The Ramayana: 12. Rama and Ravana in Battle Summary & Analysis

The narrator says again that every person who Ravana sent into battle didn't return. Ravana stands in a tower and watches the battle for a while. The carnage makes him exceptionally angry. He performs ritual prayers, dresses in his armor, and when he's dressed, he looks very heroic. Ravana summons his chariot and vows that at the end of the day, either Sita or Ravana's own wife will be a widow.

Ravana's resolve attracts the attention of the gods, and they send down Indra's chariot to help Rama. The charioteer introduces himself as Matali, and explains that the gods Indra, Brahma, and Shiva sent him to help Rama, and he lists the chariot's special powers. Rama wonders aloud if the rakshasas sent Matali as a trap, but both Hanuman and Lakshmana insist that the chariot is real. Rama gathers his weapons and climbs into the chariot.

On the battlefield, Ravana aims his chariot to charge Rama at full speed, while Rama tells Matali to drive calmly. One of Ravana's supporters tries to attack Lakshmana, but Rama blocks his way and quickly kills him. This makes Ravana even angrier and he urges his charioteer to go faster towards Rama. Though Ravana notices the "ominous signs" (snapping bows, thunder, crying horses), he decides he doesn't care about anything but killing Rama.

Rama pauses and decides that if he kills Ravana's army, Ravana himself might experience a change of heart. This strategy proves unsuccessful, however, as Ravana continues to chase Rama. Ravana blows a conch shell as a challenge, and out of the universe Vishnu's conch answers with its own call. Matali follows this by blowing Indra's conch, and the battle begins. Ravana shoots arrows at Rama, but Rama's arrows stop Ravana's from hitting him.

Ravana notices that Rama is riding in Indra's chariot, which makes him angry that the gods are supporting Rama. He shoots more arrows at Rama and again, Rama's arrows neutralize Ravana's attack. Even when Ravana uses all 20 arms to shoot arrows, none of them reach Rama.

Ravana orders his charioteer to fly into the sky and Rama pursues him. Ravana destroys some of Rama's army from there, but Rama's arrows deflect most of Ravana's advances. Ravana shoots Rama's horses and Matali, and Rama pauses in grief and indecision. When he recovers, a divine eagle perches on his chariot's flagpost, which the gods take as an auspicious sign. The two chariots circle the world several times and finally return to the sky above Lanka. Rama's arrows begin to pierce Ravana's armor.

Ravana begins using asthras in addition to his arrows, turning the fight into a battle of supernatural powers rather than simple military strength. Rama's arrows neutralize Ravana's first attempt, and Ravana decides to use an asthra that causes confusing illusions. It creates the illusion that Ravana's soldiers rise from the dead, making it look as though Ravana's army is once again huge. Matali, who is now revived after his injury, explains to Rama how to counter this, and Rama invokes a weapon that grants him wisdom and perception. The phantom armies disappear.

Ravana uses an asthra that creates darkness and horrible weather, but Rama again counters Ravana's attack with the appropriate asthra. Finally, Ravana shoots his deadliest asthra towards Rama. Rama's arrows are useless against this weapon, but Rama mutters a mantra and the weapon collapses. This stuns Ravana, who begins to wonder if Rama is actually divine and not just human. He thinks that Rama can't possibly be Vishnu, but resolves again to kill Rama regardless. Ravana sends more flaming weapons at Rama, but Rama stops them in midair and sends them back towards Ravana.

Facing all this destruction, Ravana begins to feel hopeless. Rama, however, feels better and better, and begins to send arrows to cut off Ravana's many heads. Ravana's heads, however, begin to regenerate, as do his arms. Devils and demons eat Ravana's severed heads and arms. Finally, Ravana faints. Instead of attacking Ravana in this moment of weakness, Rama pulls aside to let Ravana recover.

When Ravana comes to he berates his charioteer, and the charioteer explains that Rama backed off while Ravana was unconscious. Ravana accepts this explanation and begins hurling all sorts of heavy things in Rama's direction. Rama pauses for a moment and then decides to end the fight with a special asthra. Rama prays and invokes the power of the asthra and sends it at Ravana's heart—Ravana had only prayed for his heads and arms to be indestructible, not his heart. The asthra kills Ravana, and Rama watches his adversary fall from the sky.

In death, Ravana's face is cleansed of evil and instead looks devout and capable, as though his meditation on Rama had given him some peace. Rama instructs Matali to land the chariot. After Rama exits the chariot, he thanks Matali and sends him back to the heavens.

Rama, Lakshmana, and Hanuman gather around Ravana's body. Rama notices a huge scar on Ravana's back and begins to worry that he dishonorably killed Ravana as he was trying to escape. Vibishana explains that Ravana acquired the scar years ago trying to attack divine elephants. Rama instructs Vibishana to bury Ravana properly.