Sundara Kanda · Sarga 45 of 68 · 17 verses
The Seven Ministers’ Sons
Urged by Ravana, seven sons of his ministers ride out, blazing like fire, skilled in weapons, each eager to outdo the others, in great chariots hung with gold nets and banners, twanging bows bright as lightning in clouds. Their mothers, knowing the Kimkaras have died, are already distraught. The seven rush at Hanuman on the gateway and pour arrows on him like monsoon clouds, until he is hidden like a mountain in rain.
Hanuman dodges their arrows and chariots, ranging through the clear sky like the wind playing with clouds. Roaring, he falls on them: he strikes some with his palms, some with his feet, some with his fists, tears some with his nails, crushes some with his chest or thighs; some fall dead at his roar alone. The rest of their army flees in all directions; elephants trumpet, horses fall, the ground is strewn with broken chariots, and Lanka rings with strange cries. Having killed them, the mighty monkey returns to the gateway, eager for more.
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ततस्ते राक्षसेन्द्रेण चोदिता मन्त्रिणः सुताः । निर्ययुर्भवनात् तस्मात् सप्त सप्तार्चिवर्चसः ॥ १ ॥
Then, urged by the king of the rakshasas, the ministers’ sons went out of that palace: seven, with the splendour of the seven-flamed fire,
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महद्बलपरीवारा धनुष्मन्तो महाबलाः । कृतास्त्रास्त्रविदां श्रेष्ठाः परस्परजयैषिणः ॥ २ ॥
surrounded by large forces, bowmen, mighty, skilled in weapons, best of weapon-masters, each wanting victory over the others,
हेमजालपरिक्षिप्तैर्ध्वजवद्भिः पताकिभिः । तोयदस्वननिर्घोषैर्वाजियुक्तैर्महारथैः ॥ ३ ॥
in great chariots yoked with horses, hung with nets of gold, with flags and banners, roaring like clouds,
तप्तकाञ्चनचित्राणि चापान्यमितविक्रमाः । विस्फारयन्तः संहृष्टास्तडिद्वन्त इवाम्बुदाः ॥ ४ ॥
twanging their bows, adorned with refined gold, those of boundless valour, delighted, like clouds with lightning.
जनन्यस्तास्ततस्तेषां विदित्वा किंकरान् हतान् । बभूवुः शोकसम्भ्रान्ताः सबान्धवसुहृज्जनाः ॥ ५ ॥
Their mothers then, knowing the Kimkaras had been killed, were distraught with grief, with their kin and friends.
ते परस्परसंघर्षात् तप्तकाञ्चनभूषणाः । अभिपेतुर्हनूमन्तं तोरणस्थमवस्थितम् ॥ ६ ॥
Rivalling one another, adorned with refined gold, they rushed at Hanuman standing on the gateway.
सृजन्तो बाणवृष्टिं ते रथगर्जितनिःस्वनाः । प्रावृट्काल इवाम्भोदा विचेरुर्नैर्ऋताम्बुदाः ॥ ७ ॥
Pouring out a rain of arrows, with the thunder of their chariots, those nairrita clouds ranged about like clouds in the rainy season.
अवकीर्णस्ततस्ताभिर्हनूमान् शरवृष्टिभिः । अभवत् संवृताकारः शैलराडिव वृष्टिभिः ॥ ८ ॥
Then, covered by those showers of arrows, Hanuman became hidden in form, like the king of mountains by rain.
स शरान् वञ्चयामास तेषामाशुचरः कपिः । रथवेगांश्च वीराणां विचरन् विमलेऽम्बरे ॥ ९ ॥
The swift monkey evaded their arrows and the rushes of the heroes’ chariots, ranging in the clear sky.
स तैः क्रीडन् धनुष्मद्भिर्व्योम्नि वीरः प्रकाशते । धनुष्मद्भिर्यथा मेघैर्मारुतः प्रभुरम्बरे ॥ १० ॥
Playing with those archers in the sky, the hero shone like the lord Wind in the sky with clouds bearing rainbows.
स कृत्वा निनदं घोरं त्रासयंस्तां महाचमूम् । चकार हनुमान् वेगं तेषु रक्षःसु वीर्यवान् ॥ ११ ॥
Making a terrible roar, terrifying that great army, valiant Hanuman hurled himself on those rakshasas.
तलेनाभिहनत् कांश्चित् पादैः कांश्चित् परंतपः । मुष्टिभिश्चाहनत् कांश्चिन्नखैः कांश्चिद् व्यदारयत् ॥ १२ ॥
The scorcher of foes struck some with his palm, some with his feet, some with his fists, and tore some with his nails.
प्रममाथोरसा कांश्चिदूरुभ्यामपरानपि । केचित् तस्यैव नादेन तत्रैव पतिता भुवि ॥ १३ ॥
He crushed some with his chest, others with his thighs; some fell right there on the ground at his roar alone.
ततस्तेष्ववसन् नेषु भूमौ निपतितेषु च । तत्सैन्यमगमत् सर्वं दिशो दश भयार्दितम् ॥ १४ ॥
Then, as they collapsed and fell to the ground, that whole army fled in the ten directions, stricken with fear.
विनेदुर्विस्वरं नागा निपेतुर्भुवि वाजिनः । भग्ननीडध्वजच्छत्रैर्भूश्च कीर्णाभवद् रथैः ॥ १५ ॥
Elephants trumpeted discordantly, horses fell on the ground, and the earth was strewn with chariots whose seats, flags and umbrellas were broken.
स्रवता रुधिरेणाथ स्रवन्त्यो दर्शिताः पथि । विविधैश्च स्वनैर्लङ्का ननाद विकृतं तदा ॥ १६ ॥
Streams of flowing blood were seen on the road, and Lanka rang then with all kinds of strange cries.
स तान् प्रवृद्धान् विनिहत्य राक्षसान् महाबलश्चण्डपराक्रमः कपिः । युयुत्सुरन्यैः पुनरेव राक्षसै- स्तदेव वीरोऽभिजगाम तोरणम् ॥ १७ ॥
Having killed those swollen rakshasas, the mighty monkey of fierce valour, the hero, eager to fight other rakshasas again, went back to that same gateway.