Hanuman Slays Nikumbha

Shloka 1 (yuddha.77.1)

निकुम्भो भ्रातरं दृष्ट्वा सुग्रीवेण निपातितम्। प्रदहन्निव कोपेन वानरेन्द्रमुदैक्षत ॥ 77.1 ॥

nikumbho bhrātaraṃ dṛṣṭvā sugrīveṇa nipātitam| pradahanniva kopena vānarendramudaikṣata || 77.1 ||

Seeing his brother struck down by Sugriva, Nikumbha, as if ablaze with fury, glared at the lord of monkeys as though he would burn him to ashes.

Shloka 2 (yuddha.77.2)

ततः स्रग्दामसंनद्धं दत्तपञ्चाङ्गुलं शुभम्। आददे परिघं धीरो महेन्द्रशिखरोपमम् ॥ 77.2 ॥

tataḥ sragdāmasaṃnaddhaṃ dattapañcāṅgulaṃ śubham| ādade parighaṃ dhīro mahendraśikharopamam || 77.2 ||

Then the resolute Nikumbha took up his splendid iron mace, wreathed with garlands, fitted with plates five fingers thick, and towering like the peak of Mount Mahendra.

Shloka 3 (yuddha.77.3)

हेमपट्टपरिक्षिप्तं वज्रविद्रुमभूषितम्। यमदण्डोपमं भीमं रक्षसां भयनाशनम् ॥ 77.3 ॥

hemapaṭṭaparikṣiptaṃ vajravidrumabhūṣitam| yamadaṇḍopamaṃ bhīmaṃ rakṣasāṃ bhayanāśanam || 77.3 ||

Bound about with a band of gold and adorned with diamonds and coral, terrible as the rod of Yama, that mace struck fear into the monkeys even as it dispelled the fear of the demons.

Shloka 4 (yuddha.77.4)

तमाविध्य महातेजाः शक्रध्वजसमौजसम्। निननाद विवृत्तास्यो निकुम्भो भीमविक्रमः ॥ 77.4 ॥

tamāvidhya mahātejāḥ śakradhvajasamaujasam| ninanāda vivṛttāsyo nikumbho bhīmavikramaḥ || 77.4 ||

Whirling that mace, mighty as Indra's banner-staff, the greatly splendid and terrifyingly valiant Nikumbha roared with his mouth thrown wide open.

Shloka 5 (yuddha.77.5)

उरोगतेन निष्केण भुजस्थैरङ्गदैरपि। कुण्डलाभ्यां च चित्राभ्यां मालया च सचित्रया ॥ 77.5 ॥

urogatena niṣkeṇa bhujasthairaṅgadairapi| kuṇḍalābhyāṃ ca citrābhyāṃ mālayā ca sacitrayā || 77.5 ||

On his chest shone a golden medallion, his arms were clasped by beautiful armlets, bright pendants hung from his ears, and a resplendent garland enfolded his neck.

Shloka 6 (yuddha.77.6)

निकुम्भो भूषणैर्भाति तेन स्म परिघेण च। यथेन्द्रधनुषा मेघः सविद्युत्स्तनयित्नुमान् ॥ 77.6 ॥

nikumbho bhūṣaṇairbhāti tena sma parigheṇa ca| yathendradhanuṣā meghaḥ savidyutstanayitnumān || 77.6 ||

With these ornaments and with that mace, Nikumbha shone like a thundercloud streaked with lightning and crowned with Indra's rainbow.

Shloka 7 (yuddha.77.7)

परिघाग्रेण पुस्फोट वातग्रन्थिर्महात्मनः। प्रजज्वाल सघोषश्च विधूम इव पावकः ॥ 77.7 ॥

parighāgreṇa pusphoṭa vātagranthirmahātmanaḥ| prajajvāla saghoṣaśca vidhūma iva pāvakaḥ || 77.7 ||

From the tip of the mighty Nikumbha's mace burst a whirl of wind, and it blazed up with a roar, like fire that gives off no smoke.

Shloka 8 (yuddha.77.8)

नगर्या विटपावत्या गन्धर्वभवनोत्तमैः। सतारागणनक्षत्रं सचन्द्रसमहाग्रहम्। निकुम्भपरिघाघूर्णं भ्रमतीव नभस्थलम् ॥ 77.8 ॥

nagaryā viṭapāvatyā gandharvabhavanottamaiḥ| satārāgaṇanakṣatraṃ sacandrasamahāgraham| nikumbhaparighāghūrṇaṃ bhramatīva nabhasthalam || 77.8 ||

The sky itself seemed to reel with the whirling of Nikumbha's mace, as though the city of Alaka with its splendid Gandharva mansions, together with the constellations, planets, and moon, were spinning through the heavens.

Shloka 9 (yuddha.77.9)

दुरासदश्च संजज्ञे परिघाभरणप्रभः। क्रोधेन्धनो निकुम्भाग्निर्युगान्ताग्निरिवोत्थितः ॥ 77.9 ॥

durāsadaśca saṃjajñe parighābharaṇaprabhaḥ| krodhendhano nikumbhāgniryugāntāgnirivotthitaḥ || 77.9 ||

That fire which was Nikumbha—its flame the radiance of his mace and ornaments, its fuel his own fury—blazed up unapproachable, like the fire that rises at the dissolution of the ages.

Shloka 10 (yuddha.77.10)

राक्षसा वानराश्चापि न शेकुः स्पन्दितुं भयात्। हनुमांस्तु विवृत्योरस्तस्थौ प्रमुखतो बली ॥ 77.10 ॥

rākṣasā vānarāścāpi na śekuḥ spandituṃ bhayāt| hanumāṃstu vivṛtyorastasthau pramukhato balī || 77.10 ||

Both demons and monkeys, out of sheer fear, could not so much as stir. But the mighty Hanuman stood his ground before Nikumbha, chest bared to the attack.

Shloka 11 (yuddha.77.11)

परिघोपमबाहुस्तु परिघं भास्करप्रभम्। बली बलवतस्तस्य पातयामास वक्षसि ॥ 77.11 ॥

parighopamabāhustu parighaṃ bhāskaraprabham| balī balavatastasya pātayāmāsa vakṣasi || 77.11 ||

Then that powerful Nikumbha, his arms themselves like iron clubs, brought his mace, radiant as the sun, crashing down upon the chest of the mighty Hanuman.

Shloka 12 (yuddha.77.12)

स्थिरे तस्योरसि व्यूढे परिघः शतधा कृतः। विकीर्यमाणः सहसा उल्काशतमिवाम्बरे ॥ 77.12 ॥

sthire tasyorasi vyūḍhe parighaḥ śatadhā kṛtaḥ| vikīryamāṇaḥ sahasā ulkāśatamivāmbare || 77.12 ||

But upon his firm, broad chest the mace instantly shattered into a hundred pieces, scattering through the sky like a hundred meteors.

Shloka 13 (yuddha.77.13)

स तु तेन प्रहारेण न चचाल महाकपिः। परिघेण समाधूतो यथा भूमिचलेऽचलः ॥ 77.13 ॥

sa tu tena prahāreṇa na cacāla mahākapiḥ| parigheṇa samādhūto yathā bhūmicale'calaḥ || 77.13 ||

Struck by that blow of the mace, the great monkey did not so much as waver, like a mountain unmoved even in an earthquake.

Shloka 14 (yuddha.77.14)

स तथाभिहतस्तेन हनूमान् प्लवगोत्तमः। मुष्टिं संवर्तयामास बलेनातिमहाबलः ॥ 77.14 ॥

sa tathābhihatastena hanūmān plavagottamaḥ| muṣṭiṃ saṃvartayāmāsa balenātimahābalaḥ || 77.14 ||

Thus struck, the exceedingly mighty Hanuman, foremost of monkeys, clenched his fist with all his strength.

Shloka 15 (yuddha.77.15)

तमुद्यम्य महातेजा निकुम्भोरसि वीर्यवान्। अभिचिक्षेप वेगेन वेगवान् वायुविक्रमः ॥ 77.15 ॥

tamudyamya mahātejā nikumbhorasi vīryavān| abhicikṣepa vegena vegavān vāyuvikramaḥ || 77.15 ||

Raising that fist, the greatly radiant, mighty and swift Hanuman, whose force was that of the wind-god his father, hurled it with full force at Nikumbha's chest.

Shloka 16 (yuddha.77.16)

तत्र पुस्फोट वर्मास्य प्रसुस्राव च शोणितम्। मुष्टिना तेन संजज्ञे मेघे विद्युदिवोत्थिता ॥ 77.16 ॥

tatra pusphoṭa varmāsya prasusrāva ca śoṇitam| muṣṭinā tena saṃjajñe meghe vidyudivotthitā || 77.16 ||

His armour burst open there and blood streamed forth—that fist-blow flashing like lightning breaking suddenly from a cloud.

Shloka 17 (yuddha.77.17)

स तु तेन प्रहारेण निकुम्भो विचचाल च। स्वस्थश्चापि निजग्राह हनूमन्तं महाबलम् ॥ 77.17 ॥

sa tu tena prahāreṇa nikumbho vicacāla ca| svasthaścāpi nijagrāha hanūmantaṃ mahābalam || 77.17 ||

Yet from that blow Nikumbha only reeled; recovering himself at once, he seized hold of the mighty Hanuman.

Shloka 18 (yuddha.77.18)

चुक्रुशुश्च तदा संख्ये भीमं लङ्कानिवासिनः। निकुम्भेनोद्यतं दृष्ट्वा हनूमन्तं महाबलम् ॥ 77.18 ॥

cukruśuśca tadā saṃkhye bhīmaṃ laṅkānivāsinaḥ| nikumbhenodyataṃ dṛṣṭvā hanūmantaṃ mahābalam || 77.18 ||

Seeing the mighty Hanuman lifted off the ground in battle by Nikumbha, the denizens of Lanka let out a terrible roar of triumph.

Shloka 19 (yuddha.77.19)

स तथा ह्रियमाणोऽपि हनूमांस्तेन रक्षसा। आजघानानिलसुतो वज्रकल्पेन मुष्टिना ॥ 77.19 ॥

sa tathā hriyamāṇo'pi hanūmāṃstena rakṣasā| ājaghānānilasuto vajrakalpena muṣṭinā || 77.19 ||

Even while being carried off in that way by the demon, Hanuman, son of the Wind, struck him with a fist like a thunderbolt.

Shloka 20 (yuddha.77.20)

आत्मानं मोक्षयित्वाथ क्षितावभ्यवपद्यत। हनूमानुन्ममाथाशु निकुम्भं मारुतात्मजः ॥ 77.20 ॥

ātmānaṃ mokṣayitvātha kṣitāvabhyavapadyata| hanūmānunmamāthāśu nikumbhaṃ mārutātmajaḥ || 77.20 ||

Freeing himself, Hanuman, son of the Wind, then dropped down to the ground and swiftly began to pummel Nikumbha.

Shloka 21 (yuddha.77.21)

निक्षिप्य परमायत्तो निकुम्भं निष्पिपेष च। उत्पत्य चास्य वेगेन पपातोरसि वेगवान् ॥ 77.21 ॥

nikṣipya paramāyatto nikumbhaṃ niṣpipeṣa ca| utpatya cāsya vegena papātorasi vegavān || 77.21 ||

Throwing Nikumbha down with all his might, and leaping up, the swift Hanuman fell upon his chest with full force and crushed it.

Shloka 22 (yuddha.77.22)

परिगृह्य च बाहुभ्यां परिवृत्य शिरोधराम्। उत्पाटयामास शिरो भैरवं नदतो महत् ॥ 77.22 ॥

parigṛhya ca bāhubhyāṃ parivṛtya śirodharām| utpāṭayāmāsa śiro bhairavaṃ nadato mahat || 77.22 ||

Seizing his neck with both hands and wrenching it about, he tore off that huge head even as Nikumbha let out a terrible roar.

Shloka 23 (yuddha.77.23)

अथ निनदति सादिते निकुम्भे पवनसुतेन रणे बभूव युद्धम्। दशरथसुतराक्षसेन्द्रसून्वो- र्भृशतरमागतरोषयोः सुभीमम् ॥ 77.23 ॥

atha ninadati sādite nikumbhe pavanasutena raṇe babhūva yuddham| daśarathasutarākṣasendrasūnvo- rbhṛśataramāgataroṣayoḥ subhīmam || 77.23 ||

Then, even as the roaring Nikumbha was thus laid low in battle by the son of the Wind, a fierce and terrible fight broke out between Dasharatha's son and the son of the lord of the rakshasas, both now blazing with rage.

Shloka 24 (yuddha.77.24)

व्यपेते तु जीवे निकुम्भस्य हृष्टा विनेदुः प्लवंगा दिशः सस्वनुश्च। चचालेव चोर्वी पपातेव सा द्यौ- र्बलं राक्षसानां भयं चाविवेश ॥ 77.24 ॥

vyapete tu jīve nikumbhasya hṛṣṭā vineduḥ plavaṃgā diśaḥ sasvanuśca| cacāleva corvī papāteva sā dyau- rbalaṃ rākṣasānāṃ bhayaṃ cāviveśa || 77.24 ||

When the life had left Nikumbha's body, the monkeys roared with joy, the quarters resounded, the earth itself seemed to tremble, the very sky seemed to fall, and fear entered the ranks of the demon host.