Rāmāyana | Yuddha Kaṇḍa | Chapter 44

44. Indrajit's Fight

[Rāma started killing several Rākṣasas. With his chariot being destroyed by Angada, Indrajit vanished from vision and continued his fight without being seen by any one and uses serpent arrows and makes Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa fall.]

When the monkeys and Rākṣasas were fighting a war, the sun set and night continued with destroying of lives. 44.1

With great enmity between each other and both desiring for their own victory, the night war between the monkeys and Rākṣasas commenced. 44.2

The monkeys said to the Rākṣasa, "You are a Rākṣasa" and Rākṣasas told the monkeys, "You are a monkey", and in the horrifying night of darkness, they killed each other. 44.3

In that army very loud sounds of talking like "strike", "tear apart", "come near" and "why are you running away" were being heard. 44.4

Those Black Rākṣasas wearing golden battle dress, were shining like medicinal forests on the king of mountains. 44.5

In that great darkness which was difficult to tolerate, the very angry Rākṣasas attacked and ate those monkeys with great speed. 44.6

Those strong monkeys with a terrific rage leapt forward and torn asunder by their sharp teeth, the steeds with gold ornaments on their head, the serpentine banners and frightened the army of Rākṣasas. 44.7

Greatly angry the monkeys dragged the elephants, those who were riding the elephants, chariots, flags and flag staffs and broke them in to pieces with their teeth. 44.8

Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa killed the foremost of Rākṣasas who were visible and not visible by arrows which can be compared to venomous snakes. 44.9

The dust which rose from the hooves of horses and wheels of chariots completely blocked the eyes and ears of those who fought. 44.10

When the particular great war was in progress, the hair of people stood erect and very horrifying rivers of blood started flowing there. 44.11

Then the sound of drums, kettle drums arose and got mixed with the sound of conches and chariot wheels arose in that place. 44.12

The sound of wounded horses, Rākṣasas and monkeys resonated and a terrible sound covered everywhere. 44.13

The great monkeys assassinated by spears, maces, and axes and the slaughtered Rākṣasas, who were able to change their form at will, with their bodies appearing like mountains were lying there on the battle-field. And those weapons appeared to be offered up as a bounty of flowers by earth, which became not seen and rendered impassable by slime formed out of streams of blood. 44.14-44.15

That horrifying night proved very deadly to the monkeys as well as Rākṣasas, like the night at deluge becomes horrifying to all beings. 44.16

Those Rākṣasas who were there in that darkness of night, attacked Rāma with a shower of arrows. 44.17

The sound that they made while coming to attack Rāma as well as their roaring sound was like the sound of ocean at the final destruction of all beings. 44.18

Within the time of the twinkling of an eye Rāma shot six arrows which were like the tongues of flame and killed six Rākṣasas. 44.19

The unconquerable Yagnashatru, Mahaparashva, Mahodara, the giant bodied Vajradamshtra, both Śuka and Śarana - all those six having been beaten by Rāma on their vital organs with a flood of his arrows, retreated from the battle and somehow survived for the rest of their life. 44.20-44.21

Using gold tipped arrows of varied patterns resembling the flames of fire Rāma, cleared all directions as well as intermediate directions and made them without Rākṣasas. 44.22

And all the valorous Rākṣasas who stood facing Rāma also perished just like moths coming in front of fire. 44.23

When the arrows with golden wings which were bright coloured started falling from all directions, it appeared as if fire flies are coming from all places in that autumnal night. 44.24

By the sounds made by the Rākṣasas and roaring sound of the monkeys that terrible night became more terrible. 44.25

That great sound which was coming from all sides, the Trikūṭa mountain which was full of caves appeared to give rise to confused murmurs. 44.26

Long-tailed and black faced monkeys with their gigantic bodies and dark figure, crushed the Rākṣasas with their arms and allowed them to be eaten by other animals. 44.27

Angada who had come to the battle field to kill all his enemies all at once stuck, the chariot, charioteer and horses of the son of Rāvaṇa. 44.28

While that awful and very intense battle was going on, Indrajit a great expert in tricks of illusion, leaving the chariot, with its horses and charioteer killed by Angada, vanished from that very spot itself. 44.29-44.30

All the devas and great sages seeing that act of accomplishment of the son of Vali were greatly pleased by the honourable son of Vali. 44.31

Since all the beings knew the magical power of Indrajit in war, seeing him being defeated by that great one made them pleased. 44.32

Then all the monkeys as well as Sugrīva and Vibhīṣaṇa were greatly delighted and praised him by saying "Good, very good." 44.33

Indrajit having been defeated by that one responsible for the big act who was the son of Vali was driven to horrifying anger. 44.34

That expert in war who was the son of Rāvaṇa and who had boons given by Brahma, after disappearing from vision and started shooting arrows which were as bright as lightning. 44.35

Becoming angry he sent harsh serpent arrows and with them hurt all the body parts of Rāma as well as Lakṣmaṇa of the Raghu clan. 44.36

By enveloping with illusion, he confounded Rāma and went on sending arrows being invisible and tied the brothers Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa using those arrows. 44.37

All the monkeys saw those tiger among men being tormented quickly by those serpent arrows of that angry Rākṣasa. 44.38

Not being able to hurt those two princes in his visible form, Indrajit, the son of the king of Rākṣasas with his perverse mind, took recourse to magic in order to make them captive. 44.39

This is the end of Forty Fourth Sarga of Yuddha Kanda which occurs in Holy Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki as the First Epic.