Chapter 90 - Indrajita loses his Charioteer, Chariot and Horses

Seeing the desperate struggle between man and titan, who resembled two elephants with broken tusks desirous of overcoming each other, Ravana’s valiant brother, curious to behold the outcome of the duel, stood in the forefront of the battle, his excellent bow in his hand.

Standing erect, he stretched his great bow, letting fly long and pointed arrows on the titans and these shafts of burning impact, falling thick and fast, tore the demons to pieces as a thunderbolt rives the high mountains.

Then, in their turn, Bibishana’s followers, the foremost of warriors, arming themselves with maces, swords and harpoons, struck the valiant titans in the fight and, surrounded by his companions, Bibishana resembled a full-grown elephant in the midst of young tuskers pressing close to him.

In order to encourage the monkeys, whose dearest wish was to slaughter their foes, Bibishana, the foremost of the titans, conversant with what was fitting to the occasion, uttered these pertinent words to them, saying:—

“Indrajita is the sole support of the King of the Titans and this is all that is left of his army, why therefore, O Foremost of the Monkeys, have you relaxed your efforts? This wicked wretch being slain in the fore-front of battle, all the titan warriors, save Ravana, have been slain! The valiant Prahasta is dead and the all-powerful Nikumbha also, Kumbhakarna, Kumbha, Dhumraksha, Jambumali, Mahamali, Tikshnavega, Ashani-prabha, Suptagna, Yajnakopa, Vajradamshtra, Samhradin, Vikata, Arighna, Tapana and Mainda, Praghasa as well as Prajangha and Jangha, Agniketu, Durdharsha, Rashmiketu who was full of energy, Vidyujjihva, Dvijihva and Akampana, Suparshva, Shakramali, Kampana, Devantaka and Narantaka who was full of valour. By slaying all these countless and exceedingly powerful titans, you have swum the ocean and now it is for you but to cross the hoof mark of a cow. Attack the titans who still remain, O Monkeys; all these warriors, whose strength has filled them with pride, have perished in the fight. It is not fitting for me to slay my father’s son, but, laying aside all pity for Rama’s sake, I will put an end to my brother’s offspring; yet though I desire to slay him, tears fill mine eyes and deter me; the long-armed Lakshmana will best know how to subdue him 1 O Monkeys, closing in upon him, place yourselves so that you may wipe out those who stand near to him.”

Thus incited by the exceedingly illustrious titan, the foremost of the monkeys demonstrated their delight by lashing their rails, and thereafter those tigers among the Plavamgamas, amidst repeated clapping of hands, emitted every kind of cry, like peacocks on beholding the clouds.

Jambavan too was surrounded by his leaders and their forces and they assailed the titans with their nails and teeth and blows from stones. Thereafter that Lord of the Bears decimated the titans, who, banishing all fear, full of vigour, overwhelmed him with countless missiles such as darts, axes, sharp pikes, lances and spears, striking him, their exterminator, in the fray.

Thereupon a formidable conflict ensued between monkeys and titans, like unto the fearful contest between the Gods and the Asuras fired with wrath, and Hanuman, enraged, broke off a mountain peak and having caused Lakshmana to dismount, slew the titans in their thousands. Meanwhile after a fearful combat with his maternal uncle, the valiant Indrajita, slayer of his foes, threw himself afresh on Lakshmana and a desperate duel arose between those two heroes amidst the general conflict. Then those valiant warriors let loose a rain of missiles with which they overwhelmed each other and, in the twinkling of an eye, they disappeared under a hail of arrows, as the glowing sun and the brightness of the moon under clouds at the end of summer. Their movements were so swift that one was unable to perceive when they took up their bows or stretched them or changed hands or loosed their shafts or selected or separated them or when they closed their fists or took aim and launched a succession of arrows with force, filling the sky on every side, nor was any object distinguishable. Lakshmana struck Ravani and Ravani, in his turn, struck Lakshmana and a general confusion arose between them during the combat. Barbed and pointed shafts, loosed by those two warriors, filled the space in the heavens as it were and those whetted darts, that fell in hundreds, spread over the cardinal points and the intermediate regions, so that everything was engulfed in darkness and extreme terror took possession of all beings.

Then the orb of a thousand rays sank behind the Asta Mountains enveloped in shadow, and torrents of blood flowed that day and fearful beasts of prey emitted full-throated howls.

“May good fortune befall the worlds!” murmured the great Rishis, whilst the Gandharvas with the Caranas, panic-stricken, fled away.

Meanwhile Saumitri with four arrows pierced the four black steeds caparisoned in gold of that Indra among the Titans, and, with the aid of a sharp, yellow, shining and terrible Bhalla, furnished with beautiful plumes, resembling Mahendra’s thunderbolt, resounding like the clang of a gauntlet hurled with full force, that mighty son of Raghu severed the head of the charioteer from his shoulders while he circled round.

Thereupon, his charioteer slain, Mandodari’s valiant son seized the reins himself, taking up his bow; and it was marvellous to behold him driving his chariot as he fought. Yet while his hands were occupied with the steeds, his adversary struck him with pointed darts and while he attended to his bow, the horses were pierced with arrows. Then Indrajita, even though his horses were riddled with darts, caused them to circle bravely under the arrows loosed by Saumitri with exceeding lightness of hand. Seeing his charioteer slain in the fight however, the son of Ravana lost his zest for combat and grew anxious, and observing the titan’s countenance change, the monkey leaders began to acclaim Lakshmana in the height of joy. Thereafter Pramathin, Rabhasa, Sharabha and Gandhamadana, eager to bring matters to a close, struck a mighty blow, and those foremost of monkeys, endowed with extreme vigour and remarkable valour, with a rapid bound, threw themselves on the four magnificent steeds of Indrajita.

Under the weight of those monkeys who resembled mountains, the horses threw up torrents of blood and thereafter, crushed and mangled, fell lifeless on the earth. Having slain the titan’s steeds and shattered his chariot, the monkeys, with a further bound, returned to Lakshmana’s side.

Springing from his car, the horses having perished, and his charioteer being slain, Ravani caused a shower of darts to fall on Saumitri, whereupon, like unto Mahendra, Lakshmana overwhelmed Indrajita with shafts and he, fighting on foot, his excellent steeds being dead, loosed countless whetted and marvellous darts on Saumitri in the fight.