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Rāma and Rāvaṇa fought vehemently for hours without interruption. Rāvaṇa sent twenty, then sixty, then a hundred and then a thousand arrows at Rāma, aiming at His vital parts, or seeking to kill the charioteer and His horses. Rāma responded with twice that number, digging shafts into Rāvaṇa’s steeds and charioteer, while at the

Although shunned by Rāvaṇa, Vibhishana had loved his brother and had always desired his welfare. He fell by his side and continued to cry out. Rāma approached him and placed an arm around him, consoling him with soft words. Sooner or later a warrior will die at the edge of weapons.

He invoked all the celestial missiles and they immediately appeared before Him on the battlefield. Charged with the mystic power of the divine astras the arrows tore into Rāvaṇa and sent him reeling. As he staggered about on his chariot, the Rākṣasa was showered with rocks and trees by the monkeys. The demon was reduced to a sorry plight, being unable to lift his bow or do anything in his defense. Seeing this, his charioteer veered away from the fight and retreated.

With his ten heads and massive bow Rāvaṇa stood in his chariot looking like the Maināka mountain risen Observing the demon overwhelming Rāma with his arrows, the gods and ṛṣis felt despondent. The monkeys became fearful and they observed grim-looking omens. The sun became dim and the sea tossed with waves that seemed to rise up to the sky. Jackals howled and ghosts and wraiths darted about on the battlefield.

The demons then placed Rāvaṇa upon the pyre and threw handfuls of parched rice, sesame seeds and kusha After uttering sacred mantras and sprinkling the pyre with ghee, Vibhishana set it alight. It quickly blazed up, and within moments the Rākṣasas king’s body was reduced to ashes.

The sun illuminated Him brilliantly and a gentle breeze blew behind Him. He felt His right eye and arm throb and His mind felt joyful.

The monkeys leapt about, chasing the fleeing Rākṣasas and shouting with joy. The sound of drums and other celestial instruments sounded from the sky. A dazzling shower of brilliant flowers fell from the sky and covered Rāma’s chariot. The gods and ṛṣis praised Rāma, who stood blazing with splendor. The battle was over. and Vibhishana, who all praised and cheered Him for His incredible feat.

Hanumān raised Him up and comforted Him. He called for Sushena, the Vanara physician. Sushena approached the fallen prince and examined Him carefully. He looked up at Rāma and said, “Your brother still lives. And I can detect the movement of His life air and the beat of His heart.

He had his brother’s body brought into Lanka and he lit a sacrificial fire, making offerings of grains and ghee and worshipping Viṣṇu on Rāvaṇa’s behalf. Along with the elderly Rākṣasas and Yatudhanas, headed by Rāvaṇa’s grandfather Malayavan, Vibhishana

concentration, Rāma again invoked the Gandharva-astra, which caused hundreds of thousands of arrows to appear and Those awful and demoniac missiles fell to the ground and burned up, being pierced by Rāma’s fiery shafts

It was bedecked with glowing gems and wreaths of celestial flowers. The chariot was suspended a bow length above the ground and a crystal staircase came down to Rāma’s feet He circumambulated the chariot and then climbed aboard. The prince quickly donned Indra’s armor and took up his bow and celestial arrows. that filled the earth and sky.

Rāvaṇa then composed himself and once again invoked the Rākṣasa-astra, imbuing it with all his mystic The entire globe seemed to shake and the ocean became agitated. Serpents and devils appeared screaming in the sky and emitting fire from their mouths. The sun lost its brilliance and the wind ceased to blow.

He released the weapon and it flew at Rāvaṇa, lighting up the earth and sky and roaring like a tumultuous Piercing right through his heart, the arrow emerged from Rāvaṇa’s body soaked in blood and entered the Rāvaṇa whirled around and let out a cry which seemed to shake the entire creation. His bow dropped from his hands and he fell from his chariot like a mountain struck down by Indra’s thunderbolt

The Rākṣasa became more and more infuriated and he directed his mystic missiles upon the army of monkeys Those arrows fell upon Rāvaṇa’s weapons and smashed them to pieces. The missiles of the two fighters met together in hundreds and thousands. They created explosions of fire and billows of smoke across the whole battlefield.

At once it appeared in His hand and He fitted it to His bow. Its shaft was made of ether and its weight consisted of the Mandara and Meru mountains. The wind-god presided over its shaft, the fire-god over its plumes, and the sun-god was installed at Rāma again chanted the Aditya-Hridaya prayer and then invoked the infallible brahmāstra.

That dart was dear to Rāvaṇa and had been carefully kept and worshipped by him, reserved for a time when It was irresistible to gods and demons alike. Rāvaṇa raised it with his serpent-like arm and roared with full force. The earth shook and the mountains trembled, sending their lions and elephants fleeing in fear. Hurled by me it will strike both You and Your brother, leveling You with all the Rākṣasas You have slain

The herbs were brought quickly and Sushena administered them to Lakṣman. Then Sushena carefully administered the herbs vishalyakarani and sandhani, which together healed Lakṣman ’s grievous wound and repaired His bones. Slowly He sat up and looked around. Rāma was overjoyed. He pressed Lakṣman to His bosom with tears in His eyes and said, “By good fortune You have been saved

horses neither flinched nor shook but continued to draw the great chariot, describing various circles and movements and baffling Rāvaṇa’s arrows. The demon fired a tremendous shower of maces, iron clubs, discuses and mallets, as well as mountain peaks , trees, pikes and double-headed axes.

Crying like female elephants, they fell upon their husband’s body and bathed him with tears. Dozens of Rākṣasīs, their hair and garments in disarray, surrounded the fallen Rākṣasa. They rolled on the ground and wailed in agony. After regaining her senses, she gazed upon his face and lamented loudly, her voice choked with tears.

As Rāma and Rāvaṇa met in fearful combat, the two armies stood motionless with their weapons held fast Observing the man and demon engaged in a desperate duel, all the warriors, along with the gods, Gandharvas and ṛṣis, watched in wonderment.