Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2850

c8.2850

All the victory marches of Rāvaṇa were in this Puṣpaka. Once Rāvaṇa was going in his Puṣpaka with a Yakṣa beauty kidnapped from Alakāpurī when the girl cried loudly attracting the attention of Sampāti, a vulture King. Sampāti attacked Rāvaṇa with his fierce beak and powerful claws. Rāvaṇa’s weapons proved futile against Sampāti and the bird broke the Puṣpaka into pieces. But the Vimāna was a divine one and it regained the original shape and utility soon. All the weapons of Rāvaṇa were destroyed, the great weapon Candrahāsa was thrown away. The crown of Rāvaṇa was struck down and trampled upon. With his sharp beak and piercing claws Sampāti made bruises on the face of Rāvaṇa. Unable to bear the attack of the mighty bird Rāvaṇa begged for peace. Sampāti asked Rāvaṇa to release the Yakṣa girl which Rāvaṇa did at once. Rāvaṇa then returned to Laṅkā in the Puṣpaka (Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Kamba Rāmāyaṇa). It was in this Puṣpaka plane that Rāvaṇa kidnapped Sītā. In the battle that followed, Rāvaṇa was killed and the Puṣpaka Vimāna came into the possession of Vibhīṣaṇa who gave it as a gift to Śrī Rāma. Śrī Rāma sent it back to its original owner, Kubera. But Śrī Rāma used it again for once.