Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 52

Meaning

Highly rejoiced, all the monkeys, who were itching for a combat, emitted loud cries on perceiving the ogre general, Dhūmrākṣa of terrible prowess, sallying forth. (1)

Meaning

An exceedingly tumultuous conflict raged between those monkeys and the ogres, striking the other with formidable trees on one hand and pikes and clubs on the other. (2)

Meaning

The redoubtable monkeys were mowed down on all sides by the ogres and the ogres too were levelled to the ground by means of trees by the monkeys. (3)

Meaning

Highly enraged, the ogres for their part transfixed the monkeys with pointed arrows which were fearful to behold, were furnished with the plumes of a buzzard and flew straight to the target. (4)

Meaning

Full of martial ardour born of indignation while being split asunder by the ogres with terrible maces, sharp-edged spears, iron and wooden mallets and formidable iron bars as well as with tridents of various kinds held in the hand, the aforesaid monkeys, who were endowed with extraordinary might, accomplished deeds of valour as though they were intrepid. (5-6)

Meaning

Their limbs torn asunder with arrows and having their bodies split asunder with pikes, the aforesaid monkey generals seized hold of trees and rocks on the field of battle. (7)

Meaning

Endowed, as they were, with terrific impetuosity, those monkeys crushed the valiant ogres here and there, roaring all the time and proclaimed their names. (8)

Meaning

That terrible conflict between the monkeys and the ogres, carried on with rocks of various kinds and trees consisting of numerous boughs, was wondrous indeed. (9)

Meaning

Some ogres were crushed by the monkeys, who had conquered fear; while other ogres, who fed on gore ejected blood from their mouths, being thrashed by monkeys. (10)

Meaning

Some were torn in their sides,while others were reduced to pulp with trees. Still others were pulverized with rocks, while yet others were torn to pieces with teeth. (11)

Meaning

With their standards broken and crushed, swords struck down, and chariots smashed, some prowlers of the night felt agonized. (12)

Meaning

The earth’s surface was covered with lordly elephants looking like mountains and horses with their riders crushed with the summits of mountains hurled by the monkeys (lit., dwellers in the woods). (13)

Meaning

The ogres were lacerated in their faces with their nails by the monkeys of redoubtable prowess who were seized with impetuosity and bounded again and again. (14)

Meaning

With downcast faces, and dishevelled hair and rendered unconscious by the smell of blood, they then dropped on the earth’s surface. (15)

Meaning

Extremely enraged, other ogres of terrible prowess for their part assailed the monkeys with their palms alone, whose impact was hard as adamant. (16)

Meaning

Capable of felling down their adversaries when seized with impetuosity, they were crushed by the monkeys, who were full of greater impetuosity, with their fists, feet and teeth as well as with trees. (17)

Meaning

Seeing his army run away, Dhūmrākṣa, a bull among the ogres, for his part started playing havoc among the bellicose monkeys, in anger. (18)

Meaning

Mutilated with lances, some monkeys began to spit blood; while, struck with wooden mallets, others fell on the earth’s surface. (19)

Meaning

Some were pounded with iron bars, while others were torn with javelins. Staggering when mangled with sharp-edged spears, still others gave up the ghost. (20)

Meaning

Mowed down by the ogres, some monkeys (lit., denizens of the woods) dropped on the ground dripping with blood. Put to flight on the battlefield by the exasperated ogres, others made good their escape. (21)

Meaning

Their hearts torn open, some were laid low on their side. Nay, slashed with tridents, others were divested of their entrails. (22)

Meaning

That major conflict assumed most fearful proportions, in that monkeys and ogres promiscuously took part in it; nay, it abounded in weapons and was thick with rocks and trees. (23)

Meaning

Rendered sweet by the sound of Vinas in the form of the twang of bowstrings, nay, accompanied by the sound of wooden cymbals in the form of the neighing of horses and vocal music in the form of the trumpeting of elephants, that conflict resembled a symphony. (24)

Meaning

Bow in hand, Dhūmrākṣa for his part dispersed laughing the aforesaid monkeys in all directions with the showers of his arrows in the forefront of the battle. (25)

Meaning

Infuriated to behold his army perturbed when harassed by Dhūmrākṣa, Hanumān (son of the wind-god) turned towards the latter, seizing hold of a huge rock. (26)

Meaning

His eyes having turned doubly red through anger, Hanumān (who was equal in prowess to his father) flung that rock at the chariot of Dhūmrākṣa. (27)

Meaning

Leaping down from his chariot and lifting up his mace in a flurry on seeing the rock flying towards him, Dhūmrākṣa took up his position firmly on the ground. (28)

Meaning

Smashing his chariot with its wheels, pole, horses, banner and bow, that rock rolled on the ground. (29)

Meaning

Having shattered his chariot, Hanumān, sprung from the loins of the wind-god, for his part started exterminating the ogres with trees, inclusive of their trunks and boughs. (30)

Meaning

Their heads smashed, the ogres were bathed in blood; while others, who were crushed by the trees, fell down to the earth’s surface. (31)

Meaning

Having dispersed the army of the ogres, Hanumān, an offspring of the wind-god, rushed towards Dhūmrākṣa, seizing hold of the top of a mountain. (32)

Meaning

Lifting up his mace on seeing Hanumān and rushing towards him, the powerful Dhūmrākṣa darted headlong towards him, roaring. (33)

Meaning

Dhūmrākṣa in his rage forthwith brought down that mace, studded with numerous points, on the head of the celebrated Hanumān, who was seized with fury. (34)

Meaning

Not minding in the least the aforesaid blow, when struck on the field of battle with that mace, which descended with tremendous violence, that celebrated monkey, who was mighty as the wind, flung the mountain-top on the skull of Dhūmrākṣa. With all his limbs shattered when struck with the mountain-top, the latter precipitately fell to the ground like a mountain that had broken into fragments. Seeing Dhūmrākṣa killed, the night-rangers, who had somehow survived, re-entered Laṅkā terrified, while being battered by the monkeys. (35—37)

Meaning

Having exterminated his enemies and causing streams of blood to flow, that high-souled son of the wind-god, who had been exhausted with the slaughter of enemies, experienced joy while being warmly acclaimed by the fellow monkeys. (38)