The Ramayana Part 155

None shall be left unslaughtered; none Who braves the wrath of Raghu's son."

Canto XLIV. Jamb.u.mali's Death.

Then Jamb.u.mali, pride and boast For valour of the Rakshas host, Prahasta's son supremely brave, Obeyed the hest that Rava? gave: Fierce warrior with terrific teeth, With saguine robes and brilliant wreath.

A bow like Indra's own(874), and store Of glittering shafts the chieftain bore.

And ever as the string he tried The weapon with a roar replied, Loud as the cras.h.i.+ng thunder sent By him who rules the firmament.

Soon as the foeman came in view Borne on a car which a.s.ses drew, The Vanar chieftain mighty-voiced Shouted in triumph and rejoiced.

Prahasta's son his bow-string drew, And swift the winged arrows flew, One in the face the Vanar smote, Another quivered in his throat.

Ten from the deadly weapon sent His brawny arms and shoulders rent.

Then as he felt each galling shot The Vanar's rage waxed fiercely hot.

He looked, and saw a ma.s.s of stone That lay before his feet o'erthrown.

The mighty block he raised and threw, And cras.h.i.+ng through the air it flew.

But Jamb.u.mali shunned the blow, And rained fresh arrows from his bow.

The Vanar's limbs were red with gore: A Sal tree from the earth he tore, And, ere he hurled it undismayed, Above his head the missile swayed.

But shafts from Jamb.u.mali's bow Cut through it ere his hand could throw.

And thigh and arm and chest and side With streams of rus.h.i.+ng blood were dyed.

Still unsubdued though wounded oft The shattered trunk he raised aloft, And down with well-directed aim On Jamb.u.mali's chest it came.

There crushed upon the trampled gra.s.s He lay an undistinguished ma.s.s, The foeman's eye no more could see His head or chest or arm or knee.

And bow and car and steeds(875) and store Of glittering shafts were seen no more.

When Jamb.u.mali's death he heard, King Rava?'s heart with rage was stirred And forth his general's sons he sent, For power and might preeminent.

Canto XLV. The Seven Defeated.

Forth went the seven in brave attire, In glory brilliant as the fire, Impetuous chiefs with ma.s.sive bows, The quellers of a host of foes: Trained from their youth in martial lore, And masters of the arms they bore: Each emulous and fiercely bold, And banners wrought with glittering gold Waved o'er their chariots, drawn at speed By coursers of the n.o.blest breed.

On through the ruins of the grove At Hanuman they fiercely drove, And from the ponderous bows they strained A shower of deadly arrows rained.

Then scarce was seen the Vanar's form Enveloped in the arrowy storm.

So stands half veiled the Mountains' King When rainy clouds about him cling.

By nimble turn, by rapid bound He shunned the shafts that rained around, Eluding, as in air he rose, The rus.h.i.+ng chariots of his foes.

The mighty Vanar undismayed Amid his archer foemen played, As plays the frolic wind on high Mid bow-armed(876) clouds that fill the sky.

He raised a mighty roar and yell That fear on all the army fell, And then, his warrior soul aglow With fury, rushed upon the foe, Some with his open hand he beat To death and trampled with his feet; Some with fierce nails he rent and slew, And others with his fists o'erthrew; Some with his legs, as on he rushed, Some with his bulky chest he crushed; While some struck senseless by his roar Dropped on the ground and breathed no more, The remnant, seized with sudden dread, Turned from the grove and wildly fled.

The trampled earth was thickly strown With steed and car and flag o'erthrown, And the red blood in rivers flowed From slaughtered fiends o'er path and road.

Canto XLVI. The Captains.

Mad with the rage of injured pride King Rava? summoned to his side The valiant five who led his host, Supreme in war and honoured most.

"Go forth," he cried, "with car and steed, And to my feet this monkey lead, But watch each chance of time and place To seize this thing of silvan race.

For from his wondrous exploits he No monkey of the woods can be, But some new kind of creature meant To work us woe, by Indra sent.

Gandharvas, Nagas, and the best Of Yakshas have our might confessed.

Have we not challenged and subdued The whole celestial mult.i.tude?

Yet will you not, if you are wise, A chief of monkey race despise.

For I myself have Bali known, And King Sugriva's power I own.

But none of all their woodland throng Was half so terrible and strong."

Obedient to the words he spake They hastened forth the foe to take.

Swift were the cars whereon they rode, And bright their weapons flashed and glowed.

They saw: they charged in wild career With sword and mace and axe and spear.

From Durdhar's bow five arrows sped And quivered in the Vanar's head.

He rose and roared: the fearful sound Made all the region echo round.

Then from above his weight he threw On Durdhar's car that near him drew.

The weight that came with lightning speed Crushed pole and axle, car and steed.

It shattered Durdhar's head and neck, And left him lifeless mid the wreck.

Yupaksha saw the warrior die, And Virupaksha heard his cry, And, mad for vengeance for the slain, They charged their Vanar foe again.

He rose in air: they onward pressed And fiercely smote him on the breast.

In vain they struck his iron frame: With eagle swoop to earth he came, Tore from the ground a tree that grew Beside him, and the demons slew.

Then Bhasakama raised his spear, And Praghas with a laugh drew near, And, maddened at the sight, the two Against the undaunted Vanar flew.

As from his wounds the torrents flowed, Like a red sun the Vanar showed.

He turned, a mountain peak to seize With all its beasts and snakes and trees.

He hurled it on the pair: and they Crushed, overwhelmed, beneath it lay.

Canto XLVII. The Death Of Aksha.

But Rava?, as his fury burned, His eyes on youthful Aksha(877) turned, Who rose impetuous at his glance And shouted for his bow and lance.

He rode upon a glorious car That shot the light of gems afar.

His pennon waved mid glittering gold And bright the wheels with jewels rolled, By long and fierce devotion won That car was splendid as the sun.

With rows of various weapons stored; And thought-swift horses whirled their lord Racing along the earth, or rose High through the clouds whene'er he chose.

Then fierce and fearful war between The Vanar and the fiend was seen.

The G.o.ds and Asurs stood amazed, And on the wondrous combat gazed.

A cry from earth rose long and shrill, The wind was hushed, the sun grew chill.

The thunder bellowed from the sky, And troubled ocean roared reply.

Thrice Aksha strained his dreadful bow, Thrice smote his arrow on the foe, And with full streams of crimson bled Three gashes in the Vanar's head.

Then rose Hanuman in the air To shun the shafts no life could bear.

But Aksha in his car pursued, And from on high the fight renewed With storm of arrows, thick as hail When angry clouds some hill a.s.sail.

Impatient of that arrowy shower The Vanar chief put forth his power, Again above his chariot rose And smote him with repeated blows.

Terrific came each deadly stroke: Breast neck and arm and back he broke; And Aksha fell to earth, and lay With all his life-blood drained away.

Canto XLVIII. Hanuman Captured.

To Indrajit(878) the bold and brave The giant king his mandate gave: "O trained in warlike science, best In arms of all our mightiest, Whose valour in the conflict shown To Asurs and to G.o.ds is known, The Kinkars whom I sent are slain, And Jamb.u.mali and his train; The lords who led our giant bands Have fallen by the monkey's hands; With shattered cars the ground is spread, And Aksha lies amid the dead.