King Suratha Wins the Battle

Shesha said:

1-4. Seeing Campaka fallen Suratha, the mighty ksatriya, with his body filled with grief, went, seated in a chariot (to the battlefield). Suratha who was very powerful, was angry and heaving heavy sighs, called (i.e. challenged) the monkey. Seeing the king challenging him the very brave hero, the lord of monkeys, having great speed, went to (i.e. marched against) him. King Suratha with his beautiful voice deep-sounding like (that of) the clouds, seeing Hanumat who despised great heroes coming, said: Suratha said:

5-8. O best monkey, possessing great might and valour you who performed a great feat for Rama in the demon's city, are blessed. You are the devoted servant of Rama's feet. You, the hero, overthrew my mighty son Campaka. Now having tied you up I shall go to my city. O best among the lordly monkeys, wait carefully. I have told (you) what I thought to be the truth. Hearing these words of Suratha the lord of the monkeys said with a grave voice (to him) on the battlefield adorned only by warriors. Hanumat said:

9-10. You remind (us) of Rama's feet. We are the servants of Rama's feet. If you bind me forcibly, my lord (Rama) will free me. O hero, make true (i.e. carry out) the pledge that you have in your heart. (A man) who remembers Rama goes to the end of (i.e. destroys) his misery. The Vedas say this. Shesha said: ll-18a. Suratha having praised Vayu's son (Hanumat) like this, pierced him with many fierce arrows sharpened on a whetstone. Not minding those arrows discharged (by Suratha) and causing bloodshed, Hanumat seized (Suratha's) bow ready with arrows with his hand. The angry monkey holding the bow in both his hands broke it; and shouting (i.e. with his shouts) he scared the warriors and tore them with his nails. Seeing that his bow with the string attached was broken by him (i.e. by Hanumat), he took another bow adorned with a great (i.e. strong) string. The monkey angrily seized that bow also and broke it. He (i.e. Suratha) took another bow. The mighty (Hanumat) broke that (also). When that bow was broken, he took another bow. He (i.e. Hanumat) having a great energy, quickly broke that bow also. Making great sounds in many ways every moment through great anger, he thus broke to pieces eighty bows of the king. Then (the king) getting very angry took (the missile) called Sakti.

18b-23. The hero (i.e. Hanumat) struck by the Shaktifell down. (Then) in a moment being anxiously desirous (to defeat Suratha) he got up and, being very angry, seized the king's chariot. Seizing it he flew with a great speed toward the sea. Seeing him flying Suratha, the killer of his enemies, struck the active Hanumat on his chest with iron-clubs. He dropped the chariot from a distance and in a moment it was shattered to pieces. Getting into another chariot he (i.e. Suratha) speedily went (i.e. rushed) to (Hanumat), the son of Vayu. Encircling the chariot along with the horses and the charioteer and with the banners, Hanumat shattred it on the battlefield. Getting into another chariot, the very powerful king went (to attack Hanumat). Hanumat with his body getting strength violently broke it.

24-27. Seeing the chariot shattered Suratha got into another (chariot). He forcibly broke it along with the horses and the charioteer. In this way Hanumat shattered fortynine chariots. Seeing that feat the king too along with his soldiers was amazed. Being angry he said to the lord of monkeys: " O son of Vayu, acting bravely (like this) you are blessed. No one (but you) has done or will do this feat. O son of Vayu, O bee (hovering round) the lotuses of the feet of Rama, wait for a moment till I make my bow ready."

28-34. Saying so, and stringing the bow he, full of anger, fixed on his strong arrow the missile called Pasupata (i.e. presided over by Pasupati). Then ghosts, friends, goblins, led by witches, frightening Hanumat, suddenly appeared (there). The monkey was bound by the Pasupata missiles. He was seen by the people (bound by the missiles). While they were wailing, the son of Vayu remembering Rama in his mind broke them in a moment. With his body freed he at once fought with king Suratha. Seeing him with his body freed Suratha, knowing (the use of) great missiles, taking him (i.e. Hanumat) to be very strong, took the missile known as Brahma (i.e. presided over by Brahma). The strong Maruti laughed and swallowed the Brahma missile. The king, the protector of the earth, seeing that (the missiles was) swallowed by him, remembered Rama. Remembering Rama, the son of Das'aratha, he fixed the Rama-missile (i.e. the missile presided over by Rama) on his bow, and said these (words) to him: ''O best monkey (now) you are bound."

35-39a. Having heard those words, when the hero Hanumat, Rama's servant, would go ahead, he was bound on the battlefield by the king with the Rama-missile. To the king Hanumat said: " O king, what do (i.e. can) I do now? You have bound me with the missile of (i.e. presided over by) my master, and not with any ordinary one. I respect it; O king, take me to your city. That abode of kindness, my master, will come and release me." When the son of Wind (i.e. Hanumat) was bound, the angry Puskala went to (i.e. marched against) the king. He pierced that Puskalawho had come (like that) with many arrows. The mighty one struck the king with thousands of arrows.

39b-46. The king cut off many of his arrows on the battlefield. When that great warrior Puskala was thus angry in the battle, the entire world — immobile and also the mobile — was filled with arrows. Seeing their firm resolve to fight, the soldiers of gods were perplexed. Then what to say of (i.e. what can be said about) men who got scared in a moment! With the discharges of missiles and counter-missiles a fierce, thrilling battle took place among the warriors. Then the angry king took an arrow. But it was cut off by the arrows angrily discharged by Bharata's son (Puskala). When that arrow was cut off, the king took another. When he (i.e. Puskala) cut off (i.e. tried to cut off) that arrow, he was wounded on chest (with it) which stuck to (i.e. struck) his chest. Having fought a very great (i.e. fierce), wonderful battle with the king, the very lustrous and very intelligent Puskala fell into a swoon. When Puskala had fallen, Shatrughna who tormented his enemies, got angry with Suratha and seated in his chariot went (to him).

47-58. The very mighty brother of Rama said to king Suratha: " You have done a great feat that you have bound the son of Wind (i.e. Hanumat). You have overthrown even the great hero Puskala and so also my other very mighty and brave warriors in the battle. Now wait. O king, where will you go by overthrowing my soldiers on the battlefield? Now put up with my arrows." Hearing these words of the hero, the mighty Suratha having in his mind the charming lotus-like feet of Rama, said: " In the battle I have knocked down your warriors waiting for Hanumat. Now I shall overthrow you also on the battlefield. Recollect Rama who, the hero, (will) himself come and protect you. Otherwise, O you tormentor of the enemies, you will not live before me." Saying so, the king struck him with thousands of arrows. He put the great Shatrughna into the cage of the volley of arrows. Shatrughna (trying to) avoid the volley of arrows, discharged a missile to burn the arrows with bent joints. The great king Suratha, seeing that missile discharged, destroying it with the Varuna missile (i.e. the missile presided over by Varuna), pierced him with crores of arrows. Then he fixed on his bow the wonderful missile given by the female devotee which deluded all heroes and made them sleep. The king seeing that great deluding missile remembered Vishnu and said to Shatrughna: " This one is proficient in (the use of) all weapons and missiles. No other delusion seems to be causing fear and tormentation to me who am deluded by the recollection of Shri Rama."

59-65. When the hero spoke like this, he discharged the great missile. Cut off by the arrow it fell on the battlefield. Seeing that the great missile was fruitless against the king, he being extremely amazed, fixed an arrow on his bow. The destroyer of great demons fixed on his bow that fierce arrow resembling fire in lustre with which Lavana was killed. Seeing that (arrow) the king said: " This arrow sticks to (i.e. strikes) the chest of the wicked. It does not even remain in front of the devotee of Rama." When he was saying like this, Shatrughna struck him with that arrow and pierced him in his chest (with it) resembling flames of fire. The tormentor of the enemies, afflicted by the arrow and full of great agony became unconscious for a moment in the interior of his chariot. Having in a moment overcome that agony he said to his enemy before him: " Endure one stroke of (i.e. given by) me. Where will you go from my presence? "

66-69. Speaking like this in the great battle he fixed on his bow an arrow full of flame of fire and having golden feathered ends. That arrow that was discharged from the bow and that remained on its way, though cut off by Shatrughna with the upper part of his (sword's) blade, fell upon his chest. Being rendered un1864 Padma Purana conscious by that arrow, he fell on the chariot. The entire army that was defeated wailed and fled away. Suratha, the servant of Rama, obtained victory in the battle. Then heroes rendered unconscious by his ten sons, fell somewhere.

 

CHAPTER FIFTYTHREE

⇐ Предыдущая197198199200201202203204205206Следующая ⇒

Поделиться: