Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 55 of 128 · 32 verses
Akampana Goes Out
Hearing that Angada has killed Vajradamshtra, Ravana orders his commander: let the unassailable rakshasas go out quickly, led by Akampana, master of every weapon, a fine leader, protector and commander, always devoted to my welfare and fond of battle; he will defeat the Kakutsthas and mighty Sugriva and kill the other terrible monkeys. Akampana, dark as a cloud, with a voice like thunder, mounts his great gold-adorned chariot and goes out with terrible rakshasas: he who cannot be shaken (a-kampana) even by the gods in battle, shining like the sun.
As he rushes out eager to fight, his chariot horses suddenly lose heart, his left eye twitches, his face goes pale and his voice falters; a clear day turns stormy with a harsh wind, and all the birds and beasts cry ominously. Lion-shouldered, with a tiger’s valour, he ignores these portents and goes to the field; the shout of his army seems to churn the ocean and frightens the monkeys. A fierce battle begins between monkeys and rakshasas, ready to die for Rama and Ravana; their roars are heard far and wide. The red dust they raise is so thick that no one can see banner, flag, shield, horse, weapon or chariot; in the darkness monkeys kill monkeys and rakshasas kill rakshasas, until the blood lays the dust and the ground is strewn with bodies. They fight with trees, javelins, maces, lances, rocks, iron bars and spears. Akampana urges his rakshasas on, and the monkeys rip the weapons from their hands and tear them with trees and rocks. Then the heroes Kumuda, Nala, Mainda and Dvivida, in anger, put on a matchless burst of speed and, as if at play, make a great slaughter at the front of the rakshasa army.
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वज्रदंष्ट्रं हतं श्रुत्वा वालिपुत्रेण रावणः । बलाध्यक्षमुवाचेदं कृताञ्जलिमुपस्थितम् ॥ १ ॥
Hearing that Vajradamshtra had been killed by Vali’s son, Ravana said this to the commander of the army, standing with joined palms:
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शीघ्रं निर्यान्तुदुर्धर्षा राक्षसा भीमविक्रमाः । अकम्पनं पुरस्कृत्य सर्वशस्त्रास्त्रकोविदम् ॥ २ ॥
“Let the unassailable rakshasas of terrible valour go out quickly, putting in front Akampana, master of all weapons and arms.
एष शास्ता च गोप्ता च नेता च युधि सत्तमः । भूतिकामश्च मे नित्यं नित्यं च समरप्रियः ॥ ३ ॥
“He is an instructor, a protector, a leader, the best in battle, always wishing my prosperity, and always fond of battle.
एष जेष्यति काकुत्स्थौ सुग्रीवं च महाबलम् । वानरांश्चापरान् घोरान् हनिष्यति न संशयः ॥ ४ ॥
“He will conquer the two Kakutsthas and mighty Sugriva, and kill the other terrible monkeys, no doubt of it.”
परिगृह्य स तामाज्ञां रावणस्य महाबलः । बलं सम्प्रेरयामास तदा लघुपराक्रमः ॥ ५ ॥
Accepting Ravana’s command, that mighty one, quick in valour, then sent out the army.
ततो नानाप्रहरणा भीमाक्षा भीमदर्शनाः । निष्पेतू राक्षसा मुख्या बलाध्यक्षप्रचोदिताः ॥ ६ ॥
Then, with many kinds of weapons, with terrible eyes, terrible to see, the chief rakshasas rushed out, urged by the commander.
रथमास्थाय विपुलं तप्तकाञ्चनभूषणम् । मेघाभो मेघवर्णश्च मेघस्वनमहास्वनः ॥ ७ ॥
Mounting a great chariot adorned with refined gold, like a cloud, cloud-coloured, with a great voice like the roar of clouds,
राक्षसैः संवृतो घोरैस्तदा निर्यात्यकम्पनः । नहि कम्पयितुं शक्यः सुरैरपि महामृधे ॥ ८ ॥
surrounded by terrible rakshasas, Akampana then went out; for he could not be shaken in great battle even by the gods.
अकम्पनस्ततस्तेषामादित्य इव तेजसा । तस्य निर्धावमानस्य संरब्धस्य युयुत्सया ॥ ९ ॥
Akampana among them was like the sun in splendour. As he rushed out, furious, eager to fight,
अकस्माद् दैन्यमागच्छद्धयानां रथवाहिनाम् । व्यस्फुरन्नयनं चास्य सव्यं युद्धाभिनन्दिनः ॥ १० ॥
the horses that drew his chariot suddenly lost heart; and the left eye of the one who delighted in battle twitched.
विवर्णो मुखवर्णश्च गद्गदश्चाभवत् स्वनः । अभवत् सुदिने काले दुर्दिनं रूक्षमारुतम् ॥ ११ ॥
The colour of his face became pale and his voice faltering; on a fine day there came foul weather with a harsh wind.
ऊचुः खगमृगाः सर्वे वाचः क्रूरा भयावहाः । स सिंहोपचितस्कन्धः शार्दूलसमविक्रमः ॥ १२ ॥
All the birds and beasts uttered cruel, frightening cries. He, with shoulders full as a lion’s, of valour equal to a tiger’s,
तानुत्पातानचिन्त्यैव निर्जगाम रणाजिरम् । तथा निर्गच्छतस्तस्य रक्षसः सह राक्षसैः ॥ १३ ॥
disregarding those portents, went out to the battlefield. As that rakshasa went out with the rakshasas,
बभूव सुमहान् नादः क्षोभयन्निव सागरम् । तेन शब्देन वित्रस्ता वानराणां महाचमूः ॥ १४ ॥
a very great sound arose, as if churning the ocean. Frightened by that sound, the great army of the monkeys,
द्रुमशैलप्रहाराणां योद्धुं समुपतिष्ठताम् । तेषां युद्धं महारौद्रं संजज्ञे कपिरक्षसाम् ॥ १५ ॥
ready to fight with blows of trees and rocks: a very fierce battle arose between those monkeys and rakshasas,
रामरावणयोरर्थे समभित्यक्तदेहिनः । सर्वे ह्यतिबलाः शूराः सर्वे पर्वतसंनिभाः ॥ १६ ॥
who had given up their bodies for Rama and for Ravana: all very mighty, heroes, all like mountains,
हरयो राक्षसाश्चैव परस्परजिघांसया । तेषां विनर्दतां शब्दः संयुगेऽतितरस्विनाम् ॥ १७ ॥
monkeys and rakshasas, wishing to kill each other. The sound of those very swift ones roaring in battle,
शुश्रुवे सुमहान् कोपादन्योन्यमभिगर्जताम् । रजश्चारुणवर्णाभं सुभीममभवद् भृशम् ॥ १८ ॥
thundering at one another in anger, was heard very loudly. And very terrible dust, red in colour, rose up,
उद्धृतं हरिरक्षोभिः संरुरोध दिशो दश । अन्योन्यं रजसा तेन कौशेयोद्धतपाण्डुना ॥ १९ ॥
raised by monkeys and rakshasas, and blocked the ten directions. Covered with that dust, pale as shaken silk,
संवृतानि च भूतानि ददृशुर्न रणाजिरे । न ध्वजो न पताका वा चर्म वा तुरगोऽपि वा ॥ २० ॥
the beings on the battlefield could not see one another; no banner, no flag, no shield, no horse,
आयुधं स्यन्दनो वापि ददृशे तेन रेणुना । शब्दश्च सुमहांस्तेषां नर्दतामभिधावताम् ॥ २१ ॥
no weapon or chariot was seen because of that dust. And the very great, tumultuous sound of them roaring and rushing
श्रूयते तुमुलो युद्धे न रूपाणि चकाशिरे । हरीनेव सुसंरुष्टा हरयो जघ्नुराहवे ॥ २२ ॥
was heard in the battle, but forms did not appear. In the fight, very angry monkeys struck monkeys,
राक्षसा राक्षसांश्चापि निजघ्नुस्तिमिरे तदा । ते परांश्च विनिघ्नन्तः स्वांश्च वानरराक्षसाः ॥ २३ ॥
and rakshasas struck rakshasas in the darkness then. Killing enemies and their own, monkeys and rakshasas
रुधिरार्द्रां तदा चक्रुर्महीं पङ्कानुलेपनाम् । ततस्तु रुधिरौघेण सिक्तं ह्यपगतं रजः ॥ २४ ॥
made the earth wet with blood, smeared with mire. Then, sprinkled with floods of blood, the dust went away,
शरीरशवसंकीर्णा बभूव च वसुंधरा । द्रुमशक्तिगदाप्रासैः शिलापरिघतोमरैः ॥ २५ ॥
and the earth became strewn with bodies and corpses. With trees, javelins, maces and lances, with rocks, iron bars and lances,
राक्षसा हरयस्तूर्णं जघ्नुरन्योन्यमोजसा । बाहुभिः परिघाकारैर्युध्यन्तः पर्वतोपमान् ॥ २६ ॥
rakshasas and monkeys quickly struck each other with might. Fighting with arms like iron bars against those like mountains,
हरयो भीमकर्माणो राक्षसाञ्जघ्नुराहवे । राक्षसास्त्वभिसंक्रुद्धाः प्रासतोमरपाणयः ॥ २७ ॥
the monkeys of terrible deeds struck the rakshasas in battle; and the rakshasas, enraged, with lances and spears in their hands,
कपीन् निजघ्निरे तत्र शस्त्रैः परमदारुणैः । अकम्पनः सुसंक्रुद्धो राक्षसानां चमूपतिः ॥ २८ ॥
struck the monkeys there with very cruel weapons. Akampana, very angry, the commander of the rakshasas’ army,
संहर्षयति तान् सर्वान् राक्षसान् भीमविक्रमान् । हरयस्त्वपि रक्षांसि महाद्रुममहाश्मभिः ॥ २९ ॥
delights all those rakshasas of terrible valour. And the monkeys, advancing on the rakshasas with great trees and great stones,
विदारयन्त्यभिक्रम्य शस्त्राण्याच्छिद्य वीर्यतः । एतस्मिन्नन्तरे वीरा हरयः कुमुदो नलः ॥ ३० ॥
tear them apart, snatching their weapons by force. Meanwhile the heroic monkeys Kumuda and Nala,
मैन्दश्च द्विविदः क्रुद्धाश्चक्रुर्वेगमनुत्तमम् । ते तु वृक्षैर्महावीरा राक्षसानां चमूमुखे ॥ ३१ ॥
Mainda and Dvivida, angry, made an unsurpassed rush. Those very great heroes, with trees, at the front of the rakshasas’ army,
कदनं सुमहच्चक्रुर्लीलया हरिपुंगवाः । ममन्थू राक्षसान् सर्वे नानाप्रहरणैर्भृशम् ॥ ३२ ॥
the bulls among monkeys made a very great slaughter as if at play; all of them crushed the rakshasas hard with many kinds of blows.