Chapter 70 - The Death of Devantaka, Trishiras, Mahodara and Mahaparshva

Seeing that Narantaka was slain, those lions among the Nairritas, Devantaka, Trishiras and Mahodara, the son of Paulastya, wept bitterly.

Thereafter Mahodara, mounted on that Indra of elephants like unto a cloud, rushed impetuously on the exceedingly energetic son of Bali.

Then the valiant Devantaka, distressed on account of the calamity that had visited his brother, arming himself with a formidable mace, also ran on Angada and, in his turn, the energetic Trishiras, standing in his chariot, that was as bright as the sun and harnessed to excellent steeds, advanced on the son of Bali.

Attacked by three of the foremost of titans, who had humbled the pride of the Gods, Angada tore up a many-branched tree, and as Shakra his flaming thunderbolt, hurled that huge trunk with its immense branches at Devantaka. Thereupon Trishiras severed it with his arrows which resembled venomous snakes and Angada, beholding the tree shattered, darted forward and that elephant among monkeys caused a shower of trees and rocks to fall upon the titans.

Enraged, Trishiras broke them with his whetted shafts and, with the head of his mace, Mahodara crushed them, while Trishiras pursued the valiant Angada with his darts. Thereafter Mahodara urged his elephant to advance on the son of Bali and, in his anger, pierced his breast with Tomaras that were equal to lightning, and Devantaka, provoked, approaching Angada, struck him with his mace and swiftly turned away. The combined assault of those three Nairritas left that illustrious warrior unmoved; that agile and invincible hero however hurled himself in great fury on the colossal elephant belonging to Mahodara and, with the palm of his hand, struck it down.

Its eyes starting from their sockets, the elephant fell dead and that powerful son of Bali tore out one of its tusks, thereafter, rushing on Devantaka, he dealt him a blow in that struggle which caused him to stumble like a tree buffeted by the wind, and he vomited blood profusely which was the colour of lac. Breathing with difficulty, the energetic and mighty Devantaka, brandishing his mace, struck Angada a violent blow. At the impact, the son of that Indra among Monkeys fell to his knees but soon rose up again and, as he did so, Trishiras, with three infallible and formidable darts, pierced that son of the simian king.

Meanwhile Hanuman and Nila, beholding Angada assaulted by three of the foremost of the titans, came to his aid, and Nila struck Trishiras with a rock which the skilful son of Ravana broke with his sharp darts. Shattered by a hundred arrows, its surface broken to pieces, that rocky peak, from which sparks and flames spurted, fell.

Witnessing their astonishment, the courageous Devantaka, full of joy, in the fight flung himself with his mace on the son of Maruta and, as he rushed upon him, that lion among the monkeys leapt to meet him and with his fist struck him a thunderous blow on the head. Thereafter the heroic son of Vayu, that great and powerful monkey, battered in his skull and his roaring caused the titans to tremble. Devantaka, the son of the King of the Titans, gasping from the blow, his skull shattered, his teeth protruding, his eyes starting from their sockets, his tongue hanging out, fell to the earth instantly bereft of life.

Enraged by the death of the foremost of the titan warriors, that mighty enemy of the Gods, Trishiras, let fall a fearful shower of whetted shafts on Nila’s breast and Mahodara, in fury, quickly mounted a second elephant as high as a hill. As the sun scales the Mandara Mountain, so did he let fall a rain of arrows on Nila as, under a rainbow, a cloud lets loose a shower on a mountain amidst the muttering of thunder. Covered with those darts, with which the valiant titan overwhelmed him, the leader of the monkey army, his limbs pierced, faltering, swooned away; then coming to himself, Nila tore up a rock covered with manybranched trees and, with a terrific bound leapt on Mahodaia and struck him on the head. Crushed by the impact with which that elephant among monkeys had just overwhelmed him, Mahodara fell to earth deprived of life, like a rock riven by lightning.

Beholding his uncle slain, Trishiras seized hold of his bow and, full of ire, pierced Hanuman with his sharp arrows. Thereupon the son of the Wind, provoked, flung a crag at the valiant Trishiras who broke it to pieces with his whetted shafts. Seeing that his missile was useless, the monkey let fall a rain of trees on the son of Ravana in the struggle and he, observing that shower of trees falling through the air upon him, severed them in fury with his sharp arrows, emitting shouts of triumph. Then Hanuman, leaping upon his steed, tore at it violently with his nails, as the King of the Beasts claws a great elephant.

Thereafter, from his side, the son of Ravana, as Death with his noose, arming himself with a spear hurled himself on the son of Anila. As a meteor falls from the skies, so did that lance descend unobstructed and that Hon among the monkeys caught it and snapped it, emitting a great shout.

Beholding that weapon of formidable aspect destroyed by Hanuman, the monkey forces raised joyful roars like unto the rumble of thunder, and Trishiras, the foremost of the titans, drawing his sword, pierced the breast of that Indra of the Monkeys.

Wounded by the thrust of his sword, the mighty Hanuman, born of Maruta, struck that Three-headed One on the breast with the palm of his hand. Smitten by the blow from Hanuman’s palm, the illustrious Trishiras let his gauntlet fall and dropped swooning to the ground, and as he fell, the great monkey, who resembled a mountain, broke his sword letting out a roar which struck terror in all the titans. Unable to endure the terrible cry of triumph, that ranger of the night rose up and struck Hanuman with his fist. The blow infuriated the great monkey who, in anger, seized hold of the titan by his crown and, as formerly Shakra severed the head of Tashtri’s son, so Hanuman, with a terrific stroke of his sharp sword, cut off his three heads each encircled with a diadem and decorated with earrings. The heads of that enemy of Indra with their large eyes resembling stones, their glances like unto a glowing brazier, fell to the earth like stars falling from the sky. When the enemy of the Gods, Trishiras was slain by Hanuman, who was equal to Shakra in valour, the monkeys shouted in triumph and the earth shook, whilst the titans scattered on all sides.

Beholding Trishiras, Yuddhonmatta and the irresponsible Devantaka and Narantaka slain, the fury of Matta knew no bounds. Seizing a mace, plated with gold, stained with flesh, blood and foam, immense, glittering, saturated with the enemy’s gore, its point effulgent, festooned with scarlet garlands, die terror of Airavata, Mahapadma and Sarvabhauma, he armed himself with that weapon. In his fury, Matta, that lion among the titans, scattered the monkeys like the Fire at the end of the World Period.

Meanwhile the monkey, Rishabha, rushed towards Mattanika, the younger brother of Ravana, and stood courageously facing him. Beholding that monkey, as high as a hill, standing before him, Matta, enraged, struck him violently on the chest with his mace that resembled lightning. Under the impact of that weapon, the lion among monkeys, his chest riven, stumbled, blood flowing in streams from the wound. Regaining consciousness after a long time, that prince of the monkeys, his lips trembling, threw a savage glance at Mahaparshva and, with a bound, hurled himself on that titan; thereafter the impetuous leader of the intrepid monkeys, of the size of a mountain in stature, clenched his fist and struck him full on the chest and, like a tree whose roots have been severed, the titan suddenly fell to the earth, his limbs streaming with blood. Thereupon, Rishabha, tore that terrible mace which resembled the Rod of Death, from his grasp, shouting in triumph. For an instant that enemy of the Gods appeared to be dead but, regaining his senses, his colour that of an evening cloud, he threw himself on the son of the Lord of Waters and struck him.

Dazed by the shock, the monkey sank to the ground, but, having regained consciousness, quickly rose again, and, brandishing the mace resembling a huge rock, he struck the titan a violent blow. When that terrible mace fell on the powerful breast of the enemy of the Gods, hostile to sacrifice and the priests, from his riven breast, blood fell in torrents, as mineral-charged waters flow from a mountain. Thereafter Rishabha, still armed with that formidable weapon, advanced upon him rapidly, striking his mighty adversary again and again and that hero felled Mattanika in the forefront of the battle and, crushed by his own mace, his teeth and eyes pressed in, Matta sank to the earth bereft of life and strength like a rock shattered by lightning.

At his fall, all those titan warriors fled and, Ravana’s brother being slain, the whole army of the Nairritas, which was as vast as the sea, throwing away their weapons, seeking only to preserve their lives, scattered in all directions like the sea bursting its banks.