On prince Aksha having been slain by Hanuman, the magnanimous monarch of
the Rakshasas, wrought up by wrath, repressing his feelings, ordered
Indrajit resembling a celestial, (to take the field against the foe.)
"Thou art the foremost of those bearing arms; and thou hast afflicted
even the gods and Asuras (in battle); thy deeds have been witnessed by
the celestials with Indra; and thou hast procured a weapon[387] even
from the Great-father. And coping (in conflict) with thy might of arms,
all the celestials with the Maruts, headed by the lord of celestials
himself, could not stay in the field. And there is none in these three
worlds (save thyself), who doth not come under the influence of fatigue
in battle. And thou art preserved by the prowess of thy arms, and
protected also by thy ascetic merit; and being skilled in the knowledge
of season and place, thou, methinks, art the foremost of them all in
intelligence. And there is no deed which thou canst not perform in the
field; and there is nothing in counsel capable of being arrived at by
arguing on the lines prescribed by the scriptures, which thou art not
equal to; and there is none in all the three worlds who doth not know
thy strength and prowess in arms. And thy ascetic energy is like unto
mine, as well as thy prowess and might in arms in battle. And having
thee in the conflict, my mind assured (of victory), doth not experience
sorrow. Slain have been all the servants, as also Jamvumali, and those
five generals, the heroic sons of my councilors, and the swelling forces
including steeds, elephants and cars. And low lieth Mahodara, and prince
Aksha hath also been slain. O destroyer of foes, my mind did not feel
the same confidence in them that I do in thee.[388] And seeing this
mighty host slain, as well as the prowess and energy of the monkey, and
the taking into consideration thine own strength, do thou put forth thy
energy according to thy strength, And on nearing the scene (of
conflict), do thou, O foremost of those bearing arms, seeing thine own
strength and that of the foe, so exert thyself that the latter, (now)
resting quietly in consequence of having created a carnage (on the
hostile hosts), may wax enfeebled.[389] O hero, army can serve no
purpose here; for hosts fly (before) Hanuman or are reduced to nothing.
Neither can it avail to use arms of terrific power and resembling the
thunderbolt. Nothing can resist the rush of the Wind-god's offspring;
and this one like unto fire is incapable of being slain with weapons.
Revolving well (in thy mind what I have remarked), do thou in order to
the attainment of success, with an intent mind remember the divine
virtue of this bow, and repairing (to battle) strive to vanquish the
foe, baffling his attacks.[390] O foremost of intelligent ones, (that I
send thee to battle) is certainly not proper; yet this course of action
is endorsed by Kshatriyas and those following the morality of kings. O
subduer of enemies, one should be versed in various branches of learning
as well as be masterful in war.[391] He that craves victory in fight,
should be acquainted with various branches of knowledge.[392]
Hearing the words of his father, (Indrajit) gifted with celestial
prowess, determined to fight, instantly circumambulated him. Excited
with a desire for fight and worked up with energy, Indrajit, eulogized
by the friendly Rakshasas, set out for battle. And that highly effulgent
and graceful son of the lord of the Rakshasas, having expansive eyes
resembling lotus-petals,--issued out like unto the rising of the ocean
during a _parva_.[393] Thereupon Indrajit of unbearable prowess, equal
to the lord of the celestials, ascended a car drawn by four horses,
having sharpened teeth and resembling Garuda in velocity. And that
master of a car and foremost of bowmen, conversant with the use of all
weapons --the best of those using swords--proceeded soon in his car
where Hanuman was. And hearing the sound of his car and the twang of his
bow, that heroic monkey attained an excess of delight. And taking up a
bow and sharpened darts, Indrajit, versed in the rules of war, proceeded
towards Hanuman. And as he issued out for battle, greatly delighted,
with arrows in his hands, all the quarters became dark, and jackals
began to set up terrible cries. And there arrived the _Nagas_, the
_Yakshas_, the _Maharshis_, the planets, and the Siddhas, and the birds,
covering the welkin, and, greatly delighted, began to make a noise. And
beholding that car having a flag like that of Indra, approach very
quickly, the monkey began to emit terrible roars and increase himself.
And Indrajit too, seated on the celestial car and having a painted bow,
began to stretch it, emitting a sound resembling that of thunder.
Thereupon closed in conflict those two greatly powerful (heroes)--gifted
with swift movements and fearless in battle--the monkey, and the son of
the lord of Rakshasas, like unto the lords of celestials and Asuras. And
baffling the shafts of that hero of a mighty car, an accomplished bowman
and a finished warrior, the immeasurably powerful monkey increasing
himself began to range in the welkin.[394] Thereupon the heroic
(Indrajit)--slayer of foes--began to discharge incessantly shafts,
large, sharp, well-feathered, painted in gold and swift-coursing like
unto thunder. And hearing again the noise of his car, the sounds of
drums, bugles, and war-drums, and the twangs of the bow, he again leaped
up (in the sky). And baffling the aim of (Indrajit), who had always an
eye on it, that great monkey ranged at a distance from those shafts. And
again facing the arrows and stretching his hands, the Wind-god's son
again leaped up. And those two heroes,gifted with swift movements and
versed in the art of war, engaged in a combat, admired of all beings.
And Hanuman could not find out the short-comings of the Rakshasa, nor
could that high-souled one detect the weak points of the son of the
Wind-god. And these two gifted with celestial prowess, engaged in
conflict, became unbearable unto each other. And seeing him unhurt
though aimed at with infallible arrows, the high-souled (Indrajit),
controlling his senses, engaged in deep and devout meditation[395] (to
realize the true identity of Hanuman). Thereupon, that son of the lord
of Rakshasas pinned his thoughts upon that foremost of monkeys, and,
finding him incapable of being slain, he began to devise plans how he
could be bound. And that hero, foremost of those versed in the use of
weapons, discharged at that best of monkeys the highly powerful weapon
conferred on him by Brahma, the Great-father of the celestials. And
knowing him incapable of being slain, Indrajit conversant with the use
of weapons, bound that large-armed son of the Wind-god with that weapon.
And being bound up by that Rakshasa with the weapon, the monkey became
motionless and fell down on the earth. And thinking that he was bound up
with a Brahma weapon, he did not feel the least pain in consequence of
Brahma's blessing. And that heroic monkey began to think of the boons
conferred on him by the Great-father of the celestials. And thinking
that the weapon was conferred by the Self-create and consecrated by
sacred Mantras, Hanuman began to think of boons conferred by the
Great-father. "In consequence of the power of the Lord of creation I am
incapable of extricating myself from these bonds." (Knowing this by
means of devout meditation,he reflected again,)--"This has been ordained
by Him, and I must put up with this pain for sometime." Revolving well
the power of the weapon, the boon of the Great-father, and his own
prowess to extricate himself from the bonds, the monkey followed the
Great-father's behest,--"I do not fear though bound by this weapon,
since I am being protected by Brahma, Indra and the Wind-god. It will be
better if I am carried off by the Rakshasas, for I shall reap very great
benefit by my conversation with the lord of Rakshasas. Therefore let the
enemies carry me." Having resolved this, the considerate
(monkey)--slayer of foes--remained motionless. And being ruthlessly
bound by the foes and remonstrated with by them, he began to moan
piteously. And beholding that slayer of foes motionless, the Rakshasas
bound him up with cotton and bark. And he gladly allowed himself to be
tied up and rebuked by his enemies, thinking that he might converse with
the lord of the Rakshasas, if he, out of curiosity, should like to see
him. Being bound with bark, that powerful (monkey) got himself freed
from the binding of the weapon, for the binding force of a Brahma weapon
becomes null when there is any other binding. And beholding that best of
monkeys tied up with bark and liberated from the binding of the weapon,
Indrajit reflected that the binding force of the Brahma weapon became
powerless when there was any other binding. "Alas, (those Rakshas) have
rendered my mighty deed fruitless. They know not the action of
Mantras.[396] And on the Brahma weapon being baffled, any other weapon
cannot effect anything; and thus we have all been placed in a critical
predicament." On being released from the weapon, Hanuman did not betray
any signs of his liberation, albeit he was pulled by the Rakshasas and
pained by the bonds they had bound him with. And the monkey, Hanuman,
was pulled by those cruel Rakshasas having fatal boxes, in the direction
of the lord of Rakshasas. And seeing (Hanuman) freed from the (Brahma)
weapon yet bound by the bark of trees, he (Indrajit) showed the
exceedingly powerful and highly heroic monkey unto the king along with
his adherents. And the Rakshasas related unto the ruler of Rakshas
everything touching that foremost of choice monkeys, resembling a mad
elephant who was in bonds. "Who is he? And whose son? And wherefrom? And
what's his errand? And by whom is he backed?"--thus did the heroic
Rakshasas converse on beholding Hanuman. And others said,--"Kill him,"
"Burn him"--"Eat him up." The Rakshasas, growing enraged, thus said unto
each other.--Having passed some way, that magnanimous one saw there old
servants sitting at the feet of the lord of Rakshasas,--as well as a
mansion embellished with countless jewels. And the exceedingly energetic
Ravana saw that foremost of monkeys dragged hither and thither by
Rakshasas of frightful forms. And that best of monkeys too saw that lord
of Rakshasas, endowed with strength and energy and resembling the
resplendent son. And with his reddened eyes rolling, the ten-necked
gazing at that monkey, ordered his principal counsellors, boasting of
high pedigree and noble character, (to interrogate the incomer). And by
turns questioned by them as to his mission and purpose, as well as the
fundamental occasion (of his inroad), that foremost of monkeys
replied,-- "A messenger, I come (from Sugriva.)"
[387] _viz._ the Brahma weapon.--T.
[388] According to another reading, the meaning would be:--"O best of
warriors, do thou, considering thy own strength and that of the
enemy, so exert thyself that he may no longer inflict terrible
losses on our army." (Tirtha).--T.
[389] Another meaning is: _Looking on thyself, and (not on my forces),
as constituting my main stay, put forth thy prowess.--T._
[390] One should know in what branches of knowledge one's enemy is
proficient, and, understanding this, one should strive for
victory.--T.
[391] According to a different reading,the meaning would be, "Thou art
competent to fight agreeably to the rules."--T.
[392] The _Sloka_ is very difficult and incapable of interpretation
withoet at places meanings being read into it.--T.
[393] A name given to certain days in the lunar month at the full and
change of the moon, and the 8th and 14th of each half month.--T.
[394] Literally it means the passage of his father. Hanuman's father
being the Wind, it means the sky.--T.
[395] According to Hindu philosophy, one by virtue of yoga and
self-control can realize many great things which are beyond
ordinary human conception. Beholding Hanuman unhurt though
assailed incessantly with terrible shafts, Indrajit at once jumped
at the conclusion that he must be a great spirit in a monkey-form.
To realize who he in reality was, he engaged in _yoga_ or devout
meditation.--T.
[396] That the action of a Brahma _mantra_ upon one is nullified if one
is bound physically.--T.