The Maespati troops who are waiting in the valley of the mouth of the Gangga River are surprised upon seeing so many giant troops coming to attack them. Mahapatih Sumantri and the high ranking officials of Maespati immediately know that the giant army has come from the country of Alengka, whose king is Rahwana. The high-ranking officials of Maespati also immediately find out that the king of Alengka is angry because of the action of Prabu Arjunasasrabahu, who arbitrarily blocks the Gangga River. Without thinking too long, Sumantri orders Maespati's troops to prepare to face them. He also advises not to let the battle wake up Prabu Arjunasasrabahu from his sound sleep in meditation. Let the king of Maespati sleep without knowing about the war, even though it is the result of his meditation at the mouth of the Gangga River.
Sumantri then orders the kings of Suryakestu, Candrakestu, Kalinggapati and Kalinggaprana, Wisabraja and Srawantipura to lead their troops to fight the Alengka troops. He convinces them that under the leadership of Maespati warlords, who have magical powers, the Alengka troops will bend their knees and be driven away.
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He himself will be in the back line and will definitely advance to lead the war if the Maespati troops are overwhelmed by the Alengka troops. He says he is ready to go to war, even though deep in his heart he feels completely disinterested and reluctant. He does not know the reason for his reluctance to fight. He just feels that no victory can now replace what he has lost.
The palagan fields are full of spirits, which fall like leaves because of the fierce fighting at the mouth of the Gangga River.
The Maespati troops advance to face the Alengka troops. And a terrible battle begins. Thousands of soldiers fight each other, swords meet, a clashing of metal is heard accompanying the bodies that are thrown and rolled over, giving their lives. Spears flash, gleaming like lightning, pierced bodies fall, screaming in horror. Arrows fly here and there, dancing in the sky, suddenly falling and separating thousands of heads from their bodies. From the sky, giant bodies collapse, pierced by arrows, falling to the ground covered in blood. Maces clash, run amok, pound and crush heads. The palagan fields are full of spirits, which fall like leaves because of the fierce fighting at the mouth of the Gangga River.
Maespati troops attack the giants, who are on their rafts. The rafts are tossed about before sinking into the lake. The giants pull Maespati troops who attack them, until all of them are swallowed up by the water, and the Bengawan Gangga lake bursts out with waves of their lives. This battle is getting more and more terrible. Elephants and horses also fall, hitting soldiers, who scream before being killed. Casualties mount from both sides of the battle. There is no sign it will end. In the midst of this cruel fighting, a woman is suddenly seen running. She is like an angel flying between arrows and swords. She goes through the spears stuck like fences. Apparently, she has absolutely no fear. She steps over the corpses lying on the battlefield. And she jumps like a deer among the carcasses of elephants and horses that are lying about. The battle is silent for a while. The soldiers are amazed to see a woman like an angel walking in the midst of cruelty and death. Suddenly, the silence of the war is broken by the scream of a Widarba soldier who knows the woman.
As soon as the news of the war at the mouth of the Gangga River reaches her ears, she feels that it is time for her to tell Sumantri what is in her heart.
"Darmawati, Darmawati," cries the soldier of Widarba, a kingdom conquered by Maespati. Indeed, the woman is Darmawati, the beautiful daughter of Widarba, the younger sister of Prabu Darmawasesa. When Dewi Citrawati and the palace princesses went with Prabu Arjunasasrabahu to the Gangga River, she stayed in Maespati. So far she has lived in silence, living in her longing for Sumantri. She really loves Sumantri, even though Sumantri rejects her love. She waits for when she will be able to openly express her love, but the opportunity seems never to come. As soon as the news of the war at the mouth of the Gangga River reaches her ears, she feels that it is time for her to tell Sumantri what is in her heart. She is worried that something bad will happen to Sumantri before she says how much she loves him. So she hurriedly goes after Sumantri on the battlefield.
Darmawati is confident that she will be able to meet Sumantri. While passing through the ground soaked with the blood of the soldiers who have died on the battlefield, she imagines that she will say to Sumantri, “You have already sacrificed enough for your lord, Prabu Arjunasasrabahu.” She will explain all the actions and arrogance that have plunged Sumantri into the abyss of futility. She will invite him to run away, somewhere. But she is sure her love will anchor the two of them to the most unexpected place.
For the sake of her sincere love, she is willing to take all the dangers and cruelties of the battle that is raging on the Gangga River. It is getting uncomfortable for her to step on the bloody ground. She sees the scattered shields of the soldiers. She steps on the shields, like stepping stones on the battlefield, while feeling how futile Sumantri's path of knighthood is. Therefore, she will later remind Sumantri that if the sacrifice is enough, what's the point of continuing adding more, especially by always risking one's life? If that is the way of the knight, where is the chance for him to become an ordinary human? She walks on, her body feels tired, so she takes a rest by sitting on the carcass of an elephant. She imagines sitting on rocks in a beautiful village. Later, she thinks, she will take Sumantri back to Jatisrana to spend his days as an ordinary human being, to whom she can pour out her love. Just by imagining that, she can smile happily.
(This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo)
