Vedic Katha
In the last battle of the war of Lanka, Rama, riding Indra's chariot and strengthened by the Aditya Hridayam taught by Agastya, fights Ravana for…
The war of Lanka lasted many days. One by one the great warriors of Ravana's army fell: Prahasta his general, the giant Kumbhakarna, and at last his son Indrajit, slain by Lakshmana.
Ravana came in a chariot drawn by fearsome beasts, while Rama fought on foot. Seeing this, Indra sent down his own chariot with his charioteer Matali.
As the duel wore on and Rama grew weary, the sage Agastya came down to the battlefield and taught him the Aditya Hridayam, a hymn to the Sun that destroys enemies and grants victory.
Rama cut off Ravana's heads with his arrows, but each time a new head took its place, and the battle raged for days and nights without rest.
Vibhishana wept for his brother and hesitated to perform his last rites, remembering his cruelty. Rama told him that enmity ends with death, and that Ravana, whatever he had done, had been a great and brave…
Sita was brought to Rama. Before the assembled armies he spoke harshly to her, and she entered a fire to prove her purity.
The fall of Ravana is the classic image of good overcoming evil, but the Ramayana tells it with care. Rama wins with help: Indra's chariot, Agastya's hymn, Vibhishana's counsel.
Vedic Katha
The complete story, its characters and sources, on Vedic Katha.