Having passed the night in Suvela, the heroic monkey-leaders surveyed woods and forests in Lankā. And seeing those extensive (woods and forests), mild, and charming, and beautiful to behold, they were seized with wonderment. Abounding in champakas, açokas, vakulas, çālas, and palms; covered with tamālas and panaças,—and environed all around with trees,—and surrounded with Hintālas, Aryunas, blossoming Saptaparnas, Tilakas, Karnikāras, and Pātalas,—trees with flowering tops, en tert wined with creepers,—Lankā looked exceedingly lovely, with various sights,—resembling the Amarāvati herself of Indra. And trees there, furnished with variegated flowers having tender rosy leaves,—and blue lawns, and rows of woods; and bearing odourous and charming blossoms and fruits,—looked like men adorned with ornaments. And there a delightful and pleasant wood resembling Chaitraratha, and like unto Nandana itself—having all the seasons present,—appeared beauteous to the view, with black bees all around. And it had Dātyuhas, and Koyasthivas, and peacocks dancing; and the strains of the coels were heard at the woodland rills. And the heroic and exhilarated monkeys, capable of wearing forms at pleasure, entered those woods and groves frequented by maddened birds and ranged by Bhramaras,—tracts overflowing with the lays of coels, and ringing with the voices of songsters,—resonant with the notes of Bhramaras—sovereigns of their species—and eloquent with the cries of ospreys. And as the exceedingly energetic monkeys entered, there blew upon them the breeze—like unto life—redolent of perfume obtained from contact with the blossoms. And others of the leaders among the heroic monkeys, coming out from the bands, ordered by Sugriva, made in the direction of Lankā crowned with ensigns. And, terrifying the fowls and dispiriting beasts and birds and shaking Lankā with their roars, those foremost monkeys set up shouts. And they, endowed with great impetuosity, went on, oppressing the earth with their battle-array; and clouds of dust suddenly arose from the the march of the soldiery. And bears, and lions, and buffaloes, and elephants, and deer, and birds, overwhelmed with affright, made for the ten cardinal points. The graceful and lovely summit of Trikuta was entire, elevated, sky-piercing, of golden splendour, measuring an hundred yojanas, clear-shining, level, inaccessible even to fowls, and incapable of being ascended even in thought—not to say of actual ascension by people. Lankā, ruled by Rāvana, was situated on its¹⁰⁰ top,—ten yojanas in width and twenty in length. And that city was graced with lofty ornamented gateways resembling pale clouds, and golden and silvern walls; and Lankā was adorned with palaces and piles; like the sky¹⁰¹ graced with clouds on the approach of the rainy season. And that palace, which was adorned with thousands of pillars, and which, as if piercing the heavens, looked like a peak of Kailāça—was the residence of the Sovereign of the Rākshasas—the ornament of the city, (ever guarded by full hundreds of Rākshasas). And Lakshmana’s auspicious and puissant elder brother, beholding that flourishing and wealthy city resembling the celestial regions,—charming to the mind, made of gold, graced with mountains, and decked out with mountains containing various metals,—resonant with the notes of various birds; abounding in various beasts,—furnished with various kinds of flowers,—and inhabited by various orders of Rākshasas,—was struck with astonishment. And Rāma, surrounded by his mighty forces, saw that palace, filled with diverse kinds of gems, adorned with rows of edifices, and having huge engines and gateways.
¹⁰⁰ Trikuta’s.—T.
¹⁰¹ Madhyamam Vaishnavam padam—the middle foot of Vishnu. When Vishnu in his Dwarf-form took the conceit out of Vāli, the renowned Asura king,—he covered the earth with one pace, the sky with another and heaven with the last.—T.
SECTION XL.
Then Rāma, accompanied by the monkey-leaders, along with Sugriva, ascended the top of Suvela, measuring a circumference of two yojanas. And staying there for a while and looking at the ten cardinal points, he saw Lankā finely placed on the charming summit of Trikuta,—graced with elegant groves; and (he also saw) the unconquerable lord of Rākshasas, stationed at the top of the gateway, fanned with white chāmaras; graced with the umbrella betokening victory; smeared with red sandal; adorned in red ornaments; resembling masses of sable clouds; and apparelled in golden attire,—his breast bearing scars from the tusk-ends of Airāvata; covered with a sheet hued like the blood of hares; and appearing like clouds lighted up by the evening sun. And on seeing the Rākshasa-chief, Sugriva suddenly rose up in the sight of the lords of monkeys as well as Rāghava. And influenced by wrath, he, mustering strength and vigor, rising from the brow of the mountain, bounded to the gateway. And pausing for a while and eying the Rākshasa intrepidly, he, slighting the Raksha, addressed him in harsh speech, saying,—"O Rākshasa, I am the friend as well as the slave of Rāma—lord of men. Me, backed by the energy of that king of the Earth, shalt thou not escape to-day". Saying this, he, suddenly springing up, descended on him; and snatching away his variegated crown, let it fall on the earth. And seeing him come abruptly, the night-ranger spoke to him thus,—"Thou that wert Sugriva beyond my ken, shalt be neckless¹⁰² near me". Having said this, he rose up swiftly and dragged him¹⁰³ down to the earth. Thereat springing like pith, the monkey pushed down his antagonist with his arms. And each having his body bathed in sweat and his person covered with blood, each choking and annuling the efforts of the other,—and resembling a Sālmali or a Kinçuka, and dealing blows and slaps, and hitting with his arms and hands,—those exceedingly strong ones, the lord of the Rākshasas and that of the monkeys, fought wonderfully. And having for a long time encountered each other in combat on the dais belonging to the gate,—they, now lifting up their persons and now lowering them, went down, each felling the other with his legs. And smiting each other, they, their bodies fastened together, went down between the wall and the moat,—and again stood upon the ground. And heaving breath, they, resting for a space, grappled with each other; and they fast bound each other with their arms serving for ropes. And each fired with wrath, and each having both strength and skill, they now bore themselves in the lists like a tiger and a lion, furnished with teeth; or like the young of the foremost elephants engaged in encounter,—and restraining and pushing each other with their arms, they simultaneously both came down to the ground. Then starting again to their feet, they, vituperating each other, ranged the lists, displaying feats expressive of skill and strength. Nor did those heroes speedily come by fatigue. And resembling mighty elephants, they, resisting each other by means of their powerful arms like unto the trunks of elephants, fought for a long while, swiftly wheeling about the arena. And approaching each other, they strove to slay each other, like unto two cats seated, momentarily encountering each other over some food. And the lord of monkeys and Rāvana, accomplished in fight, coursed the arena, displaying wonderful mandalas,¹⁰⁴ various _sthānas_¹⁰⁵ curious _gomātrakas_¹⁰⁶ gatapratyāgatas, tiraschi-nagatas, vakragatas, parimokshas, varjanas, paridhāvanas, abhidravanas,¹⁰⁷ āplāvanas,¹⁰⁸ savigrahāvasthānas,¹⁰⁹ parāvrittas,¹¹⁰ apāvrittas,¹¹¹ _apadrutas_¹¹² avaplutas,¹¹³ apanyastas,¹¹⁴ and upanyastas.¹¹⁵ In the meanwhile the Raksha attempted to put forth his power of illusion. Knowing this, the king of monkeys shot into the sky. And Rāvana, overpowered by fatigue and out of breath, thus baffled by the monkey-king, stood where he was. Thus the master of the foremost monkeys, securing fame in fight, beat the night-ranger, causing him to experience fatigue. And bounding beyond the spacious sky, the offspring of the Sun came to the side of Rāma in the midst of the monkey-forces. And having done that deed, the son of the Sun,—lord of monkeys—with his heart surcharged with rejoicing, entered that host having the speed of the wind; enhancing the martial ardour of the son of the foremost of the Raghus, and honored by the monkeys.
¹⁰² The text has hinagriva—neckless. There is a pun here, turning on the word grivā—neck. Rāvana says: "Thou wert Sugriva (good-necked) in my absence,—but now thou shalt be hinagriva—neckless".—T.
¹⁰³ Sugriva.
¹⁰⁴ A mandala is of four kinds, viz., chāri, karana, khanda and mahāmandāla. Proceeding with one leg advanced is chāri, with two alternately advanced is karana; proceeding after the manner of karana, with some special movements, is khanda; and two or three khandas combined is a mahāmandala.—T.
¹⁰⁵ A particular adjustment of the steps successively; awry, etc.—It is of six kinds, viz., Vaishnava, Sampāda, Vaiçākka, Mandala, Pratyālirha and Anālirha.—T.
¹⁰⁶ A kind of motion resembling cow’s urine flowing, as its name signifies.