December 24 - Sargas 51 and 52 of Yuddha Kanda.
तेषां तु तुमुलं तदा शुश्राव रावणः - The uproar of the vanara army was heard along with his courtiers by Ravana.
सुव्यक्तं महती प्रीतिरेतेषां विपुलैर्नादैश्चुक्षुभे लवणार्णवः - Ravana said, "It is quite clear that the vanaras are supremely delighted, observing their uproar that seems to have stirred up the ocean into a high tide!"
Ravana wonders how the vanaras can be celebratory when their two heroes Sri Rama and Lakshmana are lying down, bound by nagapasha. He asks his chiefs to investigate the cause for this at once. They rush to the top of the outer wall and behold to their astonishment that Sri Rama and Lakshmana have broken free of the nagapasha and the vanara army is about to attack.
***
The chiefs were mortified to know that the enemy was resurgent. They were equally afraid of provoking Ravana. So they chose their words carefully to break the news.
"Oh, Lord! Rama and Lakshmana have broken free like tusker elephants from their bonds. "
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तेषां राक्षसेन्द्रो महाबलः ।
चिन्ताशोकसमाक्रान्तो ववर्ण वदनोऽभवत् ॥
"Hearing this, the lord of rakshasas, mighty Ravana, was plunged into worry and the colour was drained from his face."
घोरैर्दत्तवरैर्बद्धौ शरैराशीविषोपमैः ।
अमोघैः सूर्यसङ्काशैः प्रमथ्यैन्द्रजिता युधि ॥
तदस्रबन्धमासाद्य यदि मुक्तौ रिपू मम ।
संशयस्थमिदं सर्वमनुपश्याम्यहं बलम् ॥
"Those deadly arrows, endowed with fatal poisons of fearsome serpents, specially empowered by boons, and infallible always, glowing like the sun, were used by Indrajit to bind these two brothers. How did my enemies break free from those deadly weaponized bonds? Indeed, this whole matter is now suspicious. I have to completely reassess the forces we are up against."
Ravana had always resorted to such weapons, and they had never let him down. But today, they had become null and void. Ravana breathed like a hissing serpent in anger and agitation.
***
Ravana now sent for Dhumraksha. He called him भीमविक्रम - Fearsome warrior, endowed with great powers. He ordered Dhumraksha to go at once and kill Sri Rama and the vanaras and report back.
Dhumraksha went with great enthusiasm to the palace gate and exclaimed to the rakshasa army commander, त्वरयस्व बलं शीघ्रम् - "Get our forces into attack mode at once! No delay!"
The rakshasa forces were ready to strike at the enemy with their whole array of deadly weapons.
They made loud noises as they advanced. Valmiki describes how these rakshasas left on their chariots, horses, and elephants in full battle readiness. Dhumraksha himself boarded a divine chariot. He was roaring in anticipatory delight. He went to the western gate, where Hanuman waited with the vanara army.
Valmiki says that Dhumraksha's chariot was drawn by grotesque donkey-like creatures with devilish faces and he also brayed like a donkey. He did not first notice all the ill-omens that were present all around him.
But when all the rakshasas were alarmed at the darkening skies and the reddish rain that poured, even Dhumraksha was disheartened. But he went ahead regardless. He saw the huge vanara army waiting for a big fight.
***
A terrific battle ensued. There was a clash of huge trees launched by vanaras meeting with maces and tridents and lances of the rakshasas. There were many casualties on both sides. The rakshasas shot fierce arrows and attacked the vanaras. This only infuriated the vanaras who escalated their attacks. They started smashing the rakshasas proclaiming their own names in victory. The vanaras had the upper hand.
Dhumraksha started reversing the fortunes. He killed so many vanaras that there was a river of their blood. Vanaras began to die gruesome deaths or they ran away. The battlefield was soon filled with corpses. Valmiki says that the battle produced an eerie kind of music macabre in its import and gutwrenching in its spectacle.
Hanuman saw what was happening. He lifted a huge boulder and rushed towards Dhumraksha. Hanuman had reddish eyes spewing rage and he moved like his father, the Wind-god, as he smashed Dhumraksha's chariot with that huge boulder.
Dhumraksha was just in time as he jumped out of his chariot, his gada upraised. Once Hanuman's rock hit his chariot, everything - the vehicle and its horses, were all smashed to the ground. Hanuman used trees and huge branches and unsparingly attacked the other rakshasas.
पपात सहसा भूमौ विकीर्ण इव पर्वतः।
धूम्राक्षं निहतं दृष्ट्वा हतशेषा निशाचराः।
त्रस्ताः प्रविविशुर्लङ्कां वध्यमानाः प्लवंगमैः॥
स तु पवनसुतो निहत्य शत्रून्
क्षतजवहाः सरितश्च संविकीर्य।
रिपुवधजनितश्रमो महात्मा
मुदमगमत् कपिभिः सुपूज्यमानः॥
धूम्राक्षं निहतं दृष्ट्वा हतशेषा निशाचराः।
त्रस्ताः प्रविविशुर्लङ्कां वध्यमानाः प्लवंगमैः॥
स तु पवनसुतो निहत्य शत्रून्
क्षतजवहाः सरितश्च संविकीर्य।
रिपुवधजनितश्रमो महात्मा
मुदमगमत् कपिभिः सुपूज्यमानः॥
Then Hanuman picked up a huge, mountainous rock. He rushed towards Dhumraksha. Dhumraksha counterattacked. Dhumraksha's gada ( mace) had deadly spikes and struck Hanuman with a big blow on his head. But Hanuman was unfazed. He launched his rock at Dhumraksha. That one blow with that piece of the mountain completely destroyed Dhumraksha and there was nothing left of him. The rakshasas saw this and ran away. Hanuman was victorious.
The son of the Wind God was exhausted by the battle as he crossed gingerly the river of blood flowing in the battlefield, and cheered up as he was heralded by all the respectful vanaras after his huge victory.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
