then once more put forth his prowess of illusion.  The Ten-faced, producing from his body numerous warriors resembling, O Bharata, both Rama and Lakshmana, rushed towards the two brothers.  And then those Rakshasas, hostile to Rama and Lakshmana and armed with bows and arrows, rushed towards Rama, and beholding that power of illusion put forth by the king of Rakshasas, that descendant of Ikshwaku’s race, the son of Sumitra, addressed Rama in these heroic words, ‘Slay those Rakshasas, those wretches with forms like thy own!’ And Rama, thereupon slew those and other Rakshasas of forms resembling his own.  And that time Matali, the charioteer of Indra, approached Rama on the field of battle, with a car effulgent as the Sun and unto which were yoked horses of a tawny hue.  And Matali said, ’O son of Kakutstha’s race, this excellent and victorious car, unto which have been yoked this pair of tawny horses, belonging to the Lord of celestials!  It is on this excellent car, O tiger among men, that Indra hath slain in battle hundreds of Daityas and Danavas!  Therefore, O tiger among men, do thou, riding on the car driven by me, quickly slay Ravana in battle!  Do not delay in achieving this!’ Thus addressed by him, the descendant of Raghu’s race, however, doubted the truthful words of Matali, thinking this is another illusion produced by the Rakshasas—­Vibhishana then addressed him saying, ’This, O tiger among men, is no illusion of the wicked Ravana!  Ascend thou this chariot quickly, for this, O thou of great effulgence, belongeth to Indra!’ The descendant of Kakutstha then cheerfully said unto Vibhishana, ‘So be it’, and riding on that car, rushed wrathfully upon Ravana.  And when Ravana, too, rushed against his antagonist, a loud wail of woe was set up by the creatures of the Earth, while the celestials in heaven sent forth a leonine roar accompanied by beating of large drums.  The encounter then that took place between the Ten-necked Rakshasa and that prince of Raghu’s race, was fierce in the extreme.  Indeed, that combat between them hath no parallel elsewhere.  And Rakshasa hurled at Rama a terrible javelin looking like Indra’s thunderbolt and resembling a Brahmana’s curse on the point of utterance.[104] Rama, however, quickly cut into fragments that javelin by means of his sharp arrows.  And beholding that most difficult feat, Ravana was struck with fear.  But soon his wrath was excited and the Ten-necked hero began to shower on Rama whetted arrows by thousands and tens of thousands and countless weapons of various kinds, such as rockets and javelins and maces and battle-axes and darts of various kinds and Shataghnis and whetted shafts.  And beholding that terrible form of illusion displayed by the Ten-necked Rakshasa, the monkeys fled in fear in all directions.  Then the descendant of Kakutstha, taking out of his quiver an excellent arrow furnished with handsome wings and golden feathers and a bright and beautiful head, fixed it on the bow with Brahmastra