Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 82

Meaning

Hearing the terrible roar of Indrajit, the monkeys for their part fled with great speed in all directions, gazing on Indrajit whose roar resembled the peal of thunder. (1)

Meaning

Hanumān, sprung from the loins of the wind-god, thereupon spoke as follows to all those monkeys, who wore melancholy looks, were feeling miserable and alarmed and were fleeing singly: (2)

Meaning

“Having lost your zeal for fighting, why are you fleeing with a downcast mien, O monkey? Where on earth has your valour gone? (3)

Meaning

“Return, close on my heels, to the battle while I am marching ahead. It is ill-advised indeed for champions of noble descent to shrink back from the battlefield.” (4)

Meaning

Admonished in these words by the sagacious son of the wind-god, the monkeys, who now felt delighted in mind, seized hold of mountain-peaks and trees as well in great fury. (5)

Meaning

Nay, surrounding Hanumān on all sides, the leaders of monkeys followed him in the great fight and rushed roaring towards the ogres. (6)

Meaning

Surrounded on all sides by those monkey leaders, the said Hanumān began to annihilate the hostile army like a flaming fire. (7)

Meaning

Accompanied by the simian army, that exceptionally mighty monkey, who resembled Yama assuming the role of Death at the time of universal dissolution, played havoc among the ogres. (8)

Meaning

Filled with inordinate grief and anger, the aforesaid monkey, Hanumān, for his part hurled a huge rock on the chariot of Indrajit (son of Rāvaṇa). (9)

Meaning

The moment his charioteer saw the rock coming towards the chariot, the chariot, which was drawn by obedient horses, was now driven aside to a long distance by him. (10)

Meaning

Failing to reach the aforesaid Indrajit seated in his chariot alongwith the charioteer, the rock in question, which was employed in vain, entered the bowels of the earth after splitting it open. (11)

Meaning

As the rock fell, the army of the ogres for its part felt disquieted; nay, the ogres were violently crushed by the rock even as it fell. (12)

Meaning

Monkeys (lit., dwellers in the woods) in their hundreds rushed roaring towards Indrajit. Nay, seizing hold of trees and mountain-tops too, those colossal monkeys became fully active. (13)

Meaning

The monkeys of redoubtable prowess began to rail Indrajit on the battlefield. Nay, discharging a mighty shower of trees and rocks, the monkeys created havoc among the enemies and shouted in various tones. Vehemently struck on all sides with trees by those exceptionally redoubtable monkeys, the rangers of the night of hideous aspect rolled about restlessly on the battlefield. Seizing hold of his weapons in fury on perceiving the army handled roughly by the monkeys, the aforesaid Indrajit forthwith marched against the enemies. Discharging streams of arrows while surrounded by his contingent, Indrajit of unyielding prowess struck numerous tigers among the monkeys with pikes, Aśanis, swords, sharp-edged spears and Kūṭamudgaras (a concealed weapon similar to a mallet). (14—18)

Meaning

Those monkeys too killed his followers in combat. Hanumān, on the other hand, who was endowed with extraordinary might, played havoc among the ogres of terrible deeds with sal trees distinguished by excellent trunks and boughs as well as with rocks. Keeping the hostile army back, Hanumān spoke as follows to those monkeys (lit., dwellers in the woods): “Retreat! This army need not be conquered by us any more. That daughter of Janaka—for whom indeed we have fought so far, risking our lives and making a special effort to win, seeking as we did to do what is pleasing to Śrī Rāma—has been killed. Making this fact known to Śrī Rāma as well as to Sugrīva, we shall certainly do that which they will enjoin us to do in return.” Perceiving Hanumān withdrawing to the place where Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) was, the evil-minded ogre proceeded to the sanctuary known by the name of Nikumbhilā, seeking as he did to pour oblations into the sacred fire. Reaching Nikumbhilā, Indrajit poured oblations into the sacred fire. (19—25)

Meaning

While being propitiated with oblations by that ogre on arriving at the sacrificial ground, the sacrificial fire blazed up on consuming the oblations of blood on that occasion. (26)

Meaning

Swollen up when propitiated with oblations of blood, the fierce fire, which resembled the evening sun, was seen wrapped in flames. (27)

Meaning

For the prosperity of the ogres in general, Indrajit for his part, who was well-versed in the technique pertaining to sacrifices, forthwith poured oblations into the sacrificial fire according to the scriptural ordinance. Nay, beholding this, the well-known ogres, who knew what was right and wrong in major conflicts, stood firm by his side. (28)