Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 54 of 128 · 37 verses
Angada Kills Vajradamshtra
Enraged at his army’s losses and Angada’s strength, Vajradamshtra draws his terrible bow, bright as Indra’s thunderbolt, and showers the monkey divisions with arrows; his chief rakshasas fight from their chariots with every weapon, and the monkeys answer with rocks, trees and great boulders. Heads split, feet and arms cut off, bodies torn by weapons and soaked in blood, monkeys and rakshasas lie on the ground among herons, vultures and jackals; headless trunks rise up, terrifying the timid. Under the monkeys’ blows the rakshasa army breaks before Vajradamshtra’s eyes.
Vajradamshtra, eyes copper with rage, plunges into the monkey army, piercing monkeys five, seven, eight and nine at a time with heron-feathered arrows; the terrified monkeys run to Angada as creatures run to Prajapati. Angada and Vajradamshtra fight like a lion and a rutting elephant. The rakshasa strikes Angada’s vitals with a hundred thousand fiery arrows; bleeding all over, Angada throws a tree, which the rakshasa cuts to pieces. Angada hurls a huge rock; Vajradamshtra leaps from his chariot, mace in hand, as the rock smashes it. Angada brings a wooded peak down on his head; Vajradamshtra vomits blood, faints for a moment, clutching his mace, then recovers and strikes Angada’s chest with it. They drop their maces and fight with fists, both bleeding, like Mars and Mercury. Angada tears up a tree laden with flowers and fruit; they take bull-hide shields and great swords hung with bells, and circle in wonderful patterns, striking and roaring, shining with wounds like flowering kimshukas, until both sink to their knees exhausted. In a moment Angada springs up like a snake struck with a stick, eyes blazing, and with his spotless, polished sword cuts off Vajradamshtra’s great head. Seeing him dead, the rakshasas flee in terror into Lanka, faces downcast, a little ashamed; and mighty Angada, in the midst of the monkey army, rejoices, honoured like thousand-eyed Indra among the gods.
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स्वबलस्य च घातेन अङ्गदस्य बलेन च । राक्षसः क्रोधमाविष्टो वज्रदंष्ट्रो महाबलः ॥ १ ॥
At the slaughter of his own army and at Angada’s strength, the mighty rakshasa Vajradamshtra was filled with anger.
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Angada Kills Vajradamshtra 1 min read.
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विस्फार्य च धनुर्घोरं शक्राशनिसमप्रभम् । वानराणामनीकानि प्राकिरच्छरवृष्टिभिः ॥ २ ॥
Drawing his terrible bow, bright as Shakra’s thunderbolt, he scattered showers of arrows over the divisions of the monkeys.
राक्षसाश्चापि मुख्यास्ते रथेषु समवस्थिताः । नानाप्रहरणाः शूराः प्रायुध्यन्त तदा रणे ॥ ३ ॥
And those chief rakshasas, stationed in their chariots, heroes with many kinds of weapons, fought then in battle.
वानराणां च शूरास्तु ते सर्वे प्लवगर्षभाः । अयुध्यन्त शिलाहस्ताः समवेताः समन्ततः ॥ ४ ॥
And the heroes of the monkeys, all those bulls among leapers, fought with rocks in their hands, gathered on every side.
तत्रायुधसहस्राणि तस्मिन्नायोधने भृशम् । राक्षसाः कपिमुख्येषु पातयांचक्रिरे तदा ॥ ५ ॥
There, in that battle, the rakshasas brought down thousands of weapons on the chief monkeys then.
वानराश्चैव रक्षःसु गिरिवृक्षान् महाशिलाः । प्रवीराः पातयामासुर्मत्तवारणसंनिभाः ॥ ६ ॥
And the monkey heroes, like rutting elephants, brought down mountains, trees and great rocks on the rakshasas.
शूराणां युध्यमानानां समरेष्वनिवर्तिनाम् । तद् राक्षसगणानां च सुयुद्धं समवर्तत ॥ ७ ॥
Between the heroes fighting, never turning back in battle, and those hosts of rakshasas, a fine battle went on.
प्रभिन्नशिरसः केचिच्छिन्नैः पादैश्च बाहुभिः । शस्त्रैरर्दितदेहास्तु रुधिरेण समुक्षिताः ॥ ८ ॥
Some with heads split, with feet and arms cut off, their bodies tormented by weapons, drenched in blood,
हरयो राक्षसाश्चैव शेरते गां समाश्रिताः । कङ्कगृध्रबलाढ्याश्च गोमायुकुलसंकुलाः ॥ ९ ॥
monkeys and rakshasas lie on the ground, crowded with herons and vultures, thronged with packs of jackals.
कबन्धानि समुत्पेतुर्भीरूणां भीषणानि वै । भुजपाणिशिरश्छिन्नाश्छिन्नकायाश्च भूतले ॥ १० ॥
Headless trunks rose up, terrifying to the timid; with arms, hands and heads cut off, their bodies cut,
वानरा राक्षसाश्चापि निपेतुस्तत्र भूतले । ततो वानरसैन्येन हन्यमानं निशाचरम् ॥ ११ ॥
monkeys and rakshasas fell there on the ground. Then, being struck by the monkey army,
प्राभज्यत बलं सर्वं वज्रदंष्ट्रस्य पश्यतः । राक्षसान् भयवित्रस्तान् हन्यमानान् प्लवंगमैः ॥ १२ ॥
the whole night-wanderer force broke while Vajradamshtra watched. Seeing the rakshasas, terrified with fear, being struck by the leapers,
दृष्ट्वा स रोषताम्राक्षो वज्रदंष्ट्रः प्रतापवान् । प्रविवेश धनुष्पाणिस्त्रासयन् हरिवाहिनीम् ॥ १३ ॥
the powerful Vajradamshtra, his eyes copper with rage, bow in hand, entered, terrifying the monkey army.
शरैर्विदारयामास कङ्कपत्रैरजिह्मगैः । बिभेद वानरांस्तत्र सप्ताष्टौ नव पञ्च च ॥ १४ ॥
He tore them with heron-feathered, straight-flying arrows; he split monkeys there, seven, eight, nine and five.
विव्याध परमक्रुद्धो वज्रदंष्ट्रः प्रतापवान् । त्रस्ताः सर्वे हरिगणाः शरैः संकृत्तदेहिनः । अङ्गदं सम्प्रधावन्ति प्रजापतिमिव प्रजाः ॥ १५ ॥
Powerful Vajradamshtra, in the height of anger, pierced them; all the hosts of monkeys, terrified, their bodies cut by arrows, ran to Angada, as creatures to Prajapati.
ततो हरिगणान् भग्नान् दृष्ट्वा वालिसुतस्तदा । क्रोधेन वज्रदंष्ट्रं तमुदीक्षन्तमुदैक्षत ॥ १६ ॥
Then Vali’s son, seeing the hosts of monkeys broken, looked in anger at Vajradamshtra, who was looking at him.
वज्रदंष्ट्रोऽङ्गदश्चोभौ योयुध्येते परस्परम् । चेरतुः परमक्रुद्धौ हरिमत्तगजाविव ॥ १७ ॥
Vajradamshtra and Angada both fought each other fiercely; in the height of anger they moved like a lion and a rutting elephant.
ततः शतसहस्रेण हरिपुत्रं महाबलम् । जघान मर्मदेशेषु शरैरग्निशिखोपमैः ॥ १८ ॥
Then with a hundred thousand arrows like flames of fire he struck the mighty son of the monkey in his vital places.
रुधिरोक्षितसर्वाङ्गो वालिसूनुर्महाबलः । चिक्षेप वज्रदंष्ट्राय वृक्षं भीमपराक्रमः ॥ १९ ॥
Drenched in blood in every limb, mighty Vali’s son, of terrible valour, hurled a tree at Vajradamshtra.
दृष्ट्वा पतन्तं तं वृक्षमसम्भ्रान्तश्च राक्षसः । चिच्छेद बहुधा सोऽपि मथितः प्रापतद् भुवि ॥ २० ॥
Seeing that tree falling, the rakshasa, unflustered, cut it into many pieces; and it fell, crushed, on the ground.
तं दृष्ट्वा वज्रदंष्ट्रस्य विक्रमं प्लवगर्षभः । प्रगृह्य विपुलं शैलं चिक्षेप च ननाद च ॥ २१ ॥
Seeing Vajradamshtra’s valour, the bull among leapers took a huge rock, hurled it and roared.
तमापतन्तं दृष्ट्वा स रथादाप्लुत्य वीर्यवान् । गदापाणिरसम्भ्रान्तः पृथिव्यां समतिष्ठत ॥ २२ ॥
Seeing it coming, the valiant one leapt from his chariot and, mace in hand, unflustered, stood on the ground.
अङ्गदेन शिला क्षिप्ता गत्वा तु रणमूर्धनि । सचक्रकूबरं साश्वं प्रममाथ रथं तदा ॥ २३ ॥
The rock hurled by Angada, reaching the head of the battle, crushed the chariot then, with its wheels and pole and horses.
ततोऽन्यच्छिखरं गृह्य विपुलं द्रुमभूषितम् । वज्रदंष्ट्रस्य शिरसि पातयामास वानरः ॥ २४ ॥
Then, taking another huge peak adorned with trees, the monkey brought it down on Vajradamshtra’s head.
अभवच्छोणितोद्गारी वज्रदंष्ट्रः सुमूर्च्छितः । मुहूर्तमभवन्मूढो गदामालिङ्ग्य निःश्वसन् ॥ २५ ॥
Vajradamshtra vomited blood and fainted badly; for a moment he was dazed, clutching his mace and gasping.
स लब्धसंज्ञो गदया वालिपुत्रमवस्थितम् । जघान परमक्रुद्धो वक्षोदेशे निशाचरः ॥ २६ ॥
Regaining consciousness, the night-wanderer, in the height of anger, struck Vali’s son, standing there, on the chest with his mace.
गदां त्यक्त्वा ततस्तत्र मुष्टियुद्धमकुर्वत । अन्योन्यं जघ्नतुस्तत्र तावुभौ हरिराक्षसौ ॥ २७ ॥
Then, throwing away the mace, he made a fist-fight there; the two, monkey and rakshasa, struck each other there.
रुधिरोद्गारिणौ तौ तु प्रहारैर्जनितश्रमौ । बभूवतुः सुविक्रान्तावङ्गारकबुधाविव ॥ २८ ॥
Vomiting blood, wearied by the blows, those two very valiant ones were like Mars and Mercury.
ततः परमतेजस्वी अङ्गदः प्लवगर्षभः । उत्पाट्य वृक्षं स्थितवानासीत् पुष्पफलैर्युतः ॥ २९ ॥
Then very radiant Angada, bull among leapers, tearing up a tree, stood there, laden with flowers and fruit.
जग्राह चार्षभं चर्म खड्गं च विपुलं शुभम् । किङ्किणीजालसंछन्नं चर्मणा च परिष्कृतम् ॥ ३० ॥
And he took a bull-hide shield and a great, beautiful sword, covered with a net of little bells and bound with leather.
चित्रांश्च रुचिरान् मार्गांश्चेरतुः कपिराक्षसौ । जघ्नतुश्च तदान्योन्यं नर्दन्तौ जयकांक्षिणौ ॥ ३१ ॥
The monkey and the rakshasa moved in wonderful, lovely patterns and struck each other then, roaring, eager for victory.
व्रणैः सास्रैरशोभेतां पुष्पिताविव किंशुकौ । युध्यमानौ परिश्रान्तौ जानुभ्यामवनीं गतौ ॥ ३२ ॥
With their bleeding wounds they shone like flowering kimshukas; fighting, exhausted, they went to the ground on their knees.
निमेषान्तरमात्रेण अङ्गदः कपिकुञ्जरः । उदतिष्ठत दीप्ताक्षो दण्डाहत इवोरगः ॥ ३३ ॥
In the time of a blink Angada, elephant among monkeys, rose up, his eyes blazing, like a snake struck with a stick.
निर्मलेन सुधौतेन खड्गेनास्य महच्छिरः । जघान वज्रदंष्ट्रस्य वालिसूनुर्महाबलः ॥ ३४ ॥
With his spotless, well-polished sword, mighty Vali’s son struck Vajradamshtra’s great head.
रुधिरोक्षितगात्रस्य बभूव पतितं द्विधा । तच्च तस्य परीताक्षं शुभं खड्गहतं शिरः ॥ ३५ ॥
Of him, his limbs drenched in blood, the lovely head, struck by the sword, its eyes rolling, fell in two.
वज्रदंष्ट्रं हतं दृष्ट्वा राक्षसा भयमोहिताः । त्रस्ता ह्यभ्यद्रवँल्लङ्कां वध्यमानाः प्लवङ्गमैः । विषण्णवदना दीना ह्रिया किंचिदवाङ्मुखाः ॥ ३६ ॥
Seeing Vajradamshtra killed, the rakshasas, bewildered by fear, terrified, ran to Lanka, being struck by the leapers, their faces dejected, wretched, their faces somewhat downcast with shame.
निहत्य तं वज्रधरः प्रतापवान् स वालिसूनुः कपिसैन्यमध्ये । जगाम हर्षं महितो महाबलः सहस्रनेत्रस्त्रिदशैरिवावृतः ॥ ३७ ॥
Having killed him, the powerful, mighty son of Vali, like the wielder of the thunderbolt, rejoiced in the midst of the monkey army, honoured, like the thousand-eyed one surrounded by the thirty gods.