And as the high-souled monkeys and Rakshasas fought on, their wrath
vastly increased at sight of each other's forces. And furnished with
steeds in golden trappings; and elephants resembling flames of fire; and
cars appearing like (so many) suns; and shining armour,--the valiant
Rakshasas issued, making the ten cardinal points resound. The Rakshasas
of terrific exploits were burning for victory on behalf of Ravana.--And
the mighty monkey-army also, eager for victory, darted against the host
of the Rakshas of dreadful deeds. And in the meanwhile, as either party
assailed the other, there took place single combats between the
Rakshasas and the monkeys. And as Andhaka had combated with the
Three-eyed (deity)[129] that Rakshasa, the exceedingly energetic
Indrajit, fought with Angada, son unto Vali. Sampati, hard to bear,
engaged with Prajangha; and the monkey, Hanuman, entered into conflict
with Jambumali. And Ravana's younger brother, Bibhishana, fired with
wrath, encountered Satrughna, endowed with exceeding impetuosity. And
the highly powerful Nila engaged with Nikumbha. And Sugriva--lord of
monkeys--undertook Praghasa, and the graceful Lakshmana was engaged with
Virupaksha. And the exceedingly irrepressible Agniketu and the
Rakshasa--Racmiketu--and Mitraghna and Yajnakopa, were engaged with
Rama. And Vajramubhthi encountered Mainda, and Acaniprabha, Dwivida. And
those foremost of monkeys fought with those dreadful Rakshasas,--the
heroic and terrible Pratapana, incapable of being overcome in battle,
was combating with Nala of terrific force; and that lusty son of
Righteousness, well-known as Sushena,--a mighty monkey--battled with
Vidyunmali. And other fearful monkeys encountered other Rakshasas; and
many were the encounters that took place. And great and fierce was the
engagement that took place between the heroic Rakshasas and monkeys
burning for victory, capable of making people's hair stand on end. And
from the persons of the Rakshasas and the monkeys there flowed a river
of gore, having hair for grass (growing on its banks), and the bodies of
the warriors for pieces of planks floating (adown the current).
Indrajit, growing enraged, with his mace dealt a blow at that tearer of
hostile ranks, Angada,--like him of an hundred sacrifices striking with
his thunderbolt. Thereat, that graceful monkey, Angada, gifted with
vehemence, with his mace crushed his car decked in gold, together with
the steeds and the charioteer. Sampati was pierced with three arrows by
Prajangha; and the former (in his turn) slew Prajangha on the edge of
battle with an Acwakarna.[130] And Jambumali, mounted on a car,
possessed of prodigious strength, fired with wrath, with all the access
of force derived from his car, wounded Hanuman between his paps.
Thereat, getting at his car, Hanuman--son unto the Wind-god--with a slap
speedily crushed his adversary's vehicle along with the Raksha. Then the
terrific Pratapana, roaring, rushed at Nala; and thereat Nala, with his
body pierced with sharp shafts by that swift-handed Raksha, plucked out
Pratapana's eyes, and cast them to the earth. And that lord of monkeys,
Sugriva, with a _Saptaparna_[131] swiftly slew Praghasa, who appeared to
be devouring up the troops. And, tormenting the Rakshasa of dreadful
form with a shower of shafts, Lakshmana slew Virupaksha with a single
arrow. And the irrepressible Agniketu, the Rakshasa Ragmiketu, Mitraghna
and Yajnakopa, with their arrows rendered Rama aflame. Thereat, Rama,
growing wroth, in battle severed the heads of those four by means of
four shafts, dreadful, and resembling the tongues of a flame. And
Vajramushti was slain in conflict by Mainda with a clenched fist; and
down came he to the ground along with his car and horses, like a turret
toppling (headlong). And Nikumbha in fight wounded Nila resembling a
mass of blue collyrium, with sharpened shafts,--as the Sun pierceth
clouds with his rays. Again with an hundred arrows, that light-handed
night-ranger pierced Nila in the field; and Nikumbha laughed thereat. At
this, even as Vishnu did in battle, Nila with a wheel of his[132] car,
cut off in conflict Nikumbha's head together with that of his
charioteer. And Dwivida, possessed of the touch of the Vajra and
thunder-bolt, in the presence of the entire Rakshasa host hurled a
mountain-peak at him that was endowed with the splendour of the
thunder-bolt. And Acaniprabha in encounter pierced that foremost of
monkeys, Dwivida, with shafts resembling thunder-bolts. Thereat, beside
himself with wrath, with his entire body wounded with arrows, Dwivida
with a _sala_ destroyed Acaniprabha along with his car and horses. And
Vidyunmali, mounted on a car, assailed Sushena with shafts decked with
gold, and began to shout momentarily. Seeing him mounted on his car,
Sushena--best of monkeys--taking up a huge crag, swiftly brought his car
down to the ground. Thereat, endowed with lightness, that night-ranger,
Vidyunmali, at once extricating himself from his car, stood on the
ground with a mace in his hand. Thereupon, that foremost of monkeys,
Sushena, growing furious, taking up a gigantic crag, rushed at the
night-ranger. And as he was descending, the night-ranger, Vidyunmali,
with his mace swiftly hit at the breast of Sushena--greatest of monkeys.
Thereat, without thinking at all of the terrific hit of the mace, that
best of monkeys in mighty conflict brought down that[133] upon his[134]
head. And, assailed with the crag, the night-ranger, Vidyunmali, having
his chest crushed, fell down to the earth, deprived of life. And, like
the celestials warring against the Daityas, the heroic monkeys warred on
and confounded the valiant rangers of the night. And frightful was the
field of battle, with darts, and other arms; and clubs, and javelins,
and lances, and other weapons; and with broken cars, and war-horses, and
mad horses slain, and monkeys and Rakshasas; and wheels and
_akshas_,[135] and yokes and standards,--broken and scattered over the
ground; and swarms of jackals began to range on all sides of the monkeys
and the Rakshasas; and _Kavandhas_[136] began to rise in that terrific
encounter, resembling the encounter of the gods and the Asuras. Thus
destroyed by the foremost of monkeys, the rangers of night, beyond
themselves with the smell of blood,--eagerly wishing for the setting of
the Sun,[137] again made active preparations for a renewal of the fight.
[129] Siva, fabled to have three eyes.--T.
[130] A kind of tree.
[131] A tree.
[132] _Nikumbha's._
[133] The crag, which he had at first hit.--T.
[134] _Vidyunmali's._
[135] A part of a wheel.
[136] Spectres having bodies without heads.
[137] This was because, as intelligently remarks Ramanuja, night-rangers
grow powerful _at night_.--T.