Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 54

Meaning

The ogre Vajradaṁṣṭra, who was endowed with extraordinary might, gave way to anger at the destruction of his army and the display of might on the part of Aṅgada. (1)

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Nay, stretching his formidable bow, which cast its splendour like the thunderbolt of Indra, the ruler of gods, he assailed the simian ranks with showers of shafts. (2)

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Firmly seated in chariots and armed with weapons of every kind, the other well-known and valiant principal ogres too fought steadily at that juncture on the field of battle. (3)

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Gathered together on all sides, all the foremost of monkeys for their part, those who were gallant among them contended, rocks in hand. (4)

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In that famous battle the ogres repeatedly hurled on the foremost of monkeys thousands of missiles at that time. (5)

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Nay, the most heroic monkeys too, who closely resembled elephants in rut, showered down hillocks and trees as well as huge rocks on the ogres. (6)

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A furious struggle raged between the belligerent troops of monkeys and ogres, who were all valiant and never retreated in battle. (7)

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Some had their heads severed, while others were seen with their arms and feet lopped off. Still others, whose bodies were mangled with weapons, were bathed in blood. (8)

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Monkeys and ogres too lay stretched on the ground, a prey to buzzards, vultures and crows and surrounded by troops of jackals. (9)

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Headless trunks leapt up, actually causing fear to the pusillanimous. Ogres whose arms, hands and heads had been severed and those whose trunks had been hacked to pieces lay on the earth’s surface. (10)

Meaning

Monkeys and ogres too fell on the earth’s surface on the field of battle. Being struck by the simian army, the entire army of ogres broke, while Vajradaṁṣṭra stood gazing. Seeing the ogres sore stricken with fear while being struck by monkeys, the glorious Vajradaṁṣṭra penetrated the army of monkeys, bow in hand, terrifying them, his eyes red with anger, and tore them with his arrows furnished with the plumes of a buzzard, which flew straight to the target. He pierced on the battlefield as many as seven, eight, nine or five monkeys together. Extremely enraged, the glorious Vajradaṁṣṭra thus pierced the monkeys. Struck with terror the monkeys, with their bodies hacked to pieces by arrows, flew for protection to Aṅgada even as created beings fly for protection to Brahmā (the lord of creation). (11—15)

Meaning

Seeing the simian troops broken at that moment, Aṅgada (the son of Vālī) thereupon regarded the aforesaid Vajradaṁṣṭra, who was gazing on him with anger at that time. (16)

Meaning

Vajradaṁṣṭra and Aṅgada both fought with each other and, extremely enraged, strode on the battle-field like a lion and an elephant intoxicated with ichor. (17)

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Then Vajradaṁṣṭra hit Aṅgada (the son of Vālī), who was endowed with extraordinary might, in his vital parts with a hundred thousand arrows resembling tongues of fire. (18)

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Bathed in blood all over his limbs, Aṅgada (son of Vālī), who was endowed with terrific prowess and extraordinary might, hurled a tree at Vajradaṁṣṭra. (19)

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Seeing it flying towards him, the ogre, who did not feel perplexed in the least, tore it into numerous pieces and having torn it into pieces, the latter too fell on the earth. (20)

Meaning

Breaking off a huge crag on seeing the prowess of Vajradaṁṣṭra referred to above, Aṅgada, the foremost of monkeys, hurled it at him and also thundered. (21)

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Leaping down from his chariot on seeing it flying towards him, the valiant ogre, who did not feel perplexed at all, stood firmly on the ground, mace in hand. (22)

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Flying in the forefront of the battle, the crag discharged by Aṅgada for its part forthwith shattered the chariot with its wheels, pole and horses. (23)

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Seizing another huge crag adorned with trees, the monkey, Aṅgada, then hurled it on the head of Vajradaṁṣṭra. (24)

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Vomiting blood, Vajradaṁṣṭra became fully unconscious. Clasping the mace to his bosom, and breathing heavily, he remained unconscious for a while. (25)

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Feeling extremely enraged on regaining his senses, the said ogre hit Aṅgada (the son of Vālī), who stood firmly, on the chest with his mace. (26)

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Leaving the mace, the ogre then began to fight on that spot with his fists. Both the aforesaid monkey and the ogre began to strike each other with their fists. (27)

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Exhausted by the blows, the two warriors, for their part, who were exceedingly valiant like the deities presiding over the planets Mars and Mercury, began to spit out blood. (28)

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Uprooting a tree, Aṅgada, the foremost of monkeys, who was supremely energetic, remained standing, adorned with flowers and fruit borne on the tree, which he held in his hand. (29)

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The ogre too seized hold of a shield made of the hide of a bull and a huge brilliant sword decorated with a bunch of tiny bells and encased in leather sheath. (30)

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The monkey as well as the ogre began to wheel about in various graceful evolutions. Nay, they struck each other roaring and thirsting for victory. (31)

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With their wounds streaming with blood, they looked charming like a pair of Kiṁśuka trees in blossom. While contending, they felt exhausted and sank on their knees to the earth. (32)

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In the mere twinkling of an eye, Aṅgada, an elephant among the monkeys, rose up, his eyes inflamed through anger, like a serpent struck with a staff. (33)

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With his stainless sword that had been duly sharpened, Aṅgada (the son of Vālī), who was endowed with extraordinary might, lopped off the huge head of the aforesaid Vajradaṁṣṭra. (34)

Meaning

Nay, struck off with the sword of Aṅgada, that beautiful head of Vajradaṁṣṭra, whose limbs were bathed in blood, with its eyes rolling, was cleft in two when fallen on the ground. (35)

Meaning

Wild with fear and panic-stricken, the ogres who were still being struck by the monkeys, fled in the direction of Laṅkā on seeing Vajradaṁṣṭra killed, their faces woe-begone and heads hung a bit in shame, miserable as they were. (36)

Meaning

Honoured in the midst of the simian ranks, Aṅgada, son of Vālī, who was glorious like Indra (the wielder of the thunderbolt) and was endowed with extraordinary might, experienced joy on having struck down Vajradaṁṣṭra even as Indra, the thousand-eyed god, surrounded by gods.(37)