Oh Man, I am the demon warrior Indrajit, hard to see. I fight invisibly, hidden by enchantment from your sight. I attack behind the wild winds of evil thought. I put out many lights left unguarded. I know you, and good deeds done in life are your only shield when you must die and go alone past me to another world. You may hide at night from the Sun, but never from your own heart--where lives Lord Narayana (Vishnu). The entire worlds are watching your deeds, and therefore forgiveness is Dharma.
Valmiki the Poet looked down into the water held cupped in his hand and saw into the past. Before he looked, he thought the world was sweet poison. Men seemed to be living in lies, not knowing where their ways went. The days seemed made of ignorance and doubt, and cast from deception and illusion. But in the water he saw--a dream, a chance, and a great adventure. Valmiki trusted the True and forgot the rest; he found the whole universe like a bright jewel set firm in forgiving and held fast by love.
Widen your heart. Abandon anger. Believe me, your few days are numbered; make one fast choice now and no second!
Come, clear your heart and quickly walk with me into Brahma, while there is time.
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Rama (a manifestation of Vishnu) ruled the earth..He gave a year-long festival in this very Forest...He was King, from the Center of the World to the Four Ocean shores...He ruled in AYODHYA, (born of the Solar Race, a descendant of the Sun).
On the banks of the SARAYU River is fair Ayodhya, the royal capital of Kosala. She is a fabled city, famed among men. She is Twelve leagues long and Ten leagues wide. (12 + 10 = 22), (12 X 10 = 120)...
with Sala Trees, filled with grain and gold. Heaven is fair, Ayodhya is fairer...
Rama's Father was lord of the earth and the lord of men. He was a Solar King bright as the Noonday Sun. In those bright days now gone by...THE GODS FROM THE AIR saw Kosala to be clear as a mirror, with no least touch of evil to make any black shadow over the land.
Ayodhya was filled with Warriors, like a mountain cave filled with lions. Her warriors were impatient and deadly to foes...They kept the city safe and tried to right whatever wrongs they discovered. Dasaratha's ministers were wise, able to find hidden motives AND FIGHT WITH WORDS, cautious, never binding themselves to a lie, acting by their word, and sending out spies to report what took place in all the world.
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Brahma said (of Valmiki), "So, by a River, the world's first verse has been born from pity, and love and compassion for a tiny bird has made you a poet. (The bird was shot by a hunter out of a Tree, and killed from its mate). Use your discovery to tell Rama's story, and your verses will defeat Time. As you make your poem Rama's life will be revealed to you, and no words of your's will be untrue."
Dasaratha, (Rama's father), was old and had no son to inherit his kingdom...He told the priest Vasishtha. He also told his charioteer Sumantra to arrange for this birth, who in turn went to the Three Queens and said, "We will have sons." Their countenance brightened as an Unfolding Lotus.
Sumantra piled provisions for it all by the River SARAYU and Vasishtha chose a day whose ruling stars were fortunate. King Dasaratha watched Vasishtha liht the holy Fires by the River, and bein to sing spellbinding mantras...invoking Indra, King of Heaven. "Indra, King of Heaven, Come!"
In heaven above, Indra turned and hissed like a Serpent...His face and chest were covered with dried blood, his robes were soiled, (Isaiah 63), he was angry.
He looked about his heaven. It was a hopeless ruin. The once beautiful Heavenly Garden, NANDANA was uprooted, crushed and buried beneath soot and cinders. Heaven's long golden street was littered with slain Gandharvas, with Apsarasas, the dancing women of heaven, lying killed, and with the corpses of Rakshasa demons. The palaces were razed to broken stones and tiles. The Heavenly Stream of GANGA ran red with blood...The charred Gate of the Gods lay split and wrenched from its heavenly posts.
Indra had just fought the Battle of Heaven. He had stood up against THE DEMON KING RAVANA...He had fought and lost, he had been captured, (and released), and now stood in heaven.
Indra went to Brahma's High heaven Beyond Change, where He sat at the end of a Long Hall and through a Doorway set Three Steps beyond the End of the Universe.
Indra blamed Brahma for all the evils...for creating RAVANA, THE TEN-HEADED DEMON..."Why do you grant boons to demons?"
Brahma asked, "Where are the other gods?" Agni the Fire God heats stoves in Ravana's kitchens, the Rains do his washing. Vayu the Wind sweeps the yards of (Lanka). Varuna, Lord of Water, supplies the wines for Ravana's court. The Sun lights Ravana's halls and the Moon his gardens...SO GREAT IS THE POWER OF FEAR.
"Indra, let the pains go. Where is Viswakarman the Architect of Heaven?" "He is always by himself somewhere," said Indra. "Put him back to work, rebuild heaven."
Indra replied, "Ravana himself enjoys the food men sacrifice to us gods, and basks in our smoke. Destroyed are the gardens in heaven that once made my eyes happy and my heart sing. Now there is no song heard, and I fear to go down to the sacrifice of Ayodhya King Dasaratha."
Brahma said, "Remember how to speak the Old Language with me...RAVANA IS CARELESS...HE HAS LONG BEEN CARELESS...Dasaratha will have Four Sons. Take the king's offerings...Stay out of Ravana's sight AND BE PATIENT. Do not fight him again...Think before and not after you act."
Indra replied, "I am Indra...I am not weak like a mere man...I am the Destroyer of Cities, Indra of The Thunder Hand, Lord of Paradise, Lord of Lightnings! And a demon-beast overcame me..."
"Where can I find THE END , where THE BEGINNING, where THE MIDDLE of all this is?" Brahma said, "Go to Narayana, (Vishnu). Only Narayana knows, or maybe he doesn't.
Indra went to Narayana, the Lord Vishnu, the Soul of the Universe. Narayana sat watching Indra approach. Indra pressed together his hands, touched his brow, and bent his head low to Narayana's Feet. "Searcher of Hearts, I bow to you...I still have faith in the Good Law of Dharma." Indra looked up past Narayana's wide chest crossed by A Neckchain of Sapphires, up into the great god's joyful black eyes wide as lotus petals.
Narayana (Vishnu) in his yellow saffron Summer robes smiled down at Indra. "Yes, a good enough fight," said Narayana. "No fear, Lord of Gods."
"How shall we bring down Ravana?" asked Indra. Because of Brahma's boon is the Demon King strong, and for no other cause than his own. Help me, you are my only refuge, there is no other for me. I will gather my Storms again and attack (Lanka), give me your permission to fight Ravana once more."
"Never!" said Narayana. "Don't you understand that Brahma's words are always true? Do not falsify the Three Spheres of Life. I would not have let you fight in the first place, though you were right to resist and Ravana was wrong. Ravana asked Brahma--Let me be unslayable by every creature of Heaven and of the Underworlds. (Genesis). And Brahma promised--So be it. That boon is unbreakable, yet will I cause Ravana's death. That is the truth. Only ask me..."
"Ah," said Indra, "from disdain Ravana did not mention men or animals, and took no safeguard against them. He eats men; they are his food and why should he fear them? Lord, on Earth life resembles Hell again. We need you again. Look at us, see us, and bless us. For the good of all the worlds, Lord Narayana, accept birth as a man."
"I already have."
Waves of happiness washed over Indra. "Dark blue Narayana, clad in yellow, BECOME FOUR. Put aside the shall trumpet, the razor edge chakra, the lotus and mace you hold in your Four Hands. Empty your Dark Hands; descend into the borrowed and fanciful world of men, desparate and glittering. Become Dasaratha's Four Sons born of blood and seed. Take your Goddess Lakshmi and let her be your mortal wife."
"We will go down," said Narayana.
"Lord, kill him, kill Ravana forever. I hate that proud and pampered Rakasha. Favor me and curse him; give to Death his faces torn apart; dry away our tears as the Sun dries morning dew."
"I will," said Narayana. "Listen, Vasishtha begins to call you to Earth with songs, to Ayodhya by the sleepy Sarayu."
THUS BEGINS THE EPIC RAMAYANA
Then Krishna (the 8th manifestation of Vishnu) showed Arjuna his Non-Violent Two-Handed Form.
Open now all the words of the Hebrew Prophets, the sons and daughters of Abraham and Sara, the children of Brahma and Sarasvati.