Chapter CVII: Section CVIII

Thereupon there ensued a mighty and dreadful encounter of two cars between Rama and Ravana, creating terror unto all people. And the army of Rakshasas and the mighty host of the monkeys, although they had weapons in their hands, became stupified (for the time being). And beholding them (Rama and Ravana) fight, all the Rakshasas and monkeys, having their minds agitated, were greatly surprised. With various weapons and hands uplifted for fight, they, greatly wondered, stood there beholding them and did not address themselves to fight with each other. The Rakshasas beholding Ravana, and the monkeys beholding Rama with wonder-stricken eyes, the whole army appeared like a picture. And espieing all omens Raghava and Ravana began to fight, undaunted, firm, resolute and unagitated by anger. And determining that Kakutstha would win victory and Ravana would die, they began to display their own prowess. Thereupon the highly powerful Ravana, setting his arrows in anger, discharged them at the pennon stationed on Raghava's car. Those arrows reaching the flag staff of the Purandara chariot and perceiving its might fell down on the earth. Thereupon the highly powerful Rama, wroth, stretching his bow, made up his mind to return the blow. And aiming at Ravana's flag staff he discharged a sharpened shaft flaming unbearably by its own lustre like a huge serpent. And the effulgent Rama discharged a shaft aiming at (Ravana's) banner which, piercing the Ten-necked demon's flag fell, down on the earth. And beholding his flag staff thus broken down the highly powerful Ravana became ablaze as if burning down every tiling with his unbearable ire And being possessed by wrath he began to make a downpour of shafts. Ravana then, with flaming arrows, pierced Rama's steeds. The celestial horses were not bewildered thereby nor their course was slackened. And they remained thoroughly unagitated as if they were stricken with lotus stalks. Beholding the steeds thus unmoved Ravana was again exercised with wrath and began to discharge afresh his various weapons--_gadas_, _parighas_, _chakras_ and _musalas_, mountain tops, trees, darts and _parashus_ and thousands of other shafts by virtue of his illusive powers. And unmoved was his energy. And that downpour of various weapons became huge and terrible in the conflict creating terror and making a dreadful noise. Thereupon leaving aside Raghava's car he began to assail the monkey-host and enveloped the sky with a continual discharge of arrows. The Ten-necked demon let loose many a weapon even at the risk of his own life. And beholding Ravana in the encounter thus actively engaged in the discharge of arrows, Kakuthstha, smiling, set up pointed shafts, and discharged them by hundreds and thousands. Beholding them Ravana again filled the welkin with arrows--and thus with shafts discharged by them both another flaming sky was created. None (of the arrows) missed the aim, none of them failed to pierce another and none of them was fruitless. And the arrows discharged by Rama and Ravana stricking each other fell down on the earth. And they standing on their right and left began to make a continued downpour of arrows and enveloped the sky entirely. And they opposing each other, Ravana slew Rama's steeds and Rama in his turn slew Ravanan's. They, thus enraged fought with each other and for sometime there ensued a terrible encounter capable of making ones down stand on end. And the highly powerful Ravana and Rama[460] righting with each other in the conflict by means of sharpened arrows, the lord of Rakshasas beholding his flag staff broken down became enraged with the foremost of Raghus.

[460] The epithet in the text is Lakshmana's elder brother.