Summary
Extra-ordinary duels arose between the monkeys and demons, who ran up towards each other. Indrajit fought with Angada, Sampaati with Prajangha, Hanuman with Jambumali, Vibhishana with the demon Shatrughna, Gaja with Tapana, Nila with Nikumbha, Sugreeva with Praghasa, Lakshmana with Virupaksha, Agniketu and others with Rama, Vajramsushit with Mainda, Ashaniprabha with Dvivida, Pratapana with Nala and Sushena with Vidyunami. Streams of blood flowed from both sides. In a series of hand-to-hand encounters, the valiant monkeys destroyed the strong demons. The remaining demons waited for the sun to set-in and re-assembled with a renewed vigor for the battle.
Chapter [Sarga] 43 in Detail
yudhyataam tu tatas tesaam vaanaraanaam mahaatmanaam |
raksasaam sambabhuuva atha bala kopah sudaarunah || 6-43-1
While highly wise monkey-troops and the demons were fighting a terrible military ferocity arose in them.
te hayaih kaancana aapiidair dhvajaisha ca agni shaikha upamaih |
rathaisha ca aaditya samkaashaaih kavacaisha ca mano ramaih || 6-43-2
niryayuu raaksasa vyaaghraa naadayanto dishao dashaa |
raaksasaa bhiima karmaano raavanasya jaya esinah || 6-43-3
Those demons, the best of ogres, doing terrific acts and eager to triumph in Ravana’s name, marched ahead on steeds with golden trappings or elephants resembling pointed flames, or in chariots flashing like the sun and themselves wearing beautiful armors, creating reverberant sounds in the ten regions.
vaanaraanaam api camuur mahatii jayam iccataam |
abhyadhaavata taam senaam raksasaam kaama ruupinaam || 6-43-4
The great army of monkeys, also eager to triumph, marched opposite to those troops of demons of terrible acts.
etasminn antare tesaam anyonyam abhidhaavataam |
raksasaam vaanaraanaam ca dvandva yuddham avartata || 6-43-5
Extra-ordinary duels arose between those demons and monkeys, who ran up towards each other.
angadena indrajit saardham vaali putrena raaksasah |
ayudhyata mahaa tejaas tryambakena yathaa andhakah || 6-43-6
The demon Indrajit of immense energy fought with Angada the son of Vali, as the demon Andhaka fought with Shiva the Lord of destruction.
prajanghena ca sampaatir nityam durmarsano rane |
jambuu maalinam aarabdho hanuumaan api vaanarah || 6-43-7
The ever indomitable Sampaati fought with Prajangha and Hanuman the monkey measured his strength with Jambumali.
samgatah sumahaa krodho raaksaso raavana anujah |
samare tiiksna vegena mitraghnena vibhiisanah || 6-43-8
The demon with great fury, Vibhishana the younger brother of Ravana confronted with Shatrughna possessing fiery velocity in battle.
tapanena gajah saardham raaksasena mahaa balah |
nikumbhena mahaa tejaa niilo api samayudhyata || 6-43-9
Gaja of great strength fought with a demon called Tapana and Nila too of great energy fought with Nikumbha.
vaanara indras tu sugriivah praghasena samaagatah |
samgatah samare shariimaan viruupa aksena laksmanah || 6-43-10
Sugreeva the king of monkeys confronted well with Praghasa and the glorious Lakshmana confronted with Virupaksha in the battle.
agni ketusha ca durdharso rashami ketusha ca raaksasah |
suptaghno yajna kopasha ca raamena saha samgataah || 6-43-11
The invincible Agniketu, Rashmiketu, Mitraghnu and Yajnakopa confronted with Rama.
vajra mustishcha maindena dvividena ashaani prabhah |
raaksasaabhyaam sughoraabhyaam kapi mukhyau samaagatau || 6-43-12
Vajramushti confronted with Mainda and Ashaniprabha with Dvivida. Those principal monkeys Mainda and Dvivida confronted with those highly terrific demons.
viirah pratapano ghoro raaksaso rana durdharah |
samare tiiksna vegena nalena samayudhyata || 6-43-13
Pratapana, the valiant, terrific and invincible in battle fought well with Nala of intense speed in battle.
dharmasya putro balavaan susena;iti visharutah |
sa vidyun maalinaa saardham ayudhyata mahaa kapih || 6-43-14
That great monkey called Sushena, the strong son of Yama fought with Vidyunmaali.
vaanaraasha ca apare bhiimaa raaksasair aparaih saha |
dvandvam samiiyur bahudhaa yuddhaaya bahubhih saha || 6-43-15
Some other dreadful monkeys, having finished their fight with many demons, swiftly got a duel with some other demons.
tatra aasiit sumahad yuddham tumulam loma harsanam |
raksasaam vaanaraanaam ca viiraanaam jayam icchataam || 6-43-16
A very great tumultuous battle, which caused hair to stand on end, continued there between heroic demons and monkeys, who were eager to triumph.
hari raaksasa dehebhyah prasritaah keshaa shaaadvalaah |
shaariira samghaata vahaah prasusruh shaonita aapagaah || 6-43-17
Streams of blood flowed from the bodies of monkeys and demons, with turfs of hair and carrying bodies in the stream, like timber.
aajaghaana indrajit kruddho vajrena iva shaata kratuh |
angadam gadayaa viiram shaatru sainya vidaaranam || 6-43-18
The enraged Indrajit struck the valiant Angada (who can tear asunder the enemy forces) with a mace, like Indra the Lord of celestials with his thunder-bolt.
tasya kaancana citra angam ratham saashavam sasaarathim |
jaghaana samare shariimaan angado vegavaan kapih || 19
The swift monkey, Angada struck his chariot, having a variegated body of gold, along with horses and the charioteer in the battle.
sampaatis tu tribhir baanaih prajanghena samaahatah |
nijaghaana ashava karnena prajangham rana muurdhani || 6-43-20
Sampaati, who was struck by Prajangha with three arrows, killed Prajangha by an Ashwakarna tree, at the zenith [height] of the combat.
jambuu maalii rathasthas tu ratha shaaktyaa mahaa balah |
bibheda samare kruddho hanuumantam stana antare || 6-43-21
Jambumali, standing in his chariot, full of strength and fury banged on Hanuman’s breast, with a javelin kept in his chariot, on the field of battle.
tasya tam ratham aasthaaya hanuumaan maaruta aatmajah |
pramamaatha talena aashau saha tena eva raksasaa || 6-43-22
Hanuman, the son of the wind-god, ascended his chariot and soon overthrew it together with the demon, with the palm of his hand.
bhinna gaatrah shaarais tiiksnaih ksipra hastena raksasaa |
prajaghaana adri sharingena tapanam mustinaa gajah || 6-43-23
That terrific Pratapana, while roaring, ran towards Nala. Nala suddenly scratched out Pratapana’s eyes.
grasantam iva sainyaani praghasam vaanara adhipah |
sugriivah sapta parnena nirbibheda jaghaana ca || 6-43-24
Pierced in the limbs by sharp arrows by Praghasa the swift-handed demon, Sugreeva the Lord of demons immediately killed Praghasa (who was appearing to swallow the monkey-troops) with a Saptaparna tree.
prapiidya shaara varsena raaksasam bhiima darshaanam |
nijaghaana viruupa aksam shaarena ekena laksmanah || 6-43-25
Lakshmana with a terrific look, having tormented Virupaksha the demon with a shower of arrows, finally killed him with an arrow.
agni ketusha ca durdharso rashami ketusha ca raaksasah |
suptighno yajna kopasha ca raamam nirbibhiduh shaaraih || 6-43-26
The invincible Agniketu, Rashmiketu, Mitrughna and Yajnakopa wounded Rama by arrows.
tesaam caturnaam raamas tu shairaamsi samare shaaraih |
kruddhasha caturbhisha ciccheda ghorair agni shaikha upamaih || 6-43-27
The enraged Rama on his part chopped the hands of those four demons in the battle by his four terrific arrows having fire-like points.
vajra mustis tu maindena mustinaa nihato rane |
papaata sarathah saashavah puraatta iva bhuu tale || 6-43-28
Struck with a fist by Mainda in the battle, Vajramushti along with his chariot fell to the ground like a watch-tower on a city-wall.
vajra ashaani sama sparshao dvivido apy ashaani prabham |
jaghaana giri sharingena misataam sarva raksasaam || 6-43-29
Nikumbha chopped Nila, having a radiance of a mass of collyrium in battle, by his sharp arrows, like a cloud by the rays of the sun.
dvividam vaanara indram tu druma yodhinam aahave |
shaarair ashaani samkaashaaih sa vivyaadha ashaani prabhah || 6-43-30
Then, Nikumbha the swift-handed demon again wounded Nila by a hundred arrows in the battle and laughed continuously.
sa shaarair atividdha ango dvividah krodha muurchitah |
saalena saratham saashavam nijaghaana ashaani prabham || 6-43-31
Nila chopped the head of the charioteer of Nikumbha by the wheel of the same chariot in that fight, as Vishnu the Lord of preservation (by his Chakra, a circular missile weapon) in a battle.
nikumbhas tu rane niilam niila anjana caya prabham |
nirbibheda shaarais tiiksnaih karair megham iva amshaumaan || 6-43-32
Even Dvivida, whose impact was like a flash of lightening of a thunder bolt, struck Ashaniprabha with a rock before the eyes of all the demons.
punah shaara shaatena atha ksipra hasto nishaaa carah |
bibheda samare niilam nikumbhah prajahaasa ca || 6-43-33
That Ashaniprabha wounded Dvivida the monkey leader by his thunder bolt-like arrows, while Dvivida was fighting with trees in the battle.
tasya eva ratha cakrena niilo visnur iva aahave |
shairasha ciccheda samare nikumbhasya ca saaratheh || 6-43-34
With his limbs struck by arrows that Dvivida agitated as he was by anger, struck with a Sala tree, Ashaniprabha, his chariot and the horses.
vidyun maalii rathasthas tu shaaraih kaancana bhuusanaih |
susenam taadayaam aasa nanaada ca muhur muhuh || 6-43-35
Vidyunmaali, seated in a chariot, struck Sushena repeatedly with arrows adorned with gold and made a roaring sound.
tam rathastham atho dristvaa suseno vaanara uttamah |
giri sharingena mahataa ratham aashau nyapaatayat || 6-43-36
Sushena the excellent monkey, seeing him mounted on a chariot quickly caused the chariot to fall down, by a huge rock.
laaghavena tu samyukto vidyun maalii nishaaa carah |
apakramya rathaat tuurnam gadaa paanih ksitau sthitah || 6-43-37
Retreating soon from the chariot, Vidyunmaali the demon endowed with a skill, stood on the ground with a mace in his hand.
tatah krodha samaavistah suseno hari pumgavah |
shailaam sumahatiim grihya nishaaa caram abhidravat || 6-43-38
Then, the excellent monkey, Sushena engulfed as he was with anger, seizing a very huge rock in his hands, chased that demon.
tam aapatantam gadayaa vidyun maalii nishaaa carah |
vaksasy abhijagnaana aashau susenam hari sattamam || 6-43-39
Vidyunmaali the ranger of the night; struck that approaching Sushena the excellent monkey, quickly with a mace on his chest.
gadaa prahaaram tam ghoram acintya plavaga uttamah |
taam shailaam paatayaam aasa tasya urasi mahaa mridhe || 6-43-40
Not minding that terrific blow with the mace in the great battle, Sushena the excellent monkey silently threw that huge rock on his chest.
shailaa prahaara abhihato vidyun maalii nishaaa carah |
nispista hridayo bhuumau gata asur nipapaata ha || 6-43-41
Struck by the thump of that rock, Vidyunmaali the demon, his chest crushed, fell lifeless on the earth.
evam tair vaanaraih shauuraih shauuraas te rajanii caraah |
dvandve vimriditaas tatra daityaa;iva diva okasaih || 6-43-42
Those strong demons were destroyed thus by those valiant monkeys there in a series of hand to hand encounters, as the demons were destroyed by the blows of the celestials.
bhallaih khadgair gadaabhisha ca shaakti tomara pattasaih |
apaviddhasha ca bhinnasha ca rathaih saamgraamikair hayaih || 6-43-43
nihataih kunjarair mattais tathaa vaanara raaksasaih |
cakra aksa yuga dandaisha ca bhagnair dharani samsharitaih || 6-43-44
babhuuva aayodhanam ghoram gomaayu gana sevitam |
The battle-field became frightening with extra-ordinary spears, other arrows, maces, javelins, lances and some other weapons with three points, shattered chariots and military steeds elephants in rut, monkeys and demons which had been killed, wheels axles and yokes broken and lying on the ground and frequented as it was by herds of jackals.
kabandhaani samutpetur diksu vaanara raksasaam |
vimarde tumule tasmin deva asura rana upame || 6-43-45
The headless trunks of monkeys and demons sprang up here and there in the midst of that tumultuous conflict, which resembled the war between celestials and demons.
nihanyamaanaa hari pumgavais tadaa |
nishaaa caraah shaonita digdha gaatraah |
punah suyuddham tarasaa samaasharitaa |
divaakarasya astamaya abhikaanksinah || 6-43-46
Then, the rangers of the night, with their limbs anointed with blood after being attacked by the excellent monkeys, longed for sun-set and again with strength, assembled for a good combat.
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavyeyuddhakaande trichatvaarimshah sargah
Thus completes 43rd Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate