Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 53 of 128 · 32 verses
Vajradamshtra Goes Out
Hearing that Dhumraksha is dead, Ravana, filled with rage, hissing like a snake, orders the cruel, mighty Vajradamshtra: go out with rakshasas and kill Rama, son of Dasharatha, and Sugriva with the monkeys. The magician-commander goes out quickly with a great force of elephants, horses, donkeys and camels, banners and flags; adorned with armlets and crown, armoured, bow in hand, he circles his blazing golden chariot and mounts it. Foot soldiers march with lances, spears, pestles, javelins, bows, darts, swords, discuses, maces and axes; rakshasas in bright clothes, and fierce elephants ridden by skilled fighters, like moving mountains. The army looks like thundering monsoon clouds with lightning.
They come out by the southern gate, where Angada leads. Evil omens appear: meteors fall from a cloudless sky, jackals vomiting fire howl, beasts foretell the rakshasas’ death, warriors stumble. Vajradamshtra, steadying himself, goes out eager for battle. The victorious monkeys roar, filling the directions. A tumultuous fight follows; warriors fall with bodies and necks split, drenched in blood; some throw weapons, some fight hand to hand with palms, feet, fists, trees and knees, some are crushed by rocks. Vajradamshtra terrifies the monkeys with arrows, ranging like Death with his noose at the end of the world, while his mighty rakshasas, skilled in weapons, kill the monkey armies. But Vali’s son, his anger doubled, like the fire of dissolution, kills those rakshasas, raising a tree, eyes copper with rage, like a lion among small deer. Struck by Angada, the rakshasas fall with heads split like felled trees; the ground, covered with chariots, banners, horses, bodies and blood, adorned with necklaces, armlets, clothes and weapons, shines like an autumn night, and the great rakshasa army trembles under Angada’s rush like a cloud in the wind.
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धूम्राक्षं निहतं श्रुत्वा रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः । क्रोधेन महताऽऽविष्टो निःश्वसन्नुरगो यथा ॥ १ ॥
Hearing that Dhumraksha had been killed, Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, was filled with great anger, hissing like a snake.
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Vajradamshtra Goes Out 1 min read.
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दीर्घमुष्णं विनिःश्वस्य क्रोधेन कलुषीकृतः । अब्रवीद् राक्षसं क्रूरं वज्रदंष्ट्रं महाबलम् ॥ २ ॥
Sighing long and hot, darkened with anger, he said to the cruel, mighty rakshasa Vajradamshtra:
गच्छ त्वं वीर निर्याहि राक्षसैः परिवारितः । जहि दाशरथिं रामं सुग्रीवं वानरैः सह ॥ ३ ॥
“Go, hero, go out surrounded by rakshasas; kill Rama, son of Dasharatha, and Sugriva with the monkeys.”
तथेत्युक्त्वा द्रुततरं मायावी राक्षसेश्वरः । निर्जगाम बलैः सार्धं बहुभिः परिवारितः ॥ ४ ॥
Saying “So be it”, the magician, lord of rakshasas, went out very quickly, surrounded by many forces,
नागैरश्वैः खरैरुष्ट्रैः संयुक्तः सुसमाहितः । पताकाध्वजचित्रैश्च बहुभिः समलंकृतः ॥ ५ ॥
with elephants, horses, donkeys and camels, well prepared, finely adorned with many bright banners and flags.
ततो विचित्रकेयूरमुकुटेन विभूषितः । तनुत्रं स समावृत्य सधनुर्निर्ययौ द्रुतम् ॥ ६ ॥
Then, adorned with wonderful armlets and a crown, putting on his armour, he went out quickly with his bow.
पताकालंकृतं दीप्तं तप्तकाञ्चनभूषितम् । रथं प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा समारोहच्चमूपतिः ॥ ७ ॥
Walking round his blazing chariot, adorned with banners and with refined gold, keeping it on his right, the commander mounted it.
ऋष्टिभिस्तोमरैश्चित्रैः श्लक्ष्णैश्च मुसलैरपि । भिन्दिपालैश्च चापैश्च शक्तिभिः पट्टिशैरपि ॥ ८ ॥
With lances, wonderful javelins and smooth pestles, with darts, bows, spears and axes,
खड्गैश्चक्रैर्गदाभिश्च निशितैश्च परश्वधैः । पदातयश्च निर्यान्ति विविधाः शस्त्रपाणयः ॥ ९ ॥
with swords, discuses, maces and sharp axes, foot soldiers of many kinds went out with weapons in their hands.
विचित्रवाससः सर्वे दीप्ता राक्षसपुङ्गवाः । गजा महोत्कटाः शूराश्चलन्त इव पर्वताः ॥ १० ॥
All the bulls among rakshasas, in bright clothes, blazing; and very fierce, heroic elephants, like moving mountains,
ते युद्धकुशला रूढास्तोमराङ्कुशपाणिभिः । अन्ये लक्षणसंयुक्ताः शूरारूढा महाबलाः ॥ ११ ॥
ridden by those skilled in war, with lances and goads in their hands; and others with good marks, ridden by heroes, mighty.
तद् राक्षसबलं सर्वं विप्रस्थितमशोभत । प्रावृट्काले यथा मेघा नर्दमानाः सविद्युतः ॥ १२ ॥
That whole rakshasa army, setting out, shone like clouds in the rainy season, thundering, with lightning.
निःसृता दक्षिणद्वारादङ्गदो यत्र यूथपः । तेषां निष्क्रममाणानामशुभं समजायत ॥ १३ ॥
They came out by the southern gate, where the troop leader Angada was. As they came out, an ill omen appeared:
आकाशाद् विघनात् तीव्रा उल्काश्चाभ्यपतंस्तदा । वमन्तः पावकज्वालाः शिवा घोरा ववाशिरे ॥ १४ ॥
fierce meteors fell then from a cloudless sky; terrible jackals howled, vomiting flames of fire;
व्याहरन्त मृगा घोरा रक्षसां निधनं तदा । समापतन्तो योधास्तु प्रास्खलंस्तत्र दारुणम् ॥ १५ ॥
terrible beasts proclaimed the death of the rakshasas then; and the warriors coming on stumbled dreadfully there.
एतानौत्पातिकान् दृष्ट्वा वज्रदंष्ट्रो महाबलः । धैर्यमालम्ब्य तेजस्वी निर्जगाम रणोत्सुकः ॥ १६ ॥
Seeing these portents, mighty Vajradamshtra, radiant, taking courage, went out eager for battle.
तांस्तु विद्रवतो दृष्ट्वा वानरा जितकाशिनः । प्रणेदुः सुमहानादान् दिशः शब्देन पूरयन् ॥ १७ ॥
Seeing them rushing out, the victorious monkeys roared very great roars, filling the directions with sound.
ततः प्रवृत्तं तुमुलं हरीणां राक्षसैः सह । घोराणां भीमरूपाणामन्योन्यवधकाङ्क्षिणाम् ॥ १८ ॥
Then a tumultuous fight began between the monkeys and the rakshasas, terrible, of fearsome form, eager to kill one another.
निष्पतन्तो महोत्साहा भिन्नदेहशिरोधराः । रुधिरोक्षितसर्वाङ्गा न्यपतन् धरणीतले ॥ १९ ॥
Rushing out with great energy, their bodies and necks split, their every limb drenched in blood, they fell on the ground.
केचिदन्योन्यमासाद्य शूराः परिघबाहवः । चिक्षिपुर्विविधान् शस्त्रान् समरेष्वनिवर्तिनः ॥ २० ॥
Some heroes, with arms like iron bars, coming up to one another, never turning back in battle, hurled weapons of many kinds.
द्रुमाणां च शिलानां च शस्त्राणां चापि निःस्वनः । श्रूयते सुमहांस्तत्र घोरो हृदयभेदनः ॥ २१ ॥
A very great, terrible, heart-splitting sound of trees, rocks and weapons was heard there.
रथनेमिस्वनस्तत्र धनुषश्चापि घोरवत् । शङ्खभेरीमृदङ्गानां बभूव तुमुलः स्वनः ॥ २२ ॥
There the sound of chariot wheels and of bows was terrible; there was a tumultuous sound of conches, kettledrums and drums.
केचिदस्त्राणि संत्यज्य बाहुयुद्धमकुर्वत ॥ २३ ॥
Some, throwing down their weapons, fought with their arms:
तलैश्च चरणैश्चापि मुष्टिभिश्च द्रुमैरपि । जानुभिश्च हताः केचिद् भग्नदेहाश्च राक्षसाः । शिलाभिश्चूर्णिताः केचिद् वानरैर्युद्धदुर्मदैः ॥ २४ ॥
with palms and feet, with fists and trees, and with knees; some rakshasas were killed with their bodies broken; some were ground to powder by rocks by the monkeys, wild in battle.
वज्रदंष्ट्रो भृशं बाणै रणे वित्रासयन् हरीन् । चचार लोकसंहारे पाशहस्त इवान्तकः ॥ २५ ॥
Vajradamshtra, greatly terrifying the monkeys with arrows in battle, ranged like Death with noose in hand at the destruction of the world.
बलवन्तोऽस्त्रविदुषो नानाप्रहरणा रणे । जघ्नुर्वानरसैन्यानि राक्षसाः क्रोधर्मूच्छिताः ॥ २६ ॥
Mighty rakshasas, skilled in weapons, with many kinds of arms, swooning with anger, killed the monkey armies in battle.
जघ्ने तान् राक्षसान् सर्वान् धृष्टो वालिसुतो रणे । क्रोधेन द्विगुणाविष्टः संवर्तक इवानलः ॥ २७ ॥
Bold Vali’s son killed all those rakshasas in battle, filled with twice his anger, like the fire of dissolution.
तान् राक्षसगणान् सर्वान् वृक्षमुद्यम्य वीर्यवान् । अङ्गदः क्रोधताम्राक्षः सिंहः क्षुद्रमृगानिव ॥ २८ ॥
All those hosts of rakshasas valiant Angada, raising a tree, his eyes copper with anger, like a lion small deer,
चकार कदनं घोरं शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमः । अङ्गदाभिहतास्तत्र राक्षसा भीमविक्रमाः ॥ २९ ॥
made a terrible slaughter, equal in valour to Shakra. Struck by Angada there, the rakshasas of terrible valour,
विभिन्नशिरसः पेतुर्निकृत्ता इव पादपाः । रथैश्चित्रैर्ध्वजैरश्वैः शरीरैर्हरिरक्षसाम् ॥ ३० ॥
their heads split, fell like felled trees. With wonderful chariots, banners and horses, with the bodies of monkeys and rakshasas,
रुधिरौघेण संछन्ना भूमिर्भयकरी तदा । हारकेयूरवस्त्रैश्च शस्त्रैश्च समलंकृता ॥ ३१ ॥
covered with floods of blood, the ground was frightful then; adorned with necklaces, armlets, clothes and weapons,
भूमिर्भाति रणे तत्र शारदीव यथा निशा । अङ्गदस्य च वेगेन तद् राक्षसबलं महत् । प्राकम्पत तदा तत्र पवनेनाम्बुदो यथा ॥ ३२ ॥
the ground on that battlefield shone like an autumn night. And by Angada’s force that great rakshasa army trembled there then like a cloud in the wind.