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As Rama prepares for war with Ravana, Angad, the brave son of Bali, boldly confronts Ravana. His daring challenge to move just one foot humiliates Ravana, showing how pride can lead to downfall.
Characters in the story:
Angad: Angad is a son of the powerful vanara king Bali and his wife Tara. He is the nephew of Sugriva. After Rama and Sugriva kill his father, Angada joins Rama’s forces to rescue mata Sita from Ravana’s captivity.
Ranava: Ravana, a prominent character in the Hindu epic Ramayana, is widely recognized as the demon king of Lanka. Infamous for abducting Sita, the wife of Lord Rama, he faced his ultimate downfall at the hands of Lord Rama.
Lord Rama: Lord Rama is one of the most revered deities in Hinduism and is the seventh avataar of Lord Vishnu. He is known for his virtues of righteousness, courage, and devotion, and is considered a symbol of ideal human behavior and the victory of good over evil.
Mandodari: Mandodari was the queen consort of Ravana, the king of Lanka. Ramayana describes her as beautiful, pious, and righteous. She is extolled as one of the Panchakanya, the recital of whose names is believed to dispel sin.
When Mandodari learned of Rama’s arrival in Lanka with his army, she urgently appealed to Ravana. Describing Rama’s might, she begged him to return Sita and seek forgiveness, assuring him of Rama’s mercy. Ravana, arrogantly dismissing her fears, boasted of his past feats—lifting Mount Kailash and subjugating gods—while belittling Rama’s forces as “men and monkeys”. Unmoved, Mandodari fell silent.
Ravana’s Spies and Sugreeva’s Misstep
Under cover of night, Ravana dispatched spies Shuk and Saran, disguised as monkeys, to assess Rama’s camp. Captured by vigilant vanars, they invoked Rama’s name to avoid mutilation. Brought before Rama, they were pardoned and released. Later, Sugreeva infiltrated Ravana’s palace, overpowering him briefly in a show of strength. However, Rama reprimanded Sugreeva for reckless action, emphasizing the need for strategic thinking.
Rama’s Diplomatic Move: Angad as Emissary
As Ravana strategized for war, Rama prioritized diplomacy to spare lives. Overruling Vibhishana’s skepticism about Ravana’s willingness to negotiate, Rama insisted on sending a final envoy. Though Hanuman volunteered, Rama chose Angad—Bali’s son and Hanuman’s equal in strength—reasoning a less contentious figure might sway Ravana. Angad hesitated, haunted by a childhood curse: his guru had warned that harming Ravana’s son, Akshay Kumar (his former classmate), would prove fatal. Yet, trusting Rama’s wisdom, he accepted the mission. Ravana, anticipating Angad’s arrival, braced for a clash of wits, unaware of the psychological blow his envoy would strike.
Angad’s Confrontation in Ravana’s Court
As Angad approached Lanka, terror gripped its people. Mistaking him for Hanuman—the vanar who had once ravaged their city—they fled, whispering, “Has the destroyer returned?”
Undeterred, Angad strode into Ravana’s court. Declaring himself Rama’s envoy, he demanded Sita’s return and Ravana’s surrender. When Ravana scoffed, Angad coiled his tail into a towering seat, looming above the demon king. “I am Angad, son of Bali,” he declared, “the king who once trapped you in his armpit for six months.”
Ravana, misreading Rama’s diplomacy as weakness, jeered, “Your master fears me!” His sycophants echoed hollow praise. Unshaken, Angad retorted, “Bali defeated you seven times. As for Rama’s strength—he bridged oceans effortlessly, while your kin failed to bind a single monkey!” Mocking Ravana’s theft of Sita, he added, “Thieves of gold are common, but a thief of wives? A rare sight indeed.”
Ravana, stung, tried to sway Angad: “Join me! Rama is a wanderer; he’ll lose.” Angad countered, “Where are you? Your Lanka burned by a monkey’s tail, yet Rama stands undaunted.”
When Ravana sneered, “Why serve your father’s killer?” Angad’s resolve never wavered. Their clash of words laid bare Ravana’s hubris and Angad’s unyielding loyalty to Rama—a battle of wits foreshadowing the war to come.
Psychological Warfare and the Foot Challenge
Finally, when Ravana bluntly refused to agree to the terms of the peace treaty Angad had brought, Angad declared, “Before you decide to battle our army, try to move this foot of mine. If anyone here can shift it even by the width of a sesame seed, I will abandon the fight for Sita here and now.”
Ravana ordered his courtiers to seize Angad’s foot and hurl him to the ground. First, he sent Akshay Kumar. Though Angad recalled the curse (if he harmed Akshay Kumar, he would perish), he drew courage from Ramaa’s name and overpowered him once more. Next, Indrajit (Meghnath) tried, but Angad’s foot remained immovable. All courtiers failed, leaving Ravana humiliated.
When Ravana himself stepped forward and bent to grip Angad’s foot, Angad whispered, “Would it not be wiser to clasp Shri Rama’s feet instead?”
Ravana’s Humiliation and Defiant Resolve
As Ravana attempted to move Angad’s foot, he lost his balance, and his crown fell. Angad picked it up and hurled it toward Rama’s camp, leaving the king shamed. He silently returned to his seat. Angad challenged Ravana once again, but receiving no response, he departed unchallenged. Ravana’s mother, Kekasi, swiftly warned him of the impending disaster, but he ignored her.
Final Preparations for War
Angad returned triumphant, earning praise from Rama and his allies for his valor and wit. As both sides strategized, Ravana’s hubris sealed Lanka’s fate, while Rama’s army, united in purpose, readied for an inevitable clash.
Angad’s courage and wit left Ravana humiliated, yet the demon king’s pride blinded him to the coming doom. With Ram’s army ready for battle, the stage was set for a clash that would decide the fate of Lanka and uphold the victory of righteousness over arrogance.
