Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 98 of 128 · 26 verses
Angada Kills Mahaparshva
With Mahodara killed by Sugriva, mighty Mahaparshva, eyes red with rage, throws Angada’s terrible army into confusion with arrows, knocking the heads of the chief monkeys from their bodies like fruit from stalks in the wind, cutting off some monkeys’ arms and tearing open the sides of others; the monkeys, tormented by his rain of arrows, lose heart and are stunned. Seeing his army in panic, swift Angada surges like the ocean at the full moon, seizes an iron bar shining like the sun’s rays and brings it down on Mahaparshva, who falls senseless from his chariot with his driver. Then the radiant bear king, like a heap of dark collyrium, springs out from his cloud-like troop, seizes a huge rock like a mountain peak, kills the horses and smashes the chariot. Recovering in a moment, Mahaparshva pierces Angada again with many arrows, strikes Jambavan between the breasts with three, and hits Gavaksha with many. Seeing Gavaksha and Jambavan in pain, Angada, mad with rage, takes up his terrible iron bar, shining like the sun’s rays, grips it with both hands, whirls it and hurls it at Mahaparshva standing at a distance; it knocks the bow and arrows from his hand and the helmet from his head. Vali’s powerful son rushes at him and in anger slaps him at the root of the ear by his earring. Swift, radiant Mahaparshva, enraged, takes a huge axe in one hand, oil-washed, spotless, made of hardest stone, firm, and brings it down on Vali’s son; it falls heavily on Angada’s left shoulder blade, and Angada, enraged, pulls it free. Then the hero, equal in valour to his father, knowing the vital points, clenches his fist like a thunderbolt and drives it, with the touch of Indra’s thunderbolt, toward the heart near the rakshasa’s breast; at that blow in the great battle his heart bursts and he falls dead. When he falls, his army is thrown into turmoil and Ravana is filled with great anger in battle; the delighted monkeys raise a great lion’s roar, as if to shatter Lanka with its towers and gateways, like the great roar of the gods with Indra. Hearing the great roar of the dwellers of heaven and the forest-dwellers, the enemy of Indra, the rakshasa lord, stands again in battle, enraged, facing the fight.
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महोदरे तु निहते महापार्श्वो महाबलः । सुग्रीवेण समीक्ष्याथ क्रोधात् संरक्तलोचनः ॥ १ ॥
When Mahodara had been killed by Sugriva, mighty Mahaparshva, looking on, his eyes red with anger,
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अङ्गदस्य चमूं भीमां क्षोभयामास मार्गणैः । स वानराणां मुख्यानामुत्तमाङ्गानि राक्षसः ॥ २ ॥
threw Angada’s terrible army into turmoil with arrows. That rakshasa, of the chief monkeys, their heads
पातयामास कायेभ्यः फलं वृन्तादिवानिलः । केषांचिदिषुभिर्बाहूंश्चिच्छेदाथ स राक्षसः ॥ ३ ॥
he brought down from their bodies, as the wind brings fruit from the stalk. Of some, that rakshasa cut off the arms with arrows;
वानराणां सुसंरब्धः पार्श्वं केषांचिदाक्षिपत् । तेऽर्दिता बाणवर्षेण महापार्श्वेन वानराः ॥ ४ ॥
of some monkeys, very angry, he tore open the side. Those monkeys, tormented by Mahaparshva’s rain of arrows,
विषादविमुखाः सर्वे बभूवुर्गतचेतसः । निशम्य बलमुद्विग्नमङ्गदो राक्षसार्दितम् ॥ ५ ॥
all turned away in despair and were stunned. Seeing his army agitated, tormented by the rakshasa, Angada
वेगं चक्रे महावेगः समुद्र इव पर्वसु । आयसं परिघं गृह्य सूर्यरश्मिसमप्रभम् ॥ ६ ॥
of great speed made a surge, like the ocean at the full-moon days. Taking an iron bar with the splendour of the sun’s rays,
समरे वानरश्रेष्ठो महापार्श्वे न्यपातयत् । स तु तेन प्रहारेण महापार्श्वो विचेतनः ॥ ७ ॥
the best of monkeys brought it down on Mahaparshva in battle. And by that blow Mahaparshva, stunned,
ससूतः स्यन्दनात् तस्माद् विसंज्ञश्चापतद् भुवि । तस्यर्क्षराजस्तेजस्वी नीलाञ्जनचयोपमः ॥ ८ ॥
with his charioteer, fell senseless from that chariot to the ground. The radiant king of the bears, like a heap of dark collyrium,
निष्पत्य सुमहावीर्यः स्वयूथान्मेघसंनिभात् । प्रगृह्य गिरिशृङ्गाभां क्रुद्धः स विपुलां शिलाम् ॥ ९ ॥
springing out, of very great valour, from his own cloud-like troop, taking a huge rock like a mountain peak, enraged,
अश्वाञ्जघान तरसा बभञ्ज स्यन्दनं च तम् । मुहूर्ताल्लब्धसंज्ञस्तु महापार्श्वो महाबलः ॥ १० ॥
killed the horses with force and smashed that chariot. But after a moment, regaining consciousness, mighty Mahaparshva
अङ्गदं बहुभिर्बाणैर्भूयस्तं प्रत्यविध्यत । जाम्बवन्तं त्रिभिर्बाणैराजघान स्तनान्तरे ॥ ११ ॥
pierced Angada again with many arrows; he struck Jambavan with three arrows between the breasts,
ऋक्षराजं गवाक्षं च जघान बहुभिः शरैः । गवाक्षं जाम्बवन्तं च स दृष्ट्वा शरपीडितौ ॥ १२ ॥
and struck the king of the bears and Gavaksha with many arrows. Seeing Gavaksha and Jambavan tormented by arrows,
जग्राह परिघं घोरमङ्गदः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः । तस्याङ्गदः सरोषाक्षो राक्षसस्य तमायसम् ॥ १३ ॥
Angada, overcome with anger, took a terrible iron bar. Angada, his eyes full of rage, that iron bar of his,
दूरस्थितस्य परिघं रविरश्मिसमप्रभम् । द्वाभ्यां भुजाभ्यां संगृह्य भ्रामयित्वा च वेगवत् ॥ १४ ॥
at the rakshasa standing far off, the bar with the splendour of the sun’s rays, gripping it with both arms and whirling it with force,
महापार्श्वस्य चिक्षेप वधार्थं वालिनः सुतः । स तु क्षिप्तो बलवता परिघस्तस्य रक्षसः ॥ १५ ॥
Vali’s son hurled at Mahaparshva to kill him. That bar, hurled by the mighty one at the rakshasa,
धनुश्च सशरं हस्ताच्छिरस्त्राणं च पातयत् । तं समासाद्य वेगेन वालिपुत्रः प्रतापवान् ॥ १६ ॥
knocked the bow with its arrows from his hand and his helmet. Reaching him with speed, Vali’s powerful son
तलेनाभ्यहनत् क्रुद्धः कर्णमूले सकुण्डले । स तु क्रुद्धो महावेगो महापार्श्वो महाद्युतिः ॥ १७ ॥
struck him in anger with his palm at the root of the ear, by the earring. But enraged, swift, very radiant Mahaparshva
करेणैकेन जग्राह सुमहान्तं परश्वधम् । तं तैलधौतं विमलं शैलसारमयं दृढम् ॥ १८ ॥
took in one hand a very great axe, oil-washed, spotless, made of the core of rock, firm;
राक्षसः परमक्रुद्धो वालिपुत्रे न्यपातयत् । तेन वामांसफलके भृशं प्रत्यवपातितम् ॥ १९ ॥
the rakshasa, greatly enraged, brought it down on Vali’s son. Brought down heavily on his left shoulder blade,
अङ्गदो मोक्षयामास सरोषः स परश्वधम् । स वीरो वज्रसंकाशमङ्गदो मुष्टिमात्मनः ॥ २० ॥
Angada, in rage, freed himself of that axe. The hero Angada, his own fist like a thunderbolt,
संवर्तयत् सुसंक्रुद्धः पितुस्तुल्यपराक्रमः । राक्षसस्य स्तनाभ्याशे मर्मज्ञो हृदयं प्रति ॥ २१ ॥
greatly enraged, equal in valour to his father, clenched; knowing the vital points, near the rakshasa’s breasts, toward the heart,
इन्द्राशनिसमस्पर्शं स मुष्टिं विन्यपातयत् । तेन तस्य निपातेन राक्षसस्य महामृधे ॥ २२ ॥
he brought down that fist, with the touch of Indra’s thunderbolt. By that blow on the rakshasa in the great battle,
पफाल हृदयं चास्य स पपात हतो भुवि । तस्मिन् विनिहते भूमौ तत् सैन्यं सम्प्रचुक्षुभे ॥ २३ ॥
his heart burst, and he fell dead on the ground. When he had been struck down on the ground, that army was thrown into turmoil,
अभवच्च महान् क्रोधः समरे रावणस्य तु । वानराणां प्रहृष्टानां सिंहनादः सुपुष्कलः ॥ २४ ॥
and great anger came upon Ravana in battle. A very full lion’s roar of the delighted monkeys,
स्फोटयन्निव शब्देन लङ्कां साट्टालगोपुराम् । सहेन्द्रेणेव देवानां नादः समभवन्महान् ॥ २५ ॥
as if shattering with its sound Lanka with its towers and gateways, arose great, like the roar of the gods with Indra.
अथेन्द्रशत्रुस्त्रिदशालयानां वनौकसां चैव महाप्रणादम् । श्रुत्वा सरोषं युधि राक्षसेन्द्रः पुनश्च युद्धाभिमुखोऽवतस्थे ॥ २६ ॥
Then the enemy of Indra, the rakshasa lord, hearing the great roar of the dwellers of heaven and of the forest-dwellers, in rage stood again in battle, facing the fight.