Hearing Vajradanshtra slain by the son of Vali, Ravana said unto the
general of his forces, standing before him with joined hands,--"Let
invincible Rakshasas of dreadful prowess, march forth, placing before
them Akampana, skilled in all weapons and arms. He is capable of
chastising foes as well as of protecting his own and leading them; and
he is excellent in warfare. And he is always desirous of my prosperity,
and always loveth warfare. He will conquer the Kakutsthas, as well as
Sugriva endowed with exceeding strength, and, without doubt, slay all
the other dreadful monkeys". Taking Ravana's command, that highly
powerful one endowed with fleet vigor, marshalled those forces. Then
equipped with various arms, the foremost of Rakshasas, having dreadful
eyes (in their heads), and of dreadful forms, marched forth, urged on by
their general. And, ascending a large car, adorned with burnished gold,
Akampana, possessed of the splendour of clouds,[170] and cloud-hued, and
furnished with a voice resembling the roar of clouds, went out,
environed by Rakshasas of terrific forms. And Akampana, resembling the
sun in power, was incapable[171] of being shaken in fight by the very
gods, and of being beheld by them.[172] And as, burning for battle, he
rushed out in wrath, the steeds drawing his car suddenly lost their
energy. And the left eye of that one delighting in encounter, began to
throb. And his countenance grew pale, and his voice faltered. And in a
fair day, it looked foul with the wind breathing roughly. And fierce and
frightful beasts and birds began to emit cries. And that lion-shouldered
one like a tiger in prowess, without heeding these ominous occurences,
marched forth into the field. And as that Rakshasa was setting out along
with the Rakshasas, he set up mighty roars as if agitating the deep. And
the mighty army of monkeys was seized with trepidation at that sound.
And then there took place a mighty encounter of the Rakshasas and the
monkeys equipped staying in fight with trees and rocks; who had given up
all concern for their selves in behalf of Rama and Ravana. And each side
desirous of slaying the other, the monkeys and the Rakshasas were
exceedingly strong and heroic and like unto mountains. And each party
storming at the other, in that conflict were heard loud cries emitted by
those swift-speeding ones in anger. And fearful was the dust red-hued
that was raised incessantly by the monkeys and the Rakshas; and it
enveloped the ten cardinal points. And in the field of battle, each
enveloped with that dust raised, pale as silk, could not be discovered
by the other. And in consequence of that dust arising, neither standard,
nor ensign, nor shield, nor steed, nor weapon, nor car could be seen.
And the fierce cries alone of those roaring and rushing were heard in
that dreadful battle; but their forms were not visible to the sight. And
in that conflict in the dark then monkeys enraged slew monkeys, and
Rakshasas Rakshsasas. And monkeys and Rakshasas slaying
(indiscriminately) friends and foes, made the earth wet with blood, and
miry. And then with showers of blood the dust was layed; and the earth
was covered with corpses. And Rakshasas and monkeys fast slew each other
vigorously with trees and darts, maces and _pracas_, rocks, bludgeons
and _tomaras_, and by means of their arms resembling bludgeons, coped
with their adversaries appearing like hills. And in the encounter
monkeys slew Rakshasas of dreadful deeds. And in their turn Rakshasas,
wrought up with passion, bearing in their hands _pracas_ and _tomaras_
destroyed monkeys wielding dire arms. And that leader of the
force--Akampana--growing wroth, inspired with cheerfulness all the
Rakshasas endowed with dreadful vigor. And the monkeys forcibly
snatching away the weapons (of the Rakshasas), began to rive the
Rakshasas with mighty trees and giant crags. In the meanwhile those
heroes among the monkeys--Kumuda, Nila and the exceedingly exasperated
Mainda, summoned the utmost impetuosity they were masters of. And those
foremost of monkeys and redoubtable able warriors without much ado began
to spread quite a carnage in the van of the Rakshasa army, and by means
of various arms terribly beat the Rakshasas.
[170] There is a pun here on the word _Akampana_--lit.--_one incapable
of being shaken_.--T.
[171] Possessed of a person measuring, according to the commentator, a
mass of clouds. I give the apparent sense, which answers.--T.
[172] Monkeys.