SECTION CCLXXXVIII
"Markandeya said, The Ten-necked (Ravana), excited to fury at the death
of his beloved son, ascended his car decked with gold and gems. And
surrounded by terrible Rakshasas with various kinds of weapons in their
hands, Ravana rushed towards Rama, fighting with numerous monkey-chief.
And beholding him rushing in wrath towards the monkey army, Mainda and
Nila and Nala and Angada, and Hanuman and Jamvuman, surrounded him with
all their troops. And those foremost of monkeys and bears began to
exterminate with trunks of trees, the soldiers of the Ten-necked
(Ravana), in his every sight. And beholding the enemy slaughtering his
troops, the Rakshasa king, Ravana, possessed of great powers of illusion,
began to put them forth. And forth from his body began to spring hundreds
and thousands of Rakshasas armed with arrows and lances and double-edged
swords in hand. Rama, however, with a celestial weapon slew all those
Rakshasas. The king of the Rakshasas 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 your 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 you this chariot quickly, for this, O you 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 mantra. And beholding that excellent arrow transformed by
Rama, with proper mantras into a Brahma weapon, the celestials and the
Gandharvas with Indra at their head, began to rejoice. And the gods and
the Danavas and the Kinnaras were led by the display of that Brahma
weapon to regard the life of their Rakshasa foe almost closed. Then Rama
shot that terrible weapon of unrivalled energy, destined to compass
Ravana's death, and resembling the curse of a Brahmana on the point of
utterance. And as soon, O Bharata, as that arrow was shot by Rama from
his bow drawn to a circle, the Rakshasa king with his chariot and
charioteer and horses blazed up, surrounded on all sides by a terrific
fire. And beholding Ravana slain by Rama of famous achievements, the
celestials, with the Gandharvas and the Charanas, rejoiced exceedingly.
And deprived of universal dominion by the energy of the Brahma weapon,
the five elements forsook the illustrious Ravana. And were consumed by
the Brahma weapon, the physical ingredients of Ravana's body. His flesh
and blood were all reduced to nothingness,--so that the ashes even could
not be seen.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 3 : UPA-PARVA 288 ---------------------
