Monday 23 November 2015

315. Angada killed Vajradamshtra.

           The mighty Vajradamstra, seeing the devastation of his army, was aghast with anger. He started to counter that by counterattacking by stretching his  terrific bow, comparable to that of Indra's  vajra,  assailed the vanaras with a flood of arrows. By his order, the foremost of the rakshash commanders under his control mounted on chariots, fought the battle with every kind of weapon. The vanaras, assembling on all sides, fought with rocks, trees, hands etc. Thus the battle turned very fierce, cruel, savage, brutal, aggressive, menacing, vicious, fiery and murderous.
           As no warrior on either side ever retreated in any battle, a tremendous struggle ensued. Some vanaras and rakshashas, with their shattered heads, bereft of arms and legs, lay on the earth bathed in blood with their bodies severely ruptured by weapons, became a prey to herons, vultures and crows or devoured by troops of jackals.
       Vanaras and rakshashas felled on the battlefield, as headless trunks creating terror to the fearful. The limbs of many were hacked to pieces. However, slowly and steadily the vanara army was gaining superiority. This was evident as under the eyes of Vajradamshtra, almost all his army of rakshashas were being killed or made ineffective (by way or loss of one or more limbs)  by the vanara-troops.
       Seeing this, that powerful Vajradamshtra, his eyes red with anger, bow in hand, penetrated into the army of vanaras, sowing panic among them. In this way Vajradamshtra, like the wings of an eagle that flew straight to their target, started killing or maiming a bunch of his opponents simultaneously at a time. This created terror among the vanaras and they sought refuge with Angada.
         Angada then went straight to Vajradamshtra. Both Vajradamshtra and Angada fought against each other like a lion and an elephant in rut. Thereafter, that Vajradamshtra knocked the mighty Angada at his vital organs with his arrows resembling hundred thousand flames of fire.
        With all his limbs drenched in blood, the mighty Angada having a terrific prowess threw a tree on Vajradamshtra. That unperplexed rakshash, seeing that tree coming towards him, cut it into innumerable pieces which fell in heaps on earth.
      Seeing this Angada taking a large rock and threw it on that rakshash. Vajradamshtra evaded that rock by leaping down from his chariot. Armed with his mace, he stood waiting unperplexed, on the battle-field. The rock thrown by Angada crushed the chariot with its wheels, shafts and horses. Thereafter, Angada seizing another large peak of a mountain adorned with trees, threw it on Vajradamshtra's head. This time the missile found the marked target, to wit Vajradamshtra. It made Vajradamshtra vomit blood and feel dizzy. Vajradamshtra, with determination,  clenching his mace convulsively and breathing heavily for a moment regained his consciousness. Vajradamshtra, with uncontrollable anger hit Angada full on the chest with his mace. Angada took it unflinchingly, with a sneer. The mace slipped from the hands of Vajradamshtra and rolled down. Vajradamshtra then started a pugilistic encounter. Exhausted by the blows, spitting blood, both the warriors looked like the planets Mars and Mercury.
           Angada, with a firm determination to end the fight, uprooted a tree full with many flowers and fruits and stood waiting. The rakshash, too, with the same intention, seized hold of a shield covered with the hide of a bull as well as a great beautiful sword decorated richly with a multitude of golden bells. Determined to be victorious, both the vanara and the rakshash, making roaring sounds, roamed about in different ways and collided with each other. With their gaping wounds, they shone like a pair of Kimshuka trees in blossom. 
           Each found the other quite a match for him. Both of them, therefore absolutely exhausted and sank their knees on the earth. Fortunately for him, Angada was the first to overcome his tiredness. With a great effort he sprang up like a serpent struck with a stick. As luck would have it he saw the well sharpened sword glistening nearby. Like lightning he grabbed it and assaulted Vajradamshtra on his giant head. Vajradamshtra, with his limbs drenched in blood and eyes rolling, fell down in two pieces. Seeing Vajradamshtra slain, his entire army fled. 
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