This article is part of “Sundara Kandam of Sage Valmiki”
Forty sixth Chapter
Killing of the five army-commanders
(Ravana who was perturbed send his five army army-commander advising them to be careful to catch and bring Hanuman. He told them that he knew several warrior monkeys but none of them equaled this monkey in prowess. Those five army-army-commanders along with their army was killed by Hanuman)
Hearing about the killing of the sons of ministers , Ravana without making others know about his thoughts took a very suitable decision. 1
That ten headed one, facing the five army-army-commanders Virupaksha, Yupaksha , Praghasa,Durdhara the Rakshasa and Basakarna , who were all greatly learned in the art of war, who had enthusiasm in biding and bringing Hanuman, who had the speed of wind in their war, ordered as follows:- 2-3
He told, Hey, Army-commanders, You please start along with a huge army accompanied by horses, chariots, elephants. Let that monkey be punished. 4
When you near that monkey you should definitely be careful. Not only that you also should use proper techniques to suit the time and place. 5
Thinking by his actions, I do not consider him as an ordinary monkey. Whatever way you think , it is a huge devil with lot of strength. It should have been created by Indra through incessant prayer just to oppose us. 6
When all of you join together with me, Nagas, Yakshas, Gandarwas, Devas, Asuras and Sages have been defeated. 7
It is possible that they would play some trick against us.This definitely is that. There is no doubt about it. Use all your strength and catch hold of it and tie it. 8
Do not make a poor estimate of that Monkey who is very heroic a. For I have seen other very great warrior monkeys like Bali with Sugreeva, the very strong Jambhavan, their army-commander Neela, and others like Dwividha. But none of them have this great speed. nor do they have this luster, nor heroism, nor wisdom , nor the strong capacity and nor the power to assume any form. 9-11
(In Uttara Kanda, there is a story that Bali simply caught hold of Ravana and took him along with him once.It seems he tied Ravana to the rope holding cradle of Angadha.Later at the request of Brahma , he released him .It is mentioned that the only other man who defeated Ravana was Kartha Veeryarjuna, who was in turn killed by Parasurama.)
I think it is a very great devil which has assumed the shape of monkey. You have lot of effort and stop its jumping. 12
All people among Devas, Asuras an men including Indra cannot stand before you in war. This is definitely true. 13
In spite of that the expert who desires victory in war , has to take great efforts to protect his soul, because in war victory is never definite. 14
All of them who had luster like fire , who were very intelligent and who were greatly valorous accepted the advice of their master and started for war with chariots, vigorous elephants, very fast horses, and other army armed with several types of weapons. 15-16
Then those warriors saw that great monkey who was shining like the rising sun with its natural rays. 17
All of them as soon as they saw him, who was exuberant , who was very courageous, who was very strong, who was very intelligent , who had assumed a very big form . who was very wise and who was sitting at the entrance of the tower, surrounded him from all sides and opposed him with several great weapons. 18-19
Durdhara shot At the head of Hanuman, five arrows made of steel which were hurting, sharp, black like Uthpala(black plant) and having red ends, 20
Hurt by the five piercing arrows, he rose in the sky with a roar which could be heard in all the ten directions. 21
Then the very strong and great warrior Durdhara who was sitting in a chariot and who had connected arrows in his bow neared continuously shooting very sharp arrows at him. 22
That monkey approached him who was raining arrows from the sky, like the wind at the end of rainy season nears the raining cloud. 23
Then that clever son of wind-god , who was attacked by Durdhara, increased in size more than before and roared with a huge sound. 24
That very intelligent monkey rose up to a very great height in the sky and suddenly jumped on the chariot of Durdhara like the fire of thunder. 25
Then that Durdhara left his chariot with eight dead horses and whose axle was broken and fell out lifeless. 26
Seeing him lying dead on the floor , Virupaksha and Yupaksha , who are unperturbed and who can destroy their enemies became very angry and attacked him. 27
Those two who were raising very fast in the clear sky hit the Big handed monkey who was standing , with thorned maces. 28
He who was very strong and equal in valour to Garuda , became very angry and after clearing them away jumped on the earth. 29
That monkey who was the son of wind-god saw a Sala tree , uprooted it and hit those two warriors with it and killed them. 30
Then Praghasa seeing that the strong monkey has killed all the three of them , opposed the monkey with great anger and force. 31
The great hero Bhasakarna from one side took a spear and became very angry at the unperturbed and famous monkey chief. 32
Bhasakarna pierced the great monkey by his spear and Praghasa pierced him with a long handed sharp spear. 33
That monkey wounded by those two was angry with all his hair getting blood soaked and looked like the shining young sun. 34
That monkey chief and great warrior Hanuman uprooted a peak of mountain which was full of animals, snakes and trees and killed the two rakshasas. 35
After killing those five army army-commanders , then destroyed their remaining army. 36
Like the thousand eyed Indra opposing the rakshasas that monkey killed horses by horses, elephants by elephants , soldiers by soldiers and chariots by chariots. 37
Covered fully by the dead elephants , dead horses , axle broken big chariots and dead Rakshasas , the earth became path less. 38
Then the monkey chief after killing those chiefs of army along with their soldiers returned back to the gate and waited there similar to the God of death waiting to kill the people. 39
Thus ends the forty sixth chapter of Sundara Kanda which is in the Ramayana which is the first epic written by Valmiki.
Read Next
Chapter 47: Killing of Akshaya Kumara