Monday 27 July 2015

288. Ravana gets further briefing about the vanara strength.

         Sarana continued his briefing by "Your Majesty! Please let me tell you about those army-chiefs who are ready to display their valour for Rama with scant regard for their lives. One such one is the vanara called Hara, who has terrific acts to his credit. The hair on his tail, measuring many fathoms, soft, with mixed colours of yellow, white and super-white, wavery and shining like the rays of the sun, are dragging along the ground. Hundreds and thousands of troop-leaders who are resolved to be the servants of Sugreeva rally behind him, carrying trees with them and firmly determined to attack Lanka shortly. O, Sir! Those who look like black-clouds and akin to black collyrium are extremely ferocious bears, absolutely mighty in combat, in exceedingly large number, indefinable like the other shore of an ocean, living in mountains, plains and on river-banks are now joined Sugreeva and are very eager to  assist him in every way in the ensuing battle with you.
          "O, king! Look at that bear standing in the middle, with terrific eyes and of fearful appearance, encircled by all like Parjanya , the rain-god, being encircled by clouds. He is another army-chief called Dhumra, the Lord of all bears, who drinks the waters of the river Narmada and resides on the excellent mountain called Rikshavanta. See him who is appearing like a mountain the younger brother of Dhumra, resembling like his brother, is more distinguished in prowess. He is known as the intelligent Jambavan, who was of great help to Indra in a battle between devas and asuras and many boons were given to him for that. Jambavan's giant bodied troops, resembling rakshashas and  monsters, having thick hair and endowed with unlimited energy, wander about, climbing mountain-heights and hurling for fun massive rocks as big as huge clouds. They do not have any fear of death. O, king! The commander of commanders of vanaras is called Dambha who along with his bulky troops dwell on the Sahasraksha mountain.  He fought with Indra the Lord of devas and demonstrated that he was in no way inferior to him in strength and valour. He is the commander of commanders and the grand-father of vanaras, famously known as Samnadana. This Samnadana, whose striding prowess is equal to that of Indra,  was born to a youthful Gandharva maiden and Krishnavartman for the purpose of helping the devas in a combat between devas and asuras. 
     "The commander named Krathana, the son of Visravasa, is the one who is sitting  beneath the Jambu tree, on that mountain, the king of peaks, which is frequented by Kinneras, and which mountain affords delight constantly to your brother. It is near there, Krathana, that powerful lord of the vanaras, commands a thousand crores of vanaras. He hopes to crush Lanka with the help of his army.
              "The one who usually roams by the Ganges, creating terror among leaders of herds of elephants, in retaliation of the old quarrel between elephants and vanaras, thundering and uprooting trees, is the commander and leader of vanaras called Pramathim who dwells in mountain-caves, subduing wild elephants. This excellent one among the vanaras and this army-chief of vanaras, taking shelter in Mandara the foremost of mountains and the mountain Ushirabheeja alongside the River Ganga, passes his life happily like Indra himself. A hundred thousand vanaras proud of their strength and prowess with their radiant fore-arms, making a roaring noise, are following him. 
       "O, king! The commander called Pramathi is said to be difficult to be conquered. That one beholding a cloud raised by wind is Pramathi. At that place, a great quantity of red illumined dust is tossed about and raised by wind in various ways in different directions. Energetic and excited army of vanaras is also stationed there along with Pramathi.
        "O, monarch! One hundred lakhs of monkeys with their black faces, with fearful appearance and with great strength, experiencing the crossing of the bridge, surrounds the troop-leader called Gavaksha, a vanara and are making a roaring noise, ready to crush Lanka by their bodily strength.
     "This army-chief is called Kesari, the chief of the commanders of vanaras, used to wander in Kanchana mountain wherein are trees which yield fruits in all seasons.
        "O, Sir! There are sixty thousand mountains in that beautiful golden mountain ranges. There is an excellent mountain the middle of that mountain range. In that mountain range there, in the last mountain these vanaras reside. Some of them are tawny coloured, some are white-coloured, with nails as their weapons, difficult to be approached like tigers, resembling fire, like unto serpents vomiting poison with their very long coiling tails, resembling elephants in rut, equal to mighty mountains and making great thunderous sound like that of clouds. All of them stand looking on your Lanka as if they are about to crush it.
       "O, king! He who stands in the middle is another powerful leader of the vanaras who is a wise man, eager to conquer you and is famous in the world by the name of Shatabali. He swears to destroy Lanka with his troops. This Shatabali is courageous, strong, valiant and is established in his manliness. He does not care for his life in the cause of Rama. Each and every single one, like Gaja, Gavaya, Nala and Nila is surrounded by crores of warriors.
     "There are other excellent vanaras residing in Vindhya mountain who are quick-paced and are impossible to be counted because of their multitude have also joined the force of Sugreeva for the ensuing encounter with you. All of them are highly prominent, their stature equal to high hills and all of them are capable in a moment to level the earth by uprooting and razing its mountains  to the ground."
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