Sundarakanda Sarga 46: Slaying of the Five Army Commanders (Full Text & Meaning) 

Summary of Sarga 46

| Detail | Total Shlokas: 41 | Primary Character: Hanumān vs. Five Commanders | Key Events: Sēnāpati-Saṅgrāmaḥ (Battle with commanders), Rāvaṇa-Viciṁtanam (Rāvaṇa's realization), Sēna-Saṅghāraḥ (Annihilation of the army) | Location: Ashoka Vatika, Lanka |

Section 1: Rāvaṇa’s Strategic Commands (Shlokas 1–11)

hatān mantrisutān buddhvā vānarēṇa mahātmanā | rāvaṇassaṅvṛtākāraḥ cakāra matimuttamām || 1

Having realized that the great-souled monkey had slain the sons of the ministers, Rāvaṇa, though concealing his inner thoughts, formed an excellent and firm resolution.(1)

sa virūpākṣayūpākṣau durdharaṅ caiva rākṣasam | praghasaṅ bhāsakarṇaṅ ca pañcasēnāgranāyakān || 2 

sandidēśa daśagrīvō vīrānnayaviśāradān | hanumadgrahaṇē vyagrān vāyuvēgasamān yudhi || 3

Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa) commanded the five chiefs of the army—Virūpākṣa, Yūpākṣa, the Rākṣasa Durdhara, Praghasa, and Bhāsakarṇa. These warriors were skilled in strategy, brave, as swift as the wind in battle, and fiercely intent on capturing Hanumān. (2 - 3)

yāta sēnāgragāssarvē mahābalaparigrahāḥ | savājirathamātaṅgāḥ sa kapiḥ śāsyatāmiti || 4 

yatnaiśca khalu bhāvyaṅ syāttamāsādya vanālayam | karma cāpi samādhēyaṅ dēśakālāvirōdhinam || 5

"All of you, the chiefs of the army, proceed with your mighty forces, complete with horses, chariots, and elephants. That monkey must be punished. Upon reaching that forest-dweller (Hanumān), you must certainly make every effort to secure him. And this mission must be accomplished with a well-planned strategy, suitable to the place and the circumstances." (4 - 5)

na hyahaṅ taṅ kapiṅ manyē karmaṇā pratitarkayan | sarvathā tanmahadbhūtaṅ mahābalaparigraham || 6 

vānarō’yamiti ṅñātvā na hi śudhyati mē manaḥ | naivāhaṁ taṁ kapiṁ manyē yathēyaṁ prastutā kathā || 7

"Judging by his actions, I certainly do not believe him to be merely a vānara. He is, by all means, a great, enormous being, endowed with immense strength. My mind is not satisfied with the mere idea that this is a vānara." (6 - 7)

bhavēdindrēṇa vā sṛṣṭam asmadarthaṅ tapōbalāt | sanāgayakṣagandharvā dēvāsuramaharṣayaḥ || 8 yuṣmābhissahitaissarvaiḥ mayā saha vinirjitāḥ | tairavaśyaṅ vidhātavyaṅ vyalīkaṅ kiñcidēva naḥ || 9

"Perhaps he was created by Indra through the power of penance. All those—Devas, Asuras, Sages, Nāgas, Yakṣas, and Gandharvas—whom we defeated, must now certainly be intent on creating mischief against us." (8 - 9)

yāta nēnāgragāssarvē mhābalaparigrahāḥ | savājirathamātaṁgāḥ sa kapiśśāsyatāmiti || 10 

tadēva nātra sandēhaḥ prasahya parigṛhyatām | nāvamānyō bhavadbhiśca harirdhīraparākramaḥ || 11

"Proceed with your mighty forces. He must be captured by force. This monkey of steadfast valor must not be treated lightly or scorned by you." (10 - 11)

Section 3: The Slaying of Durdhara (Shlokas 22–28)

tasya pañcāyasāstīkṣṇāḥ śitāḥ pītamukhāśśarāḥ | śirasyutpalapatrābhā durdharēṇa nipātitāḥ || 22

Durdhara forcefully struck him on the head with five iron arrows. They struck Hanumān's head as lightly and softly as the touch of lotus petals. (22)

sa taiḥ pañcabhirāviddhaḥ śaraiśśirasi vānaraḥ | utpapāta nadan vyōmni diśō daśa vinādayan || 23

The Hanumān, struck on the head by those five arrows, sprang up into the sky with a roar that caused the ten directions to reverberate. (23)

tatastu durdharō vīrassarathassajyakārmukaḥ | kiran śaraśataistīkṣṇaiḥ abhipēdē mahābalaḥ || 24 

sa kapirvārayāmāsa taṅ vyōmni śaravarṣiṇam | vṛṣṭimantaṅ payōdāntē payōdamiva mārutaḥ || 25

Durdhara rushed to attack in his chariot, showering hundreds of arrows. Hanumān countered him just as the wind disperses a rain-filled cloud. (24 - 25)

ardhyamānastatastēna durdharēṇānilātmajaḥ | cakāra kadanaṅ bhūyō vyavardhata ca vēgavān || 26 

sa dūraṅ sahasōtpatya durdharasya rathē hariḥ | nipapāta mahāvēgō vidyudrāśirgirāviva || 27

Enraged, Hanumān grew in size and fell with tremendous force upon Durdhara's chariot, like a massive flash of lightning striking a mountain. (26 - 27)

tatassa mathitāṣṭāśvaṅ rathaṅ bhagnākṣakūbaram | vihāya nyapatadbhūmau durdharastyaktajīvitaḥ || 28

Durdhara—whose eight horses were crushed and whose chariot was shattered—fell dead upon the ground. (28)

Section 5: The Slaying of Praghasa and Bhāsakarṇa (Shlokas 33–41)

tatastāṅstrīn hatān jñātvā vānarēṇa tarasvinā | abhipēdē mahāvēgaḥ prasahya praghasō harim || 33 

bhāsakarṇaśca saṅkṛddhaśśūlamādāya vīryavān | ēkataḥ kapiśārdūlaṅ yaśasvinamavasthitam || 34

Praghasa and Bhāsakarṇa then rushed Hanumān. Praghasa attacked with a sharp-tipped Paṭṭisa, and Bhāsakarṇa with a trident. (33 - 34)

paṭṭisēna śitāgrēṇa praghasaḥ pratyayōdhayat | bhāsakarṇaśca śūlēna rākṣasaḥ kapisattamam || 35 

sa tābhyāṅ vikṣatairgātraiḥ asṛgdigdhatanūruhaḥ | abhavadvānaraḥ kruddhō bālasūryasamaprabhaḥ || 36

Wounded and smeared with blood, Hanumān became enraged and shone with brilliance like the rising sun. (35 - 36)

samutpāṭya girēśśṛṅgaṅ samṛgavyālapādapam | jaghāna hanumān vīrō rākṣasau kapikuñjaraḥ | giriśr̥ṁgasuniṣpiṣṭau tilaśastau babhūvatuḥ || 37

Hanumān uprooted a mountain peak and struck down the two Rākṣasas, crushing them into fragments like sesame seeds. (37)

tatastēṣvavasannēṣu sēnāpatiṣu pañcasu | balaṅ tadavaśēṣaṅ ca nāśayāmāsa vānaraḥ || 38 

aśvairaśvān gajairnāgān yōdhairyōdhān rathairathān | sa kapirnāśayāmāsa sahasrākṣa ivāsurān || 39

With the commanders fallen, Hanumān destroyed the remaining forces, smashing horses with horses and elephants with elephants, just as Indra smashes the Asuras. (38 - 39)

hatairnāgaiśca turagaiḥ bhagnākṣaiśca mahārathaiḥ | hataiśca rākṣasairbhūmī ruddhamārgā samantataḥ || 40 

tataḥ kapistāndhvajinīpatīn raṇē  nihatya vīrānsabalānsavāhanān | samīkṣya vīḥ parigṛhya tōraṇaṅ  kṛtakṣaṇaḥ kāla iva prajākṣayē || 41

The earth was blocked with debris and the slain. Hanumān, having accomplished his objective, returned to the archway like the God of Time at the world's destruction. (40 - 41)

ityārśe śrīmadramāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye suṃdarakaṃde ṣaṭcatvāriṁśassargaḥ