Generals in the Dumps

Pondered Ravan death over

Chosen ones all in their scores.

Thought he then it fit to send

Four star Generals to take on

Vanar that was hard to beat.

Chose he Durdhar and his ilk

Wage who war with lightning speed.

Said Ravan to his Generals

Wise it's not to take chances

With that vanar on rampage.

Use all thy wile to ensnare

Him to bring thus to me live.

That he could slay best of us

Makes him mighty foe no less.

For the havoc he had wrought

Reckon I not him mere vanar.

Seems Indra with all his guile

Shaped this simian our equal.

Subdued as we for him long

Sense it makes to expect that

Try he might to hurt us thus.

Need thou tackle this vanar

With but joint move by thee.

Seems he ghost by Indra sent

Doubt have I none in my mind.

Know I Vali and his tribe

Give who can a hearty fight.

Yet they make no patch on this

Simian shaped by Indra's wile.

Looks he like a superman

Out to test our demonic strength.

All of thee though severally

Could win over this simian

Wisdom lies to take on him

With the combined strength of thine.

Pays regardless though to press

One shouldn't fail to guard his flanks.

Spurred on thus by king Ravan

Pressed his Generals to the front.

Seemed it as an exodus

Led as they their force varied.

Came they face to face in time

To face thus Hanuman lay in wait.

So that they could surprise him

Pounced they all at once on him.

With no let the five all fought

With their lightning arms to boot.

First to hit him was Durdhar

With his arrows five so sharp

Managed which all but to scratch

Frame that giant of Hanuman then.

Took that Hanuman as affront

Turned he skyward to confront.

So to engage in dogfight

Made chariot his then Durdhar

Airborne like a fighter jet

Wind as toys with clouds all

Arrows all those of Durdhar

Managed Hanuman to scatter.

Durdhar's job to make difficult

Grew then Hanuman further more.

In time from high skies Hanuman

Landed straight on Durdhar's cart.

Crushed as Durdhar therein lay

Saucer turned his chariot huge.

With the fall of Durdhar thus

Crushed he couple of more Generals.

Not to give up Ravan's men

Hit all Hanuman in tandem

With their maces on his chest.

Withstood he then their assault

With no more than his bare first.

Enraged in the end Hanuman

Plucked a tree large lay thereby

With which he felled Ravan's men.

With the death of his peers thus

Took on Hanuman Praghana then.

Bhasakarna too joined hands

So to aid then Praghana's cause.

Threw as Praghana at Hanuman

Sword his sharp with all his strength

Bhasakarna sent lance his long.

Bled his body head to foot

Hurt as Hanuman by them both.

Plucked then Hanuman some hillock

With which he crushed them to bones.

Having killed all five Generals

Slain he then the entire force.

In his fury then Hanuman

Looked like Indra on rampage.

Littered by the corpses then

Graveyard looked the battlefield.

Amidst the ruins of Ravan's hopes

Stood like colossus Hanuman then.