Rāmāyana | Yuddha Kaṇḍa | Chapter 56

56. Hanuman Kills Akampana

[Seeing that Akampana is killing lot of monkeys and they are not able to face him, Hanuman starts opposing Akampana. A great war ensues between them and Hanuman kills Akampana. All people honour him.]

Seeing the extremely good work done by the great monkeys in the battle-field Akampana got in to fierce anger and intensified the war. 56.1

Seized by very great anger after seeing the good work done by enemies, Akampana took hold of his great bow and told his charioteer. 56.2

"You quickly drive the chariot to that place for innumerable Rākṣasas are being killed in that place." 56.3

"There the very strong monkeys who have a huge body and they are beating with trees and stones, my chiefs." 56.4

"I want to kill all of them who are praising themselves in the battle as I am seeing that they are harassing the army of Rākṣasas." 56.5

Then he who is a great hero of those who fight in chariots, he being in a chariot drawn by very fast horses, from a distance troubled the monkeys by his arrows." 56.6

The monkeys were no longer able to maintain their formation, much less fight in the battle and all of them were crushed under the arrows of Akampana and took to their heels. 56.7

Seeing those attacked by Akampana are getting in to the control of death, the mighty Hanuman went to help his clan. 56.8

All the valiant and best monkey chiefs seeing the great monkey with them grouped themselves under him. 56.9

All the monkey chiefs seeing Hanuman standing courageously assumed more courage and stood with the courageous one. 56.10

Akampana like Lord Indra rained many arrows on Hanuman who was standing as firm as a rock. 56.11

Not minding the flood of arrows that kept on falling him, that Hanuman resolved in his mind to kill Akampana. 56.12

Laughing loudly that greatly lustrous Hanuman who was the son of wind God leapt on the Rākṣasa Akampana leading to the shaking of earth. 56.13

He was burning with great energy and shouting loudly and assumed a form which cannot be defeated. 56.14

Hanuman the monkey chief who was angry, having realized that he was unarmed speedily uprooted a mountain and held it. 56.15

That Hanuman holding that mountain in his hand, letting up a great roar began to spin it rapidly.56.16

Just Like Indra rushed with his Vajra against his enemy Namuchi, Hanuman rushed towards Akampana. 56.17

Akampana seeing him approaching him carrying with him a chain of mountains, using an arrow with crescent end powdered it from distance itself. 56.18

Seeing that the mountain he carried was powdered by the arrows of the Rākṣasa and falling to the ground, Hanuman became greatly angry. 56.19

That monkey in a great anger uprooted a Aśvakarṇa tree which was as large as the mountain. 56.20

That greatly lustrous one holding that Aśvakarṇa with great number of branches, tightly holding it spun it while standing on the ground. 56.21

Then, the highly angry Hanuman began to run with great strides, breaking down the trees around him by his strength and tearing up the earth with his feet. 56.22

He knocked down elephants, people riding on elephants, chariots, charioteers and the terrific infantry of the Rākṣasas. 56.23

Seeing Hanuman as angry as God of Death and was taking away lives in the battle, the Rākṣasas started running away. 56.24

That valiant Akampana seeing that Hanuman was dangerous and greatly angry and was creating great scare among the Rākṣasas became worried and let out a huge shout. 56.25

With fourteen sharp arrows Akampana wounded pierced and wounded the body of Hanuman who was greatly valorous. 56.26

That great warrior Hanuman, riddled by the rain of those iron shafts, looked like a mountain on which plants had grown up. 56.27

That mighty Hanuman of great strength with a large body which shined like a fire without smoke and resembled a blooming Aśoka tree. 56.28

Then Hanuman with great speed uprooted another big tree and stuck the head of Akampana, the Rākṣasa general with it. 56.29

When the great one Hanuman who was very angry hit him with a big tree, the Rākṣasa fell dead. 56.30

Seeing the leader of Rākṣasas Akampana lying dead on the earth, the Rākṣasas were perturbed and shook like the trees at the time of earth quake. 56.31

All those beaten Rākṣasas who were defeated, ran towards the city of Lanka and monkeys followed them. 56.32

Their hair loosened, bewildered, their pride broken by defeat, their limbs dripping with sweat, those Rākṣasas fled, blowing out their breaths. 56.33

Mad with fear, looking back again and again, crowding and crushing each other all of them entered the city. 56.34

After the very strong Rākṣasas entered the city of Lanka, all the monkeys together appreciated and honoured Hanuman. 56.35

Hanuman who was of noble nature and happy, respected back all of them according to their rank in a way suitable to the occasion. 56.36

Those strong monkeys who have won shouted according to their ranks and they once again dragged and brought all those Rākṣasas left over in the battle field. 56.37

That great monkey who was born to wind god, having met and killed some Rākṣasas enjoyed the lustre of heroism just like Lord Vishnu felt happy after killing mighty Rākṣasas of immense power in the battle field. 56.38

Then, the groups of devas, along with Rāma himself, the exceedingly strong Lakṣmaṇa, Sugrīva and other monkeys and the mighty Vibhīṣaṇa paid homage to Hanuman. 56.39

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