इन्द्रजित्-हनूमद्-युद्धं तथा निकुम्भिलायां होमः (Indrajit vs Hanuman; Indrajit’s Nikumbhila rite)
युद्धकाण्ड
Sarga 82 opens with battlefield shock: the Vānara chiefs, hearing a thunder-like roar associated with Indrajit, scatter in fear. Hanumān (Mārutātmaja) arrests the rout, rebukes their loss of yuddhotsāha (martial resolve), and re-forms the line by demanding they return to the front. Re-energized, the Vānaras seize trees and mountain-peaks, surge forward roaring, and Hanumān burns through the enemy host metaphorically “like fire,” causing heavy Rakṣasa casualties. In a focused exchange, Hanumān hurls a massive rock at Rāvaṇi’s chariot; the charioteer evades, and the rock fails to strike Indrajit, instead cleaving the earth and crushing troops where it lands. The battle escalates as Vānaras rain trees and stones, while Indrajit and his followers answer with volleys of arrows and close-combat weapons (tridents, swords, spears, maces). After checking the enemy line, Hanumān instructs the Vānara army to withdraw with a strategic rationale: their overriding duty is Rāma’s purpose, and they must report the critical claim that Sītā has been killed and await Rāma–Sugrīva’s decision. Observing Hanumān moving toward Rāma, Indrajit departs to Nikumbhilā to perform a blood-oblation fire rite; the sacrificial fire blazes sun-like as Rakṣasas versed in ritual witness the offering—closing the sarga on the junction of warfare and ritual power.
Verse 6.82.1
श्रुत्वातुभीमनिर्ह्रादंशक्राशनिसमस्वनम् ।वीक्षमाणादिशस्सर्वादुद्रुवुर्वानरर्षभा: ।।।।
Hearing that dreadful roar, like the thunderbolt of Indra, the foremost of the Vānaras, looking about in every direction, fled.
Verse 6.82.2
तानुवाचततःसर्वान्हनुमान् मारुतात्मजः ।विषण्णवदनान्दीनांस्त्रस्तान्विद्रवतःपृथक् ।।।।
Then Hanumān, son of the Wind-god, addressed them all—downcast of face, wretched and afraid, scattering as they fled in different directions.
Verse 6.82.3
कस्माद्विषण्णवदनाविद्रवध्वंप्लवङ्गमाः ।त्यक्तयुद्धसमुत्साहाश्शूरत्वंक्वनुवोगतम् ।।।।
Sated with the blood offered in oblation, the fire’s flame appeared thick and swelling; rising intensely bright, it looked like the sun at twilight.
Verse 6.82.4
पृष्ठतोऽनुव्रजध्वंमामग्रतोयन्तमाहवे ।शूरैरनिजनोपेतैरयुक्तंहिनिवर्तितुम् ।।।।
Then Indrajit, skilled in the proper order of rites, poured the prescribed offerings into the sacred fire according to rule; and the rākṣasas, gathered in vast crowds and united in the yajña, stood watching.
Verse 6.82.5
एवमुक्तास्सुसङ्क्रुद्धावायुपुत्रेणधीमता ।शैलशृङ्गान् द्रुमांश्चवजगृहुर्हृष्टमानसाः ।।।।
Thus addressed by the wise Son of the Wind God, the vānara, blazing with wrath against the foe yet gladdened in spirit, seized mountain peaks and trees.
Verse 6.82.6
अभिपेतुश्चगर्जन्तोराक्षसान्वानरर्षभाः ।परिवार्यहनूमन्तमन्वयुश्चमहाहवे ।।।।
Roaring aloud, the foremost vānara warriors rushed upon the rākṣasas; gathering around Hanumān, they followed him into the great battle.
Verse 6.82.7
स तैर्वानरमुख्यैश्चहनुमान्सर्वतोवृतः ।हुताशनइवार्चिष्मानदहच्छत्रुवाहिनीम् ।।।।
Encircled on every side by the foremost vānara leaders, Hanumān—blazing like the sacred fire—burned through the enemy host.
Verse 6.82.8
स राक्षसानांकदनंचकारसुमहाकपिः ।वृतोवानरसैन्येनकालान्तकयोमोपमः ।।।।
That mighty great ape wrought havoc among the rākṣasas; surrounded by the vānara army, he was like Yama—Death at the end of time.
Verse 6.82.9
स तुकोपेनचाविष्टःशोकेन च महाकपिः ।हनूमान्रावणिरथेमहतींपातयच्छिलाम् ।।।।
But Hanumān, the great ape, seized by anger and grief, hurled a massive rock down upon the chariot of Rāvaṇa’s son.
Verse 6.82.10
तामापतन्तींदृष्टवैवरथस्सारथिनातदा ।विधेयाश्वसमायुक्तोविदूरमपवाहितः ।।।।
Then, seeing that missile rushing toward them, the charioteer swiftly drove the chariot—yoked to obedient horses—far away.
Verse 6.82.11
तमिन्द्रजितमप्राप्यरथस्थंसहसारथिम् ।विवेशधरणींभित्त्वासाशिलाव्यर्थमुद्यता ।।।।
But that rock, hurled with great force, did not reach Indrajit seated on the chariot with his charioteer; splitting the earth, it sank into the ground, raised in vain.
Verse 6.82.12
पतितायांशिलायांतुव्यथितारक्षसांचमूः ।निपतन्त्या च शिलयाराक्षसामथिताभृशम् ।।।।
When the rock fell, the rākṣasa host was shaken with distress; and by that crashing stone, many rākṣasas were grievously smashed.
Verse 6.82.13
तमभ्यधावन् शतशोनदन्तःकाननौकसः ।तेद्रुमांश्चमहाकायागिरिशृङ्गाणिचोद्यताः ।।।।
Then those gigantic forest-dwelling Vānara warriors, roaring in hundreds, rushed upon them, lifting up trees and even mountain-peaks as weapons.
Verse 6.82.14
क्षिपनीन्द्रजितंसङ्ख्येवानराभीमविक्रमाः ।वृक्षशैलमहावर्षंविसृजन्तःप्लवङ्गमाः ।।।।शत्रूणांकदनंचक्रुर्नेदुश्चविविधैस्स्वनैः ।
In the thick of battle, the Vānaras of dreadful prowess surged against Indrajit; those leaping warriors poured down a mighty shower of trees and rocks, crushing the enemy ranks and crying out with many kinds of war-shouts.
Verse 6.82.15
वानरैसैर्महाभीमैर्घोररूपानिशाचराः ।।।।वीर्यादभिहतावृक्षैर्व्यचेष्टन्तरणक्षितौ ।
Struck down with force by those most fearsome Vānara warriors wielding trees as weapons, the dreadful night-ranging Rākṣasas writhed and collapsed upon the battlefield.
Verse 6.82.16
स्वसैन्यमभिवीक्ष्याथवानरार्दितमिन्द्रजित् ।।।।प्रगृहीतायुधःक्रुद्धःपरानभिमुखोययौ ।
Seeing his own host harried by the Vānaras, Indrajit, wrathful and weapon in hand, went straight toward the foe.
Verse 6.82.17
सःशरौघानवसृजन्स्वसैन्येनाभिसम्वृतः ।।।।जघानकपिशार्दूलान्सुबहून्दृष्टविक्रमः ।
Surrounded by his own troops, that warrior proven in prowess loosed volleys of arrows and struck down many tiger-like heroes among the Vānaras.
Verse 6.82.18
शूलैःरशनिभिःखङ्गै: पट्टसै: कूटमुद्गरैः ।।।।तेचाप्यनुचरास्तस्यवानरान्जघ्नुराहवे ।
And his followers too struck down the Vānaras in battle, wielding tridents, thunderbolt-like weapons, swords, axes, and heavy bludgeons.
Verse 6.82.19
स्कन्धविटपैश्शालैश्शिलाभिश्चमहाबलः ।।।।हनूमान्कदनंचक्रेरक्षसांभीमकर्मणाम् ।
Hanumān, possessed of mighty strength, wrought devastation among the dread-deeded Rākṣasas, crushing them with huge trunks and boughs, with rocks and stones.
Verse 6.82.20
सनिवार्यपरानीकमब्रवीत्तान्वनौकसः ।।।।हनूमान् सन्निवर्तध्वं न नस्साध्यमिदंबलम् ।
Having checked the enemy host, Hanumān spoke to the forest-dwellers: “Turn back—at this moment we cannot overcome this army.”
Verse 6.82.21
त्यक्त्वाप्राणान्विवेष्टन्तोरामप्रियचिकीर्षवः ।।।।यन्निमित्तंहियुध्यामोहतासाजनकात्मजा ।
“Wishing to do what is dear to Rāma, we are ready to lay down our very lives. Yet the very cause for which we fight—Janaka’s daughter—has been slain.”
Verse 6.82.22
इममर्थंहिविज्ञाप्यरामंसुग्रीवमेव च ।।।।तौयत्प्रतिविधास्येतेतत्करिष्यामहेवयम् ।
“O monkeys, why do you flee with downcast faces, having cast aside your zeal for battle? Where has your valor gone?”
Verse 6.82.23
त्युक्त्वावानरश्रेष्ठोवारयन्सर्ववानरान् ।।।।शनैश्शनैरसन्त्रस्तस्सबलस्सन्यवर्तत ।
“Follow behind me as I advance to the front in battle. For heroes who are not alone, it is not fitting to turn back.”
Verse 6.82.24
ततःप्रेक्ष्यहनूमन्तंव्रजन्तंयत्रराघवः ।।।।स होतुकामोदुष्टात्मागतश्चैत्यंनिकुम्भिलाम् ।
Thus addressed by the wise son of the Wind-god, the Vānaras—fiercely enraged and heartened—joyfully seized mountain-peaks and trees as weapons.
Verse 6.82.25
निकुम्भिलामधिष्ठायपावकंजुहवेन्द्रजित् ।।।।यज्ञभूम्यांततोगत्वापावकस्तेनरक्षसा ।हूयमानःप्रजज्वालमांसशोणितभुक्तदा ।।।।
After informing Rama—and Sugriva as well—of this matter, we shall do exactly what those two decide in response.
Verse 6.82.26
निकुम्भिलामधिष्ठायपावकंजुहवेन्द्रजित् ।।6.82.25।।यज्ञभूम्यांततोगत्वापावकस्तेनरक्षसा ।हूयमानःप्रजज्वालमांसशोणितभुक्तदा ।।6.82.26।।
Having spoken thus, the foremost of the Vanaras restrained all the Vanaras; fearless and with his forces, he withdrew little by little.
Verse 6.82.27
सोऽर्चिःपिनद्धोददृशेहोमशोणिततर्पितः ।सन्ध्यागतइवादित्यःसुतीव्रोऽग्नि: समुत्थितः ।।।।
Then, seeing Hanuman going toward Raghava, that wicked-minded one—desiring to perform an oblation—went to the shrine at Nikumbhilā.
Verse 6.82.28
अथेन्द्रजिद्राक्षभूतयेतुजुहावहव्यंविधिनाविधानवित् ।दृष्टवाव्यतिष्ठन्त च राक्षसास्तेमहासमूहेषुसमानयज्ञाः ।।।।
Reaching Nikumbhilā, Indrajit made offerings into the fire. Having gone to the sacrificial ground, the fire—fed by that rākṣasa with flesh and blood—blazed up as the oblations were poured.