---
title: "Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 56"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/yuddha-kanda/sarga-56"
lang: "en"
---

# Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 56

> तद् दृष्ट्वा सुमहत् कर्म कृतं वानरसत्तमैः।  
> क्रोधमाहारयामास युधि तीव्रमकम्पनः॥ १॥

Witnessing that very great exploit executed by the foremost of monkeys, Akampana exhibited violent rage on the field of battle. (1)

> क्रोधमूर्च्छितरूपस्तु धुन्वन् परमकार्मुकम्।  
> दृष्ट्वा तु कर्म शत्रूणां सारथिं वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥ २॥

Assuming an air wild with anger, nay, brandishing his excellent bow, on witnessing the exploit of his enemies, Akampana for his part spoke as follows to his charioteer: (2)

> तत्रैव तावत् त्वरितो रथं प्रापय सारथे।  
> एते च बलिनो घ्नन्ति सुबहून् राक्षसान् रणे॥ ३॥

“Drive my chariot first of all, O charioteer, to that place alone, inasmuch as these mighty monkeys are exterminating very many ogres in combat. (3)

> एते च बलवन्तो वा भीमकोपाश्च वानराः।  
> द्रुमशैलप्रहरणास्तिष्ठन्ति प्रमुखे मम॥ ४॥

“The yonder monkeys are mighty, as also terrible in their wrath, too. Nay, using trees and crags for their weapons, they stand right in front of me. (4)

> एतान् निहन्तुमिच्छामि समरश्लाघिनो ह्यहम्।  
> एतैः प्रमथितं सर्वं रक्षसां दृश्यते बलम्॥ ५॥

“I really wish to exterminate these monkeys, who boast of their warfare. The entire army of ogres is seen completely crushed by them.” (5)

> ततः प्रचलिताश्वेन रथेन रथिनां वरः।  
> हरीनभ्यपतद् दूराच्छरजालैरकम्पनः॥ ६॥

Mounted on his chariot drawn by fast-moving horses, Akampana, the foremost of car-warriors, then assailed the monkeys with showers of arrows from a distance. (6)

> न स्थातुं वानराः शेकुः किं पुनर्योद्धुमाहवे।  
> अकम्पनशरैर्भग्नाः सर्व एवाभिदुद्रुवुः॥ ७॥

The monkeys could not even maintain their position, much less fight on the field of battle. Broken by the darts of Akampana, all took to their heels before him without exception. (7)

> तान् मृत्युवशमापन्नानकम्पनशरानुगान्।  
> समीक्ष्य हनुमाञ्ज्ञातीनुपतस्थे महाबलः॥ ८॥

Observing his kith and kin fallen under the sway of Death when pursued by Akampana’s shafts, Hanumān, who was endowed with extraordinary might approached Akampana. (8)

> तं महाप्लवगं दृष्ट्वा सर्वे ते प्लवगर्षभाः।  
> समेत्य समरे वीराः संहृष्टाः पर्यवारयन्॥ ९॥

Getting together once more on the field of battle on seeing that mighty monkey, all those gallant leaders of monkeys (Kumuda, Nala and others) surrounded him on all sides, fully delighted. (9)

> व्यवस्थितं हनूमन्तं ते दृष्ट्वा प्लवगर्षभाः।  
> बभूवुर्बलवन्तो हि बलवन्तमुपाश्रिताः॥ १०॥

Seeing Hanumān firmly established on the battlefield, those aforesaid jewels among monkeys, became strong again, having taken shelter under a powerful leader. (10)

> अकम्पनस्तु शैलाभं हनूमन्तमवस्थितम्।  
> महेन्द्र इव धाराभिः शरैरभिववर्ष ह॥ ११॥

Akampana for his part assailed with a hail of arrows Hanumān, who looked like a mountain, even as the mighty Indra would with torrents of rain, and stood firm all the while: so the tradition goes. (11)

> अचिन्तयित्वा बाणौघाञ्शरीरे पातितान् कपिः।  
> अकम्पनवधार्थाय मनो दध्रे महाबलः॥ १२॥

Not minding the volleys of arrows discharged on his body, the monkey, Hanumān, who was endowed with extraordinary might, set his mind on the destruction of Akampana. (12)

> स प्रहस्य महातेजा हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः।  
> अभिदुद्राव तद्रक्षः कम्पयन्निव मेदिनीम्॥ १३॥

Laughing heartily the exceedingly courageous Hanumān, sprung from the loins of the wind-god, rushed towards that ogre, causing the earth to shake, as it were. (13)

> तस्याथ नर्दमानस्य दीप्यमानस्य तेजसा।  
> बभूव रूपं दुर्धर्षं दीप्तस्येव विभावसोः॥ १४॥

The form of Hanumān, even as he roared glowing as he was with energy, forthwith became difficult to overpower even like a blazing fire. (14)

> आत्मानं त्वप्रहरणं ज्ञात्वा क्रोधसमन्वितः।  
> शैलमुत्पाटयामास वेगेन हरिपुङ्गवः॥ १५॥

Full of anger on finding himself without any weapon, Hanumān, a bull among the monkeys, for his part speedily tore up a crag. (15)

> गृहीत्वा सुमहाशैलं पाणिनैकेन मारुतिः।  
> स विनद्य महानादं भ्रामयामास वीर्यवान्॥ १६॥

Picking up that huge rock with one hand, and yelling a roar, that valiant son of the wind-god, Hanumān, whirled it round.(16)

> ततस्तमभिदुद्राव राक्षसेन्द्रमकम्पनम्।  
> पुरा हि नमुचिं संख्ये वज्रेणेव पुरंदरः॥ १७॥

Then he rushed towards the ogre chief, Akampana, even as Indra (the destroyer of citadels) in the olden days rushed towards the demon, Namuci, with thunderbolt in his hand. (17)

> अकम्पनस्तु तद् दृष्ट्वा गिरिशृङ्गं समुद्यतम्।  
> दूरादेव महाबाणैरर्धचन्द्रैर्व्यदारयत्॥ १८॥

Beholding that summit of a mountain uplifted on the field of battle, Akampana for his part tore it into pieces from a distance by means of mighty arrows with a cresent-shaped head. (18)

> तं पर्वताग्रमाकाशे रक्षोबाणविदारितम्।  
> विकीर्णं पतितं दृष्ट्वा हनूमान् क्रोधमूर्च्छितः॥ १९॥

Hanumān was distracted with anger on seeing that mountain peak fallen in pieces when torn asunder in the air by the ogre’s shafts. (19)

> सोऽश्वकर्णं समासाद्य रोषदर्पान्वितो हरिः।  
> तूर्णमुत्पाटयामास महागिरिमिवोच्छ्रितम्॥ २०॥

Approaching an Aśwakarṇa tree, lofty as a big mountain, the aforesaid monkey, Hanumān, quickly uprooted it, seized as he was with anger and violence. (20)

> तं गृहीत्वा महास्कन्धं सोऽश्वकर्णं महाद्युतिः।  
> प्रगृह्य परया प्रीत्या भ्रामयामास संयुगे॥ २१॥

Picking up that Aśwakarṇa tree with a huge trunk, and holding it firmly, Hanumān, who was endowed with extraordinary splendour, brandished it with great delight. (21)

> प्रधावन्नुरुवेगेन बभञ्ज तरसा द्रुमान्।  
> हनूमान् परमक्रुद्धश्चरणैर्दारयन् महीम्॥ २२॥

Running with great rapidity and tearing up the earth with his feet, Hanumān, who was extremely enraged, broke down the trees with impetuosity. (22)

> गजांश्च सगजारोहान् सरथान् रथिनस्तथा।  
> जघान हनुमान् धीमान् राक्षसांश्च पदातिगान्॥ २३॥

The sagacious Hanumān struck down elephants with their mahouts, car-warriors with their chariots, as well as the ogres who fought on foot. (23)

> तमन्तकमिव क्रुद्धं सद्रुमं प्राणहारिणम्।  
> हनूमन्तमभिप्रेक्ष्य राक्षसा विप्रदुद्रुवुः॥ २४॥

Seeing the aforesaid Hanumān, who was armed with a tree, enraged and taking their life like Death himself, the ogres took to their heels. (24)

> तमापतन्तं संक्रुद्धं राक्षसानां भयावहम्।  
> ददर्शाकम्पनो वीरश्चुक्षोभ च ननाद च॥ २५॥

The valiant Akampana saw Hanumān, who was highly enraged and caused terror in the ogres, rushing towards him and felt perturbed and roared. (25)

> स चतुर्दशभिर्बाणैर्निशितैर्देहदारणैः।  
> निर्बिभेद महावीर्यं हनूमन्तमकम्पनः॥ २६॥

The aforesaid Akampana pierced the exceedingly powerful Hanumān with fourteen pointed arrows which tore the flesh. (26)

> स तथा विप्रकीर्णस्तु नाराचैः शितशक्तिभिः।  
> हनूमान् ददृशे वीरः प्ररूढ इव सानुमान्॥ २७॥

Riddled as aforesaid with steel arrows and sharp-edged javelins, the valiant Hanumān looked like a mountain overgrown with trees. (27)

> विरराज महावीर्यो महाकायो महाबलः।  
> पुष्पिताशोकसंकाशो विधूम इव पावकः॥ २८॥

The gigantic monkey, who was endowed with exceeding valour and extraordinary might, shone brightly like an Aśoka tree in blossom or like a smokeless fire. (28)

> ततोऽन्यं वृक्षमुत्पाट्य कृत्वा वेगमनुत्तमम्।  
> शिरस्याभिजघानाशु राक्षसेन्द्रमकम्पनम्॥ २९॥

Uprooting another tree and exhibiting unsurpassed impetuosity, Hanumān thereupon immediately struck with it the ogre chief, Akampana, on the head. (29)

> स वृक्षेण हतस्तेन सक्रोधेन महात्मना।  
> राक्षसो वानरेन्द्रेण पपात च ममार च॥ ३०॥

Struck with the tree by that high-souled monkey chief, Hanumān, full of anger, that ogre, Akampana, fell down and died. (30)

> तं दृष्ट्वा निहतं भूमौ राक्षसेन्द्रमकम्पनम्।  
> व्यथिता राक्षसाः सर्वे क्षितिकम्प इव द्रुमाः॥ ३१॥

Seeing the aforesaid ogre chief, Akampana, lying killed on the ground, all the ogres felt distressed even as trees are shaken during an earthquake. (31)

> त्यक्तप्रहरणाः सर्वे राक्षसास्ते पराजिताः।  
> लङ्कामभिययुस्त्रासाद् वानरैस्तैरभिद्रुताः॥ ३२॥

Having abandoned their arms all those vanquished ogres ran away in panic to Laṅkā when pursued by the aforesaid monkeys. (32)

> ते मुक्तकेशाः सम्भ्रान्ता भग्नमानाः पराजिताः।  
> भयाच्छ्रमजलैरङ्गैः प्रस्रवद्भिर्विदुद्रुवुः॥ ३३॥

Seized with a flurry and defeated, their hair dishevelled and pride humbled, they fled in panic, their limbs dripping with sweat. (33)

> अन्योन्यं ये प्रमथ्नन्तो विविशुर्नगरं भयात्।  
> पृष्ठतस्ते तु सम्मूढाः प्रेक्षमाणा मुहुर्मुहुः॥ ३४॥

Crushing one another, in their haste, they re-entered Laṅkā through fear. Greatly bewildered, as they were, they, however, kept on repeatedly looking back while fleeing. (34)

> तेषु लङ्कां प्रविष्टेषु राक्षसेषु महाबलाः।  
> समेत्य हरयः सर्वे हनूमन्तमपूजयन्॥ ३५॥  
> सोऽपि प्रवृद्धस्तान् सर्वान् हरीन् सम्प्रत्यपूजयत्।  
> हनूमान् सत्त्वसम्पन्नो यथार्हमनुकूलतः॥ ३६॥

Getting together, when the aforesaid ogres had re-entered Laṅkā, all the monkeys, who were endowed with extraordinary might, paid their homage to Hanumān too, who was richly endowed with goodness, greatly honoured all those monkeys in return through friendly glances, words and gestures according to their worth. (35-36)

> विनेदुश्च यथाप्राणं हरयो जितकाशिनः।  
> चकृषुश्च पुनस्तत्र सप्राणानेव राक्षसान्॥ ३७॥

Nay, assuming a triumphant air, the monkeys shouted with all their might and further began to drag the ogres, who were still alive on the battlefield. (37)

> स वीरशोभामभजन्महाकपिः  
> समेत्य रक्षांसि निहत्य मारुतिः।  
> महासुरं भीमममित्रनाशनं  
> विष्णुर्यथैवोरुबलं चमूमुखे॥ ३८॥

Having encountered and killed the ogres, that great monkey, Hanumān (son of wind-god), enjoyed the glory appropriate to a hero much in the same way as Lord Viṣṇu did on killing in the front of the army in line of battle the redoubtable and great demons (Madhu, Kaiṭabha and so on) who were endowed with great strength and were capable of destroying their enemies. (38)

> अपूजयन् देवगणास्तदा कपिं  
> स्वयं च रामोऽतिबलश्च लक्ष्मणः।  
> तथैव सुग्रीवमुखाः प्लवंगमा  
> विभीषणश्चैव महाबलस्तदा॥ ३९॥

At that time hosts of gods, nay, Śrī Rāma himself as well as Lakṣmaṇa, who was endowed with exceeding might, even so, the monkeys headed by Sugrīva as also Vibhīṣaṇa, who was endowed with extraordinary might, honoured the monkey, Hanumān. (39)

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