SECTION LXII.
Thereupon Hanumān, the foremost of the monkeys, spoke unto them, saying—"O monkeys, do ye undisturbed drink honey. I shall myself thwart them who will obstruct you." Hearing his words, Angada, the best of the monkeys, delighted, said—'Drink honey, O monkeys, we must follow Hanumān's advice, who hath already been crowned with success. We must follow him even if he leadeth us to an unworthy action, what of this which is most becoming?" Hearing these words from Angada, the leading monkeys attained to an excess of delight and eulogized him again and again. And adoring Angada—their prince, those monkeys proceeded by the way leading to the Madhuvana like unto trees carried by a stream. And entering that orchard they forcibly attacked the waiters there. Hanumān saw Maithilee, and others heard of her from him—and those monkeys, renouncing all fear in consequence and obtaining permission, drank honey and feasted on various sweet fruits. And they, given to the drinking of honey, attacking the guards who were approaching by hundreds, gave them a sound beating. Some monkeys,collecting honey with their hands measuring a Drona,[430] drank it; others collecting themselves delightedly into a band spoiled it; while other yellow-coloured monkeys drank and sprinkled it. And some, being beside themselves with intoxication, struck others with the remaining quantity, while others waited at the foot of the trees, holding their boughs. And some, being exhausted with drinking, spread leaves and laid themselves thereon—and some being drunk and delighted struck others down in mad fury. And some lost their steps. Some roared and some delightedly set up the music of the birds. Some of the monkeys, inebriete with honey, slept on the earth; some laughed at others impudently and some cried aloud. Some spoke contrary to what they had done—and others put a different construction thereon. And all the waiters of the garden and the servants of Dadhimukha, were repressed by those terrible monkeys with censure and thrown up in the sky by their knee-joints. And terrified, they fled to different directions. And being worked up with anxiety, they approached Dadhimukha and said—'Commanded by Hanumān the monkeys have forcibly devastated the Madhuvana and we were thrown high up by them in the sky." Hearing of the destruction of the orchard, Dadhimukha, being greatly enraged, consoled all the monkeys. "Proceed ye before, I shall soon follow you and repress by force all those monkeys, greatly excited with pride and the drinking of the excellent honey." Hearing these words from Dadhimukha those leading and heroic monkeys proceeded with him towards Madhuvana. And Dadhimukha proceeded with great velocity in their midst taking up a huge tree in his hand. And all his attendants, taking trees, mountain crags, proceeded, wroth, where those leading monkeys were. And biting their lips in wrath and remonstrating with them again and again, those monkeys began to suppress them by force. And beholding Dadhimukha greatly enraged, all the monkeys, headed by Hanumān, approached him with great vehemence. And as the mighty Dadhimukha of huge arms, was proceeding towards them vehemently with a huge tree, Angada, wroth, caught him by the hand. He was beside himself with intoxication and therefore did not show him the least mercy, albeit he (Dadhimukha) was worshipful unto him. And accordingly with great vehemence he ground him to the dust. His arms and thighs were broken and his countenance was disfigured and that great heroe, the foremost of the monkeys, bathed in a pool of blood, remained senseless for sometime. And thereupon releasing himself from them by some device that leading monkey, proceeded to a nook, and addressed his attendants, saying—"Let us all proceed there where our lord, the spacious-necked Sugriva liveth with Rāma. I shall relate unto him all the unfair dealings of Angada and forsooth shall that wrathful king punish all these monkeys. The picturesque Madhuvana is the most favourite orchard of the high-souled Sugriva. It was enjoyed by his forefathers and is not even approached by the celestials. And meting out punishment unto these monkeys, eager to drink honey and almost half dead, Sugriva shall slay them as well as their friends and relatives. Those vicious-souled ones are worthy of being slain since they have transgressed the royal mandate. And then shall my wrath, arising out of impatience, bear fruits." Having thus spoken unto the guards of the forest the highly powerful Dadhimukha leaped high up in the welkin and went away with them. And in no time he reached where the highly intelligent monkey Sugriva, the offspring of the sun, was. And beholding Rāma, Lakshmana, and Sugriva and the level ground he descended from the sky. And descending from the sky that great and heroic Dadhimukha, lord over all the monkeys engaged in protecting the forest, placing his folded palms on his forehead and with a poorly countenance, laid low his crown at Sugriva's feet.