In those circumstances, Vibhishana gave to Lakshmana the following advice, which was detrimental to the enemy and beneficial to Him: “Let the Rakshasa army seen here be immediately attacked by the monkeys with boulders. O Lakshmana, try to destroy the great army. When Indrajit sees that it has been smashed, he will make himself visible here. Therefore, as long as this has not been accomplished, quickly assault the enemy, covering it with your arrows that are like Lord Indra’s thunderbolts. O hero, kill the wicked Indrajit, an unrighteous sorcerer of cruel deeds and cause of terror for the world!”
Hearing Vibhishana’s advice, Lakshmana showered volleys of arrows toward the son of Ravana. Bears and monkeys, who fought with trees, rushed together toward that assembled army. Anxious to slaughter the monkey army, the rakshasas showered sharp arrows, swords, spears and javelins. The conflict between the monkeys and rakshasas was tumultuous, resounding loudly throughout Lanka. The sky was covered with weapons of different shapes, sharp arrows, raised trees and formidable mountain peaks.
Directing their weapons toward the monkey chieftains, the rakshasas with misshapened faces and arms caused great terror. The monkeys similarly struck down all the rakshasas on the battleground with trees and mountain peaks. A great fear arose among the rakshasas as they fought with the big-bodied and powerful bears and monkeys. Hearing that his army was being beaten by the enemy and was losing spirit, Indrajit got up from the ritual before it was completed. Emerging from the darkness of a grove of trees and angered by the disturbance, Indrajit mounted his chariot, which was hitched with horses and ready. Indrajit looked like a pile of black eye ointment. The bow he held was formidable. His mouth and eyes were reddish, and he looked as dreadful as death personified. As soon as they saw Indrajit seated on his chariot, the Rakshasa warriors, who were eager to fight with Lakshmana, rallied around him. At that time, Hanuman uprooted a big tree. Hanuman obliterated that army of rakshasas with many different trees, like the fire of universal destruction. As soon as they saw Hanuman perpetrating such a slaughter, thousands of rakshasas covered him with arrows.
Approaching him from all sides, rakshasas struck him with sharp pikes, swords, spears, javelins, sharp lances, iron bars, maces, hundreds of steel-spiked balls, steel hammers, formidable axes and slings, as well as punches and slaps that felt like bolts of lightning. Angered by this, Hanuman proceeded to massacre them.
Indrajit watched that best of monkeys, Hanuman, fearlessly crushing his enemies. He then spoke to his charioteer as follows: “Drive over there where that monkey is! If he is ignored, he will surely annihilate all us rakshasas.” When commanded in that way, the charioteer drove the chariot bearing Indrajit to where Hanuman was. As Indrajit got closer, he showered the monkey’s head with arrows, swords, lances and axes. When Hanuman, the son of the wind-god, received those weapons on his head, he became greatly enraged and said: “O foolish Indrajit, if you are a warrior, then fight! Once you approach the son of the wind-god, you will not return alive! If you want to have a duel, then fight with me hand to hand! Survive my impetuosity, O ill-witted one, then you will be considered the best of rakshasas!”
While Indrajit held up his bow to kill Hanuman, Vibhishana pointed him out to Lakshmana: “The one seated in the chariot over there is Ravana’s son, Indrajit, who is trying to kill Hanuman. O Lakshmana, kill him with your unequalled arrows capable of repulsing the enemy and taking away their life.” When spoken to in this way by Vibhishana, the great soul Lakshmana stared at the invincible Rakshasa of frightful strength seated in the chariot.
Thus completes 86th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate
