Adhyaya 51

At Suratha’s command the battlefield erupts—drums and conches resound, and the thunder of chariots and elephants rises. Suratha advances with his sons and a vast host, while commanders arrange the clashes against fierce champions such as Puṣkala. A central episode is the duel of Puṣkala and Campaka. They trade challenges, names, and declarations of devotion—one presenting himself as Rāmadāsa, servant of Rāma—then intensify into a relentless exchange of arrows and sacred astras. Puṣkala releases Brahmā’s missile; Campaka counters and later unleashes the formidable Rāma-weapon, by which Puṣkala is seized. As the ranks waver, Śatrughna orders Hanūmān to rescue Puṣkala. Hanūmān clashes with Campaka in aerial and close combat, with reversals and knockdowns on both sides. The chapter ends with Campaka’s followers lamenting, and with Puṣkala freeing a man bound in Campaka’s noose.