Part 3: War between the Rākṣasas and Vānaras

Raghūdvaha spent eight days in Haṃsadvīpa and set out, attended by an army, to Laṅkā like the wind at the end of the world. Having obstructed twenty yojanas in width of ground with the army, Kākutstha remained ready for battle, a mountain of strengths. The tumult of Rāma’s army, like the roar of the ocean, deafened Laṅkā, as if the ground of the universe were bursting. Daśakandhara’s generals, having unequaled universal strength, armed themselves at once, Prahasta and others, holding weapons erect. Heroes assembled around Daśānana, flying up simultaneously, some with elephants as vehicles, some with camels as vehicles, others in chariots drawn by tigers, and others in chariots drawn by donkeys; some with men as vehicles, like Kubera; others with rams, like Agni; some with buffaloes, like Yama; and others with horses like Revanta; some in aerial cars like gods, intent upon the business of battle.

Red-eyed from anger, armed, the eldest son of Ratnaśravas (Rāvaṇa) got into his chariot filled with many kinds of weapons. Bhānukarṇa, carrying a trident like another Yama, came and became Daśakaṇṭha’s attendant. The princes Indrajit and Meghavāhana stood at Daśakaṇṭha’s sides like arms. Other sons and powerful vassals by the crore, Śuka, Sāraṇa, Mārīca, Maya and Suṇḍa and others came. Covering the heavens with innumerable thousands, of army divisions skilled in fighting, Daśānana left his city. The heroes of Daśāsya’s army—some of whom had tiger-banners, some śarabha-banners, some deer-banners, some elephant-banners, some peacock-banners, some serpent-banners, some cat-banners, some cock-banners; some of whom carried bows, some swords, some nail-studded clubs, some hammers, some tridents, some iron-bound clubs, some axes, some nooses—dispersed skilfully for the business of battle, calling by name the opposing heroes again and again. Covering the earth for fifty yojanas with the width of his army like Vaitāḍhya, Rāvaṇa stepped for battle. Praising their own leaders, criticizing the enemy leaders, attacking each other, reciting each other’s names, making weapons resound against weapons accompanied by hand-clapping, the soldiers of Rāma and Rāvaṇa joined each other like cymbals.

“Go! go! Stay! stay! Do not be afraid. Discharge your weapon! Take up your weapon!” Such were the speeches of the soldiers on the battle-field. Spears, darts, arrows, discs, iron-bound clubs, and clubs of the two armies flew up like birds in a forest. Then the sky seemed to have various Ketus and Rāhus from the swords that were broken by blows against each other and heads that had been cut off quickly.^[1] The soldiers, making elephants roll on the ground with blows from hammers repeatedly, had the appearance of playing ball and stick. The five parts^[2] of soldiers which had been cut off with axes by other soldiers fall like branches of trees. Heroes cut off heroes’ heads and throw them on the ground like food suitable for hungry Kīnāśa (Yama).

In this battle between the powerful Rākṣasas and Vānaras victory was to be obtained after a long time like the money of heirs. When the battle had been going on for a long time, the army of the Rākṣasas was broken by the Vānaras like a forest by winds. When the army of the Rākṣasas was broken, Hasta and Prahasta, always securities for victory for the lord of Laṅkā, were eager to fight with the Vānaras. Two great Kapis, Nala and Nīla, rose to oppose the two consecrated for sacrifice in battle. First, Hasta and Nala, opponents, powerful, mounted on chariots, met like retrograde and forward-moving planets. They strung their bows and twanged the bowstring, as if inviting each other to battle by the sound of the bowstring. The two rained arrows on each other so that their chariots looked like porcupines with quills of arrows. Defeat and victory fell now to Nala, now to Hasta. No difference in their strength could be detected even by experts. Ashamed before his own soldiers who were witnesses, Nala, powerful, expert, cut off Hasta’s head with a knife from anger. At once Nīla slew Prahasta, as Nala had slain Hasta, and a rain of flowers fell from the sky on Nala and Nīla.

From anger at the killing of Hasta and Prahasta, Mārīca, Siṃhajaghana, Svayambhū, Sāraṇa, Śuka, Candra, Arka, Uddāma, Bībhatsa, Kāmākṣa, Makara, Jvara, Gambhīra, Siṃharatha, Aśvaratha, and others in Daśānana’s army advanced. Madana, Aṅkura, Santāpa, Prathita, Akrośa, Nandana, Durita, Anagha, Puṣpāstra, Vighna, Prītikara, and other Kapis fought with Rākṣasas separately, leaping up and falling down, like cocks fighting with cocks. The Rakṣas Mārīca fought resolutely and killed Santāpa; Nandana killed the Rākṣasa Jvara; the Rākṣasa Uddāma killed Vighna; the Vānara Durita killed Śuka; the Rākṣasa Siṃhajaghana killed the Vānara Prathita; and the sun set. Then the soldiers of Rāma and Rāvaṇa returned, purifying their own men, killed and unkilled.

At dawn the Rakṣas soldiers advanced to fight Rāma’s army, like the demons fighting the sun. Daśāsya, mounted on a chariot drawn by elephants, set out for the business of battle in the midst of his army like Mt. Meru in the center of the earth. Carrying many weapons, more terrifying than death even, burning his enemies, as it were, with his eye red at that time, considering each one of his own generals like Śatamanyu, scorning the enemy like straw, Rāvaṇa went to the battle-field. Rāghava’s generals, very strong, approached with the soldiers for battle, watched by the gods in the sky. Very soon the surface of the battle-field had rivers in some places, as it were, from the deep waters of blood; had high mountains, as it were, in some places from the eminent Kapis that had fallen; had makaras piled up, as it were, from the faces of makaras that had fallen from the chariots; had teeth, as it were, from the half-destroyed chariots; and was like a dancing-place in some spots with torsos dancing the tāṇḍava. The soldiers of the Kapis were broken by a full attack by all the Rākṣasas urged on by the twang of Rāvaṇa’s bow. Angered by the rout of his soldiers, Sugrīva himself with his bow strung set out, shaking the earth with his mighty forces. Saying, “O king, stay here. See the strength of me alone,” Hanumat restrained Sugrīva and started for the battle.

Hanumat plunged into the Rākṣasa-army haughty because of its numerous forces, like Mandara into the ocean with cruel sea-animals. Then Mālin,^[3] with deep thunder like a rain-cloud, hard to conquer in battle, adorned with bow and quiver, attacked Hanūmat. The heroes, Hanumat and Mālin, twanging their bows, shone like untamed lions giving slaps with their tails. Mālin and Hanūmat attacked each other with missiles, destroyed each other’s missiles, and reviled each other. After they had fought for a long time Hanumat deprived Mālin, abounding in strength, of weapons like the summer sun a pool of water. “Go! go! old Rakṣas. What is the use of killing you!” Vajrodara approached Śrīśaila saying this and said: “Oh villain, you die, talking in this way, vile creature. Come! come! fight with me. You die. Do not go.” Māruti heard that speech like a lion hearing a challenge and, very proud, roaring, covered him with arrows. Shaking off that rain of arrows, Vajrodara made him invisible with arrows, like the rainy season the sun with clouds. “Oh! Vajrodara is a hero adequate to Hanūmāt. Oh! Pāvani is a soldier who is adequate to the Rakṣas Vajrodara.” Hanumat, unable to bear these speeches of the gods—spectators of the play of battle, victorious over enemies, a mountain of conceit, rainiṇg various missiles at the same time, like a cloud raining meteors, killed Vajrodara while the Rākṣasas looked on.

Angry at the killing of Vajrodara, Jambumālin, the son of Rāvaṇa, reviling Māruti, challenged him, like an elephant-driver an elephant. Both very powerful, wishing to kill each other, fought for a long time with arrows, like snake-charmers with snakes. Returning twice as many arrows each time for the arrows (received), they reached the lowest and highest stage of debt alternately. Hanumat, angry, deprived the enemy of chariot-horses, chariot, and charioteer and struck him with a very heavy hammer. Jambumālin fell to the ground dazed and Mahodara, a Rakṣas-hero, jumped up angrily, showering arrows. Other Rākṣasa-soldiers, wishing to kill Hanūmat, surrounded him completely like pure-bred dogs a boar. Some were struck on the arms, some on the face, some on the ankles, some on the heart, some in the abdomen, by Hanūmat with sharp arrows. Like a fire in a forest, like the submarine fire in the ocean, the hero Māruti shone in the army of the Rākṣasas. At once the son of Pavanañjaya, crest-jewel of the powerful, scattered the Rākṣasas like the sun scattering darkness. Angered by the destruction of the Rākṣasas, Kumbhakarṇa, carrying a trident, like Īśāna descended to earth, himself ran to fight. Kumbhakarṇa killed the Kapis—some by kicks, some by blows with his fists, some by blows with his elbows, some by slaps, some by blows with a hammer and with a trident, and some in mutual conflict.

Having seen the younger brother of Rāvaṇa attacking violently like the ocean at the enḍ of the world, Sugrīva ran up. Bhāmaṇḍala, Dadhimukha, Mahendra, Kumuda, Aṅgada, and others ran up, like an active fire. The chiefs of the Vānaras besieged Daśānana’s younger brother, like hunters besieging a lion, all at once raining various missiles. The chief of the Night-goers (Rākṣasas) released the missile ‘Go-to-sleep’ against them, which was just like another night at the end of the world, unerring as the speech of a muni. Seeing his army going to sleep, like a night-blooming lotus by day, Sugrīva recalled the vidyā ‘Wake-up.’ “Oh! Where is Kumbhakarṇa?” Making a loud tumult, like the birds at dawn, the Vānara-soldiers got up. Eminent Kapis, commanded by Sugrīva, highly-praised fighters, their bows drawn to their ears, attacked Kumbhakarṇa. Sugrīva destroyed Kumbhakarṇa’s charioteer, chariot, and chariot-horses with a club, like a physician destroying diseases. Then Kumbhakarṇa, who had descended to the ground, with a hammer raised in his hand, like a mountain with one peak, ran to Sugrīva. Many Kapis fell from the very strong wind caused by him as he ran to fight, like trees from the touch of elephants. Unhindered by the Kapis like the current of a river by mounds, he struck Sugrīva’s chariot with a hammer and reduced it to dust. Leaping in the air Sugrīva discharged a very large stone at Kumbhakarṇa, like Vajrin hurling a thunderbolt at a mountain. Kumbhakarṇa broke the rock to pieces with a hammer, showing a supernatural rain of dust to the Kapis, as it were. Vālin’s younger brother discharged the powerful missile ‘Stroke-of-lightning,’ which made the noise, taḍat, taḍiti, at Rāvaṇa’s younger brother. Kumbhakarṇa fell to the ground, struck by ‘Stroke-of-lightning,’ with an appearance terrifying to the world, like a mountain at the end of the world.

Angered because his brother was dazed, Daśānana himself, like Death in person, advanced, terrifying with a frown on his brow. Indrajit bowed before him and said: “Neither Yama, nor Varuṇa, nor Kubera, nor Hari is before you in battle. How much less are these mere Kapis! Therefore stay here, Your Majesty. I, angry, shall go and kill them like a handful of mosquitoes.” Having restrained Daśagrīva so, Śakrajit, his head erect from pride, powerful, striking blows, went into the midst of the Kapi-army. The battle-field was relinquished by the Kapis to him, powerful, as he attacked, like a pool to a buffalo by frogs. He said to the trembling Kapis: “Ho! ho! Stay here, Vānaras. I, the son of Rāvaṇa, do not kill non-combatants. Where is Māruti? Where is Sugrīva? Or rather, what of them! Where are Rāma and Saumitri, who consider themselves heroes?”

As he was talking so from insolence because of his strength, Sugrīva, red-eyed from anger, challenged the son of Daśagrīva to battle. Bhāmaṇḍala began to fight Meghavāhana, the younger brother of Indrajit, like śarabha with śarabha. Clashing with each other, they looked like four elephants of the quarters, like four oceans, terrifying to the three worlds. The earth was shaken by the comings and goings of the chariots, and the mountains shook, and the earth trembled. No difference in the drawing and discharge of arrows could be detected on the part of them who were exceeding light-handed and expert. They fought for a long time with divine iron missiles, but no one of them was defeated by any one. Then Indrajit and Meghavāhana, angered, discharged the powerful missile Nāgapāśa (serpent-noose) at Sugrīva and Bhāmaṇḍala. Bhāmaṇḍala and the lord of the Kapis were bound by snake-nooses so that they were not able to breathe even.

Now Kumbhakarṇa regained consciousness and from anger struck with a club Māruti who fell to the ground unconscious. He picked him up with his arm encircling him like a serpent, like an elephant picking up something with his trunk, and put him under his arm. Bibhīṣaṇa said to Rāma: “Master, these two, very strong, are essential to the army, like eyes in a face. Vaidehiṇ and Sugrīva have been bound by the sons of Rāvaṇa with great snakes. I intend to release them, so they will not be taken to Laṅkā. Hanumat, who is held by Kumbhakarṇa with his very strong arm, must be freed without his reaching Laṅkā, Raghūdvaha. Master, without Sugrīva, Bhāmaṇḍala and Hanūmat, our army is without soldiers, as it were. Permit that I go.”

Just as he was saying this, the soldier Aṅgada came rapidly, attacked, and fought with Kumbhakarṇa, skilled in fighting. Māruti escaped from the noose of his arm which Kumbhakarṇa, blind from anger, raised, like a bird escaping from a cage. Bibhīṣaṇa approached in a chariot to fight with the sons of Rāvaṇa in order to release Bhāmaṇḍala and the lord of the Kapis. Indrajit and Meghavāhana thought: “Our father’s younger brother comes himself to make battle with us. How, indeed, can we fight with him who is like a father? Departure from here is fitting. There is no disgrace to those fearing one entitled to respect. These two foot-soldiers, bound by nooses, will certainly die. Let them remain right here, so our father (uncle) will not follow us.” With these reflections the wise sons of Rāvaṇa disappeared from the battle and Bibhīṣaṇa stood looking at Bhāmaṇḍala and the lord of Kapis. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa stood there, their faces dark from anxiety, like the sun and moon whose bodies are concealed by a mass of snow. Then Rāmabhadra recalled the god Mahālocana, the best of the Suparṇa-gods, who had promised him a boon formerly. The god came, knowing (the situation) by clairvoyance, and gave to Padma the vidyā Siṃhanināda, the pestle, chariot, and plow. He gave Lakṣmaṇa the vidyā Gāruḍī, a chariot, and the club Vidyudvadanā which destroys enemies in battle. He gave both other divine weapons of water, fire, wind, et cetera and umbrellas. As soon as they had seen that Garuḍa had become the vehicle of Saumitri, the serpents of the nooses of Bhāmaṇḍala and Sugrīva disappeared. A cry of “Victory! Victory!” arose on all sides in Rāma’s army and the god—the sun—went to rest as well as the army of Rākṣasas.

At dawn again Raghūdvaha’s and Daśāsya’s soldiers went to the battle-field, the best parts of the whole armies. They commenced a great battle terrifying from flashing weapons resembling the teeth of Kṛtānta, commencing the encounter unexpectedly. The army of the Vānaras was stirred up by the angered Rākṣasas, like a pond by swine burned by the midday-heat. Seeing that most of the army was broken, Sugrīva and the. others, very powerful, entered the army of the Rāksasas like yogis into the bodies of others. The Rākṣasas, subdued by the Kapi-lords, melted away like snakes overcome by garuḍas, like unbaked jars overcome by water. Angered at the destruction of the Rākṣasas, Rāvaṇa himself ran forward, splitting the earth, as it were, with the advance of the chariot. Ṇo one of the Kapi-heroes stood before him for an instant, as he advanced swift as a forest-fire, Bibhīṣaṇa respectfully restrained Rāma who had started to fight with him, came at once, and opposed Daśakandhara. Rāvaṇa said: “Oh, Bibhīṣaṇa, to whom have you resorted by whom you are thrown into battle with me angry, like a morsel of food into a mouth? This was well advised, indeed, a protection to himself by Rāma who sends you against me, the ideal like a hunter sending a dog against a boar. Even now I have affection for you, my boy. So go! For today I shall kill Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with their soldiers. Do not complete the number of those being killed. Go to your own place. Today this hand (of mine) is at your back.”^[4]

Bibhīṣaṇa said: “Rāma advanced like Death himself against you, angered, and was restrained by me by a trick. I came here under pretext of a fight, wishing to enlighten you. Today free Sītā. Be gracious. Do what I say. I have not gone to Rāma from fear of death nor from greed for the kingdom, certainly, but from fear of censure, Daśānana. Remove censure by surrendering Sītā so that I may return to you, leaving the chief of the Raghus.”

Angry, Rāvaṇa said: “Why do you show fear today, miserable Bibhīṣaṇa, evil-minded, cowardly? You have been talked to in this manner because of my fear of killing a brother, for no other reason.” Saying this, Daśakandhara twanged his bow.

Then the brothers began to fight eagerly, drawing and raining various missiles unceasingly. Then Indrajit and Kumbhakarṇa and the other Rākṣasas ran up from devotion to their masters, like servants of Kṛtānta. Rāma obstructed Kumbhakarṇa; Lakṣmaṇa Rāvaṇi; Nīla Siṃhajaghana; Durmaṣa Ghaṭodara; Svayambhū Durmati; Nalavīra Śambhu; Aṅgada Maya; Skanda Candraṇakha; and the son of Candrodara Vighna; King Bhāmaṇḍala Ketu; Śrīdatta Jambumālin; the son of Pavanañjaya obstructed Kumbha, the son of Kumbhakarṇa; the lord of Kiṣkindhā Sumāla; Kunda the Rākṣasa Dhūmrākṣa; the son of Vālin, Candraraśmi, the Rākṣasa soldier, Sāraṇa. Other Kapis obstructed other Rākṣasas in this way and fought with them like sea-monsters with sea-monsters in the ocean.

While the battle, more terrible than the terrible, was taking place, Indrajit angrily discharged the missile of darkness at Lakṣmaṇa. Saumitri, causing pain to enemies, at once melted that missile by the missile of heat, like a ball of wax by fire. Saumitri angrily discharged the missile, serpent-noose, at Indrajit and he was bound by it quickly like an elephant in water by a rope. Daśāsya’s son, his body bound by the serpent-missile, fell like a thunderbolt, splitting the earth. At Lakṣmaṇa’s command Virādha threw him inside his chariot and quickly led him to his tent, like a prison-guard. The elder brother of Lakṣmaṇa bound Kumbhakarṇa with serpent-nooses and Bhāmaṇḍala led him to his camp at Rāma’s command. Other enemy soldiers were bound by Rāma’s soldiers, Meghavāhana, et cetera, and were led to their camps.

When Daśamukha saw that, filled with anger and sorrow, he hurled his spear, the root of the Śrī of Victory, at Bibhīṣaṇa. The younger brother of Rāma broke the spear into pieces in the air, as easily as a plantain-stalk, by means of sharp arrows. Daśagrīva, seeking victory, lifted the great spear, named Amoghavijayā, which had been given by Dharaṇendra. He whirled it in the sky, flaming with the crackling sound, dhagad, dhagiti, making the sound taḍat, taḍiti, like a flash of lightning from the clouds at the end of the world. The gods in the air fled and the soldiers shut their eyes. After seeing it, none remained (where they were) comfortably, not even the gods.

Rāma said to Saumitri: “Bibhīṣaṇa, our guest, is being killed. Shame on us, destroying those who have taken refuge with us.” Hearing Rāma’s words, Saumitri, devoted to friends, went and stood in front of Bibhīṣaṇa, attacking Daśakandhara. When Daśānana saw Garuḍastha^[5] before him, he said: “This spear is not lifted against you. Do not ḍie by the death of an enemy. Or rather, die; since you especially deserve to be killed by me. For the wretch, Bibhīṣaṇa, stood before me in your place.”

Saying this, he whirled the spear and discharged it, which resembled an unexpected falling thunderbolt, at Rama’s younger brother. Saumitri, Sugrīva, Hanumat, Nala, Bhāmaṇḍala, Virādha, and others struck it as it fell with their own weapons. Despising the strength of their weapons, like a rogue-elephant a goad, it fell on Lakṣmaṇa’s breast like submarine fire into the ocean. Pierced by it, Lakṣmaṇa fell on the ground and a great cry “Ha! Ha!” rose on all sides in the army. Then angry, the elder Kākutstha, as if wishing to kill Rāvaṇa, began to fight him, standing in the chariot Pañcānana. At once he with the chariot Pañcānana made the enemy bereft of a chariot and Daśānana quickly got into another chariot. After he had broken chariots in this way five times, Kākutstha, whose valor was unique in the world, made Daśānana chariotless. Daśāsya thought, “This man himself will actually die from affection for his brother. So enough of fighting with him now.” With this reflection, Daśagrīva went to Laṅkāpurī quickly and the sun set as if grieved at Rāma’s sorrow. Rāvaṇa having been defeated, Rāma returned to Lakṣmaṇa and fell fainting to the ground, when he had seen him stretched on the ground. When Rāma had been sprinkled with sandal-water by Sugrīva and others, he recovered consciousness, sat down near Saumitri and, lamenting, said:

“What pains you, child? Speak. Why do you remain silent? Reply by raising an eyebrow even. Please your elder brother. These watch your face, Sugrīva and others your followers. Why do you not reply with word or glance, you dear to the sight! Surely you do not speak from embarrassment at the thought, ‘Rāvaṇa left the battle-field alive.’ Therefore, speak. I shall fulfil your wish. Oh, miserable Rāvaṇa, stay! stay! where will you go? I shall soon start you on the long journey.”

When Raghūdvaha stood up, twanging his bow, the lord of the Kapis addressed him respectfully: “Master, it is night and the Rākṣasa has gone to Laṅkā. Our master is here, injured by a blow with a spear. Regain self-control. Know that Daśānana is as good as killed. Consider only a means of restoring Saumitri.” Rāma said again: “My wife has been kidnaped; my younger brother killed. Still Rāma survives. He is not torn into a hundred pieces. Friend Sugrīva, Hanumat, Bhāmaṇḍala, Nala, Aṅgada, Virādha and others, go now to your own houses, all of you. Friend Bibhīṣaṇa, you were in great sorrow from the kidnaping of Sītā and the killing of Saumitri, since you had not accomplished your purpose. But, at dawn, friend, see your brother, an enemy in the guise of a brother, being led by the path of my own brother. At dawn, after satisfying you, I shall follow Lakṣmaṇa. For without Lakṣmaṇa what good to me are Sītā and life?” Bibhīṣaṇa said: “Why this weakness, lord? For a man, even though struck by that spear, lives for a night. Try with all kinds of charms, spells, et cetera to find a remedy for the blow before dawn appears.”

Rāghava agreed; and Sugrīva and the others made seven walls with four gates around the two Rāghavas by means of a vidyā. At the gates in the east stood Sugrīva, Pāvanañjayi, Tāra, Kunda, Dadhimukha, Gavākṣa, Gavaya in turn. On the north Aṅgada, Kūrma, Aṅga, Mahendra, Vihaṅgama, Suṣeṇa, Candraraśmi stood in turn at the gates. In the west Nīla, Samaraśīla, Durdhara, Manmatha, Jaya, Vijaya, and Sambhava stood. Bhāmaṇḍala, Virādha, Gaja, Bhuvanajit, Nala, Mainda, and Bibhīṣaṇa stood in the south successively. Making the two Kākutsthas in the center in this way, Sugrīva and the others, powerful, were devoted to watching, intent as yogis.

Some one told Sītā that Lakṣmaṇa had been killed by the spear and at dawn Rāmabhadra would die from affection for his brother. Hearing that news terrible as a clap of thunder, Janaka’s daughter fell to the ground in a swoon, like a creeper struck by the wind. Sprinkled with water by the Vidyādharīs, Jānakī regained consciousness, got up, and lamented pitifully: “Oh! Lakṣmaṇa dear; where have you gone, leaving your elder brother alone! For he is not able to exist even a moment without you. Alas! I am unfortunate since on my account now such a thing has happened to my husband and brother-in-law who are equal to gods. O earth, split open, please, for my entrance. O heart, split open for the extinction of life.”

A Vidyādharī, Avalokinyā, saw Sītā weeping so pitifully and, compassionate, said, “Queen, at dawn your brother-in-law will have an uninjured body and, coming with Rāmabhadra, will make you rejoice.” Restored to a sound state of mind by that speech, Kākutstha’s wife thought constantly of sunrise, like a wakeful, cakravākī.

At the thought “Saumitri was killed today,” Rāvaṇa rejoiced one minute; the next, having recalled the capture of his brother, sons, friends, he wept. “Oh! dear Kumbhakarṇa, you were like another best self of mine. Oh! Indrajit and Meghavāhana, you were like second arms of mine. Oh! sons, Jambumālin and others, like different forms of myself, how were you made to undergo capture, never undergone before, like elephants?”

Recalling repeatedly the recent capture, et cetera of his relatives, again and again Daśagrīva fainted and wept.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ketu is represented as a sword and Rāhu as a head.

[2]:

Hands, feet, and heads.

[3]:

This must be Sumālin, Mālin was killed long ago.

[4]:

As a support.

[5]:

Lakṣmaṇa. Garuḍastha = Viṣṇu = Vāsudeva.