Ramayana of Valmiki

by Hari Prasad Shastri | 1952 | 527,382 words | ISBN-10: 9333119590 | ISBN-13: 9789333119597

This page is entitled “vajradamshtra enters the lists” and represents Chapter 53 of the Yuddha-kanda of the Ramayana (English translation by Hari Prasad Shastri). The Ramayana narrates the legend of Rama and Sita and her abduction by Ravana, the king of Lanka. It contains 24,000 verses divided into seven sections [viz., Yuddha-kanda].

Chapter 53 - Vajradamshtra enters the Lists

Hearing of the death of Dhumraksha, Ravana the King of the Titans fell into a transport of fury and began to hiss like a serpent. Wrought up with ire, with long and burning sighs he addressed the exceedingly powerful Vajradamshtra, saying:—

“O Warrior, go forth at the head of the titans and triumph over the son of Dasaratha, Rama, as also over Sugriva and die monkeys!”

“Be it so!” answered the general who was versed in the art of magic, and he departed speedily with the innumerable divisions that surrounded him.

With the utmost care he assembled teams of elephants, horses, donkeys and mules, adorning them with countless flags of different colours, and that titan, wearing bracelets and a diadem of great price, set out immediately, bearing his bow and, having circumambulated his chariot dressed with pennants, which dazzled the gaze with its facings of pure gold, he ascended it.

Thereafter infantry of every kind issued forth, furnished with weapons, such as cutlasses, innumerable darts, gleaming maces, harpoons, bows, lances, spears, swords, discus, hammers and sharp axes. All those illustrious lions among the titans in their resplendent and many-coloured uniforms, full of ardour mounted on elephants intoxicated with ichor, resembled moving hills. Their mounts equipped for combat, driven by mahouts bearing lances and goads, were headed by those distinguished for their trappings and great strength.

And the whole army of titans filed out, looking as brilliant as the clouds riven by lightning in the rainy season and they emerged from the northern gate where the General Angada was stationed.

Thereafter, as they set forth, fearful portents appeared and, from a cloudless yet burning sky, meteors fell while jackals, emitting fearful howls, belched forth flames and fire. Hideous beasts foretold the destruction of the titans who entered into the combat stumbling miserably.

Yet despite those ill-omens, the mighty Vajradamshtra, full of energy and prowess, went forward eager to meet the foe and, seeing their adversaries advancing, the monkeys, burning for victory, set up tremendous shouts which echoed in every quarter.

Thereafter a furious struggle ensued between the monkeys and the titans and those redoubtable warriors of ferocious aspect sought to bring about each other’s destruction. Some of those warriors, their heads and bodies severed, fell to the earth bathed in blood, whilst others, whose arms resembled steel, approached one another, attacking with various weapons, neither giving ground. Trees, stones and javelins clashed with a tremendous noise, striking terror in the heart of the listeners and the appalling clatter of chariot wheels, the twanging of bow-strings, the blare of trumpets, the roll of drums, the booming of gongs, created an indescribable uproar.

Then, throwing away their weapons, they wrestled with one another in hand-to-hand combat, striking each other with the palms of their hands, their feet, their knees and even with trees. Some of the titans had their bodies torn open, some were crushed by rocks and some were beaten down by the blows of the monkeys in the fight.

Now Vajradamshtra, having surveyed the scene, began to sow terror among the monkeys, as Antaka, noose in hand, at the destruction of the worlds.

Full of vigour, those skilled warriors, the titans, transported with rage, decimated the monkey forces with every kind of weapon and, on his side the audacious son of Vayu struck down all those titans in the fight, fury re-doubling his strength, so that he appeared like the Fire of Dissolution. Then the valiant Angada, the equal of Shakra in valour, brandishing a tree, his eyes red with anger, like a lion amidst defenceless deer, caused a terrible carnage. By the force of his blows, the titans of redoubtable courage, their skulls crushed, fell like trees under the blows of the axe and the earth, strewn with chariots of every kind, standards, horses, bodies of monkeys and titans and rivers of blood, was fearful to behold. Strings of pearls, bracelets, raiment, and parasols decorated the battlefield, which glowed like an autumnal night and the tempestuous Angada scattered the great army of the titans as the wind dispels the clouds.

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