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Valmiki Ramayana - Sundara Kanda in Prose Sarga 44
 

Ravana sends Jambumali, son of Prahasta, to capture Hanuma. Jambumali attacks Hanuma with his numerous arrows. Hanuma hurls a big rock towards Jambumali, but it fails to kill him. Then, Hanuma throws a big sal tree towards Jambumali and the latter succumbs to it.

 

Jambumali, the demon with great tusks, wielding a bow, donning crimson garlands and clothes, wearing beautiful chaplet and charming ear-rings, possessing a gigantic body, having round and open eyes, the demon causing diseases, unconquerable in battle, a strong demon and the son of Prahasta, commanded by Ravana, started stretching with rashness his big bow resembling a rain bow garnished splendorous arrows and which brilliance was similar to that of a lightening and produced a sound like that of a thunder. 

The tumultuous sound created out of the twanging of that bow, soon filled up the quarters, intermediate points and the sky. Seeing him, arriving by a chariot yoked with donkeys, that Hanuma who was endowed with swiftness, was thrilled with joy and made a noise too.

The long-armed Jambumali transfixed sharp arrows into that great monkey, Hanuma who was standing on the top of the archy door-way. He transfixed Hanuma the leader of monkeys in the face with an arrow with a crescent-shaped head, on the head with an arrow having an ear-shaped top and in the arms with ten steel arrows.

That crimson face of Hanuma, hit by an arrow, shone like a full-blown lotus touched by a sun's ray in autumn. That face of Hanuma, which was naturally crimson in colour, smeared with blood, beamed like a large lotus in the sky sprinkled with drops of sandal.

Hanuma, struck by those arrows, was enraged with that demon and then saw by his side, a big rock of a very large measure. Uplifting that rock with strength, the athletic Hanuma hurled it with force. The enraged demon then struck back that rock with ten arrows.

Seeing that work in vain, the powerful Hanuma of terrific prowess, uprooted a very large sal tree and whirled it around. Seeing the mighty Hanuma, whirling around the sal tree, the exceedingly strong Jambumali discharged numerous arrows.

He splitted sal tree with four arrows and struck the arms of Hanuma with five arrows, in the chest with one arrow and in the space between the breast wit ten arrows. Hanuma, with his body full of arrows, was highly enraged and taking the same iron rod as well as clasping it swiftly, whirled it around. Spinning the iron rod with a great speed, Hanuma, richly endowed with strength and highly agitated, threw it on the broad chest of Jamubumali. 

That Jambumali's head was not there, nor his arms, nor his knees, nor his bow, nor his chariot and nor his horses were seen nor his arrows. Thus struck by Hanuma, the mighty Jambumali, with his limbs and ornaments crushed to powder, was instantly killed and fell dead on the ground.

Hearing Jambumali having been killed, as also the mighty Kimkaras, Ravana was angry with his red enraged eyes. Since the mighty son of Prahasta was killed, that Ravana rolling his red eyes with rage, immediately ordered the sons of ministers possessing high strength and prowess, to go to the battle.

 

Thus completes 44th Chapter of Sundara Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.

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© June, 2005, K. M. K. Murthy