Chapter CII: Section CIII

Hearing the words uttered by Lakshmana, that slayer of hostile heroes--Raghava--endued with prowess, taking his bow, set shafts on it, and in the brunt of battle began to discharge dreadful arrows at Ravana. And mounted on another car, Ravana--lord of Rakshasas--rushed against Kakutstha, even as Swarbhanu rusheth against the Sun. And even as a mass of clouds poureth down torrents on a mighty mountain, the Ten-necked one, mounted on his car, smote Rama with shafts resembling thunder-bolts. And in the encounter Rama, concentrating his thoughts, showered on the Ten-necked one arrows embellished with gold and looking like living fire. And celestials and Gandharvas and Kinnaras declared that there had been no other battle like unto the encounter of Rama stationed on the ground and the Raksha mounted on his car. Then the foremost of celestials--Sakra--hearing their ambrosial speech, summoning Matali, said,--"Taking my car, hie to the best of the Raghus. And reaching the earth, do thou, welcoming (him), bring about great good unto the gods". Thus accosted by the sovereign of the celestials, Matali--celestial charioteer--bending down his head, addressed that celestial, saying,--"Speedily shall I go, O lord of the celestials; and I shall also do the office of a charioteer (unto Raghava)". Then yoking with steeds that best of cars, curiously wrought with gold; adorned with hundreds of small bells; resembling the Sun new risen; having its pole studded with lapises; yoked with excellent horses caparisoned in gold; furnished with white chowris,--drawn by steeds resembling the Sun; decked with golden net-works,--and provided with a golden standard,--the graceful car of the sovereign of the celestials,--Matali, commanded by the king of the immortals, ascending the car, went out of the celestial regions and came to Kakutstha. And with his hand holding the reins, the charioteer of the thousand-eyed (Deity) with joined hands addressed Rama, saying,--"O Kakutstha, in order that thou mayst obtain the victory, the thousand-eyed (god) hath sent thee this car. And, O exceedingly powerful one! O graceful (hero)! thou that slayest thy foes! this is the redoubtable bow of Indra,--and this is the mail resembling fire,--and these are the arrows looking like the very Sun; and this is the dart shining and fraught with fair fortune. Ascend thou this car, O hero. Slay the Rakshasa--Ravana, with me as thy charioteer, even as the lord of the celestials slayeth Danavas". Thus addressed, Rama, going round the car and saluting it, ascended the same, illumining the worlds with his splendour. And the encounter that took place between the two cars with the mighty-armed Rama (on one side), and the Raksha--Ravana--(on the other), was wonderful to behold. And Raghava highly proficient in weapons with a Gandharva weapon resisted the Gandharva weapon of the Rakshasa king, and with a celestial weapon, his celestial weapon. And then that lord of Rakshasas--the night-ranger--fired with high rage, again discharged an exceedingly dreadful Rakshasa weapon. And the gold-decked shafts shot from Ravana's bow, becoming furiously venomous serpents, covered Kakutstha. And vomitting living flames, they of terrific aspect, having flaming faces, showered over Rama with gaping mouths. And those flaming venomous serpents, having the feel of Vasuki himself, covered all sides and enveloped all quarters. And seeing those serpents descending in the encounter, Rama employed a dreadful Garuda weapon. And discharged from Raghava's bow, those arrows plated with gold at the feathered parts, and furnished with the splendour of peacocks, becoming golden birds--began to range (the field of battle) as the enemies of the serpents. And the shafts of Rama capable of wearing forms at will, turned into birds, destroyed all the exceedingly swift-coursing arrows having the forms of serpents. On his weapon having been baffled, Ravana--lord of Rakshasas--waxing Wroth, poured tremendous showers of shafts on Rama. And smiting Rama of untiring deeds with thousands of shafts, (Ravana) pierced Matali with vollies of arrows. And with an arrow, Ravana severed the standard; and having brought down the golden standard on the floor of the car, Ravana wounded even Indra's steeds with a net-work of arrows. And seeing Rama hard pressed, celestials and Gandharvas, and Charanas along with Danavas, and Siddhas, and the supreme saints were overcome with sadness; and the foremost monkeys together with Bihhishana were aggrieved. And seeing a Moon of Rama Chandra in the grasp of a Rahu of Ravana, that bringer of evil unto creatures--Budha--stood, assailing the Prayapatya star--Rohini--beloved of the Moon. And the enraged Ocean, heaving with smoking surges, and flaming as it were, swelled up, seeming to the touch the Sun. And the Sun was blackened and assumed a stern aspect, with his rays dimmed. And he was seen with a headless trunk on his lap, and he was in conjunction with a comet. And that star of the Kocalas, relating to the deities--Indra and Agni--Angaraka--stood in the sky, attacking Vicakha. And the Ten-necked one, having ten faces and twenty arms, equipped with his bow, looked like the mountain--Mainaka. And Rama reduced to sore straits by the Ten-necked Raksha, could not discharge his arrows in the conflict. And then the enraged Rama with his eyes slightly red, flew into a tremendous passion, as if burning up the Rakshasas. Seeing the face of the enraged Rama endued with understanding, all the creatures were overwhelmed with fear and the Earth herself shook. And mountains abounding with lions and tigers began to tremble, and trees to shiver. And even the deep--lord of streams--was wrought up wondrously. And rough and terrific clouds in the sky sent forth fierce roars. And stormy clouds rumbling went about the heavens. And seeing Rama wrought up with a mighty passion, and the fearful disastrous omens, all creatures were possessed by fright and Ravana was struck with dismay. And then stationed in the sky, celestials and Gandharvas and mighty serpents and saints and Danavas and Daityas and those related to Garuda--fowls--beheld that conflict like unto the universal tumbling, as the two heroes fought on with various dire arms. And as they looked on the mighty encounter, the celestials and the Asuras, who had come to the conflict, from feeling of regard[397] cheerfully spoke (these words). And the Asuras staying there said unto the Ten-necked one, 'Be victorious!' and the celestials again and again said unto Rama, 'Be victorious!' In the meantime, the impious Ravana, desirous of slaying Raghava, from wrath took up a mighty weapon, fraught with the essence of the thunder-bolt; sending terrible sounds; capable of destroying all foes,--furnished with forks resembling mountain-peaks; tending to strike terror unto mind and sight; sharp-pointed, resembling the smoking fire risen at the hour of universal dissolution; exceedingly terrible; irrisistible (in battle); unbearable even by the Destroyer,--the terror of all creatures--terrific; and competent to rive (all things). Flaming up with wrath, Ravana took this dart. And fired with furious wrath, that powerful one took the dart in the encounter, surrounded in that contest by many heroic Rakshasas. And uplifting (the dart), the huge-bodied Ravana, with his eyes reddened in passion, emitted mighty roars. And the shouts of the Rakshasa sovereign made the earth and the sky and the cardinal quarters and all sides tremble. And at the roars of that wicked-minded and huge-bodied one, all creatures were struck with terror, and the sea was vexed.[398] And the exceedingly energetic Ravana, taking that mighty dart, and sending up furious shouts, addressed Rama in a harsh speech, saying,--"O Rama, I in wrath uplift this dart having the strength of the levin. This will utterly deprive of life thee who art assisted by thy brother. O thou that delightest in battle, to-day swiftly slaying thee, I shall make thee even with those heroic Rakshas slain in the van of the forces. Stay now. O Raghava, thee shall I slay with this dart". Saying this, the lord of the Rakshasas hurled the dart. And discharged from Ravana's hand, (the dart), surrounded with garlands of lightning, furnished with eight bells, sending mighty roars,--rising to the sky, looked exceedingly splendid. Seeing the dart, flaming and of terrific aspect, Raghu's son--Rama--endowed with prowess, drawing his bow, discharged arrows. And with vollies of shafts Raghava resisted the descending (dart), even as Vasava extinguished the fire of doomsday with his showers. Then even as a flame consumeth insects, the mighty dart of Ravana burnt up those shafts shot from the bow of Rama. Seeing those shafts reduced to ashes and crushed on coming in contact with the dart, as they were coursing in the sky, Raghava was transported with passion. And then waxing wondrous wroth,--Raghu's son--Raghava--took up a javelin, liked by Vasava himself, brought by Matali. And on being wielded by that strong one, the javelin, resonant with bells, made the welkin blaze up, like a burning meteor on the occasion of universal rack. And when hurled, it alighted on that same dart of the Rakshasa-chief. And thereat, with its splendour lost, the mighty dart, riven, dropped (to the earth.) Then Rama, shooting straight-speeding arrows, pierced his (Ravana's) exceedingly fleet steeds. And then he pierced Ravana in the chest with whetted arrows. And the energetic Raghava hit (Ravana) in the temples with three feathered shafts. And thereat with all his limbs pierced (with arrows), and his body laved in blood, the lord of Rakshasas furnished with many limbs, looked like a flowering Acoka. And with his person pierced with the shafts of Rama, the lord of night-rangers having his body drenched with blood, was stricken with sadness in the midst of his forces,--and was also overwhelmed with terrific wrath.

[397] _i.e._ each party out of regard for the warrior to whom it wished
well.--T.

[398] 'The still-_vexed_ Bermoothes.'--_Tempest._