Chapter XLIV: Section XLIV

As the monkeys and the Rakshasas thus fought on, the sun set, and the fatal Night came. And then commenced a night-engagement between the dreadful Rakshasas and the monkeys of fixed hostility, each party burning for victory. And in that profound darknesss, the monkeys and the Rakshasas began to slay each other, exclaiming,--'Thou art a Rakshasa,' and 'Thou art a monkey.' And in that army there was heard a mighty uproar of 'slain,' 'rive!' 'come!' 'why fliest?' And, dark-hued, the Rakshasas, equipped in golden mail, in that deep darkness appeared like elevated hills clad with woods of flaming medicinal herbs. And in that limitless gloom, the Rakshasas, transported with wrath, advanced with impetuous speed, devouring monkeys. And, fired with terrible wrath, they,[138] bounding up, with their sharp teeth tore up steeds caparisoned in gold, and standards resembling venomous serpents. And the lusty monkeys in battle agitated the Rakshasa host,--and, waxing furious, with their teeth pulled and bit elephants and the riders thereof, and cars furnished with flags and standards. And Rama and Lakshmana with shafts resembling venomous serpents, slaughtered the foremost among the Rakshasas--both those that were seen and those that were not.--And the dust of the earth arising from warring combatants, and from the hoofs of horses and the wheels of cars, choked up eye and ear. And as the mighty encounter, capable of making people's hair stand on end, went on, there flowed a fearful river of gore. And the sounds of kettle-drums and _Mridangas_ and _Panavas_, mingled with those of conchs and car-wheels,--were wonderful (to hear). And the sounds of steeds neighing, and Rakshasas (roaring), and monkeys, rejoicing,--were something tremendous. And, with able monkeys slain; and darts and javelins and axes; and slaughtered Rakshasas wearing forms at pleasure, lying mountain-like,--the field of battle, seeming to have offerings of arms representing flowers,--became difficult to recognise, and inaccessible; and the earth was drenched with streams of blood. And that Night, destructive to monkeys and Rakshasas,--was dreadful, and difficult of being out-sped by all,--like unto the Fatal Night of beings. And in that profound darkness, the Rakshasas with great vivacity attacked Rama with a shower of shafts. And the roars of those beings as they advanced, sending up shouts in anger, resembled the dashing of the Ocean at the time of the universal dissolution. And in the twinkling of an eye, Rama by means of six shafts resembling tongues of flames, struck six of the night-rangers; _viz_., Yajnacatru, irrepressible (in fight),--and Mahaparcwa, and Mahodara, and the huge-bodied Vajradanashtra,--and those two--Suka and Sarana. And, pierced in their vitals with Rama's shafts, they, having only their lives left to them, disappeared from the field. Then in the twinkling of an eye, that Maharatha rendered all sides clear (of all gloom) by means of arrows resembling tongues of fire; and those other heroic Rakshasas that were in front of Rama, were destroyed on approaching the place, like insects approaching a fire. And with shafts plated with gold lying in all directions, the night resembled one in autumn decked with fireflies. And in consequence of the uproar occasioned by the Rakshasas, and the sounds of drums, that night, already dreadful (in itself), became all the more so. And on that sound attaining dimensions on all sides, it seemed as if the mount Trikuta, containing numerous caverns, had been speaking. And huge-bodied Goangulas of equal lustre with darkness itself,[139] binding fast the night-rangers with their arms, began to swallow them up. And Angada was present in the encounter, for slaying foes, And Indrajit, fairing sadly at the hands of Angada, abandoning his vehicle, and having his horses as well as his charioteer slain, vanished then and there. And that feat of Vali's son, worthy of being honored, all the celestials with the saints and both Rama and Lakshmana lauded to the eight. All beings were acquainted with the might of Indrajit in battle; and, therefore, witnessing his discomfiture, and seeing that high-souled one, they rejoiced exceedingly, and, seeing the enemy vanquished, all the monkeys with Sugriva and Bibhishana, experiencing high delight, exclaimed,--"Excellent!" "Excellent!" And, beaten by Vali's son of dreadful deeds, Indrajit was fired with a mighty wrath. And, being handled hard in battle, and having vanished from the field, the heroic and wicked son of Ravana, who had received a boon from Brahma, transported with passion,--remaining invisible, began to discharge sharpened shafts of the splendour of the thunder-bolt. And worked up into rage, he in the conflict pierced Raghu's sons, Rama and Lakshmana all over their bodies, with terrific arrows consisting of serpents. And himself engirt with illusion, that night-ranger, given to fighting in crooked ways,--remaining invisible to all creatures,--stupified the descendants of Raghu in battle; and by means of his shafts bound the brothers, Rama and Lakshmana. And then in the sight of the monkeys, those heroes and foremost of men were suddenly overpowered with shafts by the enraged (Indrajit). And when the son of the Rakshasa monarch felt himself incompetent to cope with them[140] openly, then that impious one, resorting to illusion, bound those princes (by that means).

[138] _i.e._ the monkeys, as appears from the context.--T.

[139] Irony.

[140] Rama and Lakshmana.