The Birth of Indrajith

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The controlling deities of the nine astrological planets stood trembling in fear. They were in Ravana’s court, a vast chamber designed in a magnificent black-and-gold theme. 

The floors were clad in tiles of black granite and gold in a checkered design. The ceiling was covered in intricate gold paintings on a black background. The walls and pillars were of black marble embellished with figurines of pure gold. 

The nine planet gods, however, were immune to the splendid beauty surrounding them. Mutely following orders from Ravana, they were moving their respective planets from the natural paths to the most auspicious positions.  The powerful and highly-feared Asura king was waiting for the birth of his firstborn, a son whom he wanted to be invincible in battle. 

He had summoned the planet deities and forced them to align themselves in such a way that the horoscope of his son would make him an invincible warrior. The order was carried out and the planets were frozen there, waiting for the sound of the first cry of Ravana’s son. Time seemed to be suspended while Mandodari, Ravana’s wife, was in labour. 

Even while in the grasp of excruciating pain, Mandodari was worried about her husband’s limitless greed for power and control. Where would his limitless desire for power take him? When will his wants be satiated?

She worried about the future of her children. Would they have the freedom to follow their own dreams or would they be stuck in the whirlpool of their father’s dreams? 

Even as she was caught in the midst of these troubling thoughts, Mandodari delivered her firstborn. The baby’s first cry was so thunderous that the midwives and the people waiting outside the labour room to hear the good news were shaken for a while before they burst into mirthful laughter. 

Hearing his gutsy cries, Ravana decided to call his son, Meghnad, or the sound of thunder. With their work done satisfactorily, Ravana allowed the planets and their rulers to go back to their original positions. That was the power and might of the King of Lanka who controlled the entire cosmos. 

After all these years, Mandodari’s eyes would still light up when she recalled the day her Meghnad was born. He had become an invincible warrior, just as his father had desired. The stories of his valor, strength, and ferocious battles were numerous. 

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Today, she was helping Meghnad set up the sacred space for the special ritual. All the elements for the ceremony were neatly laid out in gold and silver plates in front of the gigantic statue carved from black marble of a fierce yet compassionate Goddess Nikumbala, (or Goddess Prathyangira, another name She was addressed by), the family deity. 

A big war was on between the Lanka army and Rama’s Vanara armies.  Ravana had lost his heart to Rama’s wife, the beautiful Sita, and had abducted her by treachery when they were living in exile. Despite Rama’s numerous pleas to return his wife with dignity and respect, Ravana refused. War was the only option left for the prince of Ayodhya who had his brother Lakshmana and a vast army of Vanara soldiers fighting on his side.

Indrajith was preparing to enter the battle for the second time in as many days. He had successfully completed the same sacrifice just a couple of days ago. The cloak of invincibility gained from the last ritual had helped him defeat Rama, Lakshmana, and Hanuman, the most loyal, able, and mighty Vanara soldier, in addition to killing hordes of Rama’s Vanara soldiers. 

Lakshmana was almost mortally wounded too. But Hanuman with his superhuman powers had managed to get the  Sanjeevini herb from the Himalayas. This potent medicine not only revived Lakshmana but also healed all the wounded soldiers of Rama’s army. 

The fear of Rama's special Vanara and the Ayodhya brothers’ prowess filled Mandodari’s heart with so much panic and dread that she had trouble breathing. She looked so intently at Indrajith who had his back to her that he instinctively turned to her and asked, “What is worrying you, mother?”

“Are you ready for another battle with Rama’s army, especially after knowing that Lakshmana was almost snatched from death by the power of the Sanjeevini herb? If Hanuman could travel such long distances in one night, then he must be a divine being. I am filled with dread, Meghnad.”

He gave her a reassuring smile and sailed, “Don't worry, mother. Even Brahma acknowledged my power and gave me the epithet Indrajith. You remember right?” His eyes twinkled mischievously knowing fully well that his mother would talk about that particular feat frequently with pride. 

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Mandodari smiled at her son’s mischievous look and recalled the day when he got the name of Indrajith or the conqueror of Indra. While there were many others before him who also defeated Indra, Meghnad’s victory was special, and an unprecedented feat! 

On one of his numerous invasions on Indralok, Ravana had gotten very deep inside the deva kingdom. He was unprotected and found himself trapped among a horde of deva warriors. He called out to Meghnad who came rushing to his aid. 

In a terrific battle, Meghnad was not only able to free Ravana but also captured Indra in a vice-like grip using extremely strong ropes. Despite struggling with all his strength, the king of gods couldn't escape from the bind. Indra’s potent thunderbolt weapon, the Vajra, proved useless too. 

The king of the devas sought help from Brahma, the Cosmic Creator who requested Meghnad to release Indra. Meghnad agreed but wanted the boon of immortality in return. 

“I cannot give you the boon of immortality because it is against the laws of nature, O brave warrior. Instead, I will give you a boon that will make you undefeatable in every battle. Perform a yagna, a fire ceremony, to your family goddess, Nikumbala, before every combat or battle. If you do so, no one will be able to defeat you in that battle. The only condition is that during the ritual, you must be weaponless. But, if your ritual is obstructed before completion, or if the sacred space is destroyed, then you can be defeated.”

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“Mother!” Mandodari returned to the present as she heard the voice of her son. Meghnad held her in a loving hug. “Have I lost any battle till now? I will emerge victorious now too. Everything is done here. Let me finish the ritual alone, as always.”

Mandodari smiled weakly at her son’s confidence. Just then, Sulochana, Indrajith’s wife came in with a basket of flowers for Goddess Nikumbala’s worship. She placed the basket near the statue of the goddess and approached her husband even as she smiled warmly at the mother-son hug. 

Her husband pulled her towards him and embraced her too, one hand around his mother and the other around his wife. “The two most gorgeous and important women in my life!”

Mandodari and Sulochana felt a surge of overflowing happiness as the warmth of Indrajith’s embrace seeped into their hearts and minds. How long would this happiness last? In a desperate voice, she said, “I tried so hard to tell your father to return Sita to her husband. But he refuses to listen. I fear that the future of Lanka is in jeopardy now.”

“I tried too, mother, to no avail. And yet, I cannot desert him now as Uncle Vibhishana did. I have to stand by my father and fight.”

“Now both of you go back to the palace and let me finish my task here before dawn to gain invincibility. I can finish the Ayodhya brothers and their army once and for all.” 

The two women couldn't sleep that night. They sat in one of the balconies overlooking the spectacular front yard of the palace. Everything in their sight was bathed in moonlight. The evening lamps in the Lanka households twinkled everywhere. 

Far away, smoke from the cooking areas of the two armies could be seen rising into the darkness. They sat talking the entire night. Mandodari tried to overcome her own fears by describing her son’s prowess to Sulochana. 

“Indrajith is trained by Shukracharaya, the thespian guru of the Asuras. He has mastered all battle and war strategies, sorcery, and magic,  and the use of the most powerful weapons under his guru’s training. He can become invisible at will and wreak havoc on the enemy camp, thanks to the power of the Tamsi Maya, a potent magical mantra taught by Shiva.”

Sulochana continued, “He also knows the use of the Nagpash weapon that unleashes thousands of virulent snakes. He invoked this weapon to bind Rama and Lakshmana. Garuda, the divine eagle, had to be summoned to free the brothers from the poisonous snake-bind. And yet, mother, why are we scared?”

“Remember the boon of invincibility has an important condition. It will not work if the ritual is destroyed or disturbed.”

“Yes! But no one knows the secret place where the ritual is conducted. Also, breaching the multiple layers of security around the secret ritual spot can take a long time. Meghnad would have completed the ritual by then, and become invincible. Who can destroy it?”

“Yes, you are right. But, aren’t Rama, Lakshmana, and Hanuman divine beings? Who else could have the audacity to even challenge the King of Lanka? Can they be stopped by anything?” 

Mandodari continued her lament. “I don't know, my child. This is just a mother’s heart filled with a deep sense of foreboding. Maybe it is nothing, and I hope my instincts are wrong.” Fear filled their hearts. 

It was almost dawn, and the orange-red light from the rising sun slowly killed the darkness of the night. 

Suddenly, they heard a commotion outside the door. The loud voice of a messenger proclaimed, “Indrajith’s fire ceremony was destroyed before he could complete it. Vibhishana betrayed us again!”

Now Mandodari realized the root of her seemingly irrational fear and sense of foreboding. She had completely forgotten about Vibhishana, her brother-in-law who had chosen to join Rama knew the location. Hanuman with his superpowers would have easily taken Rama and Lakshmana there. Indrajith would have been without a weapon during the ritual making it easy to destroy the sacred space!  

Why didn't she think of this possibility before and warn her son? They could have changed the place of the yagna, she thought to herself in utter desperation. What use were her motherly instincts if they couldn't help her son?

She swooned in panic and was about to drop to the floor when she felt two pairs of strong hands preventing her fall. She opened her eyes to look into those of her husband and son. 

“Mother, the sacrifice means nothing. I am still the strong and invincible son you gave birth to when the stars were all aligned in auspicious perfection. I will be victorious in today’s battle too,” Meghnad said, the confidence of an undefeated warrior oozing from his veins.

Yet, his mother saw the slightest hint of uncertainty in her son’s eyes. She looked at her husband who also wore a worried look. 

She thought to herself, “The fears I had when you were born are coming to fruition. Despite all your powers and strengths, your birth only served the purpose of your father’s limitless desires. You got lost in the maze of his demonic greed! I wish the planets were not so perfectly aligned then. I wish at least one of them had the courage to stand up to your father. Maybe then your life would have been imperfect but normal and happy!”

Indrajith smiled at his mother and again tried to reassure her, “I need to go now, mother.” Mandodari placed her hands on her son’s head and let him go. He walked away from her, reached the door, and turned again to look at Mandodari. That was the last glimpse she had of her son! The purpose of his birth was done and he didn't return to the palace. The invincible warrior was killed that day.