Chapter 56 - Akampana is slain by Hanuman

Witnessing this great exploit executed by the monkey leaders, Akampana was seized with violent anger and his features became distorted. Brandishing his powerful bow, he addressed his charioteer in these words:—

“Drive the chariot with all speed to that place, for those warriors are slaying countless titans on the battlefield. Those arrogant monkeys of exceeding ferocity, armed with trees and rocks, dare to affront me! I shall exterminate those audacious warriors who are seen sowing confusion in the ranks of the titans!”

Thereupon, in his chariot drawn by fast-moving horses, Akampana, the most skilful of car-warriors, with a hail of darts, overwhelmed the monkeys so that they were no longer able to maintain their formation nor for this reason could they fight and, crushed under the shafts of the titan, the confusion became general.

Then the valiant Hanuman, seeing them fall under the sway of death, pursued by Akampana’s darts, went to the rescue of his companions and, beholding that great Plavaga, those lions among the monkeys rallied and, in the field, grouped themselves boldly round him. Observing his courage, those foremost of the monkeys took heart in the shelter of his valour.

Meanwhile Akampana, like unto a second Mahendra, caused a hail of arrows to descend on Hanuman who remained as firm as a rock, heedless of the weapons that fell upon his body, and that exceedingly courageous monkey resolved to slay his adversary and, with peals of laughter, the impetuous son of Maruta leapt on the titan, causing the earth to shake as it were, while burning with energy he emitted yells, so that it was impossible to look upon him as it is impossible to gaze on a fire in a brazier.

Finding himself without weapons, that foremost one among the monkeys, in the fury that possessed him, tore up a rock and seizing a huge crag with one hand, Maruti, letting forth a roar, began to spin it rapidly thereafter hurling it at the Titan Leader Akampana, as formerly in the encounter, Purandara hurled his thunderbolt at Namuchi.

Akampana, however, seeing that crag flying towards him, shattered it from a distance by means of great crescent-shaped darts. Beholding that rocky peak shattered in the air by the titan’s arrows and falling in pieces, Hanuman became mad with anger and observing an Ashvakarna Tree as large as a mountain, in the transport of rage that possessed him, that monkey uprooted it with violence and taking hold of that tree of immense branches, in his great strength, brandished it exultantly. Then he began to run with great strides, breaking down the trees in his haste and, in the excess of his fury, tearing up the earth with his feet; and he struck down elephants as also those who rode upon them and charioteers with their cars and the formidable titan infantry.

Seeing Hanuman, like unto Antaka, the Destroyer of Vital Breaths, full of wrath, armed with a tree, the titans took to flight. Thereupon the valiant Akampana beholding that enraged monkey sowing terror amongst his soldiers, greatly perturbed, set up a mighty shout and, with fourteen pointed arrows that tore the flesh, he pierced the exceedingly powerful Hanuman.

Riddled with sharp-pointed iron shafts, that simian warrior resembled a mountain covered with forests and, like unto a flowering Ashoka Tree, he shone like a smokeless flame. Uprooting another tree, with a prodigious bound he struck the head of the Titan General a fearful blow and, by that stroke with which that Indra among Monkeys smote him in his fury, Akampana fell dead.

Seeing their leader lying lifeless on the earth, all the titans trembled as trees when the earth quakes. Put to flight, all those warriors, throwing away their arms, escaped in the direction of Lanka, terrified, pursued by the monkeys. Their hair loosened, panic-stricken, their pride broken by defeat, their limbs dripping with sweat, in their bewilderment, they fled in confusion. Thereafter, mad with fear, looking back continually, crushing each other in their haste, they entered the city.

And when those titans had entered Lanka, those exceedingly powerful monkeys surrounded Hanuman in order to pay homage to him and the mighty Hanuman, of noble nature, honoured them all in accord with their rank.

Then the triumphant monkeys shouted with might and main and once more pursued the titans with the intention of slaying them while that great Plavaga, born of Maruta, returning to his own companions, having slain the titan, enjoyed the same renown in battle as Vishnu when he overcame the mighty Asura of immense power in the forefront of the fight.

Thereafter that monkey received the homage of the Gods and of Rama himself as also that of the exceedingly valiant Lakshmana and the Plavamgamas led by Sugriva and the great-souled Bibishana.