Meghnad Meets Hanuman like One Elephant King Meeting Another
Sundara Kanda, Chaupai 19
Doha 19 · Movement 1 of 2
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The death of Akshakumara drives Ravana into fury. He sends mighty Meghnad with a precise order: do not kill the monkey, but bind him, so the hidden source of his strength can be examined. Indrajit departs enraged by his brother's death.
Hanuman sees the terrible warrior, gnashes his teeth, roars, and charges. An enormous tree rises in his hands and leaves the prince without his chariot. Hanuman seizes the great fighters around Meghnad one by one and crushes them against his own body.
Then the two meet directly like a pair of elephant kings. Hanuman's fist throws Meghnad into a momentary swoon before the monkey springs into a tree. The prince rises and unleashes many kinds of Maya, but the son of the wind cannot be conquered.
Chariot and army fall away until Meghnad and Hanuman collide like two elephant kings.
Read the passage from the Manas
सुनि सुत बध लंकेस रिसाना। पठएसि मेघनाद बलवाना।। मारसि जनि सुत बांधेसु ताही। देखिअ कपिहि कहाँ कर आही।। चला इंद्रजित अतुलित जोधा। बंधु निधन सुनि उपजा क्रोधा।। कपि देखा दारुन भट आवा। कटकटाइ गर्जा अरु धावा।। अति बिसाल तरु एक उपारा। बिरथ कीन्ह लंकेस कुमारा।। रहे महाभट ताके संगा। गहि गहि कपि मर्दइ निज अंगा।। तिन्हहि निपाति ताहि सन बाजा। भिरे जुगल मानहुँ गजराजा। मुठिका मारि चढ़ा तरु जाई। ताहि एक छन मुरुछा आई।। उठि बहोरि कीन्हिसि बहु माया। जीति न जाइ प्रभंजन जाया।।
Hearing of his son's death, the lord of Lanka flew into a rage and sent the mighty Meghnad. Do not kill him, my son, but bind him. Let us see where this monkey draws his strength. Indrajit, that incomparable warrior, set forth. Hearing of his brother's death, fury blazed within him. The monkey saw the fearsome warrior approaching. He gnashed his teeth, roared, and charged. He uprooted an enormous tree and disarmed the prince of Lanka. Great warriors stood at Meghnad's side. Seizing them one by one, Hanuman crushed them with his own limbs. Having felled those warriors, he fought Meghnad himself. The two clashed like a pair of mighty elephant kings. Striking him with his fist, Hanuman leapt up into a tree. For one moment, a swoon passed over Meghnad. Rising again, Meghnad unleashed many kinds of maya. Yet the son of Prabhanjana, the Wind-god, could not be conquered.