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148
SETUBANDHA
86. Pierced by Jambumālin with a lance, Hanumat slew him, and moved away as the brain bursting out of the demon's head, broken with a heavy blow with the palm, was scattered about on all sides.
87. The martial ardour of Indrajit and Angada then reached its culmination, making them risk their lives in single combat, the followers of each having been killed in battle.39
88. With thousands of mountains dropping from the sky while they were observed, uprooted, brought over and released by the ape, the latter40 gained an advantage over his adversary who stood within the circle of his bow,41 darkening the regions of the sky with his arrows.
89. The trees (hurled by Angada) fell (over Indrajit), with the bees crowding round the flowers, and hidden by the swaying branches. They were lighter, because the fruits were scattered about; while the quivering leaves were rent in the middle.
90. The arrows of Indrajit did not reach Angada; they were smothered in the sky by the trees hurled by the latter; nor did the trees reach Indrajit; they were cut down by his arrows midway as they came.
91. Flowers of Lodhra trees were strewn about; and the fragrance of the sandal trees, cleft asunder by the arrows, was wafted through the air; the pollen of the flowers of Mandāra trees flew aloft; and the sky filled with the sappy fragments of clove trees.42
92. Thus did the combat between Indrajit and Angada, repeatedly cheered by the troops, and marked by equal resistance, rage ever more, even though it had reached a climax.
93. The bees were carried away as they clung to the feathered shaft of Indrajit's arrows, which pierced their way through the
39. The remaining verses describe the encounter between Indrajit or Meghanāda and Angada, the son of Välin.
40. i.e. Angada.
41. Indrajit is fancied as being encircled by the bow stretched to its full compass.
42. The trees were those hurled by Angada and intercepted by Indrajit's arrows.
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