SECTION LXXIX.
Beholding Makarāksha out for battle, those foremost monkeys, leaping on a sudden, addressed themselves for fight. Thereupon ensued a terrible conflict, capable of making one’s down stand on end, between the night-rangers and the monkeys like unto one between the celestials and Dānavas. And those monkeys and night-rangers crushed each other down with trees, darts, maces and parighas. And those night-rangers began to assail those foremost of monkeys with sakti,³²⁹ swords, maces, kuntas, tomaras, pattiças, Vindipalas,³³⁰ arrows, nooses and clubs. Being thus assailed with fearful arrows by Khara’s son, those monkeys, stricken with fear, fled away. And beholding the monkeys fly away, the victorious Rākshasas began to roar like excited lions. The monkeys thus flying away to all quarters, Rāma with a downpour of shafts assailed the Rākshasas. And beholding the Rākshasas thus overpowered, the night ranger Makarāksha, excited with the flame of ire, said,—"Stay, O Rāma, let us both fight with each other; I shall take thy life with sharp arrows discharged off my bow. Thou didst slay my father in the forest of Dandaka. Remembering thy action and finding thee before, my ire is excited. O Rāghava! Vicious souled one! My limbs are being burnt (with wrath) for I did not see thee then in that mighty forest. O Rāma, by my good luck, I have got thee to-day, like unto a hungry lion desiring to have other animals. Being despatched by my arrows to the world of devils, thou shalt live with those heroes, who had been killed by thee before. What is the use of speaking more, O Rāma, do thou hear my words. Let all the people behold thy as well as my prowess in the battlefield. Either with weapon or with clubs, in whatever thou art expert, do thou fight with me in the battle-field, O Rāma". Hearing the words of Makarāksha, Rāma, Daçaratha’s son, smiling, replied to the words of the babbler. "O Raksha, what is the use of idle prating? None can achieve success in battle with idle words—but with fighting. I slew in the forest of Dandaka thy father with fourteen thousand Rākshasas, Triçira and Dushana. O vile one, thou being slain to day, with thy flesh, vultures and crows, having sharp beaks and nails, and jackals shall be satisfied.³³¹ Being thus addressed by Rāghava, the mighty Makarāksha, began to dart sharp arrows towards him in the battle-field. And Rāma, with his shafts, sundered into several pieces, those arrows. And being thus rendered useless those arrows, feathered in gold, fell down on the earth. Then there arose a terrible conflict between the Rākshasa Khara’s son and Daçaratha’s son. And there were audible in that battle-field, the outcry of the heroes and the twang of the bows stretched by their hands, like unto the muttering of the clouds in the sky. And to beheld that wondrous conflict, the celestials, Dānavas, Gandharbas, Kinnaras and the mighty serpents stationed themselves in the sky. They were wounded with the arrows discharged by each other and their strength was doubled. And they began to fight in that battle-field one attacking and the other withstanding the attack. And in that conflict the Rākshasa sundered the shafts discharged by Rāma. And likewise Rāma severed into several pieces the arrows shot by the Rākshasa. All the quarters were covered with arrows and nothing on earth or in the sky was visible. Thereupon being excited with ire, Rāghava of long arms sundered his (Rākshasa’s) bow in conflict and with eight Nārachas pierced the charioteer. And with arrows Rāma sundered the chariot and killing the horses brought them down. And the night-ranger Makarāksha was brought down on the earth from the chariot. He then again rose up with a dart in his hand creating terror unto all creatures and resembling the Fire of Dissolution in resplendence. It was a terribly huge dart conferred on him by Siva, shining in the sky in its native brilliance and like unto another weapon of destruction.³³² And beholding which dart even the celestials fly away in fear to different quarters. And taking up that huge flaming dart, the night-ranger, being excited with ire, hurled it at the high-souled Rāghava. And Rāghava, with four shafts, sundered that dart, in the sky, flaming and hurled at him by the son of Khara. And that flaming dart, feathered in gold, being splintered into several pieces by Rāma’s arrows fell down on earth like a huge fire-brand. And beholding that dart baffled thus by Rāma of unwearied actions all those, stationed in the welkin began to shout, "Well done! Well done!!" And beholding his dart thus sundered, the night-ranger Makarāksha clenching his fist spoke unto Kākutstha, saying, "Stay! Stay!" And seeing him advance thus, the descendant of Raghu, smiling, fixed a fiery arrow on his bow. And with that arrow the Raksha was slain by Kākutstha in battle. And having his heart pierced he fell down and died. And beholding Makarāksha thus slain all the Rākshasas, being afraid of Rāma’s arrows, proceeded towards Lankā. And seeing that night-ranger, the son of Khara, slain by Rāma’s arrows, like unto a mountain clept by a thunder-bolt, the celestials were greatly delighted.
³²⁹ A short arrow thrown from the hand or shot through a tube.—T.
³³⁰ An Iron spear or dart.—T.
³³¹ Here is another sloka, which is to be found in all N. W. P. texts and in one or two texts published in Bengal—but it has been omitted by many for it conveys the same meaning as the previous sloka; the meaning is:—And the birds drinking thy blood shall fly away to various quarters.—T.
³³² This refers to the weapon used by Siva for destruction—for Siva, according to the Hindu Mythology is the God of destruction.—T.