December 25 - Sargas 53 and 54 of Yuddha Kanda.
Ravana is very upset that Dhumraksha has been killed by Hanuman in battle. Now he calls upon Vajradamshtra, a formidable rakshasa warrior with many special powers, to go and kill Sri Rama, Sugriva, and the entire vanara army.
Valmiki describes the glory of Vajradamshtra's entry into battle in some detail.
नागैरश्वैः खरैरुष्ट्रैः संयुक्तः सुसमाहितः । पताकाध्वजचित्रैश्च बहुभिः समलङ्कृतः ॥
ततो विचित्रकेयूरमुकुटेन विभूषितः । तनुत्रं च समावृत्य सधनु्र्निर्ययौ द्रुतम् ॥
"Vajradamshtra took a huge army that rode on elephants, horses, donkeys/mules, and camels, and was fully equipped with deadly weapons, with flags and festoons being carried by the many rakshasas accompanying him. He wore a splendid crown studded with gems, and wore a great armour on his chest. He carried his mighty bow and proceeded quickly to battle."
To the accompaniment of war cries and many martial instruments like drums and bugles punctuating his forward thrust, Varjradamshtra looked forward to a deadly battle he would surely win. There were again many terrible unmistakably evil omens all portending defeat and death for the rakshasas. The rakshasas were disheartened, but Vajradamshtra was unfazed.
They went to the southern gate, where awaited the big vanara army under the leadership of Angada.
I shall spare you the gory details, but many were killed on both sides. Whereas Angada resorted to huge trees and rocks and pointedly killed many rakshasa warriors, Vajradamshtra also had a field day destroying many vanaras. Both the well-armed rakshasas and the very powerful vanaras were provoked into a battle-unto-death defiance, and attacked one another fiercely. The mother earth was strewn with corpses of men and animals and all their broken armour and discarded weapons presented a macabre sight.
विस्फार्य च धनुर्घोरं शक्राशनिसमप्रभम् ।
वानराणामनीकानि प्राकिरच्छरवृष्टिभिः ॥
"Vajradamshtra twanged his deadly bow and wielded it as effectively as Indra's thunderbolt. He rained arrows on the vanara army."
But soon, the vanaras got the upper hand and the rakshasas started scattering in fear. Vajradamshtra now escalated his killing of vanaras. The vanaras then ran to Angada to protect them.
वज्रदम्ष्ट्रोऽङ्गदश्चोभौ योयुध्येते परस्परम् ।
चेरतुः परमकृद्धौ हरिमत्तगजाविव ॥
'Then began a direct confrontation between Vajradamshtra and Angada. They fought unto death like a lion king and a tusker elephant in rut. "
Vajradamshtra shot a hundred thousand arrows at Angada. Angada threw a huge tree at him. But the rakshasa was fearless and cut that tree in half with his arrows. Then Angada despatched a huge rock aimed at the foe. But Vajradamshtra jumped in time from his chariot, mace in hand, only to see his chariot and its horses all destroyed.
Angada now brought a piece of a mountain with flowering trees on it intact. He released it with such force that the rakshasa was hit and collapsed. But soon he recovered, and taking Angada unawares, directed his mace that found its target on Angada's chest.
The two started fighting now with fists. Each rained deadly blows on the other. Valmiki says that the battle reminded one of the fight between Kuja and Budha. Both were spewing blood.
Angada now brought a tree full of flowers and fruits. He himself looked now like a big tree. Vajradamshtra attacked him with a glittering sword. Both were untiring and fought with skill and speed. This went on for some time. Valmiki says that at one point both were bleeding all over and looked like the palasha tree with its red flowers. They both had to take a knee owing to fatigue. But Angada suddenly leapt in the blink of an eye and struck Vajradamshtra with a lethal sword and cut off his head in one swell swoop. The rakshasa rolled onto the ground, and lay dead.
The rakshasas ran back into Lanka, fearing for their lives. The vanaras celebrated their triumphant leader Angada just like the hero Indra was once celebrated by the devas.
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
