Their are many sources that will be used here. This post will be divided into 2 part's. Firstly i will provide a list of quotes from Ramayana, Mahabharat both. Second and last i will end this post with multiple quote's from the Puranas. Their will be no other post on this matter of Ram losing to Meghanad.
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Mahabharat.
1st
[Quote]
"And seeking that invisible warrior who was ceaselessly showering his arrows, the monkeys penetrated into every part of the firmament, armed with huge masses of stone. Them as well as the two brothers, however, the invisible Rakshasa began to afflict with his shafts. Indeed, the son of Ravana, concealing himself by his powers of illusion, furiously attacked the monkey host. And the heroic brothers Rama and Lakshmana, pierced all over with arrows, dropped down on the ground."
[End]
In the next chapter;
"Beholding both the brothers Rama and Lakshmana prostrate on the ground, the son of Ravana tied them in a net-work of those arrows of his which he had obtained as boons. And tied by Indrajit on the field of battle by means of that arrowy net, those heroic tigers among men resembled a couple of hawks immured in a cage. And beholding those heroes prostrate on the ground pierced with hundreds of arrows, Sugriva with all the monkeys stood surrounding them on all sides."
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[screenshot for defining the word "prostrate"]
Logic - like a typical namard loser, both brothers dug their faces in mud to hide their shame.
=================
Ramayan.
Defeat 1;
"Being enraged in battle, Indrajit bursted out serpent-like terrible arrows into all the limbs of Rama and Lakshmana who were born in Raghu dynasty. Enveloped by illusion, he sought to confuse Rama and Lakshmana in the struggle there and invisible to all beings through his magic arts, Indrajit the ranger of the night bound those two brothers Rama and Lakshmana with a net work of arrows."
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Defeat 2;
"Indrajit, the victorious in battle, transfixed Rama and Lakshmana with those arrows that lacerated their flesh in great measure. The bodies of both those warriors, Rama and Lakshmana were densely transfixed with serpentine arrows by the enraged Indrajit. Blood flowed from the wound-marks of both Rama and Lakshmana and both of them shone like Kimshuka trees in flowring."
Defeat 3;
"Speaking thus to the brothers Rama and Lakshmana, who were aware of righteousness, Indrajit pierced them with pointed arrows and shouted too exultantly. Indrajit, who was as black as a heap of shattered collyrium, stretching his immense bow, discharged formidable arrows even once more, in that great fight. That warrior, Indrajit, who was aware of their vital parts, set up a continual shouting, digging sharp arrows into the vital parts of Rama and Lakshmana."
"Those two princes, in the forefront of battle, bounded by that net work of arrows in the twinkling of an eye, became incapable of even looking up. Pierced in their vital parts, exhausted, and covered all over with heads of arrows, those two mighty and courageous archers fell to the earth, they who were the lords of the earth, shaking violently like a pair of flag-staffs in honour of Indra the Lord celestials and freed from their raised of chords."
"Those warriors, Rama and Lakshmana, lying on that heroes' bed (on the battle-ground), bathed in blood, all their limbs bristling with arrows and extremely injured, felt distressed. There was not a finger's breadth on their bodies form the tips of their fingers to the end of their feet that was not lacerated, implanted and pierced by those arrows."
"Struck down by that ferocious demon, who was able to change his shape at will, the hot blood gushed forth from both Rama and Lashmana, as water from a spring. Rama fell first, his vital parts pierced by arrows of the wrathful Indrajit, who had formerly vanquished Indra the Lord of celestials."
"Indrajit pierced Rama by arrows with golden shafts, with sharp points, which had downward movement, which go fast, Narchas, Demi-narachas, Bhallas (with wide tips), Anjalis, Vatsa dantas, Simha dantas and those shafts like unto razors. Throwing asunder his bow bent at three places, adorned with gold, with its string loosened away and detached from the hold of his fist, Rama lied down on the battle-ground."
"Seeing Rama the excellent man fallen, at a distance of an arrows range, Lakshman became hopeless about his own life. Seeing his elder brother Rama, with his eyes resembling lotus-leaves, having fallen on the ground, wounded as he was by a net work of arrows, Lakshmana felt sad."
Logic - it's a clear defeat for your bhagvan Ramji. He had help from his brother Laxman yet he still failed to prevent his defeat.
4th defeat.
[Quote]
"Thereafter, Rama and Lakshmana there became struck by a multitude of arrows of Indrajit. That leader of demons also there, causing affliction to both of them, roared with a thrill of rapture in battle. Thus causing the army of monkeys along with Rama and Lakshmana to become despondent in battle, that Indrajit, getting eulogized by the demons, quickly reached the city of Lanka which was being protected by Ravana's arms. Then, Indrajit cheerfully informed all that had happened, to his father."
[End]
[additional quoting]
"Then, in the battle-front, Rama and Lakshmana were knocked down senseless. The army of monkey-leaders fainted. Sugreeva, Nila, Angada and Jambavan could not understand what to do."
[final end]
Shri Ram is beaten pretty easily.
5th beating of shri Ram.
[Quote]
"Concluding that both of them were the two princes, Rama and Lakshmana and stringing his bow, he covered them with a flood of arrows, as the rainy clouds do. That Indrajit with his chariot, reaching the sky and remaining invisible, struck Rama and Lakshmana with his sharp arrows. When enveloped by a stream of arrows Rama and Lakshamana, fitted arrows to their bows and revealed divine missiles."
[End]
[Requote]
"That enraged Indrajit in battle, abundantly pierced Rama in all his limbs with his arrows, which were earlier granted as boons to him and which were effluent like the sun. Both Rama and Lakshmana, the foremost of men, who were being struck with steel arrows, like two mountains being hit by torrents, released sharp golden-shafted arrows."
[Another enD]
Logic - in this battle the loser brother's resorted to divine weapons earlier than Meghanad did, even though it was Meghanad fighting an entire army including those 2 brother's he didnt use divine astras until the namard betas of Dashrath started it. After this Meghanad decides to cheat by showing a fake Seetha, due to the fact that Ram and Laxman both teamed up doing a group attack.
Cross reference by Meghanada himself.
[quoTe]
"Don't you remember my prowess in the first encounter, when you along with your brother, was bound by me and you wriggled on the floor? At first, both of you along with your foremost warriors in a major encounter, were indeed laid down unconscious on the ground, by my arrows which were equal to Indra's thunderbolt. The fact that you desire to attack me means that either the remembrance of it no longer exists in you or I presume you desire to go clearly to the abode of Yama the lord of Death."
[enD]
Note: laxman was standing speechles when he heard Indrajit mention this, because Laxman knew the opponent was telling him the truth.
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FROM POORANAS
As per the Puranas (not as per Jaideep) this "Ram/Laxman" team were hijdas.
1st
[Quote]
"Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa fainted on account of the arrow discharged by Indrajit. Regaining their consciousness after perceiving Tārkṣya"
[End]
Defeated a 2nd time.
[Quote]
"Fighting by conceit, Indrajit bound Rāma and others with the Nāgāstra got as a gift. After they were made secure and free from wounds when Māruti had brought the mountain."
[End]
3rd;
"Rāvaṇa sent his son Indrajit, O Brāhmaṇas. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, the two sons of Daśaratha, were struck in the battle by Indrajit with exceedingly dreadful serpent-missiles. They were then liberated by the noble-souled son of Vinatā (Garuḍa)."
4th.
[Quote]
"Indrajit made the brothers Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa unconscious in the battlefield. His vehicle was destroyed by Aṅgada with dreadful arrows. Staying in the firmament he struck down all the monkeys along with Kumuda, Aṅgada, Sugrīva, Nala, Jāṃbavān and others. Having struck down Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa thus in the battlefield, the exceedingly powerful Meghanāda vanished in the sky."
5th:
"Indrajit had victory on the second day in the dark half of Phālguna. There was a temporary truce for five days beginning with the third day and ending with the seventh day. It was due because there everyone was. Urgently occupied in the task of bringing the medicinal herbs."
6th
[Quote]
"The month of Māgha, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa were fettered with Nāgapāśa (serpentine noose) in the course of the battle by Indrajit. All the leading monkeys became desperate and bewildered."
[End]
7th.
"Confused battle took place between the demons and the monkeys. On the night of the ninth day of the bright half of Māgha Indrajit bound Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with the serpent-noose. When the lordly monkeys were perplexed."
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My opinion - though i'm extremely happy that the Puranas highlighted Meghanad's prowess and did justice to Indrajits character.... at the same time i can not label Purans authentic due tot he simple fact that they contradict eachother.
The defeat was described differently in padma puran when you compare it with skanda puran and agni puran. Still now i have provided people with a debating tool/resource to be used against the hanutards and ram bhakts that have degraded and insulted Indrajit.
Even Purans state the same as Ramayana that Indrajit defeated Ram, Laxman, Hanutati several times. He is indeed the finest warrior of Indian epics. I have to rate him above Arjuna too.
Ram also had blessings of Brahmadev:
"Brahma being delighted gave celestial weapons to Rama, the man with great splendor. Rama the hero and the tiger among men."
So Ram does not have an excuse for being defeated by Meghanad.
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Misconception "divine astras could have been used by Laxman to kill Meghanad"
Debunk.
That is another false statement as if you read Ramayana u would understand that the loser brothers (ram/laxman) teamed up and fired multiple un named divine astras.
Quote:
"When enveloped by a stream of arrows Rama and Lakshamana, fitted arrows to their bows and revealed divine missiles. Though covering the sky with a net-work of arrows, the two mighty princes could not touch Indrajit with their arrows charged with mystic missiles and which were efflugent like the sun."
[End]
Logic - it's clearly written how those 2 clown's failed to harm Indrajit in any way.
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Meghanad & cheating.
He used boon's.
Refute - Those boons had been earned on the basis of his own skill, commitment and toil. He has the right to enjoy fruits of his patience, deeds and hard work. And it does not change the fact that in most of the puranas i linked nowhere was a single boon mentioned as being the reason for Meghanad's victory over the loser brothers of ayodhya.
Similarly in the quotes of Ramayana, their was very little to no mention of a boon being the reason for Meghanad winning a duel against shri Ram.
He used magic & hid himself.
Refute - So did Chitrasen (a Gandharv that fought prince Arjun), Vishnu, Shiva etc also resorted to such method of warfare.
And Meghanad did not always make himself invisible, at certain occasions he fought face to face without any invisibility.
More over Meghanad was fighting to defend his homeland's soil from invaders, so this was a different type of war, he is every right to use any technique suitable to him.
Even warriors in Mahabharat knew how to attack invisible demons like Alamvusha, Alayudha, Ghatotkaca etc. If Ram fails then he failed, dont fault Meghanad for being a winner. You should blame ram, fault him instead. Be angry with Valmiki for telling the truth.
SAY "SATYAMEV JAYATE" But actually follow it. Practice it, accept the truth.
Ur useless idol failed to beat a young inexperienced prince of lanka.
Meghanad beat shri Ram over 12 times.
Total count;
1 in Mahabharat.
7 in Puranas.
4 confirmed in Ramayan (Sarga's 44, 45 & 46, 73 and 80 one more that i discuss below).
The fifth defeat is not a complete loss because Meghanad did retreat once to get the mayavi seetha with him but the point in Meghanad's favor is that he wounded shri Ram multiple times in that occasion and Ram failed to do the same to him. It happened in Sarga 80 and Ram couldn't do anything.
6th defeat in Ramayana is arguable because the sixth is Ram swooning when someone tell's him about seetha's VADH, though it was due to Meghanad's action against seetha it also has to do with the words coming from laxman's mouth.
[Quote]
Intercepting the narrating Lakshmana in the middle, Vibhishana spoke the following amply meaningful words to Rama, who was in an unconscious state.
[End]
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