November 7 - Sargas 43 and 44 of Sundara Kanda.
Hanuman continues to destroy structures and kill rakshasas, creating a wave of great fear in Lanka.
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It is not for nothing that Hanuman is the original superhero of the world. The way he goes about causing mayhem in the evil Ravana's Lanka and gives him a taste of what is to come is the stuff of any adventure hero's dreams. I read a lucid translation of Sri C. Rajagopalachari's "Valmiki Ramayana" in Kannada before I was ten.
This portion narrating Hanuman fighting the rakshasas in Ashoka Vana was my favourite and I must have read it a hundred times!
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Hanuman again puts on his thinking cap in the innings break. He realizes that the prized part of Ashoka Vana is the Chaitya Praasaada, a temple of sorts combined with a palace. That was described earlier as made of precious metals and gems and pearls and rose up high and shone like a golden mountain. Hanuman now attacks that. In a short time, he destroys that palace and reduces it to rubble. There are several rakshasas armed to their ugly teeth guarding it. They all come and attack Hanuman with all kinds of deadly weapons. Hanuman shrugs them all off. Soon, his huge figure shines atop the destroyed Chaitya palace like the sacred mountain Pariyatra.
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When Hanuman slapped his body hard, it produced a terrifying sound like a cloudburst that killed birds mid-flight and shook Lanka. Many rakshasas fell unconscious.
Hanuman shouted the same words as before, "Glory to Sri Rama, Lakshmana and Sugriva! I will destroy Lanka. Even a thousand Ravanas cannot stop me! Then I will pay my respects to Devi Sita!"
The rakshasa guards surrounded Hanuman like a whirlpool in the big river Ganga. They started attacking Hanuman. An enraged Hanuman pulled out a huge tall pillar encased in gold and encrusted with precious gems in the palace. He whirled it around so fast and so hard that the friction created a huge fire and burnt down the Chaitya palace. He used the same pillar to kill all the guards in one fell swoop.
Hauman now proclaimed what all Lanka could hear:
मादृशानां बलिनां वानरेनद्राणां सुग्रीववशवर्तिनां अटन्ति वसुधां कृत्स्नां वयमन्ये च वानराः "Know well for sure that thousands of mighty vanaras like me roam the earth on Sugriva's orders, and are going to come soon to destroy Lanka! Some have the strength of ten elephants, some of a hundred, and some even of a thousand! Some are as destructive as a huge river in flood, and some, like a hurricane. Some are so strong I do not have any comparison."
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Prahasta's son, Jambumali, arrived in a chariot yoked to donkeys. With his protruding canines, wearing red clothes, garlands, and earrings, and with his big eyes, Jambumali was terrifying in appearance and invincible. He carried a powerful bow and shot arrows that were like Indra's thunderbolt. When he twanged the bow, all the directions resonated with a heart-rending sound. He was most enthusiastic about killing Hanuman.
Jambumali struck Hanuman as he stood tall on the archway. His crescent-tipped arrow struck Hanuman's face. Dozens of arrows hurt his arms and chest. Hanuman was bleeding and looked like a giant lotus in the sky with drops of red sandal (raktachandana) sprinkled on it.
Hanuman hurled a giant rock at Jambumali. The rakshasa was able to smash it to smithereens with ten arrows. Hanuman was enraged and plucked out a massive, tall, Sala tree. Even as he was about to launch it, Jambumali shot the tree down to pieces with four arrows. He struck Hanuman with many more arrows on his chest and middle.
Hanuman had had enough. He picked up again the huge iron crowbar-like piece that he had used first. He brought it down so hard on Jambumali that Jambumali, his bow and arrows, his chariot, and his donkeys were all smashed and mashed up into a single pulp. Jambumali was dead. All his ornaments had become dust.
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Ravana heard that kinkaras, rakshasa guards, and now Jambumali, had all been killed by Hanuman.
You can imagine Ravana's rage. He sent now the sons of the ministers in his cabinet. Those young rakshasas were all were great warriors.
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
