SECTION CIX.
Rāma and Rāvana thus opposing each other in battle, all the animals beheld them, stricken with astonishment. And those two great heroes, highly angered, began to dash towards and assail each other; and being determined to slay each other they looked greatly dreadful. And their charioteers drove the cars on, displaying their skill by moving in circles, in rows and diverse other ways. And those two excellent heroes, discharging their shafts and influenced by illusions, assailed each other proceeding and receding, Rāma attacking Rāvana and Rāvana withstanding him. And these two cars coursed the earth for sometime like clouds accompanied by showers. And displaying many a movement in the conflict they again stood facing each other, the forepart of one car touching that of the other and the heads of the steeds touching each other; and the pennons, stationed on one touched those of the other. Rāma, with four sharpened arrows, shot off his bow, removed the flaming horses of Rāvana to some distance. And finding his steeds thus removed he was exercised with wrath. And the Ten-necked one discharged sharpened arrows at Rāghava. And he was pierced by those arrows coming from the powerful Ten-necked demon. He was neither overwhelmed nor pained therewith and he again discharged arrows resembling the thunder-bolts. And the Ten-necked demon again discharged arrows at the charioteer, which fell with great vehemence on the person of Mātali. Mātali was not the least pained or overwhelmed in that encounter. And beholding his charioteer thus assailed Rāma was excited with wrath and overwhelmed his foe with a net of arrows. And the heroic Rāghava showered on his enemy’s chariot shafts by twentys, thirtys, sixtys, hundreds and thousands. And the lord of Rākshasas, Rāvana, who was stationed on the car, wroth, attacked Rāma in the conflict with maces and Musalas. And there again ensued a terrible conflict capable of making one’s down stand on end. And the seven oceans were overwhelmed with the sound of maces, musalas, Parighas and gold feathered arrows. And those inhabiting the regions under the agitated oceans, all the Dānavas and thousands of Pannagas were greatly pained. And greatly shook the earth with her mountains, forests and gardens. The Sun was shorn of its resplendance and the wind blew very rough. Thereupon the celestials, with Gandharbas, Siddhas, great saints, Kinnaras and serpents were all worked up with anxiety. And beholding the dreadful encounter between Rāma and Rāvana capable of making people’s down stand on end, the celestials with ascetics began to pray,—"May good betide the Brahmins and cows, may people live in peace and may Rāghava defeat Rāvana, the lord of Rākshasas, in the conflict". And the crowd of Gandharbas and Apsaras beholding that wonderful battle between Rāma and Rāvana, said,—"The ocean resembleth the sky and the sky resembleth the ocean—forsooth this encounter between Rāma and Rāvana befits them only". Thereupon Rāma of long-arms, the enhancer of the glory of Raghu’s race, enraged, set his arrow, resembling a serpent, on his bow, and cut assunder Rāvana’s head wearing shinning Kundalas. And that head in the presence of the inhabitants of the three regions fell down on the earth. Instantly there arose another head resembling the former; and it was speedily cut off by the light-handed Rāma. As soon as the second head was chopped off in the encounter by means of shafts another appeared again. And that was again severed by Rāma’s shafts resembling thunder-bolts. And thus were severed hundred heads all equal in brilliance. But the end of Rāvana’s life was not seen by him. Thereupon the heroic Rāghava, conversant with the use of all weapons, the enhancer of Kauçalyi’s joy, began to reason within himself in various Ways,—"Verily these are the arrows by which Māricha was killed, and Khara with Dushana was slain—Viradha was destroyed in the forest of Krauncha—the headless demon in the forest of Dandaka—Salas and mountains were broken—the ocean was agitated—and Vāli was killed;—I do not perceive the reason, why they are becoming fruitless when discharged at Rāvana". Thinking thus Rāghava made himself ready In the conflict and began to shower arrows on Rāvana’s breast. Thereupon Rāvana too, the lord of Rākshasas, seated in a car and highly enraged, assailed Rāma in the conflict with a downpour of maces and Musalas. That dreadful and huge conflict, capable of making hairs stand on end, continued for seven nights before the eyes of the celestials, Dānavas, Yakshas, Pisāchas, Uragas and serpents stationed in the sky, on the earth or on the mountain-tops. Neither for the night nor for the day, nor for a moment did the fight between Rāma and Rāvana cease. And beholding the conflict between Daçaratha’s son and the lord of Rākshasas, and Rāghava’s victory, the high-souled charioteer of the lord of the celestials spake speedily unto Rāma engaged in the conflict.