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603
LITERARY EVALUATION
Ravana's overflowing pride and enthusiasm and his uncontrolled wrath have been brought out in his retorts under-mining the advice of Vibhiṣana and in his counter challenges to Laksmana at 73.13-23.
sent
tolerate
At 8.68-84 in connection with Kumbhakarna's plundering the country of Vaiśravana there is a spirited warning of the messenger to Sumalin by Vaiśravana. This warning verges on threatening. Naturally Ravana's spirited youth does not it because Lanka was his hereditary possession which was usurped Vaisravana. by Vaisravana deprecates He angrily retorts and He even raises his sword to sever off the head of the messenger but Vibhişana saves the situation.
to
Such hot exchange of words between the messenger of a king on one hand and another king or his army head on the other is an usual feature preceding a war at 37.19-25; 53.129f and 65.12-34.
Non-compliance with the messages frequently lead to a call for battle. In such calls there is a vigorous display of caurage and enthusiasm in the belligerent parties.
At 8.89-92, 12.82-87 and 70.63-71 there are brisk preparations for battle by Vaisravana, Indra and Ravana's soldiers respectively. Then follow their marchings and consequently fierce battles between the Soldiers parties concerned. These are the spots of heroic sentiment. are thrilled and enthused at the very name of war. At the final call The fierce they at once rush to the battlefield with a positive will. weapons they are equipped with, the sky rending cheers that they raise, the music of the trumpets and the wardrums, their fearful march which sometimes is said to throw into chaos the entire earth-all these are vividly described.
At 56.27-44 and 57.1-27 there is similar description of marching soldiers of Ravana and Rāma respectively. Here merely a long list of
proper names is appended.
The descriptions of the war scenes at above places are realistic and concrete but all are based on the same pattern.
At 61.32-42 there is a fierce neck to neck fight between the armies of the Vanaras and the Rākṣasas. Various critical positions arising in the battlefield follow in a pictursque succession. Some soldier entangled in a serious fight catches his sword between his teeth and girlds up his loins with both his hands. Soldiers challenge one
