The Birth of Indrajith
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 checkered tiles of black granite and gold. 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 and 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 valour, strength, and ferocious battles were numerous.
Indrajith’s Sacred Ritual
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 said, “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.
Indrajith – the Epithet
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 many others before him 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.”
Indrajith – the Son and Husband
“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 on 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, 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 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. Vibhishana 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 herself held by two pairs of strong hands. 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. He died chasing his father’s dreams.
Image created using Co-pilot
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
Thank you once again for sharing this episode from the Ramayana. Although I knew of his powers and invincibility, I wasn’t aware how he achieved them. It’s sad that a warrior and brave heart such as him was fated to die for his father’s greed for power
Thank you, Manali. Yes, you’re right about children having to live for parents’ wishes. This trend continues even today.
I haven’t read this story, so it was interesting. It was interesting to see how both parents viewed their children, one to live his dreams and the other to cherish. And the child just lived the more dominating dream. Now, I really do feel sad for Meghnad.
Oh yes, I’ve always had a soft corner for Indrajith. He could’ve been someone better if he wasn’t born to such a dominating, proud father.
Wonderful. You manage to bring even a known story to appear as interesting as if we are hearing it for the first time.
I feel really bad to think that valiant warriors like Abhimanyu and Indrajeet had to be defeated by unfair means. They say all is fair in love and war… but it’s sad! One character I have liked among Ravan’s clan is Indrajeet and it was really nice to re-visit his story through you. Thank you Ratna.
P.S: Have I told u that I look forward to reading your blogs every week? 😊
Aww, thanks so much, Kaveri. You just lit up my day. And yes, Abhimanyu and Indrajith and other underdog people are favourites of mine too.
Thanks for sharing this with us. You make even familiar stories feel fresh and exciting. I love reading these to my daughter—it’s a fun way to share stories with her that she might not pick up on her own.
Oh man! My heart is filled that you’re reading these stories to your daughter. Thank you so very much.
The Ramayana and its stories are something that i am not familiar with, so reading them here has been a good learning experience… there are so many lessons in these stories.
Yes, so many timeless life lessons from our itihasas and puranas. Thank you, Ishieta
Thank you for sharing these stories. The birth story is new to me. Ravan’s brother and son died chasing his dream. We rarely look at it that way.
I know. Children always bear the burden of their parents. It is this fear that is supposed to drive parents away from wrongdoing. Thank you, Madhu.
We all know about Indrajeet as someway or other we all read Mahabharata and Ramayana in our childhood, but I was completely unaware of the angle that you talked about in this story. I really wonder how you do this much level of research for penning these stories. kudos to you mam
Thank you, Samata, for your praise. I do read and research a lot before penning my retellings. Often, research takes a lot more time than the actual writing.
Thanks for sharing yet another beautiful story. I was not aware of quite a few aspects of it. Another example of kids paying for their parent’s deeds. So glad to have discovered your blog.
Thank you that you discovered my blog too. Please do subscribe if you can.
I never read Ramayan. Learning something new every time I read your stories. I understand from the story that kids have to face due to parents karma. I guess in reality also this rule applies.
The stories I write are specifically targeted at people like you who don’t know too much about our itihasas and puranas. Thank you for reading them, Neeta
Meghnad was a great warrior, just like his father. But like they say, vices tower over your virtues and will eventually pull you down someday. So much to learn from Ramayana. 🙏
Rightly said, Varsh. Plenty to learn, indeed
Indrajith has always fascinated me. His character has been etched out to evoke even greater curiousity and admiration. Once again, a great narrative.
Thank you so much, Mandira
Your story are really interesting and teaches me a lot about stories I would never know. Continue to share such wonderful tales
Thank you, Caroline, for your appreciation.
I’m fascinated by the details of the sacred ritual and the conditions for invincibility. Indrajith’s confidence is intriguing. It’s sad to see how his strength comes with such a heavy price, given that I’m hearing this story for the first time
Thank you, Felicia, for liking my story, and that it was your first time hearing it gives me immense joy. My retellings are often aimed at first-timers of Indian puranas and itihasas.
Thank, Ratna. Many of your stories are known to us and yet, you bring in some new tit-bits to it. I enjoy reading your posts because there is always something new to learn in it.
Thank you, Janaki, for your encouraging words.
Thanks for sharing this episode from Ramayana. I had heard lots of praises for Indraj it’s warriorship but never knew that planets were particularly assigned for him to attain maximum power. Each time I read your post, I am overwhelmed by mythology and its hidden meanings.
Thank you, Shifali. I’m so happy you liked my tale.
Indrajith is one of my favourite characters from Ramayana. He was one the bravest warrior, a great son and a great husband too. He loved his service towards his father’s dream . Amazing way you depicted his personality here.
Yes, Pamela. I’ve always had a soft corner for Indrajith. I feel he would’ve corrected his father’s mistakes if he had gotten the chance to become king of the Asuras.
I had a great time reading this blog. I must be honest, I’m not one of those who enjoy reading mythologies but this one was written to for someone to gain interest on it. Great writing!
Thank you, Jeaninine. My effots are vindicated. I write so more people understand our forgotten puranas.