The legendary Pushpak Viman was crossing the Palk Strait. The bridge built by Lord Ram was visible below. Vibhisana sat on Viman’s window. The Chiranjeevi was anxious to meet his lord after thousands of years. His mind recalled the days when he assisted Lord Ram in his fight against Ravana.
His master installed him on the throne of Lanka. Obliging the advice of Raghupati, he married the widowed wife of his brother, Mondadori. It was necessary to win back the faith of the nobles and citizens. Although Ravan had some bad qualities, he was an apt ruler. His reign brought tremendous prosperity to Lanka. So, the city was referred to as the Golden City.
Vibhishana ruled Lanka for a very long time. He was blessed with immortality. Therefore, he was obligated to live until the end of Kaliyuga. Sometimes Vibhishana thinks this immortality is a curse. In front of his eyes, his beloved daughter Trijata died of old age. His wife, Sarama, who always stood by his side, left her mortal body a very long time ago.
Disgusted by such a never-ending life, he bestowed all the responsibility to his prime minister. Most of the time, Vibhishana remained busy in the chanting and meditation of his lord, Sree Ram. He lived with minimum food and water. Vibhishana grew long hair and a beard. He no longer looks like a king; instead, he becomes an aesthetic. Vibhishana lost track of time. Thousands of years passed. One day in his meditation he saw a mesmerising boy with a blue complexion. The boy was playing a flute. He knew his lord had come back to earth. The demon king Kanksa once sought the help of Lanka to eliminate his prophesied slayer. Lanka declined Kanksha's request.
The Puspak Viman is veered towards the Arabian Sea. Vibhishana wants to make his journey a secret. The vast blue expanse of seawater made Vibhishana nostalgic. He tried his best to nudge his brother Ravana to return Mata Sita. Blinded by power and lust, Ravana refused. Vibhishana has a long-held pain in his heart. He still curses himself for leaving the side of his brothers.
The Viman came close to the city of Dwarka. Vibhishana saw from the window the unimaginable design of the city. It surpasses the glory of golden Lanka. The Puspak vimana landed in a clearing outside the main complex of the city. Vibhishana walked in barefoot towards the royal palace. To the astonishment of Vibhishana, he saw that royal guards bowed their heads and welcomed him. He was led to the private chamber of Dworkadish. Krishna was playing his flute. The sound mesmerised Vibhishana. He stood rooted for a long time. The blue lord opened his eyes and said, Oh immortal one, it's a pleasure to see you. Tears of joy run down the eyes of Vibhishana. After so long he is meeting his lord. He saw that suddenly the flute was replaced with a bow. There was a charm of righteousness in place of a mischievous grin. Vibhishana fell in at the feet of his lord.
Krishna already knew the reason for Vibhishana's arrival. With a casual smile on his face, Krishna asked, Vibhishana what made you come so long to Dwarka? Vibhishana came to the point directly. He said, "Lord, I want to fight alongside you in the imminent battle of Kurukshetra." Krishna smiled for some time, then said in a calm voice, "I am not fighting in this war. I will be the charioteer of Arjun. This is not your war; go back to Lanka."
Vibhishana stood grounded for some time and then said, my lord, I want to witness the greatest war of all time. Vibhishana stood with folded hands and a lowered head.
Krishna remained silent for a long time. Then said that Vibhishana, you are my mace; how can I deny you? I grant you a boon: during the war, you will be transformed into an eagle. You will have the opportunity to witness the war from a 360° point of view. Vibhishana again fell to the ground and paid his obeisance.
Vibhishana travelled with Krishna in disguise as a servant. At the dawn of the first day of the war, he transformed into an eagle. Vibhishana saw thousands of soldiers, chariots, and elephants on both sides. Great warriors of the time assembled to fight each other. He saw Bhishma stand tall, along with Drona, Kripa, Karna, Ashwatthama, Durjyodhana, and others on the side of the Kauravas. On the Pandava side, Arjun, Bhim, Ghatotkacha and Dristodhumonya are present. The Great War was about to begin.
From the height, Vibhishana saw Arjuna standing demoralised. Krishna drove him away. Vibhishana flew to the closest of Arjun's chariots. Krishna started preaching the eternal knowledge to Arjuna. Vibhishana lends his ear to absorb the ultimate knowledge. Vyasa did notice an eagle was hovering close to Arjun's chariot but did not find it worth mentioning in the Mahabharata. Only two noble souls were able to see the cosmic form of the supreme lord. There was no beginning or end to the divine form of Bhagban. Lord's cosmic form was blazing like thousands of suns. Vibhishana saw Lord Ram within that universal form of the supreme lord. The Maryada Purushottam was smiling at him.
The bloodshed continued for days. Vibhishana felt tired. The great Bhishma was killing thousands of Pandava soldiers each day. Bhima and Ghatotkacha were also creating havoc. Arrows shot from both sides covered the sky. On the tenth day of the war, Bhishma fell. Hundreds of arrows speared his body; he fell on the bed of arrows. A few drops of tears fell from Vibhishana's eyes. The subconscious mind of Vibhishana recalled the days he lost his dear brothers.
In the dead of night, when everyone from both sides slept. A figure arrived before Bhishma. Bhishma could not recognise the visitor. Vibhishana introduced himself as the servant of Lord Ram. A baffled Bhishma took some time and then said that he had heard about the immorality of Vibhishana but not truly believed it. Vibhishana, with his folded hands, asked Bhishma why he did not choose the side of his beloved Pandavas. Bhishma struggled to collect his words and said, I chose the side of the Pandavas only. My decision to fight against the Pandavas glorified them. A confused Vibhishana receded silently.
Thereafter, Vibhishana entered the tent of Krishna; the lord was awake as if he were waiting for him. Krishna had the same mischievous smile on his face. Krishna signalled his guest to take a seat. Vibhishana's heart was heavy. He was facing a dilemma. He left his brothers and joined foreign invaders. People refer to his name as a traitor. Bhishma chose to protect the throne, despite knowing that he was on the wrong side.
Knowing the mental turmoil of his guest, Krishna patted Vibhishana's back. Krishna explained Dharma in detail. There are two types of Dharma: Sva-dharma, which means serving parents, society, and the nation, among other worldly responsibilities. Sanatana-dharma means serving lord. Krishna continued that both Vibhishana and Bhishma served the two types of dharma to their fullest. They both charted the path of their destiny. This world is temporary. We shall not worry about the earthly perceptions. People question many decisions taken by Lord Ram. The long-held pain in the heart of Vibhishana subsided by the nectar of knowledge.
Vibhishana is no longer interested in the war. The Chiranjeevi stayed in the tent of Krishna. He devoted himself to the service of his lord. From bedding to meals, Vibhishana served his lord with full devotion.
At the end of the war, Krishna advised Vibhishana to go back to Lanka. Vibhishana complied with his master’s order. Arrangements were made for his return journey to Lanka. First, he travelled to Dwarka in the disguise of a common soldier. In Dwarka, the Puspak Viman was waiting for the return journey. Back home, a more evolved Vibhishana became a full-time recluse. In hiding, Vibhishana is still waiting for the time his Lord will come again to earth as Kalki.