SECTION XXVIII.
Seeing Dushana slain in fight along with Triçira, Khara, witnessing Rāma's prowess, was filled with fear. And seeing that irrisistible Rākshasa host—even Dushana and Triçira—slain by the mighty Rāma alone, and seeing the great courage that was made in the army, that Rākshasa, Khara, was seized with despondency. Then as Namuchi advances against Vāsava, Khara stretching his powerful bow, advanced against Rāma. And Khara hurled at Rāma nārāchas reveling in blood, resembling infuriated venomous snakes. And repeatedly twanging his bow, Khara, mounted on his car, began to range the field, displaying his weapons through his acquired skill. And that mighty car-warrior covered all sides with his shafts. And seeing this, Rāma of a tremendous bow with shafts incapable of being borne, and resembling tongues of flaming fire, entirely enveloped the welkin, even as a cloud poureth down showers. And with the sharpened shafts shot by Khara and Rāma, the entire firmament on all sides was thronged. And as each enraged was engaged in coping with the other, the sun, enveloped in a net-work of shafts, did not appear. And as a mighty elephant is struck with the goad, Rāma in the conflict attacked (his opponent) with nālikas and nārāchas and sharp-pointed vikirna. And as that Rākshasa sat on his car, bow in hand, all creatures saw him, as if he were the very Destroyer with the noose in his hand. And at this time Khara thought that Destroyer of all his forces, established in his manliness, the exceedingly powerful Rāma to be overcome with fatigue. And seeing that one powerful like the lion, and gifted with the vigorous gait of the lion, Rāma was not moved, as a lion seeing a puny deer (is not moved). And then as an insect falls into a flame, Khara mounting a mighty car, resembling the sun, approached Rāma. And, displaying his lightness of hand, Khara severed the bow of the magnanimous Rāma, with the arrow (fixed on it) at the place where it is grasped. Then taking up seven other shafts, resplendent like the thunderbolt of Sakra, Khara, enraged, sent them into (Rāma's) main-joints, and then afflicting Rāma of unparalleled energy with a thousand shafts, Khara sent up in that conflict a loud shout. And riven by the shafts discharged by Khara, Rāma's mail resembling the sun fell to the ground. And pierced with those arrows, all over his body, and inflamed with rage, Rāghava appeared in the field, like a smokeless flaming fire. Then that destroyer of foes, Rāma, for compassing the end of his enemy, stringed another mighty bow, sending forth solemn sounds,—the redoubtable Vaishnava bow that had been conferred on him by the Maharshi. And uplifting that superior bow, Rāma rushed against Khara. Then with shafts having bent knots and golden feathers, Rāma, wrought up with rage, severed in battle Khara's standard. And on that exceedingly graceful golden standard being hewn down it seemed as if the sun dropped to the earth at the behest of the celestials. And thereat Khara, understanding the import of things, fired with wrath, pierced Rāma's breast with five arrows, like one striking an elephant with a goad. And Rāma on being pierced with a good many shafts discharged from Khara's bow, and having his body bathed in blood, was highly wroth. Thereupon that foremost of bowmen, and weilder of a mighty bow, taking six shafts, let them go, after aiming at them. And with one shaft he pierced Khara's head, with two his arms; and with three arrows headed like half-moons, Rāma wounded Khara in the chest. Then that highly energetic one, influenced by anger, assailed the Rākshasa with thirteen nārāchas whetted on stone and with one that exceedingly powerful one, cut the yoke of the car, with four the four steeds, with the sixth the head of Khara's charioteer, with three the stout trivenu of the car, with two the wheel, and with the twelfth, severing as if in sport Khara's bow with his hand,[40] with the thirteenth, resembling the thunder-bolt pierced Khara in the encounter. Then with his bow shattered, deprived of his car, (Khara) having his horses slain as well as his charioteer killed, taking a mace in his hand leaped to the ground, and stood there. And the celestials and Maharshis exceedingly rejoiced, assembled in the welkin in a body, and with joined hands extolled that feat of that mighty car-warrior Rāma.