Chapter 82 - Hanuman rallies his Forces: Indrajita’s Sacrifice

Hearing that formidable clamour and beholding Ravani, whose voice resembled Indra’s thunder, the monkeys immediately fled in all directions.

Then Hanuman, born of Maruta, called to those who, with a downcast mien, sorrowful and fearful, were fleeing on all sides and said:—

“Why are you fleeing with a cheerless mien in all directions, O Plavamgamas? Where is your courage? Do not turn your back on the foe but follow me into battle!”

At this reprimand from the virtuous son of Vayu, the monkeys, re-assured, armed with rocks and trees, advanced and, in a transport of fury, challenged the titans. Thereafter those lions among the monkeys encircled Hanuman who accompanied them in the great fight and, as the Consumer of Offerings bums up the east with his rays, so did Hanuman, surrounded on all aides by the foremost of monkeys, consume the enemy host. Creating carnage among the titans, that most powerful monkey, attended by the simian battalions, resembled Yama on the day of the final dissolution and, smarting with grief and anger, Hanuman hurled a huge rock on Ravani’s chariot.

Seeing that missile descending, the driver, master of his horses, turned his car aside so that neither Indrajita nor the charioteer were struck by that rock which split the earth, burying itself after a fruitless flight.

Then those inhabitants of the woods, shouting, rushed on the enemy in their hundreds and those giants brandished trees and mountain peaks so that Indrajita was covered by a fearful hail of trees and stones by those Plavamgamas of redoutable valour. And they created havoc in the ranks of the enemy causing a great tumult and, under the ferocious blows of those terrible monkeys, the hideous rangers of the night fell, overwhelmed by trees on the battlefield.

Beholding his forces thus roughly handled by the monkeys, Indrajita, enraged, surrounded by his divisions, advanced towards them loosing a quantity of arrows and that intrepid warrior struck down the foremost of the monkeys in great numbers.

Furnished with spears, rocks, swords, harpoons, picks and maces, the monkeys, on their side, annihilated his companions in the struggle, and the exceedingly valiant Hanuman made use of huge trunks and branches of trees, stones and rocks to exterminate those titans of terrible exploits.

Having thrown back the enemy forces, Hanuman said to his troops:—“We have acted in order to please Rama at the risk of our lives but she, for whom we have fought, the daughter of Janaka, is dead! Having informed Rama and Sugriva of this on our return, we will do whatever they command”.

Thus spoke that monkey general and heroically calling in his troops, he returned slowly with them.

Meanwhile, seeing Hanuman going to rejoin Raghava, the wicked Indrajita, desiring to offer oblations, went to the sacrificial altar of Nikumbhila and, reaching that place, he invoked the God of Fire, Pavaka. Having entered the place of sacrifice at the instance of the titans, Indrajita began to pour on the libations, and the fire blazed up, consuming the oblations and blood, and Agni, effulgent, sparkling and satisfied, resembled the setting sun.

Thereafter Indrajita poured libations on the earth for the prosperity of the titans, according to the rites in which he was well versed and, beholding this, the titans, instructed in what was fitting and unfitting, stood round in great numbers.