03.274
Markandeya said.
Then, Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa), enraged upon his beloved son's fall, mounted his chariot adorned with gold and jewels and set out. (03-274-1)
Surrounded by terrible rākṣasas bearing various weapons in their hands, he rushed at Rāma, striking the leaders of the monkeys. (03-274-2)
As he was rushing forward in anger, Mainda, Nila, Nala, Angada, Hanuman, and Jambavan, along with their armies, surrounded him. (03-274-3)
Those chiefs of bears and monkeys attacked and destroyed the army of Daśagrīva with trees, as Daśagrīva watched. (03-274-4)
Then, seeing his army being slain by the enemies, Rāvaṇa, the master of illusion and lord of the rākṣasas, created a magical illusory display. (03-274-5)
From his body, rākṣasas by hundreds and thousands, bearing arrows, spears, and lances in their hands, were seen manifesting. (03-274-6)
Rāma killed all those rākṣasas with a divine weapon. Then again, the lord of the rākṣasas created an illusion. (03-274-7)
O Bhārata, having assumed the forms of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, the ten-headed one (Rāvaṇa) rushed at Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. (03-274-8)
Then those night-wanderers, O king, with bows raised, rushed at Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.
Having seen the magic of the king of rākṣasas, Saumitri, the descendant of Ikṣvāku, unagitated, said great words to Rāma. (03-274-10)
Destroying the evil demons who resembled himself, Rama killed them as well as other demons resembling himself. (03-274-11)
Then Mātali, the charioteer of Śakra (Indra), approached Rāma in battle, riding a chariot hitched to green horses and shining with the brilliance of the sun. (03-274-12)
Mātali said.
This excellent, victorious chariot of Maghavan, yoked with tawny horses—O descendant of Kakutstha—Śakra (Indra) slew hundreds of Daityas and Dānavas in battle with this chariot, O tiger among men. (03-274-13)
O tiger among men, with this chariot prepared by me for battle, quickly kill Rāvaṇa; do not delay. (03-274-14)
When thus addressed, Rāghava suspected the true words of Matali. Vibhīṣaṇa then said to him, "This is the illusion of the demon." (03-274-15)
This is not the illusion of Rāvaṇa, O tiger among men; therefore, O greatly resplendent one, quickly mount this chariot of Indra. (03-274-16)
Then Kākutstha, gladdened, having said 'so be it' to Vibhīṣaṇa, swiftly rushed at Daśagrīva in his chariot, filled with anger. (03-274-17)
When Rāvaṇa was advancing, the beings uttered cries of wailing. In the sky, the divine beings also roared like lions along with drums. (03-274-18)
The night-stalker sent forth at Rāma a very dreadful spear, resembling Indra's thunderbolt and upraised like the staff of Brahmā. (03-274-19)
Rāma cut that spear in mid-air with sharp arrows. When he saw that difficult feat, fear entered Rāvaṇa. (03-274-20)
Then, enraged, the ten-headed Rāvaṇa quickly launched sharp arrows and all sorts of weapons, thousands and tens of thousands in number, at Rāma. (03-274-21)
Then there were slings, spears, clubs, battle-axes, javelins of various forms, machines for killing hundreds, and sharp weapons. (03-274-22)
Seeing that distorted magic of Daśagrīva, the demon, all the monkeys fled in all directions out of fear. (03-274-23)
Then Rāma, descendant of Kakutstha, took the best arrow—well-feathered, well-pointed, and with a golden tail—from his quiver and fixed it with the Brahma-weapon. (03-274-24)
When Rāma consecrated that excellent arrow with the Brahmā-weapon, the gods and gandharvas, led by Indra, rejoiced on seeing it. (03-274-25)
Then, after the unleashing of the brahmāstra, the gods, gandharvas, and kinnaras considered that only a little of the enemy rāksasa's lifespan remained. (03-274-26)
Then Rāma released that arrow of unparalleled power, dread and destructive to Rāvaṇa, which was like the upraised staff of Brahmā. (03-274-27)
He, that best among rākṣasas, together with his chariot, horses, and charioteer, was entirely enveloped by fire and blazed forth with a great flame. (03-274-28)
Then the gods, along with the gandharvas and chāraṇas, rejoiced when they saw Rāvaṇa slain by Rāma, who acts without effort. (03-274-29)
The five elements deserted the highly fortunate Rāvaṇa. Deprived in all worlds, he was indeed overcome by the power of the Brahmāstra. (03-274-30)
Indeed, the body elements, flesh, and blood of this person, having been burned by the Brahma-weapon, did not remain; and even ashes were not seen. (03-274-31)
