Chapter 55 - Akampana goes out to fight against the Monkeys

Hearing that Vajradamshtra had been slain by the son of Bah, Ravana addressed the General of his forces who, with joined palms, stood near him and said:—

“Let the invincible titans of irresistible courage go forth immediately with Akampana at their head, who is conversant with the use of every weapon and missile; he excels in vanquishing the foe and in preserving and leading his own forces; he has ever desired my welfare and loved war; he will prove victorious over the two Kakutsthas and the exceedingly energetic Sugriva. The rest of the monkeys too are formidable but without doubt he will exterminate them all.”

At this command from Ravana, the valiant titan, in great haste, mobilized an entire division of the army. Furnished with every kind of weapon, those foremost of titans of terrifying aspect, fearful to look upon, rushed into the fray where their general had despatched them.

Akampana of the stature and colour of a cloud, whose voice resembled thunder, ascended his car decorated with fine gold and set out surrounded by dreadful demons. He, who was incapable of trembling in battle even before the Gods themselves, seemed to the monkeys to be as splendid as the sun. As he sped on his way, furious and eager to enter into combat, the horses drawing his chariot were suddenly deprived of their energy and the left eye of that one who delighted in warfare began to twitch. His countenance grew pale, his voice trembled, the day which had seemed so fair became threatening and a bitter wind began to blow. Birds and beasts uttered mournful cries but that titan, who had the shoulders of a lion and the agility of a tiger, disregarding those portents, rushed towards the battlefield and, as he went forward with his troops, an immense tumult arose that seemed to convulse the ocean and the sound appalled the simian army, who, furnished with trees, prepared to enter into combat.

Thereafter a fearful struggle ensued between monkeys and demons and, ready to sacrifice their lives in the cause of Rama and Ravana, those monkey and titan warriors of exceeding valour, who resembled hills, contended with each other and, the yells they emitted in the thick of the fight and the shouts of defiance that they let forth in their rage created an indescribable clamour. A thick coppery dust, raised by the monkeys and the titans enveloped the whole horizon and, in the midst of that yellow cloud resembling silk which covered them, the combatants could no longer distinguish each other on the field. Neither standard, banner, shield, weapon nor chariot could be discerned in that pall of dust and the terrific clamour of warriors challenging and rushing upon each other was appalling to hear, yet in the confusion no form was visible.

In that fight monkeys fell under the blows of enraged monkeys, titans massacred titans in the darkness; Plavagas and demons slew foe and friend, and the earth drenched with gore was thick with mud.

Under the rain of blood the dust was laid, revealing the earth covered with corpses. Then the monkeys and titans assailed each other with blows from trees, spears, maces, javelins, stones, bars and picks, wrestling with their adversaries who resembled mountains. In that encounter those monkeys slew the titans of dreadful deeds and they, transported with rage, bearing darts and javelins in their hands, destroyed the monkeys with their cruel weapons.

Thereafter Akampana, the leader of the titans, full of ire, consoled all those fierce and valiant soldiers; the monkeys however, leaping upon them, shattered their weapons and crushed those titans with blows from trees and stones.

At that instant, the courageous monkey Leaders, Kumuda, Nala and Mainda, in a paroxysm of rage, as in sport, with mighty bounds and blows of trees created a great carnage amongst the titans and all those lions among the monkeys brought about complete disorder in the enemy ranks with their countless missiles.