SECTION LXXXIX.
Then sighing like an enraged serpent, that chastiser of foes, Daçaratha’s son, setting shafts (on his bow-string) showered them on the Rākshasa-chief. And hearing the twang of his bow-string the lord of Rākshasas, with his countenance fallen, gazed at Lakshmana. And then Bibhishana spoke unto Sumitrā’s son as he was fighting, "I find (inauspicious) signs in Rāvana’s son. Do therefore hasten on,—broken he is, without doubt". Then fixing arrows (on his bow) resembling venomous snakes, he let go those keen shafts, like unto serpents furnished with poison. And smit by Lakshmana with arrows having the touch of the levin, (Indrajit) for a while was stupified and had his senses overwhelmed. And eying that hero—son unto Daçaratha—present in the encounter, (Indrajit) with his eyes crimsoned in choler, drew near Sumitrā’s son. And coming up to him (Lakshmana), he again addressed (that hero) in a harsh speech, saying,—"Dost thou not remember my prowess at that first encounter, when thou along with thy brother was bound up,—that now thou art discharging arms (at me)? Forsooth ye two in mighty encounter, with shafts resembling the thunder-bolt and vajra, by me were first laid down on the ground, deprived of your lives, along with your principal adherents. Either this hath escaped thy memory or I fancy, thou plainly wishest to go to the abode of Yama,—inasmuch as thou hast set thy heart on beating me. If at the first encounter thou hast not witnessed my prowess, to-day shall I show it unto thee. Do thou now stay, summoning thy attention". Seeing this, he pierced Lakshmana with seven shafts, and Hanumān with ten keen-edged excellent shafts. And then, fired with double fury, that powerful one pierced Bibhishana with an hundred arrows, powerfully discharged (from his weapons). Seeing this act of Indrajit, that foremost of men, Rāma’s younger brother, Lakshmana, with an undaunted countenance, fired with wrath without minding the same,—and saying with a laugh,—’This is nothing’,—taking dreadful arrows, in the conflict, discharged them at the son of Rāvana. "O night-rangers, heroes, coming to the field never discharge (such shafts as these). These arrows of thine are light and of slight strength, and they conduce to my comfort. Heroic warriors, eager for encounter, do not fight thus". Speaking thus, (Lakshmana) accoutred with his bow showered vollies of shafts (on his adversary). And at his arrows (hitting), (Indrajit’s) mighty golden mail fell off his person, and dropped to the platform of his car like a cluster of stars dropping from the welkin. And with his armour dropping off, that hero—Indrajit—was wounded with nārāchas, like the Sun at dawn. That hero—Rāvana’s son—endowed with dreadful prowess, in that conflict, pierced Lakshmana with a thousand shafts. And thereat Lakshmana’s gorgeous and mighty mail was rent in pieces. And each rushing forward was engaged in dealing blows and harrying them. And sighing again and again, they fought furiously. And with their persons cut all over, and laved in blood, for a long while the heroes kept cleaving each other with sharpened shafts. And those high-souled ones versed in warfare, and endowed with terrific prowess exerted their utmost in securing victory. And covered with vollies of shafts, with their armour and banners rent, they drew each other’s warm blood flowing like water from a fountain. And they discharged dreadful showers attended with tremendous sounds, like the sounds of black clouds at Dooms-day³⁵⁸ pouring torrents in the sky. And a long time went by as they faught. Nor did they turn away from the encounter, or know fatigue. And those foremost of those acquainted with weapons repeatedly displayed their weapons; and their long and short shafts enveloped the welkin. And the skill that they displayed was perfect, and showed lightness, variety and grace; and both man and the Rākshasa carried on fearful and terrible conflict. And the dreadful and tremendous roars of each were audible (at that place); and terrific like the levin, they made the hearts of hearers tremble (in terror). And as they faught with might and main, the sounds that they sent resembled the deep rumbling of clouds in the sky. And pierced with nārāchas knobbed with gold, those powerful and illustrious (warriors) with their hearts set on celebrity, bled profusely. And in that engagement gold-knobbed shafts hitting each other’s person, pierced the same and covered with gore, entered the earth. And other shafts were resisted in the sky by sharpened weapons; and some were snapped, and thousands of their arrows were cleft (in the sky). And in that field, the vollies of their shafts were dreadful to behold like unto a heap of Kuça aflame in a sacrifice. And the wounded frames of those high-souled ones appeared beautiful like a leafless, flowering Kinçuka and Sālmali in a wood. And each eager to vanquish the other, Indrajit and Lakshmana momentarily discharged tremendous and terrific showers (of arms). And Lakshmana smiting Rāvana’s son, and Rāvana’s son smiting Lakshmana,—they did not experience any fatigue. And with net-works of arrows deeply entering their persons, those vehement and exceedingly powerful ones resembled mountains topped (with trees). And all their limbs, drenched in blood and covered with arrows, looked like a blazing fire. And a great while did they fight; yet they neither turned away (from the fight), nor did they experience any exhaustion. Then to remove (Lakshmana’s) fatigue from fight, the high-souled Bibhishana, working the weal of Lakshmana staying in front of the field, came forward in the encounter and took up his post.
³⁵⁸ Kalamaghuyo (gen). The commentator says the word means (black) clouds; but I prefer the sense given.—T.