Scene 54
Part 2: The Ramayan of Valmiki · Act 6: Book 6
Vajradanshtra's Death
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The giant leader fiercely rained His arrows and the fight maintained. Each time the clanging cord he drew His certain shaft a Vanar slew. Then, as the creatures he has made Fly to the Lord of Life for aid, To Angad for protection fled The Vanar hosts dispirited. Then raged the battle fiercer yet When Angad and the giant met. A hundred thousand arrows, hot With flames of fire, the giant shot; And every shaft he deftly sent His foeman's body pierced and rent. From Angad's limbs ran floods of gore: A stately tree from earth he tore, Which, maddened as his gashes bled, He hurled at his opponent's head. His bow the dauntless giant drew; To meet the tree swift arrows flew, Checked the huge missile's onward way, And harmless on the earth it lay. A while the Vanar chieftain gazed, Then from the earth a rock he raised Rent from a thunder-splitten height, And cast it with resistless might. The giant marked, and, mace in hand, Leapt from his chariot to the sand, Ere the rough mass descending broke The seat, the wheel, the pole and yoke.
Then Angad seized a shattered hill, Whereon the trees were flowering still, And with full force the jagged peak Fell crashing on the giant's cheek. He staggered, reeled, and fell: the blood Gushed from the giant in a flood. Reft of his might, each sense astray, A while upon the sand he lay. But strength and wandering sense returned Again his eyes with fury burned, And with his mace upraised on high He wounded Angad on the thigh. Then from his hand his mace he threw, And closer to his foeman drew. Then with their fists they fought, and smote On brow and cheek and chest and throat. Worn out with toil, their limbs bedewed, With blood, the strife they still renewed, Like Mercury and fiery Mars Met in fierce battle mid the stars.