Chapter XCIX: Section C

Beholding Mahodara, Mahaparsha and the highly powerful Birupaksha slain in the encounter Ravana attained to an excess of ire. And ordering his charioteer to hurry on he gave vent to the following words--"All my courtiers have been slain and my city is shut up--I shall remove my grief consequent on all these by slaying Rama and Lakshmana. I shall destroy Rama-like tree in the conflict whose flower is Sita and whose branches are Sugriva, Jambavan, Kumuda, Nala, Divida, Mainda, Angada, Gandhamadana, Hanuman and all other leading monkeys". And resounding the ten quarters with the sound of his chariot wheels that mighty car-warrior proceeded quickly towards Raghava. With that sound all quarters were filled, and the earth, with rivers, mountains and forests shook and all the lions, deer and birds were terrified. He created a dreadful darkness with the discharge of his sharp weapons and burnt down the monkeys who fled away to different directions. Dust was raised on the ground by those monkeys assailed and flying to various directions. They were unable to withstand the power of that weapon made by Brahma himself. Beholding his own army, assailed and cut into hundred pieces by the excellent weapons of Ravana, Raghava dashed forward. And assailing the monkey-host, that foremost of Rakshasas espied Rama, unconquered, at a distance with his brother Lakshmana like unto Basava with Vishnu, holding a huge bow like one painted on the sky, having expansive eyes like lotus-petals, long arms, and always subduing the enemies. Beholding the monkeys slain in the encounter and Ravana approach, the heroic and highly powerful Rama, with Sumitra's son in his company, delightedly set arrows on his bow. And as if rending the whole earth with that dreadful sound he began to draw the string of his excellent bow. With the sound of Ravana's arrows and the twang of Rama's bow hundreds of Rakshasas fell down on earth. And coming within the range of the arrows of those two princes, Ravana appeared like Rahu in presence of the sun and the moon. And desiring to fight with him first Lakshmana setting sharp arrows on his bow, discharged shafts at him resembling the flame of fire. And the highly powerful Ravana too with his arrows stopped the course of those shafts in the sky as soon as they were discharged by Lakshmana, skilled in archery. And displaying his light-handedness, he, with one arrow, severed Lakshmana's one, with three his three and with ten his ten. Surpassing thus the son of Sumitra, Ravana, ever victorious in battle, confronted Rama in the encounter, standing like another hill. And approaching Raghava, Ravana the lord of Rakshasas, with his eyes reddened in ire, began to make a shower of arrows. Thereupon beholding the arrows shot off Ravana's bow fall on all sides, Rama speedily took up a _valla_.[386] And Raghava sundered with his sharp _valla_ his dreadful arrows flaming and resembling poisonous serpents. With various sharpened arrows Raghava assailed Ravana, and he again assailed Rama in return. And forming a circle, they passed each other by the right side. Uprooting the earth with the vehemence of their arrows, irrepressible by each other, fighting equally discharging arrows, they looked dreadful like Death himself--and created terror in all creatures. The sky was filled with their various weapons, like unto clouds in the rainy season accompanied with lightning. And the welkin appeared full of windows with that shower of arrows, sharpened, shot with great vehemence and winged like vultures. The earth was stricken with darkness caused by these arrows like unto clouds appearing after sunset. There took place a dreadful conflict between them, desiring to slay each other, having their prowess unknown and fighting like Vitra and Vasava. Both of them were proficient in archery, skilled in the art of conflict and foremost of those conversant with the use of weapons. And they began to veer round the battle-field. And wherever they went, there appeared arrows like unto waves of the deep roused by the winds. Then that destroyer of creatures--Ravana--with his hand engaged in discharging shafts, shot at Rama's forehead a network of arrows. And thereat Rama on his head bore that shower of shafts shot from his terrific bow, having the lustre of the petals of blue lotuses; nor did he experience any pain, And then reciting a formula, the exceedingly energetic Rama endowed with prowess, wrought up with wrath, engaged in incessantly shooting his shafts, taking his Raudra weapon and again seizing his arrows, discharged them at that lord of Rakshasas. And alighting at the impenetrable hail of the Kakshasa-chief, resembling a mass of mighty clouds, those arrows did not then occasion him any pain. Again Rama skilled in all weapons, from a powerful weapon discharged arrows at the sovereign of the Rakshasas mounted on his car. And piercing Ravana, those like unto five-hooded serpents, resisted by him, entered the earth, hissing. Having baffled Raghava's weapon, Ravana, transported with passion, took up a dreadful Asura weapon; and discharged sharpened shafts having the faces of lions and tigers, and the faces of _kankas_ and _kokas_[387] and the faces of vultures and hawks, and the faces of jackals, and the faces of wolves,--with gaping mouths,--and terrific of aspect; five-mouthed and red-hued. And that highly powerful one, enraged, sighing like a snake, by his power of illusion shot at Rama other keen arrows having the faces of mules and the faces of bears, and the faces of dogs and cocks, and the faces of _makaras_[388] and venomous serpents,--these as well as others. Covered with that Asura weapon, that foremost of the Raghus, himself resembling fire, discharged an exceedingly vigorous weapon informed with fire; and shot various shafts having faces filled with live flames, and faces like unto suns,--and hued like unto planets and stars,--and furnished with faces resembling mighty meteors, or resembling tongues of lightning. And those terrific shafts of Ravana, resisted by Raghava's weapon, were annihilated in the sky, and destroyed (monkeys) by thousands. And seeing that weapon (of Ravana) destroyed by Rama of untiring deeds, all those heroes, the monkeys--headed by Sugriva, capable of wearing forms at will, shouted, surrounding Raghava. And the high-souled son of Dacaratha--Raghava--having by his might destroyed that weapon discharged by Ravana's arms, was delighted; and the monkey-chiefs, filled with glee, began to emit shouts.

[386] An arrow with a crescent shaped head.

[387] _Koka_--a ruddy goose. It may also mean a lizard, a chameleon, a
wolf.

[388] A marine monster, generally confounded with the alligator and the
shark; but really a fabulous animal.--T.