Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 96

Meaning

The battle-field of Laṅka for its part was strewn on that occasion with those monkeys whose limbs had thus been torn asunder by the ten-headed monster with his arrows. (1)

Meaning

The monkeys could not stand even for an instant the irresistible hail of shafts discharged by Rāvaṇa, any more than moths would stand a blazing fire. (2)

Meaning

Tormented by those sharp arrows, they fled screaming like elephants enveloped in flames and getting scorched by them. (3)

Meaning

Rāvaṇa advanced in that fray destroying the simian ranks with his arrows in the same way as the wind would dissipate large clouds. (4)

Meaning

Having brought about with speed the destruction of the monkeys (lit., the denizens of the woods), Rāvaṇa, the king of ogres, then hurriedly confronted Śrī Rāma, a scion of Rāghu, on the battlefield. (5)

Meaning

Seeing the aforesaid monkeys routed in combat and put to flight, and placing Suṣeṇa incharge of the division, Sugrīva immediately threw his mind into the fight. (6)

Meaning

Appointing as his substitute the aforesaid monkey, who was a hero as good as himself, the celebrated Sugrīva marched towards the enemy, armed with a tree. (7)

Meaning

Seizing hold of enormous rocks and trees of various kinds, all the commanders of monkey-troops, excepting Suṣeṇa, followed at his side as well as at his heels. (8)

Meaning

The mighty Sugrīva roared at a high pitch on the battlefield and destroyed the foremost ogres, annihilating various other ogres too. (9)

Meaning

Nay, the gigantic king of monkeys killed the ogres even as the wind knocks down at the end of a world-cycle trees which have grown to a mammoth size. (10)

Meaning

He let fall on the ogre troops, they say, a shower of rocks even as a cloud would let loose a shower of hailstones in the midst of flocks of birds in a forest. (11)

Meaning

Their heads smashed by those showers of rocks let fall by the king of monkeys, the ogres for their part toppled down like crumbling mountains. (12)

Meaning

Leaping down from his chariot, proclaiming his own name, while the ogres, completely routed by Sugrīva, were being annihilated on all sides and were toppling down roaring, the ogre, Virūpākṣa, who was armed with a bow and was difficult to overpower, forthwith mounted on the back of an elephant. (13-14)

Meaning

Ascending that elephant, Virūpākṣa, who was endowed with extraordinary might, immediately let forth a terrific roar and rushed towards the monkeys. (15)

Meaning

He rained formidable arrows on Sugrīva in the forefront of battle and stabilized the frightened ogres, duly cheering them up. (16)

Meaning

Deeply pierced with sharp arrows by that ogre, the said king of monkeys, who was seized with great anger, roared and set his mind on killing him. (17)

Meaning

Tearing up a tree and springing forward, the valiant monkey, Sugrīva, who also fought well, struck that huge elephant-like, Virūpākṣa, standing opposite to him. (18)

Meaning

Overwhelmed with his blow by Sugrīva, the colossal elephant for its part receded to a distance of four cubits only, sank down and roared. (19)

Meaning

Jumping down with all speed from his wounded elephant, nay, seizing hold of his shield made of a bull’s hide, and sword and advancing with rapid paces towards the monkey-king, Sugrīva, with his face turned towards him, that powerful ogre for his part approached his enemy—who stood firm to meet him—threatening him, as it were.(20-21)

Meaning

Seizing hold of a huge rock, which looked like a cloud, the celebrated Sugrīva, who felt highly enraged, actually hurled it on the aforesaid Virūpākṣa. (22)

Meaning

Seeing that rock falling and jumping aside, that bull among the orges, who was exceedingly powerful, then struck sugrīva with his sword. (23)

Meaning

Wounded by the mighty ogre, Virūpākṣa, with a stroke of his sword, the monkey, Sugrīva, lay awhile on the ground unconscious, as it were. (24)

Meaning

Springing up all at once and whirling his fist, Sugrīva brought it down violently on the ogre’s chest in that major conflict. (25)

Meaning

Filled with rage when wounded by the blow of Sugrīva’s fist, the night-ranger, Virūpākṣa, destroyed the former’s armour with that sword in the forefront of his army. Nay, kicked by him, Sugrīva fell down. Spiringing to his feet when fallen, the monkey gave the ogre a slap which produced a terrific thunder-like crash. Dodging by his adroitness the slap, which was about to be dealt by Sugrīva, the ogre, Virūpākṣa, struck the latter on the chest with his fist. Sugrīva, the monkey king, for his part thereupon grew all the more furious. (26—29)

Meaning

Nay, seeing his blow parried by that ogre, the aforesaid monkey sought an opportunity to strike the said Virūpākṣa. (30)

Meaning

Sugrīva then angrily brought down on the region of his temple-bone a violent blow with his palm. Struck with the palm, which descended like the thunderbolt of the mighty Indra, Virūpākṣa, for his part, fell to the ground bathed in blood, emitting blood as he did from all the nine apertures of his body, viz, the two eyes, the two nostrils, the two ears, the mouth, the penis and the anus, as water flows from a spring. (31-32)

Meaning

The monkeys saw Virūpākṣa bathed in foaming blood, his eyes rolling through anger, and as such rendered all the more monstrous.* (33)

Meaning

Nay, the monkeys beheld their enemy bathed in blood, tossing about, changing sides and bellowing piteously. (34)

Meaning

Closely united for a hand-to-hand fight on the battlefield in that way, the two redoubtable armies, the army of the monkeys and that of the ogres, for their part, which were extensive as seas and full of impetuosity, roared like two oceans, which had burst their strands. (35)

Meaning

Perceiving the notorious Virūpākṣa, who was endowed with extrordinary might, made short work of by Sugrīva, the king of monkeys, the united army of the monkeys and the ogres looked like the holy Gaṅgā in spate. (36)