Hari Om.
Let us begin the sixtieth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.The accomplices of rAvaNa, those yes men who have been misleading him with flattery and dishonesty had to finally accompany rAvaNa to the battlefield. Not that they were any less of warriors or were meek, but belonging in rAvaNa’s coterie, they prolonged their life while other warriors fell one after the other. They were too important for rAvaNa’s conceit. They were inevitable to fan his passion and ensure he treads the non-dhArmic path. Mainly mahOdara and mahApArSwa are documented for their flattery and misleading rAvaNa in the earlier sargas [6.013, 6.064]. They came out to the battle along with rAvaNa and wreaked havoc in the vAnara army. Then their king sugrIva stepped in and vanquished both virUpAksha and mahOdara. Other than rAvaNa only mahApArSwa was left in the battle now. Onwards…
The mighty mahApArSwa saw the vanquishment of mahOdara by sugrIva and with his eyes red in anger and went after the army of angada with his arrows. He struck down the giants among the vAnaras with as much ease as wind fells ripe fruits. With his arrows, he cut off the hands of some, arms of others and some were hit on their rib cages. Harrowed by the shower of arrows of mahApArSwa, the vAnaras went pale and lost their senses. Seeing his forces under duress due to the attack of the demon, angada hastened to their rescue and rose like the tides of the ocean on new and full moon days. Grabbing an iron beam (parigha) that was shining like the sun, he hurled it at mahApArSwa. Hit by that parigha, mahApArSwa lost his consciousness and fell down on the ground from his chariot.
The effulgent lord of the Rkshas, jAmbavAn, dark in complex like the collyrium, emerged out of his ranks and hurling huge boulders smashed the horses and the chariot of mahApArSwa. In some time, the demon regained his senses and injured angada by attacking him with a barrage of arrows. He also attacked jAmbavAn and gavAksha and hurt them with his arrows. Seeing the elderly jAmbavAn tormented by the arrows of the demon, angada flew into a rage and taking the parigha, swirled it with his mighty arms very fast and threw it at him. The fast moving parigha hit the demon and his bow, arrows and head guard fell off as a result of the impact. Approaching him menacingly, the valorous son of vAlI slapped him really hard below his ears.
The very swift mahApArSwa, reacted sharply and taking out a large and hard battle axe that was polished with oil, majestic like the mountain and strong threw it at angada aiming at his left shoulder. Without much trouble, angada dodged that axe and clenching his fist tightly, he landed a mighty blow between the breasts of the demon aiming at his heart. Valorous like his father vAlI, angada’s blow landed like the thunderbolt of indra in the chest of the demon mahApArSwa and his heart burst at once and he fell down dead at once. The forces of the demons beat a retreat on his fall and it incensed rAvaNa a lot to see his confidant fall in the battle.
तेन तस्य निपातेन राक्षसस्य महामृधे ।
पफाल हृदयं चाशु स पपात हतो भुवि ॥
The vAnarAs let out loud lion-like roars that reverberated through the homes and mansions of lanka as if they were being pulled down. The boisterous shouts of vAnaras irked the enemy of indra (rAvaNa) and furiously he got battle-ready again.
Here we conclude the ninety eighth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 6.099. The ultimate face off begins
Previous: 6.097. Swift sugrIva slays the mighty mahOdara
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 