Lava Defeats Yama
This episode is in the Rājya Khaṇḍa of the Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa. Yama, the deva of death, is angry that Rāma overruled him over Sumantra. He brings his army to Ayodhyā. Rāma sends his son Lava to meet him. Lava beats Yama’s army, and with the Brahmāstra he makes Yama himself run. Sūrya then steps in and ends the battle.
Sumantra and Yama’s anger
The trouble began when Rāma freed Sumantra from Yama’s dūtas (messengers of death). The dūtas had come nine days too early. They had counted Sumantra’s life from the day his head and hands first came out at birth, and not from the day he came out completely. Rāma met them on the road, freed Sumantra, and sent the dūtas back. He said, “The birthday is counted from the day the child comes fully out of the womb. Come back in nine days.”
Yama’s dūtas went back to Yama weeping and shamed. In their distress they threw their turbans down before him. Yama was furious that he had been overruled in his own realm, and he said he would attack Rāma.
He went to Indra, Agni and all the other devas to ask for help, but each one refused. Indra said, “You want to fight Vishṇu? I myself gave him the Kalpavṛksha and the Pārijāta out of fear. What can I do against him?” Agni refused in the same way. Varuṇa, Vāyu, Kubera, Īśāna, Sūrya, Candra, the navagrahas, Dhruva, Brahmā, and even those who live in pātāla all gave Yama the same answer: “We cannot help you fight against Rāma.”
Yama was still furious and had no ally. He decided to go with his own army alone. (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, Chapter 24)
Yama besieges Ayodhyā
Yama came to the Sarayū with his whole army. He rode his great buffalo, the Mahisha, and laid siege to Ayodhyā. The city was strongly defended. It had nine prākāras (encircling walls), nine parikhās (moats filled with water), nine dvāras (gateways), doors set with jewels, and shataghnī machines on the walls. The river Sarayū ran all around it. The city shone with the light of a million suns. (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, Chapter 24)
Rāma sends Lava
Rāma watched from the city. He did not go out himself. He sent his son Lava to meet Yama in battle.
Lava rode out in his chariot while the battle drums sounded, and he fought Yama’s army. His arrows broke Yama’s dūtas completely. Crores of them fell on the battlefield in moments.
Then Yama himself came forward on his Mahisha and fought Lava face to face. Yama used all his weapons. His arrows wrecked Lava’s chariot, killed his horses, broke his bow, pierced his armour and knocked off his crown. Lava had no chariot, but he formed a new army and fought Yama again in a most fierce battle. (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, Chapter 24)
The Brahmāstra
Lava struck Yama’s Mahisha with a hundred arrows, and the great buffalo fell senseless. He struck Yama himself with a hundred more. Yama, now desperate, used the Yamadaṇḍa, the staff of death, which ordinary means cannot stop.
When Lava saw the Yamadaṇḍa coming, he let go the Brahmāstra. The Yamadaṇḍa met the Brahmāstra and was forced back. Yama panicked and began to run. The Brahmāstra chased him like the fire at the end of the world, blazing behind him as he fled. (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, Chapter 24)
Sūrya steps in
Sūrya was watching the battle from his chariot. He was in a hard place, because Yama is his son and Lava is a descendant of his solar line. Both were of his family. Seeing Yama in deadly danger from the Brahmāstra, Sūrya quickly set his mūrti in his chariot to stand in for him, and came down to Lava himself.
Sūrya said to Lava, “O son, stop this. Take back the Brahmāstra. You are a son of our solar line. A vīra (hero) protects even an enemy who has run from the field. Yama is a fool (mūrkha), but every family has its fool. Does that make all the others fools? I am your ancestor, and I am also Yama’s father. Please show mercy to my son.”
Lava heard the earnest plea of his ancestor Sūrya and at once took back the Brahmāstra. The battle ended. (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, Chapter 24)
Peace is made
Sūrya brought Yama forward. Lava went back to Rāma’s court with Sūrya. Rāma went out to welcome his ancestor Sūrya with every honour. He went forward himself, took Sūrya’s hand and led him into the sabhā (court). There he seated Sūrya on his own throne, offered him pūjā with the sixteen offerings (shoḍaśopachāra), and sat before his ancestor with deep respect.
Sūrya said, “O Rāghava, I have come to ask forgiveness for the folly of my son Yama.” He led Yama forward and had him bow to Rāma. All the devas who had come to watch also bowed to Rāma.
At Rāma’s command, Indra sent down a rain of nectar (sudhāvṛshṭi) on the battlefield. All of Yama’s warriors who had fallen were brought back to life, together with their mounts. (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, Chapter 24)
Rāma’s command to Yama
Rāma then gave Yama a royal command in dharma:
“As long as I rule this earth, take only those whose full lifespan (pūrṇāyushya) is complete. Do not take anyone before that time.”
Yama agreed. From that day no one died before their time in Rāmarājya. The kingdom of Rāma was truly free of akāla-mṛtyu (early death). (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, Chapter 24)
Sources
- Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, Chapter 24