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Padma Puranaपद्मपुराण · Jain Ramayana
हिन्दी

Parva 58

The Deaths of Hasta and Prahasta in Battle

In the first great clash, the Vanara heroes Nala and Nila slay Ravana's commanders Hasta and Prahasta, and the Rakshasa army falters.

Part of The War of Lanka

Summary

Facing Ravana's ocean of troops, Rama's heroes ride out on chariots drawn by elephants and lions, Vibhishana in the vimana Ratnaprabha and Rama, Lakshmana, Sugriva and Hanuman in the Hamsa vimana. The armies collide amid the din of drums and beasts; the Rakshasas first press the Vanaras back, and when the Vanaras rally, Hasta and Prahasta charge and rout them, until Nala and Nila, Sugriva's cousins, meet them. Nala kills Hasta and Nila kills Prahasta, and with their commanders dead the Rakshasa ranks slacken like beads from a broken string.

What happens

5 points

  1. Seeing Ravana's ocean-like army, Nala, Nila, Hanuman, Jambavanta and many generous heroes devoted to Rama ride out on elephant-drawn chariots, while Mahendra, Rativardhana, Bhanumandala, Anudhara, Sharvada, Sharabha and other Vidyadharas ride chariots drawn by lions, and many kings go with Hanuman. Vibhishana, Ravana's brother and now Rama's praiseworthy well-wisher, mounts the vimana Ratnaprabha, and Rama, Lakshmana, Sugriva and Hanuman set out in the Hamsa vimana.

  2. Drums such as the jhanjha, bheri, mridanga and kampala thunder like the clouds of dissolution, the cries of lions, elephants, buffaloes, camels, birds and deer fill every direction, and as the two hosts meet, earth and mountains shake and every man doubts he will live. Warriors call one another out and clash with saws, axes, swords, spears, maces, shaktis and arrows, falling upon each other and plunging into the enemy ranks.

  3. The army of Lanka presses the Vanaras as a lion presses an elephant, then the Vanaras strike back and rally their own; seeing their side yield, the great warriors Hasta and Prahasta charge on elephant-drawn chariots, crying to their vassals not to fear, and drive the Vanara fighters back.

  4. Then the Vanara leaders Nala and Nila, sons of Sugriva's paternal uncle, terrible in their wrath, take on Hasta and Prahasta, and after many fall on both sides, Nala leaps up and kills Hasta while Nila kills Prahasta.

  5. With both commanders dead the Rakshasa army slackens, and Gautama tells Shrenika that soldiers hold their ground only while they see their general and scatter at his death like beads when the string breaks; even great kings achieve nothing without a leader, as the sun's rays dim when Rahu meets it, and it is merit that brings every comfort without effort.