Kamba Ramayana A study 23. Indrajit though critical of his father was totally loyal and gave up his life.

The author chooses to dwell on Indrajit next. The ablest fighter in the Rakshasa Army, and one who dares to use harsh words to Ravana. When Hanuman was destroying Lanka, Ravana sent his brother Aksha to fight him and was killed. A very upset Indrajit faults his father; 'Thou weighest not the danger beforehand but rushes unthinking to it, and then thou sufferest.'

When his father informs that his brother Atikaya was killed by Lakshmana, he retorts, 'No it is thou that sent him to the slaughter.' But offers to lead the army of Rakshasas when his father gets ready to fight, saying that it is below Ravana's dignity to fight a puny man!

The gods and the whole world live in perpetual terror of his valor. The devas fear of him was as much due to his magic arts as to his valor. Indrajit uses his magic to create a living replica of Sita and severs her head in front of Hanuman. Rama hears this terrible news and faints. It is Vibhishana who reassures Rama that Sita is still alive and urges him to send Lakshmana with an army to fight Indrajit.

Indrajit is invincible because of a Yajna he performs before every battle. On the completion of the Yagna, a supreme celestial chariot would appear, boarding which, Indrajit would become invincible in any battle. But Brahma also cautioned him that whosoever would destroy this yagna would also kill him. (Wikipedia!). But Vibhishana who knows about it, leads Lakshmana to the place where it is performed and they manage to distract Indrajit from completing the ritual. That is his undoing!

Things go wrong for Indrajit, as Lakshmana has answers for all his astras and wiles. Seriously worried,  he makes an attempt to convince his father to give up Sita. Ravana is not pleased and with stinging words tells his son, ..think not I hoped that thou wouldst beat my foes upon the field: in my sole arm I placed my trust. And readies to fight by ordering his chariot to be made ready.

Indrajit apologises to his father and goes to fight for the last time. When Indrajit fell dead, Lakshmana surprisingly has the severed head of Indrajit carried as a trophy to show  Rama. The author adds, but the valor of Indrajit is not lessened by the indignities shown to his body....It is true that he was bad, cruel and wily. ...but one could remember him as the proud defender of his father's glories. And one who understood however bravely he might fight, he could not escape his doom and still fought.

VR does not mention that Indrajit's severed head was carried as a trophy. I saw this painting of Ravi Varma on the net. While I do not know the story, it surely reflects the times and personality of Indrajit.


The victory of Mega Nada by Raja Ravi Verma

The heroics of Indrajit are acknowledged by the society at large as his name is given to a number babies, while the other names (including Vibhishana's) is not given that honour! In fact, in North India Vibhishana is proffered as the archetypical example of treachery!
R