Hari Om.
Let us begin the forty seventh sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The calculated risk that hanumAn was taking in needling the demons, thrashing them and getting a feel of their might was working as per his plan. They came in scores and the mighty came too and yet everyone bit dust soon enough as hanumAn kept coming back to the arch awaiting his next combatant. On his part, rAvaNa realized that this was not an ordinary vAnara and was lot more powerful than his own tormentor vAli and asked his generals to be careful. His assessment was correct but it was foolhardy to engage with hanumAn in combat. However, he kept stepping up the tempo through the eighty thousand ordinary fighters he sent first to the sons of the ministers to the generals – all with identical results. Being a proud king, he couldn’t swallow this and only acted more foolishly as he sent his own son up next. Onwards…
That the five generals met with a deadly end to their campaign and their army along with the chariots were destroyed was reviewed by rAvaNa and then as he looked up in his assembly, he saw his own son, prince aksha eager to fight. As he indicated aksha with his looks, the young demon rose up like flames rise on offering of oblation by those performing yajna. Then the youngster splendid like the rising sun, called for a glittering golden chariot obtained through a great penance, studded with fluttering flags and gems and yoked to high breed horses capable of generating great speeds. The chariot was equipped with quivers, eight swords, spears and clubs and was unassailable by even the gods or demons. It levitated in the air and could take to the skies as well. It had every fitting that was expected in a war chariot and on board that chariot, the young aksha, glorious like indra, headed for the battle with hanumAn and reached the arch where his enemy sat along with a large army and to the blast of conches and other tumultuous noise arising from the chariot and horse movement.
स तं समासाद्य हरिं हरीक्षणो युगान्तकालाग्निमिव प्रजाक्षये।
अवस्थितं विस्मितजातसम्भ्रम स्समैक्षताक्षो बहुमानचक्षुषा।।5.47.8।।
Approaching the arch like fire in the time of the great dissolution, aksha beheld the vAnara with his sharp eyes and as he did so, awe and respect filled his being. He judged and estimated the valour and speed of the vAnara and for once felt emboldened and bright like the sun at the melting of the dew. Getting enraged at the sight of the valorous hanumAn, aksha shot three arrows at him and incited him for a combat. He took a detailed look at the boisterous hanumAn who had defeated his enemies and had a brief respite. The well decked young prince and the majestic vAnara got into a duel which was matchless and wowed even the gods and the demons. The earth shook, the sun dimmed, the wind stood still, the mountains moved, the skies and the ocean were agitated as the prince and the vAnara engaged in combat. The unerring marksman that aksha was, he shot three arrows aiming the forehead of hanumAn and made him bleed profusely. With his face drenched in that blood, hanumAn shone like the rising sun! Responding to the hit, hanumAn grew in size and took appropriate position to fight aksha.
ततस्स पिङ्गाधिपमन्त्रिसत्तमः समीक्ष्य तं राजवरात्मजं रणे।
उदग्रचित्रायुधचित्रकार्मुकं जहर्ष चापूर्यत चाहवोन्मुखः।।5.47.16।।
Resembling the fierce sun rising from the mount mandara, hanumAn livid with rage cast a death glare at aksha and his army as if he was burning them down to ashes. On his part, prince aksha, like a huge cloud unleashing rain on a great mountain rained arrows on hanumAn. The fiercely valorous hanumAn was delighted to see the valor of aksha and let out a roar of thunderous applause. He young valour, proud of his prowess in war, in great rage with bloodshot eyes, charged at hanumAn like an elephant charges at a pit covered with grass! Hit by the arrows of akha, hanumAn let out a loud roar of rage and leapt into the sky opening up his arms and legs. The best of the rAkshasa warriors, followed him to the skies and unleashed arrows like hailstorm unleashed on a mountain.
ततः कपिस्तं रणचण्डविक्रमं विवृद्धतेजोबलवीर्यसंयुतम्।
कुमारमक्षं प्रसमीक्ष्य संयुगे ननाद हर्षाद् घनतुल्यविक्रमम्।।5.47.19।।
स बालभावाद्युधि वीर्यदर्पितः प्रवृद्धमन्युः क्षतजोपमेक्षणः।
समाससादाप्रतिमं कपिं रणे गजो महाकूपमिवावृतं तृणैः।।5.47.20।।
स तान्शरांस्तस्य हरिर्विमोक्षयंश्चचार वीरः पथि वायुसेविते।
शरान्तरे मारुतवद्विनिष्पतन्मनोजवस्संयति चण्डविक्रमः।।5.47.23।।
Now hanumAn displayed utmost agility and moved between the arrows like wind and escaped those. Beholding the young prince aksha, his superlative skill in archery that was not matched by any other warrior so far, hanumAn cast admiring looks at him. Hit by aksha’s fierce arrows, hanumAn let out a roar but at the same time felt pity at the young boy and didn’t feel like killing him despite seeing his valour that could prove challenging. He was splendorous like the rising sun, but his exploits were unlike those of young lads and so hanumAn was in a bit of dilemma about dealing with him as he didn’t want him to meet the same fate as others did. He thought –
“He is surely enthused by the display of his valor and his mental space has expanded so much so that he stands in front of me and dares me look in the eye! His exploits and expert archery are sure to shake even the gods and the demons.
पराक्रमोत्साहविवृद्धमानस स्समीक्षते मां प्रमुखाग्रतःस्थितः।
पराक्रमो ह्यस्य मनांसि कम्पयेत्सुरासुराणामपि शीघ्रगामिनः।।5.47.28।।
It is not right any more to be indifferent to his surging might as he gets more attacking. Subduing him is what I would like to do now since it is not right to ignore the fire that is spreading”.
Thus, estimating the speed of the opponent and deciding on his course of action, hanumAn gathered his speed in getting to vanquish the prince aksha. Leaping across to the floating chariot of aksha yoked to eight horses capable of bearing great burdens, hanumAn slapped those eight so hard they were dead right away. He then smashed and broke the chariot of aksha. The broken chariot of aksha fell down on the ground. The young prince left the debris and rose high into the sky holding his sword in one hand and the bow in the other like an accomplished sage leaves his body at will and rises to the heavens. Going after him, hanumAn also rose into the sky and chasing him, grabbed his legs like the great garuDa grabs serpents, and violently swirled him a thousand times and hit him and dashed him on the earth! With that violent swirl and drop, aksha’s arms, hips, neck came off, his eyes protruded out and he was dead. hanumAn with his display of dashing aksha to the ground aroused great fear in the demon king rAvaNa. The great sages, gods and all others who keep roaming the worlds were awestruck at the might of hanumAn which vanquished aksha in such a manner. Having killed the very powerful aksha, hanumAn went back to the arch and verily looked like the god of death waiting to destroy all beings.
Here we conclude the forty seventh sarga of the sundara kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 5.48. For the mission he doesn’t resist captivity
Previous: 5.46. hanumAn shows a trailer of the destruction to come
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
