SECTION LXLVII.
There the earth was covered with monkeys whose bodies were rent with the arrows of the Ten-necked (Rāvana). As the flies cannot stand before the flaming fire so they could not bear the vehemence of Rāvana’s shafts. Being thus assailed with pointed arrows they fled away crying, like unto elephants being burnt by fire. And Rāvana with his arrows pursued in conflict the course of clouds. Thus slaughtering the monkeys the lords of Rākshasas speedily reached in the encounter where Rāghava was. And beholding the monkeys assailed and afraid Sugriva placing Sushena in charge of a _gulma_³⁸⁵ addressed himself for the battle. And placing that heroic monkey, his equal in prowess, in that command Sugriva sallied out with a tree in his hand to meet the enemy. And followed him on all sides the leaders of the monkeys with huge crags and various trees. The heroic Sugriva emitted terrible roars in the conflict and assailed the heroic Rākshasas and many others. The huge-bodied monkey-chief crushed the Rākshasas like unto the wind uprooting the trees at the time of dissolution. He began to make a downpour of crags at the Rākshasa host like unto the cloud pouring down hailstorms at the birds in the forest. And being beheaded by the crags discharged by that monkey chief the Rākshasas fell down like unto mountains cleft. The Rākshasas being thus attacked and shattered by Sugriva and roaring and falling down on all sides, an irrepressible Rākshasa, skilled in archery, by name Birupāksha, pronouncing his own name, got down from the car and mounted an elephant. And mounted on the elephant that highly powerful Birupāksha sent forth leonine roars and dashed against the monkeys. Exciting the joy of the Rākshasas and removing their anxiety he discharged dreadful shafts at Sugriva and his army. And being assailed by the pointed arrows of that Rākshasa that lord of monkeys roared in anger and made up his mind to destroy him. Thereupon uprooting a tree the heroic monkey, skilled in warfare, leaped and struck that huge elephant down in his presence. And being assailed greatly by Sugriva that huge elephant proceeded a little within the range of the bow and roared and died. And being; greatly enraged on the destruction of that elephant the highly powerful Rākshasa dashed forward to face the enemy. That one of quick movements took up his dagger and armour and viling, approached Sugriva. And beholding his movement Sugriva took up a huge crag resembling a cloud and hurled it against Birupāksha. That highly powerful leading Rākshasa, finding the crag about to fall, turned a little away and struck the monkey with his dagger. And being assailed with dagger by that powerful Rākshasa the monkey remained senseless for sometime on the ground. And rising up all on a sudden he, clenching his fist, struck that Rākshasa in the mighty encounter on his breast and got him down. Being struck with the fist the night-ranger Birupāksha greatly enraged cut down with his dagger Sugriva’s armour and tumbled him down with his feet. And the monkey rising up again was about to deal him a blow, hard as a thunder-bolt, with a dreadful sound. And receding a little, he baffled its aim and returned one on Sugriva’s breast. Finding his aim baffled and himself struck in return by the Rākshasa, Sugriva, the lord of monkeys, was excited with anger. And the monkey-chief was now on the look-out for an opportunity to strike Birupāksha. And immediately in anger he struck him down with a blow on his forehead. And being thus assailed with the fist resembling the thunder-bolt of Mahendra, he fell down on the earth bathed in a pool of blood. And blood gushed out of the person of Birupāksha like unto water issuing out of a fountain. And the monkeys beheld their enemy (Birupāksha) with his eyes disfigured in anger, bathed in a foam of blood, his whole body discoloured, trembling, rolling and crying piteously. Thereupon those two armies of the monkeys and Rākshasas, being ready to engage in the encounter, began to roar like unto two mighty oceans having their banks broken. And observing that highly powerful Rākshasa, of discoloured eyes, slain by the king of monkeys, the monkeys and Rākshasa forces engaged in fight and looked like the rising Ganges.
³⁸⁵ The division of an army; a body of troops consisting of nine platoons or nine elephants, nine chariots, twenty seven horses and forty-five foot.