36. Hanuman's Fight In Lanka (Devotional)

      When Hanuman Met Sita, he showed Rama's ring to Sita and took Sita's Chudamani to show to Rama. Hanuman took leave from Sita and started his journey to Rama. When he was walking from Ashoka vatika to the ocean, he thought to open assault with the demons, so as to meet Ravana and his ministers for knowing their designs and strengths. He started damaging the royal pleasure-garden attached to the gynaecium at Lanka. Guards at the garden went to Ravana and reported him about Hanuman. Ravana got angry and sent eighty thousand kinkaras (demons) to catch Hanuman. Hanuman with his might, killed all kinkaras with an iron rod. After knowing this, Ravana thought to send Jambumali, the son of Prahasta to catch hold of Hanuman. Prahasta is brother of Ravana's mother Kaikasi (Refer Story of Ravana). Jambumali was a demon in a big lake of wine. He used to sleep there so that whenever he wakes up, he drinks a little bit and sleeps. He can't wait to go fill up the cup and drink so he used to be in a lake of wine. Jambumali was woken up with some anti-liquor medicine. Ravana commanded him to take 80,000 soldiers and fight with Hanuman.

      At that time Hanuman thought to destroy a sanctuary which was sacred to the guardian-deity of the demons. Hanuman assumed a gigantic form and uplifted a pillar in that sanctuary and burnt the sanctuary by producing fire created out of its friction with the other pillars. Jambumali arrived there and warned Hanuman while praising Ravana. Hanuman didn't care him and offered him to fight. Jambumali fired so many astras(powerful arrows) at Hanuman which had no effect on him due to one of his boons (Refer Birth of Hanuman). Jambumali thought to increase his size to surprize Hanuman and closed his eyes and started growing his size. When he thought that he grew enough so huge that Hanuman might be at his ankles, he opened his eyes. There were two big balls before Jambumali by seeing which he got confused. Then He head voice of Hanuman from way above that those balls were his knees. Jambumali got scared of Hanuman's size and looked back to see his army. His army of 80,000 soldiers were dead already. There was a beautiful parliament hall called Caitya, belonging to Ravana. This hall had very huge marble and diamond pillars. When Jambumali was growing his size, Hanuman took one of the pillars and put it on top of the army. They were so nicely organized that simply by a little work Hanuman could finish them all. Furious Jambumali challenged Hanuman to fight with him in his original form. Hanuman readily accepted and they both started fighting. Jambumali jumped on Hanuman. Hanuman put his index finger in his navel and lifted him up and circled and threw him. All his liver and everything came out of his mouth and died.

      Ravana after knowing about Jambumali's death, ordered other seven sons of Prahasta to fight with Hanuman. Seven sons of Prahasta approached Hanuman and started firing numerous arrows on him. Hanuman crushed all of them using his palms, feet, fists, nails, chest and thighs only as his weapons. Later Ravana sent Virupaksha, Yupaksha, Durdhara, Praghasa and Bhasakarna, the five foremost army-generals to capture Hanuman. Hanuman first killed Durdhara who initially attacked him. He then killed Virupaksha and Yupaksha by attacking them with a sala tree. Hanuman later killed Praghasa and Bhasakarna by hurling the top of a mountain on them. Then destroyed the remaining army together with horses elephants and chariots. Ravana was so angry after hearing the news. Ravana's youngest son Akshawanted to fight against Hanuman. With Ravana's approval, Aksha along with his army, elephants and horses approached Hanuman and incites him to battle by discharging three sharp arrows. Hanuman felt kind of Aksha after seeing that he was too young to fight. As Aksha discharged his arrows, Hanuman bounced quickly to the sky and smashed Aksha's chariot and the horses. Still Aksha didn't get frightened and fired so many arrows at Hanuman. Finally Hanuman took Aksha by his feet and threw him down head foremost to kill him.

      Ravana called his son Indrajit (Refer Mandodari's Advice) and asked him to go for a battle against Hanuman. Indrajit went to face Hanuman in combat. The arrows discharged by Indrajit were made ineffective by Hanuman through his peculiar skill of maneuvering them like a wind-god. Realizing that Hanuman cannot be slain, Indrajit discharged Brahmastra (Most powerful weapon created by Brahma) on Hanuman. Hanuman had a boon from Brahma that even Brahmastra also wont have any effect on him. Hanuman wanted to meet Ravana to advise him to give Sita back to Rama so he greeted Brahmastra with his joined hands. Brahmastra became a rope and confined Hanuman as he requested. Indrajit along with other demons brought Hanuman to Ravana's court.