Summary
Ravana sends Virupaksha, Yupaksha, Durdhara, Praghasa and Bhasakarna the five foremost army-generals so as to capture Hanuma. Ravana explains his guess, saying to those five generals that Hanuma may not be an ordinary monkey, but an evil spirit created by Indra the Lord of celestials and asks them to exert a great effort to capture him. Hanuma first kills Durdhara who initially attacks him. He then kills Virupaksha and Yupaksha, by attacking them with a sala tree. Hanuma later kills Praghasa and Bhasakarna, by hurling the top of a mountain on them. After destroying the remaining army together with horses’ elephants and chariots, he again in returns to the archy door way of the Ashoka groove.
Chapter [Sarga] 46 in Detail
hataan mantri sutaan buddhvaa vaanarena mahaatmanaa |
raavanah samvrita aakaarah cakaara matim uttamaam || 5-46-1
Coming to know that the chief minister's sons were killed by the high souled who had cleverly concealed the expression made an excellent thought.
sa viruupa aksha yuupa akshau durdharam caiva raakshasam |
praghasam bhaasa karnam ca panca senaa agra naayakaan || 5-46-2
samdidesha dashagriivo viiraan naya vishaaradaan |
hanuumat grahane vyagraan vaayu vega samaan yudhi || 5-46-3
That Ravana ordered (as follows) five foremost leaders of the army viz. Virupaksha, Yupaksha, Durdhara the demon, Praghasa and Bhasakarna, all of them brave demons, skilled in strategy, eager to capture Hanuma and equal to the speed of wind in battle.
yaata senaa agragaah sarve mahaabala parigrahaah |
savaaji ratha maatangaah sa kapih shaasyataam iti || 5-46-4
He ordered as follows: "March, all of you O generals, taking a large army together that monkey be punished."
yat taih ca khalu bhaavyam syaat tam aasaadya vana aalayam |
karma ca api samaadheyam desha kaala virodhitam || 5-46-5
"Approaching that monkey, you ought to become diligent [steady, earnest, and energetic]. Action should be taken by you which is not out of accord [more at heart] with time and space."
na hi aham tam kapim manye karmanaa pratitarkayan |
sarvathaa tan mahat bhuutam mahaabala parigraham || 5-46-6
"Judging him by his actions, I do not think him as a mere monkey. By all means, he may be an evil spirit, putting on an extraordinary might."
bhavet indrena vaa srishtam asmat artham tapo balaat |
sanaaga yaksha gandharvaa deva asura maharshayah || 5-46-7
yushmaabhih sahitaih sarvaih mayaa saha vinirjitaah |
taih avashyam vidhaatavyam vyaliikam kimcit eva nah || 5-46-8
tat eva na atra samdehah prasahya parigrihyataam |
na avamanyo bhavadbhih ca harih kruura paraakramah || 5-46-9
"This evil spirit may be some being evolved for our sake by Indra the Lord of celestials with strength of his askesis. Celestials, demons, sages along with Nagas the serpent-demons, Yakshas the spirits and Gandharvas the celestials musicians were conquered by my along with you all together. Even same offensive surely, will be affected to us by them. It is such an evil spirit created by Indra. There is no doubt about it. Let it be captured forcibly. This monkey of a great prowess should not be despised by you."
drishtaa hi harayah shiighraa mayaa vipula vikramaah |
vaalii ca saha sugriivo jaambavaan ca mahaabalah || 5-46-10
niilah senaa patih caiva ye ca anye dvivida aadayah |
na eva teshaam gatih bhiimaa na tejo na paraakramah || 5-46-11
na matih na bala utsaaho na ruupa parikalpanam |
"Earlier, I saw the monkeys of a great prowess like Vali and Sugreeva, the mighty Jambavan, Nila the Chief of army and so on like Dvivida. their scheme of performance is not so fearful as this; nor their efficacy, nor their prowess, nor their intellect, nor this capacity to change their form or energy at will."
mahat sattvam idam jneyam kapi ruupam vyavasthitam || 5-46-12
prayatnam mahat aasthaaya kriyataam asya nigrahah |
"Keeping in view that it is a great evil spirit standing in the form of a monkey, exert a great effort and capture it."
kaamam lokaah trayah sa indraah sasura asura maanavaah || 5-46-13
bhavataam agratah sthaatum na paryaaptaa rana ajire |
"The three worlds including Indra, celestials, demons and humans are not fit to stand before you in the battle-field."
tathaa api tu nayajnena jayam aakaankshataa rane || 5-46-14
aatmaa rakshyah prayatnena yuddha siddhih hi cancalaa |
"Even then, the one who is skilled in strategy, desirous of a victory in a battle is to protect himself. Victory in a battle is indeed unreliable."
te svaami vacanam sarve pratigrihya mahaaojasah || 5-46-15
samutpetuh mahaavegaa huta asha sama tejasah |
rathaih ca mattaih naagaih ca vaajibhih ca mahaajavaih || 5-46-16
shastraih ca vividhaih tiikshnaih sarvaih ca upacitaa balaih |
All of them, having a great strength and a blaze equal to that of fire, accepting the orders of their king and augmenting their strength with chariots, elephants in rut, horses of extra ordinary swiftness and various kinds of sharp weapons, sallied forth with a great speed.
tatah tam dadrishuh viiraa diipyamaanam mahaakapim || 5-46-17
rashmimantam iva udyantam sva tejo rashmi maalinam |
toranastham mahaavegam mahaasattvam mahaabalam || 5-46-18
Thereafter, those valiant demons saw that Hanuma the great monkey, encircled by his rays of splendor like a rising sun, shining, standing on the archy door-way, possessing enormous energy, strong mental disposition and colossal strength.
mahaamatim mahaautsaaham mahaakaayam mahaabalam |
tam samiikshya eva te sarve dikshu sarvaasv avasthitaah || 5-46-19
taih taih praharanaih bhiimaih abhipetuh tatah tatah |
Immediately on seeing that Hanuma of great intellect, of great swiftness and of a gigantic body, all those demons, stationed in all quarters, attacked him with their terrific weapons from every side.
tasya panca aayasaah tiikshnaah sitaah piita mukhaah sharaah || 5-46-20
shirasti utpala patra aabhaa durdharena nipaatitaah |
Durdhara discharged five sharp and fierce steel arrows with a luster of black lily-petals and yellow tops to descend into Hanuma's head.
sa taih pancabhih aaviddhah sharaih shirasi vaanarah || 5-46-21
utpapaata nadan vyomni disho dasha vinaadayan |
Pierced in the head by those fire arrows, Hanuma leapt roaring in the sky, making the roar reverberating in all directions.
tatah tu durdharo viirah sarathah sajja kaarmukah || 5-46-22
kiran shara shataih naikaih abhipede mahaabalah |
Then the mighty and the valiant Durdhara leapt into the sky with his chariot. Stretching his bow and throwing hundreds of sharp arrows, he attacked Hanuma.
sa kapih vaarayaamaasa tam vyomni shara varshinam || 5-46-23
vrishtimantam payodaante payodam iva maarutah |
Hanuma warded him off from showering the arrows on him in the sky, as the wind wards off a rainy cloud from raining at the end of a monsoon.
ardyamaanah tatah tena durdharena anila aatmajah || 5-46-24
cakaara ninadam bhuuyo vyavardhata ca vegavaan |
Thus afflicted by that Durdhara, Hanuma then emitted a roar once again and swiftly expanded his body.
sa duuram sahasaa utpatya durdharasya rathe harih || 5-46-25
nipapaata mahaavego vidyut raashih giraav iva |
Like a mass of lightning on a mountain, Hanuma instantaneously fell on Durdhara's chariot, by jumping up from far above with great speed.
tatah tam mathita ashta ashvam ratham bhagna aksha kuuvaram || 5-46-26
vihaaya nyapatat bhuumau durdharah tyakta jiivitah |
Losing his chariot whose axle and pole had been broken and all his eight horses destroyed, Durdhara then dropped down, losing his life, to the ground.
tam viruupa aksha yuupa akshau drishtvaa nipatitam bhuvi || 5-46-27
samjaata roshau durdharshaav utpetatuh arim damau |
Engrossed in anger to see his fallen on the ground, the inviolable Virupaksha and Yupaksha, the annihilators of enemies, jumped up into the air.
sa taabhyaam sahasaa utpatya vishthito vimale ambare || 5-46-28
mudgaraabhyaam mahaabaahuh vakshasi abhihatah kapih |
Jumping up in the air all of a sudden those two demons struck in the chest with their clubs that long-armed Hanuma standing in clear sky.
tayoh vegavatoh vegam vinihatya mahaabalah || 5-46-29
nipapaata punah bhuumau suparna sama vikramah |
Striking down the swiftness of those violent demons, the mighty Hanuma whose prowess is equal to that of Garuda the eagle, again descended on to the ground.
sa saala vriksham aasaadya samutpaatya ca vaanarah || 5-46-30
taav ubhau raakshasau viirau jaghaana pavana aatmajah |
Approaching a sala tree and uprooting it, that Hanuma the monkey killed those two valiant demons.
tatah taan triin hataan jnaatvaa vaanarena tarasvinaa || 5-46-31
abhipede mahaavegah prasahya praghaso harim |
bhaasa karnah ca samkruddhah shuulam aadaaya viiryavaan || 5-46-32
Getting to know all those mighty three killed by Hanuma, Praghasa with a great alacrity, forcefully attacked Hanuma. The valiant Bhasakarna, highly enraged, attacked taking a spear in his hand.
ekatah kapi shaarduulam yashasvinam avasthitau |
pattishena shita agrena praghasah pratyapothayat || 5-46-33
bhaasa karnah ca shuulena raakshasah kapi sattamam |
The two generals stood by the side of the illustrious Hanuma. Praghasa pierced Hanuma with a sharp-pointed spear and Bhasakarna attacked him with a dart.
sa taabhyaam vikshataih gaatraih asrig digdha tanuu ruhah || 5-46-34
abhavat vaanarah kruddho baala suurya sama prabhah |
With his limbs wounded by those two demons, that Hanuma with his body-hair anointed by blood, became enraged, with his blaze similar to that of a rising sun.
samutpaatya gireh shringam samriga vyaala paadapam || 5-46-35
jaghaana hanumaan viiro raakshasau kapi kunjarah |
Having plucked up the top of a mountain with its various animals serpents and trees, the heroic Hanuma the best among monkeys, killed those two demons.
tatah teshv avasanneshu senaa patishu pancasu || 5-46-36
balam tat avashesham tu naashayaamaasa vaanarah |
When those five army-generals have been killed, Hanuma then destroyed that remaining army.
ashvaih ashvaan gajaih naagaan yodhaih yodhaan rathai rathaan || 5-46-37
sa kapih naashayaamaasa sahasra aksha iva asuraan |
Like Indra the thousand-eyed god destroying the demons, Hanuma destroyed the horses by striking them with horses, the elephants with elephants, the warriors with warriors and the chariots with chariots.
hataih naagaih ca turagaih bhagna akshaih ca mahaarathaih || 5-46-38
hataih ca raakshasaih bhuumii ruddha maargaa samantatah |
The earth had its path-ways blocked on all sides with the elephants and the horses killed, with the demons killed and with the big chariots which had their axles broken.
tatah kapih taan dhvajinii patiin rane |
nihatya viiraan sabalaan savaahanaan |
tat eva viirah parigrihya toranam |
krita kshanah kaala iva prajaa kshaye || 5-46-39
Like Yama the Time-spirit waiting for the right moment for the destruction of the mortals, the heroic Hanuma, killing the eminent demons and the army-generals with their troops and vehicles in the combat, waited for the right moment at the arch-way.
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye sundarakaande stchatvaarimshah sargah
Thus completes 46th Chapter of Sundara Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate