SECTION LXXVI.
On that furious and destructive carnage proceeding. Angada, eager for encounter, approached the heroic Kampana. Thereat, challenging Angada in wrath, he assailed him with impetuosity. And Kampana dealt a blow to Angada with his mace; and thereat, wounded with it, he reeled. Then regaining his senses, that energetic one hurled a mountain-top. Borne down by the blow, Akampana dropped down to the earth. And seeing Kampana slain in the conflict, Sonitāksha mounted on a car, intrepidly rushed against Angada. And he then impetuosly pierced Angada with sharpened shafts, keen and capable of cleaving the body and resembling the Fatal Fire itself in appearance,—with Kshuras³⁰⁸ and Kshurapras³⁰⁹ and Nārāchas³¹⁰ and Vatsadantas³¹¹ and Siliumkhas³¹² and Karnis³¹³ and Salas³¹⁴ and Vipātas,³¹⁵ and countless (other) whetted arrows. And the powerful son of Vāli—Angada—endowed with prowess having his person pierced with arrows suddenly smashed (his adversary’s) car and arrows and dreadful bow. And thereat, Sonitāksha swiftly took up his sword and shield; and without reflecting for a moment, that vigorous one sprang forward. And the powerful Angada, speedily bounding up, seized his enemy’s sword and holding the same with his hands shouted. And then hitting at (Akampana’s) shoulder-blade, that powerful monkey—Angada—hewed him in twain, his blow going obliquely down like the sacred thread. And taking that terrific sword, and shouting again and again, in the field, Vāli’s son rushed against other enemies. And then strong and heroic Yupaksha accompanied by Prajangha,—mounted on a car, wrathfully approached the mighty son of Vāli. And taking an iron mace, that hero, Sonitāksha, adorned with a golden angada,—attaining a little respite, advanced against Angada. And that redoubtable hero, the powerful Prajangha, also, accompanied by Yupāksha, fired with wrath, equipped with a mace, advanced towards the son of Vāli endowed with exceeding prowess. And placed between those two—Sonitāksha and Prajangha—that foremost of monkeys appeared like the full Moon placed between the Visākhas.³¹⁶ And Mainda and Dwivida defending Angada, remained beside him, desirous of witnessing the encounter between those two (combatants). And fired with fury, those huge-bodied Rākshasas endowed with dreadful prowess, equipped with swords and shafts and maces,—being on their guard, fell upon the monkeys. And the encounter that took place between those three lords of monkeys combined (on one side), and the three redoubtable Rakshasis (on the other), was dreadful and capable of making people’s down stand on end. And they,³¹⁷ taking up trees, hurled them in the conflict (against their antagonists); and the powerful Prājangha resisted all those with his swords. And (the monkeys) in the contest showered rocks and trees on the cars (of their enemies) and the exceedingly strong Yupāksha cut them off with vollies of arrows. And the powerful Sonitāksha, endowed with prowess, with his mace severed in the middle the trees which Dwivida and Mainda had uprooted and discharged. And summoning speed, Prājangha darted against Vāli’s son, upraising a huge scimitar capable of piercing into the vitals of trees. And seeing him approach, that lord of monkeys possessed of exceeding strength and great prowess struck him with an Açwakarna tree; and with a blow smote his antagonist on his arm holding a nistringa. And seeing the sword resembling a mace dropped to the earth, that exceedingly mighty one clenched his fist into a blow like unto the levin; and that one, endowed with wondrous energy, smote in the forehead that foremost of monkeys possessed of redoubtable prowess. And thereat he for a moment was staggered. And then recovering his senses, the energetic and powerful son of Vāli by means of his clenched fist severed Prājangha’s head from his body. Thereat Yupāksha, seeing his uncle slain in battle, with his eyes filled with tears, finding his shafts exhausted, swiftly descended from his car and took a sword. And finding Yupāksha charge, Dwivida, waxing wroth, speedily smote him on the breast; and that powerful one also seized him. And finding his brother taken, the highly energetic Sonitāksha then dealt the mighty Dwivida a blow in the chest. And overcome by that blow, that one endowed with great strength, shook; and Dwivida seized his antagonist’s upraised mace. In the meanwhile Mainda came to the side of Dwivida. And Sonitāksha and Yupāksha, bestirring themselves, began to vehemently and forcibly drag and pull those (two) monkeys. And Dwivida with his nail tore Sonhaksha’s face; and that powerful one violently bringing him down to the earth, pressed him with might and main. And fired with wrath, Mainda—foremost of monkeys—grasped Yupāksha with his arms; and that one dropt down dead on the earth. And thereupon the force of the lord of the Rākshasas, having its foremost heroes slain,—and aggrieved thereat, went to where Kumbhakarna’s son was. And then cheering up the flying forces, that best (of Rakshas),—the energetic Kumbha—seeing that Raksha host with its mighty heroes slain by highly powerful monkeys crowned with success, began to perform difficult feats in the encounter. And needfully taking his bow, that first of bowmen discharged shafts resembling venomous serpents capable of piercing the body. And his excellent bow with shafts shone resplendent like the very bow of Indra himself affluent with the splendour of Airāvata and lightning. And then drawing his bow to its utmost bent, he hit Dwivida with a feathered shaft knobbed with gold. And suddenly wounded with it, that best of monkeys having the splendour of Trikuta, fell down senseless to the earth, stretching his legs wide. And Mainda, seeing his brother, broken in mighty encounter, furiously rushed forward, taking a gigantic crag; and that one possessed of great strength, hurled it at the Rākshasa. And thereat Kumbha severed that crag with fire shafts discharged (from his bow). And then aiming other fair-headed arrows resembling venomous snakes, that exceedingly energetic one smote Dwivida’s elder brother in the chest. And struck (with those arrows), that leader of monkey-bands, Mainda, with his marrow pierced therewith, fell down to the earth, deprived of his senses. And Angada seeing his uncles³¹⁸ endowed with exceeding prowess, overpowered, darted vehemently at Kumbha staying with bow upraised. And as he descended, Kumbha pierced him with fire shafts; and as one pierceth an elephant with tomaras, he also pierced (Angada) with three other arrows. And the powerful Kumbha pierced Angada with a great many arrows, sharp-pointed, whetted, keen and ornamented with gold. And Vāli’s son Angada, albeit pierced all over in his person, did not shake; and he kept showering on his³¹⁹ head stones and trees. And the graceful son of Kumbhakarna cut off and cleft all those (stone and trees) discharged by Vāli’s son. And seeing him spring up, Kumbha pierced that monkey-leader on the ground with shafts, even as one assaileth an elephant with fire-brands. And blood gushed out of his closed eyes. And then covering his eyes with his hand, Angada with another took a sāla that was hard by. And placing on his breast the sāla furnished with shoulders, and pulling its branches and bending its top, he cleared it of its foliage, in that mighty encounter. And then in the sight of all the Rakshas he violently discharged that tree resembling the very banner of Indra and appearing like Mandara itself. And thereat he³²⁰ severed it with seven sharp shafts capable of piercing the body. And Angada experienced a sharp pang and fell down deprived of his senses. And seeing the invincible Angada down like ebbing sea, the foremost monkeys informed Rāghava of it. And Rāma, hearing that Vāli’s son had come to grief in terrific fight, directed the principal monkeys, headed by Jāmbavān. And hearing Rāma’s command, the monkeys, fired with wrath, charged Kumbha, staying with his bow upraised. And those powerful monkeys, with their eyes crimsoned with choler and bearing rocks and trees in their hands, were engaged in defending Angada. And Jāmbavān and Sushena and the monkey, Vegadarçi, wrought with wrath, darted against that hero—son unto Kumbhakarna. And seeing them spring forward; he covered up those exceedingly mighty lords of monkey, with showers of shafts, even as a crag obstructeth the course of a current. And even the great deep cannot see his own shores, those high-souled lord of monkeys, coining within the range of his arrows, could not even see. And seeing those monkeys sore distressed by the shafts, the king of the monkeys, Sugriva, in that conflict taking his brother’s son on his back, rushed against the son of Kumbhakarna, even as a powerful lion rusheth at an elephant ranging on the slopes of a mountain. And that mighty monkey, uprooting many an açwakarna and other mighty trees of various kinds, discharged them (at the foe). And by means of his sharp arrows the graceful son of Kumbhakarna cut off that down-pour of trees covering the welkin; and incapable of being resisted. And being baffled those trees looked like çataghnis. And seeing that shower of trees riven by Kumbha, the graceful lord of the monkeys endowed with exceeding strength and prowess, did not feel any mortification. And suddenly attacked, he bearing those arrows, seized Kumbha’s bow resembling in resplendence the very bow of Indra. And swiftly bounding up and performing that feat difficult of being achieved, he, exceedingly enraged, addressed Kumbha resembling an elephant shorn of his tusks, saying,—"O elder brother of Nikumbha, marvellous are thy might and the force of thyself as well as the modesty and prowess that are thine and Rāvana’s. And, O thou equal unto Prahrada or Vāli or the slayer of Vritra or Varuna or Kuvera! thou alone walkest in the wake of thy yet mightier father. As mental anguish doth not dog one that hath controlled his senses,—the celestials cannot cope in conflict with thee alone, O repressor of foes, O of mighty arms, bearing thy dart in thy hand. O thou of high intelligence, put forth thy prowess! and do thou also witness my work. It is only by virtue of the boon he hath received, that thy uncle can bear the deities and the Dānavas. But Kumbhakarna copeth with the immortals and Asuras by means of his native might. And in the bow equal to Indrajit himself and in power equal to Rāvana, thou now in might and energy art the foremost of Rākshasas. And to-day let all creatures witness the mighty and wonderful encounter in conflict between thee and me, like unto the meeting of Sakra and Samvara. And unparalleled is the feat thou hast performed; and thou hast displayed thy skill in weapons. And heroic monkeys endowed with dreadful vigor, have been brought down by thee. And, O hero it is only because of the apprehension³²¹ of censure of the people that I do not slay thee who art fatigued in consequence of the acts that thou hast performed. And reposing from fight, do thou see my strength!" And being thus honored (by Sugriva) with fair speech, (Kumbha) flamed up like a flame into which oblations have been poured. And then Kumbha seized Sugriva by the arms. And like two elephants in rut, they sighing momentarily, fastened on each other’s person, and possessed each other,—and from fatigue emitting from their mouth flames mixed with vapour And with the stamping of their feet, the earth was rent into rivers, and the main was waxed, with its billows surging furiously. Then Sugriva lifting up Kumbha clean, violently plunged him into the salt wash, making his eyes acquainted with the locality of the deep. And in consequence of Kumbha’s plunge, the waters heaving up, rolled on all sides like the Vindhya or Mandara. Then springing up, and bringing Sugriva down, Kumbha, transported with wrath dealt a blow on his chest, like unto the levin. And thereat his skin was rent, and blood began to gush out,—and the impetus of that blow broke Sugriva’s bones. And the vehemence (of the blow) caused a great fire to blaze up at that spot; even as the thunder-bolt smiting the mountain Meru, maketh place blazed. And the mighty Sugriva—foremost of monkeys—sorely handled by him, fastened his fingers into a box resembling the thunder-bolt, and furnished with all the effulgence of the solar disc having a thousand rays. And then that powerful one made that blow descend right on Kumbha’s breast. And agonised with that stroke, Kumbha reft of his senses, dropped like unto a fire that hath lost its brightness. And overpowered by that blow, the Rākshasa anon dropped down, like unto the bright Lohitānga dropping from the firmament urged on by Destiny. And the aspect of the falling Kumbha with his breast broken by the blow, appeared like that of the Sun routed by Rudra. And on his being slain, in encounter, by the foremost of monkeys endowed with terrific strength, the earth with her hills and woods, shook; and a mighty fear took possession of the Rakshas.
³⁰⁸ Arrows having razor-like edges.
³⁰⁹ Crescent-shaped shafts.
³¹⁰ Arrows made entirely of iron.
³¹¹ Arrows resembling the teeth of calves.
³¹² Arrows resembling the feathers of the Kanka.
³¹³ Arrows furnished with two sides resembling cars.
³¹⁴ Arrows with short leads.
³¹⁵ Arrows resembling the tops of Karaviras—Tirtha.
³¹⁶ The asterisks so named.
³¹⁷ The monkeys.
³¹⁸ Maternal uncles.
³¹⁹ Kumbha’s.
³²⁰ Kumbha.
³²¹ i e. Lest people should censure me, saying,—’Sugriva slew Kumbha when he was fatigued in fight’.—T.