the intelligent Lakshmana on the other, was exceedingly
furious and made the bristles of the spectators stand
on end. And Lakshmana overwhelmed the two Rakshasas
with a perfect shower of arrows. And those two
Rakshasa heroes, on the other hand, both of them excited
with fury, covered Lakshmana with an arrowy hail.
And that terrible encounter between Vajravega and
Promathin and the mighty-armed Lakshmana lasted for
a short while. And Hanumana, the son of Pavana,
taking up a mountain peak, rushed towards one of the
brothers, and with that weapon took the life of the
Rakshasa Vajravega. And that mighty monkey, Nala,
also, with a large mass of rock, crushed Promathin,
that other younger brother of Dushana. The deadly
struggle, however, between the soldiers of Rama and
Ravana, rushing against one another, instead of coming
to an end even after this, raged on as before.
And hundreds of Rakshasas were slain by the denizens
of the forest, while many of the latter were slain
by the former. The loss, however, in killed,
of the Rakshasas was far greater than that of the
monkeys.
“Markandeya said, ’Learning that Kumbhakarna
had with his followers, fallen in battle as also that
great warrior Prahasta, and Dhumraksha too of mighty
energy, Ravana then addressed his heroic son Indrajit
saying, ’O slayer of foes, slay thou in battle
Rama and Sugriva and Lakshmana. My good son,
it was by thee that this blazing fame of mine had been
acquired by vanquishing in battle that wielder of
the thunderbolt, the thousand-eyed Lord of Sachi!
Having the power of appearing and vanishing at thy
will, slay thou, O smiter of foes, my enemies by means,
O thou foremost of all wielders of weapons, of thy
celestial arrows received as boons (from the gods)!
Rama and Lakshmana and Sugriva are incapable of enduring
the bare touch of thy weapons. What shall I say,
therefore, of their followers? That cessation
of hostilities which could not be brought about by
either Prahasta or Kumbhakarna in battle, be it thine,
O mighty-armed one, to bring about! Slaying my
enemies with all their army by means of thy keen-edged
shafts, enhance my joy to-day, O son, as thou didst
once before by vanquishing Vasava!’ Thus addressed
by him. Indrajit said—So be it,—and
encased in mail he quickly ascended his chariot, and
proceeded, O king, towards the field of battle.
And then that bull amongst Rakshasas loudly announcing
his own name, challenged Lakshmana endued with auspicious
marks, to a single combat. And Lakshmana, thus
challenged, rushed towards that Rakshasa, with his
bow and arrows, and striking terror into his adversary’s
heart by means of the flapping of his bow-string on
the leathern case of his left hand. And the encounter
that took place between those warriors that defied
each other’s prowess and each of whom was desirous
of vanquishing the other, and both of whom were conversant
with celestial weapons, was terrible in the extreme.
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