing him once and for all.
End of the War and Return to Ayodhya
Following the end of the war, Vibhishan is made the king of Lanka, which has been reduced to stragglers and fragments by the invasion, leaving the rakshasa race on the verge of extinction. Nevertheless, they agree to an armistice and that no future conflicts will occur between the two races.
Sita, although rescued, is put under doubt and scrutiny by Lakshmana who requests that she undergo the agni-pariksha, an acid test of fidelity. Although Rama flatly refuses to do so, Sita herself agrees out of the reasoning that Ayodhya needs to know that their queen is legitimate. She passes the test without a flaw, and Lakshmana asks her forgiveness.
Commandeering the Pushpak, Sita, Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman and the entire army fly back to Ayodhya, the term of exile complete. They find a grand celebration awaiting them, with old faces tearfully rejoicing in their arrival. The novel ends on a note of happiness.
Significant Elements True to Valmiki's Ramayana
- Most of the generals depicted and their names in Ravana's army are true to the original text.
- The various vanar tribes, while many are of the author's imagination and correspond to real-world sites, describe physical variations among different realworld monkeys.
- The "execution" of Sita and revealing the false decapitated head of Rama to her
- The agni-pariksha
Differences from Valmiki's Ramayana
- Although Ravana is notable for having defeated the devas in battle, there is no mention of an ability to call them up at will. He never summons Varuna or any deva in the Valmiki Ramayana.
- Rama's attack against the ocean was out of sheer impatience in Valmiki's Ramayana and out of anger towards Sagar, lord of the Indian Ocean. This is changed to reflect an attitude of divine anger against the unjustified attack on the vanar/bear armies in the novel and the deva receiving the brunt of the attack is Varuna, not Sagar. Oddly enough, the book makes a clear delineation between the two, so the terms are not interchangeable.
- The crossing is done by whales in the novel, whereas in the original text the bridge was physically completed.
- In the original, Vibishan's defection occurred before the crossing, whereas in the novel he is discovered during the crossing.
- In the novel, Ravana uses extensive asura maya that is considered unmatched, whereas in the original he isn't shown to have any greater powers than Rama aside from considerable control of his abilities.
- The War of Lanka lasts nine full days in the original text and each battle is described in much more vivid detail. For obvious literary reasons this is cut to three days in the novel.
- Jambavan, while depicted as wise in the original, is by no means the "chronicler" depicted in the novel. He is the king of bears in both texts.
- Mandara-devi is never mentioned in the original text, whereas she plays a significant part in the novel's battle. Dvivida and Mainda are mentioned in both texts, however.
- Sugreeva has many abilities on par with Hanuman in the original text, whereas Hanuman is a unique deva-vanar hybrid in the novel with strength, abilities, etc. far beyond that of an ordinary vanar. In the original text Sugreeva actually duels Ravana one-on-one and disables him. In the novel he's an incredibly underused character.
- Many of the rakshasa generals and champions depicted in the novel actually had significant prowess in divine weaponry in the original text, including Vajradanta and Akampana.
- Aside from Akshay Kumar and Indrajit, Ravana had a number of other sons who die on the battlefield. In the original text he sorely laments their deaths.
- Vibhishan's method of expulsion from Lanka is depicted subtly in the novel, whereas it is a central event in the original and one of the primary downfalls of Ravana.
- In the novel, Lanka is resurrected by being raised from the ground. In the original, Lanka is reconstructed as it was by Vishwakarma, the divine architect.
- Kumbhakarna's character is notably different in the novel versus the original. In the original he is depicted as a benevolent younger brother who, while a glutton and lazy, is morally a kind person and still loves Vibhishan as his older brother. He only reluctantly goes to war in Valmiki's text, stating from the start that he believes Rama is an Avatar in human form and that he will destroy Lanka, but is ultimately bound to the loyalty of his brother. A curse which guaranteed his death if he were awoken before the six-month cycle's completion was also depicted in the original text but completely ignored in the novel.
- Lanka's kingdom's remnants are believed to have survived from the epic age until today in the original, whereas in the novel they are depicted on the verge of extinction.
- A number of significant deaths are glossed over, left out or completely reinterpreted by the novel:
- Indrajit's death was at the hand of Lakshmana, in the middle of a sacrifice that would have made him completely invincible.
- Kumbhakarna's death was at the hands of Rama, not Hanuman, although in some of the Ramayana texts Hanuman is believed to have dueled Kumbhakarna but lost with heavy injuries.
- Ahiravana, one of Ravana's brothers, was killed by Hanuman, but he is not mentioned once.
- Kalanemi, Ravana's uncle, is killed by Hanuman while trying to prevent him from accessing the mountain of herbs. He is given a brief mention in the first book but ignored completely afterwards.
- In the original texts the holy mountains which Hanuman uprooted are found in the Himalayas, not in Heaven as depicted in the novel. The mountain usually referenced is Dronagiri. The circumstances were also different: in the original text, it is under the threat of Lakshman's impending death, whereas in the novel both Rama and Lakshmana are on the verge of death. The unnamed herb in the book is referenced as the Sanjivani in the original text.
- Garuda does make an appearance in both texts but he is not restricted to an "earthly" form as shown in the novel. He appears full in the flesh in the original Ramayana but under similar circumstances.