SECTION LII.
Seeing the Rākshasa—Dhumrāksha of dreadful prowess—issue out, the monkeys, rejoicing greatly, eager for encounter, set up roars. And then there took place a terrific conflict between the monkeys and the Rākshasas, charging each other with fearful trees, and darts, and maces. And the Rākshasas began to scatter the dreadful monkeys on all sides; and the monkeys (on their part) felled the Rākshasas with trees. And the Rākshasas, growing enraged, began to pierce the monkeys with straight speeding sharp shafts winged with Kanka plumes. And riven by the Rakshas with dreadful clubs and bearded darts, daggers and maces and terrible and curious bludgeons and grasped javelins,—the exceedingly powerful (monkeys), their anger aroused, began with alacrity to perform deeds of intrepid valour. And those monkey-leaders, their bodies pierced with shafts and their persons riven with darts, took up trees and crags. And those monkeys, endowed with terrific vehemence, sending up shouts, and proclaiming their respective names, set about tossing the brave Rākshasa ranks. And that conflict between the Rākshasas and the monkeys, waged with diverse rocks and innumerable trees, waxed exceedingly furious. And some among the Rākshasas feeding on gore—on being agitated by the monkeys burning for victory,—began to vomit blood. And some were severed along their flanks; and, some, slain with trees, were heaped up; and some were crushed with crags; and some were torn with teeth. And some being broken down by means of broken standards, and some by means of fallen swords, and some crushed down by cars,—the rangers of the night suffered sorely. And (anon) the earth was covered with huge elephants measuring mountains, and mountain-tops, and steeds crushed, and the riders thereof,—all borne down by the monkeys. And bounding again and again, the vehement monkeys endowed with terrific prowess, with their finger-nails tore up the Rākshasas by the mouths. And with woe-begone faces, and with hair dishevelled, (the Rākshasas), stupified with the smell of blood, saught the earth. And other Rākshasas endowed with dreadful vigor, waxing wondrous wroth, dealt the monkeys slaps with hands having the touch of the thunder-bolt. And, gifted with greater impetuosity, the monkeys felled the impetuous (Rākshasas) with blows, and feet and teeth; and some were slain with trees. And seeing the forces fleeing away, that foremost of Rākshasas—Dhumrāksha—flying into fury, began a terrific conflict with the monkeys desirous of encounter. And some of the monkeys, sore assailed with prāças, began to bleed; and some, wounded with maces, dropped down to the ground. And some were beaten hard with bludgeons; and some were cleft with bhindipālas. And some, on being assailed with bearded darts, became insensible and lost their lives. And some among the monkeys lay slain on the ground, drenched in blood. And some, fleeing away from the field, were slaughtered by the infuriated Rākshasas. And some, having their breasts pierced, lay on their sides. And some were riven with tridents; and the entrails of some had come out. And that mighty and dreadful encounter of the Rākshasas and the monkeys, was waged with countless weapons and rocks and trees. And that battle became a musical entertainment¹⁶¹ mellifluous with bow-string for Vinā,¹⁶² having the neighing of chargers for its measure, and with the cries of _Maindas_¹⁶³ for its strains. Then in the field, Dhumrāksha bow in hand, laughing, pursued the monkeys in all directions with showers of shafts. And seeing the forces hard beset by Dhumrāksha and distressed thereat, the Wind-god’s offspring, waxing enraged, seizing a huge crag, approached (the Rākshasa). And with his eyes doubly reddened in wrath, that one, like unto his sire himself in prowess, brought down the crag upon Dhumrāksha’s car. And seeing the crag, (Dhumrāksha) upraising his mace hurriedly, leapt down in vehemence, and stood on the ground. And having shattered his car, that crag fell down to the earth. And thereat letting go the car furnished with wheels, Kuvaras and a face, as well as a banner; in which Dhumrāksha had left his bow,—Hanumān—son unto the Wind-god—laid about him right lustily for destroying the Rākshasas, with trees having branches long and short. And thereat some Rākshasas with their heads shattered, lay drenched in blood; and others, struck with trees, dropped down to the earth. And then Hanumān—son unto the Wind-god—charged in full career against the Rākshasa army; and, taking a mountain-peak, he rushed against Dhumrāksha. And as Hanumān was descending, the powerful Dhumrāksha, upraising a mace, and giving out a shout, made towards him speedily. And then Dhumrāksha enraged, brought down that mace studded with innumerable pricks, on the head of Hanumān fired with wrath. And thus assailed with the mace of fearful impetuosity! the monkey endowed with the strength of the wind, without at all heeding that blow, let fall a mountain-top right against Dhumrāksha’s head. And on being assailed with the mountain-peak, Dhumrāksha, having his entire body mangled, suddenly fell to the earth, like unto a toppling hill. And seeing Dhumrāksha slain, those night-rangers that survived the carnage, in extreme agitation began to pour into Lankā, attacked by the monkeys. And that high-souled offspring of the Wind-god, having slain his foes, and come under the influence of fatigue incident to his slaughtering his enemies,—having caused rivers of gore to flow (in the field),—experienced the excess of joy on being honored of the monkeys.
¹⁶¹ The reader has already perceived that the carrying out of a simile to a number of details is a characteristic as much of Vālmiki as of his rival in the epic sphere—Vyāsa. But the comparisons are never on all fours, as in the case before us.—T.
¹⁶² A classical Hindu musical instrument, having metallic strings, with a pair of gourds at one end for the sounding-board. Vide Yantra-Koça by Sir Saurindra Mohan Tagore, Mus-Doc.—T.
¹⁶³ A species of elephants.