03.270
Markandeya said.
Then Prahasta, fierce in battle, suddenly approached Vibhīṣaṇa, roaring, and struck him with a mace. (03-270-1)
Though struck by her with a mace of terrible force, the wise and mighty-armed hero did not waver, remaining as firm as the Himavat mountain. (03-270-2)
Then Vibhīṣaṇa, having taken the massive weapon adorned with a hundred bells and having consecrated it with mantras, hurled the great weapon at his head. (03-270-3)
Struck by her as she fell at speed, the rakshasa, with a thunderous sound and his head torn away, looked like a tree shattered by the wind. (03-270-4)
When he saw Prahasta, the night-wanderer, slain in battle, Dhūmrākṣa rushed at the monkeys with great speed. (03-270-5)
Seeing his army, cloud-like and terrible in appearance, approaching, the foremost of the monkeys suddenly scattered in the battle. (03-270-6)
Then Hanuman, the tiger among monkeys, having come out and having seen those best of monkeys suddenly torn, stood firmly. (03-270-7)
O king, seeing the son of the wind standing (firm) in battle, the monkeys, with great speed, all turned back. (03-270-8)
Then there arose a great, tumultuous, hair-raising sound from the armies of Rāma and Rāvaṇa as they charged against each other. (03-270-9)
During that terrible, blood-muddied battle, Dhūmrākṣa routed the monkey army with arrows. (03-270-10)
Hanuman, son of the wind, who conquers his foes, seized with force the great minister of the rākṣasas as he was rushing forward. (03-270-11)
A terrible battle arose between those two—the hero Hari and the rakshasa—both eager to conquer each other, just like that between Indra and Prahlada. (03-270-12)
The demon struck the monkey with maces and iron clubs, while the monkey in turn struck the demon with trees bearing branches and trunks. (03-270-13)
Then, Hanūmān, the intelligent son of the Wind-god, killed Dhūmrākṣa along with his horses, chariot, and charioteer. (03-270-14)
Then, seeing Dhūmrākṣa, the foremost among the rākṣasas, slain, the monkeys, gaining confidence, approached and killed the soldiers. (03-270-15)
As they were being slain by the strong monkeys whose brilliance was unconquered, the rākṣasas, their resolve broken, fled to Laṅkā out of fear. (03-270-16)
Defeated and those rākṣasas who survived after being slain, having returned to the city, reported everything as it had happened to King Rāvaṇa. (03-270-17)
But when Rāvaṇa heard from them that Prahasta and Dhūmrākṣa, the mighty archer, along with their army, were slain in battle by the chief monkeys, (03-270-18)
He exhaled as if with a very deep breath, rose from his excellent seat, and said, "The time for action for Kumbhakarna has arrived." (03-270-19)
Thus, having said so, they awoke Kumbhakarna, who was lying down in deep sleep, using various musical instruments of great sound. (03-270-20)
After awakening Kumbhakarṇa with great effort, though anxious with fear, the king of the rākṣasas saw him sitting healthy, calm and fully awake. Then the ten-headed Rāvaṇa addressed the mighty Kumbhakarṇa. (03-270-21)
You are indeed fortunate, whose sleep, O Kumbhakarṇa, is such as this; for you do not know of this terrible time, this great danger. (03-270-22)
This Rama, having crossed the ocean by the bridge together with the monkeys, disregards all of us here and is causing great destruction. (03-270-23)
Indeed, I have carried away Sita, the wife of this man, named the daughter of Janaka. In order to release her, he has come, having built a bridge across the great ocean. (03-270-24)
It was by him that Prahasta and other great kinsmen of ours were killed. For him, there is no other slayer but you, O destroyer of enemies. (03-270-25)
He, having been wounded, go forth now, O best among the mighty; destroy in battle all the enemies, including Rāma and the others, O destroyer of foes. (03-270-26)
Dūṣaṇa and his younger brother, indeed mighty and swift as a thunderbolt, will both follow you together with great force. (03-270-27)
Having spoken thus, the lord of the rākṣasas, addressing mighty Kumbhakarṇa, instructed the two (warriors) renowned for their thunderbolt-like speed as to what was to be done. (03-270-28)
Having thus spoken, the two heroes, Rāvaṇa's younger brothers—Dūṣaṇa and others—quickly left the city, placing Kumbhakarṇa at the front. (03-270-29)
