The monkeys fled in all directions as soon as they heard Indrajit’s roar. Then Hanuman said to all those frightened monkeys with morose expressions on their faces: “Having lost your enthusiasm for battle, why are you fleeing with disconsolate faces? Where indeed has your courage gone? Follow behind me as I march ahead into the battlefield! It is not befitting that warriors of noble lineage should retreat.” When the monkeys heard this admonishment from the wise Hanuman, they grabbed mountain peaks and trees with joyful minds. Surrounding Hanuman, those preeminent monkeys followed him into the battlefield and roaring as they rushed toward the rakshasas.
Surrounded by those monkeys, Hanuman began wasting the enemy army like a blazing fire. That giant monkey annihilated the rakshasas, like Yamaraja at the time of death. Overwhelmed with grief and exceeding anger, the monkey Hanuman hurled a huge boulder at Indrajit’s chariot. As soon as the charioteer saw that the boulder was approaching, he drove the chariot off to a distance. Not reaching Indrajit’s chariot, the boulder split the earth open and entered it, having been thrown in vain. As the boulder was falling, the Rakshasa army became distraught. A great many rakshasas were crushed by the boulder when it fell.
Hundreds of forest-dwelling monkeys roared as they rushed toward Indrajit. They grabbed trees and mountain peaks as they did. The monkeys of fearsome prowess began hurling their trees and boulders at Indrajit on the field of battle. Releasing a shower of trees and arrows, the monkeys massacred their enemies and roared in various ways. When struck by the valiant monkeys, the rakshasas struggled on the battlefield. Seeing the Rakshasa army afflicted by the monkeys, Indrajit angrily grabbed a weapon and ran toward the enemy. Surrounded by his army, he released volleys of arrows and killed those strong and courageous monkeys with pikes, thunderbolts, axes, lances and maces. The monkeys also killed his followers in combat. Hanuman massacred the fearsome rakshasas using Shaala trees with fine trunks and boulders.
Restraining the enemy army, Hanuman spoke the following words to the monkeys: “Retreat! We need not conquer this army! That daughter of King Janaka for whom we fought, struggling hard and risking our lives, has been killed. Informing Rama and Sugreeva of this, we shall do whatever they command.” After saying this and restraining all the monkeys, Hanuman gradually retreated with the army without any fear.
Seeing Hanuman retreating to where Rama was, the wicked Indrajit headed for the shrine of Nikumbila in order to perform a sacrifice. When he arrived at the shrine, he offered oblations into the sacred fire. As the Rakshasa offered oblations into the fire in the sacrificial arena, the fire blazed up upon consuming the offerings of blood. The fierce fire, which shone like the setting sun, flared up when offered oblations of blood and was seen to be enveloped in flames. Indrajit, who was familiar with the procedures, systematically offered oblations of clarified butter for the welfare of the rakshasas. Rakshasas who knew how to act in major conflicts, stood there and watched.
Thus completes 82nd Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate
