Thread by @abhilegend000

This thread is regarding myths about Meghnad/Indrajit's battle skills and the way he is often described as better than Lakshmana and Bhagwan Ram. I'll be citing Bibek Debroy and Valmiki Ramayana by Gita Press only.

#Ramayan

First, let's check Gita Press Ramayan.

1. Indrajit is outright defeated by Angad.
2. Indrajit considered himself beaten
3. He bound Shri Ram and Lakshman by arrows by deceit
4. Outright said that this was by deceit

1&2. Again fights the vanar army by deceit
3&4. Shri Ram and Lakshman were defeated by their own consent to not deny Brahma's boon (Indrajit is also hidden by the same boon)

Continued:
1.Its by their own choice
2&3. Vibhisan says the same

1. When next time he went to fight, he did a special yagya and got an invisible chariot
2. Got the power of teleportation by the yagya
3. Again started the fight after being invisible
4. Fought while being invisible

1. Both Shri Ram and Lakshman baffled arrows which were shot by invisible Indrajit
2. Again the same
3. Lakshman asked to shot brahmastra but Shri Ram denied
4. Indrajit fled (like another famed "anti hero") when he found about Shri Ram using divyastras

1&2: Again started doing yagya after killing fake Mata Sita to discourage Vanar army
3: He is invincible after doing this yagya

Lakshman vs Indrajit, the only fair fight

Continued
2&3: Indrajit gets scared by Lakshman and gets knocked out

Continued
2. Lakshman laughs off Indrajit's arrows as mild and shatters his armor
3. Lakshman's armor got shattered (so much for invincible armor myth)

Continued
4. Lakshman is outright called invincible by narrator

Continued
4. Lakshman kills Indrajit's charioteer

Continued

Continued
3. Lakshman breaks two of Indrajit's bows
4. Lakshman stops all of Indrajit's arrows easily and shoots arrows so fast that he shot every rakshasa there with three arrows and mangled Indrajit simultaneously

Continued
1. Lakshman again kills his charioteer and stops all his arrows

Continued

This time both used divyastras

Continued

Finally killed Indrajit by Aindastra

Now to critical edition of Ramayana

1&2:Indrajit vs Angada. Indrajit is defeated and used Brahma's boon
3&4: Indrajit used his maya and deceit to bind both Shri Ram and Lakshman

It is mentioned that these arrows were actually serpents (Kadru's son) and not Indrajit's own weapons

Next, Shri Ram and Lakshman allow themselves to be struck down by Brahmastra. Earlier Shri Ram considered his arrows as mere raindrops. Vibhisan repeats it.

Indrajit does yagya, gets invisible chariot and fights invisibly
3. Lakshman wants to use Brahmastra, Shri Ram denies.
4. Indrajit fled discerning it

1&2. Held yagya for Nikumbhila to become invincible
3. Lakshman bound his own armor (once again the invincible armor myth dispelled)

Lakshman vs Indrajit
2. Indrait gets scared of Lakshman
3&4. Lakshman is stated as never been defeated in battle

Continued
4. I think its a mistranslation from Bibek Debroy citing gods protecting Lakshman and this is cited as Indrajit's superiority.

Lakshman kills Indrajit by Aindastra. The end.

I mean, that's it. That's the entirety of Indrajit's feats and fights in Ramayan. He doesn't wins a single fight directly, even lost to Angad.

@PranjalUvaach @Sai_swaroopa @AndColorPockeT Please have a look

Indrajit having the position of Atimaharathi is a complete myth, it is never mentioned once in either Gita Press Ramayan or Critical Edition of Ramayan. Seeing his performance in a direct fight, I wouldn't call him even a maharathi. I mean getting killed by Aindastra, really?

@threadreaderapp unroll