Ramayan 11th August 2013 Written Update

Episode begins with Makaraksh shouting to Shri Lakshman that he is there to kill Ram & will fight no one else, and if Ram is a warrior, he should accept his challenge, because he has taken a vow that he will take the head of Ram with him. Shri Lakshman taunted him saying that he can see Shri Ram from a distance, draw of picture of his face, & take that picture with him to Lanka. Angad endorsed this suggestion. By that time, Shri Ram arrived & asked Makaraksh as to why he thinks he has a right to fight him. Makaraksh replied that the vow of his mother has given him this right. He told Shri Ram that he is son of Khar whom Ram killed in Panchvati. So his mother has taken a vow that he will use blood filled in Ram’s skull to complete his dead husband’s last rites (tarpan etc.) Lord Ram assured Makaraksh that if he emerges victorious in their battle, he will definitely get to carry Ram’s head with him & no one will stop him. Shri Ram gave appropriate instructions to Sugreev & Lakshman. As expected, Lakshmanji appeared less than happy seeing Shri Ram giving Makaraksh such assurances.

Shri Ram – Makaraksh battle began. Makaraksh tried hard, used all his powers, but was killed ultimately. Shri Ram praised his efforts to fulfil his mother’s wish, even though it meant putting his life in danger, and instructed King Sugreev to see that Makaraksh’s dead body is returned to Lanka. When Raavan heard of Shri Ram killing Makaraksh, he was visibly shocked, then said that Makaraksh has rendered a commendable service to his country & his people. Raavan’s dad-in-law Maalyavaan goes to Meghnaad who was giving some instruction to a security officer. Meghnaad tells him that he is thinking of calling more demon warriors from afar seeing that Shri Ram’s army has upper hand. Maalyavan says that there is no need to call anyone, all he needs to do is wake up his uncle Kumbhkarna. Maghnaad is very happy with this suggestion & asks the officer to wake up Kumbhkarna immediately.

Trijata comes to Shri Sitaji in Ashok Vatika & tells her that she will see her husband very soon. Maa Janaki asks for how long she will give her false hope? Trijata assures her that it is not false hope as on the very first day of the war, Shri Ram’s army has gained an upper hand. Shri Janaki is very happy hearing this, and asks Trijata whether Shri Ram & Lakshman are alright? Trijata assures her that they are fine, and Shri Ram’s & his army’s strength & might appeared overwhelming in the battlefield. It appeared that in all directions, only Shri Ram’s army existed, & nothing else. She also informs Maa Janaki that Raavan too went to fight Shri Ram but Shri Ram defeated him comprehensively & told him to come back again tomorrow as he appeared tired & utterly defeated today. Sitaji asked what affect all this had on Raavan? Trijata replied that Raavan has decided to wake up his bro Kumbhkarna.

That security officer sort of a chap with many guards reaches a hall where Kumbhkarna was sleeping. Kumbhkarna being a giant, the way these other fellows appeared before him, it was a case of Gulliver sleeping in Lilliput. Anyhow, the guards, following that officer chap’s instruction tried a lot of things to wake him up, which included blowing bugles & trumpets near his ears, trying to pierce him with weapons, & so on. What eventually worked was the smell of freshly prepared food, lots of delicacies there, including jalebis, my favourite too. so imo, Kumbhkarna did the right thing by getting up. No sense in letting all that tasty food go waste.

Anyhow, after eating to his heart’s content, Kumbhkarna receives information about all that happened in Lanka while he was asleep. Raavan was shown standing in a balcony of his palace, probably second or third floor, waiting for Kumbhkarna. Kumbhkarna arrives, & Raavan says that since Lanka is in deep trouble, he decided to wake him up. Kumbhkarna said that this trouble arrived because Raavan couldn’t see what is as clear as daylight, and that is Shri Ram is Shriman Narayan & Sitaji is Maa Lakshmi. Had he not kidnapped Sita, there would have been no trouble. Raavan replied that he kidnapped Sita to avenge the humiliation of Soorpnakha. Kumbhkarna replied that abducting a lone woman is no way of avenging some humiliation, & that he is cloaking his lust in the garb of avenging his sister. He also said that Raavan should have listened to Vibhishan & Mandodari. Ravan replied that if this is how Kumbhkarna feels, he can go back & sleep, he will fight alone. Kumbhkarna said that he is not saying he will not fight, merely telling him facts. Now, he will go & fight.

Shri Ram, Lakshman, Hanuman & Sugreev sees from a distance giant Kumbhkarna arriving on the battlefield. They also see Vibhishan going to meet him. Vibhishan goes to Kumbhkarna, who asked him how could he leave his elder brother Ravan? Vibhishan told him that he never left Ravan but actually Ravan threw him out of Lanka. He also asked Kumbhkarna to accept the crown of Lanka which Shri Ram has given him, & avoid all this bloodshed. But Kumbhkarna replied that he will fight for his elder brother because he cannot see his brother Raavan dying all alone in this war. he also told Vibhishan that since he is the only one of the Vishrwa clan who will survive after the war, complete all the last rites of his brothers according to Vedic rituals. Vibhishan goes away with tears in his eyes.

Kumbhkarna then starts creating havoc in Shri Ram’s army, with hordes of monkeys getting killed under his giant feet. Seeing this, Angad attacks him. When Kumbhkarna comes to know that Angad is Bali son, he says that Angad has done very wrong by serving the killer of his father, & that he will kill Angad. Hanumanji intervenes, & throws a huge rock at him, but Kumbhkarna is unmoved. Lakshman says that he cannot wait to fight Kumbhkarna, so Shri Ram sends him to fight. Lakshmanji arrives before kumbhkarna.

Precap : Raavan is shouting, telling Maghnaad that come what may, he will kill Ram today. Maghnaad tells him that there is no need for him to worry as his son Meghnaad is still alive. Maghnaad take a vow that if he doesn’t come back victorious to Lanka after today’s battle, he will commit suicide by jumping in the ocean.